Re-Entry Thoughts

Since re-entry, my thoughts have centered around the Lord's goodness, safety and health He gave all ten of us on the "2006 NEGST Computer Training Team." Many of us are "result-oriented" and wish to see results in the students, faculty and staff immediately after our training sessions! That is not always possible in the US or elsewhere, so we must step back and know that we have planted seeds of which we may/may not see the results! To that end, I want to share with you that several of the students who attended the training classes in Oct 2004 came up to me and, again, sincerely thanked me for the training that we offered; then each one shared what changes had occured in their lives because of that training! Some have purposefully trained other users! Some have learned enough and able to teach others; because of these two abilities, have been asked to be Computer Lab Assistants! That is remarkable and helpful to them as they can actually earn money by serving other students in the Lab! We are thankful that our training 15 months ago is still being felt and used in the ministry to others!

I had an additional honor to present to the PhD Students the section of training in Word, precisely geared to formatting thesis and special project documents. They asked that I present this class to them in their specially adapted classroom. This is a special classroom with a video projector mounted permanently to the ceiling, all PhD students have laptops and wireless connection to the NEGST network. As we progressed through class, often I could hear "I wish I had known this three years ago!" There were also "ah-ha's" heard frequently! They were a delight to teach. They are gifted students and it was a privilege to meet them and work with them.

The PhD Students also requested training in Excel and PowerPoint which we readily accomodated. We were thankful that we could teach these tools to these students who have been purposefully chosen for this class "in such a time as this" as God uses NEGST to reach all of Africa for Him!

This trip was a big blessing to me; as before, I received much more than I gave! God's presence was felt at all times. The Team was cohesive and receptive to changes in our schedule, teaching opportunities and gave of themselves in ways they could never have anticipated! It was wonderful to watch the Team help each other as we were serving those at NEGST.

Returning Home

It's Erin again..Well, we all made it safely home...although we did get split up in Detroit. :-( I am adjusting well so far. I have wonderful roommates, family and friends who are excited to hear my stories (not everyone understands how patient this makes them!). They have pointed out to me that jetlag causes my stories to be much more ADD and tangential than usual!!

Although I am not changed in the way I think many people may have expected, I definitely am different. For me this trip has been about trusting God, and I have developed a great trust in Him during the last few months. Knowing that you can trust Christ, and having experienced his faithfulness are 2 very different things. I am blessed to have several experiences related to this trip where God showed me His faithfulness. It's good to be home.

Team Reflections

Hi, this is Erin Burns and these are some of my reflections on this experience.

It is soooooooooo beautiful here! Even as a child I was always been amazed at the Lord's creations. Now that I've been blessed enough to see two other continents, I continue to be astounded at the indescribable beauty of the earth.

As for the people...where do I start? Most Kenyans live on $1 a day (as we've said before, but it warrents repeating), so you can imagine they view ALL americans as rich. And everyone we've met is so happy and content! They are grateful for all the blessings God has bestowed on them and praise Him endlessly it seems. They are the most gracious hosts and welcoming people I've ever known. Even as I look at the sentence I just wrote, the words don't do justice to the feeling I have when they tell us how glad they are that we've come to visit. We've been invited every day to have dinner with someone in their home, which they consider an honor. Our group discussions have mostly been about how we measure success in our own lives. I don't know how anyone could measure success by money or material belongings if they spend one day in this place. It's so obvious to me that success is having Christ in your life and trying to do Kingdom work by utilizing your gifts every day. And you don't have to be anyone but the person God created you to be! PTL!

Our team is meshing well and having lots of fun together. God truly put our team together! We all have different gifts, ages, and stories, but personalities that mix well together. I will miss not seeing one another so often after I get back. Especially b/c we have two who aren't from Indy. Hopefully we'll get to have plenty of reunions in the coming years. And I'm already excited about the prospect of going on another trip with some of the team in a couple years!

I haven't felt this much at peace in a very long time. Before I left, I wouldn't have said that I was very stressed out or chaotic in general...and compared to some people I know, I wasn't. But I was beginning to worry b/c I didn't have a job yet...and I was anxious about coming here and unsure of how I would handle it...and I was very preoccupied with a personal relationship and the fact that it was not in the place that I wanted it to be. God had to send me to another continent to remind me the His ways are not my ways! As usual, I was trying to take control of something I could never HAVE control of...when will I learn! After my experiences here in this peaceful place and with my wonderful teammates, I feel like a new person. It's like I've been working so hard to become the person God wanted me to be and in the last 7 days, I've made more progress than the past year and a half. And I wasn't even trying over here! I was just doing what I thought God wanted me to do. He is so awesome, and so good to me. I am so blessed to have His grace.

Eating with Families

Our team had a special night last night when we had dinner at various student’s homes. We discovered that each group went to homes from different countries.

