Dear Friends and Family,
This past Saturday, the Kibera Church hosted a VBS day for all the children who go to the school, church, or live in the community. It was such a success! We had around 215 children that showed up. And those who knew me were so happy to see me. Mark, my team leader and I were on the story telling committee and we told the story of Noah’s Ark. Those kids just ate it up. They loved hearing about it, and asked questions about it. It was really fun! Then on sunday, Travis did the sermon. And it was the first time all summer I heard an English sermon. I’ll never take it for granted again. Travis did a great job talking about James 1, and I think all the people liked it.
This morning was a little rough for me. I woke up to make breakfast at 6:20 am, and I get there, and one of the women who is living with us was there ready to help me. Except that instead of helping me, she critiqued everything I did. And everything I did was wrong and needed fixing. What I wanted to make for the group was scrambled egg sandwiches. But that wasn’t on the menu for today’s breakfast. I’m not going to rant about this, but the Lord, through in my sin of thinking I have patience and love towards people, said “you don’t.” Because the whole time she was correcting me, I was not loving. I was not patient. I was upset, frustrated and hurt. And that’s my sin just messing up my life. Thank goodness I have a God who is so eager to forgive.
Yesterday, we went to a legit Kenyan market. Us girls were given money and a shopping list and we went out ready to bargain. It was such an experience! I loved it because everything smelled so fresh and natural compared to Publix. I was told how beautiful I am on several occasions, and that just made me feel so much better about myself. :) But it was good for me to get out of my zone, and see how the real Kenyans shop. We bought carrots, peas, green plants, and a ton of fresh fruits.
I don’t have a lot to say about this blog, which is kinda weird. There hasn’t been a lot that has happened since I last posted. Some of us are getting head colds and coughs. We’re half way done with our trip, and none of us are really happy about that. I know for me that I really want to stay here, and just have all my friends come here and visit. Kenya is beautiful and the ministry is just so needed. Hands are needed to serve and hearts are needed to love. The children have captured my heart and all I want to hold them and laugh with them.
Keep on praying friends. The Lord is all we have here.
In Christ,
Virginia Jo
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Oh how He Loves us
A few days ago, I prayed for the Lord to continue pushing me to trust him. To give me a situation where I would have to lean on him. Not that all my days haven’t been days where I can lean on him, but I wanted a time, a situation, where I’d have no other choice but to trust him. And, as always, the Lord heard my cry and answered. I found out a member of my extended family has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and it has spread to two different areas of his body. Oh, Lord. I ask for faith, and you gave me the challenge of it. Here I am, in Kenya, with 9 people I’m still getting to know, and on the other side of the world, is the painful idea of someone in my family being sick. But at the same time, this is probably the best place for me. I can struggle with my fellow interns and share with them my fears. There isn’t a better place right now for me to be.
One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 43. “Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.” I think I love it so much because one of the things I struggle most with is knowing whether or not I am accepted by those around me. It’s something that if let loose, can take over my mind and drive me crazy. But look! I am already accepted. Not only that, but I am redeemed and chosen. I can’t do anything more or anything less in God’s eyes. “Fear not”. I don’t need to be worried about being weird, laughing too loud, saying something awkward, or even when I am alone and not with people. “I have redeemed you.” I have full confidence that my sins are forgiven and that nothing can undo that action. I once was blind, but now I see. “I have called you by name.” Jesus knows me, inside and out, and wants me. He sees my heart, knows it’s true nature, and still calls out for me. Like a lover when they see someone they love. They can’t help but desire to be with them. “You are mine.” Again, like a lover. A man who loves a woman wants her all to himself. No sharing, or anything like that. She belongs to him. Jesus loves me even more than a husband loves his wife. I am his beloved, beautiful little lady. I am his and nobody else’s. It’s like the song by Tenth Avenue North, called Beloved. “I am the giver of life, and I’ll clothe you in white.” As I go out into the slum to teach or into the church for worship, this is what I’ll start remembering. I am called, needed, redeemed, and beloved.
This Saturday we’re putting together a VBS day with the church and the community! We were told that close to 300 kids could possibly attend so to be ready for anything :) Here’s what’s going to happen: We’ll begin the morning with Mark sharing the Gospel story, and Courtney sharing our memory verse, “I am the way, the truth, and the light. No one comes to the Father except through me.” After that, we’ll divide into 4 groups, and start rotations. One group is music, led by Rachel and Jacob. Another is crafts led by Lauren and Rebecca. Another is games, led by Corey, Travis, and Justin. The last group is another story, led by Mark and I. Courtney will be in charge of the babies. We’ll have snacks and makes sure the kids are having fun. Of course, it will be crazy, chaotic, and exciting.
