Kitale, Kenya : The Last Day Devotional
Christmas in Kenya, December 8, 2009
Scripture:Matthew 28:18-20; Philipians 4:5,8-9
When I first thought about this trip, I wondered -as I am sure we all did- what God had in store for us. More than a few mentioned they were proud of us for going and that it takes a special heart to be a missionary. At the time, I didn’t understand, but there IS something about the work of a missionary that is different. A missionary fulfills the great commission to the utmost; it is a personal sacrifice, you truly are going into the unknown and acting as a ambassador for Christ. And as we all know, it requires flexibility and being lead by the Holy Spirit on what to do next.
Christ told us to be missionaries to ALL nations, not just our neighbours. Which is what the 16 of us were specifically called to do here in Kenya. There is a reason we each are here;to let our gentleness be known to all men so they may know the hand of the Lord.
And because of our submission to God, we have been blessed. We have seen true joy and community in the midst of poverty. We have been greeted with unconditional love through the hand clasp of Daisy, in the exuberance of Randall and in the eyes of Elizabeth,Moses,and each child at the CDC. And as we fulfill the great commission, we are charged by Christ with another task; to meditate on what we’ve seen, the joy we have experienced and to take that back with us and report to others and make a greater difference. We are not only emissaries of Christ for the children, we are battlefield reporters for family, friends, and even strangers. The lessons we learned here are meant to be carried home.
Lastly, as we leave the kids today and recognize we may never know their individual futures….know that they are not alone. When the Americans are gone or even when Pastor Peter or Rose is not there, the seed of Christ has been planted, watered, and nurtured to grow. It is He who will be with them always, just as He is with each of us.