Christine. Serious Faith.

Christine’s Story

My names are Christine Achieng. I am 14 years old. I have lived in Kibera for three years. I have been living with my sister. I come from Nyanza province at a place called Siaya. I lived with my elder sister, and I also have three brothers. I used to have one father and one mother.

My elder sister feeds us, and buys for us anything we need. The big problem that we face as a family is lack of money. My sister’s work is so little so sometimes we eat once a day and that comes from school. Many times, the hot lunch and encouragement from school is all that helps me survive.

As a youth in our community, I face so much trouble because of gossip, which will sometimes bring low friendships. Although we have some groups that help girls in their problems, it may also be very difficult. Sometimes the parents we live with are very harsh and will make the youth scared or afraid.

When I grow up, I would like to be a journalist. I want everyone around the country to see me and be surprised. For school, I want to work hard and pass my exams. After finishing my education, I want to take my family out of this slum.

The most serious thing that I would like you to pray for me is for my family- that God will provide, protect, and show us the way. Also, pray for me so that I will continue serving my living God.

Anyway, I am funny and smart and sometimes shy when I see new people, but I am also proud of myself.

Pray for Juliet to pass her exams with "flying colours"!!

Juliet’s  Story

My names are Juliet Wakhu Opisa. I have one father and one mother. Our family consists of five children- four girls and one boy.

I was born on November 1^st 1996 in our urban area. I have stayed there since I was born until 2004 when I was still young. Before, our family came here to Kibera, we were in a difficult situation. My father got into an accident in 2002. He was on his way to visit us. It was night. My mother was helpless; nobody could help us apart from our mighty God. At that time, when the news was out, my mother was shocked.

From that time, til today, God never left us. He lifted us up- whenever, wherever we would go. We have had trouble, but God never leaves His people. When my father got in the accident, my elder sister was in grade five. Imagine now, our first born who was in grade five, and now she is in college. I hope God will help my mom to have a good job.

As a young person, I have so many troubles in my life, but I don’t give up because I know God loves us and protects us  (Prov 1:7). I would like to be a broadcaster when I finish my education. I would like to build a church when I grow up and help orphans, and refugees too. I want to help them the way God has sent these good friends to help me. I am a funny girl. Pray for me because of my upcoming examination, that I may pass with flying colors!

May God bless you. With God, everything is possible!

At the beginning of day 2 of exams in Kenya, I am praying for Benta's future...

Benta’s Story

My names are Benta Akinyi.  I am 14 years old.  I have two sisters in this school. Their names are Lucy Achieng (she is in standard six and she likes reading). Another one is Jacinta Atieno. She is in standard three. I was born in Kawanga Hospital. I have stayed in Kibera for  four years and I come from Kisumu.

I live with my parents and I like it very much because they care for me, and they want me to study hard. My parents are Christians and they like the Word of God. We are only three children. My dad likes joking, while my Mother likes singing.

My parents struggle for us so that we can have our basic needs met. My mother is a tailor, while my father is a carpenter. They tell me to work hard in school so that I can help them in the future, and so that I can help myself in the future. They always tell us they want us to make our dreams, and when I hear that tears roll down my cheeks. I told them that I will work hard at school and I promise to them that I will work hard. I would like to be a newscaster. If I work hard, and reach my dreams, I will be very happy.

I want to overcome all temptation. I will put God first because He is the one who will overcome all the temptation and I will do the right things at the right time.

I am usually funny and I like joking and reading story books.

At the end of day one, I'm praying for Brian.

As I write this, it is about 5 p.m. in Kenya on Tuesday and the 8th graders are just finishing up their first day of exams. I pray that they feel peace tonight about their performance today and not anxious for the coming days of more exams. 

Right now, I'm praying for Brian.

Brian’s Story

My name is Brian Otieno. I am sixteen years old. I was born in 1994. I was born into a family of four members including myself. In my family, I am the first born. I have three siblings. All of my siblings are sisters.

I went to a nursery school in my early childhood in upper country at a place called Ugunja in Nyanza province. The name of the school was St. Paul E.C.D. Center. I later entered grade one in a school called Nyamasare primary school for my primary education. When I reached grade seven, I was transferred to another school called Ulwani. That is where I did my first national exam and managed to get a mark of 346 out of 500. Because of financial problems I had to move to Kibera to live with my aunt.

This happened one week after our national exam which took place from November 10^th- the 12^th of last year. When I reached Kibera in Nairobi, my aunt suggested to me to repeat grade eight. I did not have any alternative option but to repeat grade eight at New Hope.

