A Second Chance

February 16, 2009 Monday

 Pastor Joseph showed me where they first started meeting with the street boys and girls. Eight years have passed and now this small park in the middle of the city is surrounded by parked cars and more buildings.  They began by coming once a week and passing out bread to those living on the streets.  Today God is opening a new door for them.  They are in the process of meeting the parents, chief of the village or the official in the home land of each boy.  With the proper papers signed many of the boys will have a chance at leaving the city.  There is a vocational school outside the city limits of Nairobi that is will to take some of the boys.  After eighty years of hard work in a dangerous setting they are seeing "Victory".   Many of the street children will have a "second chance".

 

We travel with three different matatus, walk several streets and dodge cars and people. There are so many people and cars you can not tell if you are walking in a parking lot or in the street.  It looks like a gigantic yard sale and everything is free J   We finally arrive at the Bible League and it is worth the trip.  We have signed up for a program that will allow us to buy Bibles at an reduced price. God is so good.

 

February 15, 2009 Sunday

Pastor Chris tells me about his uninvited guest as we walk to church through the slums of Kawangware.  His wife runs the family farm in Western Kenya.  While Rose was sleeping 10 boys were cutting down and stealing her sugarcane.  When she heard noise outside she took a "torch" and saw that the boys had broken through her fence and were taking the cows.  She started hollering and woke the neighbors.  They came to her aid and the boys ran leaving the cows behind.  The elders in the village collected the boys together as they were recognized before running off.  The village people wanted to have the elders kill the boys but in this case the Pastor's word spared them.

 

When we arrived at church the benches were already set up outside.  Forty children were waiting in the hot sun.  I see "Purity's" eyes light up as I enter the area.  Today we are learning about Noah.  We are enjoying the lesson and our time together when I notice one of the church men standing with me.  I thought it was strange but I continued on.  A little while later another man comes out of the church and walks around us.  Then I see the Pastor do the same.  What I couldn't see and didn't realize was that there were 10 police officiers with AK47's on the other side of the church.  There were also a couple hundred people gathered on the other side watching.  On Friday the police had shot and killed two thieves in the road near the church.  Today they had found more that belonged to that group.   They were arresting a man and his wife found in their home beside the church. Opium, a gun and a police uniform were found inside the home.  Four sets of handcuffs were put on the man.  At the back door of the church a couple hundred people are standing and watching as all of this is taking place.  Shem is among them but soon he is inside sitting with us.   It is Shem's friends that are being arrested and killed. God is working in Shem's life.  God can change him and change his name.  Saul became "Paul", a mighty man of God.

 Friday there was a time of all night prayer at church.  "Shem" joins everyone at the church for prayer.  The long "club" like stick he came with still rests in the the corner of the church.