It is hard to believe that we are halfway through our trip.  I have neglected to post because we come home every day exhausted from the day’s activities.  But it is a good, satisfying kind of exhaustion.  We have spent the past three days visiting homes in different parts of the slum, learning people’s stories, witnessing to them about Christ, and teaching them about HIV prevention.  I am amazed at how different various parts of the slum can be.  Even though they all have the same shanties piled on top of each other, some have more space than others, more developed marketplaces, and less garbage and sewage lying around.  We have met some beautiful people, mostly mothers whose kids are in the Mission of Hope (MoHI) schools.  They have all readily welcomed us into their homes, even though sometimes the space is so small that we have nowhere to sit and have to stand.  Most have asked us to pray for protection, blessings over their home and children, and for opportunities to work and support their families.  One young woman, who is a Christian, asked us to pray that her bad dreams, a product of spiritual warfare would end.

Yesterday, we visited a slum, Korogocho, where MoHI has just started building schools and visiting with families.  Thus, it is supposed to be a more dangerous part of the slum.  However, in many respects, we felt a bit more at ease than in other parts of the slum. It was quieter (i.e., no loud music blaring from roadside stands) and appeared to be more developed.  We entered the slum through the marketplace, which was crowded with many shops– green grocers (vegetable stands), secondhand clothing, hair salons, etc.  While people walking around in the community did not greet us as they did in other parts of the slum, the people whom we visited readily welcomed us into their homes and afterward thanked us for visiting them and praying for them.

While there are many highlights of our trip, one highlight of today was meeting with our sponsored child, Doreen, to give her gifts.  We were so thrilled to see how healthy she looks compared to last year. Rounded cheeks, cleaner clothing, a smiling, happy face.  She interacted with us more than last year.  She eagerly gave us big hugs and held our hands.  We were able to see her classroom and to hear her sing for us.  It was a very special moment.

It is difficult to process all that we have seen and experienced in these past few days, so thoughts are not readily making it from my brain onto this page.  However, we feel the Lord’s presence with us each and every day on the paths we have trod and in the homes that we have visited.  God loves his people everywhere, whether it’s in a suburban neighborhood or a community of the most impoverished in the world.  We are being taught even more what true community is about and what really matters as followers of Christ.