My Girl Mercy!!!! Day 57

When I stayed at Camp Lukenya a few weeks back as a counselor, I met a sweet girl named Mercy. I posted information about her in a previous blog. We have been in touch via email and phone since then. When I was on the phone with her she asked if I could come visit her. At the time I did not know if it would be possible. However, I asked Paul Weaver if he knew the school that she was at. He knew right were to take me.

We went to the Mathare Slums. Paul took me to the main offices of the school Mercy attends. He asked that one of the teachers show me around. A teacher from Mathare Community Outreach School named Douglas came to meet me. He took me on about a 10 minute walk through the slums to the school.

As we walked through the slums I observed my surroundings. Most of the housing was made of old metal scraps that are placed against each other for walls and a roof. There housing is cramped and the area is very populated. There was garbage everywhere and the smell of it was potent. The people stared at me as I walked by. White people are a minority. Children and babies were running around, some with parents nearby and some alone. Since the grounds are dirt filled with random garbage laying everywhere, the babies and children were very dirty. The Mathare slums are huge. The environment is almost inconceivable, yet thousands live in there, many of which are children.

When we arrived at the school, I was taken from class to class. There are approximately 600 children at this school all together. Each class sang a song for me and recited a memory verse. The last class I went to was Mercy’s class. I saw her sitting at her desk in the back of the room. I introduced myself to the class as they welcomed me. I went up to Mercy and gave her a big hug! We were so happy to see each other!
We spent a bit of time together on class break and during lunch break. I sat in on her class to see what school is like for them. One of the teachers taught a lesson on patience and one of them taught a lesson on science. The teachers had me do a lesson on Social Studies. The kids learned a little about the USA. They asked any question they could think of and I did my best answer. One of the children asked, “Are there any slums in America?” … My answer of course was, “No.”
On a side note, what most Americans consider to be an area of poverty in the US, the kids from these slums would consider that to be a Rich area.

Once lunch time came I was fed ugali and scuma. It’s my favorite African meal. The teachers and I all sat in their office room as we ate. When I was finished I went outside to find Mercy again and spend time with the other kids. Many of the children would just come up to touch me, or to feel my hair. They are not used to seeing white people. There was this little girl in a purple dress that followed me around. She was so sweet and cute! I loved spending time with her.
The children asked if I was going to play games with them after lunch; however, I had to get going back. I said goodbye to Mercy and gave her another big hug. Than Douglas walked me back to the main office to meet back up with Paul. Douglas was a very kind gentleman. I thanked him sincerely for the tour.

I am so thankful that Paul took me to see Mercy! Seeing her was the highlight of this month. She is so sweet. It’s hard for me to see where she lives. I wonder where she sleeps. My assumption is on the dirt ground between the walls of scrap metal and under a metal roof. Oh, I cringe at the thought. My stomach is churning as I contemplate what her life must be like. Yet she is so graceful, humble and thankful.

This is a website of the Mathare Community Outreach School. They are dedicated to reaching out and helping children in the slums. Mercy is one of the children that is being helped by this school! http://matharevalley.org/

Day 56 continues...

Once the tour of the elephant orphanage was complete we grabbed a bite to eat, we were off to another slum. We visited a children’s home called Shangilia that is located within this slum.

We took a look at the classes, the office and play area. The kids all knew who Paul was. Their faces light up when they saw him. They were so excited. We played with them for a while. I enjoyed every moment spent with the children. It was priceless.

The director, Jappheth Njena told me a bit about Shangilia. These children are either, orphaned, abused or have been living on the streets within the slums. They are in rough shape when they arrive. They are used to being verbally or physically abused living in a world of hate and distress. Psychologically they are in poor condition. Their behavior is poor at first. However, as time goes on and the children figure out they are in a safe place with individuals that care about their wellbeing, their behavior starts to improve.

The school has over 100 children residing there. These children are a testimony to potential that exists within the world of poverty. Many of them are trained in acrobatics. The website states, “Twenty-three children gave their first public performance before a capacity audience in Nairobi's National Theatre on the eve of 12th July 1994. The occasion was on the visit to Kenya of Four members of the United Nation's Commitee of Ten (established to monitor the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). The children's exuberant performance culminated in the building of a human pyramid from the top of which Kamau, wearing filthy tattered clothing, proclaiming the Rights of the Child. Shangilia was born with a standing ovation and the children went on to perform in schools and churches all over Kenya under the tutelage of Kenya's late popular actress, Anne Wanjugu. The children have since taken their show to Germany, Thailand, China, Zanzibar, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mayote, Greece and the USA.” http://www.shangilia.org/

Elephant Orphanage

After visiting the first slum, we went to a baby elephant orphanage. It’s the coolest place! They have 27 baby elephants and one baby black rhino. All of the elephants and the rhino were fed through a large bottle. The elephants were very playful and cute. One of the workers told us the story of each orphaned elephant. Elephants are very emotional animals, so it is hard for them to lose their parents. They can actually go through a depression. Many elephants will remember their family for life. Much of the time they are orphaned due to poaching.

