Widows, Orphans, and Who?

Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

-- James 1:27 

In other words, the lives of widows and orphans matter. The Gospel is such as this - the Gospel extends to everyone, from the highest members of society to the ones society forgets. In the social setting of the New Testament, widows and orphans were among the most vulnerable, and the Gospel extends to them no less than anyone else. If the Gospel doesn't extend to them, then it's not really the Good News.

And we buy this. We easily agree that this is true. Even though widows and orphans aren't nearly as vulnerable now as they were then, we still have a Gospel-stamped area of our heart for those who have lost their husbands and especially for those children who have lost their parents. We bend over backwards for them at times, and as a church, we have even joined the CarePortal to help care for children who are facing separation from their parents for some reason.

Do the lives of all children matter, not just orphans? Of course they do. Do the lives of all women matter, not just widows? Of course they do. This passage by no means suggests otherwise. But this passage doesn't say "the lives of all women and children matter." It does emphatically say that the lives of widows and orphans matter as a key attribute of the Gospel. What makes the Gospel the Gospel is that the lives of the vulnerable matter.

I had lunch last week with an African-American pastor who serves an inner-city church. With grief in his voice, he pondered why so many white evangelicals get that it's OK for the Bible to say in particular that the lives of widows and orphans matter as an attribute of the Gospel, but they don't get why it's OK to say in particular that Black lives matter as an attribute of the Gospel. We cannot deny that Blacks (using my friend's terminology) have been systemically vulnerable and systemically marginalized, even if we've never personally done anything to make this true. Why is it easier for us to say "orphan lives matter" than to say "Black lives matter"?

I don't endorse any violence or hatred that has been expressed through the Black Lives Matter movement. But that noise is not what I'm concerned about. Forget the worst expressions and think about the importance of every marginalized group and how the Gospel is not Good News if it doesn't call out specifically that the lives of specific marginalized groups matter. Not even that "those lives matter, too," as if some lives can be assumed but other lives surprise us with their importance. Just that "those lives matter." Period.

Context makes a difference. Whichever vulnerable group is in view, the Gospel says "those lives matter, period." In James 1, it's widows and orphans. In Acts 15, it's non-Jews. In some of our current conversations, it's Black lives.

I've never really been marginalized. I've been ignored in situations, my voice has gone unheard in some conversations, and when that happens, I experience frustration - for 5 minutes or an hour at a time. But even then, the moment someone acknowledges me and really hears my voice, it's good news to me. Imagine the good news that comes from telling a member of a group has been systemically marginalized (whether by me or not) that "Yes, your life matters in particular. Your life matters not because all lives matter. Your life matters solely because the Gospel is for you."

I can say "Black lives matter" without having to qualify it with "too" or "all" or "just like." I can say this, but not from a false sense that because my life matters, so does yours. Rather, I can say this because of the Gospel. I need no other cause, and that's part of the Good News.

Ten Things Kenyan Orphans Don't Know

1. What it's like to fly across the ocean. Not only is the experience of international flight highly unlikely for them, but the concept that a team of people traveled over 24 hours stepping foot in 5 different airports in three nations in order to see them has little context for them. They know that different-looking people just show up sometimes, act and talk a bit funny, talk a lot about God, give lots of hugs, and then leave after a week or two, until the next batch shows up a few months or a year later.
2. That there are sponsors. We don't explain the whole sponsorship idea to them. At the orphanage, we don't have sponsors for every child, so having a label of "sponsored" or "unsponsored" would be very damaging. We tell each of them that they have friends in the US, adults and children, who love them and pray for them and write them letters. We don't mention the money or the status of being sponsored.
3. A mortgage. This is more than just the family never having a mortgage. How buildings are paid for is completely different. Most Luo people in this area will never finance a building. Rather, they piecemeal everything. Save enough money to build a wall, then you build the wall. Then you wait to save more money for the next part. That's also how you put gas in the tank or get minutes on your cell phone. You don't fill up the tank or get a monthly plan. You put in a little bit of gas frequently, because that's what cash you have. You put just a few minutes on the phone because that's what cash you have. Piecemeal.
4. Identity theft. No digital footprint at all. Perhaps no birth certificate. No identity card or even identity number. And therefore, completely immune to identity theft. But also prone to falling through the cracks.
5. Having the air conditioning go out. Sounds obvious. But with this also means no griping and moaning when it goes out. No expensive repairs. No tendency to "hole up" indoors and become more isolated from your neighbors. No monthly bill big enough to buy a couple of weeks' worth of groceries in order to be more comfortable. But also no way to cool a malaria-induced fever.
6. A bad waitress. No restaurants, no waitresses, no bad service. There are restaurants around, but most of our kids won't eat in one until they are much older, if at all. Rather, food preparation is an event, a social interaction, a training time from older to younger, a daily rhythm, a responsibility even for the kids. No Happy Meals with toys that become boring after an hour, no playscapes, no mess left under the table that someone else has to clean up for minimum wage. Food is not fast - food is fellowship.
7. The assumption of medical care. If one of the kids here gets hurt, you just go to the hospital. You don't worry about how much money is in your wallet, or even if your insurance will cover it. You just go. Or better, you just call and they come and get you. In the village we go to, if an orphan gets hurt, there is no hospital nearby. Furthermore, there is no assumption of just going. If you don't have the cash on you, you might not get care, so you count your money to decide whether or not to go. And so sometimes you decide not to go. Instead of the assumption of medical care, your assumption is that the child will just make it without care.
8. Fame. Fame and popularity are amazingly low priorities. Not just "American Idol" fame, but BMOC fame at an orphanage in a village. The group ethic is so much stronger - success is more often group success than individual success. Not a Socialist removal of success to level the playing field, but true success as a group. Fewer Lone Rangers. "Luo Idol" fame, if you will. (The more modern the area in Kenya, the more individualism, it seems.)
9. An unwelcome guest. Yes, there are bad characters roaming around, and they are unwelcome. But other than that, if you show up unannounced, they are actually glad to see you! More than that, they are eager to invite you in. We've seen people show up unannounced, and not only stay for dinner, but stay for the week!
10. Escape. This hits me every time I depart. We heroically "rough it" for two weeks, then leave. Within hours we are in air conditioned, multi-storied buildings, and after an elongated day, back in our own beds. They are still there, where we "roughed it." Our two weeks is their 24X7. What we "put up with," they live. Chances are, it is what they will live their entire lives. Our ministry to them gives them a far better chance to live it well, and perhaps bring change to themselves and their neighbors. But few will know escape. (It’s not a horrible place that needs to be escaped, but there are hardships that do.)

