The promised pictures!

Little boy in the South B Slum
A little friend that joined me in the shower.

Trenton playing soccer with some neighborhood boys.

A little boy on the other side of the fence at the Comido School.

Our following at the Comido School.

Can't believe our time is winding down here in Kenya! We visited out last slum yesterday. It was the worst one we have walked through. The conditions were much worse and it can be hard at times to keep smiling to the kids as we see the depravity of life in a slum. But no matter how bad things may be for them, they smile, laugh, and desire to see these Mzungus that have come to visit with them. Our worship concerts are always amazing, no matter what glitches we face. Anna and Bekah are wonderful leaders. Today we visited an AIDS orphanage and Amani Ya Juu. WOW! What an amazing operation they have become, and one worker shared how her job there has taken her out of the slums and into a much better place. Praise God! And Praise God Again!!!! :)

Enjoy the pics!!!!!!!!!!

Erika

Our little dance partner at the Mcedo School concert.

Learning to Love Like Jesus

Dear Friends:

On Monday we visited the Eastleigh Community Center, which provides education classes for street kids twice a week and programs for single mothers and their babies. The community center is also home to Made in the Streets ministry, a program that rescues young boys from the streets, teaching them a trade and providing a place for them to live until they are 18 years old. The ministry was started by Larry and Holly Conway, missionaries who moved from Texas to Kenya more than 20 years ago.

In the morning, Larry took us to the “bases” where the street boys live. We walked many blocks through the slums, escorted by Anthony and Kennedy, two former street guys. As we walked through the dirty streets, we passed a few boys whose eyes were red and glazed. They carried old soda bottles filled with a brownish-colored glue, which they sniffed to get high. They wanted to shake our hands and greet us. My first response was to walk quickly past them, but Larry wanted to introduce us to his friends. I tried to look into their eyes and connect with them, but they were “no longer there”. It broke my heart and my eyes filled with tears.

Finally, we reached a large mound of garbage alongside the sewer, with 8 boys sitting atop the pile. In Kenya it is an honor to have visitors, so we crossed the sewer to meet them. A few of them looked happy to see us and thanked us for coming. We talked with them, introduced ourselves, and Anthony shared a message of hope. They nodded their heads in acknowledgement, and bowed their heads as we prayed for them.

The fact that we came 9000 miles to visit these boys in their “home” made them feel very special. Larry told us that talking with these boys and showing them love and respect had more impact than giving them money. Money was temporary, but the memory of someone shaking their hand and showing them love was something that would last.

This was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. I realized it was probably the first time I had really tried to connect with someone living in such horrible circumstances. If I saw someone like this in Seattle, I’d probably walk on the other side of the street or look the other way. Most likely, I would never walk into a neighborhood like this in the first place.

But once you look into someone eyes, shake their hand and pray with them, they are no longer a stranger. It’s impossible to stay emotionally detached, and you enter into their world of pain and suffering. When Jesus calls us to “love our neighbors” we often choose to define what that means. But truly living a life of compassion requires stepping out of our comfort zone and loving those that the world has forgotten. It’s a difficult journey, and I humbly admit I have a long way to go…

Bwana asafiwe (Praise God) . Mungu yu mwema (God is good)
Heather

Still pumped....in spite of reality

Wow…I've been a little lazy about blogging ….not sure where to start now that we’re 7 days into this mission trip and everyone has pretty much said something about everywhere we’ve been and everything we’ve done???

So how about some reflections of the first several days…..since we have had limited internet access the past couple days, this could be loonnngg so get a cup of joe and please, please read on…

As we were preparing for our landing at the Nairobi airport, I was “Super Pumped” (I’m stealing a Steven Ambo line). I have been anticipating this trip since our last trip here 11 months ago. The chance to renew old friendships and to start new ones….what a blessing from God! I’ve been pumped…

It has truly been a blessing to be here and to be used by God. He always continues to open my eyes to the reality of the world we live in. It’s been like a roller coaster of emotions since arriving here.

