The wonder of God at every turn

This post is dedicated to all those who prayed for us prior and during our holiday.  You know who you are. Thank you and God bless you!

Let me share with you some of the wonderful things we have experienced during our last holiday as an encouragement to you of how God loves to engage with us through the personal little details of our life, and to show his love for us by reaching down to us in weird and wonderful ways.

Our adventure began from the very moment we got on the plane.  For days prior to our departure, I had been nagging my husband to arrange the start of our monthly sponsorship of a child in the Kibera Slum, which I had felt the Lord put on my heart ever since I watched the Comic Relief Program all those weeks ago.  There was something in me that felt stirred to have this organised before going off on our holiday.  We so nearly didn’t do it, because we were so caught up in leaving all our workload in order and in making all the preparations for our holiday, but I kept on at my husband and finally, the very day before we took off, we did it: the first payment of our sponsorship for this child went through.  What was our surprise when we got on the plane to discover on the pocket of the seat in front of us a little card with the words “Comic Relief” on it and the picture of the very celebrity whose testimony of his time in Kibera Kenya, brought me to my knees.  On the card it said: “Sponsor a child, save one life at a time”.  (http://donate.ba-flyingstart.com/funraiser/NeilWalker/).  I cannot tell you how that made me feel.  A shiver run down my spine at the thought of how God directs our every step, though we may feel we are ultimately in control.  It felt like God was smiling at us for acting on His prompting to rescue a child from misery, abject poverty and possible death.  The thing is that despite having flown repeatedly as a teenager, even to the other side of the world, I have grown increasingly nervous and anxious about flying over the last few years, and the thought of 9 hours stuck on a plane was not the best start to my holiday.  Having children sure changes your perspective on things. I had however specifically asked many people for prayer about this, and finding that little card the moment I sat down before take off, reassured me that regardless of how I felt, God is always in control and all I have to do is put my trust in HIM.  A few days into our holiday, I checked my emails and there it was: a picture of our sponsored child.  A beautiful girl called Mercy.  My name is Mercedes which means Mercy.  How about that for a special touch from the Lord himself?  Call me crazy.  I know what I see!

It was our second day in Florida.  Once we had got over the jet lag and we were ready to attack all the theme parks, we opened the front door of the house we were staying at expecting to experience new and exciting things, knowing that we were covered in prayer not only for a safe journey but in my prayer requests to my friends I had specifically asked that opportunities would arise during our holiday to experience the presence of the Lord in new and special ways, and so we did!  As I walked out of the front door on the morning of our second day there, my eyes immediately took to the sky.  I often look up being fully aware that we spend our lives looking down, somber and burdened with the worries of the day.  I like starting the day looking up.  It is amazing the things one sees when you search with all your heart, mind and soul. What was my surprise to see this little plane writing letters in the sky.  At first I thought : “It must be one of those romantic souls in love declaring his affection for a particular lady”, but something in me held me still on that very spot whilst my husband and the kids were getting in the car.  After a few minutes I asked my husband to take a look and suddenly, we both saw it:  The word “JESUS” written in the sky at the very moment we were getting out of the house.  How about that for encountering God in an intimate way?  As we left very early every morning to avoid the mad queues at the parks, there was not a soul in our street.  I wonder how many others were out and about looking up at that very moment.  What are the chances of that?  AMAZING!  But it did not end there.  We hanged around and eventually the plane managed to write in the sky the words: JESUS LIVES.  By the time the second word was written, the smoke forming the first word had dissipated and so we decided to just take a shot of the word JESUS.

One day we visited Seaworld and the first thing we did there was of course go and see the killer-whale show.  As soon as we sat down, I was struck by the following:

 

When you look at the center of that picture, you can see the word “Believe” which had been the name of the Killer-whale show for quite some time.  A few days after we were there, a new name was given to a brand new performance.  The Show “Believe” ceased to exist. Again, what are the chances of that?  But here is how reading that word as soon as we sat down spoke to me.  I have had my blog now for 3 years.  For half of that time my blog was called “BELIEVE” but a year ago or so I felt I had to rename it and so went from “BELIEVE” to “The Truth will set you free”.  To the average reader this coincidence may seem very far-fetched, but I know how seeing that very word and the message put across by the whale trainers throughout the killer-whale show spoke into my heart about God and where He is leading me right now. If you look today, you will see that I have changed the name of the blog back to “BELIEVE”.  I feel it is important to make a point of remembering daily those special moments when the Spirit of God speaks right into our life and situation.

