I have trouble with the bible sometimes, because I have such a bad memory.
I realise that not everyone is like me, and many people can think back further than a year and recall people's names, events and even conversations accurately, without needing a time machine or some kind of mental reminder.
But I wouldn't expect even people with a good memory to remember things exactly as they were, all the time. Everyone makes mistakes.
Thus, I have to expect that the people who wrote what's in the bible to have made at least a few mistakes. Which is terrible when you consider how closely we read the bible sometimes, and how much emphasis we put on some words, as if the whole truth of the Gospel hangs on one sentence alone, and what order the words come in. If Jesus said: "loathe your neighbour" instead of "love your neighbour", that would have quite an impact on what it means to follow Jesus, right? It's really rather important to know that whoever noted down Jesus's words actually knew what they were doing.
I've been told, and I've read in the bible itself, that the Spirit of God enables people to do things - often amazing things - that they couldn't normally do. A phrase I hear a lot is that "all Scripture is God-breathed", which I suppose means that God somehow got around the problems of false memory and human agenda when he caused the biblical writers to write the books of the bible.
But in this context, it seems strange to use a reference from the bible as proof that the bible is true. It'd be like me, a girl, saying that girls are the only living beings that make any logical sense. I might want that statement to be true, but I've never been not a girl, so how could I know?
I can back the Spirit thing up with my own experience. Having prayed with some other people that I would receive the "gift of tongues" (which, I think, is the gift of being able to talk/pray in a language not your own, possibly a heavenly language though it sounds kinda Arabic or Polynesian or Hindi to my ears), I had the experience of speaking in tongues for real. On my own, of course, so you'd have to take my word for it.
That in itself is pretty amazing. And pretty weird - speaking in tongues makes me feel like I'm a wacky person. Which I suppose I am.
Anyways, I could believe that the words in the bible are true because all the authors were actually enabled by the Spirit of God, and managed to write down events and conversations with truthful, objective accuracy.
The problem with that is, my experience of the Spirit has shown that it's not like an out-of-body experience. The weirdest part of speaking in tongues is that you control it yourself. I decided when I was going to start and finish speaking. If I had decided not to try at all, I would never have done it, regardless of how much I'd originally wanted to.
And I assume, therefore, that because even though I'm not controlling everything - I have no idea what I'm actually saying, for example - the ability for me to control some of the experience means that there's room for my agenda. There's room for me to omit something, or put my own slant on it. I often feel very pompous when praying in tongues, and equally very fake, like I'm trying to prove myself authentically Christian. Because obviously only authentic Christians would be given the gift of tongues. Yet I know that to be false too.
As I heard someone point out, the biblical character Samson was given great strength by the Spirit of God, and he used that strength to catch 300 foxes (no jokes), tie their tails together, attach burning torches to the tails and send them off to burn the fields of the Philistines because they'd done something to upset him. I'm still not sure why he didn't just set them alight himself with some sort of catapult...but I suppose running foxes with burning tails is scary and chaotic in a way that catapults aren't. Anyways, he used the gift of the Spirit of God to do something that doesn't sound authentically Christian at all. He used a spiritual gift for his own agenda, not God's.
Incidentally, I just used a biblical story to illustrate a point that kinda undermines the truth of the bible. Sneaky huh?
I have these three main problems with the bible:
1) it is complicated, and doubtful, and all my arguments for and against it run around in endless circles without ever resolving themselves
2) I don't like everything the bible says
Sometimes it says things that sound blatantly contradictory (which makes sense if you have lots of different authors, but equally makes it hard to believe in such a thing as "truth").
Sometimes it tells you about what God is like, but then it says things that don't seem to match up to that at all. Sometimes it says things I like to hear, like "you turned my wailing into dancing" (you gotta admit, that's quite nice sounding), and sometimes it says things like " the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Fun times. I should know, I'm a teeth-grinder...I pity anyone who has to sleep in the same room with me on one of my grinding nights.
3) I still believe in God.
That last problem is a doozy, because - other than my own experience and the stories I hear from other people - there don't seem to be a lot of other ways to find out about and know God.
The bible is quite a convenient way to do it, actually. Particularly the bits where people say straight up things like: "the kingdom of God is like this..." and "these are the two most important things, if you want to live a life that's pleasing to God".
If I can't trust words in the bible to tell me about God, then there's not a lot of things to go on, unless you have some sort of visitation experience where God reveals everything about himself to you in a dream (which is, itself, kinda doubtful).
I'm starting to think that reading the bible and thinking about/inwardly debating what it says is kinda like a scientific hypothesis. You accept that it is potentially true for the purposes of testing it out, regardless of how wild or unbelievable it sounds. The other option is to accept that there are things you can't or don't know, and you sit around feeling happy about not knowing about God. Which doesn't really work for me.
If there is a God, I'd much rather try and figure out what he's like, then stay in the dark about him. That's freaky, like walking down a staircase in pitch black and not knowing where the light switch is, or who might be lurking at the bottom.
If that means reading the bible, doubtful and annoying as it is, and taking some of it with a pinch of sugar (nicer than salt, I say) until I can feel surer about it, then maybe that's a way forward.
Sure beats going around in circles....
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
things to tell my older self
Continuing with my theme of not posting in the present, this next piece is addressed to my future self.
When I look back, my childhood seemed to be spent anticipating my "golden years". I waited impatiently for a time when...
I'd be old enough to be responsible, but still young enough to be silly
Icecream and burgers could be acceptable breakfast options if I so chose
I'd earn my own money, and it would belong to me (rather than the bank)
I'd be information-wise, but not worldly enough to fear trying new things
I'd have the beauty of youth, and the freedom to enjoy it and show it off how I liked
I could party all night, and get up in the morning feeling fresh like I'd had 8 hours sleep.
Yeah! Best years of our lives!!
Adulthood, it seems, is spent doing the same thing but in the opposite direction. If we could, I think we'd all like to press the "pause button" and just live continuously in those golden years.
childhood >>>>>>* || *<<<<<<< adulthood
Trouble is, I either missed my golden years, or they somehow got a bit mixed up.
I started earning my own money when I left uni...but I had to pay back my student loan before I could enjoy the freedom of wasting it on frivolous things like icecream for breakfast.
So I paid back my student loan...but by then, my metabolism decided to fail. So I could waste my money however I wanted, but it ended up on my................waist. *cringeworthy pun*
I should have been wild and adventurous at 21, but I've had some sort of behavioural delay, and I'm only getting adventurous now, when I'm "supposed" to be settling down.
I've NEVER been able to get less than 8 hours sleep without adverse effects.
I used to be a lot thinner and my skin was nicer, but I was also a lot shyer, and less able to appreciate my looks while I had them.
I still live at home. Um...........
A related tendency I'm noticing is the thought that once you reach adulthood, certain things are no longer necessary, or certain rules no longer apply.
childhood 1 + 1 = 2 adulthood: 1 + 1 = -5.64
Yes, when you were a child, it was perfectly normal for your body to grow and change. You regularly grew out of clothes.
