OK, so today was a doozey! Yesterday we spent the day in a beautiful setting. Today we saw something completely different. Our church has helped support a Kenyan church in the very heart of a slum in Dandora. So, we intended to visit there for Sunday service. First we had to drive through the city, which, proved quite exciting because of the driving culture. What was eye catching to me was the amount of people out walking along the streets, in the streets, around the streets -you get the picture. There were so many people out and about and they tend to share the roads with the vehicles. Several times I had to shut my eyes because I just knew we were going to hit a person (or a person would hit us). As we started to exit the city, we made a left turn that took us through the edge of the slum. There was garbage everywhere and it got worse as we drove further in. There were run down shacks, vehicles that had been stripped, scavenger birds flying overhead and people everywhere. I couldn't take my eyes off of the scenery.
The vision I can't get out of my head was a very large pile of garbage and there were pigs gnashing through it with children just a few feet away. Like it was normal. It just hurts.
The fun part of the ride was seeing the wonder and curiosity on the children's faces and the smiles they gave us when we waved to them. Seeing the children has been such a highlight of this trip. We just want to take pictures of all these adorable kids! Their greeting to us is "how are you" in their cute accents. They don't know what it means so you answer back to them saying "how are you"? And they're happy.
We took a nice tour of the church then enjoyed the African service. They love to sing and clap and move. They brought in the children to sing a couple songs too. Although a lot of it was in KiSwahili, it was a great experience. We were very warmly welcomed.
The best part of the day was when we got back to the compound. Most of us sponsor children from around the area through Compassion. These children were bussed in so we could meet and spend the afternoon with them. What an honor that was. My family sponsors a 9 year old little girl named Saiton -she was so shy and it was so hard getting her to talk but her face totally lit up when I gave her a soccer ball. Shortly after that, I gave her and her friend matching baby dolls which made them giggle - it was such a sweet moment. After we fed them, Saiton and I spent time kicking the soccer ball back forth. She totally loved playing on the IPhone, of course. We all sent our sponsored kids off with needed items and toys, then they got on the bus, drove away and I just cried, knowing what they too were going home to.
I'm sorry I don't have pictures to show you. My technical abilities don't include transferring pictures from the Ipad onto my blog. It was supposed to be easy!! I can post some on Facebook, however, so feel free to check those out.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Day 1 -Paradise Lost
Wow! What an amazing day. First of all, I'm in Africa!! I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that.
Today, we spent the day at Paradise Lost. A beautiful park in Nairobi with water falls, ancient caves you can go far into, and a river that runs along the back. I was nervous about this day because we were spending it with a large group of children and their mothers who were bussed in from the slums. This would be their one day a year to get to spend the day in play. These people live in some of the worst conditions, have seen great pain and suffer from HIV/AIDS. What could I possibly offer? My hope was to be able to encourage them and let them feel loved and accepted just for who they are. When we got off our bus, they welcomed us with that same sentiment. Children, came right up to us with handshakes and hugs. They were dressed in their best outfits and showed us the best manners. They grabbed onto our hands and just loved on us. The women gave us big hugs and big smiles welcoming us with such warmth. I felt like family right away.
The kids loved playing with our cameras. When we would take their pictures, they would rush over to see it on the digital screens. That made them so happy. Some would be allowed to hold our cameras and take some pictures of their own and you could see importance written all over their faces. A camera is something so normal in my life -can't take it for granted so much now seeing how much it lit up the faces of these children. Even the moms enjoyed having their pictures taken.
The children got to play and do crafts. It appears the favorite craft was the jewelry made out of pipe cleaner and beads. They walked around with stickers on their foreheads and their self made jewelry. What seemed the most pleasing to them was just to hold our hands and walk along with us. Some pulled us where they wanted, some just wanted that simple affection -acceptance.
We spent some time with the mamas having a devotional and creating braided bracelets out of embroidery thread. Oh my heart, I feel so humbled. Some of the women were eager learners and got right into the project, some simply enjoyed just visiting with their friends, and getting to relax for a bit. Some just didn't feel good at all. But in the end, every woman completed her bracelet and tied it around her wrist. Some women actually wore them as necklaces. I was so touched by their sweet spirits.