There were joyous times in meeting old acquaintances, seeing and experiencing the love shown by all the little children we encounter, meeting new people and sharing God’s love with them, getting to know my team and to grow closer to them, and especially spending time with and watching our youths share their love with everyone around them. Our youths have been an inspiration in their openness to everyone, and in dealing with some of the conditions around here. I’m not saying things are extremely tough, but I know they haven’t seen or been through conditions like this at home! I don’t think our youths realize the eternal differences they are making here, but I know God is looking down and smiling. You parents, be proud, be very proud!

There have also been times when God has stirred my heart….

On our second day we revisited an orphanage from last year, The Nest. As we were visiting with the children I recognized a boy named Joshua. I remembered him because last year he did a little song with a short dance. He was cute, engaging, and had a killer smile. It was neat to see him again, but in some ways I was saddened. This is the reality of life for so many of the orphaned children, here and elsewhere around the world. They could be here for not just days, but years! It’s even more depressing that as kids get older, it’s even more difficult for them to be adopted.

We also revisited the the Comido School in the Kwan Njenga/Mukuru slums. In order to get to this school, it required a 20 minute walk of at least one mile through the slums. As part of our trip to the school, we walked another 1+ mile to visit three children and their families at their homes in the slums. These children had received scholarships from last years Lighthouse Kenya ministry funds. It was great that the families were all appreciative of the gifts they had received, but even better when they gave glory to God and shared how blessed they have been. I got very depressed as I saw the surrounding areas, the houses these people lived in, and the visibly deplorable living conditions in this area. It was a gut wrenching sight to see, but a reality for many millions in Kenya, and this wasn’t even the worse of the slums.

David, the Comido School director, shared how few Mzungus (foreigners), upper class Kenyans, and even their local polititians visited the slums. He felt it was uplifting that we would come to visit them. The reality is that many in the slums know there’s a better way of life in other parts of the city and the world, but have feelings of hopelessness thinking there’s no way out and no one really cares.

On Sunday we visited the Kayaba Free Methodist Church. Through last years Lighthouse ministry funds we provided this church with funds to purchase a small piece of property. We had a bit of a trek through the slums to get here…navigating through walkways that were only a few feet wide and with troughs running down the middle, carrying garbage, sewage, etc…a common theme in every slum…..ewww! They had anticipated our arrival and were genuinely happy to see us. It was a very warm reception. Pastor Paul shared about how blessed and thankful they were for us to have visited last year and to come back again. Some things he shared were that South B was the 2nd biggest slum in Nairobi with some 700,000 residents and that missionaries don’t come onto the area, let alone make a return trip. It was very moving to hear him speak of what Lighthouse has done for them, and especially heartwarming when he and the church embraced us as their family.

The reality is that many people don’t take the time to visit the slums in Kenya. There is so much to learn….it’s not all about what we can do for them, but also what we can learn from them. At times I ask myself if they have seen the Christ in me……because I have seen it in them…..I’m still pumped!

The reality is that in our lifetime we may never know the eternal difference of our work here, but in my heart of hearts…..Mungu yu mwema! (God is good!).

It has been a blessing that Lighthouse Christian Church has sponsored this team to come to Kenya. I thank the church and all our friends and family for their financial support, their continued prayers, and their faith in what we are doing here.

Bwana asifiwe! (Praise the Lord!)

Dan

Street Stories

Hi everybody

Yesterday we went to the Farm, were youths from the streets are brought. They go to school there and live there. We went to a field and had to remove grass and plant Mango Trees. It was hard work but each youth in my group told me their story and how they got to the Farm.

Mary is a 17 year old girl, who ran away from home after her mother beat her. She was on the streets for 3 years. She said that it was very hard for her and girls in general. She could only spend 5 schillings for food everyday, which she usually spent on little fried bread treats , sort of like dounuts. And she said that evening were the hardest for girls because you'd have to get a good sleeping place away from men. Because men would try to rape the girls. But one of her friends told her about the Farm and she went there. She has lived there for a few years now and she is a Christian. She lives at the farm where she goes to school.

