Giraffe and Fruit of AIMs labor

Two weeks ago Robb and I went to Naivasha which is in the Rift Valley about two hours north of Nairobi. We cleansed our lungs with clean, fresh air, and got reacquainted with quiet. We ventured out to Crescent Island Wildlife Sanctuary, which incidentally hasn’t been an island since 1988 when Lake Naivasha’s water level dropped enough so that the island was then connected to the mainland! It is a sanctuary for wildebeest, gazelle, water buck, zebra, giraffe, buffalo, hyenas, aardvarks (did you know that aardvarks live only in Africa and are nocturnal? I love the internet!), over 200 birds, and many others.

This post is not intended to be a geography or history lesson, but I thought you might enjoy a few fun facts! Before I go into the intended topic of this post I must say a little something about the animals! Joshaphat, our guide on the island, walked us around for about two hours during which time we were up close and almost personal with wildebeest, gazelle, zebra, water buck, and…giraffe!!

We certainly didn’t get close enough to the giraffe for them to eat out of our hands like at the Giraffe Center in Nairobi where the giraffe are more or less tame. I’m sure the giraffe on Crescent Island have grown accustomed to seeing people walking around, however they’re still wild! We watched four adolescents eating leaves from acacia trees then observed very big Mama Giraffe emerge a little way off and just stand there glaring at us as the “kids” ran to her. What an amazing sight!!

Back to the point of this post! In addition to asking Joshaphat, our guide, many questions about the animals and the island, I also enquired about him! Is he married? No, but he has a girlfriend whom he will be marrying next year. Is he from Naivasha? No, he comes here from his village up north every two months to work. What tribe is he from? Maasai. I mentioned that we see many Maasai in Nairobi still wearing their various patterned red shukas (coverings or large cloths) with a rungu stick hanging from their waists and some even carrying a spear. Joshaphat laughed as he told us that we wouldn’t recognize him if we came to his village because he dresses completely traditional when he is at home. (Unfortunately, we only have a picture of his back!)

Because it was a Sunday and we could hear a church service across the lake, I asked him if he has to work every Sunday and miss church. eHe said Yes. Somehow the conversation turned to AIM and the AIC (Africa Inland Church). When Robb explained the relationship between AIM and AIC, Joshaphat excitedly shared with us that he belongs to an AIC church which is one of three AIC churches in the area of his village which were all started by an AIC Kikuyu missionary.

Robb and I were encouraged on several levels. First of all, the missionary who planted these churches is from here – not only an African reaching Africans but a missionary from the Kikuyu tribe reaching the Maasai tribe! This is one of the very things about AIM that we appreciate. Not all positions allow for this, but as Robb likes to say, “western missionaries should work themselves out of a job”, by training, equipping, and moving on!

The second encouraging thing was to hear that the AIC church is successfully raising up national missionaries and sending them out. Lastly, AIMs ultimate goal is being fulfilled: Christ-centered churches among all African peoples. It was not a coincidence that Joshaphat was our guide!

Clothe yourselves

I've realized that lately I'm spending more and more time standing in front of my closet deciding what to wear. This is the result of not bringing a lot of clothes when we moved here, many of them are now really stretched out and/or faded from hanging on the clothesline, and only buying a few new-to-me tops from a market since we've arrived.

As I read this verse the other day, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience" Colossians 3:12, I got to thinking about the process of clothing myself. How does the time I spend choosing clothes for the day (especially when I go to Tumaini) - what matches, what is appropriate for my plans for the day, what is appropriate for the weather, etc. - compare with the time I spend clothing myself according to Colossians 3:12?

How much time do I spend putting on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, and if I do put them on, how long before I either change them or forget that I am "wearing" them? How do I present them to others (do they match and are they appropriate), and how do they come across to others? Do I "wear" them for everyone, just for certain people or when I feel I should or have to? As I consider each item, which do I neglect to put on or which do I change for each "event"?

On examining these, I observe that, while they all have definitely been "worn", patience and kindness are not showing as much "wear". I have come to realize that the times I am usually without these items is while driving, when people unexpectedly come to my gate (often while I'm trying to get something done), and when I am tired or frustrated! I am of equal opportunity, so while Robb and even Micah may experience me without these, others are not exempt!

I am one of God's chosen, holy and dearly loved! Hallelujah!!! However, I am His chosen one, holy and dearly loved ONLY by and through the sacrifice of Jesus! Does how I present myself to others outwardly not pale in comparison to how I should present myself to others inwardly?

Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Are these not attributes of Jesus? Therefore, I must clothe myself with Jesus every day!! Thankfully, I know that the next time I stand in front of my closet deciding which clothes to wear, I will first clothe myself with Jesus, and try my hardest never to remove Him!