Now that you're an adult, it's no longer expected or appropriate. For your body to change in any way is a cause for shame and hiding.
Yes, when you were a child, you absolutely had to do those sensible things like wear sunscreen, brush your teeth and have regular bedtime routines.
Now that you're an adult, you can break those rules any time you like. You should be able to avoid the negative consequences using your adult powers and "spidey sense".
Yes, when you were a child, it was fine to not know things.
Now that you're an adult, you should KNOW EVERYTHING. Everything. And when you realise you don't know everything, you should inwardly berate yourself, tell little white lies to cover your ignorance, and use your fear as an excuse to not try new things.
So, older self, next time you catch yourself pining for the "golden years", remember that you're in them. There is no magical time when everything is perfect. The wisdom and character that you will gain through experience balances out the loss of physical beauty and...bodily function ;)
Some pieces of wisdom apply throughout your entire life. It's not shameful to be sensible and realise that you're not super-human.
I think swings are the best invention ever at 28. I hope at 68, I still feel the same way.
When I look back, my childhood seemed to be spent anticipating my "golden years". I waited impatiently for a time when...
I'd be old enough to be responsible, but still young enough to be silly
Icecream and burgers could be acceptable breakfast options if I so chose
I'd earn my own money, and it would belong to me (rather than the bank)
I'd be information-wise, but not worldly enough to fear trying new things
I'd have the beauty of youth, and the freedom to enjoy it and show it off how I liked
I could party all night, and get up in the morning feeling fresh like I'd had 8 hours sleep.
Yeah! Best years of our lives!!
Adulthood, it seems, is spent doing the same thing but in the opposite direction. If we could, I think we'd all like to press the "pause button" and just live continuously in those golden years.
childhood >>>>>>* || *<<<<<<< adulthood
Trouble is, I either missed my golden years, or they somehow got a bit mixed up.
I started earning my own money when I left uni...but I had to pay back my student loan before I could enjoy the freedom of wasting it on frivolous things like icecream for breakfast.
So I paid back my student loan...but by then, my metabolism decided to fail. So I could waste my money however I wanted, but it ended up on my................waist. *cringeworthy pun*
I should have been wild and adventurous at 21, but I've had some sort of behavioural delay, and I'm only getting adventurous now, when I'm "supposed" to be settling down.
I've NEVER been able to get less than 8 hours sleep without adverse effects.
I used to be a lot thinner and my skin was nicer, but I was also a lot shyer, and less able to appreciate my looks while I had them.
I still live at home. Um...........
A related tendency I'm noticing is the thought that once you reach adulthood, certain things are no longer necessary, or certain rules no longer apply.
childhood 1 + 1 = 2 adulthood: 1 + 1 = -5.64
Yes, when you were a child, it was perfectly normal for your body to grow and change. You regularly grew out of clothes.
Now that you're an adult, it's no longer expected or appropriate. For your body to change in any way is a cause for shame and hiding.
Yes, when you were a child, you absolutely had to do those sensible things like wear sunscreen, brush your teeth and have regular bedtime routines.
Now that you're an adult, you can break those rules any time you like. You should be able to avoid the negative consequences using your adult powers and "spidey sense".
Yes, when you were a child, it was fine to not know things.
Now that you're an adult, you should KNOW EVERYTHING. Everything. And when you realise you don't know everything, you should inwardly berate yourself, tell little white lies to cover your ignorance, and use your fear as an excuse to not try new things.
So, older self, next time you catch yourself pining for the "golden years", remember that you're in them. There is no magical time when everything is perfect. The wisdom and character that you will gain through experience balances out the loss of physical beauty and...bodily function ;)
Some pieces of wisdom apply throughout your entire life. It's not shameful to be sensible and realise that you're not super-human.
I think swings are the best invention ever at 28. I hope at 68, I still feel the same way.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
resolve
I haven't made a New Year's resolution. I planned on it, but in the end, I had so much fun on New Year's Eve that it slipped my mind.
I sang until my throat was raw - which didn't take long. Those karaoke DVDs, aside from having very....interesting background videos, seem to be set in the key of "drunk": you've got a choice of screeching up in the high register, or chanting down low like a football fan. I chose football fan for most of them. Natalie was the only one who could get those high notes anyway. She and Lisa sang into beer bottles. Sealed bottles, sure...but they looked the part anyway. Simon and Ivan spent most of the time laughing.
After that, we had to quench our parched throats with strawberry daiquiris and toast the new year. And then, we climbed a mountain. Mt Kaukau to be precise....which I guess is more of a hill than a mountain. But it was an adventure in the middle of the night; armed with torches we slogged up the slopes and saw how the full moon lit everything around with an eerie glow. The view from the top was pretty incredible. The lookout was wet through from dew and drifting clouds, but you could still see right over the city. Beau-ti-ful.
The mountain conquerors adjourned back to the house for chocolate dipped strawberries and...Pride and Prejudice. The guys bore it well, and apparently didn't hate every minute. We watched up to Mr Collin's abominable marriage proposal and called it a morning.
After that, it seemed a bit late to swear off chocolate and marshmellows for the new year. Although I wish I could allow them to stay a bit longer in the house without me feeling obliged to eat them :)
Maybe I will make a few late resolutions, once I get back to work. That's the telling time, when tricking yourself into staying at a desk all day often involves chocolate bribes and regular trips to the kitchen for sweet tea. I suppose that's alright, as long as lunchtime involves some kind of physical activity. Sometimes I doubt that there's enough resolve in me to decide on anything and stick to it. But I guess we'll see.
I sang until my throat was raw - which didn't take long. Those karaoke DVDs, aside from having very....interesting background videos, seem to be set in the key of "drunk": you've got a choice of screeching up in the high register, or chanting down low like a football fan. I chose football fan for most of them. Natalie was the only one who could get those high notes anyway. She and Lisa sang into beer bottles. Sealed bottles, sure...but they looked the part anyway. Simon and Ivan spent most of the time laughing.
After that, we had to quench our parched throats with strawberry daiquiris and toast the new year. And then, we climbed a mountain. Mt Kaukau to be precise....which I guess is more of a hill than a mountain. But it was an adventure in the middle of the night; armed with torches we slogged up the slopes and saw how the full moon lit everything around with an eerie glow. The view from the top was pretty incredible. The lookout was wet through from dew and drifting clouds, but you could still see right over the city. Beau-ti-ful.
The mountain conquerors adjourned back to the house for chocolate dipped strawberries and...Pride and Prejudice. The guys bore it well, and apparently didn't hate every minute. We watched up to Mr Collin's abominable marriage proposal and called it a morning.
After that, it seemed a bit late to swear off chocolate and marshmellows for the new year. Although I wish I could allow them to stay a bit longer in the house without me feeling obliged to eat them :)
Maybe I will make a few late resolutions, once I get back to work. That's the telling time, when tricking yourself into staying at a desk all day often involves chocolate bribes and regular trips to the kitchen for sweet tea. I suppose that's alright, as long as lunchtime involves some kind of physical activity. Sometimes I doubt that there's enough resolve in me to decide on anything and stick to it. But I guess we'll see.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
things I wish I could tell my younger self
If you pluck your eyebrows, they will not all fall out like your primary school teacher said.
