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April 2003
Dear Praying Friends and Loved Ones,
When I describe Kenya to people, I have often said that this
country is exquisite and brutal at the same time. The terrain,
from snow-capped peaks to savannah, from tropical beaches to lush
green forests, from tea plantations to sisal farms, is truly magnificent.
(Do I sound like a tourist brochure?) I have joked that when God
created the world, God started in Kenya, went around the globe,
and upon arriving back to Kenya, found many designs still left
over, so the Creator lavished the remainder on the land, the animals,
the people, and the vegetation here in East Africa. With all the
extra shapes, stripes, spots, ruffs of fur, and brilliant colors,
the landscape is spectacular. The people as well are as exquisite,
with their warmth, hospitality, generosity, enthusiasm in celebrations,
openness of faith, and richness in traditions.
At the same time, even to this day, the landscape has not been
"tamed" (nor is that a value here to do so), so woe
to the one who encounters a rogue elephant. And famine and flood
still continue to ravage sections of the country. The people also
can be brutal. Those who seek power promote themselves and their
interests regardless of the resulting oppression of others, while
among the oppressed, if one is seen as "life-taking"
either through actual violence, theft, or witchcraft, mob justice
can be quick to eliminate the one who is threatening the “well-being
of the community.” On one hand, the patience and resilience
of people in the face of harsh conditions, corruption, and injustice
is astounding. On the other hand, vengeance is brutal and public
strikes can unleash pent-up fury.
The church and society in Kenya are seeking alternatives to the
brutal approaches of maintaining control and order, attempting
to focus instead on the exquisite potential of both human and
natural resources. The new government, which was voted in and
installed in the last week of December 2002, has replaced the
regime that had been in power since the country’s independence
in 1963. With a notably peaceful transition, President Kibaki
and his colleagues were jubilantly received, and for the first
month or two, Kenya was being hailed as the most optimistic nation
on earth. Free primary education was immediately launched, roads
were being repaired, corrupt judges were being sacked, and even
ordinary citizens were standing up to the police, refusing to
give the expected bribes. What a privilege to be living and serving
in Kenya at such a time. Meanwhile, as the horrors of unthinkable
torture chambers were brought into the public light from under
one of the main government office buildings, church leaders stepped
forward to lead the nation in a ritual of cleansing, allowing
survivors of the chambers to tell their stories, revisit the site,
shed tears and launch the next step in national healing.
Now 100 days after inauguration, the new president is being given
his first “report card.” This week, the Kenya Human
Rights Commission published the following conclusion in the local
daily newspaper: “In conclusion, the KHRC believes that
the first 100 days of the Kibaki Government have been marked by
both successes and failures. The government has embarked on some
reforms and set a hopeful mood in the country, and in that process
has taken the first steps to restore the faith of Kenyans in their
own state. But the Government has also failed to boldly capitalize
on this generous public mood to fundamentally recreate the state,
root out corruption, and provide transitional justice. It must
act quickly on all these fronts to grow wealth, reduce poverty,
restore the human rights of Kenyans, and make impunity a phenomenon
of the past. The KHRC believes that the next six months will be
crucial. The enactment of a new democratic constitution would
lay the solid foundation for these key and critical reforms, and
make Kenya a twenty-first century state” (The Daily
Nation, April 9, 2003, p. 25).
In light of all this hope and potential, what role does Daystar
University have to play? The time is ripe to further enhance the
training and equipping of the human resources of the country to
take their place in the transformation towards health in the land.
I am currently working diligently, along with my colleagues, to
launch several new programs at the graduate level starting in
August, including an M.B.A., an M.A. in counseling psychology,
and a postgraduate diploma in education. The current M.A. programs
in communication and Christian ministries, along with the new
programs, are all moving to be evening and weekend programs in
order to allow the professionals and leaders within society to
continue to serve full time in their positions, but also gain
expertise in the areas which will assist them to be more effective
to meet real needs around them.
We offer these programs from a biblical and theological grounding,
seeking to train Christian servant leaders who will make a difference.
I know “Christian servant-leader” is an often-used
catch phrase, but we sincerely are attempting to train people
to be following Jesus Christ, proclaiming good news, looking for
and addressing needs, and solving problems, without succumbing
to the fever of lining their own pockets at the expense of those
they are serving.
Just this past week, one graduate-level class invited a panel
of Kenyan Christian professionals to come and speak about what
they do, how they do it, and how they each live out their faith
in the marketplace. Issues of corruption, hiring, firing, purpose,
challenges, impact, and the like were candidly debated. Next week,
the same class will be visiting a ministry headed by a Daystar
spouse, in which 49 refugee women have successfully initiated
a self-sustaining international enterprise, and now, along with
being discipled in their faith, are supporting their families,
educating their children, and further expanding their initiatives.
Please do continue to pray for us as we seek to achieve these
goals. Challenges are legion, but we press on in the midst, seeking
to be faithful, and seeking to join in to make a difference.
Faithfully yours,
Marta
The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 45
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