A Fine Model - Vitalis Nasongo

If you ever need to be picked up or encouraged, just spend 2 minutes with Vitalis. He is the kind of man that exudes joy. He finds joy is the simple things as well as the big. Vitalis can look through and situation and find a way to praise God.

Recently we had a team meeting where he was talking about having to move to a new house due to inconsistent power and the cost of the rent. He made a comment in such a casual way that I have no doubt it was exactly what he thought when he realized he was going to need to move in order to save his family some money. He said, "It means we get the chance to meet and minister to new people in a new area." He didn't have to struggle to come up with something positive to focus on. It came natural. Do I have such an awareness of the Holy Spirit inside of me that I automatically SEE the good God has in store in a seemingly terrible situation? Or do I focus on what it costs me in resources and time?

Vitalis loves to encourage other people. He rarely greets me without complimenting me on my looks (which are awesome, I know!), my attire, my guidance, or anything else. He enjoys blessing others through the gift of encouragement. Everyone who comes and stays with us comments on how much they love Vitalis. It's easy to see why. He makes even the most timid feel capable.

It's also through this gift that Vitalis is an effective teacher. Vitalis serves as a teacher inside Berith Bible College and pastor of Berith Life Church - Kasarani. In both arenas of ministry, Vitalis beautifully builds the body of Christ. He encourages and empowers his church family and students to grow. I find it so encouraging that Vitalis will use concepts outside the box too. For so many African pastors, this is not something common. It's radical thinking to change what's considered "orthodoxy" and be bold enough to stand behind your decision. I wish I could give you so many examples of this, but I'll settle on one:

Recently we held a 1-month church training for the four churches we are associated with in Nairobi. They all came from different areas of Nairobi. Each pastor/partner had brought 4-5 elders and their spouses in order for us to teach them the need for their participation in church growth. There has been a pervasive thought running through the African church (particularly in Kenya) that the work of the church is exclusively the work of the pastor. They have been convinced that evangelism, out reach, planning, ministering, and countless other concepts were only to be done by the pastor. As a result we find the church in Kenya is a mile wide, but only an inch deep. Everyone praises God and says they are a Christian, but with only a few questions you find them unable to articulate how they know they are born-again, much less how to lead someone else to such a decision.

During this 1-month training, our partners became increasingly excited. They were all seeing the effects and noticing the changing mindsets within their elders. Vitalis was no exception. But Vitalis did something that I find quite remarkable. He told me that each week between our Sunday seminars, he tried to go to each elder and touch base with the to get their reflections on the teachings. He encouraged them (no shock there) and prayed with them. But he always concluded his time with them by reminding them: "I want to be able to look for another job." What he meant by this was, Vitalis wants his elders and his church to become so on fire to see others come to Christ that God has to call him elsewhere to do the same thing in a new area. What a statement of humility and faith! But in a place where the norm is to make it all about the pastor, he strives to make it all about the married couple: Christ and His Bride.

That's just a small glimpse into why I am honored to work alongside Pastor Vitalis Nasongo. And when he prays for you, you feel the Spirit move. That's how God designed him. He's just living out his spiritual DNA.

Pray for Vitalis and his family. Pray right now that God would sustain their ministry and move them further into his future plans. I may be sad to see him leave should Vitalis end up being called to start a ministry elsewhere, but I'll be ecstatic for my friend because I know it will be due to his faithfulness in the ministry!

Vitalis and Thomas were huge encouragements this past summer as a team of youth came to minister in the Kawangware slum. No one else could pull off that red suit like him.

Vitalis and his wife Joyce during our church training seminar. What a great compliment they are to one another too!

UPDATE:

We just completed an Ebenezer Farms chicken project in Vitalis' area. He beamed with excitement every day we were building it. I have no doubt that this man will be successful because he understands the need for this kind of project and the benefit it will bring to his ministry and his family. (pictures will be available soon)

YaYa Monkeez Market!!