I am trying to get 450 marks out of 500 so that I can join National school and later become an engineer.

The problem that I face here in Kibera is housing. Other houses may sometimes even be swept away by the strong rain.

I can say that I am funny, honest, and smart. I always pray so that one day I may reach my goals.

8th grade exam begins! Praying for JOAN.

Tonight I am praying to Joan. As I am writing this Joan is minutes away from beginning her 8th grade national exam along with the rest of the 8th grade class at New Hope Primary School. This test will determine her future. I wouldn't say it's the best method, but the rest of the week she will be taking a KCPE exam that depending on the score will determine if she goes on to high school and what high school she goes to.

Joan’s  Story

My names are Joan Adhiambo.  I am 16 years old. I live in Kibera Slum with both my older sister, whose name is Dorothy, and her children. I have three brothers and three sisters. Some are jobless. I love them so much because they are all God fearing. I am so happy because God gave me a great talent, which is singing and playing football.

The only difficult situation my family and I are passing through is lack of love and lack of money. Sometimes we see ourselves as not being very important. Since our mummy and daddy passed away, things have been difficult for me and the way our mummy used to take care of us. But, the only think I know is that God had a purpose for why He took away my parents.

Sometimes, I become angry and want to kill myself. I get very stressed when I find my friends gathering together telling stories about me or talking about how they have parents who are so nice to them and encourage them.

One day I went to church and found my pastor preaching that God knows you before you were born and he knows the plan for your life. That made me understand that I am an important person and one day I will be somebody. I will have a bright life.

For my career, I would like to be an engineer and help my brothers and sisters who are jobless. My prayer will come true.

Jesus is the pillar of my salvation. The love of God is the more important than anything. We should always keep on moving to our destiny.  Although I don’t have both parents, I know that God is my Father and He has a good plan for me, a plan not to harm me.

Baby Kelsey

 

I can't stop thinking about this little one. One, because she is my first namesake. Two, because one of our 17 year old scholarship student's had her. And my heart has been breaking for the seventeen year old mother, Elizabeth since I found out that she was pregnant.

This summer, I was worried about Elizabeth. Elizabeth was in the equivalent of her junior year of high school. Her grades were dropping. She had missed a lot of school and her head teacher had even met with me to discuss her repetitive sicknesses. She often had to go home early because she was faint or would so up to school late. Looking back, it all makes sense. But then, I was thinking HIV, TB, malaria, etc....

Then one afternoon in study hall, Elizabeth came to talk to me about her family. She told me that her younger sister and her lived with their aunt and uncle. They had no information about her parents and her aunt wouldn't give her information. Elizabeth was wrestling through doubts about her parent's being alive, too sick to care for them, too poor to care for them... or did her parent's just not want her? Elizabeth was questioning her worth... could something be wrong with her that her own mother abandoned her? The unknowing was eating her soul.

Then, less than a month after I got home I found out that Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant. How could I possibly not have known? I began struggling between the fact that it was sin and the fact that Jesus loves sinners and hung out with sinners. I didn't want to just let her disappear into Kibera as a 17 year old mom with no husband and no knowledge of a mother or father and no high school education. I knew I was supposed to help, but how? especially from half a world away?


After sending her a simple letter saying I still love you, I got this email...

"Kelsey am treading on a tortuous road,not only do i feel confused,sad or guilty but i also feel i have disappointed you people who are my benefactors,it is today that i have received your letter that i have felt that despite my present situation you are still fully and wholly behind my wellbeing....

If to tell you right now how i feel with myself, it is that when i realised i had conceived i felt like ending my life so that i dont live to see all these pregnancy humiliation...

i promise never to dissapoint you again please Kelsey, spare me aplace in your heart to forgive me and a chance too."

 And while I am still full of questions, confusion and a broken heart for Elizabeth, I keep being pointed to Christ's love of the sinners and God's call to obey him. All I did was pray, send a letter of encouragement, and spent $25 on hospital bills and there's a girls still alive with a beautiful baby girl who is named after me (while that's really cool, and still a little weird, I am honored that God used me to impact a life in that way).

A Kiberan and American student team up to write an inspiring song!

This summer a group of student's from Reagan High School came to Kibera to work with Kibera Penda Project. One of the high school students, Ni-D teamed up with one of our Kiberan eighth graders, Daniel to write and record a song- called JC. It's awesome! The song is awesome and glorifies our Lord, the music video is awesome and gives you a picture of the slum, Kibera and the talents of the students at New Hope Kibera Primary School, and Ni-D is amazing for sharing his passion for the Lord in Kibera!
It was also amazing to see these kids from across the world meet, build a relationship, and see how similar their passions, family situations, talents, and struggles were.

