Great is Thy Faithfulness

This past Sunday, we were blessed with the opportunity to go to church in the slums.  I had been to the slums once before in high school during a mission’s trip to Costa Rica, but this time wrecked my heart more than ever before.  Seeing the depravity of those people, I don’t even know how to begin to wrap my mind around it.  As we arrived at the slums, we walked down this trash and dirt filled path that was lined on each side with shops made out of tin and cement.  I had never seen anything like it, and I am honestly at a lost for words as to how to accurately describe it.  Because of the conditions, I was not able to take any pictures while we were there, but also I don’t think a picture would do it justice.

What was amazing about being there was that once we walked through the mud, trash and brokenness, we arrived at a sense of hope.  A church.  This church was nothing fancy, but it was enough.  And this was the moment when my world began to be rocked.  Geoffrey is the name of the man who started this church.  He lives in Kijabe with his wife and two kids, which is about an hour or so from the slums in Nairobi.  But he has dedicated his life to the slums.  He spends at least three nights a week in the slums, fellowshipping with the people there and showing them Jesus.

Geoffrey was so proud of the church, which doubled as a school building, that he showed us around as soon as we got there. The school is made up of 130 plus kids, with only 7 teachers to care for all of them...  I cannot begin to imagine what a normal school day must look like!  There were about six classrooms and one big room that was the church, as well as the place were the kids would get breakfast and lunch while at school.  Previous to this, most of these kids would have to scavenge around in the trash to get food or survive off of whatever amount of food their parents or caregivers were able to give them for that given day.  Thanks to Geoffrey, these kids are continuing to be filled with more and more hope!

After Geoffrey showed us around, he took us to one of the classrooms and introduced us to four kids that had started attending his school just one week ago.  He found these kids looking around through garbage, trying to find something to eat.  Just sitting in the presence of these kids brought tears to my eyes immediately.  I will never forget the looks in these kids’ eyes .  They seemed so hurt, so broken and so longing to be loved.  Upon meeting these kids, and seeing all the sights of the slums, I immediately thought about God’s sovereignty.

He knew that we would be going to the slums that day.

He knew that we were going to hear those four kids stories.

None of that was by chance.

And then I heard Him saying, “Now what are you going to do about it?”

I knew that there was something Jesus was challenging me to do as a result of all that I was seeing and hearing.  Geoffrey doesn’t have the means to constantly send these kids to school, as well as pay fees that come with running a school and a church.  And I know Jesus was tugging on my heart to help out with that.  How easy it is to sell t-shirts, bumper stickers and bracelets as a way to raise money and support Geoffrey in his obedience to the Lord.  Please join me in praying for Geoffrey and the people of the slums, and that the Lord would direct my steps as I start to figure out ways to fundraise for this slum ministry!

After Geoffrey told us the kids’ stories (as they could speak zero English), we were able to reassure them that they would never go hungry again and that they would attend school and receive the love they deserve.  We promised them, just like it is written in Jeremiah 29:11, that Jesus has plans to give them “a hope and a future.”  After that, we sang a hymn together.  “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”  My mind started racing with thoughts.  I am in the middle of the slums in Kenya singing about the faithfulness of the Lord.  In the background, I can hear people preparing for church and beginning to sing praises to God in this cement building with sheets of tin as a roof.  Brokenness fills the streets, and yet God is STILL faithful. 

“Morning by morning new mercies I see;All I have needed Thy hand has provide”

Those words stuck out to me, as much as I’m sure a group of white people stuck out in the people of the slums in Kenya.  Every single morning, God mercies are new and overflowing for us.  He meets our every need.  It’s people like Geoffrey that I think are able to fully understand that more than I ever will.  When he feels like his work is failing, when he is unsure of whether or not the money will come on, when he feels like he can’t make a difference... He can fully grasp the truth in this words.  ALL his needs in this slum ministry, God’s hand will always, always provide.

Lamentations 3:22-23 says,

            “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; GREAT is your faithfulness.”

Our God is so faithful!  In the midst of such depravity, He is still there!  And through all of that, we can be filled with hope!