Let me tell you a story...

by Melissa Berg, SIMPact Kenya

Did you know the Nile River actually starts from Lake Victoria? I went to it, a place called “The Source of the Nile.” I dipped my foot in the Nile!

That was Jinja, Uganda. I was there on holiday with my two coworkers, a Kenyan and an American. We were staying with a lovely missionary couple that had a real shower and pasta waiting for us upon arrival. We had planned to leave beautiful Jinja on the 31st of December, but due to the political unrest the border was closed. So we stayed another day. But only one extra. We had tickets for travel back to Nairobi the next night.

Despite the peace and beauty of Uganda, and warnings of Kenya, we left the next day. It seems crazy, but see, my God is a big God. He had provided us a two day window to travel back to Nairobi safely, nestled in between riots and a large protest. We saw that this was the opportunity God provided, the one we prayed for, to return to our home. Assuring our hosts that we would travel no matter what rumors they heard of borders closing and buses not moving, we insisted on acting on the chance God gave us.

We left the morning of the 1st, starting back the bumpy two hour journey to the Kenyan border, fully trusting in God. As we were waiting for the matatu to fill up, we were already discussing how we would tell of our story. “Let me tell you a story about my big God,” we said. We had peace about it, and were excited to see how God would work.

As we were on our way to the border, bumping around the road, we got an SMS from Dwight saying the same thing, the border was closed and no buses were running. But, let me tell you a story. I would not hold back my faith in God. He gave us only two days where the protesters would be settled, waiting for the big Uhuru Park rally. And we were determined to use it.

Let me tell you a story. The border everyone said was closed was actually wide open. In fact, Adam, the American, didn’t even have to pay his $50USD for a visa to get back into the country. Let me tell you a story about my God who provided above and beyond.

We strode to the Easy Coach bus office with unequalled confidence that God would provide a way home that night, and that we would arrive safely the next morning at Rose Ave and we would tell them the story of how our God is bigger than borders and bigger than buses. “My God is bigger than a bus,” we said.

Imagine our surprise, our shock, when we found the office padlocked, not a worker in sight to tell us what to do. But instantly excitement filled us as we wondered how God will move next to bring us home on the 2nd. We believed. And let me tell you a story. We heard about a friend of Arthur, our other companion, who was going to Nairobi that very night. As he sought out his friend, Adam and I prayed to God, thanking Him for how He provided. We again said, “Let me tell you a story of how our big God wouldn’t let inactive buses stop Him from getting us home!”

Imagine our defeat when we got an SMS from Dwight: DO NOT TRAVEL BY ROAD. And just as we got up at the break of dawn the following day, so it dawned on us that we would not get back to Nairobi before the scheduled rally. It seemed that the story of my mighty God had ended.

We had to return to Uganda to fly to Nairobi. When we arrived two days after the “promised day,” I felt bitter toward God. I wanted to tell of His greatness, of His provision. But there was no story!

A wise woman had revealed to me the question I was really asking: Is God good? I was hurting because I trusted that God would move; I put my faith in Him; and that’s always scary because you could be let down. And that’s exactly how I felt. I felt that the One I could trust in most let me down. “Is God good?”

Let me tell you a story. Before I even knew God’s name, He died for me. While I was young and cursed Him, He pursued me. And while I was stuck upcountry crying, hopeless and frustrated, hurt and wanting to go home, He stayed with me. I questioned God’s goodness, His care for me, and He answered. He said, “I am love.” (1 Jn 4:16) Let me tell you a story about how my God is good.

Packing list

We learned sooooooo much at our SIM Cultural Orientation (SIMCO) last July! We had been warned by those who had gone through it to keep things organized because the amount would be overwhelming. They were right. We're trying to sort through the things that, at the time, seemed so straightforward. Now we're caught in the "I know they said something about that....now where is it????" stage.

One of the great blessings that I, personally, retained was the Women of the Harvest online magazine. It's written by and for women serving cross-culturally. What a wealth of knowledge and resources it has! (http://www.womenoftheharvest.com/)


We're currently trying to figure out what to sell, what to store and what to take when we move. It's slightly whelming to say the least! :)


Reading an article in January's WOH brought us back to the fundamentals of keeping first things first. The packing list they recommend helps us to remember what to pack each day. Perhaps if we start packing today, we'll be "experienced" packers by the time we leave!


Thank you for your prayers for Kenya, Jeff's health and Julie's sleep. All are improving!

PS -- Check out our Links to Friends -- just added. The SIMKenya site has pictures of the compound where we will be living.

Is it safe there?

That has to be the most asked question of us when we tell people we're moving to Kenya. Until a few days ago, we responded with, "Sure it is. Kenya's one of the most stable nations in Africa." And it was. Until the elections. With the Presidential win being questioned by many, politics has turned tribal.

You see, this is not just matter of hanging chads here folks. The political party division is not really even an issue anymore. Now, it's escalated to a tribal division.

It's so hard for us Americans to understand the depth of passion and kinsmanship that Africans have for members of their tribe. It surpasses that of being "Kenyan." We come from such a melting pot that our identity is mostly wrapped around being "American." Even the ethnic divergences we have here pale in comparison to the tribal divisions there.

And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book, and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. (italics mine, the text from Revelation 5:9)

God isn't blind to race or color or tribe and he doesn't want us to be either. God delights in all the complexity and variety and magnificence of His creation! And so should we. Differences are there because God created them that way. But He also wants us to know that those differences only serve to make us complete. Jesus doesn't just love one African tribe or another. He loves us all -- every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

That's why we're going to Africa - safe or not.

When God paints