Thursday 3 July 2008

eyes were opened, 30 saved and 171 treated

well, what a wonderful day! The first clinic with everyone there, and God really moved.
30 people came to know Christ today, and all had the opportunity for follow-up conversations with team members, and Tom Owuor (OAI Kenya) is going to be organising discipleship classes for them to support them as they grow in their faith.
2 people were healed of sight defects, several were healed of head-aches and other related complaints, and a baby just 2 weeks old went from looking listless and very dull-eyed to having life and shining eyes: all through prayer by various team members including Tara, Sarah S, Jonto and Mark.
The NGM girls led the children's ministry, and did songs, action songs, jump-rope games, colouring activities, and finally a big game o football (although that was when the lads got more stuck in than the girls!). Shirley took some time out from pharmacy to go round the children waiting in line for the medical clinic, and did some colouring and pictures with them. They loved it and were still clutching the pictures when I saw them later to collect prescriptions.
Again we were joined by a wonderful band of Kenyan medical students (all final year) and volunteers, who added greatly to the effectiveness of the clinic.

I also saw the feeding programme today: 100 children all receive 4 meals each week which is a life-saver for them. The food is cooked in a home and then served from big saucepans in the back of a pickup. 2 of the local ladies do the washing up as the meals are eaten, and it is a really smooth looking process. I tasted the food: a mix of beans, chickpeas, onions, potatoes and carrots, and it really was very good.

So there are glimpses of two aspects of our work: the long-term outreach, supplemented by the short-term mission work and medical clinics. It is great to know that anyone affected by the 2 weeks we are here will not e abandoned but supported in the most suitable way to go forward in their faith and life.
David spoke this morning from Mark 9 17 - 23, and the bit where the man says to Jesus "if you can, make my son well", and Jesus replies that all things are possible to him who believes. Today, we really saw that in action: people can be healed, stomachs can be filled, and language barriers can be overcome, if we just believe. And of course God can do so much more as well, and I believe He will, in the next few days.

well, it's getting late, so time to sign off. Thanks for reading, and praying, and my best wishes to all. God bless

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