Check out their JC Music video at the link below!
JC Music Video

This girl's got radical faith!

So this is about a girl from Hays, Texas who went on one of the trips with us this summer to Kibera.

Her name is Kayla Jones. Some words that come to mind when I think of Kayla is faithful, bold, loving, intentional, adventurous, encouraging. Those are some pretty big characteristics that I wish people would say described me.

Today, Kayla spoke at her church service. She is 18, just graduated high school, and took over the entire main service to share about how God is working through her and people she met in Kibera and Zambia. That's pretty baller. I'm continually impressed with this girl. She is seriously seeking the Lord. I was daily encouraged by her faith, this girl is not just calling herself a Christian, she is living out a radical faith.

I think what I am even the most impressed with is that she went to Africa, saw need, and now wants to do something about it. She didn't go just go so God could teach her something and then ignore the oppression she saw. She is obeying God's command to serve the poor.

Here's a story from Kayla about her trip...

"I feel like God has been tying to teach me to rest in him through out the trip. I seems like all of my quiet times came back to that one central theme. That there is nothing that I can do without his presences in my life and him working through me. Not me trying to take on a worthy cause with his help, but being where he wants me and following his lead. I know that God has been showing me a lot of things that I feel are significant, but I don't necessarily know the meaning of them yet. I am hoping that God will reveal these things to me when I'm ready. One of the most memorable things about the children in Kibera is their joy and simple faith. My prayer is that I could have that kind of joy and faith in my everyday life, regardless of situations. To see where and how these children eat, sleep, go to school and live and then listen to their stories brings hope to my heart for them through Christ."

Last night in Kenya

I am leaving Kenya tomorrow night. Even typing it, my heart is heavy.

This is probably be my last post from Africa, but I still want to share lots of stories as I go home. So often I think our "mission" trips are all about what we learn while we are here. I keep trying to figure that out- what have I learned here? We sit down and groups and say "So, what has God taught you during your trip?" But I'm starting to think- maybe it's not really about what we learn... because it's not really about us.

We didn't come here for ourselves. We shouldn't travel to Africa to change OUR lives. Yes, while we are here that can definitely happen (I know it did for me), be we so often focus on ourselves when were coming here...
the lessons I learn,
    the experience I am going to have,
        the cute pictures I'm going to take,
             how it's going to change my life,
                  the good works that I am going to do.

And that's the other tendency- we tend to think we are doing something good/right/extraordinary/extra-Christian. But I am not here for me. I have done nothing good. I am no one extraordinary. I am simply obeying God's commands. To proclaim good news to the poor. The have the good news preached to the poor. To distribute to the poor. To go and make disciples of all nations. To give liberty to those who are oppressed. To care for the poor.

I think the biggest thing I've learned, more like REALIZED is that I don't want to learn things about God or learn more about my relationship with Him while I am here. I want to really SEEK HIM and KNOW HIM. Not just learn about Him. I want to daily be closer to the Lord than I was the day before. I want to daily surrender more of my life and my flesh and have His Spirit reign in me. I want to have more faith in the Spirit that is alive in me. It's a process, not a lesson to be learned. I want to live and serve and love in a way that people see GOD not me.

Because it's not about me....

Pray for Mercy Naliaka

Mercy Naliaka is a sophomore in the Kibera Penda Project scholarship program. She is awesome, hilarious, beautiful, laughs all the time and other people laugh at her jokes all the time.

Over the course of the past week she has been sharing with me about her family and home life. She lives in Kibera. When Mercy was young, her father died in a car accident. She was left with her younger sister and mother. A few years later, her mother got remarried and had two more children. However, her step-dad left them and took his two children with him a few years later. Just a year ago, Mercy's mother married again. This man is not a believer and is an alcoholic. Mercy says that her mother is always stressed out, always drunk, and her step-dad hits her mom. She described her home as unhappy, no laughing, no love. Her mother at times will lock her and her younger sister out of the house and throw their clothes out. Mercy even said that she doesn't think that her mother loves her.

I think that her mother has kind of given up. After a husband passing, a husband leaving, a long life in the largest slum in Africa, she has quit. She has given her life to alcohol, is probably depressed, and is staying with a man who abuses her.

Pray that Mercy will ultimately know that the Lord is her Father and her Mother who will always love her unconditionally.

Pray that she feels love and not unworthiness.

Pray that she, the only believer in the family, can be a light.