Just a reminder for those who are interested in doing some super cool Christmas shopping- the Yaya market for November 20th and 21st at Monkeez Brew. I mean, if nothing else you should stop by just to see me!  :)  The doors open at 5pm and close at 8pm Friday night.  Saturday we'll be in the same place from 2-4 pm!  So come on out and get some cool stuff whilst helping us get our Tiny Thompson's home from Rwanda!  

 Angel ornaments

More Magazine necklaces- lots more!

Nativities

more nativities

Go on a safari every dinner with hand carved safari animal napkin rings

These are made from banana leaves- I love their legs! (I ordered more thats is why only 2 are pictured)

Hand carved, really skinny, wooden Africans. 

Assorted carved gourd ornaments

 Earrings: Kazuri, magazine, animal, africa and more

Hand sewn African baby dolls

 scarves

and a few more nativity scenes

coconut shell necklaces, knives, soap stone bowls and more!

a bit nostalgic...

We haven't had internet to be able to update you all, but we just wanted to tell you all that we are excited about being on American soil soon and seeing all of our friends and family.

I have been so nostalgic lately. On my runs I just get teary thinking of all the people I'm going to miss so dearly and looking around and all this beauty I'm going to miss! I was talking to Noah last night about how when we stay in one spot for a while we tend to overlook the beauty and blessings of our surroundings.... until we go to leave it. Noah knows that feeling of having to leave all too well. It's always bittersweet. Leaving here and coming home, then leaving home and coming back. But this time, for me, it will be much longer before I see my Kenyan family again! I'm just plumb weepy!

We look forward to seeing you all very soon...

Oh how we are going to miss this:

and this...

...and this

...and this

BUT....

we'll get to see some of this...

and this...

and of course this...

huhuh!

Keeping you up to date...

State of the Nation

With our time getting shorter here before returning to the US, we’ve not been able to spend as much time updating everyone with the specifics of the ministry. We apologize for keeping you in the dark as so much is changing here. Let me take this time to give you a “fly-over” with the various projects and ministries taking place during this important stage in Only Servants Ministries life. (We encourage you to write us questions and interact with us on these areas. You’re part of us and we enjoy your inquiries)

Livingstone Guest House

We’ve recently enjoyed a couple from NC that spent several days with us here. They were such a blessing as they simply wanted to come and volunteer with us as we worked with the Saint Boys, Chicken Projects, and other ministries. Their son Miles has stayed with us for a couple more weeks and will be helping us to create another video update for everyone to see the changes on-going here. (It should be available when we return stateside)

Thomas, Zippy, and Noah are all doing well. They continue to solidify themselves as our family here. Watching Noah take on the duties of manager for Ebenezer Farms has been so encouraging. Thomas and Zippy are in a new place that gives them more room and they are closer to us. Livingstone House is a great place for us all. (And our friends, the Austins, are doing well as they draw a tiny bit closer to the end of their adoption process here.)

**We are unable to show baby girls face since she is not legally adopted yet

Saint Boys

We started our new program with the Saint Boys (Street Boys of Kawangware) at the Hope Center in Kawangware Slum. Deo Nangoli, our national leader in Kawangware, along with John Karuna interact, teach, play games, take meals, lead devotions, and build relationships each day with 10 young men. They are doing an exceptional job. The boys recognize the genuineness of their actions and are receiving them well.

Right now we are constructing their own multi-purpose room there on the Hope Center Campus. This room will serve as a classroom, game room, conference area, office, storage facility, and other needs for the project. This will give the boys their own facility to grow comfortable with. We have raised the funds to build 80% of it, however we still are looking for another $600 to out-fit it with desks, chairs, shelves, games, and other needs for it to be fully functional.

Miles and Daniel

Dennis and Calvin having Chai and Mandazi's during their morning break.

All the boy and John

Ebenezer Farms

Who would have ever imagined we’d be involved in raising chickens? This whole project continues to point to a promising future for our national partners. The chickens are growing at a rapid pace here in our control. They are approaching 4 weeks and in another 2.5 weeks, should be ready for market. In fact, a new batch of 120 chicks are arriving today into our early development wing (it’s a fancy way of saying we’re putting them into the right side of the tin chicken house).

