the lovely Elizabeth with an adorable Compassion sponsored child in Nairobi, Kenya March 2012.
Kenya article
It was 8am on March 23rd and already blazing hot outside. We parked the van a few blocks down from the development center where women and children gathered in the streets to welcome us. They were so full of life, so full of joy, singing and dancing in the streets! I remember thinking to myself, "it's way too early for this much excitement."I was unsure of what to expect, but I was very sure that I would never be the same.
It was at this center that I met a three year old boy and his mother. His name was Benedict. I did not catch his mother's name. He changed my life. I had the chance to play and talk with them that afternoon. They talked about their lives before Compassion came into the picture, and how their communities were transformed through Compassion's Child Survival Program. I learned so much from them. They taught me about joy, and how to have peace in spite of your circumstances. And their burdens were more than anyone should have to endure. Let me explain.
The areas surrounding the centers we visited were in extreme poverty. Burning piles of trash littered the streets. Homes were made out of whatever people could get their hands onto, and many of these areas were highly infected by HIV. I was amazed when we heard the testimony of another mother. She said "I came to Jesus because of the Compassion Child Survival Program. And while I have no husband and am HIV positive, I wouldn't change a thing." I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Through this experience, I learned that not only did children like Benedict get impacted through Compassion, but also entire communities were transformed! Compassion provides education to children like Benedict and his mother. They give the children health benefits, social skills, and vocational training. Through these programs, they also give mothers, or primary caregivers support when learning to nurture and raise their children. They teach these communities about hygiene and nutrition, how to start and maintain a business, and how to live a Christ centered life.
"IIn a world where more than a billion children live on less than U.S. $2 per day connecting one child with one sponsor is the most strategic way to end child poverty." When you sponsor a child living in extreme poverty, surrounded by hopelessness, you are communicating to that child that there is hope, and that he or she is important. Through gifts, prayers, and letter writing, these children can begin to have hope where hope was once lost. Not only do children benefit from this, but also the sponsors lives are changed. I am evidence of that. It was at this center that I found hope in a three year old boy and his mother. God was at work in Benedict's life, and in the lives of everyone touched by the ministry of Compassion. Truly, they are working to release children from poverty in Jesus' name.
After having this experience of traveling to Kenya, I am reminded daily of the beauty of the people I had met. What an amazing God we serve, that we can travel across the globe to worship him as one body, and to serve these children and families in need. And while I went there to try and change these people's lives, they ended up changing mine and impacting me in ways I'm still trying to understand. Oh. And by the way, remember at the beginning of this story, when the mother's and children were singing and dancing in the streets? They were singing in Swahili. We later learned that they were singing "You've traveled by airplane to get here, we'll carry you on our backs the rest of the way." And as I boarded a plane on March 27th to fly back home, I knew that I would never forget the people I've met, the things I've seen, and the places I've been. If you are interested in changing the life of a child. Go to www.compassion.com and begin the adventure of becoming more like Christ.
3-27-2012 Hakuna Matata, sponsored children, and bead factories
We had breakfast and went off to the Compassion office. We woke up at 6:30 am. I'm not a morning person. Compassion offices are very nice and very organized. I heard that there are 80 staff there in Kenya. It's really the one on one contact with the sponsored kids and their families that makes Compassion unique. The industry standard for similar organizations is that they just have to physically see the child at the project. Compassion develops relationships with these children and their communities. A social worker will visit the child at his or her home once a month. The whole visit, I was so impressed with the way Compassion serves our brothers and sisters. Totally Christ centered, child focused, church based, and committed to integrity.
What a long day We went to the bead factory where single mothers were employed and given opportunities to work making beads and painting. Most of the mothers came from the slums. I would've liked to hear how Kazuri had personally changed lives, but we didn't have much time to talk with them. The second shop we visited, I enjoyed even more! It was a Christian based organization - Kawangware Street Children and Youth Project. It seemed much more of a holistic child and family development program than Kazuri. The people seemed so joyful here. The Kawangware made everything from quilts to jewelry to children's books and clothing. Very cool to see this community flourishing. It was in a nice neighborhood and you could hear the children singing on the 3rd floor. What a great experience.