Today marks our third week. We’ve been told that after the third week, we will drop like flies. Now, that’s not to scare anyone reading this, but what I think he means is after the third week, people begin to realize that this schedule we’re living will be lived the rest of the summer. And for some people, that can cause the conflict stage to happen. I’ve been praying a bold prayer that my team would just skip the conflict stage. I mean, how ideal would that be? We would all be in the honeymoon stage for 8 solid weeks. CHECK PLEASE. But, the devil is cunning, and hates what we’re doing so he’s going to put up a good fight against us. He’ll use his crafty ways to lure us into small jealousy traps and cause us to doubt the power of the Lord. For those who have been following me, please pray that no matter what happens, our team will put all our trust and hope in the Lord. Pray that no matter what, we’ll believe that our God is more powerful than any earthly force. We’re here, 9 strangers for a summer and conflict is more than likely to happen. I just hope we can skip right through it, and leave it in the dust.
I’ll leave yall with a verse that has helped me get through the past few days:
“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great or too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” - Psalm 131
Virginia
One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 43. “Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.” I think I love it so much because one of the things I struggle most with is knowing whether or not I am accepted by those around me. It’s something that if let loose, can take over my mind and drive me crazy. But look! I am already accepted. Not only that, but I am redeemed and chosen. I can’t do anything more or anything less in God’s eyes. “Fear not”. I don’t need to be worried about being weird, laughing too loud, saying something awkward, or even when I am alone and not with people. “I have redeemed you.” I have full confidence that my sins are forgiven and that nothing can undo that action. I once was blind, but now I see. “I have called you by name.” Jesus knows me, inside and out, and wants me. He sees my heart, knows it’s true nature, and still calls out for me. Like a lover when they see someone they love. They can’t help but desire to be with them. “You are mine.” Again, like a lover. A man who loves a woman wants her all to himself. No sharing, or anything like that. She belongs to him. Jesus loves me even more than a husband loves his wife. I am his beloved, beautiful little lady. I am his and nobody else’s. It’s like the song by Tenth Avenue North, called Beloved. “I am the giver of life, and I’ll clothe you in white.” As I go out into the slum to teach or into the church for worship, this is what I’ll start remembering. I am called, needed, redeemed, and beloved.
This Saturday we’re putting together a VBS day with the church and the community! We were told that close to 300 kids could possibly attend so to be ready for anything :) Here’s what’s going to happen: We’ll begin the morning with Mark sharing the Gospel story, and Courtney sharing our memory verse, “I am the way, the truth, and the light. No one comes to the Father except through me.” After that, we’ll divide into 4 groups, and start rotations. One group is music, led by Rachel and Jacob. Another is crafts led by Lauren and Rebecca. Another is games, led by Corey, Travis, and Justin. The last group is another story, led by Mark and I. Courtney will be in charge of the babies. We’ll have snacks and makes sure the kids are having fun. Of course, it will be crazy, chaotic, and exciting.
Today marks our third week. We’ve been told that after the third week, we will drop like flies. Now, that’s not to scare anyone reading this, but what I think he means is after the third week, people begin to realize that this schedule we’re living will be lived the rest of the summer. And for some people, that can cause the conflict stage to happen. I’ve been praying a bold prayer that my team would just skip the conflict stage. I mean, how ideal would that be? We would all be in the honeymoon stage for 8 solid weeks. CHECK PLEASE. But, the devil is cunning, and hates what we’re doing so he’s going to put up a good fight against us. He’ll use his crafty ways to lure us into small jealousy traps and cause us to doubt the power of the Lord. For those who have been following me, please pray that no matter what happens, our team will put all our trust and hope in the Lord. Pray that no matter what, we’ll believe that our God is more powerful than any earthly force. We’re here, 9 strangers for a summer and conflict is more than likely to happen. I just hope we can skip right through it, and leave it in the dust.
I’ll leave yall with a verse that has helped me get through the past few days:
“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great or too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” - Psalm 131
Virginia
Fun Non-spiritual facts :)
Dear Friends and Family,
This blog is going to be my time of sharing different, non-spiritual things that I’ve learned so far in Kenya.
