When we first moved into our house in Northern Kenya, it was really just a shell of a house. The windows and doors were only iron bars, no screens or glass in the windows. The walls were cement with no paint. The ceiling boards had not all been installed. There were no mouldings around the ceiling to keep the numerous bugs from coming in. There was no electricity. There was no running water, in fact there was no water at all. We had to buy our water by the donkey load, 80 gallons at a time. We had no indoor toilet and our outdoor toilet did not have a building around it, it was just a hole in the ground. So we had "go" inside and then take it outside and dump it. I (Leah) was washing our clothes by hand, cooking on a kerosene stove and living for the first time with no refrigerator. There were MANY times when I felt discouraged and I asked myself "Can I really do this, I don't know if I can really do this?"
After we had been there for about 6 weeks we were getting ready to go to Nairobi for our first trip "out". The rains were about to start and I knew that when we returned that the rains would be over and it would be too late to plant a garden. I was desperate to have a garden, but with all my other "chores" it simply wasn't possible. We went down to Nairobi. When we returned to our new home, in our desolate yard, there was a lone tomato plant. I was so thrilled. I told everyone "it is my blessing from God." HE knew how much I wanted a garden and that I didn't have time to plant one and HE sent me this one tomato plant to show His unending love.
About 3 months later we were still working desperately to get our house to a "livable" state. We had electricity by this point, but still no running water. We had built an "outhouse" around our outdoor toilet and so we could now "go" outside. The rains were due to come again and yet again I still did not have the time to plant a garden. We were once again getting ready for a trip to Nairobi and I knew it would be "again" too late to plant the garden when we returned. While we were "down country" I went to a ladies conference. While we were there I heard a fascinating seminar on "doing".
The speaker said that we as Christians have it all backwards. We "Do" because it gives us a sense of "worth" and because we have a sense of "worth" we "belong" in our society. But that is NOT right, in fact it is backwards. We "belong" because we were created by God. We have a sense of "worth" because He we were bought with His Son's blood. And because we have a sense of "worth" we do what God tells us to do.
As I sat in the seminar, God reminded me of the tomato plant. He said very clearly to me. "Leah, do you remember that tomato plant? You did not plant it, you did not make it sprout, you did not make it grow, you did not water it or bring the sun to nourish it, I DID THAT. The Borana Church will be that way, don't you DARE think that it is going to be YOUR work that brings about the salvation of the Borana People, I WILL DO IT and you will simply be there to see ME do it." It was as plain as if HE had been sitting beside me and talking to me face to face.
The photo below is what our yard looked like when we left, desolate. When we returned it was COVERED with tomato plants. I went around the yard and counted and there were more than 60 tomato plants in our yard. And God said to me, this is what the Borana Church will be like, I WILL DO IT, NOT you. But you do get to be along for the ride, to see my handiwork, to experience my awesome wonders.
