Jambo!
3 weeks down. I can't believe how fast this trip is going. I knew it would go quickly, but with barely a week and a half left all I can say is I'm not ready to leave.
This past Friday we did a mini medical camp at a school in kibera, the largest slum in east Africa and possibly one of the largest in the world. We saw about 300 people. The conditions where these people live are breathtakingly bad. It's difficult to place into words. Kibera is home to around 1.4 million people in roughly a 5 mile radius. These people are born, raised, work, get married, have children, live, and die with out ever leaving the confines of kibera. They don't ever get out, have never seen grass or open spaces. All they know is poverty, one room stalled homes made out of dengue or mud. Sometimes it's plastered over, sometimes not. There is trash everywhere. Animals run free, living of the garbage in the streets. Almost everyone we saw had reactive airways and after only 6 hours we were all coughing from the pollution. The sewer system (if you can call it that) is horrendous, running in ditches dug between the buildings. Communal "squatty potties" serve as the bathrooms, but they seem to not drain... don't worry, I won't go into detail. But never have I seen or smelled anything so foul, and this isn't my first trip into a slum. I think the most disheartening thing for me though was reading business signs that labeled themselves as "the slums." They own the title. They own their circumstances. Even if they're given the opportunity to get out, they go back.
WorldComp, who we've been doing these medical camps with, sponsor the school where this one was held. And as bad as the conditions these people and these children live in, God is doing some amazing things in Kibera. The kids get 2 meals a day, uniforms, learn English, and learn about Jesus. They sang us songs about God and ask us to "SING FOR THE LORD! SING FOR THE LORD!" In that moment those children could have gotten me to do anything. I hate nothing more than performing in public but they had me singing Father Abraham and this "little light of mine" at the top of my lungs. Their joy steals my heart and humbles me to my bones. Another very humbling part of visiting Kibera is the fact that mzungu never go there. White people just don't. They aren't reached. We met a pastor and his wife that actually live there and are ministering to the people of kibera, but their resources are few. I feel so honored that we were able to enter and bring a smile to their faces and health and hope to those we treated.
This is something I hope to never "get over." This isn't something you just walk away from.
It leaves me heavy hearted. Pray for healing for the people, pray for revelation, pray for restoration, pray for revival in Kibera. There is so much need, I'm learning to not be discouraged by the little I can actually do here. I just have to trust that Jesus exceeds my abilities when I reach my limit.
I realize that with all my posts so far I haven't really mentioned my incredible team. I truly feel how Jesus placed us all together perfectly. With all of the heaviness we've seen, the long hours we've put in, the early mornings, hours spent in the jam, all the hard work: we laugh. We laugh so hard, and we encourage, and love. On Sunday we were able to visit the giraffe center, do some souvenir shopping, and spend a day just relaxing. It was a nice break to not do anything emotionally our physically draining. I let a giraffe kiss my face. 3 times.
Tonight I am thankful for comedic relief. I'm thankful for long-standing friendships, and brand new ones that have been a special surprise.
Staying with Nikki and her family has continued to be such a gift. I'm going to miss them so much when I head back to Seattle.
My emotions are raw tonight as I write, I don't feel that this conveys all that I feel. But I leave you with my attempt.
Tomorrow is our last day at the hospital for the week, on Thursday we will do teaching at a school in a slum we haven't visited yet, Friday we head to Narok for a small medical screening, and then on to the Maasai Mara for a weekend safari. I'm really excited for a weekend to simply be a tourist and delight the playground God created for us. Kenya is such an amazingly beautiful place.
Thank you all for sharing this journey with me.
Until soon,
Amanda
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