Mamagum

Hey ya'll

Tis been a while since my last post (well just one day) but hey, time flies here in Kenya, and I swear we are always doing something.  So I'll catch ya up on the last couple of days, maybe share a few thoughts (if I have any) and then post some pics..ya know, the usual..


Heir (yesterday in French) we drove through Kawangware.  Now in case you have forgotten (which is legit obviously) Kawangware is the slum where our beloved street boys are from (keeping praying for those fellas).  Kawangware is more spread out than Kibera (which is the second largest slum in Africa) and the poverty again struck me.  We got out of the car a couple of times because Chris was dropping off money at local schools and this particular time a street boy came up to us.  It was evident that he was high on glue as he was sniffing it while welcoming us to the slum.  After Graig told him to throw it away, he then pulled out a substance which he said was tobacco, but we didn't recognize it, and proceeded to pack it into his mouth.  I mean, you play it cool as if nothing happened, but wow- I was just heart broken and uncomfortable to be honest.  I didn't know what to do, even though I wanted to help him so bad.  Kind of the theme for me here in Kenya.  We then went to a second school where kids were playing in the courtyard and we were bum-rushed once we entered it.  They all wanted to shake our hands.  That again was a weird feeling.  You have to picture the setting though.  Slums are basically towns.  People have everything they need there.  Schools, industry, furniture, food,  etc- but it's in poverty- straight up poverty.  These kids are playing in mud, dirt, trash.  It's a hard setting to watch (I shall return to this point later).

At one of St. Martha's boutiques.  I made it rain today, as the kids say.

Romans 12:9 "Love is sincere, hate what is evil; cling to what is good."  I thought of this passage after driving by a section of Kawangware I'll never forget.  As we drove through the slum, Chris was telling us all the old stories of their mission outreach to the boys.  This is where they first met the street boys, where they first had their hearts broken for them, and where they first reached out to them..  Everyday they would come to Kawangware to meet boys high on glue and reach out to them, care for them, and invite them to their day ministry.  It was extremely tough to see street boys on the side of the road, many of whom Chris and Graig knew because they had recruited them, but would later drop out of the program.  Anyways, as we are driving Chris points out a shack in the distance with smoke rising from the top (I'll never forget that smoke, it was eerie white, just fumes of hatred spreading into the air.  That imaged is burned into my mind). That's where Mamagum lives.  The word for glue on the street is gum.  I've stated this before, but glue is what most of the street boys are on to escape reality.  Mamagum is the supplier.  Shear evil.  Chris has met her before.  She's concocts her glue supply in that shack, surrounded by street boys for protection and sells them toxic waste.  Think about that, she is selling glue to boys to further herself.  Let that sink in.  She is frying their brains, shackling them into a slow, painful life that will lead to destruction, all to earn money.  I felt like I was looking at one of Satan's minions.  It was hard.  Just thinking of those boys being hooked on glue at such a young age, and driving by the spot where mamagum sells it made me want to cry, fight her and her comrades and pray fervently to the Lord for help.  She's been arrested several times, but due to Kenya's inadequate judicial system "cough" corruption "cough" she's been let out of jail, and is on the street (spiritual warfare anyone?).  She sits their daily, stirring up her batch up glue, filled with hatred, selfishness and evil...selling it to boys without moms, dads, houses, food and futures.  She's out there, and there's plenty more like her.  It was evil.  It was real.

