Trench Life

"Have you ever crawled out of your mosquito net at 4 in the morning to milk your breakfast, boiled water over a fire for your weekly bucket bath, and then mastered the native language in a few short weeks as the only means of communicating with the locals?  Well…neither have we.  Welcome to our trench; it’s not so deep.  Our team is richly blessed to have many of the amenities available back in the US, including a washing machine, microwave, and hot showers, as well as Kenyan family members that make us feel welcomed and comfortable at Tumaini, our home away from home." 

These are the beginning words of the blog post on my Kenyan team’s website: RockNakuru.weebly.com.  I have chosen these words to open my first post about Kenya because A) it gives a good description of life here in the Nakuru trenches, and B) it is a wonderful example of the creativity and absurdity of my fellow “ROCK Nakuru” team members. I will share more about them in the following paragraphs. 

The purpose of this post is to give the reader a basic knowledge of what my life is like here in Kenya. It will be rather straight forward with little critique or analysis. There will be no crazy, deep, philosophical questioning of human existence or anything like that- just the cold hard facts and realities of my living situation. Being a very visual person, I have attached some photos below to give a sense of what things look like around here. I see this type of post necessary to give those who are curious a small glimpse into what my day to day living looks like. So, here it goes…

These are the cottages in which our team lives. Yes, that is a real double rainbow; and yes, that jaw dropping beauty glows overhead two or three times per week during the rainy season.

Pictured above is my room.  Grandma Sue- I hope this picture calms your nerves. Your grandson is not sleeping in a hut, tent, on dirt floors, or under a tarp. As you can see, this missionary trench consists of hard wood floors, big windows (I am a sucker for natural lighting), a comfy bed, a hot shower with better water pressure than I had in college, and…oh yea, I have it all to myself. So if any of you guys out there are itching to serve overseas- I am looking for a roommate…seriously.

This is an example of the food we eat. Each meal consists of proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.  We have a stove, oven, microwave, blender, and coffee machine to help us concoct anything our just-out-of-college-and-there-is-no-more-meal-plan appetites can dream up. My lack of creativity in the food department is an excuse to incorporate peanut butter into at least two meals per day.  The American brands of buttery gold cost over ten dollars a jar here, so we stick to the two dollar (200 Kenyan Shillings) Kenyan brands…they get the job done. Mama Rich, one of our Kenyan mothers has also taught us how to make some staple Kenyan dishes such as cabbage and chapatti.

This is the 1.4 mile long road our team walks almost daily.  It is our connection to the rest of Nakuru.  It takes about thirty minutes to navigate the herding cattle, sheep, and sometimes muddy trenches before we arrive at our matatu pick-up/drop-off spot.

This is the inside of a matatu. It is the most popular form of transportation in Nakuru.  Please don’t let the number of seats fool you- this photographed van is at about half capacity.

This is the team. Allow me to introduce them from left to right:

           First up is Amy “Pat Dat Weave” Gray.  She graduated from UGA in 2009 with a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences. She loves Jesus, honey, laughing, baking, stand-up comedy, and encouraging others.  Her administrative expertise keeps our team afloat.

Next up is Miss Laura Edwards Mong’are.  She enjoys skipping rope, honesty, Kenyan men between the ages of 18 and 55, God, and broccoli.  She graduated with me from Furman University in 2011 with a BS in Biology and concentration in Poverty Studies.

Third is Miss Lauren “It’s Goooood” Cook. Veggie and egg sandwiches coupled with season 1 of ABC’s television series “Lost” define her existence.  She graduated this past spring from Samford University with a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences.  She enjoys football (not the American kind), the Bible, holding Kenyan babies, and singing Adele at the top of her lungs.

Last but not least is Shelley “I make meals using borderline expired products” Martin.  She is a redhead; we don’t hold it against her. She is also a 2011 Furman alum with a degree in Sociology and concentration in Poverty Studies. She enjoys playing in the dirt (our small farm will be yielding fruits and veggies in December!), morning devotionals, vegetarianism, sarcasm, yoga, and making sure our team is actually productive.