Sometimes when I’m trying to fall asleep at night, I hear this roar of a sound. I sit up straight from my bed, trying to figure out what could cause such a sound at this time in the night. And it dawns on me. A plane. Our home here is right behind the Nairobi airport. So, whether it be day, night, afternoon, morning, or evening, there is always a plane taking off or landing right behind us. Sometimes the sound is so loud, I can feel the room shake. It’s just something funny that we have learned to deal with here.
In America, when someone says “ I’ll pick you up at 10” that usually means they’ll be there around 10. In Kenya, this is different. They might get there at 10, or 11 or even 12. And when they get there, they have to break for tea. Americans move so quickly. We have to get every single thing done in 1 day without even taking a break. I have learned that time is always flexible when you’re with friends here. Sure, make a schedule and plan out a day but if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. Shrug your shoulders, have a laugh, and have some chi.
Fridays have become our “Fun American Food Friday!” day. Basically, the women living with us don’t cook for the day and we make “American food”. And we were so excited about that because we could eat food that we knew we loved. The problem arises when we realize that we are all college kids, which means our “American Food” that we know how to make is instant mac and ramen noodles. It also means that we have to figure out what exactly is American Food. Last night, we planed on having Taco Night, however, the grocery store didn’t sell tacos, tortillas, or pinto beans. So we settled for hamburgers. Typical American food.
Kenya has bugs. And I don’t mean normal ants that you just avoid when walking on the grass. I mean, HUGE, GIANT, SCARY-LOOKING BUGS. Here’s just one of many stories of my encounters with them:
I don’t make my bed in the mornings. Judge me, but it’s true. I just don’t have the motivation in the mornings to do it. So, one night me, Rachel and Rebecca were sitting in our room, and I was sorting through the receipts I had. Suddenly, Rachel starts freaking out, and I look to where she’s looking, and out of my bed sheets comes this HUGE, HALF-DOLLAR size spider. Oh, I lost it. I screamed and ran across the room, my heart racing and my hand shaking. I’ve never seen a spider so big and scary in my entire life. Needless to say, it died a terrible death.
I’ve learned that laughter is truely the best way to de-stress after a long day, that ice cream is universally the best dessert in the world, and that kitkat bars are better in Kenya than in the U.S. That’s all I have learned so far. :) It’s been an exciting 2 weeks so far. Take care everyone! Love yall!
Virginia
This blog is going to be my time of sharing different, non-spiritual things that I’ve learned so far in Kenya.
Sometimes when I’m trying to fall asleep at night, I hear this roar of a sound. I sit up straight from my bed, trying to figure out what could cause such a sound at this time in the night. And it dawns on me. A plane. Our home here is right behind the Nairobi airport. So, whether it be day, night, afternoon, morning, or evening, there is always a plane taking off or landing right behind us. Sometimes the sound is so loud, I can feel the room shake. It’s just something funny that we have learned to deal with here.
In America, when someone says “ I’ll pick you up at 10” that usually means they’ll be there around 10. In Kenya, this is different. They might get there at 10, or 11 or even 12. And when they get there, they have to break for tea. Americans move so quickly. We have to get every single thing done in 1 day without even taking a break. I have learned that time is always flexible when you’re with friends here. Sure, make a schedule and plan out a day but if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. Shrug your shoulders, have a laugh, and have some chi.
Fridays have become our “Fun American Food Friday!” day. Basically, the women living with us don’t cook for the day and we make “American food”. And we were so excited about that because we could eat food that we knew we loved. The problem arises when we realize that we are all college kids, which means our “American Food” that we know how to make is instant mac and ramen noodles. It also means that we have to figure out what exactly is American Food. Last night, we planed on having Taco Night, however, the grocery store didn’t sell tacos, tortillas, or pinto beans. So we settled for hamburgers. Typical American food.
Kenya has bugs. And I don’t mean normal ants that you just avoid when walking on the grass. I mean, HUGE, GIANT, SCARY-LOOKING BUGS. Here’s just one of many stories of my encounters with them:
I don’t make my bed in the mornings. Judge me, but it’s true. I just don’t have the motivation in the mornings to do it. So, one night me, Rachel and Rebecca were sitting in our room, and I was sorting through the receipts I had. Suddenly, Rachel starts freaking out, and I look to where she’s looking, and out of my bed sheets comes this HUGE, HALF-DOLLAR size spider. Oh, I lost it. I screamed and ran across the room, my heart racing and my hand shaking. I’ve never seen a spider so big and scary in my entire life. Needless to say, it died a terrible death.
