From Canton, Georgia to Lodwar, Kenya

On Sunday, October 13th I boarded a Delta plane bound for Amsterdam with ten other men and women. Our final destination would be Lodwar, Kenya. From Amsterdam we flew into Nairobi, Kenya. In Nairobi we visited the largest urban slum in Africa. The Kibera slum has a population of over five hundred thousand people. The majority of the residents lack basic utilities such as water and electricity. It was in Kibera that we visited an HIV/AIDS clinic and heard the stories of four women who had contracted the virus. They spoke with courage regarding their predicament.

We left Nairobi and flew to Lodwar in the northwestern part of Kenya. Lodwar is home to the Turkana people. It is located west of Lake Turkana. The population of the Turkana people is close to one million. They are a semi-nomadic pastoralist tribe that is known for raising camels and basket weaving. They have beautiful clothing that distinguishes between age groups and status of individuals within the community.

 The majority of their day is spent in hunting and preparing food and finding water to drink. Their land is a desolate desert. I discovered in my time there that regardless of the harsh living conditions the Turkana people are a hospitable people full of life and joy. Through the efforts of SERV International we were able to visit four different villages and distribute sixty four thousand meals. The meals served as a platform for us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. After meeting with local tribal leaders and pastors, I would preach through a translator. Within thirty kilometers of where we were there are villages that have never heard the gospel. God willing we hope to return to those villages and continue sharing the message and love of Christ with the people.

The majority of our time was spent at the House of Hope Children’s Orphanage. The orphanage was a vision of SERV International’s founder Steve Kasha and started in August of 2008. It serves forty children. It serves as a refugee of hope for children who have been left behind by the death. They have had parents who have died of AIDS, Tuberculosis, or tribal violence.

House of Hope has a school where children are receiving wonderful education by talented teachers. For the past eight months the children have been learning English. They enjoyed showing off their newly discovered language to their visitors. The staff of House of Hope is passionate about the care of the children and committed to seeing that each child discovers the healing presence of Christ in his or her life.

Each of the eleven participants on this cross-cultural experience left with a piece of their heart remaining at the orphanage and in Kenya. Our lives will forever be different because of our time spent in this beautiful African country. Our life story will be told differently now that we have had this experience.

In the Old Testament the concept of remembering is essential to the story of God’s people. They are told repeatedly to remember who they are, remember where they came from, and remember to whom they belong. The act of remembering implies that something memorable has occurred in our lives. When we remember we remind ourselves that an event has taken place in our lives that will forever shape who and what we become in the future. A trip like the one I took to Kenya is a trip worth remembering.

When I reflect back to this moment on my life, I will remember the smiles of the children, the joy of the worship in the villages, and the passion of Ms. Mercy in the urban slum orphanage and remind myself that life is full of things to smile about. When I remember standing before the Turkana people and preaching the simplicity of the Gospel, I will remind myself not to complicate the message of Jesus. When I remember handing out the meals to the women in the villages, I will remind myself of Jesus’ prayer to ask God for “my daily food” and know that it is an act of trust that God will provide today and today is enough.

If you are interested in taking a trip or supporting House of Hope Orphanage please contact SERV International at www.servone.org. They would love to hear from you and share with you how you can get involved in making life change personal.