Bring the Light (Afternoons, July 11th - 14th)

          After a full morning of vacation bible school, our team ate lunch together at the school before going out into the community to meet with people in their homes (shacks).  Missions of Hope runs a program called "Bring the Light".  Short term missionaries go with a Kenyan CHE (community health evangelist) into a home to share the hope of Christ, encourage the family, and bring light into the home.  Literally.  Most of these homes have no electricity and little to no natural light.  If you remember from my earlier post, these structures are usually around 6 ft x 8 ft, made of tin, and dark.  So, Missions of Hope brings light to the community homes by cutting a small section out of the tin roof and covering it with a corrugated piece of plastic.  Light streams in.  No more floundering in the dark.  Light is so powerful.
          Think about it for a minute.  I KNOW I take light for granted.  I live in Phoenix, so the sun is usually shining brightly during the day.  And if, for some reason, natural light isn't giving me the light I need in my home, I flip a switch.  Light.  As soon as the sun goes down, I can turn on any number of lights in my house to create the exact amount of light I need.  I do it daily and give it so little thought.  And then God takes me into a place where light is a luxury.  A mother struggles to dress herself and her children because she cannot see.  She fumbles to prepare what little food she has because she cannot properly see.  And for those families whose children are fortunate enough to go to school, there is not enough light in their house for them to read their books or do their homework.  It's simply mind-boggling.
          So, on Monday afternoon, we are split into groups.  Matt and I go with two others from our team, one of the community health evangelists, and a fundi (a local casual laborer, who will do the actual construction).  We carry with us open hearts and the clear plexiglass.  I'm actually very nervous.  This is outside of my comfort zone.  I am not extroverted enough to feel comfortable going into a stranger's house and asking questions about their lives, their hurts, their losses... But, I trust in God, since He's the one walking me down this path.  I know that only He can speak through us anyway, giving us the words that will bring encouragement, or healing, or salvation, or whatever He has planned for the individuals we are to meet.  So, we lace up our boots and follow our guide through the narrow slum streets.
          The first home we are scheduled to visit is empty.  Apparently, the lady left to run errands.  So, our CHE (guide) begins knocking at doors asking if anyone wants light in their home.  A beautiful Kenyan named Susanne invites us in to her home.  We crowd around a table and sit on whatever we can find (it's hard to see where we are sitting).  Our CHE, Kevin, helps us navigate the introductions, translating for us since Susanne speaks very little english.  After learning about her family, we ask Susanne if she knows why we are visiting her.  She says she does not know, so we tells her we have come because of God's immense love for her.  Matt has the privilege of having a beautiful discussion with Susanne, sharing with her that Jesus gave His life for her and He wants to be her friend -- to lift her out of darkness and bring light into her heart.  Only Jesus can bring true hope into her life.  Susanne says she wants to be friends with Jesus!  In the blink of an eye, God opens her heart and she walks into His open arms.  It was beautiful.  As Matt and Susanne wrap up their discussion, our fundi begins to cut open the roof above.  As he removes the tin, sunlight streams down and lights the room!  Just as God illuminated Susanne's heart, He is now giving her a visual picture of that light as He brings light into her home.  Her face lights up, and we see a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Our fundi, James, removing tin and securing plexiglass.

         Each afternoon, we visited two or three households.  We met a Christian woman caring for her eight daughters by herself.  We prayed for her, asking God for His peace and wisdom, for success in her business (she sold vegetables by the road), and for protection for her daughters (as they are at extreme risk in the darkness of the slums).  We met a man caring for eight children, five of whom belonged to his brother-in-law.  His brother-in-law had been killed in political violence in Kenya five years before.  We met two pregnant women, fearful of the delivery of their unborn children because complications occur.  We met a young mother whose husband worked when he could to support their family but did not share her faith.  We met a young pregnant woman whose husband is a pastor.  After we prayed for her, she asked if she could share her wedding photos with me.  I was honored as she opened a box and pulled out her sacred treasures.  Each visit humbled me.  Unlike Americans who intentionally close themselves off to strangers, these Kenyans were welcoming, hospitable, and willing to share a small part of their lives with us.  They seemed genuinely encouraged by our visit -- that Americans would travel so far to visit.  Of course, we learned that the people of the slums refer to themselves as "the forgotten people".  But, God has not forgotten them.  And now, neither will I.  

          On our second afternoon out, we entered a home that was so dark, I actually had to help guide one of our team members to a seat.  With permission, Matt was able to film as our fundi cut open the roof and light flooded the room.  This clip is two minutes long, but it is well worth the wait to see the difference such a small amount of light can make.  At the end of the clip, you'll hear me encourage the young woman to always remember the light God pours into her life.  It's true for each of us, too. God is waiting to pour His light into our hearts, to shine in our darkest places and heal us there.  He calls for us, if we will only listen and respond.