Milestone
Does it really make a difference?
Monday February 17—Seeds High School, Kitale, Kenya Often I am asked, “Don’t you think it would be better stewardship for me just to give the money I would spend on going to Kenya for a short trip?” My answer is always a resounding….NO! We need your ambassadorship.
Fourteen years ago I took my first mission team to Kenya. It was a small group of U.S. college students. I wasn’t sure how much impact they made at the moment. But, 14 years later I have a much better perspective.
One of the students on that trip had a significant God encounter. That encoutner, combined with a contagious case of mission-itis, was a major contributing factor in what I witnessed today at Seeds
High School.
The college student went home and convinced her dad he had to come to Kenya. Then, the dad came home and brought other family members. Now, 14 years later, God has used that one family of one college student to be the supply stream for what has become one of the greatest success stories in all of our Kenyan work—-Seeds High School. Today the college student, her dad and brother all shared ministry in what was a wild dream a few years ago. Seeing impoverished, malnourished, slum children graduate from High School?! Could that really happen? The initial support to buy the plot of land for the high school was funneled through this family’s ambassadorship. Then, team after team saw with their eyes, heard with their ears, smelled, tasted, touched…and God brought them under his umbrella of love for Kenya…because of one college student on a short-term mission trip.
These graduates came out of the slum. They came to Seeds feeding station malnourished, dirty, sick and abandoned. Today, they sat in their caps and gowns in their young adult, healthy bodies.
The nourishment did God’s work of development. The teachers and overseers did God’s work of discipline and direction.
The Bible studies did their job of introducing the students to a saving relationship with Christ. The academic studies gave them hope for a future and a family that will not live by rummaging through the nearby garbage dump.
The last twelve years….convinced them that they were loved and sought after by God.
They are ruined for the lies of the devil (and man) that they are worthless, slum-dwelling rejects. Today was filled with dancing, singing, original poems, drama, scripture…and lots of encouragement. Never underestimate the value of encouragement. Longevity is its own reward in missions. Mission work takes time. Time for nourishment to work. Time for love to remove scars of abandonment. Time for emotions to heal.
Time for the Word to seep into deep cracks and crevices of the heart.
Time is gifted to us by God and belongs to God. It is one of His greatest gifts to all of us. Time is the
single greatest leverage we have for work on planet Earth. I heard my own voice in my ears today as I reflected on the investment of time that sat collectively in front of me. “Remember, when you waste time…it has no resurrection.”
I have no clue how many man-hours have been poured into these 2020 Seeds High School graduates. I am not really sure how many tens of thousands of dollars have been invested in these young lives. I do believe…it has been money, time, energy, love, tears, and discipline invested well. I cannot recreate the day for you. The videos will only communicate a fraction of what took place at the high school today. It was simply too “off the scale” for my wordsmith skills. Trust me…you were here, my partners. Your indelible fingerprints are all over these young men and women. The future of the Kingdom is brighter today because of these graduates. There are
graduates today because of you. And you (and I) get to be a part of what God is doing because we were willing to be where He was at work.
Your partnership is the foundation from which we spring. Your prayers = our fuel.
By grace, your brother,
Mike Curry
President/Founder Light Ministries, Inc.
Eph. 6:19-20
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