Kibera

Africa is making it really hard to write short posts...I have a feeling this will be another long one so bear with me!

First, I want to say thank you SO much to all of Chris and Lindy's friends and family who posted on my blog.  I feel so blessed to have met them and in turn been introduced to you.  Paige, I did see the picture of you on the fridge! You are absolutely beautiful, know that the Thompson's miss you so much.  Beth, Levi is the most precious baby ever!  Lindy was showing us pictures when we went over for dinner and we all fell in love.  Thank you for commenting, you're right- Chris and Lindy are amazing so thank you for sharing them with Kenya!

Well, on Thursday we had the privilege of going to Kibera with Chris and Lindy.  Chris does street evangelism with some pastors there and Lindy helps out in a school.  We predicted that the weather would be a good indication of what kind of feelings the day would bring and we were right.  Grey skies and drizzly rain mirrored the tears I would cry when I got home that night.  We were greeted with open arms by the sweetest family when we got there.  After taking some chai and officially meeting the pastors family, we were taken over to a small school behind their home.  The children were so sweet as they recited bible verses and sang songs about Jesus' love.  This was only the beginning of adorable children and songs of worship that filled our day.  From the school we left to pray for a woman who has been sick with pneumonia.  We piled into a cramped living room, gathered around a woman who was shaking from fever and we talked to her about salvation then prayed for her health, family and born again husband.  Then we parted ways with Chris so that he could talk to the people off the streets about salvation found in Christ and we could go to the school that Lindy helps at.  The walk was certainly eventful as we straddled a moving train and a trench that led straight down to a current of sewage.  This led us to a small area of town where vendors sold fruit, power strips and skirt wraps, typical combination of goods I know.  These little shops had a foundation of garbage and human waste, just like all of the ground in Kibera, and utilized rusty tin and decrepit wood as their walls.

To get to the school we had to climb down hill a little ways...Now imagine this, four mzungus (white girls) trampling down rocky, uneven ground in every attempt possible not to slip and fall into the mounds of wet human waste and mud that lurked below our feet.  Let's just say it was quite comical but God heard our prayers and carried us cleanly to our destination.  When we got to the "school", which was more like a release from the monotony of staying at home from 5am to 9pm while their parents work, the children were screaming and cheering for us.  It was quite the welcome!  There were 12 of them that gathered around and sang songs about "happy families" and praising God, (it took everything in me not to cry).  In return, we performed songs for them and then fed them lunch.  Lindy made amazing rice, beans and chicken and the children were more than grateful.  One of the little girls was 10 years old and she took care of her brothers who were 7 and 4.  Brian, the 7 year old, looked like he was 2 because of the worms in his body that devoured the little food that he did receive.  His brother was about the same size for the same reasons.  Lindy guesses that they rarely get food because the last time she came they were stuffing their pockets with the left over food.  You could guess that they have never seen a camera either because they all started screaming with joy when Taylor took their picture.  Their little faces lit up and produced smiles that were comparable to all of the children in Kenya, captivating.  At 12 the children left to go back to their homes and wait until their parents got home.  Leaving there was so hard.  I wanted to stay and spend the night with the children.  I felt guilty coming home to Huruma after being at Kibera.  It made me realize how much Mama does for these children at the home and how fortunate they are here.  The children at Huruma have food, clothes on their back, clean water, a warm bed.  Kibera made Huruma look like paradise, if you can imagine that.  I came home feeling completely selfish and to be honest, pissed.  I was so frustrated with my lifestyle when these people have nothing.  I know they have God and that is so comforting to see, but as for basic, physical necessities they have nothing.  I kept thinking about how hard it is going to be to come home to the US after seeing all of that.  Shauna was talking about how she has heard about the poverty and how deeply it affected her after hearing it, but now that she has faces and names and stories to associate with the poverty it is almost unbearable to think about.  I completely related to that statement.  I read on one of Lindy's friend's blogs that said, "with knowledge comes great responsibility" but I don't know what God wants me to do about the injustices I have seen.  I wish it was in my power to control everything in Kibera.  Control in the sense that I had the ability to provide clean water, food, decent shelter and love for all of these people but I know that isn't possible and that it is going to take more than all that I have to give to free them from the poverty they are slaves to.  I read Deuteronomy 15:12 today that says, "There will always be poor people in the land.  Therefore, I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."  It reminds me of something that Jeff Royce taught me, God will never ask you for more than you have to give but what He does bless you with, He wants you to use it all for His glory.  I think this is what God is going to hold me accountable for, doing my part with what I have.  To not let the circumstances of Kibera overwhelm me, but instead to be empowered by the ways that I can contribute no matter how small that contribution may be.  Please pray for the people in Kibera and the children at Huruma, that they would trust in the Lord to make straight their path.  As you lay down to sleep in the comfort of your home, remember these children and pray that God would shower them with His love at night when they sleep in streets of corruption and disease.  My heart is not to give a guilt trip, but rather to open people's eyes to the injustices that are taking place across the world in hopes that they would make a choice to take a stand against it and aid in the efforts to make a difference.