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...