Day 4 in Kenya.

Day 3 in Kibera.

Today started much the same as yesterday. We woke up, ate breakfast with the team, and headed into Kibera. Walking the same path day after day, you start to feel at home-- seeing the same children calling out to you... the same families sitting outside their huts... and the same sewage "stream" trickling (and sometimes rushing) in its winding path through the dirt. I wondered what it would be like to wake up in Kibera, to sleep on a dirt floor, to constantly be assaulted by the smells around me. The thing that really breaks my heart is the people of Kibera don't know any different. They wake up not expecting anything new from life, they don't even smell the rottenness of where they live. This, to them, is LIFE.

We sang songs again with the children and then took them to the school to do more VBS with them. It was amazing to me that many of them could recite from memory the verse from yesterday: "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the Bread of Life, he who comes to Me shall never hunger and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.'" John 6:35. The lesson we taught today was that Jesus is the only way. Our focus verse was John 14:6. I can't imagine living where they live with no hope. But the hope we have when we choose to follow Christ is undeniable-- and so awesome to grab hold of. Many of the children prayed with us yesterday and today-- to receive this hope we have. My heart was so full of joy and was so blessed to look into the eyes of these young ones-- so full of promise and HOPE. Even if we came just for this one moment in time, to give these children something tangible to hold on to, it was all worth it.

We moved on from lessons to lunch with the kids, then on to the field for one last day of fun. I sat in the grass with the little ones today (in spite of the GIANORMOUS locusts all over) and played little games with them. It was so fun to watch this little girl discover a way to have some "sunglasses"- and how cute she was walking around so proud of herself with the label of a water bottle stuck to her face. Again I am struck by the simplicity of their lives. That a water bottle label would make a fine pair of sunglasses to an imaginative little girl. I was caught up in her beautifully innocent play. After a bit, a couple of the girls and I painted kids' faces-- their joy over this simple gesture was so sweet. We held on tight to these last few hours with them, not knowing if we will ever see them again- this side of heaven. At this moment (a few weeks later as I write

this) my arms ache to hold them and my heart longs to be with them. But, instead, I pray for them daily that they would come to know that Love that is deeper and higher and far more satisfying than anything on this earth. That they will feel the arms of Jesus around them. I can rest in the knowledge that God is with them-- that His eye is even on the sparrow.

We reluctantly said goodbyes and headed back over to Andrew's clinic. The rest of the group had yet to tour the clinic and we were going to meet Andrew. We also were going to stock the shelves of the clinic with the medical supplies we had brought for him. While the group was getting a run down of the clinic's history and began their tour, Andrew told me there was a girl in labor in the back. I asked if I could help out in any way and he told me if I wanted to I could go back to assist. This is when I met Faith. Faith was a beautiful young woman-- in labor with her first baby-- all alone.. sad and scared. Faith wasn't originally from Kibera- she had met a man, they moved in together, she became pregnant, and then he abandoned her. She came home one day to changed locks and no way to contact her boyfriend (he had changed his number). She had no place to go except to Kibera. My heart ached for her... I couldn't imagine how she was feeling. I just remembered how scared I was when I had my first baby-- and I was in a beautiful hospital with many nurses and doctors helping me along- enveloped in love- held closely by my husband... and knew my family was available at any given moment if I needed them. And here she was, laboring away, all alone... in a less than ideal clinic, in the middle of Kibera. I came alongside her and held her hand. I encouraged her in love, prayed over her and with her, cried with her and carried her burden with her. I can't explain what happened in my heart just sitting with Faith. All I wanted her to know was that everything would be ok- that she is loved- that it would all be worth it when she looked into her baby's eyes. I labored with her for just over an hour and was so sad to have to leave her there alone. She ended up delivering a healthy baby boy late in the night. I don't know what will become of Faith and her sweet baby boy, but I pray for them often and pray that her heart is open to God's love for her.

I went to bed emotionally spent.... but still asking God to help me see those around me through His eyes-- and with His heart. I would do 'emotionally spent' a thousand times if it meant feeling such great love and compassion for those around me. I want to live this every day. To feel God's heart for even the most 'undesirable' among us. To minister that heart to others. That is my prayer today and every day.

Day 3 in Kenya.

Day 2 in Kibera.

