The first time we went to the IDP camp was eye opening to say the least. We drove for about an hour in the rain, all quiet and not really knowing what to expect. When we neared the camp, we observed the barren land, tiny cement houses ( courdesy of habitat for humanity ) stray dogs, and a large crowd of smiling faces and squealing children. We'd look behind us from inside the vehicle and see little kenyan children running like mad, trying to catch up with our bus. So when we finally stopped, you can imagine the throngs of children all swarming us, and reaching out to us in attempts of touching our skin and shaking our hands. We were welcomed so warmly, and the entire community of the IDP camp danced and sang us songs and told us again, how welcomed we really were. A little while later, after some of the team had shared their testimonies and a short "challenge" we began to get the food we prepared ready to hand out. We had a truck full of cabbage, bags of cooking fat and pounds of corn meal. So we quickly made an assembly line and began to hand out the food to the eager people. It was the best feeling in the world to bless these hungry people with food, and to hug them. Later on we visited some houses with two 18 year old girls who translated for us, and lots of younger girls on our arms. I met three little girls named Jacinta, Eunice and Evelyn. They must have all been around 8-11 and were all so incredibly cute. They just completely touched my heart, and I soon realized that the way they lived was heartbreaking. There was almost no food, dying crops and lots of single mothers who couldn't pay school fees. It was just shocking in all honesty, that these happy, bright young girls didnt have shoes or an education or even a toy to play with. The stickers in my bag were probably the most fun they'd had since the last team that had been there. It was so sad, but it gave me such an opporunity to pray and to love on the people there. I learned that a lot of them had had their businesses burnt in a town called Eldoret in the 2007 election violence. Going to the IDP was definitely really hard, but I can't wait to go back and to see them again. So, when we left that day and I hugged the three little girls goodbye, Eunice put a blue rubber band on my wrist and said "remember me." It was so touching since they have almost nothing and were just so happy to have company. Sometimes all a person needs is a special visitor, and some prayer. God has been so good and i'm so thankful for the opportunity we had to go there.