One of the ladies from the HEART center brought her keyboard and as soon as she started playing it, she was surrounded by the women and children who danced and sang exuding such joy. I loved watching the women dance. They have this natural rhythm in their movement that I tried to imitate but couldn't. I just looked awkward -so I stopped but I sure enjoyed watching them.
One of my favorite moments of the day was seeing the moms jump rope. They counted how many times they could jump before stumbling on the rope. They played just like kids. They laughed and played and I can still see their huge smiles and laughter.
It was a very good day. We left them with colorful jewelry that they got to make, food in their tummies, singing hearts and hugs. It just hurts knowing what and where they went home to.
Today, we spent the day at Paradise Lost. A beautiful park in Nairobi with water falls, ancient caves you can go far into, and a river that runs along the back. I was nervous about this day because we were spending it with a large group of children and their mothers who were bussed in from the slums. This would be their one day a year to get to spend the day in play. These people live in some of the worst conditions, have seen great pain and suffer from HIV/AIDS. What could I possibly offer? My hope was to be able to encourage them and let them feel loved and accepted just for who they are. When we got off our bus, they welcomed us with that same sentiment. Children, came right up to us with handshakes and hugs. They were dressed in their best outfits and showed us the best manners. They grabbed onto our hands and just loved on us. The women gave us big hugs and big smiles welcoming us with such warmth. I felt like family right away.
The kids loved playing with our cameras. When we would take their pictures, they would rush over to see it on the digital screens. That made them so happy. Some would be allowed to hold our cameras and take some pictures of their own and you could see importance written all over their faces. A camera is something so normal in my life -can't take it for granted so much now seeing how much it lit up the faces of these children. Even the moms enjoyed having their pictures taken.
The children got to play and do crafts. It appears the favorite craft was the jewelry made out of pipe cleaner and beads. They walked around with stickers on their foreheads and their self made jewelry. What seemed the most pleasing to them was just to hold our hands and walk along with us. Some pulled us where they wanted, some just wanted that simple affection -acceptance.
We spent some time with the mamas having a devotional and creating braided bracelets out of embroidery thread. Oh my heart, I feel so humbled. Some of the women were eager learners and got right into the project, some simply enjoyed just visiting with their friends, and getting to relax for a bit. Some just didn't feel good at all. But in the end, every woman completed her bracelet and tied it around her wrist. Some women actually wore them as necklaces. I was so touched by their sweet spirits.
One of the ladies from the HEART center brought her keyboard and as soon as she started playing it, she was surrounded by the women and children who danced and sang exuding such joy. I loved watching the women dance. They have this natural rhythm in their movement that I tried to imitate but couldn't. I just looked awkward -so I stopped but I sure enjoyed watching them.
One of my favorite moments of the day was seeing the moms jump rope. They counted how many times they could jump before stumbling on the rope. They played just like kids. They laughed and played and I can still see their huge smiles and laughter.
It was a very good day. We left them with colorful jewelry that they got to make, food in their tummies, singing hearts and hugs. It just hurts knowing what and where they went home to.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Two Days to Take Off!!
Wow! It's finally time. After seven months of planning and preparing, the time to get on that plane and head to Kenya is here. It's been an incredible journey already. Preparing for this trip has taken me on a roller coaster of emotions and experiences, challenging and stretching me beyond my comfort and I haven't even left home yet! Some have wondered how I could feel so overwhelmed and all I can say is that it's all in the details. I am a natural worrier, therefore, I have worried about and analyzed every possible detail of this trip. Can I handle the shots? What should I wear? How are my kids going to handle this? How is my husband going to handle the kids? How can I possibly encourage the Kenyan women and children I get to meet? What do I have to offer? How do I avoid getting sick? How do I graciously eat the food??? (Yes, that is a huge fear of mine). What excites me is the privilege to be a part of this team and the honor of getting to meet the women of Kenya. My heart's desire is to show them they are truly and deeply loved. I can't wait to see how God uses this time and I can't wait to tell you all about it!
With joy and anticipation,
Katie
With joy and anticipation,
Katie
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