Another wonderful moment during our holiday when we felt so close to God was when we visited the Kennedy Space Center.  It is one thing to hear about a shuttle going into space or about man landing on the moon.  It is quite another to actually stand on the very place where much of it got started and continues even today, though due to budgetary cuts may cease to develop.  An unforgettable moment was watching a 3-D video of the adventure of man’s travels into space.  There is a point in the video where galaxies, planets and the formation of stars is explained, and you feel like you are literally floating in the middle of space witnessing the universe forming and evolving.  Tears streamed down my face as at that moment I felt it was just me alone with God.  It suddenly hits you how breathtaking, inexplicable and wondrous is God’s creation and how it is nothing short of miraculous to have a planet amongst the vast expand of the universe with the perfect conditions for human and animal life, and more than that, a paradise that is a delight to the senses and a privilege to live in, a paradise which we are slowly but surely destroying. I refer you to an old post of mine entitled “Stop Press!! This will blow your mind” (http://anewcreation33.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/has-the-global-crisis-got-the-better-of-you-yet/). It is not as good as being at the Kennedy Space Center but you will get the idea.

The wonderful God-encounters continued right throughout our holiday, but without a doubt the highlight for me has to be my dream of encountering dolphins in the ocean coming true.  I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have dreamt about being in the water with dolphins, not just because I have always wanted to do it and it is a thought which has often occupied my mind, but because there was  a spiritual significance to that dream becoming a reality.  During our second week we travelled to the Florida Keys.  Nothing prepares you for the beauty of those islands, of the abundance of marine and bird life and the colours and shades of light reflected on the vegetation, the sky and the water.  There are very few places which I have visited that I would repeat again, but the Florida Keys is without a doubt one of them. The house we rented for our vacation was just by the edge of the water in a secluded bay and so it was imperative that at least for part of our stay there we hired a small boat to explore and move around the area.  First day out on the boat, fifteen minutes into our outing, my daughter spots a pod of dolphins just a few meters away from us.  The reality of seeing these gracious and unique animals in the wild surpassed my dreams and expectations a thousand times.  As they swam in different directions looking for fish, we were able to turn our engine on and off and follow them around, but I was torn between the need to capture the moment on camera and my even greater urge to actually make time stand still to take in every second of that experience.  Eventually, I put the camera down and just watched in awe and utter delight.  After an hour of following the dolphins around, they began to head out to sea again, but just before they did they came right by the boat and one of them popped its head up right out of the water, looked at us and down under he went at amazing speed.  I was bewitched!  I could not speak.  It was everything I had imagined and so much more.  There is a clear connection between these animals and us.  You just feel it as they look right into your eyes.

Angels of the seas

I thought nothing else could top up that moment, but a few days later we were due to go to the Marathon Dolphin Research Center.  I fulfilled my long life dream of swimming with the dolphins and experiencing their intelligence and sensitivity in a personal way.  They do say that a picture speaks more than a thousand words, and because I could write a book just about that experience alone, I would rather leave you with an image.

Dreams do come true, specially when God gives them to us

I leave you with some more images of our God-encounters.

WE NEED TO LEARN TO SEE AND HEAR GOD THROUGH THE SMALL THINGS IN ORDER TO DISCERN HIS PRESENCE AND GUIDANCE IN THE BIG THINGS

Creation as man sees it

Creation through the eyes of God and as God intended it

Throughout my life but particularly as a result of this holiday. I have been left wondering: If the universe, the earth and everything in it is as beautiful, mysterious and captivating as it is, how much more so is the God whose creation is but a mere and minute reflection of His Glory, Majesty and Power?

ONE CLICK OF YOUR MOUSE: THAT IS ALL IT TAKES TO SAVE A LIFE

Some of you may recall that some weeks ago the BBC showed a two part documentary for Comic Relief about the Kibera Slum just outside Nairobi, Kenya.  I was moved and challenged greatly by some of the realities in the lives of the people of Kibera which were exposed through this program.  I felt compelled  to write a post entitled “A desperate plea from the depths of my soul” which you can find in the archives of this blog for the month of March.  By the grace and providence of God a complete stranger left me a comment on this blog with details of a charity called Zelyn Academy which has set up a school to keep young children off the streets in the slum. 

I have managed to find a video with images of the school and a message from the two men who set up this academy back in 2006.  Donating to this cause is easy and straightforward.  Zelyn Academy is now linked to Charity Giving: a UK registered charity.  Simply go to the link below and click donate:

http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/kss_zelac

I have also copied and pasted the info on their Facebook page so that you can know in detail the amazing vision that the founders of this lovely organisation were given by God.