Thomas working at the chicken house. He usually sings to them and gives them frequent "pep talks" about getting fat and "making us money".

They are getting so BIG!

Noah Chagwi has agreed to serve as manager for Ebenezer Farms. He will oversee this chicken house and the development of the projects at our national’s sites. There is no one better than him. He is so careful and experienced with raising poultry and our partners have found confidence in his direction.

This past week, Noah spent time with Pastor Vitalis in Kasarani developing his chicken house. He is the first partner to have an Ebenezer Farm plant project. With the aid of investors (which we seek for all future plants for our partners) Vitalis has the funds to construct a proper chicken house, purchase the needed resources, order 2 rounds of chicks and all the feed, meds, and other sundry items needed for the first 2 months of his project. Noah created a handbook for every partner and we have had them come here to the house for a short tutorial on basic poultry care. Noah has been great. They ask great questions and he gives easy-to-understand answers.

"What do I do with this chisel!?"

Vitalis and Joyce outside their new money-making chicken house!

Deo Nangoli will be the next partner to receive a project for the Kawangware area. He will soon be able to do so much more for his family and his church there through the income generated by Ebenezer Farms. Along the way Noah will visit each site, inspect it, offer recommendations, report on their status and the chickens health, and keep them pointed in the right direction.

Noah is a gifted associate.

We will give more updates soon. I will also spend more time speaking specifically on the recently-conducted “Mobile Body” church training we conducted in Kibera for our partner’s church members. It was an encouraging time to say the least!

Now,… ASK QUESTOINS! GET INVOLVED! Or else I’ll just start blogging about Star Wars all the time. (which I can certainly do)

God's hand- SO evident...

Wednesday Chris, Graig and I went to a meeting with the top dog of IJM- Kenya. How cool is that?! He shared several stories with us that left us with our mouths wide open.
Chris casually mentioned R4R, then prompted me to tell him all about this wonderful new concept of running for a revolution. Our dialog went something like this:

Me: .......so my friend Lindsey and I started emailing back and forth about our passions for ending human trafficking and running. We talked about how could we combine the 2....

J: So you are passionate about running? Like RUNNING (whilst moving his arms as though he was running)

Me: Yes sir.

J: Did you run in the marathon sunday?

Me: Yes, I did.

J: Did you have other team members running?

Me: Yes...2. How did you know?

J: I ran the 21k and saw a guys' shirt that said "Run4Revolution" and I asked myself "what was that?" So I tried to run a little faster but I couldn't catch him.

Okay People- really?!?! OVER 15,000 people running in this thing- 3 of us wearing R4R shirts and it just so happens that the HEAD Kenyan over IJM, Kenya was not only running in it- but HE SAW OUR SHIRTS! No other explanation other than God Himself!! God apparently has his hand on this and he just made it even more evident!

He immediately asked how he could become a member so i told him how and I happen to have 2 extra shirts. He will be wearing his in another 21k in December. So we have our first official non American-R4R team member. He was so excited about it. Maybe on Thursday when we go to the IJM office I can get a picture of him with his shirt :)

I'm pumped. Hoping to run the Nairobi marathon next year with even MORE R4R team members!

Run4Revolution- Standard Charter Nairobi Marathon

My alarm went off at 4:45am. As I rolled over I could already feel my heart begin to pound. I staggered into the bathroom where my gear was neatly placed on the countertop the night before. As I looked down I saw a tender note from my sweet husband. I smiled. As I began to put on my R4R "armor" I looked in the mirror and began to recite that all too familiar verse:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes [like human trafficking]. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:10-12)

