The Sojourner: Food, Friends, and Fspiders

The rainy season brings a lot of bugs to Mombasa. Weird, African bugs. For instance, at this moment in my pantry are hiding an unknown number of black, jumpy spiders about the size of a raisin. I've killed three already today. By African standards, they aren't that bad. They are smaller than a loaf of bread, they aren't interested in killing me, they don't carry a deadly disease, and they aren't really hairy. They are only spooky because of how fast they move. They are a bit unpredictable. I suppose they also feel that way about me. We're learning to coexist.

I had reason to spend some time in my pantry today. My dear friend Jacinta and her husband James came for dinner! I have been meeting with Jacinta for discipleship for over a year now. In fact, her husband sent her to Mombasa just so that she might be discipled. You see, James has a job that takes him to the Sudan nine months of the year. So while he is away, he wants Jacinta to grow in her spiritual life (doesn't he sound like a great husband?!), and Jacinta wants that too. Since James was discipled by my team leader Dennis, he entrusted Jacinta to me in his absence.

She really has grown, and we've been through a lot of life's ups and downs together. James just came back to Kenya for a month, so I was thrilled to spend the evening with them! I made lasagna (it was easy because I had everything already prepared from last time), and we shared some great conversation. It's so nice to have friends you can talk to past "How'dya like this weather," and "Man, how about Kenyan politics?!"

We are praying for several things for James and Jacinta. First, we pray that they will stay faithful to the things they have learned, even among a corrupt generation. (see Psalm 73 for a recap of our conversation on this issue...) Second, we are praying that God will make it clear to James what he needs to do about his job. It's hard on both of them to have him gone so much. And third, we are praying that they will start a family soon! Jacinta has had some ongoing trouble with her health in this area, but they have a deep desire to start a family, and they know anything is possible for God!