Dry Tears

Monday, June 9

Today was absolutely incredible. We woke up and went to the special needs school, which I haven’t seen yet. Even as I sit here and try to reflect on it, and describe how I felt, what I saw, what I smelled…I come up with a loss of words. I fell in love with the kids there, and I couldn’t get myself to get back in the van when it was time to leave. I actually came back later in the day and got to hang out more with the kids, and I was able to have a great interview with the headmaster of the school. Then we went to see where the borehole is going, which was so cool! Then I got to see the truck drive in with all the parts for the borehole.

We also went by this ministry called Nekure316, which was started by Zablon and it basically takes women who are mothers off the streets and provides them and their babies with shelter and food. They also teach them about God, and teach them life applicable skills that they can use to create income and such.

Then after that, we drove into an IDP camp (Internal Displacement Camp). There were 10,000 people living in the one we went to, and they were there because of all the conflicts that were going on earlier this year. It was an awful sight to see. We drove in, and you could smell urine in the air. There was no clean running water. There was very little food. And there was so little hope in that place. Everyone wanted their picture taken and wanted me to bring it back to them… It was so hard to leave. One of the things that I’ve learned on this trip, that I’ve always kinda known, but just hit me all the harder, was of how stinking blessed I am. And a lot of times I just don’t think that’s fair. I mean, I have it so comfortable here in the states, but there are over 10,000 people who go to sleep hungry and wondering where they will find enough money to give milk to their babies. Then I realize something as small as the quote in the spiderman movie,” With great power, comes great responsibility”. No I don’t have a superpower but we have all been so blessed and we should do something about what we have been given. And I think secretly that at the bottom of every heart, despite how evil, there is always a part that wants to do a good work and make a change. Put that spark of hope back into someone’s life. Yeah, I’m pretty much rambling…but just one of my thoughts that came about from this visit…

So since I officially got myself down about just writing the last paragraph, I thought I’d end today’s writing with an exciting thing! Today at lunch I met the 6 of the Roadery Club of Kenya high-ranking officials, one of them being the president! So that was awesome just getting to know those guys and hearing about what they do and they loved the idea of Dry Tears and couldn’t believe so many young people in America wanted to make a difference in a place like Kenya! And here’s the clincher: one of the guys is an owner of a business that uses water for his business and he committed to buying the water from the school!! Isn’t that incredible?? So even though I never got to see the well being started, I got to see God do some amazing things each day!

Then later that night we went to a goat roast as a going away party, and I ate its intestines (they were fried and actually pretty delicious).

The WRAP: So basically the only thing I didn’t include was when I went on the safari which was really fun and I saw a bunch of sweet animals including a lion like 4 inches away from me! It was awesome.

Part of me feels like I left a part of my heart in Africa… I can’t wait to go back and connect with that part again.

I’ve been changed. I hope that through my stories you’d be able to take a glimpse at the change.

Bwana Asifiwe!