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Updates
From the Field: Kenya # 18: December 4, 2007 |
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| Hello Everyone! I just read my last update and realized it has been a month since I last wrote. Life has been busy, and I am sorry for waiting so long. When thinking about my theme for this letter, I couldn't help but think about gifts. Since this is the time of year we scurry around buying presents for others in remembrance of God's greatest offering of Christ, I think it only appropriate to appreciate God's gifts in Kenya. I received word a few weeks ago that the officer in our Mombasa Children's Home was in a horrible bus accident. Traffic accidents are not an unusual occurrence here. When I was at the US Embassy last month, they explained to us that the #1 cause of death for Americans in Kenya is car accidents. This particular bus crash involved a head on collision with a truck. Over 25 people died; some on impact and some in the fire that broke out after. Miraculously, Captain Opuka survived with no internal injuries or broken bones. With several stiches in his side and legs and a broken tooth, he greeted me when I traveled to visit him. He praised God for protecting him. He was asleep at the time of the accident and remembers nothing but being carried off the bus. He was at the front, making it more amazing that he was not burned. What a gift! When I arrived, Captain had been released from the hospital. He said, "Captain Armida, when you called me in the hospital and said you were coming, I knew I was going to be okay. Your visit shows us you love us." This was so humbling to me, because all I gave up was some time to travel to the beautiful oceanside city of Mombasa. I think it taught me that our 'Ministry of Presence' can sometimes be the best present we can give. While in Mombasa, I was able to visit the children's home and Likoni School for the Blind. When I was there in April, Likoni looked like an abandoned property. The children were on break, and the disrepair of the facility was harshly evident. Through donations from the government, our Salvation Army friends, and private parties, Likoni School now looks like a different place. Three buildings have been renovated; new pathways have been installed all over the compound to assist the movement of these children with visual impairment; new mosquito nets have been purchased; there are new dining room tables and benches! Some of these donations were small and some were large, but they all made a huge difference. This time the children were there. We enjoyed a time of singing and I told them the story of David and Goliath. I wanted them to know that they can be used by God. They now know we care enough to give them a quality place to learn and grow. Once again, I was able to accompany children from the slums to the zoo. Since we brought the children from the Dandora Slums, we decided to take the nursery school children from the Kibera Slums. This time, we had 80 children instead of 40. It was hectic, to say the least. A private donor provided the money for this outing, and it was the first field trip the nursery school has taken in the past 22 years. The children arrived with painted faces and sat on the lawn to drink some fanta orange soda before they went it. They ran from cage to cage yelling with delight and talking to the animals. These children are usually exposed to overcrowding, extreme poverty and despair. For this day, they were children at the zoo. It was a beautiful gift! On Thursday, I went to the Christmas party at the Kabete Children's Home. The kids got three special meals and they each received a new duffle bag for their things. They were grateful for their new bags and really enjoyed helping pick what would be served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We often think our children need extravagant toys and tons of candy to make Christmas special. I don't think that is wrong, but the humble gratitude of these children touched my heart. It would take me pages and pages to discuss all the ways I see God's good gifts reflected in Kenya. Material assistance helps us do our jobs, but materialism is a foreign concept for most in Kenya (not for all, of course). Today, I personally thank the Lord for what he bestows on me everyday that I serve here : safety, protection, strength, peace, discernment, and love for and from those around me. My verse for this week is: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" -Matthew 7:11 Merry Christmas! Armida |
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