Hey guys! I am currently doing mission work in Brazil! I have a new blog with my team’s updates. Here is the link:
November 25, 2007
This is a short video portraying some of the highlights of our trip to Sudan. We traveled to Souther Sudan and Nothern Uganda to visit churches and encourage our brothers who have been through a long civil war.
October 31, 2007
We have now returned to the US after completing our mission in east Africa. Our time there was amazing and definitely the most challenging experience I’ve been through. We traveled all over east Africa preaching the good news and working with AIDS orphanages, ministries for street kids, local churches and missionaries. Our team was very blessed by the relationships we built, the lives we were able to touch, and those who touched our lives as well. We faced many trials and hardships, especially as we traveled through war-torn Sudan encouraging and teaching our brothers and sisters there. But even though difficulties arose, God was with us, keeping us safe and sane through our journeys.
I am now back in Lubbock, Texas finishing up some schoolwork for this semester and working on reports. We’ve been asked to speak on our time in Africa to churches, college groups, and Lubbock Christian University’s Chapel. Due to a recent unfortunate event, I am having a little trouble getting around. A few weeks ago I was playing soccer at LCU’s campus and I fell and injured my ankle. I was told that I needed surgery in order for my bone to heal properly. So as of right now, I am recovering from surgery and depending on crutches to get around. Please be praying for my recovery because it will take a while for me to walk again.
I want to thank you once more for your prayers and support during this mission trip. I am confident that your prayers shielded us from the possible evils we could have encountered. I am very thankful and priveleged to have co-workers from the USA and Brazil who sent their prayers and love to us.
If you have any questions or comments that you would like to express concerning this trip, please feel free to post a message on this site, or to e-mail me. Different people have approached me with questions about the current mission work done in the places we visited in Africa.
October 1, 2007
We have arrived safely from our travels in Southern Sudan and Northern Uganda. Chad and I are currently stationed in Mbale, Uganda for debriefing with the mission team concerning our travels and to share our experiences. We are in the process of writing a report with the information we gathered for future mission work in the area.
For the past month we have been traveling through war-torn villages, IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps, army barracks, and the African bush visiting churches, bringing encouragement, foundational teachings and assessing their needs. This has definitely been the most challenging experience that we have faced here, but the work is good, and it is needed.
- The travels:
Southern Sudan has recently come out of civil war, and due to a history of complex corruption and abuse, the territory remains extremely undeveloped and unorganized in their government. In every city we visited, we encountered a large number of military personnel (maybe even more than civilians), carrying their guns and consuming large amounts of beer and vodka. It was an uneasy sight to witness as we ventured into the structures of a destroyed Catholic mission finding large amounts of ammunition, rocket launchers, mines, mortar launchers, machine guns and other vestiges of war (see pictures). As we walked by the mud huts in the villages, we would see abandoned tanks and army vehicles around the area. The effects of war are still very present in the minds and hearts of people.
With our limited scheduled, we tried to do as much traveling as possible; reaching churches that have a promising future in furthering God’s kingdom in this land. David Obura and Kennedy Bikokwa, missionaries from Kenya living in Sudan, were our designated travel guides and fellow teammates. We decided to use the local means of travel, which was one of the hardest aspects of our trip. The roads are in terrible condition – no paved roads, full of mud holes and flimsy bridges – and the transportation is unreliable - worn-down trucks and motorbikes owned by drunk soldiers. When reviewing this past month, we traveled over 500 miles in over 40 hours on the road (not counting countless hours of down time), averaging about 12 mph in travel speed. On one of our first trips, I remember sitting for 6 hours on a metal rod in the back of a truck under the blazing sun. An event like this one will make anyone appreciative of a traffic jam back home, just being in the comfort of your vehicle.
One of the hardships we had to overcome was adapting to the lifestyle of the locals. We slept where they slept, ate what they ate, and answered nature’s call where they did. We slept in mud huts, bathed in the bush and ate pocho (ugali) and beans or cabbage about every day for lunch and dinner. We would occasionally find a Coke in some shop that would bring a refreshing memory from back home. At one church, they gave us a rooster as a welcome gift, which Chad happily slaughtered for dinner because roosters woke us up in the early mornings.
