Mennonite Guest House

After getting into Kenya late last night after nearly 24 hours of travel, I was taken to the Mennonite Guest House to rest before heading to Tenwek in the morning.  A hot shower, bed and dark room were very welcome to my tired and grimy body.  After a good night's sleep I awoke to look out of my patio window to a Kenya that was more beautiful than I could have imagined.
 

This place is so tranquil.  No TVs, no cell phones, just a nice, quaint little bed and breakfast whose patrons mostly include missionaries in transit to their destinations.  The grounds are impecable, the weather mild and the staff overly friendly.  I enjoyed a hot breakfast with sausage, baked potato wedges (kind of like hash browns), fresh fruit and juice.  Sitting outside in the 58 degree sunshine eating this nice meal was great.  Here is a view of the guest house from my table.

I then encountered one of the neatest things I've seen, a prayer garden.  Not just any prayer garden, but a prayer labyrinth.  You entered through an overgrown trellice and saw a sign that read "Enter the Labyrinth:  Come away from other people and responsibilities; come toward prayer."  I thought that was pretty neat, but as I walked through the maze of the garden I literally found myself doing that very thing.  I began to distance myself from the world around me and draw nearer to God.  About that time I found another sign that said "He maketh me lie down in green pastures, He restores my soul."  This drew me even further into His presence and peace.  As I entered the middle of the labyrinth it opened into a small reflecting garden with a sign that read "Search me oh God, and know my heart."  When I stepped into this garden and saw this sign, I was overwhelmed my the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.  I sat on the bench for a few minutes and prayed, thanking God for providing me the opportunity to encounter Him so intimately.  As I walked out, I saw one more sign that read "Return with God, refreshed to the day that awaits."  And that's what I did. . . .

It was amazing how quickly and deeply I fell into fellowship with Him by walking through that garden.  It was a clever way of drawing my attention off of the world an onto Him.  I'd love to have a garden like that in my yard one day.  What an amazing way to turn your attention to Him and prepare yourself to handle the day that awaits.