A New Reality. (my experience in the slums.)

When we arrived at Made in the Streets, it was dark it was quiet and it smelled weird. When we woke up, we woke to the sounds of giggly girls, African music and the sound of breakfast being made. Despite it being 5 in the morning, they were welcomed sounds and we gladly left the comfort of our cozy beds to join them. As the days rolled by here in Kamulu, we have gotten to know the girls, boys and their children. We have taught their 3 and 4 year olds in the nursery, we have cooked meals with them, we have had devotionals and had our hair yanked and pulled as they argued over who would do our hair. We have danced to Taylor Swift and made cute bracelets with them, we have painted nails upon nails. We have done laundry, watched movies and sang songs to the Lord, a mixture of Swahili and English blending in harmony to the same God. We have laughed and joked and played, we have experienced teenagers and kids in their prime.

I dreaded this blog, the blog that I knew would come but hate to write. The blog where everything changes. A couple of days ago we visited one of the major slums of Nairobi, called Eastleigh. We visited the home of these children. There are about a million people in this slum. This is where Made in the Streets originated. As we drove further and further into the slum, the trash increased, the people increased, the smell so thick it permeated every breath you inhaled, the homes made of sheet metal increased. The roads consisted of mud. Only mud. A few times I just knew we would have to get out and push our bus through the sludge. Fortunately we made it to the headquarters and filed out, pretty silent trying to take in the poverty that surrounded us. After being introduced to the staff there, we went with one of the missionaries and two Kenyan men base walking. The roads became impossible to walk on as they were mud pits full of murky water. People marched by gawking at the only white people in an entire slum of Africans and Somalians. I was so thankful we were guided by the Kenyans because you had to watch every single step, hoping this step wasn't the one to plunge you to your death in the mire that threatened to overtake every inch of dry ground. It may be fitting to say there was no "solid ground" here.

Eventually we arrived at the first base. It consisted of a few men and girls, we were introduced and surprisingly were very welcomed. In fact, the missionary agreed to give my hand in marriage to whoever offered the most goats! The reaction was not at all what I expected from the individuals in the base. They were nice, happy to see us and very friendly! We shared a few verses and a prayer and they listened intently to what we said and agreed to pray for us and with us. We then moved to the next base, a group of men leaned against a broken down bus in the road, smoke so thick it burned your eyes and nose. Through the smog, we could make out plastic bags attached to the ground and then to a fence next to it. This pattern went on for a good ways. The men informed us that these were their houses. It was a plastic bag. Off to the side of the men a woman was covering herself with an umbrella. We approached her and she lay down her umbrella, revealing that she was holding a baby. We asked how old the baby was as she showed us her 2 week old infant. She lives on the streets-with a two week old baby. We again discussed the Bible with these men and as we left one man grabbed my hand and proceeded to give me a very long, inaudible speech with tears in his eyes, never leaving my eyes, one of the Kenyan men translated that the man wanted me to share something with him. Me, being the shy person I often am went completely blank. Me? What can I share with someone like this? I know nothing about his life and what he has lived through what could I possibly say that would mean anything to him? Then my favorite verse popped in my head. I shared Isaiah 49:16 "See I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." I told him that God knew about his entire life, God knew his struggles, God knew his walls in life. And that God loved him anyways. That God was in love with him. That was all I had. He thanked me so profusely and I have no idea if he understood, but I realize that's not my job, that one is up to God.

 At last, we came to our last base. As we topped a hill, there they were at the bottom. Leaned against a shack in a row. A line of little boys about 8 to 10 years old. Grasped tightly in their hands is what I knew to expect but dreaded the day I would see it. A bottle of glue. A few lay sprawled on the ground covered in dirt and trash, a bottle of glue permanently held under their nose for sniffing. Glue is the drug of choice in the slums, it dulls hunger and keeps them high constantly. One of the reasons it is so hard to get the kids off the streets is because they are so addicted to this drug. They are so high they can't think. All of us stood in awe, was this real? Did kids really live like this? All day. Every day. The answer is yes. One of the Kenyans kneeled down, and sat in the dirt with them. God has greater plans for you, he said in Swahili. They stared a blank stare, eyes reflecting a life spent rejected, high, abused, not even a glimmer of hope. He told them the story of missionaries in the Bible when they were rejected and people wouldn't listen to them, they would dust off their feet and go to the next town. But here we are, he said, every day. Back with you, to tell you God loves you, and we're not going anywhere. We left the base silently, as they returned to their glue. On the walk back, piles upon piles of trash surround us on every side. Merchants on the sidewalks sell the things me and you throw away. They sell our trash. They value our trash. Babies crawled across the piles of trash, sifting through it with the hope to find any ounce of food they can. So much trash. And so many people sifting through it. Looking for anything even remotely edible.

