Day 4- Chapel, Painting, and Home Visits

 

Today was a big day around the Center. The whole team showed up after breakfast as the kids were in school. The major time blocks of our schedule were facilitating a chapel for all the kids, painting the interior of all the classrooms, and half the group going to visit the houses of Project Lucas families.

We began painting the interior of the classrooms in order to get those done so that the students weren't displaced from them for long. It is a belief of Project Lucas that since these kids are in the dark much of the night with no lights in their homes, we want the Center to be a place that is bright and inviting during the day. This is why every two years we put down a new coat of paint on the whole facility. We were updating the walls with a fresh coat of yellow, the baseboard with a fresh coat of black, and the blackboards with a fresh coat of chalkboard paint.

One of the things we don't think about because we are so used to it in America is the ease at which we can get supplies. For instance, I (Jameson) ordered paint roller pads to bring with us. These are specifically designed to work on concrete. However, here in Kenya, all the rollers don't have replaceable pads. If you need a new pad, you just buy a whole new roller. So none of our roller pads ended up working.

As one group painted, another group did chapel with the kids. This consisted of a rotation between a teaching time and songs led by Melissa and then a testimony time led by Caleb, Rachel, and the Reeves. Melissa did an awesome job talking about how we are all one body and one church as the body of Christ. One of the moments that stood out was when she used M&M's as an illustration. As she brought them out, they were in a gift bag. She asked all the kids what the bag was hoping they would say, "present". But the room went quiet. The kids didn't know what it was. They were unfamiliar with the idea of a gift or present. It was completely eye opening. 

Then, when she took the M&M's out of the gift bag, all the kids got SO excited. There was an awe in the room like I have never heard before for a small bag of M&M's. The kind like we get when we go trick-or-treating every Halloween. The kind many of our parents keep on hand in a dish in the kitchen for guests. This simple pleasure in the US was what made the kids giddy. The things we take for granted, the things that are common place in America, these things are different around the world. In the simplest form, we are blessed beyond belief. In that blessing though, we become calloused and hardened to what we really have. We have MUCH compared to others, yet we live in one of the unhappiest societies in the world. 

Caleb, Rachel, and Amanda got to share their testimonies with the other half of the group. The Kenyan kids loved to hear what their stories were and how they came to know the Lord. We are praying that they see the difference in truly having a relationship with God versus just knowing about Him. 

This is the biggest problem that faces Christianity in Kenya. They believe that just because they go to church each Sunday, they are a good Christian. This is what gets them into heaven and allows them to have eternal life. But that's not true. It's all about having a saving faith in Christ and giving Him control of our lives. We seek Him and desire to know Him above all else. We walk with Christ each and every day. We grow to spiritual maturity. We strive to live by the commandments of Christ. He becomes the guiding light in our lives and our own selfish desires fall away. 

The third thing of today was our groups that went out to visit a home of one of the Sponsor kids with Project Lucas. The first home visit was the hardest of them all. The place where this family lived was basically the community dump. About ten feet from their front door was a large mound of waste. The smell is indescribable. Their home, a ten foot by ten foot corrugated metal shack, was all the family had to live in. This style of home is very common in Kenya. The mattress that the kids slept on was outside the home. It was tattered and torn. It was a twin mattress pad that two kids slept on. This residence was heartbreaking. When the team returned from their visit, almost all of them were in tears. They were broken at the state of this families home. It's almost impossible to explain unless you experienced it. 

The level of poverty is something you never get used to. It's my fifth trip here to Kenya with Project Lucas and it's impactful each and every time. It's gut wrenching and makes you want to do something about it. It's heart-breaking and makes you angry. Why do I live the way I do and they live the way they do? Why do I get to live in the US? Why do they live in Kenya? Why do I get to eat M&M's every single day and they are a huge treat here? Why don't they know what a present is and I get them multiple times a year. The disparity is massive! 

This is where we have to ask the question, "What can I do for one child?" It's not about changing the whole problem, but it's about changing it for a whole child. This is the question that we are all asking at this point on the trip! I would challenge YOU to ask the same question!! Much love from Magical Kenya!