My Mission trips to Tanzania and Kenya

About twenty years ago a Norwegian-American real estate agent by the name of Berit Skaare went to Tanzania to work on a project on behalf of her church. Her short-term project ended up lasting over twenty years.


In those years she founded an orphanage, a foster care program (that cares for over 1,000 children), several schools, shops and even a 600-acre farm. The ministry that she founded is called the Ilula Orphan Program (IOP). 


Here is a video introducing IOP. 


A retired United Methodist Pastor, Rev. John Windell, was invited to visit IOP at the dedication of the main orphanage building. While there, the local leaders of the United Methodist Church asked him to return to teach their pastors the basics of the Bible and how to be a church pastor. John agreed and invited me to join him on these trips. 


During the year John raises money to pay the travel, lodging and meal expenses for twenty pastors from all over Tanzania to travel to the Ilula Orphan Program orphanage to be trained. John teaches them how to be a pastor and I teach them the Bible. 

The common language of Tanzania is Swahili, so we had to use interpreters in our classes. Below is a photo of one such class holding up the books we purchased for them. The pastor in the front row, second from the left is Frank Karoli. He is now a student at a seminary in Texas. New Paragraph

I made about seven trips with John to Tanzania. We were then invited to do the same in Kenya which is just north of Tanzania. We followed the same format except that the teaching in Kenya was all done in English. Not needing interpreters, out visits were shorter, lasting but a week.  

Before any travel overseas, we check with the U.S. State Department for any guidance that they might have. They issue travel advisories for each nation which range from exercise normal precautions to DO NOT TRAVEL. These levels are based on crime, terrorism, health issues, and kidnapping. 

 

The current travel advisory level for Kenya is 3, RECONSIDER TRAVEL. 


The State Department also advises areas of the nation to avoid. Currently they advise: “Do Not Travel to: Kenya-Somalia border and some coastal areas due to terrorism and areas of Turkana County due to crime. Reconsider Travel to: Nairobi neighborhoods of Eastleigh and Kibera at all times due to crime and kidnapping. 

 



During my trip to Kenya, I was invited to preach at a church in Nairobi. Where did I go? Yes, to one of the “forbidden” neighborhoods of Nairobi, the largest slum in all Africa, KIBERA. What does the largest slum look like? Below are links to videos showing the horrible conditions in Kibera. 

Because mosquitos kill more people in Africa than any other creature, we use insect repellent and take an anti-malaria drug. My drug of choice has been one doxycycline capsule daily beginning two days before I leave, each day during the trip and for a month after I return home. 


If you have any questions about my travels, feel free to contact me. 

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We should be able to answer these questions, and there are answers! So start here!

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Answers to Common Bible Questions

WHAT ARE YOU GIVING UP FOR LENT?

December 17, 2021
Lent is a six week period of spiritual devotion starting on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter. Those who observe Lent usually give up something for Lent. Some might give up coffee, or soda pop, or alcohol, or chocolate. May I suggest that you give up something that will really impress God and make this season of Lent one of the most memorable and meaningful seasons of your life?  May I suggest that if you are giving up something, why not give up some of the acts of our sinful nature mentioned in Gal. 5:19? Why don’t we give up lying about others? Do you think you can give up the hate you feel towards others? How about envy, can we work on putting envy aside this year? How about giving up on the naïve idea that all pastors are mature Christian leaders whose word should always be accepted, rather than wolfs in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). How about giving up the idea that everyone in church is a real Christian (Matt 7:21-23). How about giving up your desire to seek revenge on those who have hurt you (Matt 18:21-22)? If you are insecure and feel threatened when you see the success of others in ministry, how about giving up efforts to hinder others who have been called to minister (Rom 12:4-8)? Of course it is easier to give up something like chocolate, etc. and make yourself feel like you are doing something that is pleasing to God. If you are not willing to give up unchristian behavior, might I suggest something that will really please God this Lent? Give up all evidence of your profession of Christian faith, such as books, pictures and jewelry. Don’t talk about God, Jesus or the Church. I think God would appreciate it if you would stop giving HIM a bad name by the way you live. Let’s give up what hinders our witness and become a better ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) this Lenten season.

WHAT WAS THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM?

December 17, 2021
In Matthew 2:1-2 is says that the magi saw "His star in the east." What was this star that guided these men to Jesus? Some have suggested that it could have been a comet, an asteroid, or perhaps a meteor or an especially bright star. The problem with these suggestions is that these physical things either quickly move across the sky and then disappear or are too far away to provide directions with any precision. It would be hard to get directions from such objects. The "star" had to move constantly or intermittently at the same pace as the magi. Then it says that it hovered over the house where Mary and Joseph had moved to with Jesus. It hardly sounds like a comet or meteor or a star as we know them. Can you think of another time that people in the Bible were guided by some form of light? How about the time when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt? He didn't have a global positioning system with him. He did have a pillar of fire that led him at night (Ex 13:21-22). We see this light in Solomon's Temple (2 Chron 7:1-3) and when the Jews were about to go into Babylonian captivity, we see it leaving the Temple (Ezek 9-11). In the New Testament we see it at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:9) at His transfiguration (Matt 17:5) and His ascension (Acts 1:9).  What exactly was this guiding light? The word "star" can also be translated as "radiance." It appears that it was this "radiance" that guided Moses and the magi. The Jews call this the "Shekinah", a physical manifestation of the glory of God in the form of a supernatural radiance. This, I believe, is what the Star of Bethlehem was.

CAN WE BELIEVE EVERYTHING WE HEAR?

December 17, 2021
Imagine that you are the pastor of a church. A young married couple is having some difficulties in their relationship and they seek counsel from you. On Monday the wife comes in to give her assessment of their marriage. What do you think she will say? She might say that she is a hardworking, caring and supportive wife and that it is her husband who is the neglectful, insensitive brute and the source of all problems in the marriage. You feel so sorry for this wife and when you see her husband in the hallway, you think to yourself, "What a jerk." On Friday the husband comes in and gives his assessment of the marriage. He tells you that he is hard working and very generous and that she is the major problem in the relationship. As the pastor, you are wondering if they both are talking about the same marriage. Each person tells you what makes them look best and their spouse the worst. Where is the truth? The truth is probably somewhere in between  Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, til another comes forward and questions him." There are conflicts in all relationships, between spouses, parents and children, employees and employers. When you hear one side of a story, don’t assume that what you hear is the complete truth. And don’t pass on to someone else what you have heard. Probably, at least some of what you heard is untrue to gain your support in a conflict.
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