New Experiences

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18

We finally reached the Okongo's house after more than 24 hours of travelling. I was in awe that our van could even make it up the mountain. As we stepped out, I was amazed at the view and the sunset over the valley. Excitedly, we explored our new home. Cows, chickens, puppies, and sheep provided the background noise. We realized that there would be many small challenges in our everyday lives while in Kenya. Heating up water for our bucket showers, using the outhouse, sleeping under mosquito nets, washing clothes and dishes by hand, and encountering many strange insects are just a few of the new things we are learning about.

I'm so amazed and humbled by the community where we are staying. Kandaria is a rural area where people live in small houses made of mud and sticks. Narrow, rocky paths connect the houses to their local schools and churches. Navigating these paths takes time, and we stop and greet each person we meet on the way. Yesterday we had the opportunity to hike up the steep mountain behind the Okongo's house and stand on a cliff overlooking the community and Lake Victoria. I couldn't believe that people walk miles on those steep paths every day, and even farm corn on the side of the mountain.

There is pain and suffering mixed in with the beauty, and everyone has a story that would break your heart. Caring for the large number of orphans is a huge problem, because it can be such a challenge to find kind, trustworthy people (without ulterior motives) to take on the responsibility of raising these children. There is also a significant stigma associated with with being orphaned, especially by HIV/AIDS. These children are scarred by the shame and sadness society places on them. Because of their vulnerability, they are likely to be abused or mistreated by the relatives or children's homes that take them in.

Obviously, infection and sickness are big problems as well. The first day in the clinic, we saw a girl with a large wound on her leg that had become septic. David later told me that this had started as a small scratch. The life expectancy is much shorter here, and I am told that there is a funeral in Kandaria every weekend. Yesterday we visited the funeral of a woman in her late 30s who had died of an asthma attack.

There are so many needs here that it can become overwhelming. I am praying that I will be able to love those God places in my path during this trip. Trusting in His perfect timing and placement.

"If anyone serves, He should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised though Jesus Christ" 1 Peter 4:11