I loved the day that we visited Elizabeth's sponsored kids. My child is in West Africa (Ghana) but Elizabeth had the great privilege to meet Antony and Antony. They are 1 correspondent child that she writes letters to and one sponsored child. They were both very shy, it was fun to hang out with them and to try to get them out of their shells alittle bit. We played ball with them, asked them about their families, and even took a boat ride with them. This was one of the highlights of the trip. Elizabeth was a little nervous, but it was such a great time by the time we finished - we didn't want to say goodbye. It's incredible what Compassion does in the lives of these people. It was also very interesting to talk with a man named John that accompanied Antony. He was the computer teacher at the center. We talked for a long while about what he does at the center, and about where he grew up, etc... He was asking about my tattoos and I was explaining them to him. He asked me about the blue bird on my arm. I told him that I tend to worry a lot and that the bird reminds me of Matthew 6:25-27 "25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?"
He asked me what I worry about and I didn't know what to say... I was stumped. The things that I worry about are so insignificant in comparison with what a lot of these people go through day to day, and they are so joyful and "hakuna matata," no worries. Before we went our separate ways...John put his hand on my shoulder and said "Friend, you must do something for me before you leave." He said "Leave your worries in Kenya. No more worrying." Wow. What a way to end our trip. Both Elizabeth and I didn't want to say goodbye to our friends. It was such an amazing experience. Our whole group was in tears as we got on our buses.
What a long day We went to the bead factory where single mothers were employed and given opportunities to work making beads and painting. Most of the mothers came from the slums. I would've liked to hear how Kazuri had personally changed lives, but we didn't have much time to talk with them. The second shop we visited, I enjoyed even more! It was a Christian based organization - Kawangware Street Children and Youth Project. It seemed much more of a holistic child and family development program than Kazuri. The people seemed so joyful here. The Kawangware made everything from quilts to jewelry to children's books and clothing. Very cool to see this community flourishing. It was in a nice neighborhood and you could hear the children singing on the 3rd floor. What a great experience.
I loved the day that we visited Elizabeth's sponsored kids. My child is in West Africa (Ghana) but Elizabeth had the great privilege to meet Antony and Antony. They are 1 correspondent child that she writes letters to and one sponsored child. They were both very shy, it was fun to hang out with them and to try to get them out of their shells alittle bit. We played ball with them, asked them about their families, and even took a boat ride with them. This was one of the highlights of the trip. Elizabeth was a little nervous, but it was such a great time by the time we finished - we didn't want to say goodbye. It's incredible what Compassion does in the lives of these people. It was also very interesting to talk with a man named John that accompanied Antony. He was the computer teacher at the center. We talked for a long while about what he does at the center, and about where he grew up, etc... He was asking about my tattoos and I was explaining them to him. He asked me about the blue bird on my arm. I told him that I tend to worry a lot and that the bird reminds me of Matthew 6:25-27 "25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?"
3-25-2012
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
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
Sponsorship
There are many, many children who still do not have a sponsor. Chris and I have taken on the responsibility to find sponsors for 5 children in Kenya this past month. I am happy to say that because of you and God, we have successfully matched 2 boys with sponsors and we have 2 other people who are considering sponsoring 2 of the other children. However, there is still one more child who is available for sponsorship: Jane Kanini Njiru. She is a 12 year old and her birthday is July 27th ... the day that Chris and I met online! In her home, she helps by carrying water, caring for children and caring for animals. Since I have been to Kenya, I have seen how hard these jobs can be. "Carrying water" may sound easy to us, because we don't understand that sometimes this job involves waking up at 4 a.m. every day to walk 9 miles on dusty, rocky roads carrying heavy jugs of water for hours. While in Kenya, I learned from my own sponsored child, Antony, that his own family did not have clean water. However, he showed me a photo of how Compassion International helped provide them with access to clean water. I am hoping that one of you would be kind enough to sponsor Jane Kanini Njiru so that her family can have the same kind of assistance that my sponsored child has through Compassion International. If you are interested, please contact either Chris or me. My email is elizabethmarvin84@yahoo.com ... Thank you! I have included a photo of the meter that was installed to initiate the water project for Antony's family. I have also included a photo of me with my sponsored child, and of Jane Kanini Njiru who is patiently waiting for a sponsor!
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