Bluesky 13: Session 3

This week I got the amazing honor and privilege to leave the high school boys at camp.  The high school takes a camping and adventure trip that is a lot of fun and gives us more time to get to know them. I had a blast and was so blessed to get to be a part of some amazing God stories.  Unfortunately, I can only share with you briefly about them now.

One of the campers I also had back in 2010 and I enjoyed getting to catch up with him.  He has started following Christ since the last time I saw him!  It was amazing to see that he remembered almost everything about me: my major, where I'm from, specific things about that year at camp, and things that I said to him.  I was blessed to get to encourage him in his faith.

Another camper said that he had nothing to do with God before this week, but God opened up his heart and he experienced the presence and love of Jesus is a tangible way!  He couldn't stop talking about how he wanted to build on his relationship with God!

Another camper flew in from London just to go to camp Bluesky, which he heard about at a wedding in Pakistan!  He believed some of the right things, but it was clear to see that his faith was cold and more or less dead.  But this week, Christ set him on fire with passion for the gospel and knowing Christ!  He told me that this was the most important week of his life!

This coming week I have the smallest boys, which includes my discipler's grandson.  Pray that God will give me supernatural patience and love for them, and that I would truly find joy in the Lord at every moment.  Thank you everyone for your support, prayers, and encouraging emails!

Bluesky 13: Half-time Adventures

In order to accommodate both the American and British school systems common in Kenya, bluesky has camp for 2 weeks in June, and then 3 weeks in July, with 3 weeks in between.  In order to make the most every opportunity, the team has been experiencing and participating in various missions in Kenya.

The first ministry we worked with, called "Made in the streets" rescues teenagers from a large slum in Nairobi, teaches them about Jesus, and gives them an education.  I got to participate by going out into the slum and talking with several of the boys who were contemplating coming off the streets and accepting the opportunity given to them by the ministry.  Tragically, many of them are so addicted to glue and any other horrible drugs they can get their hands on that they choose to stay on the streets where they can barely feed themselves and will likely die from the glue.  By God's grace, this ministry does rescue many teens from the streets and gives them everything they need to have a life worth living.  Of all the ministries that I've ever participated in or observed, this one has probably shown me the greatest picture of the gospel.  I am reminded of Colosians 1:13-14 which says, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves, in who we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.". These boys and girls have been brought out of the greatest darkness I have ever seen.  What an example of the gospel!

We also spent time working with a school in Massailand, where we painted and improved some of their school and beat them in a heated game of soccer (I was goalie and had a game saving save).  After this we spent time in Kasigau, a community right next to a mountain which has almost no access to water.  We worked on several projects to help them conserve their resources and generate an economy.  We also got to hike/climb the mountain while we were there.

(Mount Kasigau in the distance)

One of the neat things about this time is how the team has bonded together during the time we have away from campers.  We have experienced highs such as watching the sunset over mount Kilimanjaro, sleeping in hammocks, trying new foods, sharing stories of God's faithfulness, and taking inside jokes to a  new level.  We have also experienced lows such as food poisoning, a car wreck that we were very blessed to all walk away from, and a 24-hour stomach bug that infected over half the team.  We spent the last two days at the beach, relaxing, and gearing up for the next three weeks of camp.  It was a great time of rest and I got to lead all the guys on the team in a Bible study on Ephesians.

(Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance)

We have just arrived back at camp after an 11 hour drive back.  Over the next few days we will reset camp and prepare for the next wave of campers.  This coming week I will be the counselor for 6 high school boys.  I don't know their backgrounds yet, but they are likely either Hindu, agnostic, or nominally Christian.  Pray for their hearts and my words.  Thank you so much for everyone who has been praying for me and encouraging me!