Pray that she can show undeserving love to her mother and step-father, like Christ loves us despite our sin.

Pray that Mercy step-father and mother don't put Mercy and her sister in an unsafe position, beat, or abuse them in their drunkenness.

Mercy is desiring another place to live, pray for the Lord's plan, to stay where she is or to move in with someone else.

Pray that the Lord changes Mercy's mother and step-father's hearts. It seems so far from happening right now, but the Spirit can work, pray for Him to.

"The Holy Spirit is as essential to a believer's existence as air is to staying alive"

Since the beginning of the beginning of the year, I've had a revelation... conviction... awakening... why don't we live as if the Spirit that IS Jesus lives inside us?

I have been praying and begging for my life to be FULL of the Spirit that brought my Savior back from the dead. It's just amazing. If we really believe that the Holy Spirit is Jesus, and lives in us, then we can do anything that Jesus can do. With FAITH in that. That's where I have been struggling. Do I believe I can heal? Do I believe I can cast out demons? Do I believe I can sacrificially LOVE like Christ?

Then, I stumbled across the book Forgotten God by Francis Chan, which is about the Holy Spirit. I didn't even know that when I bought it... coincidence... probably not? And I read this illustration that I think is great...

"I then proceeded to tell her about he confusion I imagined a caterpillar must experience. For all its caterpillar life, it crawls around a small patch of dirt and up and down a few plants. Then one day it takes a nap. And then, what in the world must go through its head when it wakes up to discover it can fly? What happened to its dirty, plump, little worm body? What does it think when it sees its tiny new body and gorgeous wings?

As believers, we ought to experience this same kind of astonishment when the Holy Spirit enters our bodies. We should be stunned in disbelief over becoming a "new creation" with the Spirit living in us. As the caterpillar finds its new ability to fly, we should be thrilled over out Spirit-empowered ability to live differently and faithfully. Isn't this what the Scriptures speak of? Isn't this what we've all been longing for?

...Christ said it is better for us that the Spirit came, and I want to live like I know that is true. I don't want to keep crawling when I have the ability to fly."

-The Forgotten God

The other day I believed. We had 35 students sponsored in a mere 8 hours, and actually looking back, I posted that we needed these student's sponsored at 2:30 AM Texas time. So really, only about 4 hours of time that people were awake in America. How could I NOT believe the Spirit did that?

Joan needs a primary school sponsor!

My names are Joan Adhiambo. I am 16 years old. I live in Kibera Slum with both my older sister, whose name is Dorothy, and her children. I have three brothers and three sisters. Some are jobless. I love them so much because they are all God fearing. I am so happy because God gave me a great talent, which is singing and playing football.
The only difficult situation my family and I are passing through is lack of love and lack of money. Sometimes we see ourselves as not being very important. Since our mummy and daddy passed away, things have been difficult for me compared to the way our mummy used to take care of us. But, the only thing I know is that God had a purpose for why He took away my parents.
Sometimes, I become angry and want to kill myself. I get very stressed when I find my friends gathering together telling stories about me or talking about how they have parents who are so nice to them and encourage them.
One day I went to church and found my pastor preaching that God knows you before you were born and he knows the plan for your life. That made me understand that I am an important person and one day I will be somebody. I will have a bright life.
For my career, I would like to be an engineer and help my brothers and sisters who are jobless. My prayer will come true.
Jesus is the pillar of my salvation. The love of God is the more important than anything. We should always keep on moving to our destiny. Although I don’t have both parents, I know that God is my Father and He has a good plan for me, a plan not to harm me.

Visit www.mannaworldwide.com and donate $40 to Kibera Penda Project to sponsor Joan!

We need help!

We raised almost $2,000 through Krafts for Kibera in the past year... and are so thankful for those of you that helped make that happen!

However, when I just got the list of students at our primary school who haven't paid school fees or are orphans and can't pay any at all the total is a little over $3,000. If student's don't pay school fees, not only do they get sent home from school for days, but it affects the entire school; teachers don't get paid their full salaries, better resources can't be bought, and school improvements can't be made. With our heart being to break the poverty cycle through education, this is a huge deal! And 11 of the student's who need sponsors are 8th graders!

Please help!
Go to www.mannaworldwide.com and make a donation of $40 and that will cover an entire student's school fees for a year, just put Kibera Penda Project in the donation box and the money will go to these primary school sponsorships!

Radically following Christ

This is not really an update about what's been going on in Kibera. But during my time in Kenya, I've been listening to David Platt's Radical Series. This has been a source of fuel for me but also wrecked me. David Platt speaks hard truth from God's word. It's changed my life.

