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AN EXPERIENCE THATHAS TAUGHT US SO MUCHThe PACT team visit to Kajiado has been a learning experience. The 19 members of the team traveled throughout the Diocese of Kajiado, taking seminars and services, sharing their experiences and singing, building and painting. In all the places they visited the warmth and generosity of their Kenyan hosts was almost overpowering. They had so little but shared so joyfully. In the next few weeks we will be thinking about Harvest and God’s blessings. Last year because of a drought the Kenyan Harvest failed, so food supplies had to be taken out to the people in remote places. They were so thankful for the church coming to help in their time of need. This year the PACT 2001 Team worked with the Maasai people as they continued the process of recovering from the drought and looking to the future. Together we built a new church, which was named ‘Christ Church’ Imanyat, at the opening ceremony at the end of July. At the Diocesan Headquarters we were also painting a nursery school. At both work sites there would be meal breaks where Kenyan and Irish Christians would sing and praise God in English, Swahali and Maasai languages. The delighted faces of the children and teachers, in their colourfully decorated nursery school and the joy of the congregation at Imanyat made all the effort worthwhile. Throughout the visit, it was a joy to have our Mission partners John and Margaret McCammon sharing with us in everything we were doing. We all enjoyed their fellowship and particularly the evening they made us a western style meal in their home at Isinya (and a 007 video!) The team who went out to represent the Cathedral, have been asked to bring back the thanks of the people of Kajiado to all who contributed financially, by providing tools, giving nursery and Sunday school resources, blankets and clothing or in any other way. To assure them that every contribution was very gratefully received and is being put to good use. The next steps in our partnership with Kajiado Diocese are already underway. On 8 December our Christmas Fayre will send all the proceeds to enable a mobile health clinic to function and to pay a full-time nurse to go out into the bush where health care is so desperately needed. Then next year there are plans to bring a team of young people from Kenya to work alongside the church here in Ireland. The Bishop of Kajiado, Jeremiah Taama stated, ‘we never thought we would get such a big team from one Parish, but now the dream has come true and the PACT 2001 Team has come to be with us’. What taught us the most was the self-sacrificing giving of the Kenyan Christians. Their love for the Lord Jesus could be seen in how they lived and shared with others. The challenge to us in this rich land is to follow the example of our brothers and sisters in Christ and to give ourselves in a meaningful way to the work of the Lord in this spiritually needy land. May our prayer be: ‘Lord Jesus, enable us to sow and reap a harvest of lives for your Kingdom and begin this harvest in our lives today. Amen’. |
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