DAY TWO -
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 1:07 PM
Family & Friends:
I am discovering on this trip how much the word “amazing” does not do justice to the people God has allowed us to meet. From this morning’s visit to Shauri Moyo Baptist Church and the 12 year-old HIV positive girl who’s courageous testimony would bring you to tears – or the 13 year-old girl who is writing a book about her experience with a broken friendship with a girl who wouldn’t listen to her and became pregnant at 15 – to 26 year-old Enfantes from Dandora Baptist Church, a Compassion student who’s passion, zeal, and gratefulness to God for what He has done in his family (See picture) – or the 9 year-old girl who led her mother to Christ (See picture) – to the home visits and the Sponsor letters they so cherish and love to read over and over again (See picture) -- to the 4 LDP (Compassion’s Leadership Development Program for graduates of Compassion Projects) university students who came to our hotel for dinner and shared their stories . . . “AMAZING” doesn’t even come close to accurately describing these people, or their gratefulness to God.
Driving through the city on the way to these Projects, through the sewage, dump, smoke, diesel fumes, etc. and seeing not just the poverty, but the crime and sin . . . and then to hear grateful young men and women who have risen up out of this despair with great faith in God to where they are now . . . is just incredible. I don’t think I’ll ever whine again about the air conditioning not working well ever again.
Julia and I will find some way to tell their story to you guys when we get back. They have asked us to do that, and we told them we would. Not just to get a “warm fuzzy” and pass it off as another “life changing experience” – but with some tangible ways we can all make a difference. These fellow followers of Christ “get it” much better than we do in the States. And they deserve our respect, love, and admiration each and every day.
Tomorrow – (o.k. While y’all are sleeping for us here a continent away) we will board a 6:00AM flight with Mission Aviation Fellowship for a 1 hour flight to visit a couple Projects in Kisumu in west Kenya. We’ll email you again tomorrow.
Love from Africa,
Steve Cummings
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 1:07 PM
Family & Friends:
I am discovering on this trip how much the word “amazing” does not do justice to the people God has allowed us to meet. From this morning’s visit to Shauri Moyo Baptist Church and the 12 year-old HIV positive girl who’s courageous testimony would bring you to tears – or the 13 year-old girl who is writing a book about her experience with a broken friendship with a girl who wouldn’t listen to her and became pregnant at 15 – to 26 year-old Enfantes from Dandora Baptist Church, a Compassion student who’s passion, zeal, and gratefulness to God for what He has done in his family (See picture) – or the 9 year-old girl who led her mother to Christ (See picture) – to the home visits and the Sponsor letters they so cherish and love to read over and over again (See picture) -- to the 4 LDP (Compassion’s Leadership Development Program for graduates of Compassion Projects) university students who came to our hotel for dinner and shared their stories . . . “AMAZING” doesn’t even come close to accurately describing these people, or their gratefulness to God.
Driving through the city on the way to these Projects, through the sewage, dump, smoke, diesel fumes, etc. and seeing not just the poverty, but the crime and sin . . . and then to hear grateful young men and women who have risen up out of this despair with great faith in God to where they are now . . . is just incredible. I don’t think I’ll ever whine again about the air conditioning not working well ever again.
Julia and I will find some way to tell their story to you guys when we get back. They have asked us to do that, and we told them we would. Not just to get a “warm fuzzy” and pass it off as another “life changing experience” – but with some tangible ways we can all make a difference. These fellow followers of Christ “get it” much better than we do in the States. And they deserve our respect, love, and admiration each and every day.
Tomorrow – (o.k. While y’all are sleeping for us here a continent away) we will board a 6:00AM flight with Mission Aviation Fellowship for a 1 hour flight to visit a couple Projects in Kisumu in west Kenya. We’ll email you again tomorrow.
Love from Africa,
Steve Cummings
