Day 3: Monday

Today we started out with a tour of the slum area known as "Mathare 1." The Mathare Valley slum is divded into 10 "neighborhoods" - and the first mission center (Pangani) started by Missions of Hope is in Mathare 1. We divided into groups of 3 and visited several homes, hearing the stories of those who lived there. While each story is unique, the homes are typically very small, sometimes measuring no more than 7' x 7', or smaller. The families are often a mix of children, grandchildren, parents and grandparents - with nearly every home being touched by death.

The home my group visited (Flora, Michelle, myself) was the home of "Mama Grace" (traditionally, Kenyan parents go by the name of thier first born - so her firstborn is named Grace. Father's go by Baba -(name of firstborn)). Mama Grace was a grandmother and mother. Her houshold was one of the smallest I've visited - possibly no more than 5'x6' - yet it was home to 10 people, seven of which are children. She shared how one of her adult daughters is HIV positive, and asked us to pray for her granddaughter, age 8, who just two weeks ago was diagnosed HIV positive.

Our group gathered together on the opposite side of Mathare 1 and then continued on to the Kosovo neighborhood just a short distance further. Upon arrival, we were treated to a wonderful singing performance by some of the school children, welcoming us warmly. Words on a blog simply cannot describe the beauty of their voices.

After a short tea, we began orienting ourselves to the school facilities and determining where each project would take place. Amy took the lead on the clinic and Megan on VBS. Meanwhile, several locals were continuing to prime and prep the outer wall of the building for the mural. Once the gameplan was in place, we brought out the medical supplies that we brought with us (many of which have been donated by you!) and started organizing.

A wonderful lunch followed - though most of us were stuffed already from breakfast and tea. One of the hidden challenges of a trip like this is being strategic about eating - there is so much offered that you find yourself surprisingly full most of the time.

After lunch everyone participated in their program called "Bring the Light." This involves going in teams to the homes in the slums, accompanied by 2 social workers per team, and bringing spiritual encouragement as well as physical improvement to their homes. While part of the group is inside talking with the residents, others in the group are outside, installing a skylight above. This involves creating a small hole in the roof and then inserting a transparent fiberglass sheet to protect from the rain. The result is dramatic - these tiny, dark shanties are suddenly flooded with natural light. Considering the fact that most of these only have daytime light by tapping into illegal and dangerous electric wires that have been pirated into the slums (they pay gang lords for service), this natural solution of bringing sunlight into their homes is a significant improvement.

After a couple of hours of this project, the team arrived back at the school building to find that more medicine had arrived (from the mission's supply). Everyone sprang into action getting these items organized and ready for the morning.

Once completed, we loaded up and headed out to Mary and Wallace's new home (finished just weeks ago, and beautiful) for a very relaxing, very delicious dinner. Lots of great conversation happening - some serious, but mostly playful and lively. David, their 3 year old son, entertained us all. The group is really deepening it's friendship with each other and with our Kenyan hosts. We are not only having new and challenging experiences - we're having fun together as well!

Currently we are back at the hotel, winding down and getting some rest for what will surely be a very busy day tomorrow. Several of the medical team are in one of the lobbies dividing up vitamins into packets for the children... and Chris and Laurel are rehearsing songs for VBS. A good end to a great day...