It’s been two weeks since we returned from our first “field trip” to Kager village. We are still processing all we saw and we learned – but we see God flowing in our lives and moving us ahead in our journey. The last night we were in Kager, we had the opportunity to meet with the church elders of the Kager Vision Centre (the name of their church) and share our vision for the Jubilee Village Project. As we shared the vision, I used the analogy of a River to relate the spiritual journey we feel the Lord had put us on and brought us to their village in the middle of Africa, far away from our homes and comforts of the northside of Indianapolis.
This River has been flowing for centuries through the village called Kager, and we were just joining it.
That we (Craig, John and I) were not the River, but just small Streams that God had directed to join the River. That both the River and the Streams have the same Source…God. And that God had ordained us to come together. That we were now in the River with them, and we were excited to see where the River is going. That God already knows the Destination of the River…the Direction it is flowing…and the Obstacles it will encounter.
We asked them to begin praying for the River…for wisdom and discernment to navigate the flows and the currents of the River…for other Streams that are already flowing that need to join the River…for other people for God to touch and inspire to join us in the River.
We know to accomplish the vision of the Jubilee Village Project it will take years…decades…lifetimes. But we also know that unless we get in the River, we will never discover where the River is flowing.
With all that as a backdrop, we are getting in the River. In the next month, we are going to firm up definitive projects to embark on in the next year:
* A microloan program to bring much needed working capital to the people of Kager to
expandtheir small person-centered enterprises (the loans will be less than $100 each)
* Building improvements for the to the public primary school (the school has no windows, dirt
floors and a leaking roof)
* Text books and resources for the village’s schools (they are lacking such basic resources as
chalk and paper)
* A farmer’s cooperative to let them share and work together to pilot new solutions in irrigation,
horticulture, planting, crop rotation, etc. (with 80% of the village being farmers, we know that
improving farming yields will have the greatest impact on the community’s economic
transformation)
* A community training and resource center for health education and economic development
programs (sewing, canning, etc.)
* Building improvements for the church (including plastering the walls, adding more seats, and
building a Christian resource library)
* Electricity and a satellite wireless network for the entire village
It is exciting to be in the River…to having joined the River…to be with God in the River.
Do we know exactly where the River is headed?
Do we know what lies ahead of us in the River?
Do we know who will join us in the River?
No – but that is part of the adventure of being in the River.
But we know this about the River…God is its Source…and God is its Destination…and God is its Power.
This River has been flowing for centuries through the village called Kager, and we were just joining it.
That we (Craig, John and I) were not the River, but just small Streams that God had directed to join the River. That both the River and the Streams have the same Source…God. And that God had ordained us to come together. That we were now in the River with them, and we were excited to see where the River is going. That God already knows the Destination of the River…the Direction it is flowing…and the Obstacles it will encounter.
We asked them to begin praying for the River…for wisdom and discernment to navigate the flows and the currents of the River…for other Streams that are already flowing that need to join the River…for other people for God to touch and inspire to join us in the River.
We know to accomplish the vision of the Jubilee Village Project it will take years…decades…lifetimes. But we also know that unless we get in the River, we will never discover where the River is flowing.
With all that as a backdrop, we are getting in the River. In the next month, we are going to firm up definitive projects to embark on in the next year:
* A microloan program to bring much needed working capital to the people of Kager to
expandtheir small person-centered enterprises (the loans will be less than $100 each)
* Building improvements for the to the public primary school (the school has no windows, dirt
floors and a leaking roof)
* Text books and resources for the village’s schools (they are lacking such basic resources as
chalk and paper)
* A farmer’s cooperative to let them share and work together to pilot new solutions in irrigation,
horticulture, planting, crop rotation, etc. (with 80% of the village being farmers, we know that
improving farming yields will have the greatest impact on the community’s economic
transformation)
* A community training and resource center for health education and economic development
programs (sewing, canning, etc.)
* Building improvements for the church (including plastering the walls, adding more seats, and
building a Christian resource library)
* Electricity and a satellite wireless network for the entire village
It is exciting to be in the River…to having joined the River…to be with God in the River.
Do we know exactly where the River is headed?
Do we know what lies ahead of us in the River?
Do we know who will join us in the River?
No – but that is part of the adventure of being in the River.
But we know this about the River…God is its Source…and God is its Destination…and God is its Power.
2 comments:
It sounds like an amazing journey you find yourself on these days. Your time of worship with the people you described in Kisumu sounds amazing. Your life always has been, and always will be an inspiration to me, no matter how little we talk or communicate with each other these days. I look forward to reading more.
Rob Sutton
Bob
I couldn't believe when I read your post -- talk about a blast from the past out of nowhere.
God's fingerprints and footsteps are all over this calling to serve the village of Kager. It has been and continues to be an amazing journey of faith and humility for me to be able to take.
Joe and I saw each over sometime last year and he got inspired by the work we are doing with Basic Utility Vehicles and is really thinking hard about how he and Dawn can get involved to help out the village of Kager.
I've got to ask, how did you find this blogspot?
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