kibera slum

I don't know where to begin with what happened today. No matter how much you try to prepare yourself, you can never get to the point of being ready. As a team we were warned about Kibera, and the things that go on there. Kibera Slum consists of over a million people crammed into an area bout the size of Central Park. We were told not to carry ANYTHING, because we could risk our things getting stolen. BUT, we then met Joseph, a man in charge of KISCODEP (Kibera Slums Community Development Program). Right before we left he gave us a pep talk on what to expect. He told us the people are friendly and loving, and we had nothing to fear about Kibera. That is when God started working in my heart. This whole entire time every person we met was warning us about Kibera, but Joseph installed this comfort in us. When we finally got to Kibera, it wasn't the condition of the slum that shocked me, it was the contentness I saw in these people. They were ABSOLUTELY happy. That is something I personally have never seen or experienced before. If you can just imagine being absolutely happy plus accepting Jesus Christ as your savior, you would understand what I saw today. These pictures and videos do no justice to the actual and physical part of being there in Kibera. God is and has been present in Kibera for a very long time. The people at KISCODEP sang a few African-Christian songs, and I couldn't help but fall in love with their passion and humbleness. I could feel a common thread with people I didn't even know!
It felt weird to be connected to strangers, but all of a sudden I loved them and the people of Kibera. As soon as we started to walk around, a group of school children found us and overwhelmed us with their handshakes and the only phrase they knew in English... "How are you?" It's funny because they have no idea what they are saying so they keep asking it over and over again. We then met the school KISCODEP supports as well as a pharmacy and a few of the members' homes. The whole experience was overwhelming. I still am speechless and somewhat feeling guilty and shameless for who I am and where I come from. At devotional time, I was very emotional. No tears, but so many different thoughts. I felt the slightest tug of my heart feeling passionate about missionary work, but I don't know what God has planned for me. I know it's going to take a lot of prayer and me seeking God's will for my life in all humbleness and honesty.