- The churches:
We visited and taught at a total of 7 churches – 5 on the Sudanese side, 2 on the Ugandan side; and we gathered information from more than a dozen churches scattered through out the area. These churches are very young and our brothers are very new in the faith. We soon discovered how essential it was to teach them the ‘Foundations of Faith’ course.
Many of the church leaders in Southern Sudan have recently come back from living as refugees in Northern Uganda, and have started churches back in their hometowns. While we were staying in one particular village, we were able to witness a United Nations convoy passing through the villages. Many huge trucks and land cruisers were bringing hundreds of Sudanese back into Sudan from Uganda now that the country is experiencing relative peace. So the churches are in desperate need of resources and effective leadership training.
We had a unique experience during our visit to a church in a town called Longo. We were warmly welcomed in the village and received by attentive students. After the course, many of them wished to be baptized. We had enough time in our visit there to get acquainted with one another and to teach them the meaning of baptism and of committing oneself to Christ. And after church service on Sunday, 10 people were baptized in the local river, giving their lives to Christ and ending that day with singing and rejoicing.
Our experience in the churches was overall positive, although we encountered many difficulties due to the language and cultural barriers. It was also difficult for them to realize that we were simple college students passing through and not a multimillion-dollar NGO with free handouts. They had high expectations on the ways that we could answer to their needs, which is understandable in the circumstances they find themselves in.
- Encounters with the military
One of the more challenging parts of the trip involved the military. Men armed with weapons, who would spend their time drinking and surviving off of foreign aid, rule the land in the way they wish. Because they own the means of local transportation, it was a constant hassle to agree on a price that didn’t immensely take advantage of us. They saw the “white American man” (as they termed us) as a pocket of money, and we quickly observed that they are not familiar to the presence of outsiders.
In one town called Magwi, we were inside our tents getting ready to fall asleep, when officials sent message that the locals were uneasy with our presence, not knowing if we were rebels. Afterwards they explained that we needed to be safe from the rebels, and that we would have to pay to sleep in a run down facility for our own safety – another scheme to make some profit at our expense.
The most upsetting encounter happened as we made our way through a town called Pajok. At this time, Chad had a reoccurring fever for the past few days, and we were in route to Northern Uganda in order to be tested for Malaria (Southern Sudan does not have many hospital or reliable clinics). As we arrived in a police check in Pajok, a security officer, along with a drunken policeman, stopped us and asked that we would enter his office (a brick shack alongside the road). The security officer took our documents to evaluate them, inquiring about our intentions. He began making his own laws when he demanded that our documents were not enough for travel and that we needed to have further permits. He went on a power trip, threatening to arrest us and detain us for three days, as he would try to radio higher officials. We tried to reason with him for we had committed no crime, but after that whole day had gone by, he called in armed soldiers and local commanders of the army. They sat us down and judged our case, looking over our documents once again. After making sure we had no satellite phones or contact with the outside world, they decided that we are free to leave in the next morning. Upset but relived, we slept at a church members house and left as soon as we could the next morning, shaking the dust from our sandals and hurrying to get Chad treated.
- God kept us safe (and sane)
Even though Satan tried to have his way with us and keep us from continuing our travels, God was definitely with us. He protected us from greater harm and from the possible evil that could have befallen us. We even heard that four days before we traveled to Pajok, two Ugandans were driving on that bushy road and were ambushed (by supposedly army men), who took their cargo and shot them in the head, dead. That kind of news does not bring a warm feeling of security when you know that you a sitting duck in the middle of nowhere, Africa.
And even though we would encounter the vestiges of war, the corruption of men, a car supposedly incinerated by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army), we trusted in God, knowing that we were there with a mission, one with a good and selfless purpose. For even if we walked the valley of the shadow of death, we do not have to fear, for He is with us; His rod and his staff comforts us. The church members treated us well and many times reassured us of our purpose. David and Kennedy eased us when times were tough, and as a family we kept things together.