You know, you'd think the second day would not be as bad... you already know what to expect- the smell, the garbage, the shocking amount of poverty. But, when you look around, it hits you. Over and over again -- so fresh- and new... like seeing it all for the very first time. Even in the midst of it-- we can't begin to wrap our minds around the condition in which they live. Today we had the rest of the team with us-- I was so thankful to have had the day before to sort of 'absorb' my surroundings before going in with the team. It really is incredible to think of so many people living in such a small area. Of course, in America, we think-- no problem-- we have high rises and tall structures that can house hundreds, if not thousands, of people all at once. There are no such buildings in Kibera. Everything is butted up next to everything else-- and what ground is not used up in living space is covered in garbage and sewage. We learned the average life expectancy within Kibera is the age 46. It made a great deal of sense, when looking around we didn't see but maybe 1 or 2 older looking people. It puts into perspective, again, how blessed we are in America. To think my life (in Kibera) is well over half done is a thought that brings about much self examination-- asking myself what I have accomplished that has amounted to anything. Walking to the "new"school to get ready for VBS, Miah asked his translator what these people think seeing us walk through Kibera-- are they thinking 'Why are YOU here?' or 'Are you just looking down your noses at us or what?'. The translator's response was not at all what Miah expected. "Oh, no." he said. "They aren't thinking that at all. When they see you walking through here, they are so thankful you took time out to just come here, to see them, and to show them they are not forgotten." They were simply moved that we took the time. That is enough to humble even the most proud spirit in any of us. And a reminder that it really is about relationship... not about how much we do or how much we feel we have accomplished. There is much in the "kingdom view" that we don't see and aren't aware of. Seeds that are planted just by being with someone-- and connecting with their spirit in a way that forever changes a person. I am sure you will hear me say many, many times over... "oh the sweet children...." and honestly, I can't help it. In all their beautiful innocence- who is fighting for them? Isn't that part of our call as the body of Christ?? To care for the orphans? I have never felt so convicted of this as I have here... in Kibera... where being an orphan is not the exception but the rule. This little one was washing his hands in the sewage running down the road. And yet, there is no one there to tell him the water is not clean and where should he wash? There is a shortage of clean water in Kibera.... the people there do the best they can with what they have, which isn't much-- especially compared to our standards. But still these children come to school (those who can) and we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to minister to them. Today we were able to do some songs with them all together in the "baby" school then they taught us some songs in Swahili. My heart was SO ministered to watching them worship with every single fiber of their beings. All I could do was stand in wonder and try not to cry. One of the songs they sang said something like "Jesus on the throne makes everything better"-- and it is SO very true. Jesus on the throne does make everything better. Just knowing He is in control changes everything-- our circumstances seem smaller, our heartache less painful, and our joy so much deeper. Oh what lessons I have been taught again and again! My prayer is to remain teachable and to be moldable-- not that the process won't ever be without discomfort and even pain-- but to have God change your heart is an amazing thing. We did lessons with the kids... they were an absolute joy to teach and to just be with. After the lessons, we sat down and ate some lunch with them before we again took them to the field. They were so very excited to be able to play again for the afternoon. This time we rode the van to the field-- I'm still amazed at how in the world George got the van all the way into Kibera to give us a ride. I had to close my eyes when he was trying to get out-- we were pretty close to some steep edges. :) The kids were picked up and got to ride a bus to the field.... many of them had never gotten to ride a big bus like that- so the adventure was even better than they could have imagined! We played again, for a few hours and enjoyed all the time we could with the children. I even jumped in on a soccer game for a bit. They are pretty competitive and are very good at the game! I can say I kicked the ball... and tried my best-- though I'm not entirely sure I was an asset to the kids on my team! :) It was so very sweet to watch the children interact with eachother and with us. There was a little boy-- no older than 2 1/2 probably who would just walk up to me and hold my hand. Wouldn't say a word... wouldn't want to be held... just wanted to stand there and hold my hand-- and he'd stand there for as long as I was standing there-- content with that little bit of human contact. My heart (again) ached for this boy to know the love of his heavenly Father, the love that goes beyond everything we can think or imagine. And that he would know God's heart for him and how He sees him. We ended the evening with a great dinner at Java-- an amazing coffee house. It was nice to be able to unwind and talk about the day with our new friends on the team. We left for the hotel-- exhausted and thankful... with a new view of our Heavenly Father... and His love for us.

Day 2 in Kenya.....

