Faith Words: The Kenyan Connection

In this season of Thanksgiving, I received something new to be thankful for.  Just about a week ago, I met, for the first time, 3 brothers of mine:  Thomas, Bernard and Alfayo. They were here with my sister Mauryn for brief visit from Kenya.  While none of them are kin to me by birth, we are kin by the blood of Jesus.  And upon meeting them, there was an instant connection that brings me to tears of joy.

These folks are a part of our Kenya Widows and Orphans Ministry and by extension, World Bible School.  The WBS link came first but the KWO link is just as strong and sure now.  Mauryn takes care of the financial side of KWO in Kenya (among other things) and Thomas, Bernard and Alfayo work in and supervise some of the orphanages there.  What we have is a partnership designed by the Lord where we supply them with financial assistance and spiritual advice and they take on the tasks of doing the day to day work of caring for the widows and orphans we've been able to take in.  That's the simple explanation at least. There's so much more to it but, well, it would take pages to put into words.

Many of you are familiar with the work and participate by donating money to help finance it.  It always amazes me how far such a little bit of money will go and what a difference it can make to a child.  For us, it's a trip to Texas Burger.  For them, it's the difference between hunger and being fed, between life and death.

Sunday was "Kenya Sunday" at church and the whole congregation had a chance to meet these four amazing people.  We also got to watch a video that was filmed on a recent visit by two of our ministers.  The faces, the smiles, the joy were all so touching to see.  But the most moving part to me was when one young girl said that she prays for the donors to be blessed so they will be able to continue to give to this ministry.  It wasn't done out of selfishness or to tug at our heart strings.  It came from a place of simple faith in that young girl's heart - her belief that when God blesses His people, they joyful and generously share those blessings.

I remember a hymn by Lula Klingman Zahn we sang when I was growing:

There is a sea which day by day

Receives the rippling rills,

And streams that spring from wells of God,

Or fall from cedared hills;

But what is thus receives, it gives

With glad unsparing hand.

A stream more wide,

With deeper tide,

Flows on to lower land.

There is a sea which day by day

Receives a fuller tide;

But all its store it keeps nor gives

To shore nor sea beside.

Its Jordan stream now turned to brine

Lies heavy as molten lead.

Its dreadful name

Doth e'er proclaim

That sea is waste and dead.

Which shall it be for you and me

Who God's good gifts obtain?

Shall we accept for self alone

Or take to give again?

For He who once was rich indeed

Laid all His glory down,

That by His grace

Our ransomed race

Should share His wealth and crown.

In this season of Thanksgiving, we are reminded of how much we've been blessed.  But are we blessed to keep the blessings for ourselves or to share them?  We live is such abundance that we often take it for granted we might forget that on the other side of the world or perhaps on the other side of town, there are those who have little or nothing.

Why did God choose to place me in a position of plenty? Why do I have so much and they so little?  I don't have answers to all my questions, but I believe that God has blessed me so I can bless others.  When my heart is right, I'm blessed even more.  And in turn, the recipients glorify God.

In this season of Thanksgiving, when we count all our blessings, let's find ways to share those blessings with others, whether it's a widow or orphan in Kenya or an impoverished family without hope right here in Midland, Texas.

From my blessed heart to yours,

Patrice

2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV)

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.