Believe it or not, everyone’s hair is not the same. Just because someone at school said that you should only condition the ends, that doesn’t necessarily apply to you.
You were right in thinking that the school health lesson on female menstration was a little lacking. They missed out a lot. Yes, once a month you can expect certain things to happen. But it’s so much more than that. It will take you years to realise how many of your thoughts and feelings are tied to the monthly cycle – actually, monthly cycles, plural - things that cannot be covered by the simple acronym PMS. Physically and emotionally, you are tied to this thing.
This is both a trial and a blessing: a trial because it’s difficult to know who you are when your hormones speak so much for you; a blessing because, being cyclic, you can be sure it will pass. These things do not last forever.
Your personality is VERY influenced by your position on the introvert/extrovert scale. Given enough space and “alone time” or “quiet time” to re-charge, you can actually be quite social and pleasant to be around. No, I’m not kidding.
Sleep is also very important; don’t be afraid to prioritise it. It will benefit everyone in the long run.
Boys. Even after nearly three decades of life, you still don’t really understand them. But you’re beginning to understand yourself.
You will get crushes on boys you don’t actually like. Even though, in your rational mind, you know they’re immature, arrogant and thoughtless, you will find yourself sub-consciously trying to attract their attention. This will continue until a) you discover the depths of their immaturity and become repulsed or b) you no longer spend any time in the same space as that person.
I’m sorry, but it seems you have little say in the matter.
Boys do not realise you are shy. They interpret your behaviour as snobbery, and disdain you accordingly.
Don’t mistake confidence for understanding. Just because you are shy and they are confident, it does not mean that boys know what’s going on in your mind. In the same vein, do not mistake attention for attraction. Your habit of putting up walls whenever anyone tries to develop any sort of relationship with you will protect you well, but it won’t earn you any friends.
You will get crushes on boys you do like. But they will not always like you back. And even when they do, it won’t necessarily work out.
The song is right, the first cut is the deepest. But you will live.
Your first impressions of smoking, drinking and teenage parties were correct. Distancing yourself from these things won’t have much adverse affect on your social life, as far as you can tell.
You could be described as a “late bloomer” in most areas of life. You take longer than most people to reach certain stages, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get there at all. Your urge to travel, for instance, lies dormant for a long long time. Sometimes you still consider yourself inferior to your peers because you don’t keep to the same social schedule as many of them do.
Your parents are even more awesome than you originally thought. And mum making you learn to drive turns out to be pretty darn helpful in the long run.
It is possible (and will become possible) to relate to males on a deeper level than teasing and mockery. Some of them will even resist the urge to make fun of you every chance they get. They will do this out of respect for you as a person. This will boost your self esteem to the point that you actually begin to see yourself as a likeable creature, and as someone worth spending time with. Some males you will call "friend" and mean it.
God is big; bigger than you imagine, and given previous experience will probably continue to surprise you. You will look back and realise that he’s been subtly pushing you places for a long time, and using everything he can – people, events, chance meetings, even crushes on boys – to point you where he wants you to go. It might be worth looking into trying to go where he wants to start with… He keeps his promises. You almost give up on him a couple of times. He doesn’t seem to mind.
At 28, you will still have no idea what you’re doing with your life. This is both an exciting and a frightening thought.
Oh, and when you’re performing in the orchestra at senior prizegiving, and you move your chair too close to the stage edge, you will fall off. Loudly. In the middle of someone's singing recital. It will be one of the more embarrassing experiences of your school life. Good thing it happens at the end........
Believe it or not, everyone’s hair is not the same. Just because someone at school said that you should only condition the ends, that doesn’t necessarily apply to you.
You were right in thinking that the school health lesson on female menstration was a little lacking. They missed out a lot. Yes, once a month you can expect certain things to happen. But it’s so much more than that. It will take you years to realise how many of your thoughts and feelings are tied to the monthly cycle – actually, monthly cycles, plural - things that cannot be covered by the simple acronym PMS. Physically and emotionally, you are tied to this thing.
This is both a trial and a blessing: a trial because it’s difficult to know who you are when your hormones speak so much for you; a blessing because, being cyclic, you can be sure it will pass. These things do not last forever.
Your personality is VERY influenced by your position on the introvert/extrovert scale. Given enough space and “alone time” or “quiet time” to re-charge, you can actually be quite social and pleasant to be around. No, I’m not kidding.
Sleep is also very important; don’t be afraid to prioritise it. It will benefit everyone in the long run.
Boys. Even after nearly three decades of life, you still don’t really understand them. But you’re beginning to understand yourself.
You will get crushes on boys you don’t actually like. Even though, in your rational mind, you know they’re immature, arrogant and thoughtless, you will find yourself sub-consciously trying to attract their attention. This will continue until a) you discover the depths of their immaturity and become repulsed or b) you no longer spend any time in the same space as that person.
I’m sorry, but it seems you have little say in the matter.
Boys do not realise you are shy. They interpret your behaviour as snobbery, and disdain you accordingly.
Don’t mistake confidence for understanding. Just because you are shy and they are confident, it does not mean that boys know what’s going on in your mind. In the same vein, do not mistake attention for attraction. Your habit of putting up walls whenever anyone tries to develop any sort of relationship with you will protect you well, but it won’t earn you any friends.
You will get crushes on boys you do like. But they will not always like you back. And even when they do, it won’t necessarily work out.
The song is right, the first cut is the deepest. But you will live.
Your first impressions of smoking, drinking and teenage parties were correct. Distancing yourself from these things won’t have much adverse affect on your social life, as far as you can tell.
You could be described as a “late bloomer” in most areas of life. You take longer than most people to reach certain stages, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get there at all. Your urge to travel, for instance, lies dormant for a long long time. Sometimes you still consider yourself inferior to your peers because you don’t keep to the same social schedule as many of them do.
Your parents are even more awesome than you originally thought. And mum making you learn to drive turns out to be pretty darn helpful in the long run.
It is possible (and will become possible) to relate to males on a deeper level than teasing and mockery. Some of them will even resist the urge to make fun of you every chance they get. They will do this out of respect for you as a person. This will boost your self esteem to the point that you actually begin to see yourself as a likeable creature, and as someone worth spending time with. Some males you will call "friend" and mean it.
God is big; bigger than you imagine, and given previous experience will probably continue to surprise you. You will look back and realise that he’s been subtly pushing you places for a long time, and using everything he can – people, events, chance meetings, even crushes on boys – to point you where he wants you to go. It might be worth looking into trying to go where he wants to start with… He keeps his promises. You almost give up on him a couple of times. He doesn’t seem to mind.
At 28, you will still have no idea what you’re doing with your life. This is both an exciting and a frightening thought.
Oh, and when you’re performing in the orchestra at senior prizegiving, and you move your chair too close to the stage edge, you will fall off. Loudly. In the middle of someone's singing recital. It will be one of the more embarrassing experiences of your school life. Good thing it happens at the end........