I’ve learned that laughter is truely the best way to de-stress after a long day, that ice cream is universally the best dessert in the world, and that kitkat bars are better in Kenya than in the U.S. That’s all I have learned so far. :) It’s been an exciting 2 weeks so far. Take care everyone! Love yall!
Virginia
Friday, June 10, 2011
In Christ Alone
Hello all!
It’s been two weeks since we left home for MTWs pre-retreat in North Carolina. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here this long. It also seems crazy to think that we only have seven Sundays left before it’s time to go home. Weird!! None of us are trying to think of it that way at all. We have all fallen in love with this country, and with our brothers and sisters in the church.
Since Friday, we’ve all stayed pretty busy but the good thing about our schedule is there are days when we can rest in between days that are super busy or stressful. Saturday was one of those restful days. Pastor Imbumi didn’t pick us up until 3p.m. to go to the girls home. I was able to finish a book, start another one and wash some towels. Once we arrived at the girls home, we played games and helped with homework and sang and prayed for church in the morning. I really enjoy preparing for church this way. I feel like I can prepare myself for not only the journey into the slum, but prepare my heart for the people and children I will encounter during the service.
Sunday was wonderful because of all the prayer. It was slightly more difficult to get into the slum but I made it and as always, breathed a sigh of relief once in the church. The church is such a symbol of peace and security. I feel safe in it, despite being in the center of a massive slum. I was surrounded by children from the moment I walked in to the moment I left. On my left, on my right, in my arms, in my lap, falling asleep in my arms. My motherly instincts came out and I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful it felt to have a sleeping child trust you and fall sleep in your ams. After church we picked up some ice cream (because after one visit, you are no longer a visiter which means you bring food to places) and headed to the girls home for one of the best lunches I have ever had. Fanta orange soda, a bean,carrot, and onion soup and a bread called chapati. It looks like a flour tortilla but it’s so much better. Sunday night, us interns watched The Office and laughed and laughed. We are such a good team together. I love laughing and I’ve found that laughter is such a great way to relax after a long day of working.
Monday is our day to stay on the land. The girls washed a ton of clothes and bed sheets. My back and arms are going to be so strong after a summer of washing clothes. The way Kenyans wash clothes is one of the most difficult and intense ways ever. They start by taking two buckets, filling one with clean water and the other with soapy-detergent water. Next they put the clothes in the soapy water and scrub them till the water isn’t clean water anymore. Then they rinse the soapy water out of the clothes (which takes a lot of effort because water makes everything so heavy) and drop them in the clean water. You do more scrubbing and then rinse the water out of it. And then you repeat everything a second time. So, no matter how much clothes or sheets or towels you have, it takes forever to wash stuff. But I now know how to do it, and maybe I can apply it to my college life, save some money here or there. :)
Normally on Tuesdays we’re in the slum teaching or serving those who are sick. But this week, Pastor Imbumi had a conference and couldn’t pick us up. So instead it’s a second day of staying here on the land. Other than the guys work, the girls didn’t really have all that much to do. And something I’ve been struggling to understand is the way Kenyan women work verses the way American women work. American women are used to things being equal. American women can do the same kind of jobs men can do. And we’re used to having men learn how to do typical women jobs like cooking and cleaning. But in Kenya, things are different. Women do the household chores like laundry, and cleaning the dishes and cooking the food. In fact, when our guys started doing the dishes, one of the Kenyan women living with us laughed and laughed at that sight. She couldn’t believe that American men would be doing the dishes. All that to say, the guys are physically building the building that will house all the rescued women. And we’re stuck doing laundry. We’ve been feeling kinda worthless. But the Lord showed me last night that by doing cleaning the sheets, I’m serving my team and I’m serving the Lord. By making lunch for the hungry, and tired boys, I’m serving them, and I’m serving the Lord. Another thing that I’ve been struggling with is the comparison game. It’s a sin I’ve struggled with my whole life. And one of the girls, Rachel, gave me a verse that has been really helpful: “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be himself alone, and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.” Everyone has their own problems to work through. And everyone has something about them that is special and unique. Why should I try to be someone else with someone else’s problems? I have enough of my own. My creator made me this way and there isn’t a point to wishing for other qualities.
I’m going to end tonight’s blog with some prayer/praise requests:
Continue to pray for Pastor Imbumi and his wife Martha. They work really hard for us and don’t tell us a lot of things that they go through everyday.
Praise God for the situation with the little boy. He is now in the protection of Pastor Imbumi and is finally safe. He is a sweet child and we can’t wait to spend more time with him in the coming weeks.
