In the Words of Cecilia

Being at Daystar is a miracle that I cannot even explain. I have never had anybody to rely on financially in my entire life, but I know God makes a way where there is no way, and I trust in Him. I am studying community development and psychology because after I graduate I want to go back to my community to work with hurting people.

I’m an orphan; my mother died when she was giving birth to me. I was brought up by my grandparents who took care of me and who struggled very much to provide for my primary education. I went to secondary school on a scholarship from the government, and in January 2008 I joined Daystar.

I got saved on April 14th 2005 after hearing a testimony about how Jesus cares for those who trust in Him. Before that I was very bitter with God and thought I was the most disadvantaged in the world, but now I know that God loves me and that he is the father to the fatherless and mother to the motherless. I desire to live for Christ and make many people know Him through me.

I plan to start a home where I can take care of orphans and the needy. God is faithful, and I believe he will help me achieve my dream.

"Leo"

One of the wonderful privileges of my new post at Daystar is working with our scholarship students. Already I have been reading some of the stories of our fantastic students. What a blessing!

Leo hales from Burundi, from a tribe called Batwa, they are commonly known as Pygmies. When I was a child I remember hearing stories of these very small people that lived in the wilds of deepest, darkest Africa.

As it turns out Pygmies (Batwa) are discriminated against by all the people groups that surround them. For generations they have believed their neighbors were right when they referred to them as animals. This attitude by those surrounding tribes had become a self-fulfilling prophecy for most every Batwa.

When Leo heard the good news that he was in fact included in those Christ came to die for, he was a changed man! Defying the odds against him he began telling his people the good news of Jesus Christ and helping others see they are not animals but God’s children.

Today Leo is one of our scholarship students in community development at Daystar University with a strong vision to return to his people and help them see their own dignity in Christ. He is material for leadership in the future of his people, servant leadership – the kind of quality folks Daystar turns out.

It’s an honor to serve such people.

Craft of the Season

Part of what makes me tick is to create - Here's some example of this season's craft:

Cultivating Gratitude

Lately I've been thinking about some of the things I appreciate -

old cars that run well
real and not contrived cultural diversity
sunshine even if it’s cold outside
wiggling babies that fall asleep on your shoulder
commercial free jazz
concentrated work time (getting things accomplished)

I'm sure I could go on and on...

Where in the World is Jan?

Hello Dear Readers -

Just wanted to put it plainly - As of April 1st, I am officially with Daystar US. (That is not an April Fool's joke.) I will have about two and a half months of orientation in the US office, here in Edina. So right now, I am in the Twin Cities. (Just back from a short trip to Kenya to exit Care of Creation, pack up my house and office and meet some of my new Daystar colleagues.)

In June I will head back to Kenya, long-term to work from Nairobi for the US office. The exact flight date is not set yet, but it will be around the middle of the month. I promise to keep you posted.

In the meantime, I have a desk and phone here in the Twin Cities, at Daystar US. I can be reached at:
952-848-4208 or by email at korbel.jc@gmail.com. I also still have my cell: 651-283-0484.

A Visit to Winnie's

Race up the Dual Carriage Way

I only have about 40 kilometers to my destination up the dual carriage way (divided highway with two lanes in each direction) but it can prove to be a white knuckled trip. It’s mid afternoon and the African sun has been doing its job. If I don’t get going soon I will have it in my eyes! I creep through town in slow traffic to get to Waiyaki Way. Once there, the challenge of being fully aware of all your surroundings is upon me.

I make a left turn into the near lane. Being a colony of England, Kenyans drive on the left. I ease around the matatus that have half pulled over to the side to fill their vehicles for the race. It’s already a slight incline and I notice the Pajero whizzing by me on the right. He would have taken the left lane had I swung wide. At least I hope he would have. I push from second gear into third, assessing the lorry in the lane in front of me, he’s probably going about 30 miles per hour; I check my mirrors and glance over my right shoulder. If I shift to fourth I should be able to make it around him before someone comes zooming up behind me.

The vehicles that share the dual carriage way range in speeds from 20 kilometers per hour to 120 kilometers per hour. Additionally there are bikers along the sides and pedestrians looking for a chance to dart across. From time to time there is a donkey cart, it’s square flat bed about the width of a small car, usually two wheel and some kind of load; hay or furniture. Since the shoulder isn’t very wide and sometimes it’s not paved, the cart is usually either partially or fully in the outside lane. The hardest parts to drive are a couple of the steepest inclines where the tarmac is more the texture of hardened lava that cooled as it was poured, with ripples and deep ruts.

It seems that everyone is racing to get to their destination. But most of the distance is uphill, climbing to the ridge of the Great Rift Valley. “Important” people in Mercedes or SUVs whizz by with their professional drivers handling the dodge and weave obstacle course. Average cars can keep a good pace of 80 or 100 kilometers an hour if they’ve been well maintained. There are also ancient Land Rovers or old lorries that might have a bit more challenge with their diesel engines. They huff along, making better headway when the climb isn’t so steep.

Folks know where the police checks usually are and the slow down for them. I avoid eye contact behind my dark glasses so I won’t get pulled over. I’m not doing anything wrong, like talking on the phone or driving without a seat belt, but I will get asked for a bride anyway. I edge the car through the spiked barriers barely far enough apart to get through.

If I stay in the slow lane I will come up behind the crawling trucks. But if I stay on the inside I may become the obstruction that is not fast enough to get out of the way for those finishing first. Besides, I am running this race too. I may not win, but I want to finish. So I do my share of metering out how quickly I can get around the slow lorry or if I shift right down to second in order to keep from plowing into someone or being plowed into.

I’m relieved to get off the highway, but I still have some distance to go. The country road I take from there has no paved shoulders and only one lane in each direction. It has much less of all kinds of traffic and obstacles but there are unmarked speed bumps thrown in here and there. But at least I can see farther since its more flat or even downhill and there is much less traffic. Once I turn into my lane I have only 3 kilometers to go, but the road is so bumpy that I barely get into third gear.

Fifty minutes later, I arrive at my destination. Please, a glass of water and a chair for just 5 minutes while I thank God for another trip without accident or breakdown.