From Geoffrey to you: Here for a Reason

Friday May 15, 2009

Here for a reason

Yet again, I was advantaged enough to get another opportunity to ride in a matatu today; not just once, but twice. In case you forgot what a matatu is, it is the public means of transportation here in Kenya. Imagine a small van, appearing to be stuck in the 70s, with over twenty people jammed in it. Personal space is a privilege not a right when it comes to riding in the matatu. I was fortunate enough to only be wedged in between a few people, my old roommate William wasn’t as fortunate. The matatu’s make frequent stops so the workers sit or stand near the door, William was ill fortuned enough to sit near the door. He became good friends with the two workers who sat on his lap. After a long and sardine-like drive we arrived in Machakos, the biggest city near Masii.

I dread taking the public transportation and avoid taking it by all means unless absolutely necessary. The only reason that I was willing to suck it up and befriend those twenty five other people in that van was to get a wheelchair for Stacy. Stacy is my old neighbor. She is four years old and is physically handicapped. Apparently she wasn’t delivered fast enough and she began to suffocate during her birth which left her somewhat limited physically. The major cause for her further immobilization was caused by malaria when she was six months old. She isn’t able to walk or hold things with her hands. Her eyes are permanently crossed and she lacks the ability to articulate words. She isn’t able to play outside and travel is difficult because she must be carried the entire time; Stacy has yet to truly venture far from home. Life’s journey for Stacy has revolved around spending the entirety of each day strapped into a small wooden chair just outside her home. She sits alone lacking companionship as the other children run and cause a ruckus. She can’t go to school. She can’t make friends. She doesn’t have an opportunity to move throughout Masii to see new faces and learn new things. Playtime for Stacy involves a cloth hanging in front of her face that she musters up her strength to grab. These physical handicaps have robbed this child of friendships, experiences and have crippled ambitions. Up until this day, these limitations have condemned her life to revolve around sitting off to the side alone only to wake up the next day and sit some more.

William and I met Stacy and her mother at the hospital in Machakos this afternoon. They travel here in the dreaded Matatu each and every Friday for physical therapy and check ups. This must be a difficult task. I have no space or room in the matatu and I am a grown man, what must it be like to have a child to protect and care for? The distance from the home to the bus stop is easily over a half mile and the distance from the bus stop in Machakos to the hospital is probably near a mile. Imagine being a woman in your forties traveling that distance each Friday with a fifty pound disabled child on your back in a sometimes swelteringly hot climate. As we met with the physician and moved from one building to the next William offered to carry Stacy and had difficulty, I can’t even begin to imagine how exigent this voyage is for Joyce each week.

The prayers cried unto God and the tears that dampened the earth from Joyce have reached God. Of all of the locations in the world to take me, I was brought here. Of all the neighbors to have, I had Stacy. Of the billions of people on this planet my life has crossed paths with Stacy and Joyce. Of all the friends a guy could be blessed with I have been given some of the most generous and benevolent people to walk through life with, when I first posted a message about Stacy’s situation I had an overwhelming amount of people who were ready and willing to share in the expense of the wheelchair. Do you ever feel like you are a certain place and time for a certain reason? That is how I feel right now. I feel like God brought me here to do many works and had already worked out the kinks in the system for me to not only meet Stacy but to link all of you with Stacy; giving Stacy a wheelchair as an end result.

I have learned that getting a wheelchair in Kenya isn’t an easy task; everyone gives you the run around. I have been trying to get one for over a month now but kept on reaching dead ends. God granted me favor and opened a door for purchasing one for Stacy. This wheelchair isn’t a regular one, it is modified for Stacy’s size and disability, it is made for rough terrain, an upgrade will be affordable for Stacy’s family through this company and it will be here within two weeks. The obstacles I have hurdled over in order to get this wheelchair are nothing in comparison to the difference it is going to make in Stacy’s life. One thing that has the potential to change Stacy’s life is this wheelchair. The freedom to move about Masii or travel throughout Kenya is at her discretion. Schooling is an option, in fact, Joyce now plans on enrolling Stacy in school. Stacy is going to be able to meet other children and have a social life. Tragic events may have crippled her body, but they aren’t enough to imprison her for life. Stacy will be able to move. Stacy will be able to dream. Stacy will be able to live.

As we sat in the physicians office Joyce supported Stacy with her leg and Stacy stood, granted it was assisted standing but she stood nonetheless. She started to giggle and laugh. Rambles and slurs expelled from her mouth. I sat there looking at a small crippled girl who never would have been given a shot at life. This is a person who most people would overlook, underestimate and disassociate themselves from. Most people probably think that because she isn’t able to speak she has nothing to say and that she is practically a vegetable. As I gazed upon her smile, heard her childish giggles and slurs I felt something… peace in my heart. Encouragement. Inspiration. Joy. I just couldn’t believe that God brought me thousands of miles from my home, to a city most of the world has never heard of, to sit in a small office with a few “no one’s” from a city that is the size of a speck of sand on the earth… God brought me here to be inspired, learned and taught… which after today, I can say I have been.

This moment of sitting in this office with Stacy while filling out the paperwork for the wheelchair probably sounds pretty dumb and like I am rambling on. I guess it is one of those moments that you just would have to be there. It sounds small and insignificant, but this is something I am going to remember for the rest of my life. I know, without a doubt in my mind, that God used me today… and I stand in awe that He was able to.

For those of you who contributed towards this wheelchair THANK YOU! I know I had MANY people who were willing to help out with the costs but I didn’t need that much money, but THANK YOU for your willingness to help out. Just know that you made a difference in someone’s life.

Asante Sana,

Mwendwa

Prayer Requests:
I ordered the wheel chair for Stacy but it will take two weeks to get here, please pray just for the whole ordeal
I am speaking again on Sunday, the last two weeks have gone GREAT pray that God continues to speak through me
Funds for the different projects for Tumaini
The medical center

Randoms:
I bought water from Machakos today cause it is cheaper there… I had to haul twenty liters of water around with me… it sucked, but I have water so I am happy
My toilet only flushes half way, it normally takes a few flushes for a completely new batch of water to be in there
I know I already mentioned it but I am going to repeat it… Kenyans get cold easily. Imagine having twenty plus people in a small van, it gets hot right? So I crack open the window and have a bunch of people complaining that they are cold. I was DRENCHED in sweat… lol
Everyone tells me to take them with me when I come back home.. so I guess I am going to cram a few Kenyans into my luggage
As I was riding back to Masii a friend came on board and sat next to me. She talked to me the entire time but I didn’t understand or hear what she was saying. I basically just nodded my head the whole time… : )
I think that my stomach is going t be like a rock when I get home and I will be able to eat at grade “Z” restaurants…. Our health codes seem to be different than the ones here
I found cereal today… it has Arabic writing but it taste pretty decent. I used to eat cereal breakfast, lunch and dinner every opportunity I had. Ask my mom. We always used to go through cereal like crazy!
When I come home it will be one year since I cut my hair
As I wrote this I saw a GIANT cockroach, the kind you see on the National Geographic Channel. I tried to find it and kill it but it ran off. Now it is buried in my clothes… which is real comforting to know.

Word of the Day
Kuja mara moja
Coo-juh mmmair-uh moe-juh
Come here NOW!! That is what they say when you are in trouble

This entry was posted on Friday, May 15th, 2009 at 1:39 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.