I went to Kenya with great trepidation. I thought that we would all be better served if we simply sent money to the people of Kwambekenya. No personal involvement for this boy. HOW WRONG I WAS!
It didn’t take me long to realize that what we are trying to do in Kwambykenya is for the long term - partnering with them to help them improve their lives with better education and medical care. The people there are wonderful. They have the Holy Sprit the likes of which I have never seen. They have very, very few material positions, and that is being generous. Life is a battle everyday and nothing is taken for granted. What they have, money can’t buy.
I saw sites in Nairobi and in the Kenyan countryside that one could only imagine: the slums, the trash, and the smell. All are seared in my memory. When I arrived, I kept asking myself, what in the world am I doing here? I am half way around the word and away from my family in a place that is totally unlike any I have ever been.
I met the people with the biggest smiles you could imagine. The children had runny noses, yellow eyes, and bare feet, but they had big, big smiles. Almost immediately, we formed a bond with these wonderful Christian people. We could not walk anywhere in the village without the children running up to us and grabbing both of our hands.
Steve Franks and I had the opportunity to worship at a very small church. Mary was our host. The service lasted for over two hours. The congregation sat on hard wooden benches; the floor was dirt. Steve and I sat in the chancel area with the minister. Needless to say the service was different than what Steve and I were accustomed to. During the service we were asked to speak. What an experience that was. Before I knew it, I was shouting Amen after every sentence! Their exuberance was catching.
We helped (and the optimum word here is help) lay a stone road to the site where the medical center will soon be built, thanks to the people here at Mt. Bethel. I have never had so much fun lifting heavy rocks! We worked side by side with the people from Kwambekenya. We formed what Randy called a watermelon line. We took our place in the long line and passed the rocks one to the other. The work went surprisingly fast. We laughed and groaned together. We all agreed that we would never move rocks like this at home, but we did it joyfully. By the time we left, the road work was complete and ready for the trucks that will come when construction starts on the one and only medical center for the village.
On Sunday after church, Mary, walked Steve and me back to the center of the village to hook up with rest of our group. When we got back on the main street, we stopped at a very small store. Mary insisted that she wanted to buy Steve and me a Coke. Knowing the circumstances of how very little they have, we told Mary that it was not necessary. She insisted. Mary told us that if she did not do this, she would have a hole in her heart for the rest of her life. We had the Coke and biscuits. Seems like a very small thing to us for her to do, but to Mary it was very necessary and also sacrificial. What a gift!
On our last day, we were again with my Mary. We went on a walking tour of the village. We visited a homeless shelter for the displaced persons that came to the village during the recent violence in Kenya. The villagers have very little, but they share out of Christian love with their neighbors.
We visited a home in which great grandparents were taking care of their great grandchildren. Seems the parents and the grandparents were dead. They were preparing a meal of maize and beans - the only one of the day! Their very small farms would only allow for one meal a day at this time of year. Out of love and gratitude, they shared that meal with Gaylyn Kelly, Annie Coppage and me. I Have Never Received SO MUCH FROM PEOPLE THAT HAD SO LITTLE. It left me wondering if I would do the same out of the plenty that I have.
One of our team members had a very costly pair of boots. We talked one day, and I asked him if he was taking them back home. His reply was,”Of course, they were very expensive.” We had met a man named Big John earlier in the week. As we prepared to leave Kwambekenya, my friend was standing outside the bus. In one hand, he was holding a bag full of clothes that he was leaving there and in the other hand he held his boots. He looked at the bag, and then he looked at the boots and said, “These are for Big John.” He placed the boots in the bag. Their sacrifice and loving nature was not lost on us. How could we do less?
I love the people of Kwambekenya. I was told before I left on the trip that I would receive far more than I gave. I thought that was a bunch of bunk. Wrong again! I received more than I could imagine. They shared with me, this boy of the south, this guy that has been very fortunate in life. This guy that that has been loved all his life. What did they give me? They gave everything. They showed me the face of Jesus!
I know mission trips are not for everyone. I know Kenya is not for everyone. But there are needs all over the planet. We send teams to Central and South America, to Eastern Europe, to the Gulf Coast and right here at home. There are needs right here within ear shot of Mt. Bethel. I have heard Randy say, “It is not either or;” we must do both. If you can’t go on a mission trip, send someone. The important thing is to get involved. GET IN THE BOAT! We can do no less!
I bet you’ve been wondering what all the fuss is about “Where’s Randy?” Well, where is he? If you came to church on Sunday, you know where he is AND what he’s doing. Didn’t make it? That’s ok - we’ve got you covered.
During last Sunday’s service, the congregation was surprised with a phone call from Randy, who is currently in Kwambekenya, Africa. The 2-way conversation was possible via a satellite feed, and our own MB Media was able to feed the audio directly into the sanctuary and CAC! Here’s what he had to say…
The group returns this weekend and is so excited to share their experiences with us. Godspeed!
Mt Bethel’s Student Ministries has had the fortunate opportunity and privilege to take 2 teams of students to Ecuador between March and April. Our mission was to share the love of Jesus Christ while helping to serve the people of Quito, Ecuador. Our service included a week of VBS classes for over 200 students and fulfilling some major construction needs of their Church they were in the midst’s of building.
