Pastor Mbasha

A couple weeks ago I spoke at Pastor Mbasha's church. He has become a friend of ours. He works as a handyman at the orphanage.
We get lots of invitations to visit and speak at churches but we can't go to all of them. But I really wanted to visit Pastor Mbasha's church. You see Pastor Mbasha is from a tribe known as Chagga. But he is a pastor in Massai land. The Massai love him and have accepted him as one of their own...That is not a common thing.

The morning we were to visit his church we drove to his house first and had tea...I love African tea (chai). Then everyone piled in our truck. Normally Pastor Mbasha rides his bike to church with two or three of his kids (he has four kids) on his bike, rides back home and takes his wife and one more child to church. I knew he did this before we visited but I didn't realize what that meant. As we drove in our truck along the dirt road that was filled with massive bumps and dips, I couldn't believe that he rides this twice in the morning with family members on the bike...And that doesn't count the rides back home after church services. My heart ached for him...Especially when I found out the distance one way on bicycle is an hour and that he has been doing this for SIX YEARS. I actually cried...What a faithful pastor...What an amazing man. I loved the church and the people. I enjoyed meeting Pastor Mbasha's family and spending the day with them.

For the next few days my heart was burdened over this man and his one bicycle. Jodie, Melissa and I talked and the three of us felt the same. That day we took an African friend with us to purchase a brand new bicycle for Pastor Mbasha.
I wish I could describe to you the scene when we drove up in the truck with his new bike in the back. I have a picture of him with his bike...He is holding it up over his head. :) (I tried to take my laptop to the internet cafe to download pictures but I have not been successful yet)

Pastor Mbasha and I have become friends. We are the same age and were born on the exact same day. He calls me his dada (sister) from the Lord. I tell him he is a gift from the Lord to me. He never asks for anything from us. He takes a bus 45 minutes to our orphanage and shows up on time everyday and works very hard. He is a blessing.

I have been praying for a vehicle for him. He is one of the nicest people I know in Africa. He is a wonderful person. I am asking the Lord to bless him and his family with a vehicle. In Africa vehicles don't cost as much as in America so a good running vehicle could be purchased for around $5,000 U.S. dollars.
I don't have that money but I know that the Lord is going to bless him with it...And soon I'll be writing all about it in one of my blog entries. :) Just wait and see!