Kenya Journal August 2022 Edition 7

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY Dressing “smart” in Kenya.

Well, it was all smiles at the training center this morning.

One of our friends/supporters sent me with three suitcases full of fine men’s clothing. The value of the table full of men’s wear was worth more than all of these men’s income in a year. Isn’t that just like God? Send his best to the ends of the earth just to make his servants smile? I think the Father smiled this morning. Laughter is a good medicine. We had several doses today.

Clothes may not make the man, but in Kenya, they certainly make the man smile.

Our ministry training has been intense the past days. It was time for a break and a reward. There is nothing frivolous or wasteful, either in time or money, in encouraging God’s servant’s. In fact, it would do some of you well to go pick up a gift card at the local fine men’s clothing store and give it to your pastor or a missionary you know. Many American pastors cannot afford to dress in such finery as God hung on these Kenyan pastor’s frames today! Seems I read something like, “If God so clothes the grass of the fields…won’t He also clothe you?

Today was extravagant in a place of want. There is a history of God blessing His children in extravagant ways. Some of these preachers preach deep in the African bush where they are seldom seen. Most of them preach in such obscurity that when God does move in their ministries, there is no one there to celebrate with. Today, the room was filled with preachers and the celebration was in full swing.

We had an amazing day of testimonies from our Tanzanian pastor and one of our ministry partners from nearby Kisumu. God spoke through these testimonies in powerful and practical ways. I will write about
that later. Right now, my heart is still smiling so that I don’t want to switch back to the seriousness of real minitry work.

Giving and receiving, fellowship and laughter,
encouragement and reward are real ministry
work!

The ministry of
encouragement
is under used
by us all.

When I received the gift of the clothing, I realized that there would be nothing in the suitcases for our two ladies at the training center. That would never do! I want to come home! If “momma Teresa” heard that I had taken new clothes to the men and the women got nothing…you finish the sentence.

So I took some of the “walking around money” you sent me with and stuffed two envelopes with shillings totaling around $100. I wrote a note to the ladies making sure they know they are just as valuable to God and this ministry as any of the men. I instructed them to use the enclosed money to buy a new dress and a pair of shoes (if possible).

We started recognizing women and their value to God and our ministry in the very beginning. We learned that the Kenyan culture (yes, the church culture!) usually leaves them out. Men are respected and rewarded. Women, just do the work, have the babies, care for the home and the pastors, and never get so much as a thank you or pat on the back.

Your generosity is the talk of Kenya today. Somewhere right now there is a young pastor or evangelist hopping the public transport in the marketplace wearing the finest sport coat in the Kisii region. He will likely be asked where he got such a garment. The answer? From God.

I did mention that I love this job, didn’t I?