Unsurmountable Need Is My Conundrum

This is crazy. So many people here in Nairobi, a couple of million living in slums which again, I can in no way begin to describe them to you. Nor can a picture truly capture the magnitude of the destitute life these admirable people live in each day etching out a living on pennies a day. (Don't fret, I'll add pictures as soon as I get back to my Macbook and download them from my iPhone. I hope you can sense my irony as I write that.)

While sitting at the Pangani Center today that holds just over 1,000 children from the Mathare slum teaching them and feeding them once a day and sending them back in the slums at night, the mission team from CCV met about strategy for Asia. We talked about possibilities in Taiwan, China, Thailand, Laos and India. You know, almost 60% of where the entire world's population resides.

The papers here in Nairobi are still wondering who threw the two grenades that killed 9 people and injured over 60 others into a Christian gathering discussing political changes. It's pretty obvious the Muslim counter party probably had a hand in it showing how much Islam really needs Christ, even though it is still the fastest growing religion in the world since 9/11.

Zach and Emma, two new friends from North Dakota who are serving on our medical team were trying to figure out why a little girl's ear was hurting so bad. There was no infection. But the ear was severely needing some serious irrigation. The equipment brought was useless because the batteries couldn't be charged properly here in the slum. We were trying to be innovative, but just didn't have the tools necessary to really help her. We gave her a small packet of vitamins and worm medicine and sent her on her way. She was the last patient to be seen today. She left crying.

Sitting on the bus to go back to our hostel, my window was pounded on and a young man high on sniffing glue, dressed in clothing that was so dirty there was no way to tell the original color of the cloth, his hand was held out for anything I might give him. I took a picture of him. And of a few other glue sniffers standing like zombies in the middle of the road. They were about 12 years old. We were told not to give handouts by the missionaries. We didn't want to enable them of course. Sigh.

It's been a busy week connecting with all sorts of other mission groups and missionaires while here. Too many really. Some even came all the way from their orphanages, and mission offices and churches to our hostel all wanting to "connect", aka... hoping for more support.

I could continue but if you know me, you know what I'm thinking. What in the world are we doing. WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE WE DOING.

Jesus said the poor we will always have with us. I think his point was pretty obvious. We can't do it all. We can't win all the lost, fix all the problems, feed all the hungry, heal all the sick, support all the missionaries who are so under funded. We can't. I feel we are supposed to. But we can't. The only thing that matters.... the ONLY THING THAT MATTERS is our relationship to Christ. Maybe you can find the passage where Jesus says that part about the poor, and then check out the context. It's late here and I'm exhausted. And I just realized that after all the days activities and serving so many and doing so much, I have forgotten to pray.

The need has overwhelmed me. And I have missed the point again today.

Missions of Hope - Nairobi, Kenya

I am currently sitting at the Gracia Hotel in Nairobi along with 90 others from Christ's Church of the Valley and First Christian Church of Phoenix. It has been an amazing trip so far. And words can't describe what everyone has in their hearts right now. It is nothing like I have ever participated in before.

We have six teams working here in a variety of projects... a medical team bringing dental and general medicine to about 250 people a day living in slums who can't afford health care of any kind... a VBS team working with 1,000 kids a day... a soccer team playing with 200-900 kids a day with some kids walking over two hours to play... an I.T. team working on the Mission of Hope computers and installing ten new donated laptops to their network... a video production team recording all kinds of footage to be used by the churches and the missions we are working with (and posting the official trip blog:  CCV - Nairobi ) ... and a Bring The Light team who goes into the slums and cuts a 12 x 12 inch hole in the tin roofs of about 45 shacks a day and installs a sheet that allows light in to what was complete darkness while sharing the Gospel with the residents. Yeah, a lot is being done.

They have nothing. I'm overwhelmed with the complete destitution of the Mathare Slum residents. Yet I am confounded with their indomitable spirit. They seem.... well.... happy. They have nothing. Yet, they are content. They are readily accepting of the Gospel. But they were smiling before we came... and as we left. I found myself wanting what they have. They have nothing.

This group is ripe for the harvest. Not the residents of the slum, even though I have seen no riper field in all of my missionary career. But the 90 who are with us. They are seeing the need and realizing they have the power to meet it. Not merely for a 12 day mission trip, but perhaps for a life time. That is what I am praying for. And if you pray for me, pray that what I have becomes nothing.