Growth Always Brings Change

Our kitchen garden full of heavy ladened pawpaw trees

We returned to Kenya just over a week ago and are settling back into life and ministry. Tristan and Emma have returned to school at Rosslyn Academy, and we are back to work with our new responsibilities with Guardians of Hope and Somali urban development and outreach.

Last Thursday, we hosted a good Somali friend at our home and during the visit we spent some time in our backyard and little kitchen garden. It was wonderful to see how much had changed in our small patch of fruit trees, tomato plants, and greens. It reminded me of the parable of the farmer who plants the seed and must leave the mystery of growth to God. Matthew tells us that "he knew not how" the tiny seed became the harvest. The transformation was not of his doing nor within his control.

This has also been our experience in Kenya. Growth and change is a mystery. We can tell the stories of a relationships or seeds planted, but who can understand how God draws someone into hope, faith, and compassion. How does the mystery work? Our friend has persevered through much hardship and uncertainty over the past eight months, but we are so encouraged by how God continues to uphold her. She is not the same person we met three years ago. Thank you so much for faithfully praying for the families of Iftin and Guardians of Hope. Please continue to pray for growth and change within their lives.

This young pineapple will take two years to mature to harvest

Sometimes the result of our small efforts bring enormous surprises. Last August, we visited a Luo village in Western Kenya and were given pineapple seedlings by our hosts to bring back to our home. By the end of our four day journey, the tattered plants were pretty beaten up from the tossing and jostling of the journey. I remember taking them out of the back of the Landcruiser and wondering if we should even bother planting. We did. And to our surprise, the forgotten and neglected seedlings have come to life. Young fist-sized pineapples have emerged under the shade of the pawpaw. Amazing. God brings the sun, God brings the rain, and God causes the seed to grow. Without God's loving and powerful hand at work in our world, nothing will grow and nothing will change.

As our friend left that afternoon, she carried an armload of fruit back to her home. She was encouraged by stories of our time in Canada and by the many people praying for her community in Eastleigh. We are thankful for changes that we are seeing not only in her, but within this little patch of the world.