 |
Updates
From the Field: Kenya # 46: September 27, 2009 |
 |
| Dear Friends and Family, As I was relaying a story to my mother, she told me I should include it in my update. I decided she was right. Driving in Nairobi can be more than frustrating at times. It’s kind of like getting into the Lincoln Tunnel at rush hour, except the time and location doesn’t really matter. As I was coming home from visiting our school for the blind the other day, I found myself at an intersection surrounded by trucks and matatus. (If you don’t remember, matatus are the public service vehicles here. The drivers want to maximize passengers and trips for more money, so they will do ANYTHING to get to where they are going faster and ahead of everyone else.) One matatu decided that he was going to go around me on the wrong side and get ahead of me. The driver obviously didn’t know that I had just finished a stressful day. I made the decision that I was NOT going to let him win. Everytime he pushed up, I creeped up so we were bumper to bumper. Unfortunately, he got about a foot ahead of me and as I was trying to not let him in, I hit him. I proceeded to leave, thinking there was no damage. However, there was some black marks on his door from my bumper. So, he made me pull over and started yelling at me. This is when I should have backed off, apologized and offered money. Instead I said, “I’m not giving you money!” Then, he explained (yelled) that his matatu paint was ruined and I needed to pay for him to fix it so it looked good. To which I responded, “Give me a break! Look at all the dents on your matatu!” Finally, I had my Kenyan friend talk to the guy on the phone, while a police man came over, and I got out of it by giving the driver 500 shillings (about 7 dollars). Some of you might be giggling at this point, because you know the feisty side of me that comes out when I’m stressed. However, God has been talking to me a lot lately about being a woman of grace. I keep a plaque in my house that says, “People need loving the most when they deserve it the least”. I know that many people have loved me when I wasn’t acting very lovable. However, I often withhold the same from other people. When someone hurts me or makes me feel demeaned or upsets my sense of justice and right, it is very difficult for me to love them. I want justice! I want them to know they are wrong! I have learned that you cannot wait for someone to deserve your grace and mercy before you give it to them. It’s obvious that Jesus gave us that example in the way he loved people who didn’t “deserve” it.  (click for larger image) The children of the Gategi Special Unit receiving a gift of white boards, so they don’t have to do their math on the concrete floor. I often let God down with my doubt and attitude, but God pours grace down on me every step of the way. Last month, I visited a school in rural Kenya with a new Special Unit for children with mental disabilities. The families of these amazing kids don’t want to support them. They think they are undeserving of education or care. I went in to see where they were living, which was abysmal (forgive me if I already told you about this). These 10 kids are part of the larger school, where 360 kids are receiving their primary education. I felt overwhelmed with the need. Those old familiar feelings of helplessness, resentment and annoyance crept up on me. “How can you expect me to fix your problems? I can’t! Just try to fix them yourselves!” I knew there was a donor considering a project there, but those things can often fall through. I put up my defences and made it clear there were no promises of help. The prospective donor came last week and we went together to see the school and the unit. As I walked toward the school, a little boy from the special unit ran up the road and hugged me. You have to understand that his particular boy was so frightened of me on my last visit that he hid and cried. As I was talking to him, our visitor went into a Standard 3 (3rd grade) classroom and greeted the children. After 5 minutes, I walked in to join him. The moment the children saw me, they stood up and cheered. Then, the head teacher handed me a letter that said my last visit brought great encouragement and hope to the school. I cried the whole day. The donor is going to renovate the dorm for the Special Unit, and there was joy surrounding me at every turn. If people with so little materially can give so much grace and love, why should it be so hard for me? People are going to hurt you in this world, and you and I are going to hurt others. I only pray that we can all give grace. I pray that we show love when people don’t deserve it. I pray that we are merciful when the situation doesn’t grant it. I pray that we have joy when the day is gloomy. The
verse of the week comes from a hymn:
"He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength as our labours increase, To added afflictions he addeth his mercy, To multiplied trials he multiplies peace." -Annie Johnson Flint My love to you, Armida Armida
LaMarr |
||