Devotional - Friday, August 6th

Ezekiel 47: 1-12



This scripture is the one Altadore Baptist selected as a metaphor or reflection of our church during our second look at our Vision statement. Its rich imagery has drawn me into a wonderful sense of God’s presence and purpose in our personal lives and in our global fissional Church life.


The small spring begins at the Temple, the place for worshipping and building our intimate relationship with our God. It is the only source for what becomes a rushing river, unexpectedly widening and deepening the further from the source it flows. It moves in real time and space, and causes a miraculous change in the landscape and even impacts the Sea it flows into as the deadly salt becomes fresh. Life abounds within it and all around it and food is plentiful for those who need to eat, and at the end is the promise of healing. God is present in our world, whether near or far.


As you look at this passage while we are in Kenya, I pray that your small springs of love, care, hope, generosity, and purpose will unexpectedly widen and deepen as we together sense God’s presence in the actions and obedience of the people of the African Brotherhood Church. We have come a long way to see what God has done here, and to learn how flooding spiritual water can make everything fruitful, fresh, teeming with life and full of healing.


I am curious about the “man” in this passage who leads Ezekiel through this experience. For me it is as if Jesus was there with him, someone with knowledge and authority, who has a measuring line in his hand (v.3). For the Kenya team it is Tim Bannister, of course. Please pray for him today, and Diane too, as they have a significant role to play on our behalf as we all safari ya kikanisa.


David Littel

Kenya

We have arrived in Kenya after an overnight flight from Amsterdam. All our bags arrived. We are heading to Lukenya for our first night and orientation. More to come as we are able to connect with the Internet.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

Devotional - Thursday, August 5th

Prophets of a Future Not Our Own

-- Archbishop Oscar Anglo Romero (martyred on March 24th 1980)

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.


We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of
saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.


No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water the seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything,
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing this.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning,
a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.


We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen.

Amsterdam

We have arrived in Amsterdam and have a LONG lay-over before our flight to Nairobi. Everyone is doing well. No problems with our flights.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

Team Picture
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

Devotional - Wednesday, August 4th

The Prayer of Saint Francis


Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
where there is injury, pardon,
where there is discord, union,
where there is doubt, faith,
where there is error, truth,
where there is despair, hope,
where there is sadness, joy,
where there is darkness, light.


O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled
as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Team Members - Janet

My name is Janet Walker and this will be my second trip to Kenya. I am excited to be going again and look forward to building on the relationships forged last time - even though two of the instrumental people are sadly no longer with us. We will be staying in Machakos again though we do not know what specific work projects we will be undertaking yet. I am still interested in agricultural endeavours but believe the provision of clean and safe water is the most essential. Also, I hope to have the opportunity to visit a slum in Nairobi and see first hand how people there cope.

I have attended Altadore Baptist Church since 1997 and am currently a member of the Hospitality Committee. In the past, I have served on Council as well as other Committees and have frequently helped with Inn From The Cold, either preparing breakfast for the guests or doing the overnight watch.


Again I am the grandma of the group. Though now retired. I keep busy and enjoy helping people, puttering in the garden and swimming daily. My love of the outdoors and God's creatures keeps me interested and active.