Gateway Missions

After some long and emotional embraces, it was finally time to say good-bye. At noon on Thursday we arrived at the little air strip in Kitale. It’s really not fair to call it an airport, so I’ll use the term air strip. It’s definitely more descriptive. The ride to Nairobi was quite bumpy. By the time we arrived Shawn was a nervous wreck and I was greener than Kermit the Frog. I thought that hour flight would never end, but as always, God is faithful. He did get us safely to Nairobi.

We left Nairobi later Thursday afternoon and landed in Dubai about 11 p.m. local time. We had a 3-hour layover in Dubai, but the time passed quickly. Soon we were back on a plane for the final 16 hours that would land us back on American soil and reunite us with our beloved Wylie, Texas.

The flight was long, but once again God provided for us. We didn’t sleep much, but we are grateful for the sleep we did get. I am very thankful that I was able to get a lot of work done on my laptop on the trip home. In fact, I organized all my pictures and stories for Sunday and even put together a brief video of Gateway Kitale that I will show Sunday morning.

When we asked the girls what they wanted to do first when they arrived home, the answer was loud and clear: “We want to go to Chick Fil-A!” I’m not sure what that says about our family (other than the fact that we eat too much at Chick Fil-A), but after all they have experienced these past two weeks we were happy to grant their request. They have been troopers through this entire trip. They are so blessed to experience what they did at their age.

We learned so much from this trip. We saw God work in so many ways. We were challenged to grow in our faith and learn to depend on God the way the Kenyans do. Their faith is inspiring. We also were reminded of the importance of relationships. Our partnership with them is just getting started and I know it will continue for years to come.

On the way  home a verse struck me that just sums up what we experienced. James 4:6 says, “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:’= ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ ” That’s it. That is why God is working so powerfully in Kenya and other countries in Africa. They are the most humble people I’ve ever met, and because of that God is pouring out His grace on them.

So will you humble yourself before the Lord? Will you learn from these simple people who have so much to teach us? We live in a very proud society. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want God opposing me because of my pride. Like my Kenyan brothers and sisters, I choose to humble myself by seeking God will all my heart and relying on Him fully so that He will grant me grace.

Do you remember when I said earlier that things can be a bit unreliable in Kenya? This is a good example. I tried to post this last blog Thursday morning before we left, but the internet connection failed about 30 seconds before I could get it online. Once again, bummer! I guess better late than never, huh?

It’s with very mixed emotions that we are about to leave Kitale and begin our travel back home. We miss all of you and we miss our home, so we are anxious to get back. On the other hand, we will really miss this beautiful country and these kind and generous people.

Yesterday we had one last gathering with the leaders of Gateway Kenya. We were able to worship together, pray together, and hear about the most urgent needs in their church. We parted ways agreeing to pray for each other and continue partnering together to carry out the Great Commission.

When we showed up at the church yesterday we saw that they already had purchased the chairs we gave them money to purchase on Sunday. They were so excited to have plastic chairs to sit in rather than sitting on benches with no backs. They were the same kind of plastic chairs we used when we started Gateway years ago. I couldn’t help but to chuckle at the similarities between our churches.

Please pray for us as we begin our journey back home. We will travel for about 30 hours straight before we land in DFW Friday morning. I look forward to spending a good bit of time reflecting on the wonderful things God has done on our journey to Kenya. I just can’t explain to you how much it meant the Kenyans that we come all the way to visit them.

I hope next time to be able to bring a much larger group when we return. Will you consider coming with us next time? It’s a life-changing adventure and it is incredibly fulfilling to know that God is using you to bless others so far away.

Today was a day our family has dreamed about for 5 years. When I returned from Kenya in 2007 we decided to “adopt” a child through a program called Adopt a Legacy International Ministries (ALIM). We spent two days of our trip last time loving on these precious orphans and needy children. We discovered that for most of them, their only hope of going to a good school is for someone to sponsor them through ALIM.

So when I returned home we felt led to sponsor a child. The child assigned to us is named Lazaro. He was 11 years old at the time. Unlike most of the ALIM children, Lazaro did have a mother and father. They simply couldn’t afford to take care of him and his siblings, especially when it came to sending them to school. So we felt led to step in.

We sponsored Lazaro for 2-3 years. Then we made a decision that I now deeply regret. We dropped our sponsorship in hopes that someone else would step in. We felt that for the time being we just couldn’t afford to continue. I discovered today that nobody ever stepped in. Our precious Lazaro has been without a sponsor for the past 2-3 years.

That news alone was heart-breaking enough. But it got worse. The man who is now Lazaro’s guardian (a family member who is a pastor took him into his home) said that when Lazaro no longer had a sponsor, his parents decided there was no reason to stay in Kitale, so they moved. Lazaro insisted on staying in school, so they left him and his sister Lydia behind.