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Fadhili James
Transcript from an interview/podcast on Jump for Joel.org with James Njuguna. This may not interest many people, but I wanted to write it out/remember it cos it shows lots of James's humour and what made him tick...
Shana, if you'd rather I didn't have this published online, just say the word and I'll take it down.
--------------
SHANA: Alright, well, welcome back everybody. Sorry we haven't had a podcast in a LONG time. But we have a really great one today, so hopefully that will make up for our lack of podcastness.
Today it's me Shana, and…
AMELIA: Amelia
SHANA: ….Amelia, aaand our friend James. James, how do you say your last name again?
JAMES: Njuguna. You wanna try that?
SHANA: Njuguna?
JAMES: (laughs)
SHANA: Am I close?
JAMES: Yes
SHANA: You laugh like I'm not close.
JAMES: That’s good
SHANA: Anyway, he's our friend from Kenya and we're just gonna have him on here talking about all things Kenya-related, so he doesn't really know what to expect...what's coming at him. So this will be extra fun. For me.
First off, a story about how I met James. I’ve shared this story with some people but I don’t think everyone knows. I thought everyone knew but apparently they don’t. So. Here’s a story of how I got to Kenya:
SHANA: I knew I wanted to go, and I was gonna go see a friend but I decided I wanted to do some volunteer work as well, not just be a tourist but also help. And I wanted to go to an orphanage or to a school or something. I love kids. So I wanted to do that. So I looked for, like, a church group or a mission trip or anything that was gonna be in Kenya the same time I was gonna be there. Or around the same time that I could plan with. But I couldn’t find one that was going the same time as me. So I decided to get on my friend, Google. And look up an agency. And I came across Fadhili, which is what James does: he’s the National Director for Fadhili Helpers, based in Nairobi, Kenya. And so I found them, and decided to, alright, give this Kenya agency a try. And I was really expecting the people that run Fadhili to be, like, sixty, seventy year old…
JAMES: (laughs)
SHANA: …boring people, I mean, I’m not saying that sixty or seventy year old people are boring. That came out wrong! Um, but, I was not…
JAMES: SOME sixty/seventy year old people are boring
SHANA: Yeah. James said that. I didn’t, Grandma. She’s eighty, so that doesn’t count. Anyway, she IS boring. Oh wait, I need to stop! Okay, I’ll edit that. (laughing)
Anyway, so I get there, to Kenya, to meet these Fadhili people, and they’re not old, they’re actually in their twenties. And so I was so excited…although now thirty. Can I say that on the podcast?
JAMES: Yeah, that’s okay. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been thirty, so…
SHANA: And so I was really pumped about having people who were similar in age. That’s how I met James, and he’s the one who connected me to Gathiga, which is where we do our work with Jump for Joel. And so that’s how I met him, and so we’re excited to have James in the US visiting for a few weeks, and he’s here in Springfield this week. With a lot of snow. James, how is the snow treating you?
JAMES: Oh, well (laughs), I’m liking looking at it, but I’m not liking being out there with it, cos it’s very cold. When I left Nairobi it was like eighty degrees? So you can imagine coming here (shudders). It’s just too cold for me. But..
SHANA: He’s wearing long johns.
JAMES: Oh yeah. Does this count?
SHANA: Oh yeah, and a long shirt.
JAMES: So….but I’m staying with people I like, so they’re making it warm for me. And even just talking to you guys and being with everybody makes my stay here worthwhile, so…
SHANA: So tell everybody who’s listening more about Fadhili.
JAMES: Well, we’re more than just a volunteer agency. We’re an organis…a ministry actually, that focuses on helping the orphaned and abandoned children. So all the programs that we run are aimed at that. That’s our vision: to support the orphan child, and vulnerable. Vulnerable means the child might have one parent, but they’re not able to go to school. It’s also that, they might be having two parents who do not take care of them. And then orphan, of course, means that they do not have parents at all. So volunteerism is a program; we run it because it gives us a little bit of money to run the other programs. However we also have programs like child sponsorship program and this basically means that we hook up children with people that can raise a certain amount of money, like twenty dollars a month, to help that child go to school and just get food and everything that a child may need.
JAMES: Then we have distant outreach missions; this is fun because we get to go to the ends of the earth. Yeah, where people are not reached with the Gospel. Specifically in the area of Turkana which is north of Kenya, just bordering Sudan. And we take mission groups out there and I get to go there every month, or every other month. So, it’s kinda fun.
Our work there involves church plant…
SHANA: Church planting?
JAMES: (laughing) Yes. Church planting, and discipleship. So, over the years…I’ve ben doing this for the last ten years, so over the years we’ve been able to plant fourteen churches.
SHANA: Wow
JAMES: And this last year all our churches, each of them, have been able to plant another two or three churches, at least
SHANA: Amazing
JAMES: So, it’s really spreading, it’s catching fire. It’s what we want. And it’s not us going there, because this is, it’s a Kenyan community but it’s not, they are not from, like, Nairobi, not even my tribe. So it’s not us, the missionaries, going there to plant churches; they are now doing it themselves. This is what we’ve always wanted. So it’s great.
Then we have an orphanage that we’re starting in about a month, so that was one of the reasons I’m here, is to also talk about it and see if I can raise money for starting off, you know, beds and all the things you think that we need in an orphanage.
So that’s pretty much it. The other programs are, like, minor programs and, like, emergency response things; microfinance to a woman who has HIV and lives in Kibera slum, and they can’t raise money so we think it’s good to start a business for them. Or, an orphanage that doesn’t have food and you have to respond fast, so we have that as a program, like an emergency response, and there’s many things that we do there. That’s kinda like, in a nutshell, that’s about it.
SHANA: In a nutshell, that’s a lot, that’s a BIG nutshell
JAMES: Yeah (laughs)
SHANA: That’s a lot of things: church planting…
JAMES: You can edit it!
SHANA: …orphanage. No, no, no, that’s amazing!
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: Wow, I don’t even know how to respond.
AMELIA: -I’m so excited that James is here. We’ve been talking on Facebook, which is the reason I love Facebook; you can talk to your friends halfway around the world, in different time zones. And he talked about coming here, and I just, I prayed so hard that he would, like, be able to come here to our home. While we were in Kenya we were able to go to James’s apartment and meet his wife, Grace, and see him there. But I’m so excited that he gets to be here with US, I think that’s really cool. I LOVE hearing you talk about Fadhili and your passion, I think that’s so exciting, and I’m glad that hopefully people will listen to this and hear that other people are passionate about it, that it’s not just a bunch of college students. That there are people there in Kenya who are really excited about it, who just wanna help the kids there too.
JAMES: One of the things that really, we are doing, even not just with, I think, with Gathiga where Jump for Joel is concentrating its energies right now, is we are trying to work to sensitize all our partners to not just expect people to come from the United States always to come and help them out. We are encouraging everybody to own up to the dreams that they have, to be self-sustaining, and so when you guys come over, you just come to compliment what we are doing, and not to, like, start over a new project
SHANA: Right
JAMES: So, it’s really really a blessing when we see, like, Kenyans doing things. And we thank you, everybody, that has been able to help and donate a little bit of money to this, it’s good.
