Updates From the Field:  Kenya # 6:  April 13, 2007
Dearest Friends, This Sunday is the three month anniversary of my arrival (that makes it sound much important than it is).  I feel like I am at the point when it is time to stop counting the time I have been here in weeks and start counting in months.  I sat back today and actually couldn't remember how many weeks it had been off the top of my head.  I guess that means I am settling in. Many things have happened in the last two weeks.  I think the message God is making clear can be summed up in Philippians 4:11-13. . . . I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. I wish I could say this is how I live my life, but the truth is I am only now able to grasp what it really means.  Let me give you some examples of how this is lived out in Kenya. About three weeks ago, there was a terrible bus accident.  Bandsmen of the Nairobi Central Corps were travelling for a memorial service of a fellow bandsman who was promoted to glory.   Because of a cow in the road, the bus crashed causing several serious injuries. I went to the hospital to visit the three most severely injured.  Two young girls have serious head injuries and facial deformities.  You could see the pain was great, but they  were looking forward to getting discharged so they could go back to church.  Allan is a young man who lost his arm in the accident. He can't be more than 25 years old.  I sat there with tears in my eyes contemplating how his life with be different with just one arm.  He just smiled from ear to ear.  He praised God that the pain was better and thanked us for blessing him by visiting.  There was no self-pity, no anger. . . just praises.  I don't think I will ever forget the smiles they gave when it was hard for me to even keep it together.  I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. Over the Easter weekend, I went with an officer couple to Nakuru for Good Friday service, an Evangelism seminar, and Easter services.  First, let me tell you, it was not easy to get there.  The same tire went flat four times on the way!  (yes, we got a new one once there).  I never thought I would miss AAA so much!  The two and a half hour trip took almost six hours.  Once we got there, I was looking forward to a good night's rest.  Well, the dance club next to the hotel played music until 4:30am. So, I settled in at 4:30 to sleep, and Mr. Rooster decided he had to sound the wake up call at 5:00am.  He had a snooze button that went off every five minutes for the next two hours.  I prayed for strength and moved on.  The Lord could not have blessed our ministry more.  We met hundreds of soldiers who were so grateful for what they had.  They appreciated us so much and many of them had us in their homes for meals.  As I sat in very humble homes, I realized that out of the very little they had, these saints gave to us.  The CSM was bragging to us on Sunday about the strength of their offering.  He explained that out of the 120 soldiers they had, only about 14 had permanent jobs.  The rest had to depend on the odd jobs they could get.  The only hunger I could see in these soldiers was for the Word.  The only thing on their lips was positive expectation of what the Lord would do.Getting enough sleep doesn't really seem that big of a deal. I know how to get along with humble means. Just yesterday, I attended the National Sports Day.  This is basically what we could call the Special Olympics.  Many of the schools under my office are special schools for children with various disabilities, and therefore, many of our schools participated.  It was a long drive, and I was starting to wonder if it was worth it.  Believe me when I tell you it was worth it.  I greeted the children and teachers as the announcer made a very big deal about Salvation Army officers being there to support the schools we sponsor.  The first event I saw was the soccer game (okay, football, as they call it here). Believe it or not, they asked me to go on the field and give a pep talk to the teams and give the first kick.  Let me just say, it was a good thing no one took pictures or video of that kick.  I sat back expecting a slow game of soccer.  The children playing have several different disabilities.  Some with no arms or one leg, some using crutches, some with unusually small or large limbs.  I was blown away at the speed and skill these boys have!  It was a great game!  The motto of many of our schools is, "Disability is NOT inability".   I can be a testament to that.  After watching volleyball and several foot races, I started to feel ashamed of all the excuses I give for not doing things.  I have learned the secret of  . . . having abundance and suffering need. So, I continue here.  Some days I feel I could stay forever, and some days feel like forever.  However, it is all good.  It is all good because it is all part of the experience.   I claim for myself   I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.   As a side note, if you want to write to me in the next week, please write to armidalamarr@yahoo.com I will be visiting centres in Mombasa for the next several days. I love you all very much.  Armida