Snapshots from Kenya – Kapenguria

Our first Tuesday in Kenya was spent at the Rev. Joseph Murupus Academy in Kapenguria, Kenya. We were picked up in the morning by Rev. Murupus and he took us on a brief tour of Kapenguria, a rather typical mid-sized Kenyan town. By this time we had grown a bit accustomed to the small shops that sold everything from furniture to cell phone cards to fresh goat meat. The streets were filled with people going to market and catching the latest news.

Just outside of Kapenguria was the Rev. Joseph Murupus Academy, which was located on a farm that Joseph and Mary had purchased for the school. We saw some of the workers bagging the maize that would be used to feed the children during the school year. Half would be used for food for the children and the other half would be sold to help support the expenses of the school. We were given a tour of the new construction that is going on for the high school portion of the school and then came back to the house for tea. Joseph told us that after tea we would meet some of the students, particularly those that Faith Church had been supporting.

After tea, we walked down the dirt driveway toward where the classes of the school were being held. We expected to perhaps visit some classrooms or observe a few of the children at play or doing school work. We were not at all prepared for what we saw as we rounded a slight curve in that dirt driveway.

As we rounded the curve, we saw a sea of red uniforms, some 400 children ages three through high school, lining both sides of the driveway. All the teachers were there as well, and everyone was singing. “Welcome, welcome! We have been waiting such a long, long time for you to come. We are so glad that you are here!” It was a welcome unlike any welcome I have ever received in my life.

The voices of the children and teachers were powerful, joyful and exuberant! Their faces were beaming as we stopped for a moment, literally taken aback by the greeting for us. Claire and I looked at each other and wondered what the special occasion was. Then we slowly began to realize that this welcome, which seemed appropriate for dignitaries, was for us!

We had two thoughts as we stood there with tears streaming on our faces. First, we were overwhelmed by the warmth and joy these students had for us lowly visitors. They were genuinely thrilled to have us there with them! Our second thought was simply this: “We don’t deserve this kind of reception and welcome! We are just ordinary, common people!” And yet, here were these children and teachers welcoming us as though we were someone extraordinarily special. We were thrilled, happy… and extremely humbled.

I’ve thought of that welcome many times since we returned home and I keep wondering if that may be what it is like for the believer when he or she enters into heaven. I can imagine the angels in heaven greeting my father and mother when they died, “Welcome, welcome!! We’ve been waiting such a long, long time for you to come! We are so glad you are finally here!” And I can imagine both of my parents not believing that there would be such a fuss over them who were clearly undeserving.

But that is really the essence of heaven for the believer. We often will see cartoons of St. Peter sitting behind a desk at the gates of heaven, dutifully checking off names to make sure that only the right ones get into heaven. Our entrance into heaven is often portrayed with the same excitement as we might experience waiting in line to get new license plate tags at the county clerk’s office. We patiently wait in line and then slip in a side door and wait to be told where to go and what to do.

Since that day in Kapenguria, I have begun to wonder if our entrance into heaven may not be more like the welcome we received at the school. Revelation 19:5-9 describes the final scene in heaven. “Then a voice came from the throne, saying: ‘Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!’ Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’ (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, ‘These are the true words of God.’”

I wonder if when we die and go to heaven, if there won’t be hundreds of angels greeting us and welcoming us home where we belong. And we will likely be overwhelmed, having the response that we don’t deserve this. I can envision an angel pulling me aside and explaining that this is precisely the point. We don’t deserve it, but because of Jesus, we not only get to be in heaven, but it is a marvelously joyous occasion and a cause for a huge celebration!

Pastor Jerry

September 2007