Mombasa Reflections

I wish I had allowed for more time in Mombasa. My weekend with Festus, his family, and his colleagues and friends was much too short. Nevertheless, I do feel that I was able to get a fairly clear idea about what life in Mombasa would be like. Here are a few thoughts:

• The friendship with Festus, Grace, and their children is a significant draw to Mombasa. There is an ease of relationship with them that would make living in a culture so different from our own much easier. Not only would they be able to help us navigate the confusing currents of daily life, but their home would be a place of rest and refuge because of who they are. Leslie, I think, would really enjoy Grace, and Jesse and Georgia would be quickly embraced by the other children. Relationship with African Christians is the main reason for coming to Africa, and the Kiseu family and friends would provide that in abundance.
  
• Teaching at Bishop Hannington Theological Institute would be challenging, but very exciting and rewarding. Though it is a small provincial school (meaning they offer only diplomas), they train all the Anglican pastors in the area. They are struggling financially, and their resources on every level are extremely limited. As an example, I would not be able to assign them reading in the required texts; instead, I would have to make detailed notes of the books the students are to have read, and give those notes to them for them to study. There is much prep. work involved.
  
• Another challenge, and one I think will exist everywhere in Kenya and Uganda, is the work schedule. Africans work very, very, very hard, and possibly none as hard as those who are in ministry. Husband and wife both work 6 days a week in order to make ends meet, and the children are either cared for by a helper at home or are in school. Also, it would be very easy to get overwhelmed by opportunities and needs. Observing the sacrifice of the Christians in this context is challenging my concepts of both family and rest. Leslie and I have been working hard to establish a pattern of family life that keeps us fully connected and provides space for rest. I wonder whether that is possible here, or whether our idea of being family needs to be reshaped.
  
• One final thought on Mombasa: The preaching at the cathedral went well. Thank you for your prayers. In order to keep this entry reasonably short, I won’t describe the two services I attended (one in Kiswahili, and one in English), but it was an integration of traditional Anglican and traditional Kenyan elements. I particularly appreciate the sub-dean of the cathedral, Josphat. He is a man with a pastor’s heart who is sensitive to the needs of his congregation, and who is working hard to meet those needs through biblical discipleship. He joined us for dinner on Saturday night, an evening interspersed with much laughter and clear talk on the realities of the church in Mombasa.
  
  Oh yeah…the sermon. It seemed to be received well by the congregation (500+ in attendance?), and both Festus and Josphat felt it was a clear word from God for the people. I spoke on Mark 1.14-20, teaching on the Kingdom of God and wrestling with the question of how there can be suffering and injustice in the life of one who is supposedly submitted to the King of the universe. Even if no one else got anything out of it, God spoke to me on several points as I prepared and preached the sermon.