Beauty from Ashes

I called Pastor Humphrey the pastor of Toi Calvary tonight as I’d seen pictures on BBC of Toi market having been burnt down and wanted to let him know we were praying for him and his church.  He reports: “The church is still standing.”  What!?  I saw the pictures.  I know the church is in the middle of Toi market.  How is that possible.  “They tried to burn it with fire but fire can’t burn it”.  Mind you, this church is made of nothing different from the surrounding stalls that have been reduced to rubble: tin, plastic and wood. 

Ten families from the church have had their homes and all their posessions burnt or looted but “No one has lost their life.  Even the small children are all safe.”  “Only God we depend on.”  He asks for prayer for the families who have lost their possessions and homes and for peace but sees this as “the Lord taking over”.

The next phone call was to Pastor George the project manager of our school.  He also asked for peace and echoed every person I talked to tonight: there is no food in Kibera.  He asked for special prayers for a planned rally on Thursday where those backing Raila are asking for 1,000,000 people to march.  George’s thoughts on it: “Many people will die.”  We are asking for you to gather with friends and be in fervent prayer for Kenya from 6pm Wednesday night to 6 pm on Thursday.  Fast if you are able.  Call your Church’s prayer chain.  Have friends over for a prayer meeting.  We need to actively be on our knees before the throne for peace to be restored.  Please email and let us know you will join us in this: [email protected]

I also spoke with Eva who is seeing that they are okay with food today but has just heard that her father, upcountry, is extremely sick and is obviously unable to go to be with him.

I spoke with Francis who we help with schooling and he reports that he and his family and neighbors haven’t slept much since December 26th when the chaos began.  They are also in fear of their houses being looted or burned and have no food.  They also live in fear knowing that many people have been killed in their area.

Pastor Mike again echoes that there is no food.  All the shops on Olympic and in most of Kibera have been looted and burned.  People tried to come into his house as they were going house to house killing Kikuyu but he was able to explain that he’s not Kikuyu and they were satisfied and left (God alone!).  He is hopeful that the US Ambassador and the British Prime Minister are now going to meet with Raila and Kibaki and work on a solution.

That is the report for now.  Keep praying.  There is much fear.  But there is also a feeling that God is in control and He alone can right this situation and quell the chaos. 

Again, please join us in active prayer from Wed. 6pm to Thursday 6pm for peace to be restored, tribal tensions to ease, safety for all our friends and loved ones and special protection for our Kikuyu friends who are at special risk.

God is in control and “Loves Kenya so much” (to quote Pastor Mike).