Where It All Started

The Slums

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Day 12

Kenya is filled with government-owned housing called slums. When you think of someone going on a mission trip to Africa, this is what you probably imagine. 

One-room houses built out of mud and sticks with tin roofs. Hundreds of people living in close quarters. Most don't have jobs and are starving on a daily basis. A lot of the kids at Fiwagoh come from slums, so we packed up two pairs of brothers (Alex, Vintage, John, and Zechariah - who are all cousins) and Pastor Benson took them and the team to the slum they are from. 

We brought bags that contained maize, beans, cooking oil, and soap. We passed the bags out to some families and walked with them to their homes. 

Some senior boys came with us, as well. An older woman named Ruth Wangico needed help carrying. Her bag was heavy, so Johari and I helped her carry it to her home. Ruth immediately grabbed my hand and you could just see The Joy of The Lord on her face. 

Johari translated for me since she didn't speak any English and she said, "I've never held a mzungu's hand before." And I thought about how no one has ever held my hand so tightly. 

Ruth told us that her husband is very sick. We went inside to meet him and their grandson. The room was just a little bigger than my bathroom at home. They don't have beds and just sleep on the dirt floor. 

Her husband talked a lot. Johari translated some of it and other things he kept to himself. Ruth took us outside and in a very hushed tone explained to us that her husband is an alcoholic. I got to pray over Ruth's family and home and then we took a picture together. 

Johari and I walked back to the team's central location where Rachelle was handing out some bracelets with bible verses on them. A man came up to me and started speaking in Swahili. 

Zechariah and John were nearby and stood in between me and the man. John (11) held on to my hand while Zechariah (13) told the man in Swahili to leave us alone and go away.  The man was drunk and the situation would have been fine of the young boys had not been there, but the fact that they protected and cared for me meant the world. 

The boys wanted to show us their home, so they walked the whole team over there. We met their mom and aunts earlier, but they did not hug the boys or show them any love. It was as if they were distant acquaintances rather than family. We were the only ones in the home and prayed for those who lived in it.

Pastor Benson then drove us around to see where Fiwagoh all started... Their first home! They had 12 kids living in this three-room house. They later moved to a five-room house and had 112 kids living there before they moved to the compound where they live now.

We got back to Fiwagoh, played with some kids, took some pictures and had a blast. I helped the cooks make ugali and then I ran to the med clinic because I found out that one of my boys was sick.

Currently, I am at the local hospital with my sweet boy, Boniface, Johari, and one of the nurses on our team. Boniface has an immune deficiency disorder which causes him to get sick very easily. 

PLEASE pray for my sweet friend. He was the first boy I met here and has had a huge impact in my life. Pray for wisdom for the doctors and healing for my boy.

Asante Sana (thank you very much)!

Update

Boniface got an IV and some rest and was able to return to the orphanage with us. A smile will not leave his face on the ride back!

"Blessed is the one who considers the poor!  In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.  The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health." -Psalm 41:1-3

Something of Her Own

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Day 10

This morning, I helped one of out nurses in the med clinic. I lathered some kids up with hydrocortisone because of rashes they had, I did some ringworm treatments, and I cleaned and bandaged some wounds. I also helped Rachelle organize the clinic so that everything is easier to find.

I went over to the new kitchen and helped two of our team members cook food for a teacher's banquet. We wanted to honor the teachers for all of their hard work, so we served them a mzungu favorite... Mexican food. 

We had tortillas, salsa, corn dip, guacamole, refried beans, and fruit. They loved them so much that we were making more for them on the spot. 

We surprised them with the backpacks that contained lesson plan booklets, clipboards, etc. they took a ton of pictures with their backpacks and couldn't stop smiling. I was thanked a hundred times for everything.

We played with the medium kids, went to evening worship and had another senior night where we played signs. They made fun of our Swahili and we made fun of the American accents they tried to do. We had a blast. 

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Day 11

We went to the market in the morning. Some seniors joined us to help us barter. Going to the market stresses me out so much because the vendors push everything on you to buy and I just feel so bad to say no. 

Thankfully, my senior friend, Frezier, stuck by my side and helped me out. I was much better than last year and ended up haggling one item a third of the price down all by myself!

We went to a superstore-like place to buy some snacks/Kenyan coffee/necessities. I told my friend that I would buy her something, thinking it would be a candy bar or something. 

She led me to the clothes section and I just kept thinking, "please don't be expensive... Please don't find anything you like." She saw a dress and cardigan on a mannequin and said, "this is good." 

I told her to go try it on. She modeled it for me after she tried it on and she looked so beautiful and happy wearing it. I just had to buy it for her (with Pastor's permission of course). 

The outfit cost about 2,700 shillings ($27). I all of a sudden could not believe that I had been so selfish and stingy with my money and even hoped that she would change her mind and just want a snack instead. 

This was something she could call her own. Something she didn't have to share. And I was all of a sudden overjoyed to purchase a new dress for her to wear. She thanked me and was overwhelmed by my gratitude. 

I know I blessed her by buying her something new, but she blessed me by showing me how much greater love for others is than money.

We got back to the compound around 2. I helped Allison grade some tests and I went down to the field with some kids. We took pictures and videos until my camera's battery died and we laughed until our stomachs hurt. 

I tucked all the girls into bed after evening worship and they all loved it. I would wrap their blanket around them, tickle them, and then give them a kiss on the cheek. 

Some would jump out of bed and ask for me to tuck them in all over again. One group of girls asked if they could tuck me in! 

My mom tucked me in every night when I was growing up and I didn't think anything of it. Tonight allowed me to see that taking the time to make sure someone is safe in their bed shows how much they love them. And I sure do love these kids. If only I could tuck them in and give them kisses every night.

Sweet Hannah has written me a note every day we have been here, and I have always written her back. When I went to move a blanket around on her bed, I noticed that she had all of the letters I had written her hiding under her sheet. 

I turned to another bed and a group of girls were re-reading and passing around letters I had written them. I decorate and draw pictures on these letters and pretty much write the same thing in every one. 

I do it every night before I go to sleep and sometimes I feel like I can't even move my pen because I am so tired of writing the same thing again. But man... these girls cherish these letters the same way (or maybe more) than I do. 

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." -James 1:27