Travel Diary 6: WARM FEELINGS ON A CHILLY DAY

Dear ITEM Prayer Partner,

This is their “winter” and I’ve been chilly since I got off the plane and with no heater in the rooms, our bedrooms stay around 66-67, 24×7. Outside it is only a few degrees warmer. But today had some warming moments.

It was one of those “a little bit of this, a little bit of that” kind of days. It started out with an appointment at International Leadership University (ILU) to officially hand over what the VC is calling the “first fruits” of my library donation. That was followed with a short meeting with our Kenyan Coordinator who came to pick up a laptop I brought for his friend. That was followed with a Covid test. And the day concluded with a Zoom meeting to discuss an upcoming Apologetics Certificate class that I am being asked to participate in.

ILU CONNECTION

I’ve told people that in 1998 I went to teach at ILU (Then Nairobi Intl School of Theology) for the first time with an amount of fear and trembling. It was all so new. It was a “hand-in-glove” experience. While I was there (I tell people), I turned 50, had a midlife crisis, and became a missionary. It was that birthday that caused me to face reality (mortality) and I asked myself, “What do you really want to be when you grow up?” The answer: Be a missionary and use my teaching gift in Africa. And eventually, out of that trip, ITEM was born. Now 23 years down the road, I am reconnecting with the school where it all began.

Library

A pastor’s treasure is his library and over the years I’ve built mine up and I’ve known that one day when I do not have an office to store them at, they will need to have a new home. Several months ago, the light came on and it was pointing straight at ILU. Today I delivered the first box full. And in each is a sticker explaining who donated the book and a little history behind the donation. SEE PICTURES IN THE PHOTO ALBUM.

Partnership in Two Areas

The Vice Chancellor and I talked before I left the campus and confirmed that we will work together in two areas. First is the training of untrained pastors who cannot afford to pay for schooling. And, second, partner with others to build a cohort of apologists throughout East Africa (to start with) to reach the younger generation. 

This and that

The middle of the day was taken up by handing over a laptop I brought for someone and having Nathan take me to get tested for Covid again (this was my fourth going back to Friday, Aug 6). It was negative, as expected. NOTE: I fly to the DRC Wednesday morning and will be tested IMMEDIATELY upon arrival at the airport. It’s a crazy world.

Apologetics Certificate 

By now I think you know that I have a desire and burden to build an ITEM Youth Ministry on the foundation of biblical, Christian apologetics. Tonight, I was a part of a 3 way Zoom meeting discussing a Certificate class being organized by Apologetics Kenya in cooperation with one of the local Christian universities. 

We had a good discussion. Kevin Muriithi, one of the Apologetics Kenya leaders showed Nathan and I his goals, class schedule, and intended outcomes. It was all good. 

Kevin has me penciled in to lead a 2–3-hour class on New Testament Survey and its application to apologetics. Plus, a Bible Interpretation class and how this interacts with apologetics. This will start this fall some time.

So, it’s been a little of this and a little of that, today. Tomorrow I will be mostly prepping for my trip to the DRC on Wednesday. I’ll have more to say about that tomorrow.

Pray for my health. Coming from warm Cameroon to very cool Kenya and brought on a sore throat. I’ve had stomach issues today but believe it was due to an “overdose” of fruit. Pray neither worsen and improve.

Pray for a quick turnaround with the results of the Covid test I’ll take immediately when I enter the DRC. I have hotel reservations for Wed night and will be held in quarantine until the results come back. They say “up to 24 hours.” Pray is it much much shorter. 6 or 7 or less would be great. 

Thanks for reading and praying.

By His grace and for His glory,

Steve

To see a wide variety of new pictures that I uploaded today, CLICK HERE.