- Reflections
We faced many trials and we were immensely stretched through this trip. And in our short time in Sudan, we experienced a little of the complexities of the present evil and of a government that is counter-development. And in all, we found that Sudan is in desperate need of Jesus. The land is extremely beautiful and creation boldly shouts the presence of an Almighty God, and on the other side we find people who are deeply affected by the recent war and current corruption, in desperate need of a Savior.
We feel that the way to reach Sudan will be through the development of resource hubs in major cities, such as the current compound owned by the church in Nimule. These centers can be effective in training native leaders in Bible, primary and secondary schooling and land developing technologies. These leaders can go back to their towns, taking with them the knowledge and resources gained through these centers. The centers will be the most welcoming environments for future American missionaries who are called to Sudan.
Many people who are currently living in Sudan have come from IDP camps and are extremely dependent on foreign aid. With time they have lost their farming techniques, have grown to develop an unfruitful loitering lifestyle with an unhealthy dependency on United Nations food handouts. One of the future goals for these people will have to be teaching and reequipping them to live off the land and their own labor, because this kind of negative aid will not last forever.
- Returning home
With less than a week left before our return to the US, we are honored to have been a part of the work here, and we eagerly await to see friends and family and to report back to our supporting congregations. We are thankful for the constant support of prayers from our brothers and sisters that were key in maintaining us through our travels.
As this journey ends we continue to ask prayers for the future of Sudan and its people. That peace will ultimately reign, facilitating development and the spreading of the gospel; That Christ would reign as Lord.
August 28, 2007
Mission Sudan
The final stage of our mission in the African continent is approaching. At the moment, I find myself in Uganda, being mentored by missionary Shawn Tyler and getting ready for our mission plans. In a few days, Chad and I will be embarking on a small ten-passenger plane for a month journey into Southern Sudan.
The Sudan is a country that is suffering great turmoil. Civil war, genocide, famine, and corruption are a few of the evils that devastate the region. The American government encourages against all travel made to Sudan, but God has opened the doors and prepared the hearts of our Sudanese brothers and sisters. The churches of Christ in the neighboring countries have been in communication with the Sudanese to find out their needs and how we can help. Chad and I will be taking part in this initiative with the following objectives:
* Visiting: We will be visiting several churches and villages to bring encouragement;
* Teaching: We will be teaching a basic seminar entitled Foundations of Faith at each congregation;
* Recording: We will gather information and data concerning our travels in Sudan for future mission work and humanitarian efforts.
We are excited with the upcoming month and we ask for the continual support through prayer from our brothers and sisters. We foresee this next phase as one of the most difficult yet, for we will not have the customary comforts such as running water, electricity, Internet, variety of food, good housing and transportation. But our hopes are set high and our spirits are ready; and we rest in knowing that God is with us through daring times.
Following the calling of Christ – a thought
As I walk through Africa, I see many things that I do not understand. I walk through the amazing scenery of God’s creation found in the diversity of nature that is present here. And sharply contrasting that image, I see the depth of human pain, suffering and disgrace in the slums. It is hard to maintain our minds’ sanity as we try to reconcile and understand the coexistence of both worlds. And as I think about all that has befallen Africa, and as I think about Sudan, I can’t help but feel helpless; I can’t help but deal with a feeling of inadequacy in the face of such enormous problems.
And in a world of overwhelming sin and of great complex darkness, I ask how can we, followers of Christ, help in the midst of it all. When enough humanitarian aid has been given, and enough peace treaties have been signed, will change ever be effective? Will change ever be permanent? And although we must stand up for justice, and although we must treat the physical needs of the hurting, we ultimately rest upon sharing the faith that Christ is Lord. And our ultimate goal is to proclaim through words and actions that Christ is our Savior and a King, and his kingdom is not of this world - that all this pain is temporary.
Daniel Berrigan, a catholic disciple, wrote this following credo:
I can only tell you what I believe: I believe:
I cannot be saved by foreign policies.
I cannot be saved by the sexual revolution.
I cannot be saved by the gross national product.
I cannot be saved by nuclear deterrents.