Reread this article and realize how many things that Kenyan orphans know that we don’t. Please pray for these infinitely valuable bearers of God's image who know so much.

What are the chances?

Ever since I got involved with ministry in Kenya, one huge barrier for us has been that we can't ship anything over the reliably and affordably. It's expensive, for sure, and there's no guarantee that whatever we spent on shipping would actually result in the items making their final destination. I once sent four used books to a pastor friend, all properly labeled and showing that there was no commercial value to the contents, and it still took 18 months for the books to reach him. We've heard worse stories.

This, of course, makes it more difficult to help in tangible ways. We can't ship school supplies, uniforms, materials, lessons, electronics, or any number of things that would benefit the ministry there. We can bring money in and buy materials there, which can work well, but sometimes the options of what is available in country are limited.

We also continually struggle with the lack of reliable electricity at the ministry sites. Some buildings have none at all, some use noisy generators that require fuel, and some have electricity, but it's not reliable and it can be expensive.

So, what are the chances of coming to Kansas City and connecting with a Kenyan pastor (based on a conversation with a waitress) who has a member of his church who owns a shipping business that ships items to Kenya reliably? What are the chances that this man offers to that pastor some of the container space for each shipment? What are the chances of that pastor offering to us use of some of that space for free? And what are the chances that this arrangement has never failed to get the shipped materials through customs and to the final destination in a timely fashion?

Furthermore, what are the chances of getting connected with a professor at JCCC (basically across the road from our house) who has lived around the world installing solar power in developing areas? What are the chances that this professor has a Kenyan student with years of electrical experience and a passion to install solar power in Kenya?

The only way we could ever affordably ship solar devices to Kenya would be to have cheap (or free!) space in a container. Plus we would also need a virtual guarantee that this precious equipment will get through customs and reach its final destination. What are the chances of all of these connections being made in the same week?

That is what is happening before our eyes. And I'm grateful to God for what appears to be an amazing provision for the very things we need.

If the Lord does in fact put all these pieces in place, you will certainly be hearing more about it. In the meantime, please pray that He would make all this happen, according to His will.

Why not just send over money?

When you've seen how much short-term mission trips cost, perhaps you've pondered the question, "Why not just send over money?" It is perhaps the most common question I get, and it is a logical, legitimate question. After all, how many orphans could we support in a year for the amount of money it takes our team to get there for just two weeks? There's no arguing that in a simple trade, it's hard to see how the trip makes financial sense.

I'd like to offer a few thoughts:

One of the things the teams do is simply to visit with and pray with various people. We meet with the guardians (who care for the orphans), we meet with church members, we meet with Bible students, and we meet with church leaders. We learn from them, perhaps we teach them something, and we develop relationships and pray with them. You cannot imagine how grateful and encouraged people are that someone would come all that way to spend time with them. It's one of the ways they are encouraged to endure the hardships of ministry in a tough place.