This list of my teammate’s talents, hobbies, and interests is not by any means exhaustive.  As we have gotten to know one another over the past few weeks, it has been amazing to see the way in which God compiled a team that compliments one another so well.  It has been fun to observe how each team member has varying interests and abilities that serve our purpose here in Kenya.  I am excited to get to know each of them better and I cannot wait to see what God does in and through us in the upcoming months.

The In Between

     It has been fourteen states, three continents, over 17,000 miles, and way to many “Goodbyes” since my last update. So to all of those people who have loved me so well over the past two month; HELLO from Nakuru, Kenya!

     It truly has been a whirlwind adventure since my last post from West Glacier, Montana.  Last month, I explained where the Lord was taking me after my time in Montana…and now, here I am!  Nakuru, Kenya: home sweet home for the next nine months! Thank you so much for all of the support and continued prayer as the R.O.C.K. Nakuru team steps into a new experience together. Amy, Laura, Lauren, Shelley and I are very excited to settle into our cottages and acquaint ourselves with the local community members and new culture.  While there is already so much to unpack from the short time we have been away from home, I would like to rewind a few weeks and explain what God showed me in the time between Montana and Kenya.

      God is very big. This simple statement became very apparent to Ralph and me as we took a detoured route home from West Glacier, MT. Taking a left-hand turn out of the Treasure State, we were able to see some the countries most beautiful destinations. Two days of the Dave Matthews Band and other artists at the Gorge Amphitheatre; flying fish, the space needle, and the original Starbucks in Seattle; scaling the sea stacks of Olympic National Park; squeezing the Land Rover through the giant trees of Redwood National Forest; Chinese food in San Francisco’s Chinatown; beautiful scenery in Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Arches National Parks; the bright lights of Las Vegas; Tommy Knocker’s Brewery and a free Beach Boys concert with my sister in Denver; dear friends in Memphis and Birmingham; and finally home.  WHEW!! What a trip!  Each leg of our journey was packed with hours of stories, hundreds of photos, and memories that will last a lifetime.

      Ralph and I feel very blessed to do something that most people only dream of doing. We were able to see America from our windshield. Sure, it was a very quick tour- we could have spent at least a month in each destination- but this teaser of a road trip was something I will never forget.  Seeing God’s beautiful creation all over the country gave me a deeper sense of awe at His power and creativity.

      Another thing I learned in the month of September was the overwhelming amount of support I have from the people God has put in my life.  In the two weeks at home before my departure across the Atlantic, I was able to meet with more people than I thought was humanly possible.  These cherished hours were filled with laughter, storytelling, tears, hard decisions, snow cones, prayers, apple pie, and words of encouragement. Whether we shared time over the phone or in person- thank you all for your time and friendship!
     Additionally, I want to thank everyone for the continuous emails and messages I have been receiving. Your support means so much! I will post again on all things Kenya next week! Until then, here are a few pictures captured on my trip home from Montana!

 

The Oregon coast from Highway 101.

 

Mr. Ralph Baker

 

A forest fire in western Washington.



Ralph and Me at sunrise on Angel's Landing in Zion National Park, UT.

  







Oh My Goodness

          The other day I was riding the free shuttle up the scenic Going-to-the Sun Road. This is the winding road that cuts through the Rocky Mountains of Glacier National Park.  The fifteen passenger shuttle was filled with people young and old, all with there eyes glued to the windows ready to take in the grandeur of the park. As we climbed our way up into the mountains, we rounded a narrow curve that opened the bus to a 180 degree view of towering rocky peaks and a sunken green timber-covered valley.  A sense of awe and wonder swept over the entire group of passengers.  The woman in the seat in front of me whispered to herself, “Oh my goodness.”  My friend sitting beside me in disbelief gently whispered under her breath “It doesn’t look real.”  The beauty of the landscape out the window of our van was truly indescribable.

