English Radio Program

07 August 2008

SISTER FREDA, 3

Jesus went up into the hills and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. Mark 3:13.

Harold Sala: I never cease to be amazed how God will speak to the hearts of certain individuals who are willing to be used, and then God uses them. Someone said that the greatest ability is dependability. And that is especially true in relationship to the calling of God. Here in the studio with me are Floyd and Marilyn Mohr. They have just returned from Kenya . They have been involved in a project that is of great interest to Darlene and me. My wife Darlene has just written a book, Heart of Compassion, Hands of Care . Floyd and Marilyn, glad we can be together and you can share how you got involved in Kenya and in the work in Kitale, in particular. Now, you have been in building and property management, right?

Marilyn Mohr: That's correct!

HS: And Floyd—you often let your wife do the talking but I want you to talk too — you are an engineer by background, right?

Floyd Mohr: I'm an engineer by background. I worked on the space shuttle.

HS: So you're a “nuts and bolts” sort of guy.

FM: Yeah, that's right.

HS: Okay. Marilyn, what took you to Kenya the first time?

MM: Well, we had decided that we wanted to go on some mission trips with our church. And that particular time we didn't know exactly where we wanted to go but we went to Ukraine first. And after going there we came home and I met another person who said she had been to Kenya . And she said, “I left my heart in Kenya .” And I thought, “Well, what does that mean?” I don't really know exactly what that means. But I decided on the next trip to Kenya with our group from our church that I would participate in that. So we went.

HS: You joined big Steve Rutenbar, who's also on our Guidelines board, and that's how you ended up in Kitale, right?

MM: That's correct. Big Daddy Rutenbar. That's the one who took us there.

HS: Okay. Now you have been an administrator. How do you fit into the work in Kitale?

MM: Well, that's a very interesting story. When we were there with Pastor Steve, we visited Sister Freda's hospital facility. And I was so taken by her and her humility and how she serves God and the way she cares for the people in her community. So I felt God really nudging at my heart and telling me that He really felt I needed to come back. And yet I kept putting it aside because I thought, “What can I possibly do?”

HS: Floyd, how many times have you packed your bags now and headed to Kenya ?

FM: Four or five times.

HS: And what do you do as engineer once you get there?

FM: That's a very interesting thing because it was called “What do I do?” And again God's calling puts you in the right place at the right time because on the last trip with Steve, which was about a year and a half ago, they were starting a building project there with Sister Freda and I started checking into it and it's called “There were no drawings or plans whatsoever for the building.” So I sat down at a coffee table and drew plans for the building, making plans that would work in Kenya and not plans that would work in the US .

HS: Marilyn, I am not really sure though if you gave me an answer to what you when you're there.

MM: I went to Freda and I said, “I feel God is calling me to come here but I'm not a medical person. I don't have any medical background. So I have no idea what I could do to help you.” She looked at me straight in the eye and she says, “I need an administrator.” Well, I can do that. That's what I've done all my life.

HS: What is amazing to me is how God will take people who are willing and want to serve the Lord and use them, both of you in a tremendous way. On our next edition of Guidelines, I am going to have you tell how God brought electricity and now we are ready to throw the switch. More on this theme tomorrow.

Resource reading: Mark 3:13-19.