Mt. Bethel Blog

Dear Fellow members of Mt Bethel

Posted: October 8, 2008

Like most of you, our family has taken a real financial hit of late. It now appears that I will be working longer than I had originally planned. The conditions in our country and the world are of grave concern to us all. There is uncertainty everywhere we look. I could continue to list reasons to look on the dark side, but you all understand.

I was really feeling sorry for myself last week. That is until Sunday. The Daraja Choir sang for our church services and for a special program Sunday night. I needed to be reminded of the love of God through Jesus. I needed to be reminded that no matter what, we are not alone. Last April, I had the wonderful experience of visiting Kenya on a Mt. Bethel mission trip. Africa was the last place I wanted to go, but I went. What a blessing! I fell in love with the people. What joy we experienced! The people of Kwambekenya don’t worry about their 401K’s… they don’t have one. They don’t worry what clothing to wear…they have very few articles of clothing. They don’t worry about how to pay the doctor or dentist…they don’t have medical care. They don’t worry about how they are going to afford a new car…they don’t have a car. They don’t worry about what food to take out of the refrigerator or freezer for supper because they don’t have a refrigerator or freezer and while we were there in April, they had only one meal a day!

I could go on and on, but I am sure that you get the picture. They have very, very little. What they do have is a deep love and abiding faith in God despite having so very few creature comforts. I have seen it. I have witnessed it. I have experienced it.

I have the great honor to be chairman of the Stewardship Committee for the past three years. Because of this opportunity, I have had close contact with minister, staff and other church leaders who have helped me to grow in the faith. It has been a very humbling experience. God has given me strength to do things that I could never do alone. Just like most of you, our church is suffering as a result of the down turn in the economy. We have had painful layoffs. We have not been able to meet our obligations to the conference. We as a church are as the Brits would say “taking economies” to stretch every dime.

I am not asking you to give more money although that would be great. What I am asking is that we all turn to God for strength and understanding through prayer and study. We are not alone. God is there to carry us if we only allow Him. As bad as our personal situation appears, there are many, many more of us that have it much worse, not only in Kenya but right here at home. As Christians, we know that we are our brothers keeper. We must be steadfast in our faith.

We all need to be on the lookout for those that are truly hurting. We need to, with God’s help, reach our to those that might need an understanding smile or a knowing look, showing them what Christian love really is. We all are coming to realize just how fragile life is. Many of us, me included, have taken the good times for granted, feeling proud of the money we have made and how much stuff we have accumulated. In the final analysis, it means very little. What is truly important is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Let’s take this opportunity to pass that on to others.

When we focus on others and not ourselves, it is amazing the comfort that we feel. I know. I have experienced it, but I had forgotten. Last Sunday, I remembered when I saw the wonderful faces in the Daraja Choir.

God bless you and God bless Mt. Bethel.

Ben Hornsby

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