SHANA: And how many orphanages do you work with, at Fadhili?
JAMES: We have partnered with, like, fifteen but right now, we are actively working with eight.
SHANA: Wow.
JAMES: Yeah. We give volunteers to all of these; we’ve been blessed to partner with an organization in New Zealand: International Volunteer Headquarters, and they send us massive numbers of volunteers, so we’ve been able to send volunteers to all of these orphanages.
But more to that, we also, from time to time, provide food and…it’s food mostly, to these orphanages, because food is a HUGE need, you probably know that by now, running Jump for Joel
SHANA: Yes, huge need
JAMES: It’s a huge need. So about eight active, now we are starting our own.
SHANA: So a volunteer can go to your website; is it fadhili dot org?
JAMES: Yeah, F A D H I L I dot org
SHANA: And they can, what I..if I remember right…went on there, got an application, sent it in, then you email me back
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: Then I can fill out, do I wanna help with HIV program, or with feeding I think is one, or a school or an orphanage.
I picked orphanage, obviously
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: And then they set you up at one of these different places, if it’s an orphanage, one of these eight.
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: And I actually got to visit two, I think. Different places when I was there.
I went to Agape Hope, I think just Agape Hope and Gathiga.
And they take volunteers from all over. I’ve met, let’s see, when we were there in 08, Canadian…
AMELIA: Australian, there was a lady from Wales
JAMES: There are people from mostly all the English-speaking countries. Yeah.
SHANA: The next question I have for you, James, is, we’re planning an up-coming trip in July 09, so if any of you are interested in going please let us know. You can email us at info@jumpforjoel.org. Or if you’re on campus here at UIS you can just find us. July 09 we’re going to be having a new trip
JAMES: Do you have the dates?
SHANA: We’re going to be doing the last couple of weeks, the CFS: the Christian Student Fellowship trip will be the last few weeks. And because there’s been lots of interest, we might have to do a trip at the beginning as well. So there’ll be two group trips. Maybe.
JAMES: Really?
SHANA: Maybe. We’re not sure.
JAMES: Okay
SHANA: Definitely the end of the July trip will be with UIS students.
SHANA: So for people who have never been to Kenya, what are some tips or things that you can say about Kenya, to prepare someone?
JAMES: Well, Kenya is, Kenyans are very, and you know, you are my witness, Kenyans are very warm-hearted people, they like people, they like to meet people.
SHANA: Yes, very nice
JAMES: One of the things that I really want everybody to experience is matatus.
SHANA: Mmhmmm
JAMES: Matatus are these 14 seater passenger vans that are, just, crazy. They’re pimped, they are like, “pimp my matatu”
(laughing)
SHANA: That’s my favorite quote, now
JAMES: Yeah, they have big screens and loud music and crazy drivers.
SHANA: It’s like a taxi on steroids, and…falling apart
AMELIA: And if you go outside of Nairobi where the roads are very bumpy, it’s like being inside of a paint mixer
(laughing)
SHANA: Yes, a lot like a paint mixer! Come to think of it.
JAMES: Yeah, that’s one of the things that I would like for you guys to experience, but you have to take everybody to safari. How did you like safari?
SHANA: Yes. Safari was great. We got to see lions, and giraffes, zebras
AMELIA: Hippos
SHANA: Hippos. We did not get to see rhinos. Other than that, we got to see everything.
AMELIA: No we didn’t see cheetahs
SHANA: Oh yeah
JAMES: Did you go to Lake Nakuru or just Masai Mara?
SHANA:/AMELIA Masai Mara
JAMES: That is why; this time you have to go to Lake Nakuru because then you get to see the white rhinos. Flamingos!
SHANA: Nice
JAMES: The lake is full of flamingos.
SHANA: Pink ones?
JAMES: Yeah. Pink flamingos.
SHANA: I didn’t know they were in Africa.
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: Maybe in Florida…
JAMES: But we’re also gonna, we’ll try and do an outreach, like a two-day outreach to some community. Like, just sharing Jesus.
So yeah, that’s about it. There’s a lot of other good things, the Kenyan food… yeah.
What I’ve seen in America is that, there’s a LOT of food here. Everywhere.
Five steps: food kiosk. A McDonalds... Dunky Donuts... Starbucks.
(laughing)
JAMES: There’s a lot of those. And I realized the food, that is served in big proportions. Pizza is huge. In Kenya it’s not like that.
SHANA: See, I would disagree though, cos I think in Kenya they have huge, massive portions, but it’s not as many varieties
JAMES: Healthy!
SHANA: And it’s healthier.
JAMES: And we only have, like, one big meal in a day. So that’s excusable, I guess (laughs)
SHANA: Okay
JAMES: Here, you eat every 2 hours.
SHANA:/AMELIA:… Maybe it’s just us (laughing)
JAMES: Americans
SHANA: That is true. Anything else? What will the weather be like in July?
JAMES: It’s gonna be our winter, but the coldest it gets is, like, fifty/sixty
So, nothing to worry
SHANA: I say that while I look at the snow outside. Winter.
JAMES: Oh yeah, I wish I can take this snow. Everybody’s saying “how is it?”.
New York was crazy for that. I don’t like that city cos it’s very fast.
(laughing)
JAMES: If there’s any New Yorkers listening, please forgive me.
SHANA: What are some other things about America that have surprised you?
Was it what you expected?
JAMES: Sort of, but there’s things that I’m just amazed at. Like, the roads are amazing, like the road network. Cos, if you come to Kenya, the roads are crazy. And also the internet is super-fast. And then, everything is like, touch of a button. You want coffee, you can order it online. You just need your computer. That doesn’t happen in Kenya. We work a little harder to get things there. Yeah.
SHANA: Well I think that’s all the questions I had. Amelia do you have anything to add?
AMELIA: I would add that the Fadhili guys made us feel really safe while we were in Kenya. It was really nice to have a guide who knew where they were going. Because the craziest part about matatus is they stop in noplaces and you have no idea where you are, and so then the Fadhili guys tell you when to get on, and to get off, and are very helpful, guide you and take care of you while you’re there
JAMES: Thanks. One other thing I think I should mention, for the sake of people who know about Steve and his ministry
SHANA: Yes
JAMES: Basically, Steve just…
SHANA: Oh, for those who don’t remember: our last podcast talked about Steve, and the slum he’s in, Kiberia, and how we’re trying to do a feeding program to help him feed kids there on Saturdays, so that’s what he’s started up
JAMES: Yeah so Steve, I’ve known him for some time, he has a heart for ministry for kids, so he came to me one time, “I really want to do this, and I don’t know how to do it” , and a couple of weeks before you guys came, we were able to help him with things, buy food for children and out of that money that you guys paid when you came, we used it for the feeding program that Saturday. So when you guys came and connected very well with Steve, it was like an answer to prayer. And, so far he’s been able to do well with the feeding for the children and the numbers of children have increased, so, and they’re able to do, not just give food but also ministry, so it’s great, going good yeah.
