The Love of Christ

With traffic in the morning and evening, the Kamau's house is a good distance from the slums. Luckily we have had a private Matatu driver to make sure we get there safely. Although the ride is long and mostly bumpy, a lot of days the ride back to the house is something I look forward to. It's my chance to be alone, listen to music, and feel the fresh wind from the window seat. Some days in the slums are hard and extremely tiring and although I am not someone that shows that to others, the car rides spent alone have been really good for me. I am also very thankful for the time I have each morning in the Word. I can't imagine going into the slums each day without that time to make sure my heart is in the right place. I would never be able to handle the heartache I feel for the families and children I meet, on my own. I am so blessed to have Christ to place my worries, fears, and prayers.

Most Saturdays we go out and do something touristy in Kenya, but this past weekend we spent at the house relaxing. We watched movies, spent time with one another, and prepared meals. A few of us were even able to make a Chinese dinner! It didn't turn out as good as what we could find in America, but I was quite proud! On Sunday, half of us visited the church at Pangani. The service was good, and a group of girls enjoyed braiding my hair for most of it. Luckily, that gave me a chance to get to know a few of them and hopefully make them feel loved.

This week was fairly similar to the others. I taught preschool till around 1 and then visited homes and spent time in the community. Thursday was Fourth of July! Sadly, Kenya doesn't celebrate the holiday, but we did anyway! We had a dance party,  made "cheeseburgers", had a large cookie with a flag on it, and finished the night off with a whip cream food fight. It was so much fun, and helped us forget about our lack of a firework show!

The longer I am here, the more I miss home, but it's encouraging that the Kenyans are continuing to feel more comfortable around me. At first, the children in the slums gave me special love and attention because I'm a mzungu, which means a person with white skin. I was seen as someone who was hopefully going to provide something for them, but now I  believe they are beginning to see me as something more. They used to scream "mzungu!!" when I would pass by, but now many are beginning to learn my name! 

This past week, many of the interns have been sick, sadly including me. Please keep in prayer our health and safety as we finish our last few weeks here! We have all been building such strong connections to each individual community we have been placed in, and missing a day of work means missing an opportunity to spread the Word and love of Christ.