Where Did the Summer Go?

Lions at the Nairobi Game Park

Wow, I can’t believe it is already August and I leave for school in a few short days. Where did the summer go? I feels like yesterday I was just packing to leave. These past couple days I have been catching up with friends, family, and pondering a way to really sum up my summer. How can I impact the people the most? What is the thing that impacted me most? What was the best part? What did we accomplish? What has been amazing and mind boggling to me has been, that I can't sum up my summer in a few short sentences. There are too many stories, too many experiences, and too many people that have forever shaped the way I think.

           

Mathare Valley Slums

The last few days in Nairobi flew by and Debrief was a blur. It was great getting to see the Game Park with all the animals, see the Mathare Valley slums and the work that is going on there, even catch up with other interns and hear their stories at Debrief. However, it really hasn’t been until I’ve gotten home and began to share stories, how much my summer has impacted me and that I’ve really been able to process this what happened this summer.

           

The Re-entry into day-to-day life has been a bigger culture shock than going to Kenya. The life of luxury that we have is remarkable. I just think of Sammy and how he’d say “whoa” and be blown away by how much we have. Shoot, I’m blown away by how much we have after only being gone two months. After living out of a backpack this summer you realize what you really need, what the essentials are. How church is more than somewhere we go, but somewhere we long to be. Church is somewhere to sing and dance because we are happy about what Christ did for us. Life is more than deadlines; it’s about the relationships that you make along the way.

           

As I’ve shared so many stories about the people and what God is doing, I’ve realized there is so much to tell. The Gospel is being spread to those who are “hungry” for it. My heart breaks every time I think about Sammy or Ekai, but then its always followed by a smile because I know they are smiling. I think about the wonderful work that Gene and Melba are doing and then their needs to further the work. My thoughts always come back to the essentials:

I have many stories about what I did this summer or thought I did, but the bigger story is about what God is doing through people in the world to make a difference. God is good and He has blessed me greatly this summer. Here is what He has put on my heart to say.

God forever will have a heart for the poor. There are people who are starving in the world, who need clean water. They don’t even have an opportunity, to work to get these to survive. The church has a responsibility to these people, not just to the Turkana, but to all who are poor in the world, spiritually and physically.  What are you doing about it? You don't have to go all the way to Africa. There are poor people in your own neighborhood.

One of the largest and severe famines is currently going on in Turkana. Families are starving and dying. The need is for water. Water brings a chance to irrigate a garden to feed families. There are currently 76 wells and the need is for 2200. The drilling crew needs a powered drill. With this, they can finish a well a day and save thousands of people.

Garden Irrigated by a Well

If you would like to help, contact me and I will gladly share some steps that are being taken to help the Turkana or even share stories. I would like to raise money so that Gene and them could get a powered drill and save lives. That is my current vision that I believe God has placed in my heart.