…the day my household doubled.

The day was hot and steaming.  Priscilla and I were headed to Kipsongo to continue to build relationships with women there.  We were greeted by familiar voices and faces and the stench of the slum hit us yet again. 

When I go into Kipsongo now, the layers of what life is there peels itself away.  I am no  longer shocked by the men sleeping on mats, the homes made of garbage bags, or the phrases yelled out to us by people who assume we are there to give handouts.  What shocks me now is seeing the same baby day after day walking around naked, unsupervised, tripping and falling into the sewage stream.  What shocks me is seeing the little toes of the children who live there being eaten alive by jiggers.  What shocks me is hearing the cries of a woman being raped by a man and nobody seems to care, or be willing to do anything about it.  The oppression and dominance that men have here is appauling.  Women are beaten for any reason at all and do not have a voice.

This particular day, Priscilla and I are meeting with Selina.  Selina is the mom to Tabitha and Maximilla.  She is telling us that the walls on her house are caving in.  We have heard this before and today the sight of her home made me sick.  Her and the babies that stay with her at night are completely exposed to the outside due to large, gaping holes in two of the four walls.  Selina asks me twice for food.  She has never asked me for anything in the 3 months I have known her, but this day, she asked me twice.  Her gait was extremely unstable and we noticed Maximilla and Tabitha had very low energy, which was unlike them.

I went home that night and could not sleep.  The images and sounds of that day haunted me and I was up much of the night asking God why He had brought us here, as we were just 2 people and the needs in Kipsongo were so great.  I woke up with Psalms 34 on my heart.  God poured into my soul that I was not here to save everyone.  God hears my cries and answers them.  I know God knows our hearts here and He knows the need.  I’m expecting miracles

The next day I spoke with Priscilla about how we can help this family.  I certainly didn’t want to become the next white person who walks into Kipsongo and starts giving handouts.  Priscilla stated “well, the thing to do is bring them into our home and get these girls healthy again”.  Of course she said that.  In my mind, I was thinking about our household already, with our crazy kids, Priscilla and Daniel already here AND we had just moved into our home and had barely finished unpacking.  No way was I ready or prepared to take on two malnurished children with unknown health needs.

As it turned out, we had a family meeting and discussed the rules and boundaries this situation would require.  When we all agreed we wanted to help this family, Priscilla trotted to Kipsongo that day to speak to Selina about helping her with her children.  Selina was so relieved and stated that she and the girls had not had a bite to eat for 2 days.  Priscilla returned a few hours later with 2 little girls, scared out of their minds.

Their house, that day, had completely collapsed.

More to come….