Day 36: Back to Mathare Valley

You all remember Mathare Valley? The slum we visited way back when? Well, today our team went back to Mathare for a workday. We were split into groups that would help with construction on the church, paint a government building, or taking care of kids. I was all over the place on this day: helping out at Mathare Valley Church's daycare center, spending time at Taraja (a place where women with HIV are empowered through making jewelry), and painting on a precarious ledge eight feet above the ground. This second time in the slums was as eye-opening as the first time, but there are definitely still some moments I will never forget.

Firstly, remember Wanja? If not, refer to Day 5. Anyway, when I made my way to Taraja, which is a room on the roof of the church where women with HIV are trained to make jewelry that is sold, I met Wanja again. I was really happy to see her and to learn that Wanja was one of the people who served all the time in Taraja to empower other women. So I being the polite, mannered person I am, I say hi, tell her that she had invited me and several other GP members into her home the last time we were in Mathare, and ask her how's she doing. She smiles and responds, but then she reaches over to a necklace and gives it to me as a gift. I was pretty stunned for a moment. I hadn't done anything except acknowledging and remembering her, but that must have meant a lot to her. For some reason, I felt really blessed by this small gesture of love she showed me. I come from America, where a lot of people only reciprocate love when they are first shown it. Here in the slums of Kenya, people feel loved if you even remember their names and return love in whatever way they can.

I distinctly admiring Pastor Karau (he's the one who organized this workday) and the passion he exhibits. He was a man who was wealthy by Kenyan standards and who gave it up to serve the poor in Kenya. He's no longer a young man, but he still dedicates his time and energy to serving the poorest of poor. I know he's not a perfect man, but I'll never forget his big heart. In fact, as my teammates and I worked in Mathare that day, I couldn't help but admire the amount of sacrifice, effort, energy, and love that was so evident. Here's a man, his family, and church who do so much with so little. What sort of convictions would lead a person to live like he does? How great must his faith be to be able to give and serve endlessly?

I remember praying that night that God would give me deeply seeded convictions and faith to replace the deeply seeded sins that often rule my heart. I remember praying that God would enable me to live wholeheartedly for Him, giving Him 110%.

Normally, I'd have a seizure if I was this dirty and messy