Bwana Asifiwe! (Praise God)!

I am on assignment in a community in Nairobi called Korogocho. A student and I are working with an organization called Tumaini Ministries. Tumaini means "hope." They plant churches in slum communities around Kenya, extending to the poorest of the poor hope in Jesus. Though I have done slum ministry before, I am constantly humbled here. We have been here only three days now and we have already visited two slums that Tumaini works with. Yesterday we vised a community called Kiambiu. The church there has a school/day care for the children in that community. Even though primary school is technically required in Kenya, public school is expensive and kids in Kiambiu have to travel very far on dangerous roads to get there. Many parents cannot afford to send their children to school, so the church has stepped in. They have two volunteer teachers that take care of about 50 kids in a make-shift building as big as my living room. They cannot afford furniture, so the children sit on the rocky floor that is covered with a layer of linoleum. They have a tiny yard that serves both as their playground and where they urinate. I am shocked an amazed both at the lack of sanitation and the devotion of the teachers who work from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days a week for less than two dollars a day.

Our ministry assignment with Tumaini includes playing with children, preaching in churches, leading Bible studies, developing relationships with people in the slum communities, and doing house-to-house evangelism. We were able to share the gospel with a young father named Alex yesterday. I gave him a Bible and encouraged him to read Luke 15, the story of the prodigal son. He was very appreciative. Later last night we got word that his 4-year-old daughter, Velma, was missing. The pastor's wife helped them search for her. As you can imagine, the slums are a very dangerous place to be after dark. We prayed for Velma with our host family. Shortly after, we heard that they found little Velma sleeping safely under a lot of blankets in the family's shanty home! Praise God! My prayer is that Alex's father-heart would understand God's father-heart for him, longing for his lost son to be found. Please pray for Alex with me.

I could tell more stories from my short time here in Kenya, but I'll save those for later. Please pray for the 45 students and staff who are spread throughout Kenya. Pray for our health and safety, but most importantly that the Kingdom of God would come more and more to the country of Kenya, as well as within us. Asante sana! (Thank you very much!)

Peace,

Julie