I find myself still thinking about that shuttle ride and the two comments whispered a few days ago. Why is the beauty of the landscape so breathtaking?  The views literally silenced an entire bus of busy-body tourists and caused everyone to quietly stare.  Only a whisper of external processing was deemed appropriate by a few passengers.  Perhaps it is because the onlookers where getting just a small glimpse of God.  It says in Romans 1:20 that, “since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.”  Maybe the scenery doesn’t look real because we live our lives so distracted by finite things.  Perhaps we find ourselves is disbelief at the beauty because we have not spent time looking into God’s eternal power and divine nature.  Just this small glimpse at the complex character of God and his majesty in Glacier National Park is an overwhelming experience for any visitor.

Red Beans and Rice

My good friend and soon-to-be world travel buddy, Shelley Martin, posted on her Facebook a few weeks ago that red beans and rice were calling her name- that is when it hit me.  In five weeks I will be leaving to live, work, and play in Kenya for nine months!  Many of you know that this adventure is something that I have been preparing for through prayer, God’s word, and discussion since last fall; and I cannot believe it is right around the corner.  Many of you have probably talked at length with me about my plans for Kenya and I want to thank everyone who has already encouraged me, challenged me with hard questions, and has prayed with me and/or for me as I have spent the past year discerning my next step in this great adventure. Below are a few details about what I’ll be doing…

The Skinny

It begins with God. He is sovereign, just, and good…among many many other things. He has brought together five recent college graduates that are all passionate about Jesus and want to serve Him and others within His kingdom in Nakuru, Kenya.  Amy, Laura, Lauren, Shelley, and I are the five; and it is incredible to see how the Lord has brought us together with different passions and abilities.  We will soon be relocating to Nakuru, Kenya where we will work with ROCK Bridge Ministries (Reaching Out to Communities in Kenya for Christ) to communally pursue the calling of international ministry and community development. 

While living in Nakuru at ROCK Bridge’s Tumaini Center, we will immerse ourselves in the work of the ministry which holistically ministers to vulnerable populations such as orphaned and special needs children, street women, and families living in the local garbage dump community. Our team will work with the ministries already in place to enhance the existing programs and explore ways in which Christians can responsibly serve in Nakuru in the future. A large component of this pilot program will be working with the Kenyan staff to design 3 to 12 month positions for prospective mid-range volunteers like ourselves, who are interested in health education, economic development initiatives, children and family ministries, and sustainable agriculture.  I feel incredibly blessed to be given this opportunity with ROCK Bridge Ministries and I cannot wait to see all that God does in and through our team as we walk into the works that He has prepared for us.

Here is where you avid blog readers come in.  Whether you like it or not, this blog has just turned into an interactive communication medium. But before you close the browser window, please read a few more sentences!

Our team needs prayer.  I do not think anything can be done for God’s kingdom without his divine power and graciousness at the center of it all.  So that is where you all come in. I’ll let you know what needs prayin’ for; then y’all git to prayin.’  Yup, it is as simple as that! Just drop your head and throw up a prayer right then and there when you read it.  Your prayers don’t need to be fancy or have any super-religious jargon in them, just throw one up and trust in God’s willingness to answer prayers if we make them known to Him. Check it out:

        Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

                                                                                 -Philippians 4:4-7 

If you really feel the urge, our team would love it if anyone wrote down the prayer requests and prayed daily, weekly, monthly, bimonthly, or tri-millennially. Additionally, if you are feeling really participatory, you could drop a quick comment on the bottom of these blog posts, send an email (pauljosephmoore@gmail.com), or facebook message.  Also, you could check out our website for updates, prayer requests, and leave comments there!

While our team first needs prayer warriors, there is a second opportunity for those who are interested in getting more involved.  As the “guinea pigs” on this mission endeavor, we are beyond blessed to have a generous commitment from the Beech Foundation matching the first $10,000 our team raises. The hope is that between the matching grant, respective summer jobs, and each of our churches and families, the group will procure the $34,000 we estimate will be necessary to sustain the nine month pilot project for five people. If you feel led to join in this work by financially supporting us, a tax-deductible check may be written to: The Beech Foundation, 2461 O’Neal Road, Conyers, GA 3009 with R.O.C.K. Nakuru in the memo line.