By the grace of God, somehow Lazaro and his sister have been allowed to say in school. They have continued to pray that they would find another sponsor. When we heard this story, we immediately told them we would sponsor Lazaro again. This time I feel like I can’t afford not to do it. How could I not ensure that this precious boy will get the education he needs to have a bright future?

Lazaro was happy to meet us. He is kind and humble and very shy at first. Others in the school tell us that he has a real heart for God. He told me that he has been selected as the chaplain for the other students. We are so proud of him. Having the chance to meet him was quite amazing for all of us, but especially for Brooke and Autumn. They finally got to meet their “brother” (as they call him) face-to-face.

Yesterday (Sunday) was a busy day, but the most exciting day of the trip. We worshiped with the Gateway Church in Kitale, and their joy, passion and enthusiasm was contagious. We walked up to the sound of praise filling the air through the outdoor speakers. These people really know how to worship our Lord!

We were greeted by smiling faces filled with so much joy. I can’t explain to you how happy they were to see us. They had been praying for so long that we would come visit, and we were now the answer to their prayers. What an amazing and humbling experience to see how God used us to bless them. He used them to bless us even more!

I shared basically the same message with them that I shared with our church last Sunday. We studied John 17:20-23 and talked about the importance of being unified in Christ. I must say that preaching through an interpreter is a bit more challenging, but they were eager to hear what this visiting pastor had to say.

After a short break for lunch we met again for another time of worship. I thought I had understood that this was to be a more informal time where we told more of the story of Gateway, but as I got there I realized that they wanted me to preach another sermon. This was a great stretching experience for me because I like to prepare for everything in advance, and this caused me to rely completely on the Holy Spirit.

After church we met with several pastors who had come to be a part of the special services that day. Many even traveled great distances to be there with us. We also met about 25 orphans who live in a home right next to the church building. When we went back to the church about an hour later, they were still going strong with their worship. Children were on stage singing and dancing. They are truly amazing people.

I learned so much being with our new friends here in Kenya. I learned that I need to trust God they way they do. I need to love God the way they do. I need to love people the way they do. We have so much to learn from them.

“Daddy, can we trade seats?” Autumn whispered sweetly and respectfully as we sat in a home of one of the members of Gateway church in Kenya. “There are chickens at my feet.” I’m not sure how she knew there were chickens at her feet because the room was completely dark. The sun had set on a long, but wonderful day and the tiny home had no electricity. I took her word for it and changed seats with her.

Yesterday (Saturday) was an amazing day. We arrived on our flight from Nairobi to Kitale around noon and then were taken to the Karibuni Lodge, where we will stay the rest of the trip. It’s really nice to get settled for a few days because up to today (Sunday) we have been on a plane every day.

So far we have experienced some incredible things. We saw more animals on our brief trip to the safari than I could ever have imagined. I never would have thought that I see a male lion walk right in front of our open-air vehicle. It was amazing. We felt safe the entire time, but we got up close and personal with many of God’s most unique creatures. I’ll show you the pictures when we get back. We only have about 800 so far!

As great as the first part of the trip has been, our real purpose for coming began yesterday. I can’t tell you how amazing it was to sit in the homes of about 6-7 different families from Gateway Church. They have so little materially, yet they are so rich spiritually. Spending time with them made it crystal clear to me that in so many ways we are missing the mark. The things we think are so important really aren’t. How could it be that those who have so little in the eyes of the world could be so rich in God’s eyes? It reminds me of James 1:9-11.

The most amazing part of our visits yesterday was seeing the children. Oh, those precious children! Children who lived in slums in the middle of trash heaps and raw sewage seemed to come from everywhere to greet us with the biggest smiles you have ever seen. They look at you with eyes full of life and say in perfect English, “Who are you?” The children here are amazing. We look forward to spending more time with them in the days to come.

Right now it is 7:15 a.m. on Sunday morning local time. I am preparing to preach this morning at Gateway Church. I’m going to share with them the same thing I shared with Gateway in Wylie last Sunday – the importance of being one in the body of Christ. These are our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and we are one with them. I can’t wait to spend the day with these amazing, beautiful people.

I think the thing that struck me the most yesterday in our visits was the one common theme that came from every home. Every one of the members we visited (many of them waited hours for us to arrive) said the same thing. First, they welcomed us over and over. Then they said that they have been praying for us. Did you hear me? They have been praying for us! They said they consider us to be their spiritual parents and they have been praying that we would come visit them.

I must admit that it hit me square in the face when I realized that these precious people have been praying for us much more than we have been praying for them. We must change that! We must make it a priority to pray for them. They are amazing people and I can think of nothing more important than supporting them in prayer.

I could go on, but I must finish preparing for church this morning. I just had to give an update while I saw I had internet connection. Last night it didn’t work. Things don’t work the same way here. The electricity can go out unexpectedly (like it did last night when Shawn was in the shower – bummer), so you have to do what you can when you can.

