As the leader of the computer team, I was passionate about the tasks set before me (us) to accomplish once we arrived at MCF. All of the teams spent time preparing tasks, activities, materials and people to best accomplish what we would be sent to do. My (our) main task was to “bring the internet” to MCF, the task was not as easy as it sounds when one realizes that there is no infrastructure outside of large cities. With the understanding that our computer tasks may not take up an entire week, my team partnered with the arts and games team. Our plan was to help the arts and games team any time our services weren’t needed for computer tasks.Our two teams began meeting once a month beginning in February which afforded us the opportunity to build relationships between the teams and an understanding of the arts & crafts to make and games teach/play. We had a tentative schedule before we left for MCF, with a general idea of how much each team would be able to dedicate to the given tasks. Well, life is what happens when you plan. While planning for MCF and gathering materials, I had weekly meetings with our big team leader. He was my supervisor at work as well as the big team leader, though in the beginning, he was unsure if he would go with us. In God’s wisdom, he knew I would need to hear the following on a nearly weekly basis, “Be flexible, we are going there to serve.” After a month or two of hearing it, I would let him know that I was trying to take his advice to heart and say it to him before he said it to me.Because of the advice to be flexible, it made my experience at MCF more profitable than it would have been had I decided that things needed to follow the outlined paper schedule. Each night after dinner, one of the MCF representatives would outline a proposed schedule for the following day. I decided to listen at night to the proposed schedule, prepare what I needed and wake up as if no plans had been laid, it was easier for me to remain flexible by not attaching myself to a set schedule. While God and I worked on keeping a smile on my face, I was flexible, if bit confused. My understanding was that I had tasks to accomplish and relationships to build, but so far neither of those appeared on the schedule. It was a lot of sitting and listening, touring the campus, hearing stories of how things work or came to be as they are. All the while, I wanted to go work immediately. After all, I am a task-based person who happens to enjoy talking to others while “tasking”. With these things in mind we began Monday, as a combined team for devotions in Charles’ “office”. He has an area near the river where he works, outside, which we saw on Sunday. There are several chairs and sometimes a bench where he works, did I mention it was outside without a roof or walls? He and Esther meet with each child, usually in a small group of three or so children. They talk about how things are going, they talk with God, and plan for the future. Charles also works alone in his office, he writes, talks with God, meets with others and I suppose what ever else needs to be done he does there. On Monday, we, the combined team, didn’t have much time for devotions, I internally questioned the value of it if we weren’t going to have much time. According to the paper schedule, we were to have devotions each day, each team member to contribute thoughts for one assigned day. Monday was the first day we had any time in the morning. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not questioning the value of talking about God, just the effort to find a quiet place, walk there, leave enough time to return to the large group etc. It turns out I’m rather inflexible, but I’m teachable. Our prayer time was incredible. I can’t tell you what we prayed, I don’t remember. I just know that I (we) talked with God, soaking in his incredible creation in a place where he works so powerfully. Even today, four months later, it still moves me. I felt like I was in God’s presence, which is what I am supposed to feel every time I talk with God, which according to Paul, the author of 1 Thessalonians, is a continuous experience.At the appointed time, we joined the other teams for the continuation of the campus tour. Believe it or not, we were unable to see the campus in a day.
On our way to from the dispensary, we observed some of the teachers sitting under the trees outside of the school building preparing themselves for the upcoming lessons. Charles took us to watch and talk with several of the male beneficiaries1 completing the finish work on the dispensary. One was finishing the stone work on the outside and another was doing on carpentry work on an inside room. It will house a place for dentists, doctors, nurses and other health care providers to help the children and surrounding community members.We entered the greenhouse with Charles and two of the male workers. They explained the entire operation from start to end. At their current level of operation, MCF would be able to fund itself financially 99-100% with ten greenhouses. I giggled to myself because at this point I began to understand Charles and his heart. With ten greenhouses, he will have
Charles gathered us under a tree, as anyone native to Kenya would do. The sun, even in the cold season, is warm and only foreigners stand in the sun. We managed to gather 42 of us under the tree to listen to Charles tell us the story of how the greenhouse came to be. He took a phone call at some point, then explained that he had just sent out another grant request for two more greenhouses to go in to Yatta. He explained that the soil at Ndalani is fertile and it would not make sense to cover soil that can already grow food with a greenhouse to grow food. At some point in this, a team member was brave enough to suggest what many of us were already doing; he suggested we stop talking with each other immediately and begin talking with God about the new greenhouses. When we finished, we asked Charles when he would hear back about the grant. He was hopeful that we would know before we left MCF. I believe he received the grant for at least one new greenhouse, but I am unsure about the second.
We spent time each month during team meeting preparing to share our stories. I worried about how to tell my story to children, many things in my life are difficult to explain to children. It turned out to be a needless worry. The children would have understood, but I only shared my story with a team mate. I don’t mean to downplay the significance of that. It was good to share, to put words to things. It was great to hear a story. Maybe mine was not unique enough for the children to need to hear it. I did ask many children about their stories, again, I am not sure about the appropriateness of sharing a story that isn’t mine. I will just say that many shared their heart. Some had been at MCF for a long time, some only a few months. Some were on the verge of graduating, some just arrived and had many years in front of them. Some understand they now have a future, some are just learning.
Esther opened up her gift shop to us. Some of the things are handmade there, some are purchased at other markets. I wish I had understood what would have been available elsewhere. I would have purchased things differently, but either way, I was able to bring home trinkets for friends and family. When I see them with it, I remember my time at MCF.
footnotes:
1. A beneficiary is an adult who as a child was at MCF for a period of time.
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