So yes, that was hard.  We drove past that and I felt life being sucked out of me.  I don't know what to do in those situations because I can't do anything.  It's overwhelming.  My heart breaks for those boys and the crap they have to go through.  It's not right, it's not fair.  I felt a hatred for that evil.  I actually prayed for Mamagum- for her heart to be changed.  I hated that sin.  I think of ways to help.  What can I do?  A white American.  How can I reach those kids?  How can I help this society?  And the answer is, I don't know.  I've been talking with Graig (our pastor) a lot about what Kenya needs (that's another post for another time- I have to many thoughts man) and how overwhelmed I feel.  He said that's exactly why he takes students to Africa.  It shows them that they really can't do much on a short mission trip.  But seeing this poverty, this evil, forces us to ask God for help, rather than rely on our own ideas and ambitions.  I can't impact people for good without Him.  It forces me to ask my Lord, what are my strengths?  Do you have a role for me in Kenya?  Tell me, show me, place me in a situation where I can help these people.  Lead me, guide me, inspire me.  If I want to make a long term difference over here, the idea, the vision will have to be God inspired because that's what will change Kenya, that's what will change the world..Don't get me wrong, I think we've done a lot of good and helped a lot since we've been here, but this trip really forces people, well at least it has forced me to ask the Lord how and if I can help in Kenya in the future.  It's forced me to call on the Lord for answers.  Soooo that was yesterday.

At Amani- taking senior pics.

It's nearing the end of the trip for four members of our team (I'm staying until Friday, the rest leave Monday) so yesterday and today have been more chill.  Driving through slums, visiting different ministries, meeting unbelievable people and just hanging out.  For instance, today we walked through Kibera and visited St. Martha's Ministry Organization.  This is an awesome organization that seeks to empower orphans and widows affected by the aids epidemic.  We met the man who started the ministry who is HIV positive.  He told his incredible (I mean incredible) story which included a vision from God when we he was in stage 3 of aids (basically means you're written off).  God told him he still had a purpose for his life.  He recovered and is now running this organization.  I'll give you guys the website and I encourage you to check it out.  http://www.stmarthasministry.or.ke/  They teach women the skill of creating jewelry (beautiful jewelry) and empower their lives while teaching them biblical principals.  So if you're looking for some sweet bracelets, necklaces etc- check this out, it's way better than in America and for an awesome cause (well I don't know if it's better, I don't know anything about jewelry, but I do know it's for a good cause and I like it more, so boom).  The way we can really help is by buying their products.  It creates revenues for these women who are required to open up their own shops around Kibera which creates sustainable, stable jobs for people.  That's what Kenya needs.  Jobs- so if you have any ideas, holler my way.

Where we ate lunch at Amani.  Beautiful and peaceful.

After Kibera we went back to Amani Au Juu (Again check it out, beautiful jewelry, amazing cause http://www.amaniafrica.org/ )  For all you married men and fellas with those girlfriends- I'm pretty sure your significant others will love this stuff (I shop for three women in my life, mom, sister and grandma- boom, it's lovely : ).....but it was great to go back, meet more women (we met Maggie- I wish I could capture and describe to you all her beauty and love- it exploded off of her with such a passion- twas epic actually..pry the most delightful person I've ever met....she's indescribable http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5AcrEHQFV8) eat lunch and just hang out. 


It's amazing how many incredible men and women of faith we've met here.  Truly inspiring.  So if you've read this far, wow..thanks haha : )...I'll leave ya with a few prayer requests.

-for Mamagum, life change and Justice
-for the saint boys
-For LT (leadership training program which is the second part of my internship back in Ann Arbor).  Pray that God moves and uses the staff and the interns. 
-Jahred, one of the fellas from our team said this today which I thought was a great idea.  He said he's praying for God to give him one day when he gets back to spend time with the Lord and proccess what he's learned here.  I thought that was a genuis thing to pray for.  So I'm praying that for myself, and I'd love if you jumped on that bandwagon too.
-I'd love prayer for my future.  I want to hear from God, and I want to go where He wants me too.  I need direction.  I'd love it to be Africa- but His will not mine.

I think that's it for now.  You are all great.  I feel blessed to have you in my life.  Love ya'll.  God bless!

-cam


p.s. Michigan is killing MSU for instate recruiting... http://www.detnews.com/article/20110519/SPORTS0201/105190355/U-M-football-winning-the-in-state-recruiting-race check it...Go Blue baby