From Geoffrey to you; Wounded Healers

Saturday June 13, 2009

Wounded healers

As I have been reflecting upon my trip thus far I realize that I have heard both stories of great encouragement and some of incredible tragedy. I have become all too familiar with the selflessness and benevolence of the Kenyan people and hope that one day I can display a fraction of their love for others. I have been inspired by the willingness of some to go without so that others can have. My heart has been broken as I have heard time and time again of children been orphaned by AIDS and disease and then the all consuming passion within me is constantly ignited as I see members of the community and of the family taking in these orphans and providing for them. Our definition of community and loving others doesn’t come close to the genuine nature of those whom I have been blessed enough to meet here. The sincerity of their cries of worship and praise are unfathomable. The past three and a half months has been filled with countless extraordinary people and innumerable encounters of munificence in the flesh. Though I have been encouraged, moved and inspired by the compassion and authentic faith of this society I can help but commiserate as I look upon the extreme poverty, destitution, famine, and oppression.

It seems as though every family and person has been affected in one way or another from this horrid drought. Many local farmers are lacking both food to eat and a product to sell. The prices of some foods have skyrocketed exponentially. Herders are finding that their cattle are dying because they don’t have grass to graze on or water to drink. I have had countless parents plead with me to pay for school fees. It seems like each day I am stopped and asked for money or a loan. To be completely honest with you all, sometimes the needs seem a little overwhelming.

Don’t misunderstand what I am saying, I still feel as though my time here isn’t in vain and that I am making a difference and I still feel as though the ways I have spent money you have given me is in a productive way. It is just that the needs seem to grow but the bank isn’t (please don’t think I am asking for money because I’m not you have all gone above and beyond to support our work here). I guess what I am trying to say is that I have been wondering how these needs were going to be met.

I have written about Mama Carro a few times and in the last update I informed you all that she is seven months pregnant without a job or any source of income. I went by her home last night and found that she had begun selling charcoal for a job, low expense but a pretty substantial profit. This is going to be a stable income for this family because no matter how badly the people are affected by this drought charcoal is a necessity so her business shouldn’t be affected. The biggest problem was just purchasing the initial product to sell.

A few weeks ago our church chose a few people to head up a ministry created specifically to meet the needs of the people of Masii and within our congregation. This group has already enabled Mama Carro to provide for herself and her family. They have also raised enough money to send Janet to the eye clinic and are working on raising the funds for her operation in two weeks. We now have people bringing in food, clothing and goods to be distributed to those in need. These few individuals have been able to mobilize and act as a catalyst to our congregation towards meeting the needs of the community.

One of the most incredible aspects of this is that those who are leading this ministry aren’t in the best positions themselves, they aren’t rich and they themselves have many needs. The truth is that these individuals make up an army of wounded healers, they themselves may be impoverished or going through difficult ordeals but they are willing to set aside their troubles for others. I can’t help but be encouraged and inspired by their tenacity and their love for others.

There are many people who are suffering a great deal and there are many needs in Masii, but I feel as though these sufferings will one day come to pass as these few individuals continue to see a need and meet it.

Just goes to show you that you don’t have to be perfect or the best in order to help someone else. I’m a wounded healer, but I know that God has a way of using the broken and flawed to do great works.

Thanks,

Geoffrey Nighswonger

Prayer Requests:
Janet’s eyes
MCC leadership
The continual recovery of my aunt that had the stroke

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