Please listen to it.
RADICAL SERIES

UPDATE

Arusha, Tanzania

Last week, I was in Arusha, Tanzania visiting Mary and Vernon Smith (missionaries and close family friends of the Baird’s) and their ministry. Also, we went on a wonderful safari at the Ngoragora Crater and saw everything from lions to elephants to cheetahs to hippos. I was so encouraged and inspired by the ministry in Arusha. There is an amazing, quality primary school, church, sports ministry and beautiful medical clinic with a very smart doctor. The trip gave us encouragement for the future of the ministry with Kibera Penda Project and lots of ideas. It also confirmed to me that God has definitely called me to Kibera.

Exxon Team

Today, we said goodbye to a team of Exxon Mobil employees. They spent six days in Arusha with us and then spent Saturday in Kibera. I was sad that they only got to spend a day in Kibera, and sad they had to leave. I am so thankful for them and their hearts for the ministry. We spent a couple hours Saturday afternoon at the guesthouse just talking about what they saw, what the needs were, brainstorming ideas, sharing the culture, asking questions. It was amazing to see people not come here to grow and to have a fun time with the kids  (which is important and powerful) but who truly desire to partner with the work that God is doing here. I was also encouraged by people who are missionally serving with their co-workers. It’s easy to serve with friends, family, fellow church members, classmates, but that is a comfort box you have to step out of to travel with your co-workers. I am excited to hear about the impact they will make when they get back to work.

Baby Brenda

A woman in the church walked up to the school today holding a tiny baby. We came to find out that the baby had been dropped right outside her house and the woman, Faith, found her and had no idea who’s baby she was. This was last Sunday. Since then, she has been passionately caring for this child. I was blown away. Faith is already a grandmother, has three of her own children, and is living in Kibera. There’s not really extra money lying around to just start caring for a random baby. But Faith has named the baby Brenda and is treating her like a daughter. Please pray for God’s provision in what we should do with the baby and for Brenda’s health. She seems very malnourished and Faith does not have the money to take her to the doctor. We want to step in and help but we don’t want to act like we know more than them or take the wrong approach culturally.

Joan, a girl of strength.

I want you to know Joan. I want everyone to meet Joan. She is inspiring, full of hope, seeking Jesus, and incredibly strong.

I meet Joan two years ago, she was in class 8. One Sunday, at the youth service, I was sharing about my mom getting cancer and passing away. I wanted them to know that I hurt like many of them hurt, but that God has a plan, a big plan, even in our earthly plan. Joan was in the back row and started crying. We sat and talked after service, I learned about both of her parent's dying and we had an inseparable bond since then.

This year is Joan's third year in 8th grade. The first year, she didn't score high enough on her test to go to high school. Then, her older sister who takes care of her couldn't pay for her to repeat 8th grade. When I got to Kibera last summer, Joan was sitting at home day after day, no school, no job, no hope. She looks lost, rough, like a 15 year old girl living in a slum with absolutely nothing. It was June and too late to register her for the end of the year test, so through lots of talks and semi-arguments, I convinced her to go to 8th grade for the rest of the year, and then repeat it for the 3rd time the next year.

When I showed up in March, I half expected for Joan not to be there, so not have enough hope to repeat for the third time. But then I saw her... beaming. She looked beautiful and full of life. I saw her perform as the head of the choir. She told me she's on the soccer team. The headmaster told me that use Joan as an example to the entire school of perserverance and hard work. She is now competing with two other girls to be the number one girl in the class, academically.

It's funny how God works. I can't tell you how bad I did not want to speak in front of the youth two years ago. I am no public speaker, especially about something so emotional to me. But He's bigger than my stupid fears. And He's worked through me to make this entire story happen. Crazy.

I'm writing this now because Joan's family needs prayer. Life is already hard enough in Kibera with no parents, living with an older sister who has a family of her own. To add on, two days ago Joan's other older sister came to their home from rural Kenya where she had been living. She is pregnant, had been married for a few months when her husband ran her out. He said that he had nothing to do with the pregnancy, told her to abort the baby and when she wouldn't forced her to leave. Her sister is depressed and doesn't want to be alive right now. Joan, a girl who tries to hold all her sadness in, is torn up. I don't know what to do or what to tell her besides that we would be praying on her behalf. Please pray...

From Brittany Smith

I already miss all my high school youth that were here the past 2 weeks! In particular, the Smith sisters. I hope you read the last story from Alyssa Smith, here is how her older sister, Brittany, was impacted during her time in Kibera.

