Eleanor Roosevelt
Jumbo from Africa! I sincerely apologize for being so awful at writing blogs! I’m definitely going to working on that! So be patient, more are on the way 🙂
Anyway, after the hectic pace of our first two weeks here, my team and I are finally getting into a routine in Kajibe. Depending on what day of the week it is, we minister in either one of the schools, in the mission hospital or at the IDP camp.
Although I love the schools (the kids are ADORABLE), Im deeply fond of the hospital and IDP camp. As a Nursing Assistant, being able to work in a medical setting is like being
home! I love visiting with the patients, hearing their stories and sharing with them the hope that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. Its incredible how much good God can do through one simple conversation! Or even just a smile for that matter. Its beautiful…We have also been able to shadow some of the missionary doctors/surgeons in the OR. Totally a dream come true for me! Looking on as the surgeons attempt to heal broken bodies and broken spirits (they pray at loud for each individual patient as they work!) is both inspiring and humbling. God has clearly blessed them with a unique gift and observing His power at work through the hands of the surgeons boggles the mind!
Lastly, we also volunteer regularly in the hospital kitchen. Its a blast!! Seeing the guy members of the team in blue and white stripped “Betty Crockerish” aprons is quite humorous! I think my favorite part about working in the kitchen would be delivering the food to the various wards. But, I’d gladly peel potatoes for hours too 🙂
Then, there’s the IDP Camp! For those who may not know, IDP stands for Internally Displaced Persons. After the election in 2007, violence erupted in an area called, Eldoret, and individuals from one particular tribe were banished, if not killed. Needless to say, they were left homeless and destitute. Their stories are horrific, and yet, they are some of the most grateful people I have ever come across. They are living in tents. They have no food. They have no job. But they STILL trust and praise God!! They sing and dance for Him! Often times, I feel as though they are encouraging me more then Im encouraging them. In an effort to ease some of the physical burdens of the IDP Camp, our team decided to fast lunch everyday and use the extra money to buy corn meal and beans to give out. Its not much, but at least it something!
The rest of our time is devoted to just
being a team! We pray together, listen to sermons and messages, watch movies, LAUGH until it hurts, go on long walks, have bonfires and make s’mores, share stories and occasionally even cry (much to the guys dismay =D). We are a family for sure. Just talking about it kinda makes me weepy. Haha. Nah, but truly I love my team!Speaking of the L word. God, has been teaching me a lot about Love recently. And when I say “recently” I mean, every second of everyday. Before this trip, I had such a
misconstrued idea of God’s love and how we are to accept it as His children. Growing up, I had the impression that, although God loved me and sent His only Son to die for me, I still needed to EARN the gift of salvation and that I needed to do things to WIN His love, His gift. But guess what?! That’s not exactly true. My actions don’t influence my salvation, my salvation influences my actions. I live a Christian life not because I’m trying to GET something (i.e. Heaven, to please God etc) I live a Christian life out of gratitude for the sacrifice that has already taken place. Of course, that doesn’t mean what I do now isn’t important. Not at all! That would be taking God’s forgiveness for granted. A loophole of grace so to speak…What I do need to do is RESPOND to His love . I obey and follow God out of love, not because I’m trying to earn something. Cause, after all, I already have it! Salvation is there, I just need to reach out and grasp it. How FREEING! I have lived my whole life trying to live up to a set of ideals in order to be saved. And I don’t need to do that anymore!!! OH MY GOSH! Its sssooo cool! =DSo that, in a nutshell, was God’s personal love lesson for me. Straight from Kenya!
Talk about life changing!And now, I’m completely “talked-out”. Even just writing about all that God’s been doing in my life is exhausting! Haha! In a good sort of way, of course.
Can’t wait to hear from all of you! I’ll write again soon!
ps. my team has lovingly bestowed upon me various nicknames. So if you see them scattered around the blog, just know they are talking about me 🙂
