February Newsletter - Sarah in Kenya

February 2008


Most Christian churches are currently in the season of Lent, a time of self reflection, self examination, and repentance prior to Easter. It is known as a quiet, solemn season in the church. Churches here in Kenya are also in the midst of Lent, but with a much more real and tangible air of solemness. In the wake of the post election crisis many churches of various denominations have been evaluating their role in the countries recent events.
For the past few weeks I have been attending a local Methodist church located just down the road from my house. One Sunday the minister who was preaching talked extensively about the church’s role in the past two to three months. Many churches of all denominations seemed to be in silent shock during the first few weeks after elections. The Methodist minister said that during the violence churches were followers and didn’t emerge as the leaders of peace they should have been. He criticized their silent compliance and said that churches in Kenya needed to repent and to pray for God’s forgiveness. Individuals need to rebuild loving relationships not based on tribal lines, but on the basis that they are Kenyans. He went even further to say that it was also important to build loving relationships with all people because the church is a global community. Being brothers in Christ allows someone to feel at home in any church in any country.
His sermon reminded me of my orientation in Chicago prior to arriving in Kenya last August. During orientation we had discussed the idea of a global community and how part of being a missionary was forming loving relationships with other members of that global community. God’s plan for me, you, and every other Christian revolves around community and relationships with other people. Jus as the Kenyan churches are examining their need for God’s forgiveness, and many Christians in America are re-evaluating their relationships with God during Lent, I have been reflecting on the relationships I have formed here.
One of my most cherished relationships is with a coworker named Julius. Julius organizes and completes many of the odd jobs around the Nairobi Safari Walk from replacing light bulbs to fixing water fountains to setting up a sprinkler system. He eagerly greets me every time he sees me throughout the day, just as many of the other guys do, with a big smile and warm handshake. He has chosen however to take our friendship even farther by calling me his “beloved sister.” At first the other workers would laugh at us, saying that we could only be brother and sister in Christ but not in blood because he’s black and I’m white. Julius and I never relented, but continued to insist on our blood relation to each other. Now most of the workers refer to us as siblings. Sometimes when one of the others are looking for Julius will say to me, “Sarah where is your brother?” as if it is the most natural thing and it always makes me smile. To feel so completely accepted to the point of almost unquestioned “blood relation” is indescribable. It is the self reflection and quiet time with God during Lent that has allowed me to see how intertwined I have become in the everyday life at the Nairobi Safari Walk and Animal Orphanage. Just as the Methodist church is urging Kenyan to rebuild relationships with each other I’m finding new levels of connectedness within my relationships, and all of these relationships together are being used by God as well as contributing to the global community.