Thursday, November 27, 2014

Part II … The Marvelous Massai… November 26, 2014

This is the second in a three part pictorial post describing our trip to the Massai Mara. The trip consisted of our participation in a graduation ceremony at ‘Threads of Hope’ sewing school. This wonderful facility is run by a good friend of ours Deborah Deren. While we were there we also talked to local a group of Massai about forming them into a church. It was definitely a surreal experience. Here are a few of the six hundred and fifty pictures we took. 

The Marvelous Massai Part II

As people continued to arrive we all found our prescribed seats. The visiting guest…


The Massai community…


And the students….



One of the first activities of the graduation was a comedy skit about someone trying to fix some ripped pants. Everyone loved it. Even though we couldn't understand what was said, it was still funny.




Then the beautiful graduating students began to dance and sing…




After the dancing, Deb introduced me as the guest speaker and I began to preach. I told them of the eternal love affair in heaven between the Father and the Son that fell upon humans two thousand years ago … and changed everything.




It was met with amazement...


And wonder…


Even though there were those present it obviously disturbed…


Even so, a few listened.



Still others became fearful…


Of the ever watching eyes of the disturbed …


The crowd had risen to over four hundred…


...when the beautiful Massai women began to sing a song that made me wonder how my wife and I had come to be so blessed as to be in the midst of such a wondrous people.





I looked at the massive Simon holding a young boy and wondered at their strength.



I looked at the beautiful and strong women surrounding us and wondered at their endurance in such a harsh land…





I marveled at the wisdom revealed in the faces of the older women...







Finally the graduation certificates were handed out and Deborah thanked everyone for their participation. Suddenly the four hour celebration was over. We were presented with a beautiful beaded banner for StoneHouse Ministries International.


We were so grateful to have been a part of such a joyous day...


Afterwards everyone quickly lined up to fill their bellies with the goat stew. It was almost five o'clock by the time food was served and my wife and I had not eaten anything that whole day. We were pretty hungry. It seemed as though everyone was pretty hungry. The line quickly became a little rowdy so we decided to exit the line and let the locals eat first. As soon as we did someone brought us our plates. It was so good. 



What a good day!

Next… Part III… The ‘Gathering’ under a tree and our trip home.


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Part I The Marvelous Massai!

This is the first of a three part series describing our trip to the Massai Mara. The trip consisted of our participation in a graduation ceremony at ‘Threads of Hope’ sewing school. This wonderful facility is run by a good friend of ours Deborah Deren. While we were there we also talked to local a group of Massai about forming them into a church. It was definitely a surreal experience.


Part One

Last week we took a journey into another realm. The journey was much like boarding a spaceship and traveling to some distant planet.

The closer we came to our destination, the more other-worldly the landscape became and the more
the land’s inhabitants changed into characters looking like they had just stepped out of the movie … ‘Star Wars’. Both were strikingly beautiful.


There were creatures that could eat from the tops of the trees and  smaller ones looking like a cross between a cow and a horse.



Then, smaller yet, creatures that were herded by shepherds that looked like warriors.






Finally we reached our landing place … ‘Massai Threads of Hope’.


As we disembarked it became evident that a great celebration was underway. Food (twelve goats) were being cooked and people were preparing themselves for celebration.



We were introduced to new friends and rejoiced with some old ones.This is Mr. McCoy and Josephine they are Deb’s helpers at ‘Threads of Hope’.


Mr. McCoy is as disarmingly friendly as any man I have ever met. His face is rarely without his pleasant smile.

This is his friend Simon… another helper at ‘Threads of Hope’. A massive Massai warrior of many talents.


The delightful lady sitting next to my beautiful wife is May-Brith from the land of Norway. She had come the Mara to help her brother on a building project and for the graduation of the sewing school.


Soon the celebration began and all the graduation students took their seats.


Suddenly the wonderful and exotic inhabitants of this land began to arrive. From all over the bush-land and jungle they came. First came the women …













Young and old…





Then came the men…







The assembly grew…


Next ... Part Two …. The Muslims arrive and the gospel is preached!