SHANA: We miss Steve…
Well thanks again for talking into the computer, we appreciate that.
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: And if you have any questions about Fadhili, you can always go to their website, fadhili.org, or you can go the the Jump for Joel website, and we can send them to James.
So, we hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in America
JAMES: I’m gonna be going to Iowa..
SHANA: Yeeah
JAMES: …back to New York, back to Nairobi with my wife.
SHANA: Yes, and James is gonna be a dad soon!
JAMES: Yes, I am
SHANA: Yeah, like, four weeks or something?
JAMES: About. Wow, I’m so excited, I can’t believe I’m here, and…
SHANA: James is kinda homesick today
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: So we… I try not to talk about his wife
JAMES: Yeah. I don’t wanna cry (laughs)
SHANA: Grace is pretty amazing
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: Thank you Grace for letting us steal James for awhile
JAMES: I will make her listen to this
SHANA: Okay
Hi!
That’s all I have to say, thank you for listening to the podcast, and we will be back, hopefully quicker than we were this time.
Oh and also, a big thank you to David Ladslie for giving us some guitar music to play in the background for this episode, thank you David!
SHANA: Okay, that’s all we have. Everybody have a good week.
Shana, if you'd rather I didn't have this published online, just say the word and I'll take it down.
--------------
SHANA: Alright, well, welcome back everybody. Sorry we haven't had a podcast in a LONG time. But we have a really great one today, so hopefully that will make up for our lack of podcastness.
Today it's me Shana, and…
AMELIA: Amelia
SHANA: ….Amelia, aaand our friend James. James, how do you say your last name again?
JAMES: Njuguna. You wanna try that?
SHANA: Njuguna?
JAMES: (laughs)
SHANA: Am I close?
JAMES: Yes
SHANA: You laugh like I'm not close.
JAMES: That’s good
SHANA: Anyway, he's our friend from Kenya and we're just gonna have him on here talking about all things Kenya-related, so he doesn't really know what to expect...what's coming at him. So this will be extra fun. For me.
First off, a story about how I met James. I’ve shared this story with some people but I don’t think everyone knows. I thought everyone knew but apparently they don’t. So. Here’s a story of how I got to Kenya:
SHANA: I knew I wanted to go, and I was gonna go see a friend but I decided I wanted to do some volunteer work as well, not just be a tourist but also help. And I wanted to go to an orphanage or to a school or something. I love kids. So I wanted to do that. So I looked for, like, a church group or a mission trip or anything that was gonna be in Kenya the same time I was gonna be there. Or around the same time that I could plan with. But I couldn’t find one that was going the same time as me. So I decided to get on my friend, Google. And look up an agency. And I came across Fadhili, which is what James does: he’s the National Director for Fadhili Helpers, based in Nairobi, Kenya. And so I found them, and decided to, alright, give this Kenya agency a try. And I was really expecting the people that run Fadhili to be, like, sixty, seventy year old…
JAMES: (laughs)
SHANA: …boring people, I mean, I’m not saying that sixty or seventy year old people are boring. That came out wrong! Um, but, I was not…
JAMES: SOME sixty/seventy year old people are boring
SHANA: Yeah. James said that. I didn’t, Grandma. She’s eighty, so that doesn’t count. Anyway, she IS boring. Oh wait, I need to stop! Okay, I’ll edit that. (laughing)
Anyway, so I get there, to Kenya, to meet these Fadhili people, and they’re not old, they’re actually in their twenties. And so I was so excited…although now thirty. Can I say that on the podcast?
JAMES: Yeah, that’s okay. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been thirty, so…
SHANA: And so I was really pumped about having people who were similar in age. That’s how I met James, and he’s the one who connected me to Gathiga, which is where we do our work with Jump for Joel. And so that’s how I met him, and so we’re excited to have James in the US visiting for a few weeks, and he’s here in Springfield this week. With a lot of snow. James, how is the snow treating you?
JAMES: Oh, well (laughs), I’m liking looking at it, but I’m not liking being out there with it, cos it’s very cold. When I left Nairobi it was like eighty degrees? So you can imagine coming here (shudders). It’s just too cold for me. But..
SHANA: He’s wearing long johns.
JAMES: Oh yeah. Does this count?
SHANA: Oh yeah, and a long shirt.
JAMES: So….but I’m staying with people I like, so they’re making it warm for me. And even just talking to you guys and being with everybody makes my stay here worthwhile, so…
SHANA: So tell everybody who’s listening more about Fadhili.
JAMES: Well, we’re more than just a volunteer agency. We’re an organis…a ministry actually, that focuses on helping the orphaned and abandoned children. So all the programs that we run are aimed at that. That’s our vision: to support the orphan child, and vulnerable. Vulnerable means the child might have one parent, but they’re not able to go to school. It’s also that, they might be having two parents who do not take care of them. And then orphan, of course, means that they do not have parents at all. So volunteerism is a program; we run it because it gives us a little bit of money to run the other programs. However we also have programs like child sponsorship program and this basically means that we hook up children with people that can raise a certain amount of money, like twenty dollars a month, to help that child go to school and just get food and everything that a child may need.
JAMES: Then we have distant outreach missions; this is fun because we get to go to the ends of the earth. Yeah, where people are not reached with the Gospel. Specifically in the area of Turkana which is north of Kenya, just bordering Sudan. And we take mission groups out there and I get to go there every month, or every other month. So, it’s kinda fun.
Our work there involves church plant…
SHANA: Church planting?
JAMES: (laughing) Yes. Church planting, and discipleship. So, over the years…I’ve ben doing this for the last ten years, so over the years we’ve been able to plant fourteen churches.
SHANA: Wow
JAMES: And this last year all our churches, each of them, have been able to plant another two or three churches, at least
SHANA: Amazing
JAMES: So, it’s really spreading, it’s catching fire. It’s what we want. And it’s not us going there, because this is, it’s a Kenyan community but it’s not, they are not from, like, Nairobi, not even my tribe. So it’s not us, the missionaries, going there to plant churches; they are now doing it themselves. This is what we’ve always wanted. So it’s great.
Then we have an orphanage that we’re starting in about a month, so that was one of the reasons I’m here, is to also talk about it and see if I can raise money for starting off, you know, beds and all the things you think that we need in an orphanage.
So that’s pretty much it. The other programs are, like, minor programs and, like, emergency response things; microfinance to a woman who has HIV and lives in Kibera slum, and they can’t raise money so we think it’s good to start a business for them. Or, an orphanage that doesn’t have food and you have to respond fast, so we have that as a program, like an emergency response, and there’s many things that we do there. That’s kinda like, in a nutshell, that’s about it.
SHANA: In a nutshell, that’s a lot, that’s a BIG nutshell
JAMES: Yeah (laughs)
SHANA: That’s a lot of things: church planting…
JAMES: You can edit it!
SHANA: …orphanage. No, no, no, that’s amazing!