Another youth I met was Kent who is 16 years old. He also ran away from home because he was beaten by his mother. On the streets he stole to get money for food and mostly for drugs. At night he would sleep in front of store entrances. One evening he heard lots of screaming and saw one guy running and others following him. So he folloed and saw them tie the man down. He heard that the man had stolen a purse from a woman and tried to run away after being caught. So the men tried him down and burned him alive. After Kent saw this he stopped stealing, but it was hard to find food. One of his friends told him about the Farm, so he went there, and now he is a christian and wants to be a Mechanic when he grows up.

Evans is a 16 year old boy who ran away from home because his mom made him sell illegal drugs to others and he got addicted to those drugs. when she found out she would beat him. On the streets he slept on street corners where other men would beat him up and he was always bruised and bleeding. He went to an organization where they helped him, but after a few months he ran away because he was scared and wanted to get more drugs. But then the farm welcomed him in and he became a Christian.

I think it is amazing how God Brought all these youth to the Farm where they became Christians and have good schooling to prepare them for the future. So that they can ahve a better future than living on the streets.

-Dakota-

Another day, another adventure. We went to the Christian Life Worship Center in a lower income neighborhood, not a slum. It was an easy day for me, it was just a concert day. We had an opportunity to invite the neighborhood to a free lunch, free dental clinic, and then the concert. Most of the people were eager to go to the free lunch and the concert. Again, the little kids were precious and so excited to see us. The difference was, these kids looked healthy and well fed, a far cry from the slum children.

The concert was acoustic this time, since we had problems with the generator. The audience didn't care, they loved the worship time. Bekah kept playing afterwards with a few girls that just wanted to sing. It was a great thing to witness.

Too much to mention-a great day!

Erika

We're sitting at the Nairobi Java House having a treat after working at the Sattelite, the Christian Life Worship Center. Mike has one of his dental clinics there. I was able to help Cindy as a dental assistant, suctioning and holding instruments. This helped me appreciate being a nurse! We also walked the neighborhood inviting them to the clinic, lunch and concert. We didn't have electricity so the music was acoustic. The people enjoy fast active songs. Each time we have a concert, one of the youth shares their testimony, and each time they do great. It was Dakota's time today. Our time here in Nairobi is half way done. It's going too fast

Watching God change lives in Kenya....mostly mine

Well, I guess I haven’t been a good blogger since I haven’t even been on. Thankfully everyone else has kept you up to date and Erika has written for us. Here are some of the highlights from what we have done so far…..
Day 1: we held babies and cried a lot as we looked into their eyes and knew the difficult lives ahead for them.
Day 2: Erika told an amazing bible story at the Nest Orphanage. Then we did VBS songs and crafts.
Day 3: We visited our first slum today. I felt equal amounts of anger and sadness as we walked through the area and saw the conditions that people lived in. I had to fight back tears as we listened to some of our brothers and sisters share about their faith despite the struggles in life they face. Kids swarmed around us and cried out Mzungu (foreigner). Our first concert and evangelistic time was powerful. About 25 youth and children gave their life to Christ.
Day 4: We visited a Church and did their Sunday service today. All I have to say is that they preach and pray differently. One of the pastors who came and visited was louder without the microphone than with it. This was the longest prayer time I have ever seen. I thought it was going to end four or five different times….but it didn’t.
Day 5: At “Made in the streets”, some of us went and visited the bases where the street kids lived. Some were completely stoned (from sniffing glue). They were filthy and the area was filled with flies and trash. Some even lived on top of the huge trash piles, picking food from it, and using it to keep warm. At the two bases we visited one of the things that stuck out to me was how polite they were. We would each take turns introducing ourselves and sharing a word of encouragement. Then…each of them would take time to introduce themselves. We shared the gospel message with them and then closed in prayer. They were respectful and courteous.
Three young men travelled with us. Anthony, Kennedy, and Moses who were all street kids at one time made us feel completely safe. They used to run the streets and looked exactly like the youth we visited. If you saw them now you would not believe it. (we’ll post pics) But then the message of the gospel transformed them…and things are different. You should hear Anthony preach…it is amazing. Larry, the missionary (Texan who speaks fluent Swahili) who won’t go out in the streets without one of these guys made a comment that is appropriate…”who says that God doesn’t do miracles”.
Trenton