In March of this year I decided to apply for a grant at my school, North Central
College, that would pay for me to travel to Africa this summer. After I received the grant, a lot of things changed. The organization that we were going to travel with fell through, our flight was rerouted from Rwanda to Kenya, and we lost some of our team members, but all of these changes turned out for the better. Our faithful leaders Rick and Desiree found a Christian organization called the Shalom House whose focus is on peace and justice in Kenya. This organization helps people to understand Kenya and its problems, NOT SOLVE THEM. A lot of Americans go to Africa thinking that they can fix all of Africa's issues, but the truth is that Africa and its many countries come from decades of political problems, and these are problems that no outsider can fix. Our job consists of understanding Kenyan culture and history, and we will be visiting slums where thousands of homeless children stay. We will also be going on a safari in the Rift Valley, a place where most scientists and theologians believe the Garden of Eden was. I am looking forward to this trip and praying that God will prepare my heart as I begin this journey.
