Today we began work on an AIDS orphan home here in Maua, Kenya. The home is for two young people living with AIDS named Alfred (who is 15) and his 18 year old sister. Alfred helped with the building of his home with us today by carrying lumber and working on the frames of the trusses for the house. We have a foreman named Charles, who is directing our Kenya mission team on the worksite. He's awesome and trimmed a board with a machete which initially caught me off guard but actually was a better cut than four pastors could manage. And yes, I'm being serious-toward the end of the day four of us pastors had a hand in cutting one board and it wasn't a straight cut. So the answer to the question: "how many pastors does it take to saw a board" the answer is four. Charles directed myself, Corey, Eric, Greg, and Harrell in the building of the two room 10X20 home. Our team from the West District will continue to rotate throughout the week and I believe all thirteen of us will have a hand in the building of the home. Charles had a crew with him to help including a young girl named Elizabeth (who we called Queen Elizabeth) working very hard today. I am quite certain that this crew could build the home much quicker without our help. We could have just donated the money for the home and left it at that, but that's not really the point.
Building the house together with the Kenyan people is so meaningful for everyone involved because it involves them and us working together despite the barriers between us. First, we are able to work together and build relationships. To start building those relationships we had to first work together. There was a language barrier but it didn't matter because we had a common goal that as Corey put it: "of simply doing what needed to be done. It's meaningful to me that Alfred wanted to help with the building of the house for him and his sister. He is investing in his own home, he didn't have to but he chose to. Second, I noticed today was that we (as Americans) followed the lead of the Kenyans (Charles and his crew). That's not something that we are accustomed to do often but I believe its a good practice. We followed and the Kenyans led because they had a better way that they are accustomed to within their culture. The Kenyan people build these homes (with our help) but the houses get built their way in a way that works for them. They take the lead and we follow. Erik said it reminded him that Christ came to serve and not to be served. We didn't do it our way, we did it the way the Kenyan people do it because we are here to be Christlike by serving others the way Christ served others.
Building the house together with the Kenyan people is so meaningful for everyone involved because it involves them and us working together despite the barriers between us. First, we are able to work together and build relationships. To start building those relationships we had to first work together. There was a language barrier but it didn't matter because we had a common goal that as Corey put it: "of simply doing what needed to be done. It's meaningful to me that Alfred wanted to help with the building of the house for him and his sister. He is investing in his own home, he didn't have to but he chose to. Second, I noticed today was that we (as Americans) followed the lead of the Kenyans (Charles and his crew). That's not something that we are accustomed to do often but I believe its a good practice. We followed and the Kenyans led because they had a better way that they are accustomed to within their culture. The Kenyan people build these homes (with our help) but the houses get built their way in a way that works for them. They take the lead and we follow. Erik said it reminded him that Christ came to serve and not to be served. We didn't do it our way, we did it the way the Kenyan people do it because we are here to be Christlike by serving others the way Christ served others.
I glanced over at the clothes on the table and noticed the shirt on top which reads: "I Am Second." I think that is fitting tonight. The statement means that Christ is first. Today that statement meant more because I was second to the Kenyan people because I needed to allow them to lead so I could follow. Their way in building this home is a better way of building a home for them, just like Christ's way is a better way for our lives which included service to others. I look forward to working throughout the rest of the week with Charles and his crew as we build the house together, serving together, and above all putting Christ first by serving. Today we worked on our faith by working with others. Our faith is not good enough when we choose to do it our way and not work with others.
Blessings,
Kevin
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