From Geoffrey to you; At peace

Monday June 22, 2009

At Peace

It seems like no matter where I go, what corner I turn or if I am even looking for it, I always seem to stumble across some of the most inspiring people and their stories. I have heard of a man who started with a chicken and is now bumping elbows with the richest people in Kenya and has more lands and businesses than we could ever dream of having. I have run a muck and laughed till my sides were about to burst with people who at one point tried to commit suicide. I have friends that are the definition of oppressed, and yet they continue to press on and work. I know people who give away more than they take in. I know people who are willing to give away the last of their food to others in worse circumstances. I know people who have become such great successes that their life story blows the concept of rags to riches out of the water. The people I have met are willing to give when they have nothing, pray to encourage others, serve even though it seems like their days don’t come with enough hours to get everything done, have had their lives transformed, and are the definition of perseverance.

There is a young girl who I met within the first few days of my arrival here. She always has a smile on her face, is sometimes shy but in a friendly way and always seems to be helping her guardian either in her shop, by preparing food or by cleaning. She is a great friend and I always enjoy spending time with her and her relatives. She is sponsored by Tumaini and I finally heard her story the other day.

Her parents died of AIDS before this girl was old enough to remember. For the majority of her life she was raised by an aunt and a few years ago she moved in with another aunt, both of them treated her pretty poorly. She was never good enough and was given the red-headed step child treatment. She wasn’t given adequate amounts of food, she told me that she always had to eat the remains from previous days instead of fresh food. Her schooling wasn’t much of a priority for her guardians so she struggled a lot trying to go to school. She has a scar on her cheek and I asked her where it came from. She said that she had been told to do the dishes and didn’t clean them well enough and was severely beaten because of it. She wasn’t allowed to leave her house. She was emotionally and physically abused. She spent most of her life feeling as though she wasn’t of value or worth. The conversation made a turn for the better when she told me about the day she received a letter from Tumaini saying she was sponsored.

Tears had been building up in her eyes as her story unfolded, but the second she mentioned the remarkable day that the acceptance letter came her face lit up… it was an answer to prayer and she knew that her life was about to change for the better. Soon afterwards she ended up moving in with another aunt here in Masii. Between this aunt and Tumaini her life has been transformed. She told me that living here for these past few months have been the most incredible of her life. This is the best part of her life. She said that she has never felt loved like she does now and that life had never been so good. You know why she said life was so good? Because she gets to eat regular food, she gets to go to school, she has a family that loves and accepts her, when her clothes get old she is given new ones, and when she is invited to go out she is given permission to leave the house. It is amazing how an ordinary life for some of us is a dream come true for others.

This girl had a horrible life but it was transformed the day that she got that letter from Tumaini. I feel so privileged to be working with this organization.

I hope you are all doing well

Prayer Requests:
I am leaving tomorrow morning at 4 am to take Janet to the eye clinic and Carro to get her head checked up on. Travels… the roads and other drivers can be vicious
Janet’s eye surgery
Zacks Chemotherapy
Discernment for myself for some pretty big decisions

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