I will miss being with you in worship today. Being away always makes me realize how much I love my Gateway Family. You are amazing, beautiful people as well. We can’t wait to come back and share with  you all that God has done. Please, please keep praying for us. We feel your prayers and we depend on them. They mean everything to us while we are here.

Blessings,

Pastor Blake

In a quick message Pastor Blake says: “Little coverage so far, but wanted to let everyone know that we have arrived safely in Kenya and are now on safari. God’s majesty is all around us.”

Please continue to be in prayer for the whole team as this day of rest precedes an extremely busy schedule until next Wednesday. They return to Nairobi tomorrow and will fly to Kitale on Saturday.

After a really long day of travel, we landed safely in Dubai around 2 a.m. your time (noon in Dubai). The plane ride of 15 hours wasn’t the most fun we’ve ever had, but it really wasn’t that bad. I only slept about a total of about 2-3 hours the entire trip, and I’m about to go to sleep at 10:30 p.m. local time. Needless to say, it’s been a long day, but it’s been a good day.

We had the chance to meet up with some friends we haven’t seen in a while who are living in Dubai and they showed us around town. Dubai is quite an amazing place. We were able to see some really cool things, including the world’s tallest building and the Burj Al Arab Hotel (the one in the shape of a sailboat). We even had dinner in the food court in the world’s largest mall. It was only day one away from home, but already we were glad to see some good old American food choices!

Tomorrow morning we leave at 10:45 a.m. for Nairobi. We are praying for a really good night’s rest tonight. So far God has blessed us with safety and with a sense of bonding among our team. We’ve seen Brooke and Autumn sharing some special moments together as well.

Thank you for your prayers and look for more updates in the days to come!

Blessings,

Pastor Blake

The excitement is building over meeting our new friends at Gateway Church in Kenya! Here is our itinerary along with some specific requests. Keep in mind that Kenya is 9 hours ahead of us. For the day that we are in Dubai we’ll actually be 10 hours ahead.

Monday– Depart DFW around noon and spend the next 15 hours in route to Dubai. Please pray that the time will pass quickly (especially for our girls) and that we will be able to get some good sleep on the plane. Also pray that God will use the time in the air to continue to prepare our hearts and pray that He might open a door for witness while on the plane.

Tuesday– We land in Dubai around noon their time (3 a.m. our time). We have a 23-hour layover, so we will be able to do some sight-seeing that afternoon. Pray that this will be a bonding time for our team and that our bodies will quickly adjust to the new time zone. Also pray that we will get good sleep that night and be refreshed for our travel on Wednesday.

Wednesday– We leave Dubai at 10:45 a.m. and arrive in Nairobi at 2:55 p.m. Pray that God will overwhelm us with love and compassion for the people of Kenya. Pray that we will have opportunities to witness in our short time there.

Thursday– We leave early to go to a safari park, where we will spend the rest of the day and spend the night. Pray that this “down time” will allow our bodies to continue to adjust. Also, pray that we will truly see God’s majesty and that our hearts will be moved to worship as we encounter God’s creation in some very unique ways.

Friday– We leave the safari park and travel back to Nairobi, where we will spend the night. At this point I am quite sure that we will be overly anxious to get to Kitale and see the church there. Pray that we will have patience. Pray in particular that our girls will get along well and be very kind to each other.

Saturday– We fly out of Nairobi and arrive in Kitale around noon. After we get checked into our hotel we have a meeting at Gateway Church. Pray that our bond in Christ will develop quickly. Pray that they will be overwhelmed by God’s love for them because we were willing to come. That afternoon we plan to do visitation together. Pray for us to be able to lead some people to Christ.

Sunday– We worship at Gateway Church in Kitale and then have meetings all afternoon. Pray for all of us (especially our girls) to get a clear picture of God’s heart for the world by being able to worship with these precious believers. Pray for me as I speak to the church that morning. Pray that God will speak words of encouragement and inspiration to the church through me. Pray also that we will have clarity about the best way for our church to partner with Gateway Kenya moving forward.

Monday and Tuesday – We spend time with the “Adopt a Legacy” children. Most of them are orphans. Pray for our meeting with Lazaro, who is the child we sponsored for several years. Our girls have been dying to meet him. Also pray that we will be able to encourage the children and be the hands and feet of Jesus to them.

Wednesday– We will visit recipients of “The Flame Project,” which is an amazing outreach tool that uses stoves to get into people’s homes. In addition to the evangelistic opportunities, the Flame Project also addresses some serious health concerns for those who cook over an open flame. Pray that we will get a vision for what God wants us to do moving forward with this project.

Thursday– We leave Kitale and fly back to Nairobi. From Nairobi we fly to Dubai and then on to Dallas. We only have a 4-hour layover in Dubai this time. We will be traveling for about 30 hours straight, so pray for the ability to rest on the way home. Pray also that we will be able to soak in all that God has done on the trip and that it will make a lasting impact. Once we get home, pray that our bodies will begin to adjust quickly once again.

We arrive at DFW Friday morning at 9:45 a.m.