It is with much joy that I have the privilege of trying to convey the experience that I was afforded to witness on my trip to Ecuador with 25 of our youth. As 34 of us stepped onto a plane on Saturday, April 5th, I do not think any of us had the expectations in mind quite the magnitude of what God had planned for us. What a beautiful gift, to be able to watch a group high school students fall down to their knees in the dirt, to scoop up a handful of children who have swarmed around them.
I have never witnessed such a pure joy and love, as what our students displayed, not only to the children of Ecuador, but also to each other. The unity of our team grew daily as each person allowed God to push them and use them as His servant.
Although we were the team that was Ecuador doing the actual “work”, we knew we had a whole team here in the U.S. praying for us as well. Thank you to everyone who listened and responded to God’s call for them to serve, in whatever capacity, for this trip! Through your faithfulness, God has forever changed many lives.
What happens when you give over 300 children 7,000 beads and 1,100 pieces of rope with a MISSION? It creates a purpose, a challenge, and an opportunity to share a little bit of love with other children in the world. Sunday, April 13th was our 2nd “Kids In Motion” Mission Focus program for our children at Mt.Bethel during the Sunday School hour. The program is designed to support Mt. Bethel’s “Compassion Into Action through the Power and Presence of Jesus Christ” as well as our focus for children to (SPLAT) serve, pray, love, and teach the word of God.
Something incredible happens when an ordinary craft turns into a gift for someone else…that craft now symbolizes a token of love and the Holy Spirit encompasses the effort in the classroom. Teachers and children work hand in hand putting knots in rope, threading beads, and praying for the child that will receive their gift. The result 1,100 salvation bracelets to share with our family in Kwambakenya and the body of Christ in action! Kids want to make a difference in their world and they want to do it now…through this program we are able to offer children age appropriate activities that foster fellowship, service, love and actually “putting compassion into action”!
Rev. Carey Akin shared pictures and stories of the children that will be receiving the bracelets in Kwambekenya Africa April 17th-April 26th when himself, Dr. Randy Mickler and our mission team will travelto Africa to work with our family in Kwambekenya. Although the children of Mt. Bethel will not be boarding the plane they will be in prayer and spirit with our mission team through this act of service and love. Oh what a mighty God we serve!
“Don’t let anyone look down on you beauseyou are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12
Last Saturday was the first time that the AnySoldier Mission was selected as one of Mt. Bethel UMC’s missions for the Great Day Of Service! You would be interested to know that today, we passed the milestone of 8 tons mailed to the troops.
29 people packed 36 boxes weighing 637 pounds, which we mailed to 23 military units supporting 1,211 military personnel, 1 orphanage, 2 schools, 1 hospital and 5 villages in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Serbia.
So as of today, we have mailed 1,067 boxes weighing 16,273 pounds to 686 military units supporting 24,023 military personnel. Over 913 people have now packed boxes and 1,885 people have written letters.
I wish we had more time during the busy packing session to thank each and every one of you to thank you for coming and caring. We also want to thank Jack Horn for selecting and ‘pulling’ many of the solider unit’s addresses, and Dick Clarke, for spending 2 hours at USPS and UPS mailing boxes after the packing session.
“Serve the Lord with Gladness.” These 5 words from Psalm 100 perfectly describe Mt Bethel’s Great Day of Service on Saturday, March 29th. Teams raked and weeded and spread truck loads of mulch at numerous elementary schools and assisted living facilities. Old rooms in Boys and Girls clubs came to life as walls were repaired and then covered with new paint. Clothes and toys were cleaned and organized at shelters. Boxes were carefully packed to be shipped to our troops in Iraq. Hundreds of envelopes were stuffed for the Fragile Kids Foundation. Children filled 10 rooms to create cards for soldiers, decorate burp clothes for needy children, make sandwiches for MUST ministries, and put dental kits together for children in Ecuador. Twenty eight homeowners were helped with yard work, cleaning, and minor repairs. Mt Bethel members wearing red Great Day of Service tee shirts and infectious, broad smiles could be found literally everywhere doing almost everything to help brighten the life of someone else.
Amazing things happen when over 1,000 members come together for just 4 hours to work as one body, following our Lord’s example of serving others. Each and every Great Day of Service team has a story that touches your heart and increases your faith. It’s like Stuart Lance said in an email he sent to thank the teams that worked at St Philip UMC, “No one could ever describe the Great Day without being there, it truly is immeasurable.”
The “Global Impact Celebration” dinner last Saturday night was a huge success, with about 370 people on hand to hear about Mt. Bethel missions around the world.
Throughout the evening there were a variety of videos. Prior to the service, and when missionaries were introduced, Google Earth videos were shown on the screen. You can view all of those places in Google Earth by downloading this file. Please note that you need to have Google Earth installed for the file to work. If you need Google Earth, you can download it for free here.
