Work Team

Things have been busy, but good lately in our work. Some things that do not fall within the "regular" work duties have taken place. I have written some of them down below and will try and upload pictures on a separate post at a later date. Pictures are still being problematic and, unfortunately, I will be in the field during the next several days. Since I won't have access to the internet, I won't be able to work on posting pictures until I get back. I hope to also post some of what we are doing in the field at that time. Until then, these descriptions will have to do...

Work Team

In February we were busy preparing for and the hosting (for only part of their 2-week trip) a work team from Canada. The team was composed of 10 people all together that split into two groups so as to work on two projects. One of the sub-teams went to Junam to put the roof on the guest house at the archdeaconry headquarters. This guest house will serve as a place to host guests of the archdeaconry and also be an income generating project for Archdeaconry Planning and Development Committee (APDC) activities. We work closely with the Junam APDC on goat rearing and other projects. The second sub-team went to Koboko and finished the gables in preparation for the final roofing on the new archdeaconry headquarters office block. The Koboko APDC, which we also work closely with, will occupy part of the building. Folks on the team and in the host communities seemed to find the experience to be positive.

HIV/AIDS Workshop

There were also in February a number of CRWRC meetings and trainings in Limuru, Kenya (outside of Nairobi). In the middle of the program, there was a three-day workshop on the justice issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. The workshop went off well with excellent speakers telling their experiences of living with HIV/AIDS, site visits to programs helping people living with HIV/AIDS in a variety of ways, and break-out workshop sessions on issues dealing with advocacy, programming, health, stigma, culture, behavior modification, and more. CRWRC is attempting to take this challenge on in a more systematic and intentional way in the future. We now have a regional HIV/AIDS Coordinator in our East and Southern Africa Ministry Team (ESAMT) that helps to support the work being done within each country.

Country Team Meeting

In early March we had our quarterly Country Team Meeting. These meetings are important because the team is moving in such a variety of directions. There is need every quarter to come together and give each other updates, identify issues affecting the entire team, set priorities and develop strategies, and plan for upcoming events. These times are also important for building the team, reconnecting with each other, and providing mutual moral support.

Reflections

We have been putting regular reflections inspired by our time here in the monthly newsletter produced by the First Baptist church (FBC) of Springfield, Ohio. FBC is Eric’s home church and also the church that supported his parents during their time of service in DR Congo. The following is an entry that was written last December. If you would like to see them on a regular basis, please let us know by posting a comment…

The Art of Waiting

I am writing this edition of Smith’s Corner from the coast of Kenya at a CRWRC spiritual retreat. Today is a relaxing, if warm and sultry, December day on the edge of the Indian Ocean. The trip here, however, was not so relaxing. In fact, it gave us yet another opportunity to practice the art of waiting. Waiting is a normal part life here in Africa. Anything from heavy rains, to broken down river ferries, to family illnesses, can cause unanticipated delays.

We took the 5:10 a.m. Kenya Airways flight from Entebbe, Uganda, with the hope that, even with a lay-over in Nairobi, we would arrive at the coast with half a day left to enjoy the beach. However, we did not board the plane in Nairobi until after noon due to mechanical issues. And, after a 15-minute wait on the plane, we were escorted off again for further work to be done. To make a long story short, we only just arrived to our destination to catch a glimpse of the sunset before darkness blanketed the ocean view.

The long day was made all the longer because we were pining after a vision stuck in our heads of an idyllic retreat spot. We, as believers, also have a vision that we should be longing after. This vision is for a world where, “the sound of weeping and crying will be heard no more. Never again will there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old man that does not live out his years. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat their fruit. They will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will call and [God] will answer.” (Isaiah 65). Is this not what we pray for when we repeat the Lord’s prayer, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”? Our longing for this kingdom should push us to play our part and make the vision a reality in our own lives and the life of our communities. But, we must not lose heart if things don’t happen as quickly as we like.

After all, until the mechanics plied their trade, we were stranded in Nairobi. In the same way, only Christ has the ultimate power to make the kingdom vision a complete reality. And, although we will have opportunity to catch glimpses of the kingdom breaking through, much as Martha and I caught a glimpse of the sun setting on the beach, the kingdom will not be fully manifested until Christ’s return. This is where the art of waiting comes in.

For those of us that might be on the verge of giving up hope; of giving up on the kingdom vision; of giving up on Christ’s return; of giving up on the possibility of healed and whole bodies, economic stability, healthy relationships, connectedness to God, and a just society, Peter reminds us to, “not forget this one thing dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. In keeping with his promise, we are looking for a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3).