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.