Have you ever had a CD that brings you joy from the first to the last song? A couple years ago I found “that” CD. It was a contemporary arrangement of classic hymns, and it flooded memories of my grandmother worshipping God from her kitchen. The music brought me great joy and served as the perfect travel piece for the many carpool runs I made during the day with a preschooler and elementary aged child.
One afternoon when I picked up my daughter from school I had “that” CD playing in the car, she asked, “Mom can you play #9″? Well, song #9 was an arrangement of “By and By” sung in the language of Kituba from Africa. I played the song and took just a moment to see what it was about this song that she enjoyed so much. I pulled over and in the rearview mirror I watched her expressions while she listened to the song. My 7 year old daughter and my 4 year old son where truly enjoying the song. I thought my children just tolerated my choice of music, but they where actually listening, in fact they had a favorite song on my CD and knew the number. When I asked them what they liked about the song so much, considering they couldn’t understand the lyrics, my daughter replied, “they are praising my God”.
She didn’t overthink it, she didn’t question the words, she allowed the music to take her senses to a state of worship. The words were spoken in a language she had never heard or understood, but she could hear the celebration of our King beating through the drums and carrying through the voices lifted in praise.
The children of God break all language, culture, and economic barriers. It’s a celebration of love, and it beats with the heart of every child. Can you hear it?
At Mt. Bethel we are blessed to share that celebration with God’s children and are intentional in efforts to connect the children at Mt. Bethel to God’s children both locally and globally. “Kids In Motion” is a new program designed to give children a “hands on” approach to serving, praying and understanding God’s big world and all His children. Children will participate in “hands on” mission projects to prepare, pack, and make items during Sunday School to be shared with children locally and globally. Check out “Kids In Motion” and other programs for children on our website.
This week is Global Impact Celebration. What in the world does that mean, no pun intended? For many of you, we hope it will be the very thing that God uses to make a wonderful change in your life. This week we will have missionaries and mission ministries from Marietta to mission fields throughout the world, all gathering at Mt. Bethel for the purpose of celebrating how God is using us to reach people everywhere.
God’s Word is clear: He uses His people in a special way when they live a life of service and sacrifice. It sounds hard when we talk about sacrifice. Guess what - it can be, but it is also the most rewarding, joyous life you can live. I have never met anyone who spent his or her life as a true servant for Christ that didn’t believe he or she had been blessed way beyond anything that was given up.
So here is the challenge as we begin our Global Impact Celebration and the Lenten season, a season about repentance and sacrifice. Ask God how He wants you and me to serve Him in a fresh new way. Where does He want you to go beyond your comfort zone? What does He want you to sacrifice for the good of others in need and for the sake of God’s Kingdom. What does He want you to give so His mission might be accomplished?
God has given us a fresh new vision: “Compassion into Action through the power and presence of Jesus Christ.” It is not about doing what you don’t want to do or sacrificing something you don’t want to give up. It is about asking God to give you His compassion, and using it to serve where that passion leads you. God’s word puts it this way:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
My prayer for you this week and this Lenten Season is to see how much Jesus sacrificed for you because of His great compassion and to put that same compassion into action in serving and sacrificing for someone else.
Carey Akin
Pastor of Missions
P.S. - Wednesday night, February 6, is your last opportunity to register for the “Taste of Missions” dinner this Saturday night. You can pick-up your free ticket in the bookstore, or you can register on-line here. A ticket is required for dinner.
If you haven’t had the chance to see Mt. Bethel’s latest produced video, you need to. Then ask yourself these questions:
1. What does it mean to be a Christian?
2. Is believing the right things enough?
3. What does the following scripture tell us about living a Christian life? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27
4. When are we being most Christ-like?
5. What does it mean to be a compassionate servant?
I went to Kenya with great trepidation. I thought that we would all be better served if we simply sent money to the people of Kwambekenya. No personal involvement for this boy. HOW WRONG I WAS!
We helped (and the optimum word here is help) lay a stone road to the site where the medical center will soon be built, thanks to the people here at Mt. Bethel. I have never had so much fun lifting heavy rocks! We worked side by side with the people from Kwambekenya. We formed what Randy called a watermelon line. We took our place in the long line and passed the rocks one to the other. The work went surprisingly fast. We laughed and groaned together. We all agreed that we would never move rocks like this at home, but we did it joyfully. By the time we left, the road work was complete and ready for the trucks that will come when construction starts on the one and only medical center for the village.
One of our team members had a very costly pair of boots. We talked one day, and I asked him if he was taking them back home. His reply was,”Of course, they were very expensive.” We had met a man named Big John earlier in the week. As we prepared to leave Kwambekenya, my friend was standing outside the bus. In one hand, he was holding a bag full of clothes that he was leaving there and in the other hand he held his boots. He looked at the bag, and then he looked at the boots and said, “These are for Big John.” He placed the boots in the bag. Their sacrifice and loving nature was not lost on us. How could we do less?
This week is Global Impact Celebration. What in the world does that mean, no pun intended? For many of you, we hope it will be the very thing that God uses to make a wonderful change in your life. This week we will have missionaries and mission ministries from Marietta to mission fields throughout the world, all gathering at Mt. Bethel for the purpose of celebrating how God is using us to reach people everywhere.
