Journal

April 25, 2006

The Lord is using my time in Kenya to give me a greater understanding of what he has done for me. Some of these life lessons may seem elementary at the time, but they always turn into a reinforcement of my foundation of Christ. Here is an example of this; we live in Kibera Slums. It is one of the most dilapidated places on the face of the Earth. I struggle to find words to convey the level of filth, both physically and morally. After weeks at a time with no rain, dirt turns into a fine powdery dust that is driven throughout Kibera. It finds its way into all of the homes penetrating every crack, crevice, and stitch of clothing. When you come to Kibera you are forced to take on the filth of Kibera. No matter how hard you try to cleanse yourself, the filth always seems to find a way to stain you. It attaches itself to you most of the time without you even realizing it. Usually you have no idea of how much of the dust has settled on you until you bathe. Even after showering you find that you are still wiping off the dirt while you are drying yourself off. This is the level of filth that I am talking about, and if you want to live or work in Kibera you must take on this filth.

Everyday I choose to take on and accept this filth because I love the people of Kenya. I have grown to love this place more than I expected. It is only because of my love for this place that I can tolerate the filth. However, despite my love for this place; I still find myself getting fed-up and sick of it’s muck and mire. It is in these times that I hear the small still voice of the Lord. He calls out to me and reminds me of the filth that I once covered myself in. There were times when I knew the greatness of his love, yet I still chose to submerge myself in garbage. I longed to be covered in dirt and would do so as often as possible. But, the Lord saw me and he did not call me out of my self-created swamp from a distance. No, he stooped down willingly taking my filth upon him that I might know what its like to be clean.

Whenever I am confronted with the dust of Kibera I am reminded of how filthy I once was, and how the Lord became garbage that I may be clean. I know that one day he will make Kibera clean because he has done it for me.