It is so easy to see pictures of Africa, to hear stories like this one. To read books, and National Geographic on the poverty of the world, of Africa. But until you see the babies. Until you smell the stench, until you hold the scarred hands of a man who has never known anything other than drugs, trash and abandonment, until you look at the face of the 2 week old baby who will eventually become exactly like this old man-if he lives that long, it is not real. It's easy to see the pictures on your computer from the comfort of your nice desk chair while the smell of your dinner enters the room and feel sorry for these people, but then quickly forget as you move to the next task in your busy life. But it is not easy to see the reality. And it is not easy to make a difference. With a million plus people, you may even say it is impossible to make a difference. I would agree with this. It is impossible for you and I to make a difference. But, "He picks up the poor from out of the dirt, rescues the wretched who've been thrown out with the trash, and seats them among the honored guests, a place of honor among the brightest and best." Psalm 113:7-8

The girls that we have laughed with and played with, danced with and lived with this past week, came from these streets. This was their home. And they are proof of what God can do, and what God does daily. I ask that your prayers not be with us, we are blessed. Pray for these people. Pray for the people that are forgotten daily, because they are real, and they are there among the trash day in and day out, and because God made them the same as He made you and me.

-Shaley

Eastleigh

Here are words from my journal about my experience in Eastleigh...

The ride over to the Eastleigh Center began with jokes and laughs as Joel drove us out of MITS territory. Suddenly, when we hit the outskirts of Nairobi, all was quiet. The roads were terrible and there was no “right-of-way” for drivers. Anyone who drives the streets of Nairobi is fearless! We arrived at the Center and my first step out of the MITS bus felt as though it was the first step onto the moon. I felt so many eyes glued to me and I felt so out of place with my white shoes. Regardless, we stood out anyways because of our skin. We walked into the Eastleigh Center and there was a concrete slab to the left and a basketball goal at the wall (but no basketball to play with). Jaxon, John, Jeremy, and I followed Joel into the common area to tour the rest of the place. The common area was also a concrete slab with a tarp on top, and offices and staff bedrooms surrounded it. When we finished touring, we went back to the entrance area and mingled with the street boys trying to get into MITS. There were five boys all around 14 years old and four of them were sitting together. The other boy was lying on the floor in the corner. Jaxon reached out to him and the rest of us got to know the others. We definitely had a language barrier since they spoke Swahili and very little English. We talked about where we were from and I asked them to help teach me words in Swahili. Time passed and it was time for them to go to class. They needed someone to stay back and spend time with the kids so John volunteered to do that. The rest of us Bibled up and followed Moses, Evans, & Joel into the streets.

The first base was very intimidating because it was a base of older-looking men. Here is the sad truth…they were our age but they looked so much older because of their conditions. Teddy, a man who lived at the base, was very memorable. He was so sluggish from his high and his nose had a deep, black gash. Moses introduced the three of us and I was the first to talk. Looking back, I can’t believe words even came out of my mouth. I knew I had to be strong though. Their base was….well, trash! I can’t find any other words to describe it. Cardboard, tarps, paper, foam. I know I came across as strong and confident, but at the same time I had so many mixed feelings about being there. In that alleyway, I shared with them Jeremiah 29:11 because I felt like hope is something that could connect all of us together. They were very receptive of what I had to say about hope, family, sacrifice, and love. After all three of us were finished talking, Joel handed them some chipati to help ease their hunger. As we were leaving, Teddy, with his trembling hands and ragged clothes, came to me and said, “I love you, Micah.”

