Kenya Updates

On to new things
6/28/2007 By: Rebecca, Real Life Leader

Today is our last day in Kibera. We have packed our things and made our farewells. Yesterday we hosted a tea at our compound for those we built relationships with and ministered beside so we could thank them and say good-bye. It was unbearably hard to leave some of the friends we have made, particularly the guards at our compound and the boys that spend all afternoon outside our gates waiting for us to come play with them.

Kibera has been good to us! We have seen God work in mighty ways both in us personally and in the lives of those we encountered. Yesterday we were able to take a Bible in Kiswahili to a woman named Pamela that we met during an afternoon of door to door evangelism. She eagerly accepted Christ after we quoted a few scriptures for her. That is how hungry these people are for truth! We prayed for her baby who was sick and he was healed the next day, Praise the Lord! We have gone to visit her three times since, and every time I am blown away by the joy that dwells within her and her children. As we shared the Word with her yesterday in a dark home lit by one small makeshift candle, the whole place seemed to light up with her eagerness for scripture and truth. Our prayers and study were only interrupted by her young son Ike, who would randomly call out "Eyes! Nose! Mouth! Ears!" while pointing to his face just to show us that he knows some English. These are moments that will be remembered and cherished by us forever. I pray that we will have many more of these moments as we head into the mountains.

May the Lord bless and continue the work He began in Kibera through us this month! We are so grateful that He has chosen to work through us. It is a blessing and joy that we are so unworthy of, but so thankful to receive. Continue to pray for us. We will be debriefing our time in Kibera over the next two days, during which we will also be resting and going on a game drive. We head into Eburu on Saturday which will be a new and entirely different experience, but one we are eager and ready for. Thank you so much for your continued love and support.

God Leads the Way
6/23/2007 By: Chelsea, participant ~ First Presbyterian Church

The second day that we were in Kibera I met a woman while we were out walking. Her name was Lilian. I talked with her awhile and said that I would come back to visit her on Saturday. When I got back there had been a change in our plans and Saturday we were now planning to do an outreach with one of the local pastors.

That same day I had read in one of the missionary books we are required to read about following through with promises. Out of all the chapters I had read, the thing that stuck with me the most and all day was a passage that said “do not make a promise that you can’t keep to a people group” (the book was about bringing the gospel to Africa: David Livingstone). So I was very sad that I would not be able to follow up with Lillian.

On Friday, our day to be in intentional with relationships in the community, I went prayer walking with Ryan and Sara and we were walking down a trail that I thought Lillian’s market stand was on, but nothing looked familiar. I prayed to God that he would help me find Lillian, and that he would lead me to her.

Sara asked me if anything looked familiar. I said that it didn’t but I decided to ask the next person I saw if they knew Lillian. So I approached a market stand and asked if this woman knew Lillian. She says, “I am Lillian. Are you Chelsea?” Praise the Lord! He always answers prayers, and keeps His promises. I am so thankful that he helped me keep my promise to Linian.

Sophie
6/23/2007 By: Ryan, participant - Annex First Presbyterian

In our initial encounter with Sophie she was unable to rise herself from the bed or communicate anything other than moans. Her husband, Abram, said that she suffered from a terrible headache and fever leaving her bedridden; we also observed what we interpreted as waves of depression.

Through God’s grace and power she was capable to voice her desire to accept Christ as savior and Lord. After this happened we proceeded to pray the Lord’s healing wonders over her body and soul. Unfortunately, it was getting dark so we could not spend a great amount of time with her and her family due to Kibera’s dangerous nature in the darkness.

We left her tin-roofed mud house with her condition still in our minds and compassion for her situation in our hearts. We knew that we would be back to check on her situation in the weeks that we had to stay in the slum and when we did we were blessed.

Sophie was completely healed of her physical pain and we rejoiced with her and her family. Her smile penetrated awkwardness that comes with a language barrier and awesome attitude alluded to her born-again life.

We continue to build a relationship with our new-found sister in Christ, she came to church with us last Sunday and she is enjoying her new found faith and life. However, during our visit yesterday we saw in person how the Christian life is not the easiest, especially right after conversion. Her marriage, unfortunately, is one of the typical Kenyan relationships. Women are viewed as inferior and often are abused physically and emotionally.

This vulnerability was something new that we encountered and we asked her if we could pray for her marriage much like we prayed for her health. We know God is powerful and that somehow Sophie’s situation is a blessing but we hope and pray that he lifts his daughter up in her pain and tenderness.

Washington
6/23/2007 By: Katy, Staff/Leader

The first day we met Washington he was fighting with the other boys outside our house. We had to separate him from the group. Christiana sat with him even though he speaks no English and Christiana speaks no Swahili; he was clearly comforted by her presence.

After that day Washington came over every day to play with us. He is not in school so we invited him to join us in ministry where ever we go.

Washington is an orphan. His mother died just a few weeks ago. He had been sleeping at a neighbor’s house, but this week they chased him from their home telling him not to return. When our team heard of his need we were broken and turned to prayer.

That same day we went to minister alongside a local Pastor named Mike. He showed us the ministry God has led him to open, a boy’s home for street kids. The Lord has already provided a house, and Pastor Mike and his wife are just waiting for God to provide the boys and financial needs. We spoke to him about Washington and Pastor Mike agreed to take him in as a son.

“If we leave these children on the streets the crime and lifestyles they turn to will be counted as our own sins. We are responsible for these children, who have no one. We have to love them and grow them up as men who love the Lord Jesus. They will be the ones who win their people over to the Kingdom if Light.” – Pastor Mike

Later that day we returned home to find Washington waiting at our gate. When we explained that we had found a home for him he was nervous. He began to cry and did not want to come with us. After being encouraged by the other children Washington agreed to go and climbed into our van crying. Anne sat with him as we drove to his new home. He was welcomed by his new parents with love.

They gave him clean clothes and sent him to bathe. After his bath he timidly sat with the family and told them his story. We prayed for him and his new family and left for the night.

The next day we visited Washington and the family. We found him playing with his new brother and sister, laughing. He came to our house to visit today dressed in clean clothes and well fed. Although he didn’t speak English his eyes spoke of thanks and comfort.

We have been playing with him all morning. He will not stop grinning. Praise God for saving Washington and giving him a family that is going to usher him into a relationship with Jesus that will change this community.