We also develop relationships at the institutional level, connecting Kenyan churches and ministries with US churches and ministries. These relationships are crucial for being able to maintain long-term ministry partnerships, which provide framework for that orphan sponsorship that we want to dollars to ultimately go toward. So in a way, the money spent on the trip does go to orphan sponsorship.

By working Bible students and church leaders, we help them to multiply the ministry. The more pastors and other leaders who are trained, the more the churches can move forward with excellence, and the more churches that can be planted. By bringing teaching and encouragement, we have a part in the multiplication of the church, which in turn affects all kinds of ministry. We've already seen several churches planted by the graduates of the Ahero Evangelical School of Theology.

By sending at least one person per year, we also can update all the biographical information of all the orphans for their sponsors, including current pictures. All this data is crucial for the sponsorship program to proceed. Furthermore, regular visits provide a regular form of accountability, so that the ministry never falls victim of any accusation of malfeasance.

Our teams who work at the orphanage also provide a bit of a break for the teachers, who work so tirelessly day in and day out. Often, we can minister to them directly and encourage them as we do the Bible students.

Perhaps the greatest evidence that short-term missions are financially responsible is that our friends in Kenya think it's worth it. They know it's expensive. They know is a long, arduous trip. They know that we give up relative comfort in order to come. And they think it's worth it. So, I'm inclined to believe it's worth it, even for reasons I may not be aware of or even be able to comprehend.

The fact that our Kenyan friends have so much to teach us about faith and worship, endurance, standing up to the real enemy, and even true joy is a fantastic side benefit. It doesn't justify the expense by itself, but it helps the conclusion that it's worth it. Plus, it keeps us from thinking we're the experts who have come to save the day.

The best way to look at this is not to think that money for the trip is being spent instead of supporting orphans directly, but rather that money well-spent on a short-term trip is an investment for the long-term health, success, and growth of the ministry to orphans, students, and the Kenyan church.

The Story of Baby Colby

My first trip to Kenya was in 2006. We were a team of nine, with the rest of the team working primarily at the orphanage, and me spending my time teaching at the seminary. Even though we had received very experienced training to prepare us for the Kenyan culture, we were still tripped up at almost every turn with something new and unexpected. We often misunderstood the situation, what was said, or what something meant.

Most of the cultural differences were just plain interesting, even fascinating. One of the most interesting ended up being one of the most painful.

If there is a guest visiting when a baby is born, it is the custom in this part of Africa to name the child after the guest. The guest is then expected to pay special attention to the child, even help out financially, if possible. It's a tremendous honor, and a responsibility.

The pastor of the orphanage, Chris, and his wife had their second baby just as we were leaving. The named the baby "Colby." I was humbled by the privilege.

Months later, we heard that Baby Colby had some sort of skin disease. Lots of kids there have skin diseases, so we didn't think much of it. But it wouldn't go away, and the sparse emails we got seemed to slowly grow more concerning. However, we never had a proper diagnosis.

Lynne and I considered sending some money over for them to afford to take the baby to the doctor. As we were considering it, we got word that Baby Colby had died. We had no clue it was that serious. We still don't know what disease it was - they could never afford to visit the doctor once.

We were crushed, and went through no little guilt. If we had only sent money sooner, maybe it all could have been avoided. We didn't know it was life-threatening, but we might have been able to make a difference.

The great honor had become a great shadow. The following year, I finally met Pastor Chris' wife. When she heard my name, you could see the pain in her eyes. I was the namesake of their tragedy. But she and I ended up with a good friendship - she's an amazing woman of faith, and now with two more children.

Don't hesitate. I'm not just talking about our personal projects in Kenya, but whenever needs are brought to you, don't hesitate. You can't do everything, but if you can do something, and it seems like you're the one to do it, don't hesitate. Don't rationalize. Don't be selfish. Don't be lazy. Don't miss out on helping someone when God has enabled you to be the one to help.

As an act of grace, a baby was born during my third trip to Kenya. They named the baby after Lynne (whom they have never met).

Don't Buy Me Any Gifts This Year

I'd rather not receive any gifts this year. Seriously.

God has provided everything we need, and work to cover future needs. For now, we have no unmet material needs. That might not always be true, but this year, it is. And we're grateful.

For this year, I would rather my friends and relatives bought some rice. Or maybe a soccer ball. Or little shoes. Or just some ugali. What would thrill me more than a gift-wrapped box is donation to hungry4HIM Ministry (http://hungry4him.com), which supports the Friends of Christ orphanage in Ahero, Kenya. There are almost 300 orphans at FoC, and little donations go a long way. For example:

• You can provide a 5 lb. bag of rice or beans for about $3.
• You can provide a 5 lb. bag of maize for about $5 (20 lbs. would feed the entire school for one meal).
• You can provide a chicken for $5 or a fish for $3.
• 6 pair of socks cost about $2, and a blanket for $6.
• Toiletries? 15 bars of soap for $3 or 10 toothbrushes for $5.