It was now time for a new base. We ventured down the sloppy, muddy streets until we found our destination at a younger base. This time, there were guys and girls (In their teens) and young babies. It was so sad to see the babies crawling in the dirt and trash. I saw one of them pick something up and put it in her mouth because she was so hungry. It happened to be a rotten, muddy plumb. This time, we shared about hope and how God loves them just as much as He loves us. We shared with them that we are equals in God’s eyes. I can remember saying something close to this… “This world is not fair! It is full with hunger and pain. But, Heaven is a perfect place with no suffering and you can be apart of it if you choose Jesus as Lord.” After Jeremy, Jaxon, Moses, and Evans shared what was on their hearts, we had to move on. I will never forget having to leave – looking over my shoulder as those babies crawled in the trash.

Our last stop was the most devastating. Every single boy I saw either had jet fueled rages, bottled glue, or bottled cleaning solution. Most of the boys were so high and sluggish. There were mounds of trash everywhere in this part of the city. We ran into “Mamma”, a big lady who sat in a chair at the base. She claims to help out the boys and provide for them, but Moses and Byron explained that she is a fraud. She takes advantage of them by letting them sleep at a shabby shelter she owns in exchange for money. She also sells the boys those drugs and makes her money that way. James, a boy who always shook because of his excessive drug use, wanted us to encourage him through prayer.

After 2 hours, on the streets, we made it back to the Eastleigh Center. The women there made us rice with goat stew and their famous chili sauce. It was delicious! I felt guilty eating after everything I just saw but a harsh reality sunk in for me at that moment. No matter how hard people try to end it, there will always be this kind of sadness and poverty in the world.

Byron, Moses, and Evans (all staff members of the Eastleigh Center) are such Godly people. They live at or near the Center. When they interact with people in the streets, they laugh so hard! They love and serve with all of their strength and they bring the streets so much light. However, they shared with me that when it rains, the streets are a living hell. Everyone is wet, cold, and sick. At this time, most of those living in the streets are high (for warmth and amnesia from hunger). It is also the time when most pass away. As we drove away from the slums, I remember seeing that one of the major businesses was coffin-making, and John saw coffins for infants.

10:31 p.m. 

We're back in Kamulu and it's pouring rain. Lord, please be with those suffering in the streets tonight.

Amen.

Hi all!! I hope that you are all doing wonderful in the States! We are all having a great time here and loving spending time with these kids. I am going to make it a day-by-day blog so you all can see what our schedule is like this week.

Sunday – On Sunday we all attended class and church at the Kamulu church of Christ. What a wonderful experience that was! Bible class consisted of “ask Kulu” which means “ask Charles.” That means that anyone could ask Charles any question, OT or NT, about the bible. Members and MITS students were all so intuitive and asking very intelligent questions about the Word. The worship was real and the members were all so enthusiastic about the Lord. The singing and fellowship was beautiful. After that, we were invited to eat at Charles and Darlene’s house for lunch. Their house was beautiful and very homey. They surprised us by making Mexican food!! We were so excited for the American meal and needless to say we ate it all up. In the afternoon, we had girls time and boys time. It rained a lot in the afternoon so the boys went to play soccer, while the girls went and played in the mud. Us girls travelled around trying to find the MITS girls and when we had no luck, we played by ourselves! That night all of the team ate dinner together which Jaxon cooked most of… Spaghetti!

Monday – Monday was a normal school day for the MITS students which consisted of class in the morning and the farm in the afternoon. The staff, students, and all of the AFCs went to chapel in the morning for more beautiful singing and fellowship. From there, we all headed to the learning center and helped teach classes. Some of us had our own classes while others just aided the current teachers. I can say for all of us that it was an enjoyable and very rewarding experience to see the impact we can make on these children. They love to learn and cherish the education that they are receiving. In the afternoon, we all just chilled in our compounds and also helped in a few classes. After we all ate dinner together, the guys had a devo with the MITS boys and we left to do the same with the girls. Us girls separated into groups of two and went into a cabin to hold a short devo. Personally, that has been my favorite thing of the trip thus far. Shannon and I went into a cabin of 4 girls who are all 15 years old. We discussed Jeremiah 29:11 and what that means in our lives. After that, we opened it up for questions that the girls wanted to ask. The girls, like the Sunday class, were so intuitive and genuinely eager to learn more. They asked really good questions about baptism, women’s roles, and also a lot of OT questions. The children and people at MITS are sincerely thirsty for the Lord. They have hardly any material possessions and are truly dependent on God for the hope that He has promised. I feel like we as Americans could use more of that. We are a very independent nation and have all that we need plus a million times more, so why do we need God? I was truly touched by their willingness to learn the Word and was challenged to by their curiosity. Shannon and I will be returning to their cabin every night of our stay here and I am excited for what I can teach them and what they can teach me.

