Our second day of teaching....

This morning our devotion was on the topic of "seeing where God shows up today". The team agreed that He showed up everywhere we went, or maybe He was already there when we arrived. It was amazing the number of ways and places where we experienced God's love as a team. At chapel, we heard about a team of 4 Canadian women that are raising funds for the proposed student center at NEGST by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro next week. Next year at this time a larger group is planning to raise even more than the 5 million Ksh they raised this year with an even larger group. I was inspired and thought of my friend Phil Arnold, an avid hiker. I plan to see if he can encourage a group of men from Grace Community Church in Indianapolis to match or exceed their goal. You know how competitive men can be. I am hoping they can make this climb next year as I will be glad to participate. You can reach more about this opportunity at www.wowsafaris.org.

Our team was introduced and I was able to introduce each team member and invite additional students to sign up for classes. Don Penny has done an excellent job of promoting our classes as they have been full, some even brought their own laptops so they could join the class. It is very rewarding to see such interest and enthusiasm. We have been receiving great feedback and hope to improve when we return next year.

This afternoon we had lunch with Mary Magdalene and heard about her ministry to young children and single women. We heard three touching stories of how Mary has helped transform their lives and give them hope. She will soon receive her certificate in counseling and will be able to expand her outreach to single mothers, especially those rejected by their husbands or suffering from depression. There was not a dry eye in the room. We sang several songs with the many young women that work with her making paper beaded jewelry. But the greatest surprise of all was the fantastic feast. We enjoyed roasted potatoes, chicken, talapia, peas, salad, taro root, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables, rice, beef stew, fresh fruit, mangoes, bananas, apples, pineapple, soft drinks, and more. Her fantastic spread was our best meal yet. Afterward the team purchased a treasure trove of necklaces, bracelets, ear rings, belts, greeting cards and much more. Her team does exquisite work. We were glad to purchase these items and help Mary provide food, counsel, shelter, and support over 190 women and children. She is truly an amazing women and reflects the love of God in all she does. She also gave each of us a beautifully wrapped gift. We are looking forward to opening the gifts when we return to the HomeCare this evening after classes. God showed up for us again.

Our team member spotlight today is on Karen Bodach. Karen lives Carmel, Indiana and works as a software consultant for BKD, an accounting firm. Karen has been teaching Excel, Blogging, Word II,III, and PowerPoint. This is her first international short term mission trip. She has been to Canton, Mississippi twice during high school on short term trips, a very racially divided area. These experiences has given Karen a real heart for "racial reconciliation". Her positive attitude and energetic helpfulness has been a real blessing to the team and the people we are serving. Reflecting on her experience so far she remarked how the Africans have such a generous spirit and willing share their material possessions whether food, money, or whatever the immediate need. This is such a paradigm shift to what we experience in the United States. She is contemplating what this will mean for her when she returns to Indiana.