A Kodak Moment

Today, Sunday January 18^th, we walked to church thanking God for two days of unexpected rain.  The dust has settled at least for a couple days. Thirty children joined us today as we talked about Daniel and the lions den. They save each word spoken and readily repeat it. After the service we had one young man accept Jesus into his heart.  He is alone here as both parents have died. He holds the evidence of sadness in his eyes.

 

Monday January 19^th, 2009  As we head to the east side of Nairobi we are delayed as we sit in traffic.  The sun quickly raises the temperature inside the bus.  We arrive safely to the east side and start our walk through several busy streets. Our destination is the area beyond the river.  We walk at a steady pace past shops of all kinds.  I see the surprised look on many faces as whites are seldom seen here, especially "walking". J We get close to a small intersection and see two boys sleeping on the sidewalk.  Pastor Joseph knows them all and calls them by name. Frances is one of the older boys.  He is bruised and scraped up. With a swollen and infected bottom lip he tells us how the hospital refused him treatment after he was hit by a car.  Peter is another well known boy in the area.  Some time ago he was shot through the back.  He now walks with a limp. Their eyes open wide as they listen to how much God loved Jacob, a man on the run. They both remove their caps as we pray together. We would later return with medicine for Frances mouth.

 

We walk through an area new to me.  It is called the "cereal" area.  There are sacks and sacks of beans, rice, lentils, grain and corn.  The streets are not passable because of so many trucks loading and unloading.  We wind our way through the maze of people, trucks, carts and piles of sacks.  We find ourselves walking sideways.  Putting shoulder first we push our way through. After tea & fruit at the pastor's home we continue walking toward the river. We stop and share the gospel with a few people along the way.  The sun is beating down upon us as we walk the street. On this street you can buy any car part you might need. Both sides of the street are lined with shops selling auto parts.  We round the corner to walk the last little stretch. As a general rule I'm usually in the lead as we walk.  This enables Pastor Joseph to watch what is happening all around me.   He is literally "watching my back"J Today I am leading as we round the corner into the area of the sidewalk vendors.  Every possible inch is used to sell their goods.  It is busy, busy, busy. A short distance in front of me I see a mob forming.  Merchandise is quickly being grabbed by the arm full and voices are getting louder.  Everything within me tells me to turn and run for safety.  With my body engaged and ready to run I turn & step right on top of the pastor's shoes.  He very calmly and gently says "don't run, stand still, don't run, stand still".  I did exactly as I was told J  I remained standing on his shoes.   I felt the bodies of many bumping into my body as they hurried past me.  It was soon calm again and we walked past the police toward the river.  It is illegal for the vendors to be selling here. The police arrive unannounced very now and then to try to move the vendors out of the area.  So in fear of being arrested the vendors were gathering their things and closing shop early J

 

Once across the small hand made wooden bridge we meet four young mothers sitting on the ground with their babies. The flies are every where but that doesn't stop little Benson from smiling!  Rose a very young mother asks for prayer.  She can not produce milk for her baby. We pray with her and she asks Jesus into her heart.  Before we leave her we see that milk is bought for the baby. 

 

I soon realize I have a new friend.  Kevin, a 3 year old boy with a terrific twinkle in his eye loves to follow me.  Kevin happily sits in my lap as I sit and answer questions for a man deeply rooted in a cult.  This man has lived in a hole in the ground for two weeks. His leader gave him a date when the earth was going to end.  We talk for sometime inside a sheet metal building.  As I sit there my eyes and nose begin to smart and burn.  I look to the side and I see a dense cloud rolling close to the ground along the path.  I notice people running from it. I'm thinking some thing must be on fire.  Then I am told it is tear gas. No one in the building with me seems upset.  It seems they have been through this before.  I'm calmly told to keep my eyes closed as the cloud moves along the path passed the sheet metal building.

 

The word is out that a visitor has arrived and many come to us.  One man accepts Jesus into his heart as he nervously scans the area while praying.  "Charms" a woman known for witchcraft stands off to the side and listens.

 

Our time for visiting those on the other side of the river has ended for another day.  It has not been a wasted day.  It has not been a day of defeat. We have witnessed a day of victory.  We rejoice with the angels above over the eleven people that asked Jesus into their heart today.  Each one is special. Each one with a name:  John, James, Francis, Rose, Stacy, Lillian…….

  

On the way back to the Pastor's home I see the lady with out legs.  Every bit of her energy goes into moving her upper body with her hands.  I stop and at eye level I introduce myself to her.  With great happiness she tells me she is Christian. We talk about the day when she will "run" on streets of gold.  Very soon a crowd of people has circled us.  It was a time to share the gospel message with many.  The more I talked the larger the crowd grew.  One man wanted prayer for his son who was troubled with seizures.

 

Night was coming quickly and we are almost to the Pastor's home.  My eyes fall on a young boy about 15 years old sniffing.  We start talking.  Francis is new to the streets.  He passes me his bottle and asks Jesus into his heart. The bus ride home takes a little longer as everyone is trying to leave the inner city at the end of the day.  Tired and in need of rest we finally arrive at the stage.  We end the day with one more police check.

 

Tuesday, January 20^th, 2009  The  bus delivers us from the west side of Nairobi to the east side.  Today we are going to "Kariokor" to meet with the younger street kids,  ages 5-17.  Pastor Joseph & Gladys meet with them at least once a week.  As we leave the bus stage and walk through the busy streets we meet John.  John has just been released from jail.  His body is weak and he has a rash covering his face.  He asked us to pray for him.  Pastor Joseph tells me this is John's usual area and he sleeps on a couch around the corner.  At the corner I looked down to see John's couch.  The hardness of reality hits me as a large cement block stares back at me. 

 

We pass a very large old tree in the center of a rotary.   I'm told how many would gather under the tree and worship facing Mt. Kenya.   As we walk on we see the new street boy, across the street.  I call out his name and with a smile on his face he joins us.  His eyes have life in them today.  We tell him about the meeting and invite him to join us. 

 

The sidewalks are busy and as we walk boys run from here and there to join us.  They are all happy to see the Pastor.  He is their family. Today was a pure "Kodak Moment".  I wish I could have shared it with those at home.  As I led the way a trail of homeless followed.  With their filthy, dirty, tattered clothes,(all they had) with one shoe on, blackened with grease, brown teeth from tobacco stains, scars, wounds, many sniffing glue and a sack of belongings they had collected that day on their back, they followed a clean small framed white woman down the sidewalks of Nairobi.

 

We entered a little hide away village. The earth was black from the residue of oils, grease and charcoal. Little sheet metal structures lined booth sides of the path.  It is a busy place.  Much of the dump pickings ends up in this area.  The boys bring there sacks of plastic, metal, and glass here in exchange for enough money for one meal. We enter a sheet metal "Hotel" where food is served.  This is their weekly meeting spot.  About 20 boys show up today.  They are given tea and something to eat. There are times they can only have ½ cup of tea but today the cup is full. There is only one woman amongst all the guys.  She sniffs and eats while her little son walks around without shoes and pants. I use the salvation bracelets to tell them the gospel message.  As I pass them out I am surprised with the many that say "thank you".  As a group of 12 we ask Jesus into our heart. As I begin to pray I see the caps and knit hats being removed one by one. They don't sit long.  They are off again trying to fill their sacks.

 

As we walk to the Pastor's home we pass the tipped over fruit carts.  Some are busy collecting what they can off the ground for food.  The owners of the fruit carts watch from inside the police wagon.

 

Mark 16:15  Go into ALL the world and preach the good news to ALL creation.