As we arrived and parked, Rich said a quick prayer and we all got out of the car ready to run for an in incredible revolution. I soon found myself standing there, elbow to elbow, in a mass of people i didn't know. The race was about the begin, but my heart had started long before my body. Next thing I knew i was jumping up and down. Finally- the sound of a gun! We were off. My first REAL half marathon- and what cooler place that Nairobi?! I tried hard to pace myself but the excitement was keeping me from succeeding. Just as I found my pace I passed a woman in a wheelchair who had started a good 30minutes before myself. She was pushing herself as hard as she could on uneven pavement. I looked down at her... elbows bleeding and she was only 2 miles into it. I felt my throat begin to tighten quickly. Tears began to form. I saw the determination in her face and knew she wanted no help or pity. I fought tears and begin singing to my ipod knowing I couldn't let myself cry because I wouldn't be able to breathe. Another 4 miles passed. Then I heard a familiar voice in both ears speaking, not singing. As soon as I heard this voice I knew I recognized it. But where? I didn't remember putting this on my "NBO marathon" playlist. After the first sentence, I KNEW that sweet voice. It was my very best friend and my favorite voice. My heart did a flip as my number one fan read scripture to me. And what better time than mile 6? Once again, I felt my throat begin to close. I told myself to: "Calm down and cry later. If you cry you can't breathe; if you can't breathe, you can't run. If you can't run, you can't fight..." So I kept on.

As the road doubled back I would see one of my team mates on the other side of the road. I LOVED seeing that beautiful shirt that made us part of team that is fighting for something so great and so beyond us. It really was an encouragement... even though he was 20 minutes in front of me.

Every 2-3 miles they had water stations. I guess because of the lack of clean water here they had 200ml bottles of water rather than paper Gatorade cups with 2 sips of water. I skipped the first several stations telling myself "you've never trained with water, why do you need it? Chris is at the end of this race- he'll have water." (Being thirsty usually prompts me to pray for the people of Sudan and my best friends team that just went in to build wells this past summer. It's a good reminder when I'm thirsty to pray for those people to find the living water.)

Finally I succumbed to the temptation of wetting my mouth, but quickly wished I hadn't. The ground was soaking wet from wasted water of several thousand people. Runners could only take a few sips then toss them on the ground. I was about to freak out: "People! This country is in a water crisis right now!" And there was no way I could finish my water or I would have made myself sick. I reluctantly sat my bottle on the ground (yes, upright just incase someone wanted to have some water behind me). The next time I was REALLY wanting water was about 3 miles from the finish and I had made a vow to either drink someone elses or not drink at all. It was the last water station before the finish. I ran by it starring at that luscious, clear, cool, goodness dripping from the hands of the providers. A man just to my left took a few sips as I watched, mouth watering. Then he just held onto it. After about a minute of thinking he had to be finished with it I said "May I please have your last sip, I didn't want to waste the water." I wondered if he spoke english. He said "What?" So I tried again in Kiswahili "Ninataka kidogo Maji Tafadali." He smiled and handed it right over to me. I had prayed I would meet at least one person I could tell about R4R and my passions. So 3 miles out, prayers answered. I met Steve, my water benefactor. We soon discovered we were both rookies. Our first half marathon. He was running in a pair of very flat Puma's with dress socks, me in my comfy, borrowed awesome Nike's and padded socks. I'd been training a few months; Steve trained 2 whole weeks. That's a Kenyan for you. We were about 3/4 mile from the finish line inside Nayo stadium and it began to rain pour. Steve said "Me, I am going to stop now." I grabbed his arm, pulled him forward not allowing him to stop and yelled "NO! YOU CAN'T STOP NOW! YOU'RE AT THE END!" As if he was running for the same reasons as I was. It might have been borderline rude, but I mean- it was the end! We'd come this far without stopping. He looked at me with furrowed brow and said "You are hard!" We continued on together. Several others were stopping as if they'd seen the words "Finish Line". As we entered the stadium the feeling of that nice soft track against my aching feet and sore knees was like heaven to me. I looked at Steve and said "Enjoy this moment." As we took our last 1/4 mile around the track I searched the stands for all my Mzungu's- they weren't hard to find. As I came around the curve they were the white ones, yelling and cheering as if I'd won the 1.5 million shillings. I again looked at Steve and said "Let's finish this hard." So we both sprinted through the finish and high five one another. What a beautiful feeling I will never ever forget. I'd won more than 1.5 M shillings. I had helped fight against slavery and free children...