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: Wow, I don’t even know how to respond.
AMELIA: -I’m so excited that James is here. We’ve been talking on Facebook, which is the reason I love Facebook; you can talk to your friends halfway around the world, in different time zones. And he talked about coming here, and I just, I prayed so hard that he would, like, be able to come here to our home. While we were in Kenya we were able to go to James’s apartment and meet his wife, Grace, and see him there. But I’m so excited that he gets to be here with US, I think that’s really cool. I LOVE hearing you talk about Fadhili and your passion, I think that’s so exciting, and I’m glad that hopefully people will listen to this and hear that other people are passionate about it, that it’s not just a bunch of college students. That there are people there in Kenya who are really excited about it, who just wanna help the kids there too.
JAMES: One of the things that really, we are doing, even not just with, I think, with Gathiga where Jump for Joel is concentrating its energies right now, is we are trying to work to sensitize all our partners to not just expect people to come from the United States always to come and help them out. We are encouraging everybody to own up to the dreams that they have, to be self-sustaining, and so when you guys come over, you just come to compliment what we are doing, and not to, like, start over a new project
SHANA: Right
JAMES: So, it’s really really a blessing when we see, like, Kenyans doing things. And we thank you, everybody, that has been able to help and donate a little bit of money to this, it’s good.
SHANA: And how many orphanages do you work with, at Fadhili?
JAMES: We have partnered with, like, fifteen but right now, we are actively working with eight.
SHANA: Wow.
JAMES: Yeah. We give volunteers to all of these; we’ve been blessed to partner with an organization in New Zealand: International Volunteer Headquarters, and they send us massive numbers of volunteers, so we’ve been able to send volunteers to all of these orphanages.
But more to that, we also, from time to time, provide food and…it’s food mostly, to these orphanages, because food is a HUGE need, you probably know that by now, running Jump for Joel
SHANA: Yes, huge need
JAMES: It’s a huge need. So about eight active, now we are starting our own.
SHANA: So a volunteer can go to your website; is it fadhili dot org?
JAMES: Yeah, F A D H I L I dot org
SHANA: And they can, what I..if I remember right…went on there, got an application, sent it in, then you email me back
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: Then I can fill out, do I wanna help with HIV program, or with feeding I think is one, or a school or an orphanage.
I picked orphanage, obviously
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: And then they set you up at one of these different places, if it’s an orphanage, one of these eight.
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: And I actually got to visit two, I think. Different places when I was there.
I went to Agape Hope, I think just Agape Hope and Gathiga.
And they take volunteers from all over. I’ve met, let’s see, when we were there in 08, Canadian…
AMELIA: Australian, there was a lady from Wales
JAMES: There are people from mostly all the English-speaking countries. Yeah.
SHANA: The next question I have for you, James, is, we’re planning an up-coming trip in July 09, so if any of you are interested in going please let us know. You can email us at info@jumpforjoel.org. Or if you’re on campus here at UIS you can just find us. July 09 we’re going to be having a new trip
JAMES: Do you have the dates?
SHANA: We’re going to be doing the last couple of weeks, the CFS: the Christian Student Fellowship trip will be the last few weeks. And because there’s been lots of interest, we might have to do a trip at the beginning as well. So there’ll be two group trips. Maybe.
JAMES: Really?
SHANA: Maybe. We’re not sure.
JAMES: Okay
SHANA: Definitely the end of the July trip will be with UIS students.
SHANA: So for people who have never been to Kenya, what are some tips or things that you can say about Kenya, to prepare someone?
JAMES: Well, Kenya is, Kenyans are very, and you know, you are my witness, Kenyans are very warm-hearted people, they like people, they like to meet people.
SHANA: Yes, very nice
JAMES: One of the things that I really want everybody to experience is matatus.
SHANA: Mmhmmm
JAMES: Matatus are these 14 seater passenger vans that are, just, crazy. They’re pimped, they are like, “pimp my matatu”
(laughing)
SHANA: That’s my favorite quote, now
JAMES: Yeah, they have big screens and loud music and crazy drivers.
SHANA: It’s like a taxi on steroids, and…falling apart
AMELIA: And if you go outside of Nairobi where the roads are very bumpy, it’s like being inside of a paint mixer
(laughing)
SHANA: Yes, a lot like a paint mixer! Come to think of it.
JAMES: Yeah, that’s one of the things that I would like for you guys to experience, but you have to take everybody to safari. How did you like safari?
SHANA: Yes. Safari was great. We got to see lions, and giraffes, zebras
AMELIA: Hippos
SHANA: Hippos. We did not get to see rhinos. Other than that, we got to see everything.
AMELIA: No we didn’t see cheetahs
SHANA: Oh yeah
JAMES: Did you go to Lake Nakuru or just Masai Mara?
SHANA:/AMELIA Masai Mara
JAMES: That is why; this time you have to go to Lake Nakuru because then you get to see the white rhinos. Flamingos!
SHANA: Nice
JAMES: The lake is full of flamingos.
SHANA: Pink ones?
JAMES: Yeah. Pink flamingos.
SHANA: I didn’t know they were in Africa.
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: Maybe in Florida…
JAMES: But we’re also gonna, we’ll try and do an outreach, like a two-day outreach to some community. Like, just sharing Jesus.
So yeah, that’s about it. There’s a lot of other good things, the Kenyan food… yeah.
What I’ve seen in America is that, there’s a LOT of food here. Everywhere.
Five steps: food kiosk. A McDonalds... Dunky Donuts... Starbucks.
(laughing)
JAMES: There’s a lot of those. And I realized the food, that is served in big proportions. Pizza is huge. In Kenya it’s not like that.
SHANA: See, I would disagree though, cos I think in Kenya they have huge, massive portions, but it’s not as many varieties
JAMES: Healthy!
SHANA: And it’s healthier.
JAMES: And we only have, like, one big meal in a day. So that’s excusable, I guess (laughs)
SHANA: Okay
JAMES: Here, you eat every 2 hours.
SHANA:/AMELIA:… Maybe it’s just us (laughing)
JAMES: Americans
SHANA: That is true. Anything else? What will the weather be like in July?
JAMES: It’s gonna be our winter, but the coldest it gets is, like, fifty/sixty
So, nothing to worry
SHANA: I say that while I look at the snow outside. Winter.
JAMES: Oh yeah, I wish I can take this snow. Everybody’s saying “how is it?”.
New York was crazy for that. I don’t like that city cos it’s very fast.
(laughing)
JAMES: If there’s any New Yorkers listening, please forgive me.
SHANA: What are some other things about America that have surprised you?
Was it what you expected?
JAMES: Sort of, but there’s things that I’m just amazed at. Like, the roads are amazing, like the road network. Cos, if you come to Kenya, the roads are crazy. And also the internet is super-fast. And then, everything is like, touch of a button. You want coffee, you can order it online. You just need your computer. That doesn’t happen in Kenya. We work a little harder to get things there. Yeah.
SHANA: Well I think that’s all the questions I had. Amelia do you have anything to add?