And, pray for our team. We’re getting into the end of our third week and things are wonderful right now. We all love each other and enjoy spending time together. But what worries me is the 3rd week. Pray that we’ll continue to love each other and trust the Lord in all that happens.
In Christ Alone,
Virginia
It’s been two weeks since we left home for MTWs pre-retreat in North Carolina. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here this long. It also seems crazy to think that we only have seven Sundays left before it’s time to go home. Weird!! None of us are trying to think of it that way at all. We have all fallen in love with this country, and with our brothers and sisters in the church.
Since Friday, we’ve all stayed pretty busy but the good thing about our schedule is there are days when we can rest in between days that are super busy or stressful. Saturday was one of those restful days. Pastor Imbumi didn’t pick us up until 3p.m. to go to the girls home. I was able to finish a book, start another one and wash some towels. Once we arrived at the girls home, we played games and helped with homework and sang and prayed for church in the morning. I really enjoy preparing for church this way. I feel like I can prepare myself for not only the journey into the slum, but prepare my heart for the people and children I will encounter during the service.
Sunday was wonderful because of all the prayer. It was slightly more difficult to get into the slum but I made it and as always, breathed a sigh of relief once in the church. The church is such a symbol of peace and security. I feel safe in it, despite being in the center of a massive slum. I was surrounded by children from the moment I walked in to the moment I left. On my left, on my right, in my arms, in my lap, falling asleep in my arms. My motherly instincts came out and I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful it felt to have a sleeping child trust you and fall sleep in your ams. After church we picked up some ice cream (because after one visit, you are no longer a visiter which means you bring food to places) and headed to the girls home for one of the best lunches I have ever had. Fanta orange soda, a bean,carrot, and onion soup and a bread called chapati. It looks like a flour tortilla but it’s so much better. Sunday night, us interns watched The Office and laughed and laughed. We are such a good team together. I love laughing and I’ve found that laughter is such a great way to relax after a long day of working.
Monday is our day to stay on the land. The girls washed a ton of clothes and bed sheets. My back and arms are going to be so strong after a summer of washing clothes. The way Kenyans wash clothes is one of the most difficult and intense ways ever. They start by taking two buckets, filling one with clean water and the other with soapy-detergent water. Next they put the clothes in the soapy water and scrub them till the water isn’t clean water anymore. Then they rinse the soapy water out of the clothes (which takes a lot of effort because water makes everything so heavy) and drop them in the clean water. You do more scrubbing and then rinse the water out of it. And then you repeat everything a second time. So, no matter how much clothes or sheets or towels you have, it takes forever to wash stuff. But I now know how to do it, and maybe I can apply it to my college life, save some money here or there. :)
Normally on Tuesdays we’re in the slum teaching or serving those who are sick. But this week, Pastor Imbumi had a conference and couldn’t pick us up. So instead it’s a second day of staying here on the land. Other than the guys work, the girls didn’t really have all that much to do. And something I’ve been struggling to understand is the way Kenyan women work verses the way American women work. American women are used to things being equal. American women can do the same kind of jobs men can do. And we’re used to having men learn how to do typical women jobs like cooking and cleaning. But in Kenya, things are different. Women do the household chores like laundry, and cleaning the dishes and cooking the food. In fact, when our guys started doing the dishes, one of the Kenyan women living with us laughed and laughed at that sight. She couldn’t believe that American men would be doing the dishes. All that to say, the guys are physically building the building that will house all the rescued women. And we’re stuck doing laundry. We’ve been feeling kinda worthless. But the Lord showed me last night that by doing cleaning the sheets, I’m serving my team and I’m serving the Lord. By making lunch for the hungry, and tired boys, I’m serving them, and I’m serving the Lord. Another thing that I’ve been struggling with is the comparison game. It’s a sin I’ve struggled with my whole life. And one of the girls, Rachel, gave me a verse that has been really helpful: “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be himself alone, and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.” Everyone has their own problems to work through. And everyone has something about them that is special and unique. Why should I try to be someone else with someone else’s problems? I have enough of my own. My creator made me this way and there isn’t a point to wishing for other qualities.
I’m going to end tonight’s blog with some prayer/praise requests:
Continue to pray for Pastor Imbumi and his wife Martha. They work really hard for us and don’t tell us a lot of things that they go through everyday.
Praise God for the situation with the little boy. He is now in the protection of Pastor Imbumi and is finally safe. He is a sweet child and we can’t wait to spend more time with him in the coming weeks.
