3-24-2012

Woke up, and had breakfast at the hotel. The usual food which we eat most often is rice, arrow root, potatoes, goat meat, stew, and fruit. We always have kenyan tea time with warm goat milk and cane sugar. I love tea time. Elizabeth does not like tea time. haha I want to spoon feed it to her in an attempt to get her to enjoy it! We have some down time now, we are sitting in the hotel lobby and it is beautiful here. I heard music down the hall. There is a wedding going on. Anyways, I wanted to write something about the poverty that we see in Kenya. Poverty in Kenya is much different than poverty in America. When we are helping our brothers and sisters over here, "it's not about charity, it's about justice." Whether or not these Kenyan people have consistent jobs, they are the hardest working people I've ever met. That's something that really stuck with me. Everyone is carrying water or bails of crops, sticks to build with. There are vendors in the streets trying to make a living by selling shoes, fruit (papaya, watermelon, pineapple). There are milk bars and internet cafe's that look like run down shacks. Some people from the Compassion center community were starting up small businesses with the help of a Compassion loan, or donation. And the stories of these mothers were incredible - as our leader pointed out, "they are holding the future of Kenya in their arms." How true is this when we see these little ones grow up and become responsible Christian men and women especially evident in the Leadership Development Program. http://www.compassion.com/student-leader.htm Check out the link for more information on how you can help develop a student leader.
So, you see these streets filled with burning trash and the horrible sight of lives wasted, and opportunities lost and it breaks your heart. One of our leaders defined poverty as not just being a lack of material things. Poverty is a lack of opportunities, and Compassion comes along side these people, these children, these communities and teaches them skills, trades, how to raise a family, etc. This helps them to get to the point where they are able to stand on their own feet and say - as one of the mothers said that she didn't know proper ways of cleanliness and house keeping until Compassion taught her alot of the skills that she is able to use in her home today. There are even certain countries that have worked with Compassion - Compassion laid the foundation, but the country is now thriving because of the work that has been done and they have told Compassion essentially "we don't need your assistance anymore." Which is a testimony in itself, that they are able to stand on their own two feet. God is blessing them. More later