Tuesday – Tuesday was another normal school day. The boys went to Eastley for the day which they will be blogging about soon. Eastley is a slum in Nairbobi which many of the MITS kids came from. Us girls helped with classes in the morning and just aided the teachers whenever we could. I personally, along with Taryn, was able to help in making true African food for all 130 people at the school for lunch. That was quite an experience! We had huge bowls and these giant wooden sticks to stir the food making me feel like I was straight out of the movie Ratatouille. In the afternoon, we had a small break and then us girls painted a wall in the girls compound. For dinner and after the boys had returned from Eastley, we all split up and went to eat at a staff member’s house for dinner. The staff is so welcoming and friendly here and truly embodies the love for others as commanded. Jaxon, Micah, Shannon, and I went to Irene’s house for dinner. She is an English teacher her and oversees the girls compound. She cooked fish, rice, and tomato soup and it was wonderful. It’s the first significant portion of meat that we have had since we came to Kamulu. Aftet that, we all played Phase 10 and had a such a fun time!

Thank you again for being patient for taking a while to post these blogs. Us girls along with a few Kenyan men staff are going to Eastley tomorrow so please keep us in your prayers because it will definitely be a humbling experience. We are having a wonderful time and keep checking the blogs because we are trying to post them more regularly.

Love,
Laura

Kenyan Blessings

Hiiii!!

I apologize for not being able to blog until now; we have had some problems with electricity and internet so I will type quickly before it goes out again! We arrived safely at Made in the Streets (MITS) late Thursday night and were immediately welcomed by the staff and kids. Then we settled in for the night and thoroughly enjoyed a good night’s sleep in a bed. Friday we woke up and got to jump right into the kid’s schedule. We had breakfast, went to chapel, and then helped with the kids classes. Worshipping with the kids was such a wonderful experience, the best way I can describe it is a little glimpse of what heaven will be like- all different languages and races just praising our great God for eternity! The kids had four classes on Friday: Math, English, Bible, and games. All of the kids LOVE math, it is so sweet! It was such a reminder of how much we truly take our education for granted in America. I am definitely guilty of complaining about taking classes that I think are hard such as math, but these kids are so eager to learn, it is precious! That afternoon all of us girls went to play in the nursery with the babies and the boys went to work on the farm. Micah, Jaxon, Jeremy, and John are all such sweet servants and hardworkers, we are blessed to have them on our team!! Then we got to take a tour of all the skills shops before eating dinner. MITS has created a great program for the kids here. At age 16 they are able to pick a “skill” such as woodworking, sewing, catering, cosmetology, etc. that they will be trained how to do the job and are given an internship in town before graduating at age 18. After dinner t we went to our separate dorms and spent time with the kids.

Saturdays are the big cleaning day so the kids had to do chores in the morning, but once they were finished we got to hang out and play together. Us girls had a dance party, painted nails, made bracelets, and cooked Chapati (similar to a tortilla). We had such a great time just spending time together being silly and chatting! The boys played basketball for hours and had a blast! They are picking up Swahili phrases so quickly, it’s impressive! Then MITS had a birthday party for all the kids who have birthdays during the months of April and May. We played games, sang songs, prayed a blessing over the kids, and had some yummy cake made by the kids in the MITS catering program!

We have truly loved every second of being here, I can already tell that it is going to be very hard to leave. The joy that these kids have despite their rough past and lack of material possessions is incredible and has really stood out to me. It has been such a blessing just to be around them! Please continue to pray for our team that we can be the hands and feet of Jesus to these kids and each use our own God given gifts to serve and glorify him. We miss you! Hopefully pictures will be coming soon!