Friday, June 17

I can't even begin to describe all that we saw and experienced in Kibera (the slum) yesterday... it was one of those days that are burned forever in your mind and held closely in your heart. Chuck met us at the hotel (very tired-- as he had waited hours for the team to show up before he realized the flight was canceled), we sat with him and visited with George (a pastor from Nairobi that has been driving us around) and Ombasa (another of Chuck's friends who helps Chuck in Kenya)-- while Chuck ate his breakfast. We loaded into the van to drive into the slum to Makina (a part of Kibera) where we were going to drop off a bag of supplies for Andrew's clinic. Kibera is roughly 1 square mile-- with a population of just over 2 million people. We drove in as close to the clinic as we could get. There are no real roads in the slum. The ground is extremely uneven with little "rivers" all over the "road" of raw sewage, rotting garbage, and water (?- if you could call it that). Driving in the slum is crazy, there are people and animals everywhere-- and other vehicles trying to get through the same small space as you at the same time. Stepping out of the van to walk the distance to the clinic, we were immediately hit with the smell. The kind of smell that burns the inside of your nose-- like the inside of a garbage can on a hot day mixed with the smell of urine, animal and human waste, diesel exhaust, and rotting flesh. The smell permeated everything. We were unsure if breathing through our noses was even tolerable-- we didn't really want to "taste" the smell either. Even still, in the midst of all the dirtiness, the broken people and sweet innocent children were pulling at my heart. Andrew's clinic was started a number of years ago-- with a vision to offer some sort of health care for the poor and needy. The clinic is eye opening-- and a far cry from what we would call sterile. They do lab work there, HIV testing (1 in 5 people living in Kibera has HIV and doesn't know it), prenatal care, immunizations (if they are available), some surgeries, and also labor and delivery-- among your usual doctor appointments. I was so moved by the condition of the clinic- and Andrew's vision to eventually see the clinic rebuilt. The beds in the 2 rooms pictured are the labor/delivery room and recovery room. The rooms are so small-- Andrew said on average 5-8 babies are born there in a day. Sometimes they can only let the new mother rest in the recovery room for a half hour before sending her home... because it is too crowded. Comparing that with the experiences I have had delivering my own 4 children was just heartbreaking. We take so much for granted... and complain when our room is too hot or too cold, or the food wasn't what we wanted, or the facility didn't have a hot tub or private room or whatever it might be. And these women labor in these conditions-- many of them without any support from family. It is just so sad. In another post I will be sharing Faith's story with you-- she was a young woman I supported in labor while we were there. It is moving how incredibly thankful these people are to have this clinic-- where they don't have to pay if they can't-- and they are greeted by people who genuinely care for them. When we left the clinic, we walked further into Kibera to the school where we would be spending the next few days working with the children. The walk was sobering, observing the conditions in which people live. It was not unusual to see a family of 8 or 10 people living in a mud hut approximately 4 ft by 6 ft. That was their sleeping quarters, their bathroom, their kitchen, their dining room, and their living room. Most huts did not have electricity and maybe only 1 window. There were sweet little children everywhere. Sitting in the dirt, playing with old tires and empty pop bottles, crying because they wanted to be held, and excitedly seeking the attention of the Mazungus (what they call white people in Swahili). These SWEET children.... they don't learn English until they go to school (IF their parents can afford to send them)... but they ALL know one phrase. "How are YOU?" They would all yell "How are YOU? How are YOU?" Until you looked at them, or touched their little outstretched hands, or at least acknowledged their tiny voices. Those who know me well know I had to stop for every single child. I absolutely could NOT walk by without looking into their innocent eyes and touching their hands... or heads.... or squeezing their shoulder... some kind of contact was always made. My heart couldn't take much more of seeing such beautiful and innocent children in such a place. We finally reached what they call the "baby school" (basically like preschool) which also doubles as a church. We met the teachers and had lunch with them. We then walked just a few steps up the road to the school to meet the kids we would be spending the day playing with. The school was in bad shape. The rains from the past weeks had caused an entire wall to crumble and much of the floor was washed out. The roof was about to cave in and the facility was also missing the entire outside wall. But, there the children sat, doing their lessons-- so adorable and excited to see the Mazungus. We left there to see the "new" school Chuck had purchased for them. It was also made of mud, but has 8 separate classrooms and new "toilets". The facility was much nicer than the other classroom we saw though still not ideal. Chuck had rented a huge soccer field for the kids to run and play on for the afternoon. These kids have no place to run-- and no clean place to play. The field is owned by the city-- and though not in the best condition-- it is MUCH cleaner and better than where they live. We walked through the entirety of Kibera-- we even took a "short cut" over a slippery, 12 foot high mound of rotting garbage (THAT was an adventure for the both of us for sure). We reached the field and waited for the kids to come. When they arrived, the looks on their faces was absolutely priceless--- all of them running and smiling from ear to ear-- laughing out loud that they could play for a few hours in the field. Many of them played organized games of soccer- with the teachers and superintendent joining right in on the fun. We played in the grass with the younger kids, held babies, held hands of little ones, told stories, and just loved on them all. Just a few hours of our time meant the world to these kids. By the time we parted for the evening, many of them were hugging on us and were so excited to get to see us again the next day. It was an incredible day. One that will forever bring tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. We learned so much about ourselves and we are so thankful we came.