"Here is a story about an event that really impacted me during my two weeks in Kibera.

During the first week in Kibera, we put on a camp for all of the kids at the New Hope Primary School. After the message we gave to the older kids (classes 6-8), we split the kids into smaller groups. I had the privilege to speak to a group of grade 7 girls. I didn't really know where to start so i asked them simple questions about Jesus, and then came to a stopping point. Out of a need to say something to fill the silence, i asked "Does anyone have any questions?". To my surprise one girl, Grace, spoke up and said,"A lot of my friends cannot afford to attend school, and i know they will probably live in poverty for the rest of their lives. How can YOU help them?". I was dumbfounded. I had no idea what to tell her, so i sat there. Eventually, i told her that i did not know what i could do to help them, and i was terribly sorry. But later on that week, I petitioned the Lord about it. I realized, i was right on my own i could do nothing to help Grace and her friends. But with our God, anything is possible.

At the end of the first week, i found Grace again. I pulled her aside, and told her there was not much I alone could do for her, but with God anything is possible. I shared some verses of comfort and hope with her, and prayed for the protection and well being of the lives of her friends. I think it is safe to say that i learned to rely on God as much as Grace did that day. I cannot be more thankful for what He is doing in my life, as well as in the kid's lives in Kibera."  

-Brittany Smith

I also wanted to share how Brittany affected me while she was here. First of all, she is amazing, and I'm pretty positive she will be living in another country serving the Lord at some point in her life. On our last night here, we were having final debrief. Brittany was sharing about her time, and said she was so impacted by the hope and determination and passion of the children in Kibera to change their future. This won't be perfect, but the best from my memory, "I am blown away by the hope that the children have and their hard work and determination. I can't give that to them, and they already have so much of it. However, I can provide the other half that they don't have, the resources to help them get that future they have this hope for. I want to go home and meet the half that they are missing. Because I can't provide the hard work, but they don't have the resources." Sorry Brit, that's not exact. But I can't stop thinking about that. And it's so true. We aren't here to inspire these children or give them life, we aren't doing anything great. He is already working to give them an unbelievable hope. However, He has given us the resources, the money and people and supplies, and it's our choice to use those resources to meet them halfway.

Engineer Brian

Written by Alyssa Smith
6/18/2010


I’d like to tell a story about my relationship with a boy names Brian. Brian is a student at New Hope Primary School in Kibera where he excels in class eight as the highest scoring student. He aspires to be an engineer and a pilot when he gets older and he wants to move to the U.S. Brian lives with his uncle and step-mom in a small house in Kibera; his journey to Kibera is truly heartbreaking. When Brian was a toddler, his father abandoned him and his mother died when he was ten years old. After the loss of his parents, Brian moved to the Kibera slum at the age of 12 where he currently lives with his uncle and step-mom. Ever since Brian moved to Kibera, his uncle and step-mom have been financially unstable. Nevertheless, Brian’s uncle encourages him to conquer all difficulties life throws toward him and to achieve all his goals. Brian is an extremely hard worker at everything he does, including school, sports, and extracurricular activities. The New Hope Primary School is very proud to have Brian as their student and expects him to achieve excellence at everything he attempts.

            I first met Brian at New Hope during house visitations; it was destined for me to go to Brian’s home and become the great friends we are today. The group of us journeyed through the alleys of Kibera ten minutes or so and reached the small house of Brian. I saw Brian take his shoes off before he entered so, out of respect, I did the same. I later found out it was not necessary. By doing so, I felt honored to enter his one room home where there was a curtain dividing a small bed from a couch and a coffee table. A trash pile was leaning over me as I sat on the couch comfortably, Brian on the floor leaving on my legs. We shared for an hour or so about Brian and his history and what we could do to improve his financial situation; then we went outside his home to take a picture and head back to New Hope. Something special about Brian struck my heart and I truly enjoyed the time spent with he and his family.

            The next few days I gingerly passed by Brian, exchanging hellos and hugs until one day he approached me while I was sitting with some class six girls. He pulled me aside, gave me a hug, told me he really enjoyed the kindness I had showed him at his house by taking my shoes off, and the handed me a note. One this note he mentioned that he truly appreciated the little time we had spent together and he said he wanted to learn more about me and where I come from. He said he would like to stay connected somehow when I journey back to Texas so that he could tell me that, as he stated, “Brian has passed his exams with flying colours!” This note meant so much to me that it impacted my heart while standing before him. I felt like I had made a great friend with someone who I knew so little about yet knew so much.