I cannot be saved by aldermen, priests, artists, plumbers, city planners, social engineers,
nor by the Vatican,
nor by the World Buddhist Association,
nor by Hitler, nor by Joan of Arc,
nor by angers and archangels,
nor by powers and dominions.
I can be saved only by Jesus Christ.
We can only be saved by Jesus Christ. An N.G.O. might provide temporary relief from the pain, but only Christ can bring everlasting peace and healing. And this is our calling as imitators of Christ: To go out into the world and get our hands dirty; to go into the places where darkness reigns and shed light; to leave the comfort of our homes or church buildings, and to confront the pain and loneliness in this world. Our calling is to follow Christ in mingling with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, and the naked, and while sharing our food, our water and our clothes, we confess that he is Lord.
You have called us, Heavenly Father,
You have bid us join your reign.
Jesus walked this way before us,
He endured the cross and pain.
If we follow, joy or sorrow
We shall not have lived in vain.
You have promised, if we follow
In the footsteps of your Son,
We will find him ever present
And never walk alone.
Christ beside us, Christ to guide us;
Your way Lord, shall be our own.
Jesus, you are our example,
You we daily imitate;
Your life is our guide and model
You reveal love incarnate.
God we name you, Lord we claim you
The sole king we celebrate.
From the Anabaptist hymnbook of the martyrs. Ausbund, 1564, Hymn 55
August 28, 2007
I have recently been reading a book called Dissident Discipleship by David Augsburger. It has been very challenging and thought provoking. This book is about taking the next step in discipleship and moving beyond lip service Christianity. It talks about a daring kind of agape love, one that imitates Christ. I will share a quote from that book for your own meditation pleasure:
“My favorite definition of agape, compiled from many sources, is: a radical commitment to the welfare of the other that sees the other with an equal regard in spite of the other’s response; that seeks to be understanding without need to understand or to be understood; that risks, cares, gives, and shares with no need for reciprocity, no need to be respected, no need to be appreciated, no need to be thanked, and no need to enjoy the process.”
That is tough, extremely tough, but it can change the world.
August 24, 2007
On a Tuesday, earlier this month, I said goodbye to my team members. Justin and his wife Tiffany, along with Justin Gibson, were heading back to the US. Chad was getting ready for a bus ride back to Nairobi, where he would get to climb mount Kenya. But I would not stay long in Tanzania, for a plane awaited me, later that afternoon, to embark in my next step on this Journey; to experience a different kind of Africa.
I arrive in the somewhat small coastal city of Pemba, in Mozambique. I am greeted by Jeremy and Marth Smith, current missionaries in the country, who would drive me for two hours inland towards their hometown of Montepuez. My time in Mozambique had this objective: to observe, learn and experience rural and urban ministry in a Portuguese speaking African country. Portuguese is my “mother tongue” as the African’s would say and thus far in the trip, we had only been in countries where English was the third, fourth of fifth language they spoke. I was excited about connecting with the natives, through language, in a way that had not yet been possible.
Two things hit me as we drove along the country side: how beautiful the landscape was, and the severity of the country’s underdevelopment. Vast green fields, with all sorts of vegetation, covered the land up to the horizon, where mountains, of all shapes and sizes, took their place in the scenery. We drove by village after village; mud hut after mud hut. It seemed to be the typical scenery one would expect from a Hollywood movie based on an earlier Africa. Outside of the larger cities it was hard to find concrete or cement constructions. As a matter of fact, the road we had been driving on was donated from China. Mozambique, one of the poorest countries in Africa, is very dependent on foreign aid, even with their own infrastructure.
It was a very hard sight to bare, as I walked in the village with the Jeremy, the pot belly kids, running around unaware of the severity of their malnutrition; men in the village, sweating and shaking as some tropical disease devours their inside; the women, struggling to find some money to buy soap, which is costing a small fortune in an overly inflated economy, all the while only drinking water and sugar for their breakfast. The Mozambicans stand on natures’ great wealth, but are too uneducated to properly use it. They have recently gained their independence just about three decades ago, and the Portuguese, the colonizers, did not allow the natives to have an education higher than fourth grade. But during my time there, I was able to see the flip side of the coin; a movement towards better things. God is working through people to change this situation.
