On the move again

I asked the founder of the orphanage to type up all the children’s stories so that I could begin to put together sponsorship packages. I nearly cried as I read them. These children that I have grown so close to have such heartbreaking stories. You would never know it though, because they are constantly filled with joy. Major world problems now have skin on them. They have come in the form of children that I hold each day. AIDS has taken many of the children’s parents, while others fled their homes because they were raped and beaten. I have the biggest lump in my throat right now…
This week has been very low key, so I wasn’t going to update until next week, but my Mom said I had to. As I mentioned before, I started a girl’s soccer team. I think more than the 40 who signed up actually showed, so it was incredibly difficult. On Thursday they didn’t bring their ball (if you could call it that), so we just had one. There wasn’t much actual training that we could do, so we just played. The girls ran around barefoot and in skirts and had so much fun. Most of the time I just sat back and watched them laugh. Girls here aren’t supposed to play, so it was so empowering for them to get an opportunity to do so. I feel blessed to be in this spot, and it has brought so much joy to my life.
Alright. I am heading back to Kenya on June 6th because I have been sick. I’m not dying, and I have been getting better, but staying here would prolong that, so it would be a wise decision to leave. I feel good about it though. I know that God calls us certain places for certain amounts of time, and I know that I have done what he asked me to here.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 says, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength.” That verse spoke a lot to me, and I’ll change it a little to help you understand where I’m coming from. Here’s my version, “Though I’ve eaten the same meal twice a day for two weeks, my jaw has grown strong from maize, and there are dead flies in my drinking water, though I haven’t showered in a month and a hole is my toilet, though I walk miles to go anywhere and people mock me along the way, though I am alone and no one speaks my language, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior, my Protector, and my Sustainer. The sovereign Lord is my strength and my rest.” I am learning that God’s goodness follows me wherever I am. I can be joyful no matter what situations I find myself in. I can face each day with a smile and choke down my morning maize, because I have a wonderful life and the Lord has blessed me. And this too:
Lamentations 3:22-24 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
Last night God broke my heart again and gave me a glimpse of the world through his eyes. I was laying in bed trying to sleep when all the children began to sing. They always start softly and get so loud as they sing praises to God. All I could do was cry. My mind was flooded with their stories, yet God kept showing me hope. He put skin on Scripture and showed me that he did indeed choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith, that he answers all those wo call to him, and that he came to bring full life. I couldn’t help but think of my own life and the lives of so many other American Christians and how we always seem to linger in the past and hold onto the pain in our lives. Why? God has poured out his love so that we could be freed from all of that, so that we can sing to him and allow him to care for us, just as these children have done. They have been given a second chance at life. They have been freed from their past afflictions, and so they sing. Last night I finally understood where the apostle Paul was coming from when he said all his hardships were light and monetary compared to the greatness of knowing Christ and serving him. Everything I have gone through this past month is nothing in comparison to seeing these young children be changed by the love of God.
I decided to take the day bus back to Kenya so I don’t have another scary, middle of the night, seemingly illegal border crossing experience.
I am encouraged. Very encouraged. He has done great things.