The Power of Prayer

I can't believe there is now only one more week left working in Kenya. Time has gone by so quickly, it's hard to think that I will be leaving the friendships I've made and won't be able to contact the people I now love. 

This week was incredible. On Saturday, we woke up early in Joska to watch the sunrise. Then, we were able to spend some time seeing the surrounding area and hanging out with the girls during their break. I was able to meet a beautiful girl that my family sponsors named Sheila! At first, she was shy and it felt awkward meeting her for the first time, but once I asked her to tell me about her life she began to open up, which I'm so thankful for. She told me that she has been having a hard time at school because her brother died a year ago, and she wasn't sure how to handle it. Her brother was only seven and she would not tell me how he had died, but it was evident that she was still affected. I wasn't sure what to say, I can't imagine how hard that must be for her, but I tried to give her encouragement and asked if I could pray for her. I'm not sure if my words made a difference in her life, but I'm glad to have had the opportunity to learn more about her. We only had around an hour together, but by the time I left she was smiling and laughing! I'm so thankful to have met her!

After the Joska girls went back to class, we traveled back to Nairobi and went straight to one of our bosses homes for lunch. Lynn is normally someone who the workers fear at MOHI, she is very punctual and exact, but when we visited her home we saw a new side to her. We were able to hear about her upbringing and why she has to be so strict at her job. I loved being able to see how loving she is and her heart for others. She grew up not having parents and needed to take care of her brothers and sister on her own. After knowing more about her life, I began to realize that in order to be in charge of as much as she is and be good at it, she has to be a little strict, especially while working with Kenyans-- most things run late here because of their difficulty in being on time. I'm glad to have seen this other side of her life and witness her love for her job and others.

On Sunday, we attended the Madoya church again for the service. One of the interns, Becca, led worship and Coty was able to give an incredible sermon that ended in two of the attendees committing their life to Christ! I had a wonderful time with familiar faces at Madoya, and also met a young woman named Cynthia. After talking to her for a short amount of time, she told me that she had to drop out of school because of the expenses. Her father had died around two years ago and her mother lost her job. Right when I was going to ask if I could pray for her, her mother came up to us. It was perfect timing-- I was able to give encouragement to the mother and daughter and pray with both of them. I wish I could have helped them in more ways, but this trip has been constantly reminding me that prayer has power and Christ can do wonders.

Once again, I'm always surprised by how many children know my name in Madoya! We were walking back from the church through a neighborhood and five little kids popped their head through a fence and were yelling my name. I went over and greeted them and asked them how they knew who I was-- they told me that they heard about me and one of the kids said they heard I was a teacher. Even though they are not students from one of the MOHI schools, they have still somehow heard about me-- it's unbelievable and I feel so honored! It's incredibly encouraging that people care that I am here.

One of my favorite times of day is in the late afternoon, while the kids are on break. If I don't have much work to do, I am able to go outside and sing, dance, and have a good time with them! Their joy is so contagious and many kids will join the fun! Also, using a piki piki (motorbike) as my transportation is so incredibly fun! I haven't done it often, but the drivers are always so fearless-- I love it. The slums are filled with people so they will weave all over the place and go over a ton of crazy bumps-- there are sometimes scary moments but I trust their driving skills. Makes me want to get one in America! 

On tuesday, I was so overjoyed to see Vincent again. I love being able to hang out with him and see the joy he has. I feel so blessed to be apart of his life and see firsthand that our bodies may fail but Christ can always prevail. Please continue to pray for him and that God will use his story and joy to witness to others.

I was also able to visit one of my family sponsors in Mabatini named Patrick. He was very young and didn't know barely any English, but I am planning on coming back to the school on Monday to meet his family and see his home! 

On Wednesday, one of the missionaries came to Madoya to take pictures of the students who still need sponsors. Even though I work in the classrooms with the kids, it is nearly impossible to know which ones are sponsored students and which are still in need. I was so surprised to see one of my students from the class I teach waiting to take their picture! Her name is Gillian and she is an incredibly sweet and hardworking young girl. I was lucky enough to meet her mom at the parent teacher conference as well! After lots of prayer-- I have decided to be Gillian's new sponsor! It may not be smart of me, being a college student with no job, but it is important to me. I am excited to get a job, pay for the sponsorship on my own, and show Gillian as much love as possible! She does not know yet about the sponsorship, so she still calls me "Teacher Kristen" when I am able to spend time with her, but I feel so blessed to already have a relationship with her and for the ability to continue to be in her life.

On Friday, I met the two other boys my family sponsors. When I first arrived at Kosovo, there was a young boy at the social workers office and he had on a pin that said "Perfect Class 5 Green". I asked him about it and he told me that he was first in his class and was the leader of all the other students-- little did I know at the time that he is one of the sponsors! How funny that he just happened to be in the office and that I noticed his pin. His name is Martin and he is older than the other sponsors, so I was able to have a real conversation with him. Also, later on in the day, I met John who is in grade 3. He did not know as much English, but I was still able to hear about his life and the prayers he is in need of. With both of the boys, I was able to share some candy and get to know a little about their life-- I loved it! Also, John took me to his class so that I could hang out with them for a short time. I enjoyed having the freedom to spend time Martin and John and pray for them in person. 

Also, Friday there was a party held at Kosovo for all the interns and the Kenyans we have been working alongside. We had traditional Kenyan food-- that a few of us interns helped them prepare-- and each of us went up and thanked our centers for allowing us to work with them. It was a lot of fun-- and a bit emotional knowing we are leaving soon!

Being the only person who is not a national working in Madoya was frightening at first. People would stare at me and yell at me in Swahili, and I wasn't sure how to take their reaction to me, but coming back to the same area each day allowed me to get comfortable fairly quickly! I now am able to walk through the community and wave to people I now know, talk to those who used to to frighten me, and greet the same children each day. I love having a place in the slums to call my home-- I'm going to miss it very much. It's hard leaving, knowing I may never seen any of the Kenyans again, but I am blessed to have the memory of them and faces to put to my prayers.