Monday was my first day actually working! I have been assigned to work at the school in the Modoya district, and I will be the only intern working in that location. The school is in the Mathare Valley slums, so all of the children come from extremely difficult backgrounds and living conditions. This week I have been working alongside the social workers at the Madoya school, which means visiting all the students homes to check up on the family and pray for them. Most families consisted of mothers who did not have a job to provide for their family. It was hard praying for them, not knowing if they will ever have a stable job, but it was awesome to see how most moms were trusting in The Lord and were thankful for what they had. Although most cases were very similar, one day I met a little boy named Joshua. He wasn't at school because his mom found out he had malaria. Luckily, children involved in the Mission of Hope International schools are able to visit the clinic for free, where they will provide medications. It's crazy to me that most children in the slums die from malaria because of their inability to pay for medications, but I feel lucky to have seen, first hand, the good work that MOHI is doing for the children of Mathare Valley. Without their free clinic, Joshua may never have been able to get the correct medications and could have potentially lost his life from the sickness.
It has been hard understanding why I have so much, and why they have to have so little. In the beginning of the week, one of my teammates told me about a family he visited, whose little boy was stolen. Whoever took the boy, left a ransom letter asking for 1000 shillings in return of the boys safety. The family told my teammate that they will never be able to make enough money to save their boy. 1000 shillings in American money is about 12 dollars. That is all it would cost to have their boy back, and yet it wasn't possible for them, with their living conditions. My first reaction to this story was a deep desire to visit the family and give them the shillings needed. Something that God has opened my eyes to is that I have been born into a very different life than the Kenyans. Feeling guilty and wanting to help by giving will only cripple me. I now believe that in some ways, growing up in America has given me the idea that everyone will be happier if they are stable and have money to provide for themselves. But it has become evident that in no way is that true. Christ is the only answer to being happy, and although I can not give money to every family whose child is stolen, I can give them love and I can show them Christ. The little boy is in the hands of God, and He has a better plan than I may ever understand. Although there are going to be many more tragic stories that I will hear or witness, it's exciting that God is in control and that I have the ability to pray with them.
In Kenya, it is traditional to have chai breaks throughout the day. Sometimes this break will last as long as two hours, in order to fellowship with colleagues and take time to relax. I love being able to have chai with the Kenyans and build a relationship with them. Although this week I have been working with the social workers, the children will be finished with their exams next week, which means I will get to start working in the school! They told me that I'll be teaching one of the classes until the late afternoon, then I will visit the homes with the social workers and show love to the community. Although they are pretty sure this is what I'll be doing, sometimes plans change, so next week I will update you on where they have put me for the week.
I have had so much fun playing with the kids at the school, visiting families, and building a lasting friendship with the social workers. Thank you for your prayers, can't wait to tell you more about my adventure in Kenya!
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