If anyone would like more details about this next step in my adventure, or has some good advice for this bright eyed young lad, please do not hesitate to drop me an email or Facebook message with your contact info. I enjoy conversing with others about this trip and would love to hear from any and all of you! I have already received an overwhelming amount of encouragement from readers and I cannot express how grateful I am for that! In the mean time, here are a few more pics from the MT.



Sunset on The Highline Trail



Ralph trekking up The Head over Two Medicine

on our Mount Henry summit.

  

Sunset at Granite Park Chalet

 

Independence Day fireworks over Whitefish, MT



Settling In

           It’s been a little over a month since I arrived in Montana and my head is still spinning.  I cannot seem to wrap my mind around what I am actually doing here! There are mountains everywhere, bighorn sheep traffic jams, glacier scaling grizzlies, huckleberry flavored everything, and hundreds of miles of backcountry trails that I have yet to sojourn! In my short time here, I have talked with people from all over the world who have come to Glacier National Park to experience everything it has to offer. 

Labeled “The Crown of the Continent,” or “the Swiss Alps of North America,” there is so much this park has to offer. There is such a great mystery and excitement that lies in the depths of the wilderness here.  On one hand, the stillness of the forest and whispering creeks invite the curious hiker into an experience that may seem other worldly.  On the other, the overwhelming presence of great mountains and deep, jagged gorges filled with roaring white water offers the onlooker a humbling gulp of the tenacity that the wilderness contains.  The craziest thing of all is that these dichotomous sensory experiences are all reached within a few hours of hiking (that was my best crack at a travel brochure summary)!

So why am I really here? I keep asking myself this question as I sit in amazement at the opportunity I have been given this summer.  Having thought about this question before arriving in Montana, and thinking on this question now, I have arrived at the same conclusion: I am here to serve God and love people.  While this is a simply stated objective, it seems to be the hardest thing on which to follow through.  Jesus said it so plainly in Mark 12, but it’s just hard. I don’t realize at every moment of the day that the creator of the universe- the same creator that made the mountains I drool over and hung the stars at which I marvel- also wants an intensely personal relationship with me! Thank you God for grace this summer as I learn about this great commandment!

While I try to live out the thoughts from the paragraph above, there are a few big things with which these thoughts will collide.  Keep reading for some details about the ministry I am involved with while I am here and the people I am partnering along side this summer.

More Than an Acronym

ACMNP stands for A Christian Ministry in the National Parks. BASICALLY, this organization is a Christian ministry in the national parks…pretty self explanatory, I know. More specifically, it is a vehicle through which 180 participants in 26 different national parks around the country lead interdenominational worship services on Sundays throughout the summer.  Each team is supposed to have a seminarian student that acts as the team leader.  The seminarian writes a talk each week based on a passage from the Bible to share with service attendees.  Unfortunately, our team seminarian dropped out last minute, which leaves a bunch of untrained, inexperienced, and nervous kids in charge.  With this being said, insert verse of the summer:

“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ towards God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the spirit.”

                                                            II Corinthians 3:4-6a

Praise God that our team is not reliant on our own ability this summer, but the immeasurable ability of our Creator!  As we led the worship service last week, I was blown away by how God used untrained, inexperienced, and nervous kids to bring glory to His name.

“Who makes up this team I keep reading about?” one may be asking themselves right about now.  Let me take a moment to introduce you to my new brother and sister that I will be getting very close to this summer!

Mr. Robbins enjoying a marshmellow

          Allow me to introduce Chris Davis Robbins. He is a 24 year old Ohio State alum from Columbus, Ohio. We try not to hold the whole Buckeye thing against him; it’s tragic, I know. Chris loves Jesus, coffee, lacrosse, and the great outdoors. His energy is contagious and I find myself always laughing when he is around.  He brings to the table a plethora of life experiences and good stories which will be interesting to unfold in the following weeks and months.

