Saturday, May 29, 2010

Kawangware slum

(Post By Loura , My Mom)
What another amazing day... the end of the school week. It's hard to believe that in less than a week we have traveled half of the world away, arrived in Kenya, met two of God's sweet angels, Pastor Edward and Alice! We have met their sweet daughter Rachel and many , many sweet and precious children and the teachers who get paid little and sometimes not at all..... they are angels too. The children love to be loved and oh how they appreciate and hang onto every word you say and anything you do or give! And how they love to learn!!! We have worshiped with the teachers, we have had worship with the teachers and children combined, we have taught (and learned much), we have cooked some Kenyan meals, we have played... but mostly, we have been blessed.
Today after classes and lunch, Pastor Edward and Alice took Jenni and I outside of the Bible Baptist compound and we walked through the streets of the Kawangware slum. I am at a loss for what even to say. As we walked through the streets, of course being the only Muzungus (white people), generated a lot of stares and conversation. The children would come up and touch us and say "Muzungu, Muzungu"!! They love to rub our skin and touch our hair. Many of the people were friendly and would smile and speak.. a few would not. But the children were all friendly and would wave at us and smile! I have never, ever in my life seen anything like this place. I don't care what anyone else says, we do not have poor this way. We do not! I am not saying we don't have poor people or that there aren't people who have needs and need people to help, but not like this... no! The smell of the sewage and garbage in the streets is, BAD !! For that matter, the streets are bad! They are dirt, deeply rutted, garbage filled and narrow. There are shanty markets and homes everywhere made from sticks and tin or just whatever the people can get their hands on. Many, many people live in these tin and stick homes the size of most of our bathrooms. Speaking of that, there are no bathrooms.





 People are hungry... very hungry, but too poor to get food. So they sniff glue to numb themselves from the hunger. Yes, Jenni saw that today. The other night we were sitting after dinner and I could hear a baby crying. I said to Pastor that the baby had been crying for a long time. He said most likely, it was hungry. It made me so sad. So many of the kids that come to school here... that is the only meal they get, but it is more than a lot of people get here. And their clothes are in rags and they wear them all week. I have seen children with nearly a third of their foot hanging off the edge of their sandal, or 2 different shoes, or their big brothers shoes that he has outgrown that were way too big! I could go on and on ! I know I can't change all of this myself, but I wish I could. For now... this school. They have many , many needs! Jenni and I bought over 100 pencils today that will mean the world to them. They are writing with pencils that are used down so far that they can't hardly hold them anymore, and today... I was horrified when I saw a little girl sharpening her pencil nub with a razor blade because the school has no sharpeners! That's what we want to buy them next... and they need new writing tablets and chalk and books and the list goes on!! So at least we can start here... at Bible Baptist School... Maybe someday one or many of these little ones here can pass on some of the love we are giving and can make some changes ! I hope so!!
Goodnight!
Loura

1 comment:

  1. Loura/Jenni,

    We are praying for you both and for those that you are serving. You are doing a wonderful thing and God will certain use you to bless others. It's so very hard to understand how one country can have so much and another has nothing. Keep the faith and know that God is there with you.

    In Christ,

    Allen and Joy Garrett

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