We plan, God LOL's.

Every day, plans are made, some followed, others get thrown out the window. But, humans, need to have a plan. Let me ask you a question. Does God have a plan for EVERY LITTLE THING THAT GOES ON? The answer is yes. Anything and everything that happens to you, God knows and has known. Even if it a bad thing. He is using it to strengthen you. Now back to the plans.

 My plan on a normal day.

Wake up check Facebook and texts, roll outa bed, 10 pushups, shower, then on with the day. 

But God sometimes says "No, today, you are going to do what I have planned already." His plan is always better then ours, we know that. So why do we get so angry when the things we wanted to happen, don't? Because we dont move to fast and don't use one of God's greatest gifts to us. Our brain. If we just slow down and think about what is going on, maybe, just maybe, we will see the work God is doing. 

Example?

Someone takes the last TP... Instead of getting to watch tv, check FB, send a eMail, ect... You need to leave and go to  the store and get more TP. But while being frustrated that your morning was ruined, you don't see the car broken down on the side of the road with a mom and three little kids inside, you drive right past the homeless man in the middle of the road asking for money to help him eat, you miss the elderly gentleman that could use a ride because he is to old to drive. If WE. US. Not the other person. YOU and ME. Just looked at what is changing from our "plan." If we thought "What does God want me to see on the way to the store." Our lives, would change, dramatically. 

Here is your challenge. When something that changes OUR plan happens. Stop, think, and look for what God is doing. 

Love and miss you all! Praying you stay strong in the word, and love your enemy as you love yourself:)

TNT, 

STEVO 

Crying in Africa.

Today, one of my best friends at Agape went home. He was the first boy I brought off the street.

Abel and I were down by the lake doing our usual rounds when Abel saw a child. Abel called to him, and Jacktone came. We sat down by a abandoned Hotel, and Abel started talk a 1,000 miles a hour in Lou or Kiswahili. I dont know which. I just sat there, praying that whatever Abel was saying, this young ninja (self given name for the street boys) would listen and understand. My prayers where answered, Jacktone Nimaly became a Agape boy that day. And my life at Agape would never be the same.


Jacktone would greet me almost every morning. Giving me a update on what had happend since I left. "Steve, a boy jumped, someone has made Enos mad, and I slept well." This happend right as I walked through the gate. He and I were good friends for his first 5 weeks at Agape. Then, something change inside him. He got in fights, he started stealing things from other boys, and he started fighting me. This went on for at least three weeks. Instead of giving me a report, he'd give me what he wanted that day, he would bite me, he would kick me, he would hit me. Now. Anyone that knows me, knows that I live in a big family, so getting hit and kicked wasn't a big deal. But how he had been acting was a problem. About week two of this new Jacktone, I prayed, I said "God, Jacktone needs help. Please help him." Nothing happend, except talk of Jacktone being taken to the ramand center. Finally I sat down with Jacktone.

"Jacktone" (me) "yes" (him) "Are you ok? Did something happen? Can i help you?" "Hakuna" (him, and that means nothing)

The next day same thing, and the answer was the same.

A few days later he came up to me. He started hitting me. I don't know why I did this, but I grabbed him and put him in a headlock. He started freaking out. I picked him up, (he is still in a headlock) and walked with him to the fence. I looked down at this boy, a boy that has been truly hungry. A boy that has been truly scared for his life. A boy that didn't have a home. I almost started to cry, instead i sat down let him out of the head lock and watched as he ran, faster then i have ever dreamt of running in my entire life, away from me. Later that day he came up to me. "Steve, why did u kill me?" "Um, if I killed you, you would be dead" "Oh"

After i went home, i was scared. What if he jumps the fence tonight because i did that to him? What if i just ruined that boys life? But then I felt God saying, "That was the right thing to do"

The next day, i walked through the gate and saw Jacktone instantly. "Steve"  "Yes?" (preparing to get punched in the gut)  "No one jumped last night, I gave George his beads back, I gave a t-shirt back to Steven, and Kevin has his tuk tuk's again."

