Jambo! (Hello!) Habari yako? (How are you?) Mzuri (Fine), we pray. As you’ve probably figured by now, we had our Swahili lesson today, and we’ve been busily practicing on one another, and torturing Sammy and his team with our butchered pronunciations! But it’s been a lot of fun, and they appreciate our efforts, dismal though they are!
It’s been another busy day – it’s flown by so quickly! After another excellent breakfast at the Mayfield Guest House – which was very packed for today’s meals – we gathered on the veranda while awaiting Sammy and his driver, Jackson. Most spent the time updating personal journals. Pastor Joe was spraying himself with “Off,” and Susanna asked him if she could use his bug spray. Pastor Joe suddenly had a pained expression on his face, and commented, “Well, I know I was spraying my behind, but it’s not just for that!” He thought Susanna had asked for butt spray! Kathy, you really need to encourage Joe to see a hearing doc upon his return…:)
Our first stop after the bus arrived was a local internet café, and some family and friends should have received a few messages by now (although the service was slow and haphazard from our end – hope everything we sent got through OK!)
We then headed to Kibera and Sammy’s ministry house, where Boblin, one of his young students, conducted a Swahili introductory course. The language is very phonetic, and is pronounced as you read it. We learned “Praise the Lord” – bwana asifiwe; “Jesus loves you” – Yesu anakupenda; “I am a Christian” – mimi ni mkristo; “are you saved?” – je umeokoka? And many other phrases and words.
We had lunch back at the Mayfield Guest House, then headed back to Kibera for street evangelism and an outreach event. For the street evangelism, the PPC team members partnered with the YCT members in groups of three or four. We took pamphlets, in both English and Swahili, and passed them out to the people we encountered. We also told them about YCT’s on-going ministry to the Kibera people, as well as upcoming outreach events for the next week.
We encountered a variety of responses. Bwana asifiwe, there were some decisions to accept Christ, as there were yesterday during some of our wanderings around Nairobi. Some folks said they’d read the pamphlets and come to the outreach events. Others were indifferent, a few were hostile – “Those papers won’t feed me.”
It’s hard to describe the range of emotions PPC’s team members have experienced over the last couple days, but especially as we’ve visited Kibera and its people. I think we all agree that none of us – and “us” includes some folks who’ve seen some pretty bad areas around various other parts of the world – have seen such deplorable conditions. Kibera came into being, according to Sammy, when rural/jungle folks came to Nairobi looking for work. When they found none, they settled just outside the city proper, clearing jungle and setting up tin and wood huts. Now, a city of 1.3 million lives here.
All of the structures – businesses as well as houses – are made of very odd-shaped wood and galvanized tin, slapped together in manners which make you wonder how they remain erect. They are crammed one right next to the other, with alleys occasionally breaking up the line of structures. All manner of vendors exist one after the other – various food vendors, electronics, housewares, clothing, coal, wood, as well as many service vendors – making beds, steel structures, renting tents… it seems endless. The living structures are located behind the businesses, and it all blends together into a huge mass of virtually indistinguishable huts.
The streets, jam-packed with people and vehicles, are a cacophony of noises, sights, sounds, and smells which are strange and startling to us. The streets are what I’d characterize as 75% dirt/25% garbage, with raw sewage flowing through many small “streams” through and along-side the streets and into the structures. The garbage – and accompanying smell – is truly incredible. As with the rest of Kibera, it’s kinda hard to describe – you truly have to experience it to appreciate the conditions.
Not surprisingly, as the only Mzungu (white men) in the area – and well-dressed relatively speaking – we stood out very much, and attracted a lot of attention. But the people were generally friendly, and engaged us politely, listening intently when we talked with them. They typically understood English, although occasionally the YCT member directed the conversations into Swahili to ensure correct understanding.
Back to our emotions… we’re genuinely delighted Mungu (God) has granted us the privilege to join Sammy and YCT in ministering to the wonderful Kiberian people. They’re so friendly and warm, and it’s obvious many need to personally know Jesus. But at the same time, we’re simply overwhelmed by the abject poverty we’ve seen, the truly deplorable conditions in which these folks live day-in and day-out. It breaks our heart that they are living this way, and makes us mad that this exists. It also makes up feel somewhat helpless at the scope, the magnitude of the poverty.
Deep breath here… we believe in God’s sovereignty, that He has our (I include the Kiberian people when I use “our”) best interests in mind, that He’ll meet our needs, that we’re aliens and strangers in a world in which we’re merely mist that appears for a while and then vanishes. We’re also VERY challenged by Sammy and his YCT team members. These young people have SO little, and yet their joy and contentment and passion for Yesu simply bursts out of them all the time. They have taught us, and continue to teach us, how to genuinely live for Yesu daily, and they model Philippians 4:11-13 as no one has who we’ve seen before.
After the street evangelism, we drove to another part of Kibera, where Sammy and his YCT team set up a speaker and sound system, and conducted an outreach evangelistic meeting. Sammy exhorted the crowd to come to, and live for, Yesu. There was a time of praise singing and worship. Two PPC members gave brief testimonies, as did two YCT members. And Pastor Joe wrapped it up with an excellent salvation message.
One constant throughout Kibera – as you’ll see in our pictures – is the kids. They’re EVERYWHERE, and they LOVE to have their pictures taken, to talk with us, touch us, be around us. When they see us, they usually come running; when they see a camera, they DEFINITELY come running! Kids are kids – their smiles will break your heart, and their genuine desire for attention and affection does likewise.
We headed back to Mayfield, where we ate another great meal, and then had our devotions before turning in for the evening.
I’m proud of each PPC team member. They’re representing Yesu and PPC very well; Sammy has been in tears several times during our two-days together. We look forward to more blessings in the days ahead, and continue to solicit your prayers that souls will be saved; Christians mentored, discipled, and encouraged; and that Mungu will be glorified. Bwana asifiwe!
In His service, George O’Neal
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