I knew I couldn't do it in my strength. I would have never made it out of the car. I truly felt the Lord was honored through this marathon and I have no intentions of stopping now. I am part of a revolution.

What a joy it was to run for such a time as this...

Ebenezer Farms

October 13, 2009 - 103 chicks arrived and marked the beginning of Ebenezer Farms. This is a grass-roots type of project designed to give autonomy to nationals. It creates an income-generating business with little overhead and reasonable profit. All the profits from Ebenezer Farms goes back into godly nationals with whom we are associated.

Project 1 is the first chicken house here in Karen; where we stay. It's here where it's taking shape and we are learning how to best implement this plan. Noah and Thomas are critical parts of the project. They are the ones we have entrusted this first project unto. It's all for their benefit and future. We have to gain as much understanding as possible now, so we can limit problems in the future. Our partners will need a finely-tuned project if they are to be successful. Having Noah to be the key advisor to our partners will also be important.

"What do you mean by chicken farming?"

What we've created is a perpetuating micro-business concept that will fund ministry, business, and families for an indeterminable future for national believers. No less than 100 broiler chicks at a time will be brought into a well thought out structure on site, raised for a period of 7 weeks, then sold to a poultry hungry market at a reasonable price. The on-going costs for caring for the chickens is moderate where as the going rate for a fully mature chicken is ideal. Every 3-5 weeks, a new lot of chicks will be purchased to replace those sold in the market and recycle the process to keep the micro-business sustained.

"What kind of start-up cost is involved in a project like this?"

What we've determined, thus far, is that there are 3 aspects involved in order to replicate this project for our national friends:

1. Construction of suitable house (2 rooms for 2 stages of chickens) - $400-500

2. Initial Investment of chicks (x2 orders) & materials - $285

3. 2 months supply of feed, meds, water, misc. - $325

Total Cost - $1000 - $1100

This will be enough of a catalyst for them to start with confidence and begin to create sustainability for themselves outside of further foreign investment. After the initial investment, our partners won't require assistance to continue funding their business. They will be able to perpetuate it and even grow it as they themselves grow within this newly provided opportunity. (As they move forward, they'll discover better methods, cost saving concepts, larger customer base, and even opportunities to fund other ventures)

"How long does it take to begin a project from construction to market?"

Once we identify if a partner has located and secured a suitable location for a project, we have to spend a couple of days educating them on raising poultry and operating a business. Noah and I are compiling a "handbook" for each partner that will guide them through even the smallest of things such as where to buy certain vitamins for them. (Noah will also be our resident advisor / project overseer. He will visit each site routinely and be available for their questions) After we accomplish those two important areas, we can construct a house, order chicks, begin raising them, order a second lot of chicks, then go to market in less than 9 weeks.

We are planning on making this an "ownership enterprise". This means that each partner will be agreeing to "buy back" a portion of the investment put into their business. The yet determined amount of "buy back" funds will go toward installing another Ebenezer Farm project for another national friend. It might help fund another pastor, a single mom who has struggled to provide for her family, a former street boy who has a new lease on life, and countless other potential beneficiaries. That way Ebenezer Farms is growing more than just chickens. It's growing disciples and other ministry opportunities!

There's more to come with this project! Just keep eatin more chicken... feel like I've heard that somewhere...

If you want to be a part of funding an Ebenezer Farm plant for a national here, please email us and inform us of your desire. The costs above include everything involved in making this happen.

Enjoy the photos of Ebenezer Farms beginnings...

Ebenezer Farms first building - "She's a beaut Clark!"

103 chicks on day 1 of Ebenezer Farms

Mr. Thomas dreams of fat chickens (or you can call him Billy Dee Williams)

We wouldn't be anywhere without Noah!

Eat boys eat! Get fat! Make us money!