Ralph swimming in the
glacier melt waters of Avalanche Lake

Some of you may know the most recent addition to our ministry team, Mr. Ralph Baker. Ralph is a dear friend of mine whom I met freshman year at Furman University; and we have been walking through life together ever since.  As one may imagine, I am ecstatic that he is here.  Ralph is among the wittiest people I have ever met.  He cares so well for the people around him and has a refreshing perspective on the Gospel.  I can’t wait to see how God uses him this summer.

Hallie at 6,000 feet overlooking
Waterton, Alberta on our trip to Canada

Ms. Hallie Szott is the brave soul that has taken the sole female spot on the team.  But do not worry, her experience growing up with three younger brothers makes her more than equipped to handle the shenanigans that Chris, Ralph, and I will get her into this summer.  Hallie is a woman of many interesting talents and experiences. She may be one of the better bowlers I know, her PR is 257!  She is also a cello extraordinaire and world traveler!  Hallie is the cement that holds this team together.  Nothing would happen in the realm of “administrative ministry,” as the ACMNP director phrases it, without Hallie’s patience, persistence, and sharp listening skills.

Well, those are a few details about life way up here in Montana. There is so much to say (badebaby)!  It has taken a few weeks to get into a groove with our formal ministry services and I am so excited to see how God will use the four of us in His great plan.  I will post again next week with some details about my job and living situation, as well as some exciting news about what I am doing in September when my time in Montana is up.  This summer is going by way too fast! In the mean time, I leave you with a few pictures and my postal address for all of you bakers and generous snail mail supporters; I would love to hear from you! 

P.J. Moore

P.O. Box 524

West Glacier, MT 59936

Ps. If you send a letter, postcard, or package I promise to send back a Glacier Park postcard!



A male black bear on the U.S.A./Canadian border

America

A young moose we spotted on our drive to Many Glacier, MT

The moon hanging at dusk in Waterton, Alberta

Me Oh My, Huckleberry Pie

Hello from Montana! After 2500 miles of driving through endless rolling hills and winding mountain roads, Dad and I finally made it to West Glacier, Montana on Wednesday, June 1^st around 2pm.  This part of the country truly is one of God’s most beautiful works of art!  After checking into my cabin, Dad and I did what everyone does after driving across the country…got back into the car and drove around Glacier National Park for a few hours.  Pops had to be on a 6am flight home the next morning so we had to explore all the park had to offer (even though most of the scenic roads are closed due to avalanches and snowfall).  After checking out Lake McDonald (no, Ronald does not live on, around, or under the lake), fine dining at the Belton Chalet on elk kabobs, bison meatloaf, and fresh trout, and meeting my roommate Chris, it was off to bed so we could get up at 4am to catch Dad’s flight home.  Our week long adventure from Georgia to Montana had come to an end.  The time my Dad and I spent together on the road doing stuff and talking about stuff that fathers and sons are supposed to do and talk about on road trips is something that I will always cherish.  I am so blessed to have a father that loves and supports me in the way that he does and I thank God for our relationship. 

So, in more recent news, I have been here for about a week now and each day is filled with new adventures. I didn’t start work until today, so for the last five days I have been vacationing in the crown of the continent, Glacier National Park.  Some friends I have made who are working in West Glacier and myself have gone on a few hikes and have had some good hang out time already.  They are all really neat people from all over the country; and I have even made friends with a girl from Ukraine!

My first day of work today at the West Glacier Mercantile went very well. It is really slow this early in the season due to rain and colder weather so there was plenty of time to be trained in all the areas of the general store. I learned how to ring customers up at the cash register, make sandwiches in the deli, issue fishing licenses, and stock shelves…pretty exciting stuff I know….

Well, that is all for now since my computer is about to die (I am sitting in my car, in a parking lot, in the rain, in the only spot I get wireless internet, and there is no outlet for my computer charger). I’ll have a mailing address for all you postal service supporters out there next time I post. Below are a few pictures with captions from the road trip out here along with a few from my Glacier National Park escapades thus far. Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

Dad, Krist, and myself skiing at A-Basin at 13,000 feet.