I spent time with Jeremy, in the rural areas, watching as he taught old men about God and creation; teaching them how to recognize chapters and verses inside their Bibles. I also got some insight into a center called “mustard seed”, located in the larger city of Nampula. Dan Been, a current missionary in this city of a million, gave me a small tour of their vision. The Mustard Seed center is a location where Mozambican families will come to live for a while and learn. They will be taught God’s word, and how to apply in their lives. But not only do they learn about freedom from the captivity of sin, they also learn freedom from poverty. They are taught how to develop their land, raise chickens, plant a garden, and produce a service of some kind. The families are then sent of back to their towns, as missionaries, teaching God’s word alongside good land stewardship practices. I was really encouraged by the ministries beginning to take place there, and at the same time, attracted by the holistic approach to missions. By holistic I mean missions that have a twofold focus: Proclamation - teaching God’s love through Christ as the risen Lord and our Savior; and Demonstration - demonstrating God’s love through caring for people’s needs. It can be a hard balance to find in ministry, but it is definitely one that we have been intentional about.
To sum up, my stay in Mozambique was a refreshing and encouraging one. I was able to walk the streets and have conversations with the people around me, making new friends wherever I would go. I was encouraged by the people there, from whom I heard once more the resounding African theme of great joy amidst much suffering. The people there were extremely friendly, buying me cokes as we awaited public transportation alongside a road. That is a hard experience to come by in a poor country. I was also encouraged by the growing ministry work that is taking place there. Working in the middle of such evils as corruption, violence, deceit, poverty, can be very un-motivating, but the people have immense hope, a hope that overwhelms the darkness. May we make a special prayer, praying for something that is probably not common to our prayer lists, for the people of Mozambique and for God’s work taking place there.
Cool memories from my time there:
- Making friends with the public bus crew who shared their meal with me;
- Meeting a Brazilian missionary family working in Nampula;
- Being asked to speak in church, in Portuguese!
- Riding a public bus for three hours, standing up … okay, not thaaat cool
- Listen to Brazilian music on the Mozambican radio stations
- Watching the missionaries raise their own chickens and rabbits.
- Eating “churrasco.” You have to go to Brazil, to know what that really is.
August 7, 2007
Here is a brief update on our trip thus far: The past few weeks have been pretty busy. We have traveled a lot, met many people, and got involved in many things. We are now coming to an important point in this journey that demarks a new chapter. Members of our team, Justin Hanes, Tiffany and Justin Gibson, are now leaving us to return to the US. They will soon be going back to their jobs and school work. They have served the people here in remarkable ways, and they will be dearly missed. As for Chad and I, we are still in Africa looking for ways to serve the Lord. We will be taking on separate ventures this week, and regrouping mid August. I will briefly describe our experiences up to this point.
- Watamu, Kenya - “near death experience”
After spending time with Made In The Streets, we traveled to Turtle Bay to join the All African Missionary Conference. We spent four days at a resort on the coast, sharing experiences with missionaries from all over Africa. It was a memorable event, even though I had a near death experience. A few of us decided to go kayaking but, without detailed instructions, we ended up going too far into the ocean where the waves are a bit dangerous. I was kayaking solo, while following friends on a two man kayak. The waves did not treat them well, tossing and turning their kayak. I went over to help, grabbing my friend’s paddle because he was having a hard time climbing back on his kayak. At this point, the waves begin to hit me, flipping my kayak over. And now, I find myself floating at sea, trying my best to hold on to two paddles and a kayak without a life vest. Things get worse from there, and eventually, a friend and I are adrift holding on to one small kayak to keep our heads above water. Some of our other friends make it back calling for help. A big fishing boat comes at full speed for the rescue, almost running over me. But we all made it back safely, praise God, because at one point, it didn’t seem like it was ending that way. None of us really wanted to go kayaking again after that.
