Mini Team Experience

Recap of the last few days with the mini-team:

Mike, Steve, and I went to the Nairobi National Park on a safari of our own. It wasn't anything like Maasai Mara apparently, but we still got to see some wild animals, including a male lion. There were many zebras, gazelles, and ostriches there, and it was amazing just to look out and see the vast expanse of grassland and wildlife in the middle of an urban city. Most of the trip consisted of staring out as we drove through the park and seeing nothing but grass, but those fantastic moments when we spotted the lion or a new animal made the trip worthwhile. We got out of the car at the Hippo Pools, and started walking around the water. The ground was covered in water buffalo poo, so we had to be careful where we stepped. Lots of flies buzzed past my ears and landed on my face, which was more of an annoyance than anything, but it was scarier when we heard nearby growls and couldn't see what or where they were coming from. Luckily we found an armed guard before it was too late, and then I instantly felt safer.

To me, a safari can kind of represent our walk with Jesus, since we are placed in a wild, hostile environment where we don't always feel safe. It is scary out there, since the wild grasses mask the danger, and we never know what is lurking around the corner. The poo represents the signs that danger is out there, but Jesus is our guard, armed with an assault rifle. He knows the battle field better than we do and knows what to expect. There might be a mighty lion out there who is capable of ripping us into pieces, but just like how the assault rifle can take down the lion, Jesus can protect us from any enemy. No one wants to mess with a buff camouflaged dude and his two-foot-tall "little friend", and likewise the demons know they are powerless against God. I was comforted by the ranger's protection walking around the Hippo pools, and I was comforted by having God watching over me as we ministered in Kenya.

On Sunday, we went to church at Karura Community Chapel, where the Hyodos normally attend. It was the most reminiscent of a church like Lighthouse, as the facility was nice and there were Lexus SUVs in the parking lot (although they are just under the Toyota brand in Kenya). I really enjoyed the sermon about marriage, even though I'm obviously not going to get married in the near future. The pastor talked about how there are trials in every marriage, and the problem with most marriages are that people go in with the wrong expectations They expect marriage to be something where they get their needs met and feel good, but he said that marriage should be primarily focused on being obedient to God. Hosea's wife cheated on him and ran away from him, and most people in his situation would move on and find someone else. However, God called out to Hosea and told him to go and buy her back, even though she was rightfully his.

The pastor said how even when we have marital problems, God can use us to be a light to the community when we show our commitment to marriage and our obedience to God. Just like how God showed mercy on the Israelites and forgave them for turning away, we are called to forgive and try to work out our problems. There are definitely circumstances where a marriage can't be reconciled, but it's still important to try to work out the issues. While this seemed like a downer message since it focused mostly on how marriages have lots of problems, I thought it's a good reminder for me to know that marriage isn't smooth sailing, and that it's important to eventually look for someone not just based on how much fun I have with them or how happy they make me feel by meeting my "needs".

We stopped by the Nairobi Java House again after church, and then went back to the Comido school. The kids were really friendly as usual, and many began singing as I filmed. I'm curious to know what the lyrics mean in English, but hopefully they're glorifying to God, haha. The Well is progressing, there are still problems though, since the Kenya power company has to bring in a transformer to power the pump, so prayer is still needed to complete the project. It was a lot muddier there this time, since parts of the school grounds were flooded. We didn't stay too long, but the kids still seemed to enjoy our visit.

We then ventured over to the South C dental clinic, WMI"s most profitable dental clinic. That was when I learned that Pastor Paul and his family stay at the facility upstairs, and I was glad to know that he has such a nice, safe place to stay at.

That night, we watched The Lion King, which was another great experience. Apparently the team watched the same movie last year too. There must be something about watching it in Africa that makes it that much more special. It's funny watching Disney movies and getting the higher level humor that I didn't as a kid, and it was even funnier watching Joshua Hyodo roll around on the floor laughing during the movie. We then decided to play Wii and ended up staying up past midnight. It was nice having a smaller group, since I felt like it was a lot easier to get to know people in a smaller group setting, although I would have had a lot of fun going on to Maasai Mara too.

On Monday morning, we visited the Elephant Orphanage, where we got to see the trainers feed the baby elephants. A few of us got to touch them, and it was interesting to learn that cow milk is poisonous to elephants. Many were almost killed due to poaching or starvation, but this organization was able to nurse them back to health with the hopes of eventually re-releasing them into the wild.