Bittersweet moments
Just before take-off at O’Hare International Airport: Saying
a teary goodbye to my family (not sure when I’ll see them next) while my Kenyan
boss who hasn’t seen her family in weeks stands by and watches…
Just After Landing in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport:
My Kenyan boss has a teary reunion with her family while I stand by and watch….The price of cross-cultural ministry?
Don’t put me in that box!
"How do you know how to make fire?!” – one of my girls
exclaiming as they all stare in wonder at my bonfire making skills
“Where did you learn to dance like that?!” – Another one of
my girls astonished that I can salsa
"You know how to use an electric sander?!” – the maintenance
man when I asked him if I could borrow it to help refinish my kitchen floor
Belatedly realizing I have an audience of about 30
kids/staff while I’m climbing on top of the Ambulance in my Sunday dress to get
the spare tire down because the brand new one has two giant thorns stuck in it.
“Meladeeth! Be careful! You’ll get your
hands dirty!”
I’m not sure where this “white girls can’t do anything”
misconception came from, but apparently lately I’m all about breaking it.
If I had a million dollars
Realizing I need a tissue as tears stream down my face while
typing up a new child sponsorship enrollment form for a girl at Hall Mead
School*. She comes to my Bible study
each week, and has only recently begun sharing her story with me. I so wish we could bring her into our
full-time residential program. She has the best smile and heart for Jesus. Wants
to be a doctor one day. “Thank you Lord that this girl will now have two
nutritious meals, school supplies and a quality education at Hall Mead School. Please
continue to protect and guide her as she heads up her household of a younger
sister and mentally disabled mother in the nearby community.
This Beautiful Life
After a long day at the office, sitting in my front garden with
a cup of tea, watching the sky change color over the peak of Mt. Kenya. Birds
singing. Kids laughing across back field as they head to the dining room for
supper.
Lord, it’s moments like these that remind me of the beauty
of this place to which you’ve sent me. Thank you.
A Few Prayer Requests
-
Praise that my time in the States in July was so
refreshing, and we raised about half of the needed funds for the new classrooms
at Maranatha week
-
Praise for new relationships and friendships
that are finally beginning to form
-
Please continue to pray for my Bible Study with
the middle school girls here
-
We have several teams coming to serve with us in
the next few months! Pray that the preparations for their stay will go
smoothly, and that their time will be one of mutual encouragement and that God
would be glorified through their visits.
*If you’d like to sponsor this girl or another Kenyan child
like her, please visit: http://www.kidsalive.org/donations/sponsor-a-child/category/kenya//