From then on, Jacktone and I were always be each others side. He knows English fairly well, so with my limited Kiswahili he and I could talk easily. He would know what I wanted before I siad it. (Two boys about to fight) A split second before I yelled"Stop!" Jacktone started going off on thes two boys"Somethingsomethingsomethingsomething." (The boys stopped and walked away) Me-"What'd you say?" "That if they hit each other, you were gonna hit them both." "Oh.... Great..." We talked about everything, he knows about almost all my good friends back home and has seen their pics on my iPod. He knows who Jack Johnson is and can sorta sing the courus of Better Together.

But now, he is not at Agape, he is home. I know not where that is, I know not wether he will stay or run back to the streets tonight. All I know is that he is one tough kid, and this kid loves Jesus with all his heart. And i know this kid, will always be in my heart.

Jacktone has taught me things that i will use for the rest of my life, patience,  endurance, love, hate, and joy. This 12 year old child showed me that the love of Jesus CAN CHANGE anybody, into anything.

So, join me tonight as I pray for this child of God. Pray that he would STAY HOME, that he would love his family and that his family would love him.

Today, was the first day i cried in Africa.

Hanging with the Mzungu

On the the streets, Gods timing astounds me. In Kisumu, especially outside of the town, it is so easy to walk right past people. Hundreds of people are out in the city 24/7. It amazes me that we find boys at all.

God knows exactly where you are anytime of the day. Think about that. God puts you in places for a reason.

Example, March 20th, Abel (our Kenyan outreach staff), Nick, and I were planning to go to a part of Kisumu called Kondele. It's on the completely opposite side of Kisumu from where we go normally. I was excited to go to Kondele because it's a fun place to be. It's a market so on any given day, tons of people are there. But, as we headed out, we got stopped and asked to go check out a HS in Kisumu. We got into a truck and went to the High school. The opposite way from Kandelle. I wasn't mad, but, selfishly, I wished we didn't have to go to the high school. After leaving the school. We went to our regular places, not finding anything. Now i got frustrated. In my mind i was thinking "Really??? We went to a school, didn't do anything, now because of that. We can't find any boys." We started heading back towards Agape, because the street boys try and get off the streets about 9:30 am i can't tell you a exact reason, they are just gone about that time. It was 9:25. In my head "Wow, a great day wasted."

Sometimes. I laugh at how stupid I am. Yes, I am a blonde. Yes, I do make stupid choices. And yes, most of the time. God lets me know it.

Today i was frustrated, I was walking fast, I was breathing hard. Then, out of nowhere. God knocks me in the head. And says "Stephen, calm down, take a breath, slow down, I have you here, at this exact spot, for a reason."

At that moment. I saw a boy. Then I saw two more boys. Pretty soon, I was sitting in a drainage ditch with not 3 boys around me, but 7.

God had decided, "No, They aren't going to Kondele today, I want them here." And so, I spent an hour and a half or so talking with boys. Just as old as me. Living on the street. With no homes, no new clothes, no food in the fridge, no shoes, no bed, water, or parents. every day i see this. Every day i ask God to help these boys. Every day I do my best to help them, even though I cant really talk to them. And. every day. I sin, I am selfish. I say I want this, I wish I could do this. When the only thing I see is kids, that are like me, with. NOTHING.

God had taken what i wanted, tested me in saying "Will you trust me with where you are." I failed this test.

Now, think back to the last time you ended up some place you didn't want to be. Your car broke down, so you are on the side of the road. A friend needed help, your with them instead of at that party you wanted to go to. You ran out of milk for your cereal, so you are at the store when you could be watching looneytoons Saturday morning.
Where ever you may end up. GOD PUT US THERE. At the exact time. Keeping that in mind. I challenge you and myself.

Next time you are somewhere different then where you want to be. Pray, ask God why. Then be open to what he tells you.

If i had gone to Kondele, if I had gone where I wanted. 7 boys wouldnt have heard about Jesus that day. 7 boys wouldn't feel excited because they got to hang out with a "Mzungu" But instead. 7 boys heard about Jesus. 7 boys hung out with a Mzungu.