With the end of the conference, we make our way to Malindi. We spent some time with the church there that was started some years ago by a few of our Bible professors. During our time there we meet Margaret; an amazing lady with a love for orphans and the untouchables of this society. She has a dream to start a church next to her home, in a house she donated. But one of the needs of that church would be a bathroom, or a “choo” (toilet). So we decided to take on the task to build an African choo – by that I mean the “hole on the ground” toilets. We dug and we dug, and at the end of three days, we had a 15 feet deep hole. We spent the rest of the week building the walls and making the floor for the choo. It was quite an experience, a strenuous one for sure; but it was worth all our cuts and bruises.
- Tanga and Dar, Tanzania - “The closing of a chapter”
Approaching the last few weeks with our teammates, we travel into Tanzania, their place of departure. We spent some time with the Talleys, a missionary family in Tanga. We helped the church with a little more manual labor, as they finished the last touches on their Bible school building. We also went mud grove mucking, which was quite an adventure. Near the missionary’s back yard, the ocean waters mingle with the trees, making a swamp like landscape. We snorkeled through that area, dodging crabs, trees, snails, and mud.
We leave Tanga and head to the capital city of Tanzania, Dar er Salaam. There we meet up with the Allison’s, a missionary couple who specializes in counseling. And during our last days, we did some team bonding and debriefing. Justin, Tiffany and Justin Gibson have left to return to the US. Their time in Africa has come to an end, but their journey has not. They are eager to share their experiences, their struggles, the people they’ve met, their growth, and lessons from God, with those they encounter.
- Pemba, Mozambique - “The journey continues, now in Portuguese”
Chad and I are now going our separate ways for a week. Chad is returning to Nairobi, Kenya, to join a few friends in the adventurous task of climbing Mount Kenya. I, on the other hand, am flying into Pemba, Mozambique. I have decided to take on the opportunity to experience a Portuguese speaking country in Africa. I will be staying with a missionary family there, learning from them and from the culture. I am really looking forward to being in a place where I can speak the native tongue fluently, and not depend on a translator. I hope it will be a refreshing experience and a taste from back home. After this week, Chad and I will reunite and backtrack into Uganda for our next step in this mission. And my prayer remains that God will keep using us as this journey continues.
August 2, 2007
This is the continuation to my last entry. I have had the opportunity to experience life transformation for the kids who live in the streets. While working in Eastleigh, one of the slums of Nairobi, our team would go out into the streets to visit “bases”. The dark corners of the slums, where the outcast, the poor, and homeless gather and live, are commonly known as bases. They are located in different areas with different communities living in each base. One base, called Mathary, is found hidden behind large concrete buildings. There are hundreds of children and young adults sniffing glue while living in the middle of trash, mud houses and open sewers. Another base, called Jamaica, was located behind a garbage dump that was literally, a 30 feet hill of human waste. People would spend their days at the top, digging for anything they could use, eat, or sell. We had to climb over the trash in order to greet the community that lived in Jamaica. While visiting these places, our intention was to meet the people, share the Word of God, treat any ailment they had, and invite the young children for a VBS we were going to have in a few days.
It was in these places where I saw the depth of the darkness that has befallen this world. It was in these places where I saw evil prevail in its most wicked forms. It becomes hard not to see such things when, right beside you, is a young mother sitting on a pile of trash with her little baby in her arms, all the while inhaling glue fumes to distract her and her child from feeling hunger… But in the midst of such pain, there is always hope, and I believe in it; I have to. Christ came to call the sick, the afflicted, and the least of these. And I know that in spite of all this darkness, God is working; and his light is counteracting evil and calling out for us.
The words that Bono, lead singer of U2, shared during the National Prayer Breakfast, speaks of such hope:
“God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.”
When love comes to town and we catch that train:
After spending some time in Eastleigh, our team is taken to the outskirts of Nairobi, to another compound belonging to MITS (Made in the Streets) also known as the “Farm”. The farm is where we got to see the greatest change. Kids were brought from out of the streets in the heart of Nairobi, to a safe heaven where they can study, learn a trade, hear about Jesus, and begin to experience real love. Many of the people who have been employed by MITS are success stories from the streets themselves. They were once like many of the kids, living with nothing to look forward to, until someone saw great potential in them. These kids are then removed from their negative environment and rehabilitated from glue and other drugs. At the farm they receive Christian education and skills training for their future. At the farm they wear clean clothes, get showers, and eat three meals a day. It was amazing to see the transformation. You would never guess that these are boys and girls who one day roamed the streets.