Love from Kenya,
Shannon

Be Immeasurably More

Bags are packed. Prayers are constantly being sent up. And we're unbelievably excited! Today and tomorrow our team leaves for Kenya. We have a lot (A LOT) on our minds, but our focus is always on glorifying God.

On our camping trip, Kelly Davidson asked us to come up with a team phrase to describe us and the purpose of our mission that we could keep in mind throughout the time we spend in Kenya. After several jokes and cliches like "Do Work" and "YOLO!" (that's "you only live once" for those of you who aren't Drake fans), we refocused by flipping to Ephesians. Shaley read one of her favorite verses, Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." We all loved it and thought that "Do Immeasurably More" would make an excellent team phrase. But we don't want to just "do;" we want to "become." We want to embody the love of Christ in our thoughts, actions, hearts... everything. We want to be like our God who's image we were made in. We want to be immeasurably more.

As we reach out to the kids who are in so much need of Christ's love (as we all are), please pray that we do, in fact, live out our phrase. We want them to know Christ by our actions and the love we show them. And we want them to be immeasurably more as a result of our interactions with them.

We want to thank everyone again for your love and support! I can't believe we're actually leaving! :)

-K-Pizaliz (Kristin)

And now for some pictures from our camp "adventure":

Introductions!

We are just 2 full days away from our departure to made in the streets and Malindi! We are drawing closer to the flight and are getting more excited every minute! As we prepare to embark on this journey, we thought it prudent to provide introductions for all of the members of our team

Micah Gorena: Micah was born in Austin Texas and then found his way to the city of Irving, Texas around the start of middle school. Micah's six foot 4 inch frame allowed him to excel at basketball during his high school years. Besides being gifted in basketball as well as other athletics, Micah enjoys long walks on the beach and new York city. He plans on being a physical therapist after graduating Texas A&M. Micah is also the leader of out trip to Africa and has done lots to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Jaxon Bailey: Jaxon Bailey grew up in the thriving metropolis known as Albany, Texas. In Jaxon's spare time, he works for the Texas A&M field staff. He enjoys watching the A&M baseball team and also regularly attends the men's chess club matches. Jaxon will be graduating early and hopes to work for a professional baseball teams field crew. Jaxon played football in high school and was on defensive line. His raw explosive power is countered by his cat like nimbleness. Jaxon has been the go to schedule guy for our Made in the Streets camp day that we have planned and he is very excited to go on this trip.

Laura Seifert: Laura was born and raised near Houston, Texas. She is one of the most elderly members of our team. She recently graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Industrial Distribution. Laura has brown hair and baby blue eyes and enjoys having dinner at Outback Steak house. Laura has felt a calling to go on this trip to Africa because in recent years, Laura has visited Haiti and worked with the children there and feels that this is the place for her to do the Lords work. Laura will begin her career when she returns from Africa and will start around august. She is also left handed.

Jennifer Daughtry: Jennifer is going to be a Junior at Texas A&M and her current major is nutrition. She was born and raised in the Windy City, also known as Lubbock, Texas. She is great at driving. Jennifer does not know what she wants to do with her current major, but she states "I love it." She plans on using her nutritional knowledge she attains from Texas A&M to help malnourished peoples across the globe. Jennifer is very excited about going on this journey and getting to work with the children. She enjoys music, sunsets, and smoothies.

Shannon Musslewhite: Shannon was born in Flower Mound, Texas but moved soon after to Mean Green country, Denton, Texas! She lives near the school UNT and states that she "lives five minutes from that place". While in high school, Shannon played softball. Shannon is going to be a Junior at Texas A&M and is an Education major. She loves to work with children and has aspirations of being a professional teacher after graduating! Shannon has never fake laughed at anything in her life. She loves laughing, smiling, and reading the newspaper. Shannon (along with Laura) has been working on lesson plans for our time at Made in the Streets.

John McAree: John McAree is from Emory, Texas (a town with two stoplights!) and has grown up there his entire life before coming to Texas A&M. John is a pivotal part of our team and is going to be an integral part to our teachings while we are overseas. John loves running, as can be seen from his high school Cross Country pictures. John also loves lamps, wearing athletic shorts, and his boots. John is a good cook. During his high school summers, he spent time at Camp Deer Run as a camper and eventually a Counselor to young children. This previous experience is going to come in handy when we are working with the children at Made in the Streets and Malindi.