The Black Stallion, Big Papa, and myself in Grand Teton National Park



Just hanging out with the Bison in Yellowstone National Park

Trees at the Old Faithful area in Yellowstone National Park

An elk grazing in West Yellowstone.

The sign read, "Voted Best Huckleberry Pie." The quest begins.



No big deal, just a black bear cub.



Victory.

The Open Road

Hello loved ones!  After some thought and encouragement I have decided to write a blog to keep everyone up to date on my post Furman adventures.  For now, I am leaving the land of sweet tea, palmetto flags, red Georgia clay, and slow southern draws for a place I have never known. I will do my best to keep this thing relatively up to date, concise, grammatically correct, and free from prefacing (like I am doing now...I have already failed).  Anyone that knows me understands that these things are all very hard for me.  And now for the adventure...

My Dad and I started on our week long trip across America last week on Wednesday morning, May 25th at 10:22am ET. Destination: West Glacier, Montana. There, I will be working for A Christian Ministry in the National Parks in Glacier National Park until mid September (the 3min 40sec video on the homepage actually interviews a guy named Steve German; I will be filling his shoes this summer in Glacier).  I can not wait to see all that God will reveal to me through this experience!

But not so fast! Pops and I are taking the long way to Glacier and making a few stops along the way. First, we stopped by my sister Katie's workplace in Nashville, TN to say hello and drop off a few things. Then, after braving the 60mph winds, flash flood rains, and falling debris on the highway, we arrived safely in Lake St. Louis, MO at the home of our good family friends, Mike and Patty Bunch.  We popped some brews and had a good late night chat in their new basement before we all headed off to bed.  We woke refreshed to cool temperatures and 13 hours of driving ahead of us. We said our goodbyes, posed for some pics, crushed some Egg McMuffins (hold the butter, of course) and set out across Kansas. After driving for hours across the "The Sunflower State," we kept driving across The Sunflower State...and kept driving. And guess what, we didn't see a single sunflower! Just a whole bunch of nothing all around us for as far as we could see. There was something fascinating about this landscape, however.  Maybe because it is so different from what I had ever seen before, but this slice of Americana, where we were surrounded by 360 degrees of horizons and big skies was beautiful.

After a long but rewarding day of driving, we met my sister, Kristi, at her apartment in Denver, Colorado to visit for the Memorial Day Weekend.  For not having any plans before we arrived, this weekend has turned into quite the visit.  Three Large Mexican meals, a river-front walking tour of Denver, a visit to Wings Over the Rockies, skiing at 13,000 feet (I hadn't been skiing in 14 years), lunch with extended family, dinner with old friends, chocolate covered apricots slices, TommyKnocker Root Beer and Wings, and a Red Rocks Church service have all culminated to possibly make the best half way point stop on any road trip known to man.  Tomorrow morning, Dad and I begin the final leg of our week long trip. Over the next 2.5 days, we will be driving up through Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Flathead National Forest to arrive in West Glacier, Montana on Wednesday afternoon.  I have to give a shout out of praise to the big man upstairs for His wonderful creation and the opportunity to have the time to spend with Kristi in Denver and my Dad on the road to talk about life, relationships, and all the other bad drivers there are in the world.

Well, if you have read this far into my blog post you are either very bored, care for me in some way, or both. Thanks for taking time to visit and I'll try to post once I get settled in up in West Glacier. Please feel free to email me at pauljosephmoore@gmail.com or comment below; I would love to hear from you! I'll post a shipping address when I get up there...just in case...I don't know...you would like to send some goodies my way or something.

Here is my car driving/shower singing playlist as of late:
-Album: God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise; by Ray Lamontagne and the Pariah Dogs
-Song: Palmdale (censored version); by Afroman  ...I have no idea why...
-Crisis: My itunes crashed 2 days before the longest road trip of my life.

That is all for now. Please be praying for continued safe travel and that God would be preparing my heart for what He has in store for me this summer.  Thanks for reading!