Day 2 in Kenya

Thursday, June 16.

We tried our best to get a good night's rest last night. About 3:30 am we both were wide awake.... that's about 7:30 pm MN time... and we couldn't fall back asleep until 5 am Kenya time. All in all, we slept pretty well-- the mosquito netting worked out just fine (Jenn was worried about bugs) and we felt so refreshed when we woke up. We got up and ready for the day about 7:30 am (Kenya) and went down for breakfast. We sat and ate, drank coffee, and waited for Chuck and the team to emerge from their rooms. The rest of the team was supposed to come in last night at around 11 pm (Kenya) so we knew they would all be tired and may sleep in. We were scheduled to be leaving for the slum at 9 am. Well, we started wondering what was going on at about 8:30 am-- we still hadn't seen or heard from Chuck or anyone else for that matter. About 8:50 we went and knocked on Chuck's door... no answer. :) So, we called him... no answer. A few mins later, we got a text from him saying he was on his way... the rest of the team's flight was cancelled in Belgium so they never made it last night!!! We are so thankful we didn't run into any problems on our way here. Can't say we were too disappointed.... we would get to spend the day walking all over the slum and playing with the school kids. :) We will update later. Take care!!!

And we're HERE!

We arrived in Nairobi, Kenya this morning about 5:30 am (Kenya time). We were met by our good friend and missionary Chuck O'Keefe. We had a pretty busy day getting settled into the hotel... fighting sleep so as to get onto a good sleeping schedule-- and getting used to how everything works here. Our trip here went very smoothly-- we didn't run into any issues with customs or visas or anything. It was just a really really long plane ride. :) We are staying at a newer place, just a few blocks from the slum (Kibera) where we will be working tomorrow. The air is crisp here... the temperature is around 65 F, it is beautiful. As we drove to the hotel this morning, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed at the amount of sheer poverty among some really ritzy areas. So much of what we saw and experienced was dirty and worn down-- and yet I couldn't help but see such amazing beauty in the midst of it all. We are thankful for a bed to sleep in... mosquito nets... safety... and new relationships God is growing already. On our way, I was struck by a verse in 2 Corinthians about being the fragrance of Christ.... that has been my prayer for this journey.... so often we can get caught up in our own attitudes and motives, and forget to SEE others as they are-- God's beloved... His chosen. I have been praying God will break in me anything that would stand in the way of His fragrance. I am praying we just overflow that fragrance everywhere we go.... that God's amazing sweetness and mercy will be poured out on all we come into contact with us.

We have experienced such peace and rest so far-- we know God is with us. Our kids are sending us updates daily-- and they are in such great care... and doing well. We have much to be thankful for. Thanks to all who have been praying for us so far-- please continue. We desire to be stretched and grown while we are here.... and when we get home. LOVE to all.... we hope to post some pictures tomorrow. Off to bed now!

And we're less than a week away.....

We can't hardly believe we are less than 1 week away from going to Kenya. It seems both crazy and surreal at the same time! This week we're focusing on getting all those last minute travel arrangements made, things prepared for our kids, and everything else organized!

We are feeling so thankful for all the ways our needs for this trip have been met-- from childcare to finances to prayer! We are still in need of some financial donations- but are trusting and believing God will provide what we need!

I will try to blog once more before we leave-- if I can find the time-- but we definitely plan on trying to get a few things posted while there! Blessings to everyone...

Deadlines.....

Our trip to Kenya is fastly approaching.... we are excited, nervous, overwhelmed, and well, the list could go on forever! I'm writing for two reasons... one is a reminder to pray for us! We feel so strongly the need for a really solid prayer covering-- we are asking each of you to commit to praying at least one day for us-- or as you think of us while we are gone. :)

The second thing, I know many of you have mentioned you wish to financially support our trip. We are coming down to the last days-- and if you are wanting to support us we are encouraging you to have any donations in to us by June 1. The leader of our trip is leaving for Kenya that day and needs to have as much of our support as possible before that time. A reminder that all donations are tax deductible-- and no donation is too small! :) We appreciate ALL that has been given so far-- and we don't have too far to go! Please pray about whether or not you can give! We have set up on our blog an easy way to donate. Please feel free to contact us with any other questions you may have.

We appreciate ALL of you and are blessed to have the prayers and support from all sides! Bless you all~!