Something cool I got to experience was watching three of the young teenagers perform, during a talent show, in the group they created called Christ Warriors. They had recorded a rap song and did a very good job singing on stage. I also got to use my few directing skills while at the farm. Some of the kids and I made a short movie called the Sacred Book. The kids gathered at Saturday’s movie night to watch themselves act on the big screen for the first time in their lives. The little action packed flick received great cheers from the audience. The teenage critics gave it two thumbs up, and we had quite a blast that night.
It has been a humbling and incredible season in my life; to see the two sides of the road: on one side, the darkness of the world; on the other, the light that comes through Christ. I am glad that God did not let me experience only one, for both are present in our reality. Both of these sides are ingrained in our environment. Both play roles in our calling.
“If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and the speaking of wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire even in scorched places.”
- Isaiah 58:10-11a
July 16, 2007
My journey has brought me to Nairobi, the largest city in Kenya. We have spent almost three weeks working with a ministry here called Made in the Streets. It has been really interesting, insightful and rewarding to be a part of this. And at the same time, this part of the trip has been the hardest one on me. I will talk about all of this in two parts: One part is concerning the kids, who were made in the streets and are still living on there; the second part are about the kids who were taken out of the streets and are on the road to a changed life.
The first half of our time here was spent working with the Made in the Streets compound located in the middle of a large slum area called Eastleigh. There we interacted daily with boys and girls who live on the streets. They sleep in alleys, find their food in the trash, and many are addicted to the chemicals found in shoe glue. Made in the Streets provides them meals, showers and a safe environment to be kids. We got to know them by name, play games with them, teach them about God’s love and organized several activities for them.
I got specially attached to a kid called George. He was a witty young fellow, very helpful and full of life. One day, he decided to bless me with a gift by giving me twenty cents and telling me to buy the soda of my choice. This really caught me off guard. Here is a kid who has nothing but the clothes on his back willing to share with me. Another day, while talking to George, I asked him about life on the streets and about his faith in God. He is one of the few that has decided not to sniff glue or to steal. I asked him if he prayed and he said yes. Then I asked him what he prayed for and he quoted parts of the Lord’s Prayer - but on phrase caught my attention in particular: “God, grant me today my daily bread” he said. It took me a while to understand the implications of this. Little George is completely dependent on God for his daily survival. He does not know where his next meal is going to come from; if a stranger will give him some food, or if he will find something in the next pile of garbage. But we, on the other hand, have enough money in our bank accounts to go a while without needing to say that prayer. If we are hungry, we can go to a supermarket and use our debit card, or we can just withdraw some money and purchase food. George does not have this luxury; all he has is a child like faith that depends completely on God for his food, his clothes, and his well being. It’s impressive the amount of practical theology that one can learn in the margins of society.
It was especially hard to say goodbye to these kids. Most of the kids gave us hugs, said their farewells and went back to go about their daily business. Some were too high on glue to realize that we were leaving. But George came up to me and asked me if we were really leaving that day. When I answered him, his eyes filled up with tears. You see, Africa men don’t cry, so I could see George’s struggle to restrain his feelings, but the poor kid couldn’t do it. He turned around sobbing and wiped his tears. And I watched as he slowly walked away down the street and disappeared into the crowd. My heart remains unsettled. I watched as my little friend, whom I had grown to care about, left my arms and went back into the street - a place ruled by darkness and evil, where violence, drugs, rape, hunger and disease are part of the surroundings. I have to keep telling myself that all I can do for him now is to pray and hope that he finds a better future. I wish I could take little George with me, to a safe place where God’s love abounds, but because that is not possible I will carry his story with me in my heart. A story that will remind me that life goes beyond my own needs, comforts and desires; that we are blessed to bless others and there are many Georges out there, looking for a helping hand in the streets that we will encounter in our life’s journey. This was the end of our time in the slums of Eastleigh.