And, pray for our team. We’re getting into the end of our third week and things are wonderful right now. We all love each other and enjoy spending time together. But what worries me is the 3rd week. Pray that we’ll continue to love each other and trust the Lord in all that happens.
In Christ Alone,
Virginia
Friday, June 3, 2011
June 2, 2011
What a week it has been!
Monday we worked on the land and gardened. The girls also learned how to wash clothes, clean the bathrooms, clean our rooms as well as the common rooms and kitchen, and continuing to learn how to cook Kenyan food. The boys started working on construction for the home for rescued girls. We watched as Jacob fell into a giant hole, and how Lauren uses a shovel. We were throughly exhausted by the end of the day.
Tuesday we went into the slum and were assigned the two different jobs we’ll work on for the rest of the summer. Some of us will be teaching children and others will be serving the adults with AIDS. As we were touring each of the classrooms, I knew that’s what I wanted to do but I didn’t know if I would be able to. Turns out, one of the grades wanted me to teach them so I get to teach little first graders with a wonderful assistant teacher! I walked into the classroom and just prayed that I could teach this little group and the Lord heard me. Next week will be my trial week but soon, I’ll be teaching them on my own, without the main teacher. My first day begins this coming Tuesday! Tuesday was also the day we got to go to the Java House and update online.
Wednesday was the Kenyan National Independence Day so we slept in! It was amazing what a few extra hours will do for one’s body and mental health. Instead of going into the slum though, we went to the girl’s home where we tutored them and played with them. I think they’re really starting to open up with us because according to our Pastor’s wife, “after day 1, we’re family” . :)
Thursday we traveled to a slightly nicer slum and the sister-church to ours. We worked with the school and the kids that go there, and we got to walk through the slum. It really was probably the most beautiful slum I’ve ever seen. Full of flowers and beauty, wild-life and corn and waterfalls and cliffs. It was gorgeous.
Today! Today is Friday which means I’m currently on my free day. Today we’re going to this huge market/store that holds everything anyone could ever want or desire. Food, wifi, clothes, stuff...also, any American thing you could want is there too. We’ll also be cooking only American food for ourselves since it’s Fun-Friday!
Since I last posted, I mentioned that I wanted to trust God more than I do. I want to be able run to Him before I run to anyone else. I’ve also been praying that the Lord would break my heart for what breaks his. And on Thursday, that happened. I won’t go into details since this is a personal story for a child and it’s online, but basically, the whole team is struggling with this current situation. A child, around the age of 8, tried to walk from the slum to where we are living because of how terrible his current home situation is. However, because we are not his legal guardians, he couldn’t stay with us overnight. We all know and believe that the Lord is good and his will is perfect. But when bad, and terrible things happen to either us or those around us, it’s really difficult to believe it. I think that God is showing me how to trust him. What was the first thing I did when I realized the child couldn’t stay with us, besides cry? I worried. What’s going to happen to him? What can I do to help? Where shall this child go? I worry so much about so many things that I can’t control. I doubt that God can work tough situations out if I can’t either. However, what is getting me through this tonight is knowing that God is still all powerful and all wise and all knowing. In the book of Job, how many times did the Lord allow terrible things to happen to him? So many terrible things! And yet, He was still there, and just as powerful and strong enough to tell the devil when that was enough. While none of us are happy with this situation, we all are remembering the Lord is strong and mighty.
Also, one of the most rewarding things I’ve been able to experience is working with the girls in their home. Most of these girls have been rescued out of seriously terrible situations and have been placed in the most loving home I can see. They have learned how to cook, clean, wash their clothes, and other home responsibilities. They also have been able to challenge themselves academically and learn more things than I ever learned in school. Most of them have really high expectations for themselves after school, like musicians, lawyers, or nurses. It took a few some time to open up to us, and that’s ok. But now, we’re family, and they giggle and laugh when we try to speak Swahili. They make fun of us and trick us into saying funny things. They all have so much spunk, and life that just being around them brings a smile to my face. I wish you all could meet these girls, because you would be able to see exactly what I’m trying to say. Their love for the Lord is clear, and they’re not ashamed of him. He rescued them from pain and constant fear. I hope someday to have the same kind of faith like they do. Faith like a child.
I hope everyone is doing well! Summer and the hot season has begun, I’m assuming in the States, so everyone be careful and stay hydrated :) Right now, it feels like it’s 68, and winter. Ironically, it is winter here and it cracks me up to hear the Kenyan children complaining about the weather. I love and miss everyone and I’ll post another blog just as soon as I can!
In Christ alone,
Virginia
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