• Nigeria
• Malawi
• Uganda
• Madagascar
• Kenya

We learned about their cultures, purpose for being at NEGST, and what foods they eat. Many of the families had children, LOTS of children. Deb and Matthew’ family had seven kids ages 10 through 6mo. Both the father and mother are in school so they have a housekeeper, and she also lives with them in their two bedroom apartment.

The father had the children sing and quote Bible scripture, which according to Matthew went on for some time. The children were fascinated with Deb’s hair and fingernails. The girls started braiding her hair, so Deb came back with her hair braided. Each team reported that the host father, in typical African culture, walked us all home.

Geoffrey the Giraffe (Our Tour Guide)...

Invites you to stay tuned for more pictures from our upcoming safari! (Next weekend)

Edwina

We’ve added a picture of Ed milking a cow per a request from his brother Steve. The story behind the cow starts in November 2004 when David from Kenya was visiting us in Indiana. He mentioned the struggles his mom who’s retired has making ends meet and the need to have an additional source of income. She had one cow that she could sell the milk from, but really needed a second one. Carol asked Ed to give the money he would have spent on a Christmas gift for her to David so he could buy a cow for his mother. Only one condition – the cow had to be named after Ed since he was raised on a dairy farm. This was the first chance Ed had to meet EDWINA. The pictures are of Ed milking Edwina and also a picture where you can actually see Edwina. Ed used to judge dairy cattle & says she is a fine cow. She’s expecting so there should be an addition to the Edwin legacy in a few months.

Training Begins

Today we began the full time training. We have had a variety of students from those who have never turned on a computer to those who have already been writing and editing their own documents (limited editing). The classes have been small enough to accommodate some individual training. The response has been incredible. The users that were unable to even log into their accounts can now log on. To see users that were able to open a document, input information, save, and access that document again for the first time, has been exciting for all of us. And Jeff may have enjoyed this the most with the gentleman that typed “I love you Jeff” after Jeff assisted him in turning on a computer for the first time in his life.

Outside the classroom we have continued to be treated with so much overwhelming love and respect. The WELCOME we feel is not wavering at all.

During Chapel today a young woman / wife gave her life story about how she grew up in an abusive home where she and her mother were beaten regularly. Her mother had 3 husbands of which none were her real father. The third husband never accepted her because she was born out of wedlock and she could not even sleep in the house. At the age of 5, after one of her beatings she had said to herself that she wished for someone to come and take her away. Days later her mother’s sister (her aunt) came to visit and asked to take her home with her. Her aunt was a Christian and she came to know Jesus and to trust her life to Him. She is now a leader in her church as the children’s director and studying at the seminary here at NEGST. There wasn’t a dry eye among our group. The sad part is that this is a common story here in Africa.

After Chapel the students and faculty gather on the lawn for tea. On a beautiful sunny afternoon, enjoying a cup of tea with students that are just excited to meet us has been the norm.



Many students have openly expressed how excited they are for open lab this evening. For two hours we will all be present here in the computer lab to help individuals with any issues and questions they have. Many students as well as faculty have also expressed much interest in learning PowerPoint. Hanh has been spending all day working on a slideshow to teach the PowerPoint skills.

Culturally, we have had some fun experiences. Deborah tried to plug in her hairdryer last evening, yes she had a converter, but the hairdryer blew and caught on fire. Terri also tried to use the curling iron and melted the end off. I am sure there will be more to follow.

Safe Arrival

We safely arrived in Nairobi, Kenya after a long day of plane trips. The welcome given by our host families was more than hospitable! We feel honoured to be blessed with such wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ who are able to make us feel like part of the family, even when with the vast cultural differences. After worshiping with our host families in their home churches, we set out for NEGST campus and our teaching adventures. The beauty of Africa is seen not only in the landscape, but in the hearts of the people as well. Every individual we’ve met, Christian and non-believer, has welcomed us with a warmth and generosity worthy of the Kenyan reputation. Our first day of class went well and we are looking forward not only to teaching, but to learning just as much from our “students.”

We were privileged to be invited to the home of Dr. Chester and Delores Wood for tea and a glorious conversation. With a whirlwind verbal tour, Chet gave us a glimpse into his vast knowledge of African tribal history and its influences on current events. We look forward to any questions or comments you may have for us and will respond as soon as we are able.

In Christ,
Your Nairobi Team

Trip Information

Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Dates: January 6-17, 2006
Focus: Africa - The Dark Continent -Discover its magestic beauty and its unique challenges for the church as we spend 11 days with friends from Nairobi Chapel and explore Kenya and ISAR (Institute for Studies in African Realities) on the campus of NEGST (Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology). Our primary focus will be to teach Microsoft products to incoming students and faculty at NEGST. We will be able to develop relationships that can continue long after our return to the United States. Near the end of our trip, we will take a 3-day safari to see the splendor of Africa and its unique wildlife. Perhaps God will speak to us about our part in Africa, our partnership with Nairobi Chapel, now and ongoing. We will also have an opportunity to visit some of the ministries associated with Nairobi Chapel and attend Sunday services at the Chapel or one of their church plants.