Basic Information

Location	P. o. box 3765 – 00100 G. p .o ., Nairobi, Kenya
Hours	Mon – Fri: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat: 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
About	Situated at the very center of the expansive Kibera slums in Kenya Africa. The school cares and supports orphans, destitute, needy and vulnerable children by providing them with Education, feeding and clothing

Public Transit

INTRODUCTION Kibera Slum school, Kenya – Zelyn Academy Children’s education charity is the only school of its kind within the expansive slums of Kibera (with a population of approximately 1 million people). The school runs under BIRECE GROUP , a Community Based Organization formally registered by the Ministry of Gender , Sports , Culture and Social services in Kenya . BIRECE is an abbreviation for Brothers-In-Real-Care for the Entangled . The registration Certificate’s number is 19964 . The charity work was conceived and developed as a result of breathtaking experiences noticed in the community by the founders; children affected and infected by HIV/Aids and poverty seemed forgotten. Child labour, prostitution, drug addiction and street life had been the only option to these precious lives. HOW IT STARTED & OUR GOAL Through its charity work, the institution began by maintaining in school 7 children in 2006. The number had risen to 276 when the term began in January, 2010 . The children are freely provided with education, feeding and clothing. All these are done through in kind donations. The charity would like to assist and enable more children within the slums of Kibera (about 300,000 children still do not have access to education, food and clothing). OUR MISSION AND METHOD The charity believes that the children in the institution will eventually get greater opportunity in the future to find work and support themselves and give back to the community. You will never know what it means to a child to know that someone is caring and loves them enough to assist in their education and support! Within the context of maintaining these innocent children in school, the charity must continue to provide relief and assistance through its feeding and clothing programs. In addition, we need to secure regular funding to reward our experienced team of qualified teachers. Opportunities to sponsor and support a child’s education, the feeding or clothing program and school staff are open. The future of these children depends on us, and with the help of others, they will be able to dream a different future. OUR ACHIEVEMENTS From the year 2006 to date Kibera Slum school, Kenya – Zelyn Academy Children’s education charity has been able to maintain in school 276 children both orphans and vulnerable children coming from very poor families who can not provide basic needs for themselves and the children . The children now enjoy free meals, clothes, shelter and learning materials provided by the charity work. We have also been able to build a half of the school ( stone built ) Their happy faces can tell how they feel! HOW YOU CAN DONATE We have a PAY PAL account! It makes it so easy to donate as little or as much as you want. It is just by a “click”. If you would like to mke a donation of any amount, please open the fan page, click on the ‘>>’ logo next to ‘boxes’ along the top of the page and this will take you to the ‘donate’ button, log into your existing PAYPAL account, or if you do not have one, its a very simple process to create an account. PAYPAL ensures a totally secure transcation. It is completely free to send money with pay pal and it is safe and effective. WHAT WE USE YOUR DONATIONS FOR Your donation could buy exercise and text books for the children, school uniform, pens, pencils , crayons and papers and help keep them in school by feeding them with at least two meals in a day . Even USD10 is a very helpful amount to give because it could either feed 15children on gruel/porridge for two days, or buy a pair of shoes for one child, or buy a short trouser and a pair of socks for one boy. Please, tell others about our cause and how it is NOW easy to donate .Thank you for the support! CONTACT academyzelyn@yahoo.com

 AND FINALLY HERE IS THE LOVELY VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmIqwa7c1Zw

* THIS IS AN UPDATE WRITTEN A FEW DAYS AFTER ENTERING THIS POST:

YOU CAN NOW ALSO GO TO THEIR NEW WEBSITE AT: http://friendsofzelyn.webeden.co.uk/#

It is sickening to think how many millions of clicks of a mouse take place a minute from wealthy people, like myself, who do not give a second thought to purchasing the latest gizmo, gadget, toy, fashion accessory, or luxury item.  And yet for every one of those clicks, we can make the decision to replace that indulgence with rescuing a life from misery, poverty, disease, humiliation, fear, dread, hunger, desperation, a death sentence, a hopeless future. 

We may not have slums in our nearby areas, but we surely have people who are living in poverty and who rely on initiatives like this one to make it through the day.  It is only by the grace of God that we find ourselves in such privileged circumstances. I don’t want the gap between the wealthy and the poor to widen in our own countries, so let’s be generous and compassionate to ensure that the standard of living is more balanced in our communities, and that one day we are not faced with a humanitarian crisis like the one so many countries are having to face right now.  

My mind cannot comprehend why God would allow some countries to suffer so much whilst others indulge in such wealth and abundance, unless it was for the sole purpose of developing in us a more Christ-like character of compassion, generosity and selflessness. I cannot make any sense of so much blessing in some parts of the world, unless it is meant to in turn bless others.  The purpose of one’s life has to transcend beyond our own comfort and pleasure, or else we leave this world just as it was when we entered it and what is the sense in that?

