Faith, Works and Synergy

The following is a guest post from Kevin Adamson, who was a part of the Impact Trip visiting Kenya last week. 

“As I reflect on my time here in Kenya, my second trip with CARE for AIDS, I am seeing this Biblical mandate of faith and works played out very clearly in my day to day. I am being challenged that maybe there is more to this idea of faith and works than we commonly think about in Christian circles.

A few weeks prior to my journey here in Kenya, I was reading through James 2:22. It says, “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” I was stopped on this phrase “working together.” As I searched deeper as to the intent of what James had written for us over 2000 years ago, I found that my eyes were being opened in a new way.

The people suffering here in Kenya from HIV/AIDS need many things. They must have the prescribed drugs along with a proper diet and medical counseling provided by CARE for AIDS working together to regain strength and live healthy. They need the spiritual counseling working together with the power and love of Jesus to begin to have a hope for the future. They need love and support, prayer and encouragement, all working together as their lives are restored.

The problem of HIV/AIDS in Africa is great. No one person or one organization can solve this problem. But, we have the opportunity to be a part of the solution, working together with CARE for AIDS to accomplish the mission God has given them, “To mobilize the church in caring, both spiritually and physically, for families affected by HIV/AIDS in Kenya.”

The word James chose to use to describe, “working together” is “Synergos.” I am sure you recognize this word, synergy, as translated in English. Webster, or dictionary.com as we might say today, defines this word as the “working together” of two things to produce a result greater than the sum of the individual.

I am beginning to realize now how God was speaking to me when I read this verse in preparing for my time in Kenya. Of course it would be easy to just stop at James’ example of faith and works, which seems simple enough, right? If we just do these two simple actions we will be living as Jesus followers. I am trying to be more conscientious of this each day, and I am thankful God is opening up my heart and mind to this. After all, that is one of the reasons that I am in Kenya now.

What I am seeing unfolding now in front of me is how this working together, this synergy, is such a vital component of not only the spiritual transformation we as believers seek but also the mental and physical transformation so desperately needed in the clients which CARE for AIDS serves.

I hope you will consider joining us in this mission.”

Thank you to Kevin and the other Impact Trip participants for serving our ministry with their hands and feet. If you’d like to join us on this mission, come visit Kenya this summer!

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Is an Impact Trip for me?

One of the opportunities CARE for AIDS offers for donors is a chance to see how what they’re giving really is making an impact. It’s the chance to see how your involvement is literally making footprints, not only by our counselors, but most importantly by our clients as they regain their health and hope.

This year we have Impact Trips scheduled for both March and June. These trips will allow donors to see the inside of CARE for AIDS and take notice of the opportunity to give.

So how do you know if an Impact Trip is right for you? 

One thing we are incredibly passionate about is a principle that is explained in When Helping Hurts, and that is our desire to support local initiative and not do for others what they are capable of doing for themselves. This is not to push away responsibility, but rather empower local creativity and point out their strengths. After all, they know their culture better than we do! When we listen as much as we talk, we all reap a much greater reward and are able to grow together.

An Impact Trip is an opportunity to see how your gifts, your financial encouragement, is truly empowering rather than creating dependency. You’re investing in people who will be the ones raise their families, start new businesses, and affect their society through the love of Jesus.

An Impact Trip is an invitation to the conversation at the kitchen table. Whether you’re a business person, church leader, young professional, or family, it’s an opportunity to learn and engage with our ministry.

During my visit in December, I got to sit during a group counseling meeting and see clients supporting one another as they talked about their current struggles. They each had a story to tell and, despite the hardship, they were smiling, hopeful. I watched as one of the CARE for AIDS counselors shared encouragement and gave instructions on medication. I held one of the children, an 8 month old baby who is the same age as my nephew, and talked with her mother about how active she was. Her mom was thankful she had the energy to keep up with her. We are so much stronger when we have a community around to support us. 

If that’s something you get excited about, then we’d love to talk to you about joining us!

Have you already been to Kenya with us? What was your best memory? 

How do I respond?

I have come back to the States several times since I started living abroad in 2010. I often find myself coming to the US and wondering how to respond to the drastic differences in the two worlds I see. Being home during this holiday season, I’ve realized how many “things” that we have in the States. I can have a meal in a matter of seconds at a drive through or find just about anything I need at one shop. When I compare this to the monetary poverty in most of Kenya and the developing world, I struggle with how to respond. Should I feel guilty for having things or getting new things? Should I sell everything I own? Can I enjoy the things I have?

If you have spent any time abroad or in a place of extreme poverty, you may be able to relate. I am certainly not saying that I have any answers. I definitely don’t claim to exemplify a perfect balanced way of life, but here are a few things I have learned over the years.

• Having things is not bad. It’s about how you use those resources that matters. The Bible teaches that we are to be stewards of what we have and use those for His Kingdom. Like any blessing we should use it to bless others.
• Don’t polarize your culture and the one you experienced. Don’t overlook the flaws in outside cultures or exaggerate the flaws in your own culture. Each culture reflects God in a beautiful way, but each culture also has flaws.
• Sometimes the first and most appropriate response is exemplifying a life of gratefulness, contentment, and thankfulness.
• While overseas or soon after, don’t make drastic promises to yourself or other people before you have spent time thinking about it first. Take time to process what you have seen and outline one practical thing you can do that will contribute to the needs you saw.
• Most of all, there is more than monetary poverty. Often we only see cultures in terms of material poverty and overlook other poverties like spiritual and social.

As we continue in celebrating the birth of Christ and look forward to a New Year, here is my simple encouragement for us all during this holiday season:

1. Be grateful for what God has given you.
2. Trust that God is working around the world in every community, rich and poor.
3. Pray about how you can be involved with His work overseas.