Taryn Powell: Taryn is from Weatherford, Texas which is a suburb of Ft. Worth, Texas. Taryn has been looking forward to this trip for a long while. She thought last semester that she wanted to so something in the mission field and when this opportunity came up, she jumped at the chance. Taryn enjoys the summer time, as well as the winter, fall, and spring. Taryn will be a great part of this team because she is great with people. She will be a Junior at Texas A&M this fall and plans on becoming a Senior in about a year.

Kristin Pizalate: Kristin is from Granbury, Texas and is attaining her Master's Degree from Texas A&M in the department of English! She graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in 2010 with a degree in English Lit and a minor in Psychology. She is also one of the most elderly team members to be going on this trip. Something special about Kristin is that she will be staying in Africa for 6 months! She is going to be on a Serve Abroad trip and will be helping out with Made in the Streets for the majority of her time there. Kristin is great with children and has stated that mission work is a possibility in her future. Kristin's middle name is Brooke and her excitement for this trip has been uncontainable!

Shaley Craycraft: Shaley is from Crockett, Texas, a very busy area. Shaley will also be on Serving Abroad with Kristin. She will also be there for 6 months. Shaley enjoys skittles, good driving, and running and has even completed a half marathon! Shaley claims she is a "terrible driver" but she's not that bad. She likes bands such as Florence + the Machine and The Black Keys. Shaley has been looking forward to this trip ever since the beginning and she is very excited to work with the children at Made in the Streets. She likes American food. She also has been on a mission trip to Brazil and states "she loved it".

Traci Wilson: Traci is pregnant. She will be with us for the first three weeks while we are at Made in the Streets and then she will travel back to America to birth her first child. She just enjoyed her first Mother's Day! She is from Snyder, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M in 2002 with a degree in Speech Communication. Traci and her Husband will be moving to Africa in about a year and will be working with children and underprivileged areas indefinitely!

Jeremy Hardegree: Jeremy is from Irving, Texas, but was born in the great city of Dallas! His favorite color is blue and favorite sport is baseball. Starting at age 4, Jeremy has played organized baseball and continues to this day, playing for the Texas A&M Club Baseball team. In his spare time, Jeremy enjoys marshmallows, airplanes, the sun, and the musical group, The Killers. Jeremy has been looking forward to this trip since last summer. He almost went on a mission trip last summer, but had prior engagements so this trip has been a long time coming! Jeremy claims he "is terrible at math". At Made in the Streets, Jeremy will be working on 'Games' during the Camp day. 

Thanks for reading all about our group!
-JH

Almost there!

Well, it's about that time! Me, Kristin and Traci will fly out on Tuesday and everyone else on Wednesday, I think the emotions are definetely a mixture of anxious and excited-but probably more excited! The past few days we have been caught up in a mad whirlwind of getting all our supplies, packing and of course the missions retreat. We got a lot of work done on Sunday before we headed home for the night, and met up early on Monday morning to eat breakfast and head out to the camp site. It was a great area, but it took us a while to find the area. Once we finallyyyy found the site, we set up camp and made lunch. Then Paige came out and lead us through some team games-and some exercises to get us ready for all the new foods we will be introduced to. (I think this was the least liked game-especially for those who had to eat mayo blindfolded!) Once games were over we had a gourmet meal cooked by John and Jennifer of talapia, broccoli and rice, while those who ate hot dogs watched us enviously;)  We then shared testimonies and roasted some marshmellows by the fire. It was awesome getting to hear more about everyone's stories and where they came from! We finally turned in for the night. It ended up raining all night and through the morning so we decided to head back early to the church. Despite the rain, and bug bites and snakes and spiders and using the bathroom in the woods team Kenya made it through the camping trip ready to be tough, flexible and optimistic in AFRICA!! Later that day we got to meet with Mbuvi (the administrator of Made in the Streets) for lunch and then for dinner. It was so great to get to know him better and hear more about his story and all about Made in the Streets! I think it made the team so much more excited about going! Please keep praying for our safety and that God will use us however He sees nessesary while we're in Africa, we're so excited and the count down is on!
-Shaley Craycraft