Below is an entry from Lindsay S.  Suheily, Bethany, and her arrived in Kitale today.

 

So far I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what we experienced yesterday in Kibera [Africa's largest slum; approx. 1 million people].  As we gathered for breakfast yesterday, Bob shared that it was very likely that we would be experiencing the "shadow of darkness" during our time.  Even now, I'm not entirely sure if that is what I felt in Kibera.  Even though there was a "shadow of darkness" of the people living in such poverty that they went daily to search for food and a way for their family to make money, God's marvelous light was clearly visible and at work in the people that we met.  Bethany, Suheily, and I went with the youth team to Kibera, while the other half of the ministry went to another slum (see Angela and Bob's reflections).  We were ushered into the GARA (Global AIDS Response Agency) facility and met with the chants of the young children "How are you, How are you?" which is one of the most joyous and beautiful sounds I've heard thus far on the trip.  We went into the church/school room where a pastor was giving a powerful message about loving and caring for your neighbor.  The work of GARA is to equip local villagers with HIV/AIDS education and teach them to share it with those around them in hopes to slow the spread of it in Kibera. 

 

We were greeted with warm smiles and firm and loving handshakes.  Truly the people that we have met so far are the most welcoming and loving people I have ever experienced.

 

    After a few of us spoke to the group, we were broken into two teams, one that stayed and had a discussion (see Mark's entry), and my team who went to do house visits.  We were warmly welcomed into about 6 homes of people involved in GARA.  They wanted to share with us what their lives are like.  We met both large and small families, each with a similar request, pray that God would bless their families, help them to make money to provide for their families, and that God would provide protection to them.  In each house we were met with the reality of the severity of their poverty.  They pay 800 shillings a month [~ $11 US] to live in a one-room mud hut with a tin roof.  Many of the families divided their one room into two with a sheet in the middle so they would have both a living room and bedroom.  Despite the difficulties they faced, they were able to praise God for what they had and knew, in a way that I have never had to experience, what it is like to trust God for EVERYTHING.

 

     I was deeply encouraged by a beautiful woman we met.  Her husband passed away 10 years ago from HIV and she is positive but is able to take the ARV medication to keep her moderately healthy.  She has 5 children and lives in a one-room shack.  Despite her difficulties in providing for her own children, she takes care of 2 orphans whose parents died of HIV.  To make money, she washes clothing for people for a small fee.  She asked us to pray for her family and that I would not forget her when I left.  Please join me in praying for her...we'll call her Ana.

 

    After we returned to the center to begin our half of the session, our group entered the discussion that Mark mentioned in his note.  I overheard a woman behind me making a comment after the woman questioned why she wasn't healed from HIV after she accepted Christ.  The woman kept repeating "it's your faith, you're not healed because of your faith."  It broke my heart for two reasons, first of all I would never want anyone to doubt the power of their faith in Christ because they haven't been healed by a disease that is plaguing the world.  Second of all, I questioned my own faith.  Do I even believe that God still heals? I know that HIV is a world problem and that it isn't going away, but for them to believe, without a doubt that God could and would remove it from them...that really challenged my faith.

 

    Please continue to pray for those of us here in Kenya.  Today Suheily, Bethany, and I will be going to Kitale to work with Bud and Kim at Mattaw.  The rest of the team will continue their work here in Nairobi until they reunite with us in Mattaw on Monday.  Please pray that God would continue to break the hearts of His servants as we work with the believers here in Kenya.  Praise be to God for what we have already experienced, I know I am already changed.

 

Bwana asifiwe~Lindsay