If you would like to provide a Christmas gift in this way, just write a check to "Hungry4Him", put "Christmas fund" in the memo line, and send it to:

  Hungry4Him Ministry
  427 Airport Road
  Dublin, GA 31021

Hungry4Him is in process of putting together a Christmas "catalog" to promote this kind of giving, but I'm just getting the word out early.

Or, there are many other ministries that have the same kind of fundraiser - giving gifts to their ministries in lieu of giving one another gifts (often times, gifts we really don't need anyway). I encourage everyone to think about this as a gift-giving idea, for whoever you would buy gifts for.

I would love it if this practice eclipsed "Black Friday" in the amount of money raised.

How to Get Involved

The feedback from Pastor Benard's visit with us has been thrilling. I'm pleased to see such interest in ministry to Kenya. If you missed the luncheon after church, you missed Pastor Benard sharing what God has been doing 5000 miles from here, and answering a lot of good questions.

Some of you may want to find out what you can do to help out. Here's a quick list:

Sponsor: You can sponsor an orphan for $15 / month to provide that child with two meals a day, school supplies, and a new school uniform every year. See http://hungry4him.com to find out more and to sign up.

Read: There is a book about Pastor Benard's life - an amazing story of his own salvation, plus God building in him a vision for an orphan ministry. See http://benardsvision.com or just drop by the church office to get a copy. Every penny or your $15 (or more) donation goes straight into the orphanage.

Build: We have a "Brick by Brick" campaign to raise money for new buildings - more classrooms, dormitories, and so on. You can "sponsor" as many bricks as you want at $2 a piece, which pays for a brick and the related materials and labor. Again, the information is found at http://hungry4him.com .

Multiply: Contribute to the funds to support orphanage teachers and Bible college students. As we support these workers and students, we multiply the effect, since they each are able to touch so many more people. Contact me personally if you'd like to find out more.

Go: Lord willing, I plan on going to Kenya next summer. If you're interested in joining me, let me know as soon as you can. What we do will depend on who goes and what skills we have, but possibilities include: construction, children's ministry, youth ministry, prayer, visitation, and evangelism - the list is fairly endless.

Pray: Add to your prayer list: Pastor Benard and his family, the Friends of Christ orphanages (one in Ahero, one in Wachara), the teachers and pastors of the orphanages, and the Ahero Evangelical School of Theology and its students.

Please let me know how I can help you get more involved.

Karibu!

I am excited about a special guest coming to visit us in less than two weeks. Pastor Benard Ondiek from Kenya will be with us to share about his ministry in Kenya. Pastor Benard is the man I work with when I have traveled to Kenya in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Pastor Benard is a good friend and a man of inspiring faith.

Pastor Benard has started two Christian orphanages among the Luo people to help meet the dire need that exists in Kenya today - the "Friends of Christ" orphanages. Because of malaria, AIDS, and a variety of other health issues, there are orphans literally every where you turn. Almost every adult we know in Kenya has at least one orphan in their home. One orphanage is in Ahero, with about 300 orphans. The other is in Wachara, with around 50 or so.

Pastor Benard has also started a Bible school to train pastors, elders, and Sunday school teachers, called the Ahero Evangelical School of Theology (AEST). When I travel to Kenya, I spend my time at AEST. This ministry is strategic, because it multiplies. Most pastors are pastoring several churches at once, which spreads them too thin. AEST helps put more trained pastors and elders in these churches.

When Pastor Benard is here Oct 24, he will speak to the children's Sunday schools, share from the pulpit, and then on Sunday evening at 6pm, we'll have a potluck dinner to get to know him better, show some pictures and video from the orphanages in Kenya, and have a question-and-answer session.

There is a book about Pastor Benard's life called Benard's Vision. We will have copies available for you - we ask a minimum $15 donation per copy. Every penny of the donation goes straight into the operation of the orphanage. See also http://benardsvision.com for more about the book.

The organization I'm a part of is called "Hungry4Him" (http://hungry4him.com). We are responsible for finding sponsors for orphans. Just $15 per month provides all the school supplies and school uniform that a child needs, plus two nutritious meals per day. I'll be sharing more about this when Pastor Benard is here.

Also, I'm praying that the Lord would raise up a team of people that I can take on a short-term mission trip to Kenya next summer to work with the orphans, the teachers, the Bible school students, and the villagers. We'll talk about this when Pastor Benard is here, too.

If you would like to provide a meal (in a restaurant or in your home) to get to know Pastor Benard more fully, he would love to meet you. He will also be available to speak to your Bible study or group, any time from Oct 24 through the morning of Oct 27.

I'm anxious to get to share with you something that's been so important to us.

Karibu! (That means "welcome" in Swahili.)