            A few days later during Sports Camp for classes 6, 7, and 8, Brian approached me with a bag and another note. Before this, I had written a short note to Brian explaining how proud I was of his accomplishments in school and how inspiring it was to see this young boy working so hard for a life that was very unlikely for a kid who lives in Kibera. My note obviously meant a lot to him. He created a periscope for me out of cardboard, a shoe box, elmer’s glue, duct tape, and 2 pieces of broken glass. This periscope was possibly the best gift I have ever received from anyone in my life. This was the most thoughtful thing I could think of, even though it was basically made out of trash. I read his note a thousand times because of all the generosity and love that he had put into making this gift for me. Also, Brian had written out a list of English to Swahili translations on the note because he had remembered me saying that I was interested about learning his native language. At the end of the note he had written, “I love you so much and I will never never forget you.” This broke my heart. For anyone to show that amount of compassion because of the small things I had done for him is truly inspiring.

PENDA Youth Camp

Starting yesterday, we’ve had the PENDA YOUTH CAMP. It’s been amazing! We’ve had the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders from New Hope School in Kibera and played volleyball, soccer, netball, basketball, Frisbee, and all sorts of camp games. The joy on the faces of the children will be forever imprinted in my brain. But more than the sports, I think what will stick with the kids in the hours of Christ’s love that they have felt. I think Jesus loved in everything He did, and has called us to the do the same.

My favorite moment of the camp was after Joan, a precious girl in class 8, twisted her ankle. I went to sit with her and she couldn’t bear to tell me that she was hurt. She just sat there holding her ankle looking at me with these eyes that were on the verge of welling with tears. This is a girl who is loud, outgoing, and super loving all the time. I got to talk to her (and when I say that, I literally mean just me talking to her, there was no talking from her) and just over and over again tell her it’s okay to be weak, it’s okay to admit pain, it’s okay to be vulnerable. I could tell that not talking about the pain of her ankle was way deeper than just a sprained ankle. I told her that I knew she was hurting, and that because she was in pain and hurting, I was hurting the same. And my heart really hurt, and even though we didn’t really have a breakthrough, I felt this overwhelming compassion and hurt that could only be Christ in me. I felt this hurt for Joan’s suffering. I felt this overwhelming sadness for her pain. I wanted to just comfort her and love her and cover her like our Father looks down on us and loves us. I have been praying for the Spirit to speak, work, and love through me and was so encouraged that my life was put aside and His compassion was felt and shown through me.

Day Five in Kibera

Here is a recap of the last 3 days...

Wednesday:
     In the morning we did some tutoring with students in 8th grade. In Kenya, you have to pass a standardized national exam to pass all of primary school (1-8th) and get into high school. Talk about a big test! We worked on lots of math and English with some of the students who have not been passing the practice exams.
    The medical team that is with us also did an abstinence program with the older boys and girls in the primary school, which went awesome! There was lots of unexpected knowledge, lots of truth, and questions.
    The Well youth team worked on making bead with the girls in 7th grade for Krafts for Kibera. Krafts for Kibera is crafts that the students make that we bring back to America to sell with a picture and bio of the students to raise money to improve the primary school and help with some tuition.
    Today, was also the first day of electives. We are starting a computer, fitness, art, music, and sewing class this summer, that we hope can continue to be taught when we leave. Even though I am teaching fitness, I think 90% of the students wanted to take computer, and am really excited they are getting to learn about computers. Even in Kenya to get hired for most quality jobs, you need to know how to use a computer. We had to improvise a little for music and art because our teacher isn't here yet and Brent Phillips taught music and Abby Wilkerson and Kayla Jones taught art and did amazing!

Thursday:
   We took the Well Youth team went on a safari and then to a giraffe sanctuary. I think almost all of us kissed the giraffes! And we learned that giraffes can kill a lion in one kick, I think I have a new favorite animal.

