Our group finally made it! All 28 of us. Our Houston/Austin team (7) partnered with a mission team from North Metro Church in Denver, Co. (19), and we are all being led by Sandy and Karen Baird. Sandy works for Manna Worldwide, a faith based non-profit organization committed to meeting the spiritual and physical needs of children worldwide. They have recently started a school in Kibera, one of the world's largest slums. This is where we are working today and tomorrow. It holds approximately 1.6million people, in 1.2 square miles. Our team is divided: half will be doing vacation bible school & the other will be a medical team. I am beyond excited and humbled to use my giftings as nurse to serve the broken, hurting, and lost.
We were up by 6:00am, and prayed over the coming day. After eating a wonderful breakfast complete with mango juice (yum!), the buses headed to Kibera. I honestly had no idea what to expect, or visualize.
How do you describe brokenness? How do you describe one of the largest slums in the world, with approximately 1.6million people in 1.2 square miles? Words simply cannot suffice in attempts to explain what is before your eyes. The Manna School was located in the center of Kibera, so we hiked up through the community to get to our destination. My eyes were wide, my heart was heavy at the sight the slum. We had to cross a "raw sewage" river to get into the slum. Once we crossed the stream (via a small rusted bridge), we began the hike upward. I began breathing out of my mouth because the smell was beyond words. My heart broke at seeing this is how 1.6 million people live.
We set up the clinic within the school. We had one doctor on the team, and 3-4 nurses. We all worked together to assess, diagnose, and medically treat the patients. The first day, we saw the 200 out of the 400 children who attended the school. Most all the children were malnourished and living in unsuitable living conditions, which were the overall root of their symptoms/diseases. When I asked (via translator) how many cups of water/day they were drinking, my typical answer was 1 (most likely unfiltered water). My heart was breaking for these children, and yet I was blown away by their unshakable joy in Jesus. Their smiles and joy, despite their unbearable circumstances, overwhelmed my heart. The Lord blessed me in my reading today...which I think will suit as theme for my trip...Isaiah 41:9-20. He is here, redeeming His people. What a joy to serve Him.
Currently Playing: Up on a Mountain - The Welcome Wagon
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