AMELIA: I would add that the Fadhili guys made us feel really safe while we were in Kenya. It was really nice to have a guide who knew where they were going. Because the craziest part about matatus is they stop in noplaces and you have no idea where you are, and so then the Fadhili guys tell you when to get on, and to get off, and are very helpful, guide you and take care of you while you’re there
JAMES: Thanks. One other thing I think I should mention, for the sake of people who know about Steve and his ministry
SHANA: Yes
JAMES: Basically, Steve just…
SHANA: Oh, for those who don’t remember: our last podcast talked about Steve, and the slum he’s in, Kiberia, and how we’re trying to do a feeding program to help him feed kids there on Saturdays, so that’s what he’s started up
JAMES: Yeah so Steve, I’ve known him for some time, he has a heart for ministry for kids, so he came to me one time, “I really want to do this, and I don’t know how to do it” , and a couple of weeks before you guys came, we were able to help him with things, buy food for children and out of that money that you guys paid when you came, we used it for the feeding program that Saturday. So when you guys came and connected very well with Steve, it was like an answer to prayer. And, so far he’s been able to do well with the feeding for the children and the numbers of children have increased, so, and they’re able to do, not just give food but also ministry, so it’s great, going good yeah.
SHANA: We miss Steve…
Well thanks again for talking into the computer, we appreciate that.
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: And if you have any questions about Fadhili, you can always go to their website, fadhili.org, or you can go the the Jump for Joel website, and we can send them to James.
So, we hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in America
JAMES: I’m gonna be going to Iowa..
SHANA: Yeeah
JAMES: …back to New York, back to Nairobi with my wife.
SHANA: Yes, and James is gonna be a dad soon!
JAMES: Yes, I am
SHANA: Yeah, like, four weeks or something?
JAMES: About. Wow, I’m so excited, I can’t believe I’m here, and…
SHANA: James is kinda homesick today
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: So we… I try not to talk about his wife
JAMES: Yeah. I don’t wanna cry (laughs)
SHANA: Grace is pretty amazing
JAMES: Yeah
SHANA: Thank you Grace for letting us steal James for awhile
JAMES: I will make her listen to this
SHANA: Okay
Hi!
That’s all I have to say, thank you for listening to the podcast, and we will be back, hopefully quicker than we were this time.
Oh and also, a big thank you to David Ladslie for giving us some guitar music to play in the background for this episode, thank you David!
SHANA: Okay, that’s all we have. Everybody have a good week.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Sunday, December 06, 2009
exerpt from my travel journal, 1 April 2009
Orientation day, Nairobi Kenya
...the venue was set up like a conference room, with tables in a large rectangle, bottles of water, and chairs all around. The first person I met was a youngish guy who introduced himself as James! I was surprised to find that this was the head of Fadhili Helpers, he wasn't at all what I expected.
He told me, with a cheeky grin, that because I was the first to arrive, I would have to tell him everything about myself, from kindergarten.
I told him I was from New Zealand, that I played guitar and sang, and often did so at my church. He wanted to know what songs we sang, and surprised me by singing a couple of lines from Hillsong United's "Hosanna". I told him excitedly that Brooke Fraser, who wrote that song, comes from New Zealand too. I'm not sure he believed me, hehe.
All the while I talked, Joe - another of the Fadhili guys, filmed me with a video camera. He seemed like fun too, and delighted in filming much of the orientation and disconcerting his colleagues. Very soon we were joined by a bunch of other people, both volunteers and more Fadhili staff. James introduced himself ad the rest of the Fadhili crowd. Each of the guys took it in turn to explain the different aspects of volunteering, interrupted by James from time to time, ribbing the guys playfully when they came across as too quiet/serious: "this is Mike, who likes to SMILE".
James decided to "April Fool" us by claiming that we couldn't go into central Nairobi as there had been a terrorist attack. I was allllmost taken in, but I saw a tiny smile in the corner of James's mouth. He thought it was a great joke, the clown. "You should have seen the look on your faces!"...
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Amazing that someone you know for such a short time can touch your life so deeply.
James Njuguna was the head of the Fadhili Helpers organisation in Nairobi, Kenya. In his relatively short life, he touched thousands of lives. He forged links with people in other countries, bringing volunteers from around the world to come and serve in schools, hospitals, orphanages and slums in Kenya.
He instigated the building of a new orphanage, Maddison House. He knew street kids by name.
His character was gentle, compassionate, and more than a little cheeky. He knew how to get the job done. He know how to encourage. He met people where they were. He shared his faith with people who didn't know the Gospel; he believed in evangelism with respect, not expectation or force.
James was a little over 30 years old. He was killed outside his apartment yesterday. We don't know why.
He leaves behind his wife, Grace, and his little daughter Kelly.
I'm glad to have known him, and to have been a small part of his mission. I hope wherever he is now, he has found rest.
...the venue was set up like a conference room, with tables in a large rectangle, bottles of water, and chairs all around. The first person I met was a youngish guy who introduced himself as James! I was surprised to find that this was the head of Fadhili Helpers, he wasn't at all what I expected.
He told me, with a cheeky grin, that because I was the first to arrive, I would have to tell him everything about myself, from kindergarten.
I told him I was from New Zealand, that I played guitar and sang, and often did so at my church. He wanted to know what songs we sang, and surprised me by singing a couple of lines from Hillsong United's "Hosanna". I told him excitedly that Brooke Fraser, who wrote that song, comes from New Zealand too. I'm not sure he believed me, hehe.
All the while I talked, Joe - another of the Fadhili guys, filmed me with a video camera. He seemed like fun too, and delighted in filming much of the orientation and disconcerting his colleagues. Very soon we were joined by a bunch of other people, both volunteers and more Fadhili staff. James introduced himself ad the rest of the Fadhili crowd. Each of the guys took it in turn to explain the different aspects of volunteering, interrupted by James from time to time, ribbing the guys playfully when they came across as too quiet/serious: "this is Mike, who likes to SMILE".
James decided to "April Fool" us by claiming that we couldn't go into central Nairobi as there had been a terrorist attack. I was allllmost taken in, but I saw a tiny smile in the corner of James's mouth. He thought it was a great joke, the clown. "You should have seen the look on your faces!"...
----------------------------------
Amazing that someone you know for such a short time can touch your life so deeply.
James Njuguna was the head of the Fadhili Helpers organisation in Nairobi, Kenya. In his relatively short life, he touched thousands of lives. He forged links with people in other countries, bringing volunteers from around the world to come and serve in schools, hospitals, orphanages and slums in Kenya.
He instigated the building of a new orphanage, Maddison House. He knew street kids by name.
His character was gentle, compassionate, and more than a little cheeky. He knew how to get the job done. He know how to encourage. He met people where they were. He shared his faith with people who didn't know the Gospel; he believed in evangelism with respect, not expectation or force.
James was a little over 30 years old. He was killed outside his apartment yesterday. We don't know why.
He leaves behind his wife, Grace, and his little daughter Kelly.
I'm glad to have known him, and to have been a small part of his mission. I hope wherever he is now, he has found rest.
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