Recently, NorthPoint Church sent the first-ever all men’s team to Ngaamba. This is the first time that 410 Bridge has been able to facilitate an all-men’s ministry in any of our communities. The results were AMAZING and we rejoice in all that God did.
Today is part 3 of a 4- part reflection on their time in Kenya. It was all just too good to sum up, so we’ve pulled excerpts from their team blog to share with you the impact of relationships and how Relationships can change a person’s view of the world and themselves… Enjoy!
Oct 25- Hanging with the Boys
Today began with another trip to the local market for yet another soccer ball, then resumed with work on a main entrance gate to the Ngaamba Central Primary School. Many of the men that have shown up for the activities and talks joined our team in the work, which allowed them the opportunity to continue to build relationships.
Stevie led a talk about servant leadership to what is becoming a growing number of men. Today’s group was estimated to be about 22 people, ranging in age from mid 20’s to 70 or so. Stevie focused on Jesus’ command to the disciples, that to be great in God’s kingdom, they must be servants of all. In what is becoming shockingly commonplace, the men once again dove right into the discussion with their thoughts.
In talking about how they could be servants, they focused on two areas – Family and Community. The men shared that they could be servants to their family by being an example to their kids, helping their wives with their work, and spending time with their family. We really should pause here for the rest of the culture of Kenya to catch up. The idea of helping the wife with her work, such as getting water, cooking, or just caring for the kids, is truly revolutionary for that culture. Come to think of it, the idea of servant leadership is too often revolutionary even in our culture.
The second area that they focused on was Community. The men pointed out that they could be flexible in their plans, listen to the needs of the community, and be there to help.
They put the lesson immediately to work. At Itumbule Primary School, the men of Ngaamba assisted our team in the hour that they spent with the Grade 8 (roughly equivalent to our 8th-9th grade) students. About 60 of the 600 students of Itumbule Primary School – a popular school because of its meal plan – were split into 3 groups. The groups rotated every 15 minutes. In one group, Reggie, Justin, and Jim fielded a no-holds-barred Q&A session where the most popular questions were about their families, their jobs, and the weather in the U.S. Tombo and Stevie taught another group a modified version of cornhole using Frisbees as landing spots for bean bags. Every now and then, a roar could be heard throughout the school as the kids landed the perfect throw. Not to be outdone, Taylor and Khari taught a third group a song complete with dancing and hand motions. Rumors of the dance moves resembling an OSU Cowboys victory march have been completely debunked.
The striking part of all of this is how the men of Ngaamba threw in to help serve these kids. They translated and helped out in other ways, too. Samuel, who works for 410 Bridge and lives in the community, commented about how unusual it was for these men to come together. It’s just not normal.