A baby elephant needs its mother’s milk for two years in order to survive. The elephant orphanage saves the lives of these elephants by caring for them and feeding them the first couple years of their life. They eventually release the elephant back into the wild once the elephant is ready to survive on its own.

Here is a quote from their website, “Our Aim:- The aim of our Orphans' Project, is to rear the orphaned elephants in such a way that they grow up psychologically sound so that in the fullness of time they can be returned where they rightly belong, amongst the wild elephant community of Tsavo National Park, there to enjoy the quality of life as wild elephants that is their birthright.” http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/index.asp

The visit there was wonderful. I loved hearing the stories of the elephants and the baby rhino. I never imagined going to an elephant orphanage…. How cool is that!

Day 56 the slums....

Paul Weaver took me to Nairobi today. Our first stop was at one of the many slums. We stopped in a couple of classes. The kid recognized Paul because some of them know him from Camp Lukenya. They smiled from ear to ear upon his arrival. Paul introduced me to a couple people and the classes. The children sang a special song for us. It was most precious.

This is the first slum I have seen. Before my visit, the closest thing I had seen to a slum was from the movie Slumdog Millionaire. My expectations fell short of just how difficult it must be to live there. I looked at a sweet little baby boy and girl standing outside alone. I saw darling faces of children in the classroom. I could hardly take in the reality of it all. These precious children have no choice but to live in the slum. Unfortunately, they have no choice of where they were born. Therefore, they are stuck in the slums with little chance to develop their minds and bodies to their full potential.

Many times I have asked myself… “Why was I so privileged to be born outside of poverty?” I’m no better, no worse than that child who was born there. My life is not more valuable or important than theirs, yet I have physical comfort and my words will be heard in this world while most of their voices will be hidden in the depths of poverty. Their voices are covered under a blanket that most won’t dare lift up to look under. After all, as I had thought for many years… it’s too difficult to conceive of the hardships they suffer. The problem of poverty is too big. How can one person actually make a difference? I can see now that one person can make a huge difference.

Here is a thought to contemplate: A rich man who is foolish will state his opinion loud and clear. His voice will be heard by the public and admired by many. A poor man who is full of wisdom will state his opinion loud and clear. His voice will not be heard by the public and his opinion will be dismissed.

I am humbled at the thought that it could have been me born into poverty. The thought brings a whole new level of gratefulness…

Day 55

I have an opportunity to visit Nairobi because of a wonderful family that I met a few weeks ago; Mary, Joel and Paul Weaver. They are missionaries that run Camp Lukenya. I was a counselor at their camp for about a week in August. Recently, I asked if it would be possible for them to take me on a tour of Nairobi. They welcomed me warmly. They are going to show me the city of Nairobi and the slums in Nairobi.

Here is a link to their Camp Lukenya website. The camp is an extremely well run operation and reaches out to so many youth. http://www.lukenyaministries.org/

This morning I woke up and made my final preparations for the trip to Nairobi. Michelle picked me up and kindly dropped me off at the busstation. I was not sure where to wait, so I just sat down on the steps of the purchasing office to wait for the bus. As I was sitting there, a man came up to me and showed me where the bus waiting station was. Since I did not know him, I confirmed this with a man at the busstation before I went into the waiting room. Not long after getting seated in the waiting station, the bus was ready to load. The bus was really nice. I felt comfortable and enjoyed the music, movie and TV shows they had playing. The bus trip started at 10am. I arrived at my destination around 5pm.

Joel picked me up at a stop near a University. Joel and Mary were very welcoming and showed me the nice room I’d be staying in. Mary took me on a four wheeler ride just outside of their property. We hadan amazing time! We saw giraffes, zebras, ostriches, gazelles, crowned crane birds and cows. There were a lot of animals out. When we saw the crowned crane birds, we stopped to take a walk. While on the walk we saw a few more giraffes. During our trip back we saw many more animals. I was so pleased! It was like a mini safari.

