Sunday In The "Garage"

Sunday began with another delicious breakfast, dressing for church and heading to Njeru.  This is a congregation that meets much nearer the house of Chayah.  Last week we heard that since they had been using a classroom to meet and the owner wanted to paint and begin reusing it for school, that this small church ministry of “Abundant Life” church was homeless.  An inquiry was made on another place but the owner wanted more than reasonable rent and was planning to basically charge a per head admission charge...that was excessive.  So the we gathered under the garage, shifting as the sun moved and enjoyed the service so much.  There was probably close to 50 this morning with our 12, Chayah’s 22 and other visitors. 

 

As has been their regular routing, our kids are set up as the program facilitators, keeping to the order of service.  Both Shalom (bigger kids) and Little Angels (smaller ones) lead us and the little ones performed a skit about what street children go through and what happens when they pray.  It was pretty comical and heartwarming at the same time.

 

Olivia & John traded off interpreting and Regina led us in prayer.

 

Visitors were asked to stand and introduce themselves, so we each did along with others.  Pastor Roman taught on the attitude of worship and preparing hearts to enter God’s presence, thanksgiving, praise, worship… We doted on the kids from outside that attended and played with a set of 3 month old twins.

 

Most of the team left soon after to purchase mosquito nets and very small toys to accompany our sugar and soap gifts to be handed out later today at the Children’s hospital malaria ward.  Prayer at each bed is the goal and a little bit of providing for their physical needs. I stayed back at the hotel with the youngest member of the team.  Adults going into an unknown area of germs is one thing...exposing a 7 year old is another.  So with 10 backpacks filled to the brim with supplies, off they went. 

 

On Sunday, doctors take the day off, parents sometimes take their children home since no treatment would be given, so the hallways and front were not as overwhelmingly full as during the week.

 

Upon entering today, three families holding sick little ones were greeted and prayed for, all suffering with Malaria… They sought out the Charge Nurse and handed over the mosquito nets.  Another of the head nurses was occupied in a quarantine area.  The team entered the malaria ward and spread out among the 20 or so patients and families there, praying, handing out sugar, soap and tiny stuffed toys.  One very frail looking boy was reported to be 16 years, though possibly 16 months or 6 years.  Malnutrition and sickness combined with translation issues leaves us in the dark sometimes about the facts.  Another ward contained more malaria cases, and it seems today that about 90 percent were suffering from that same ugly disease. 

 

Making sure we had enough for the sickest of children, they headed to the “Emergency Room” aka Intensive care.  8-10 babies were touched, prayed for and they attempted to bring hope to such a difficult situation.  There is hope, a great hope in our powerful God, but sometimes healing comes with death of the body and not before, leaving a caring family in overwhelming grief. 

 

From there they headed to the malnutrition ward.  One bed contained a tiny little baby who had been found in a duffle bag behind a church.  The 3 month old was taken to this woman who had now stayed in the hospital for 2 1/2 weeks.  Not her baby, no milk of her own and no money for formula, it was all she could do to sit with this exceedingly undersized child that someone else had thrown away.   I can’t imagine the circumstances...3 months should have produced some degree of bonding even if there was no way to provide.  We helped as we could to get her through for a bit.

 

There are no pictures from today, it seems disrespectful.  We love to give you both words and photographs to help you share in our journey here, but this kind of circumstance call for hearts and prayer alone. 

 

Tomorrow we head to Chayah house for the first 4 days of teaching, devotional time, playing, laughing, singing, dancing, and who knows what other adventures we may experience.  We’ve set it up in 6 stations, rotating groups of three at a time through each 45 minute time slot...ambitious may be an understatement...but we don’t seem to lack optimism or energy so off we’ll go!