The First swim in Africa

Two Saturdays ago I had my first swim Gala. Swimming is pretty much a universal sport with 4 standard strokes. Front crawl(free style) breaststroke(my best:p) butterfly(my favorite :)) and backstroke(I. Hate. Backstroke.) In the meet, I swam 7 events. Now back home I could not swim the same races i did on Saturday. Because of the distance of the races. Back home 13 is the oldest age you can swim 50 meter races. But here anyone can swim 50 meters. These are short races, but they still hurt when you have 4 of them plus 3 longer ones. I also swam 200 meter IM, 100 breast, and 100 meter free.

God blessed me by giving me some very good races:) I don't have the times I had back home, but I still did well. Nationals are coming up the 24th, 25th, and the 26th of February. I am very excited getting to travel back to Nairobi. And getting to swim with the best kids in the country!!! God has blessed me so much through this swim team. I hope to be light for Him through all of this so keep me in your prayers because of my big head. For those of you who know me, I do have one sometimes.  Im so excited to be swimming again, swimming is such a great sport. I'm thanking God for letting me be, A Swimmer in Africa.

Just a quick update from Stevey weavey :)

Wishing all of you where here to experience this amazing gift God has given me by letting me come to Africa!

Go MAMBA'S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which one of these is me (No one can find me) ;P

1/16/2012, Craziest Day Yet

First off, let it be known.. I stink at updating this...

My day today started off as any other day here; waking up, getting ready, and then going to Agape. My street partner, Abel, came up and said "We have a team thats from Australia, going to the street with us today. Oh, and that means you need to watch out for everything, there are going to be lots of women in the group."

Not that white, "mzungu" women on the street is dangerous, it's just that they draw lots of attention.
After spending a few hours playing with the street boys and worshiping the Lord, we had a teaching time. We shared on my favorite verse:)  (comment if you know what it is;)) After getting back to Agape, I was told by some of the boys, that three of the other boys had jumped the fence. After confirming this with the "boss" Abel and I went back on the streets and down to the lake to try and find them.

Mzungu's normally dont walk anywhere near the lake. Just because there is no tourist attractions. So me being there always draws a bit of attention. Once down on the lakeside we spotted the three boys,  we started walking towards them. Once they saw us, they turned around and started speed walking the other way, so i took off at a jog towards them (about 130 yards behind them.) All of a sudden they started sprinting away.

Back step. A white dude by the lake, weird, a white dude jogging by the lake, even weirder, a white dude sprinting by lake after three street boys, never seen before.

So pretty soon all of the "Hotel" (restaurants) owners and customers are out looking at me. I'm still running at full speed after three boys who run like foxes. No joke, they are crazy fast, and can hide almost anywhere. But I'm taller then the kids, and have longer legs. So I catch up to one, the others split up. One running towards the snake infested bush, the other running towards the city.

So I just chilled with the one, after assuring him that I wasnt going to beat him, he came along to talk to Abel and I (oh btw, Abel had just been walking like nothing was wrong while i was running... ya...) As we walked back to Abel, all of the Hotel owners started freaking out. So we left that area. After sitting down with, guess who, Steven. Of course this kid was named after me... Even harder to see him out on the streets. We started talking and he said that he was not going back to Agape. The streets are his home and he likes the freedom of it. Soon the boy who had run to the bush came and all four of us kept talking.

Now 10 hours have past and it is night, and those three boys, Steven, Fred, and Franklin, are still out there somewhere. They chose the freedom of the streets, instead of the safe Agape campus.

But I am at peace that God has them in the palm of his hand, we did all that we could. But sometimes thats not enough. God is the one who has the final say, the final decision, the final word.
He will do what He wants no matter what we do. He has our days planned already, He knows everything that we will do today. Tomorrow. And the day after that.
The cool thing, no wait the AMAZING thing, is that He is still there for us, 24/7/365

HE LOVES US, He will always hold us in His hand. He will always be with us and never leave us.