To view a picture of a crowned crane bird visit; http://www.kenyabirds.org.uk/crowned_crane.htm

Day 54

During church service today I was helping out with Kids on Track as usual. After service was through, all the parents came to pick up their children. I started talking with David. He is one of the kid’s teachers during Sunday school. He said some encouraging words. When he found out I am leaving in October, he looked at me shocked and asked why. He thought I should stay longer. He said that me being there and helping out with the children is planting seeds. He assured me that the children have great memories and they will remember me, or anyone else that helpes out.

Listening to him say that was perfect timing because I have met so many kids that it’s been hard to form close relationships with many of them. I wish that I could. However, I know I’ll only be here for a little while. Building strong relationships requires time. Needless to say, his words of encouragement and gratitude went a long way.

I am reminded of a friend that helped me when I was a younger. Her name is Sandi Brown. She was an adult and I was a teenager. At this point of my life I was going through some difficulties. Besides that, the teenage years are awkward years in general. I remember Sandi as a gentle, kind and caring friend. She took the time to reach out to me and my sister by spending time with us and guiding us with her knowledge. The time she spent with me is something I will never forget. Having her for a friend made such a difference in my life. I really looked up to her and felt privileged that an adult would take the time to notice that I needed someone to turn to. I look back with so much gratitude towards her.

Thinking of this helps me consider how much it means to little ones or teens when adults reach out to them. To us adults it may seem small to notice and spend time with, have meaningful conversations with them; however, to that child or teen, it can change their lives. They will remember it forever. They will feel special that an adult cares to know about their lives.

Another thought to ponder was brought up when I was talking with Paul. We were on another jog today. At the end of the jog we started talking about water because of a nearby pond. He said that in some village's when people would see the pond water, they would be so happy because it’s water they consider to be clean. (It's water that I do not think is clean and would not swim in).

Paul said that the 1 liter bottle of water I was holding would be shared by an entire family. The water would go a long way. Water is a precious commodity. In many villages they would wait for a rain and use the water that puddles up in the dirt roads. That’s the only water they had available sometimes.

This sure does make me think of how much I take advantage of a precious gift. Usually I go to the sink and wash dishes without thinking twice about turning off the water between dishes. I take semi long showers. I drink a lot of water. Basically, I use water without even thinking of it. While some individuals have so little they have to wait for a rain to get water. They are thankful for that water, even though it may be dirty once it hits the ground. Some have to walk very far distances to find water. Then they have to carry it back home in whatever container is available.

WOW! Personally I’ve never had to struggle in such a way. However, I know I can be more appreciative and resourceful ~ Just from the thought of a lack of water.

On the way home...

This little boy's name is Antony. He is just the sweeeeeeetest thing! Oh man, I love him. He is in the matatu with all the other Tumaini children. They are heading back to the orphanage after a perfect day on the beach.

Day 53

To start the day I was filled with excitement and anticipation. Some friends and I planned to take the Tumaini (orphanage) children to the beach. Before the beach, I went to the store to purchase a few things. While I was in the store, I saw fun beach toys for the children and bought a variety to bring to the beach.

My friend Patricia met me at the store. We headed to the orphanage to follow the children to Joan’s house. When I arrived at the orphanage, my friend Jessica called me to see if I could come pick her and two of her friends up to join. So, Patricia and I left to pick her up. By the time we got back to the orphanage, all the children were waiting in the matatu to head out to the beach. We followed the driver to Joan’s house.

When we arrived at Joan’s, she welcomed us warmly to her house. The children changed into their swim suits and we headed to the beach. They ran quickly to the water. When I handed out the toys all the children were so excited! They dug in the beach bag to find something they wanted to play with. We splashed and played for a couple hours. One of the boys named Meshack thought it would be funny to dump buckets of water over my head. So, he did just that. He dumped about 10 or 15 buckets of water on me. He thought it was quite entertaining. And it was! He is so cute.

Once we were done on the beach, Joan brought out biscuits, popcorn and juice for all to snack on. The children and the helpers all ate to their hearts content. They were very well behaved. After snack time, Jessica organized a couple of games for us to play. We played a bit of soccer, volley ball and other random games. We had so much fun!

What an absolutely outstanding day! The Tumaini children capture my heart so genuinely. I think today is one of my favorite days here. Then again, thus far I have 53 favorite days here. I’m loving every bit of my time.