I LOVE A PARADE

The graduation parade today was a first for me in Kenya. I marched in a parade in Kenya today.
As I typed that sentence, I heard Meryl Streep’s voice in the opening line from Out of Africa….”I had a farm in Africa…” I have marched in many parades. But none, that can compare to today.

Many of you don’t know I was a musician in my previous life. Band was my life from grade school
through college. I went to college as a music performance major. I would guess I have marched in 15
or more parades in my life, including the Sugar Bowl parade in New Orleans and the Cotton Bowl
parade in Dallas. But, I have never marched in a parade through the streets of Kenya celebrating a
Bible school graduation. Pastor Christiano gave me the option of raising the safari roof on the LandCruise and standing and waving to the crowd “ala” homecoming queen style. But, There was no way I was not marching in this parade! So, the Texas team and I found our places behind the Police escort, the brass band, and the graduates and made our wade through the city center of Kenyenya and most of the neighborhoods. We ended the parade at the football (soccer) stadium in the center of town.

Three brightly colored tents were set up facing a beautifully decorated platform. The lush green of
the grass against the brilliant blue of a perfect Kenyan sky begged for the artist’s bursh. This was no
“fly-by-night” production. I can’t imagine the man hours that went into this day. But, that’s how
important these people believe it is to graduate trained pastors and evangelists to be sent to the
nation of Kenya and beyond. I’ll let the Spirit make the application for us .

The graduation ceremony was Kenyan….translation…looonnnnnggggg! I have really worked hard with our leaders about schedule. I’ve taught the importance of keeping a schedule, staring on time, ending on time. But, I have yet to see the fruit of my teaching widespread in our ministry. About 4 of our leadership staff keep “American time” in their meetings. The rest present me with a perfect schedule for the event. And then…start late and go long.

It was obvious to me early on that we were not going to be close to getting our Texas team away in
time to make their flight to Nairobi. So, I made some adjustments in the schedule with Christiano
(which he did not like one bit!). And then I helped the crowd transition to our modified schedule. I
told them a story about us having to live on “airline time.” I said, I usually fly Delta Airlines. I said, their old slogan was—Delta!—we’re ready when you are. But, then I told them of the times I had been late to an airport only to find my flight had left without me. I told them I changed the Delta slogan to: Delta! We’re ready when you are…BUT…we WILL leave without you. The humor did its job and the schedule adjustment was allowed by our Kenyan hosts. The visiting Texas team did an amazing job with the graduation. They brought the charge to the graduates. Hours were spent in preparation and prayer for those words. It showed! The graduates were visibly moved by the charge. And then the laying on of hands and prayer. This part of graduation is always a special time in Kenyan ceremonies. Pastor Jason’s prayer was fervent and heart felt. He has spent a week with these young leaders. Now, he and his church are not just invested financially. There are faces and names and stories to go with “the guys at the training center in Kenya.”

I didn’t preach today. I was slotted in the “coveted prime slot of honor“ to bring the graduation
sermon. Since the time was managed so poorly, something had to be cut. I made an executive
decision and cut my sermon. That decision stung for Christiano. But, training is not something that
only happens in a classroom or in a conference. Everything we do together with these leaders is
training. Hard lessons are called hard for a reason. When we make a mistake, there is a price to
pay. Today, the price was Christiano didn’t get to show off his “prize” American preacher to all the
visiting Bishops, pastors, and government dignitaries. He’ll get over it and learn from it. But, I don’t
expect to get a call to join him for dinner tonight. It was an amazing day. Christiano and his team
did a great job. But, the scheduling mistake could have been the fly in the ointment that Jeremiah
wrote of that tainted the entire day. Christiano learned the value of time, once again. We
accomplished everything needed to honor God and the graduates. Everyone was happy and
blessed by the day. Especially me!

The Texas team is on their way to Nairobi, a quick safari Saturday morning, then back home. Jeff
Moser should be back in the states by now. Our two ministry friends who were in Nairobi beginning
the water filter project fly out tonight. It is back to solo ministry for me.

I’ll stay in Kisii tonight. I will make the 3 1/2 hour drive to Kisumu tomorrow. Dinner tomorrow night
with leadership from the Kisumu church. Preach on Sunday. Leadership conference Sunday
afternoon. Back to Nairobi on Monday. A brief meeting in Nairobi with some American missionaries
working with another ministry. Some of them were students in a youth ministry when I preached at
their youth camps. Pretty cool for this old preacher!

Thanks for sending me. I’m not empty yet, but the needle has dropped below the 1/4 tank mark.
Just enough to finish out the schedule.

Your prayers = my fuel.
By, grace, your brother,
Mike Curry