Friday: 
    Today looked a lot like Wednesday. We did tutoring, finished up crafts (be on the lookout for some really cute magazine bracelets), and have our second elective classes. Robin and Avery Hawthorne also taught a dance camp with 15 girls ages 8-11 and taught them the Hoedown Throwdown by Miley Cyrus. It was completely adorable! The entire school wanted to watch the whole camp.
    We also visited homes with some of the 8th grade students. This was a time of great relationship building and emotionally exhausting. I visited a Victor and Mercy's home. They are brother/sister both in 8th grade. They live with their mother in Kibera after being kicked off their grandparents plot of land upcountry when their grandfather died. When they moved, their father's family told their mother she should kill her children because it would be easier for her. After then moving again, Victor and Mercy's father left in 2004 to live with his family again and they have not seen him since. When their uncle died, their mother took in 3 of their cousins. Their family moved from one home in Kibera to a smaller room that is actually owned by the church. There are currently 8 people living in their maybe 10 ft x 10 ft room. As I write room, I again realize that this room is their entire house. There is no kitchen, no bathroom, no shower, no bed, one wooden chair and one wooden bench, no lights, no appearance of clothes anywhere or really anything anywhere. It was heartbreaking. I have never seen something so bare, sad, and hopeless even in Kibera. But then, as I'm walking back to the school I find out that Mercy is competing to be the top girl in their class and wants to be an engineer. Later, Victor was in my fitness class and was the only boy to continuously remember what agility was, and the different muscles that I taught them. I was reminded of the hope only Christ can provide. There is absolutely NO WAY you can have joy and hope in those conditions without Jesus and your hope in something beyond earth.

Second Day in Kibera!

We are here in NAIROBI!! Yeahhh! It was our 2nd day in Kibera today with The Well Youth Group. Wanted to give an update of our first two days after arriving here safely after lots of traveling. Our first day was spent learning about the history, touring the primary school, high school, and the Kibera slum. Today, we did a day camp for the entire primary school and tutored the high school scholarship students. It was a day of fun, craziness, and lots of great relationship building! Here are some pictures from the day and entries from two high school girls on the trip...

Kayla Jones, recent graduate from Hays High School in Hays, Texas
So, today we did a camp for the whole school and it was the most fun I've had, maybe ever! We played games that are so common to us, yet to see the joy that these kids were experiencing was indescribable. My team didn't win a single competition, but they were screaming and jumping and laughing the entire time! We also got to sing and do a bible story for them. I got to share a short testimony about joy in Christ. Afterward we all got to break into small groups and talk about the lesson. I got to ask them questions about God and the Bible and share the gospel with them. And best of all, got to pray with them and over them! I thought I would feel sorry for these people as I walked through the streets and saw their living conditions, but I didn'y feel bad for them. They don't know any different and their are so happy. The simplicity of their life intrigues me. 

Taylor Koch, a senior at One Day Academy in Austin, Texas
So, I'm trying to compose my thoughts. Trying to write in words how these kids have impacted me. But it's hard to put something so mind blowing into words. The thing that stands out the most to me has been their joy. They have such a light about them, and it follows them wherever they go. Abby and I sat down with a group of 8th grade girls today, and we were told to talk to them about the presence of Jesus in their heart. We asked them if they knew what that meant, for Jesus to be in their heart. And this girl named Joan who always wears a white a white beanie looked at us and said " Jesus is the one who makes me clean, he makes all those things I did bad gone, and I prayed to him and I knew I had been forgiven. That my friends is God. I saw God in her. I saw it in one of it's simplest, yet most pure and beautiful forms.

Small Children. Big Difference.

Over the last month of school, I challenged my 5th grade student's to a little competition. Boys versus girls, whoever could donate the most school supplies to Kenya would get an ice cream sundae party thrown by Mrs. Baird.

These kids blew me away.

Five laptops, over $350, 38 keyboards, 21 backpacks, 40 binders, 55 folders, spirals, notebook paper, basketballs, hundreds of pens, pencils, markers and colored pencils. It is amazing!

Proverbs 21:13 says, "Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor, will himself call out and not be answered." I want praise these students because they heard the cry of God's children across the world and responded. I am encouraged by their giving, their love, and their obedience to serving the least of these. They did not use the common excuses of being too young, or not having any money themselves, or selfishly desiring their stuff, but GAVE. And the difference of these small, young people will be great! I want you to know some ways they will directly impact the kids in Kibera...

The overwhelming challenge of our high school scholarship students is walking to school in the rain. There is no sewage system, so imagine mud, dirt, sewage, bathroom waste creating streaming rivers and that is what it is like when it rains in Kibera. It takes them walking an hour through what we like to call "doodoo rapids" to get to school with everything they are carrying and wearing soaking wet and usually late. With the $350 donated I purchased 30 quality rain jackets for the students.

Even to get a job in Kenya, you need to know how to use a computer. None of the students in Kibera have ever used a computer. With the laptops and keyboards donated, we will be able to hold a primary school and high school computer class to equip these kids in skills they can use to obtain a job.

The other supplies will be used for an art class, tutoring classes, Sunday school, donated to the primary school, and help supply the high school students with better resources to succeed in their education.

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an EXAMPLE in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity."         1 Timothy 4:12