This experience in Kenya has been both inspiring and heartbreaking. I have never laughed and cried so much in a two-day period in my entire life [I have laughed more and I have cried more, but never so much of both in such a short timeframe!]. Yesterday, I joined Rebecca as she was playing soccer with a bunch of kids that lived near our home base in Narobi. Seeing the joy on her face as she was interacting with the children was very inspiring. Kimber joined us later and, even though she was only equipped with flip-flops/sandals, she was doing really well! Soccer in the evening with the kids is definitely going to make Kenya enjoyable this summer! Hopefully Amy, Daniel, and Jim will join us next time! (although to Jim's credit, he was cooking!)
Today we walked to a market and on the way we saw a lain man [see John 5:1-15, which we studied just yesterday!] crawling on the side of the road. People were just walking past and ignoring
him. I tuned it out at the time
until we got back to the house and I asked Jane, our dear friend (we love this lady!) and liaison
with LIA about a safety net for people that are
disabled (doesn't everybody get disability?). My heart was truly broken when
she said there is no safety net and that many people have nowhere to go for
help, especially if they have no relatives to look after them. Here
is this man, who is disabled likely at no fault to himself. I had tears streaming down
my face when I thought "What if he were just born in America, then he would have the assistance he needs to just get a wheelchair so he could get around." (My thoughts on this are not over, but I must move onward)
What I saw today was just one (uno, moja, eins) person. In a few weeks we will be spending many days
in the slum, Kubari, that has (from what I have been told by Amy) nearly a million people living in it. I can’t even fathom that right now.
>>your prayers (yes yours!) are needed<<
>>and mucho appreciated<<
Prayer requests - For the lain gentleman, please pray that he has relatives that are prosperous in their commercial endeavors and are able and willing to help take care of him and that God will shower this man and his relatives in grace and comfort and that he will fix this man's legs, just like he did in John 5 [seriously read this!], so that he will walk again.
- For the friends, families, and supporters of our entire Mi2 team (in Africa and Europe) that God's grace will just flow over them so that they don't miss us too much while we are gone (It will be tough task for our Lord, but thankfully He can do great things!). And that God will bless them many times greater for all of the prayers, emotional encouragement and financial support that has made this possible for each one of us.
- For the Mi2: Czech Republic team (you can follow Chelsea, Ester, and Sarah's blog as they work with Josiah Ventures) let them keep focused on God and allow Him to do big things with the youth that they are working with this summer.
- For our Mi2: Kenya team, that we keep our hearts focused on God and what he wants to do with us in this place. Pray for God to open our hearts and minds to be truly transformed. Let us not be afriad of somebody because they have HIV/AIDS but embrace our brothers and sisters and love on them as Christ Jesus would.
- For me, that I never get used to seeing this absolute poverty, that my heart never becomes numb to the helpless, (that these people in Kenya never become hopeless), and that my tears are turned into actions guided by the Holy Spirit to ultimately bring God all of the honor, all of the glory, and all of the praise.
However, I am starting to think that God is [making]
-Bonsai
Now now now, I know we posted a bunch on one day (we really wanted to communicate with you!) but......
>>Don't forget to scroll down and read Amy's posts about our team<<
(By the way, please ask questions or leave comments on our posts. We would love to respond back when we have internet)
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