When you next click that mouse, please remember that in your hand lies the amazing power to give someone the very basic things we take for granted every single day.  AND REMEMBER TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR YOUR BLESSINGS EVERYDAY,  because this will keep you humble, grounded and open to the needs of others; this will give your life a purpose that transcends beyond anything else you ever put your mind, heart and soul into; this will forge your character to withstand and overcome the cruel turns of life.  It is that grateful attitude, that humble heart which makes those who have nothing content and peaceful in their hopelessness.  It is our self-absorption, our pride, and our greed which rend us unable to be grateful for all we have, which make us permanently dissatisfied and always wanting more.  The truth is one does not have to look too closely to realise who are truly the poor and who are the rich.  What they have cannot be bought with money.  It comes from putting your life in the hands of Jesus Christ and trusting by faith through the most appalling of circumstances that though Jesus may not give them what they want, He will always give them what they NEED.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waYUzxK8TYA&feature=related

A DESPERATE PLEA FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY SOUL

I am aware that the majority of people who read my blog are in the States, but I also have a number of followers who live here in the UK.  For those living in the UK, you may have watched for the last couple of weeks the documentary made by Comic Relief in Kibera, the second largest urban slum in Africa.  For those in other countries, Comic Relief is a charity based in the United Kingdom and raising money for projects at home and abroad.  Every year on the run up to the Comic Relief Day, there are various TV programs trying to raise the profile of  projects taking place made possible through the funds raised through Comic Relief. This year Comic Relief sent four British celebrities to become part of the community in Kibera, just outside Nairobi, Kenya.  The idea being for the celebrities not only to do a documentary which shows the abject poverty people who live in this slum find themselves in, but also to actually experience first hand what it is like to live in such conditions and with such little hope of ever stepping out of such misery.

I know that there are countless slums and thousands of poverty-stricken places all around the world.  I am familiar with just a handful of these, and as a family we regularly support various charitable projects aimed to help orphans to step out of poverty and to provide them with the hope of a future. However, this two-part documentary really did something in me, stirred something in me, awoke something in me which I just cannot silence.  I believe that as human beings we all have a responsibility to each other, not just to our own immediate families and friends, but perhaps more so to those who cannot fend for themselves often as a direct consequence of the hurt inflicted upon them and their communities at the hands of men and women driven by greed, pride and simply Evil.  Moreover, as a Christian I am called to give all I have to the poor.  Yes, I know, we all find different excuses to wriggle out of that one, but Jesus could not have said it more plainly:

 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

“Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.”

“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Matthew 19, 16-30

My goodness! Those words ring such truth.  What is it about man and our sinful condition that even when we witness another person being denied the most basic of necessities and rights in life, we continue to put more value on a material object, a possession or a pleasurable activity?  As I was watching that program last night, my eyes kept being forced to look at the various ornaments in our living-room. Dead, inert objects which are right there for the taking, which I have been blessed with, not so that I can dust them off occasionally and decorate my mantelpiece with, but simply as a ticket to another person’s happiness, dignity, nourishment, health, hope and  future.

I have to be totally honest with you and confess that when I look at my life today, I have to reach the conclusion that I am not yet a Christian, but someone who lives with the aspiration and the hope by faith of one day living the life that Christ would have me live, someone who strives to one day resemble in some form, if only small, the heart of Christ for “the least of these”.

I want to continue pursuing the vision that God has placed in my heart for a better world, to take personally the pain and the hurt that thousands of people experience in their daily lives all around the world.  Isn’t that what Christ did? I cannot sit here and confess how moved and broken I felt after watching that documentary, if as a result I do not take action.

I am writing this post as a plea for anyone to get in touch if they know of any organisation, individual or charity who solely and specifically aims to help the people of Kibera.  If you happen to have contact details of any of the celebrities who appeared on the documentary, even a Facebook page, twitter address or anything at all that can lead me to them, please do pass it on. I want to make a difference, no matter how small, to some of these wonderful people in Kibera, who despite hellish living conditions, still have the grace to extend a helping hand and a wonderful smile. Though with physical eyes it is easy to only see the sewage flowing throough the streets of Kibera, my spiritual eyes saw the grace of God overflowing in that place, for how else can a human being live in such plight if not by the grace of God?

If you know of any person, no matter which country they are based in, who can help me to personally get involved in the work that is already taking place in Kibera to improve the living conditions of these poor souls, please, please drop me a comment on this post.  I will be eternally grateful.  In the meantime, I will try contacting the BBC and see if they can point me in the right direction.

Thank you for listening, thank you for caring.

Below is the link to BBC iplayer which will allow you to watch both parts of this very moving documentary.  If for any reason the links don’t work, please let me know.

Thank you.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z6dnn/Comic_Relief_2011_Famous_Rich_and_in_the_Slums_Part_1/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00zfxm0/Comic_Relief_2011_Famous_Rich_and_in_the_Slums_Part_2/