Today, we woke up had breakfast and headed to the Compassion Headquarters. On the way, we saw a man get hit by a bus, which is not surprising considering that there’s basically no rules when it comes to driving here. There’s no traffic signs, so it’s basically just one big game of chicken, which the larger vehicles normally win. The man ended up being helped up and put into a van. He looked like he was going to be ok, which is fortunate since he just lost at the game of Frogger.
Upon arriving at Compassion we were invited to take part in their morning services which included worship and a short devotional. We then met with the Director who oversees all operations in Kenya. We learned that Compassion is working with 373 churches to serve over 107,000 children. We were given a tour of the building, met the staff, and then loaded the vans to head to our next destination.
Our next destination was a church in Kiserian that partners with Compassion to offer a Child Survival Program. In the past, Compassion would offer sponsorships for children once they turned 4 years old, but what they realized was that many children die in Kenya before reaching that age. So, they implemented the CSP to help pregnant mothers and mothers with very young children.
The program provides training in various areas that help mothers learn how to raise a child. It also provides a place for mothers to come together and share with each other, as well as teach them to do simple tasks they can do to better their economic situation.
Lunch is always the most uncertain part of the day for me. I’m a picky eater in my own home, so eating in a Kenyan village is adventurous to say the least. Yet, the people here are wonderful and it’s a big deal to them to get to serve their visitors. So, today I had a small serving of rice, a stewed potato, a few pieces of beef, and a tortilla. Oh, and two Pepto Bismol tablets. Needless to say I finished eating very early, and made my way outside to where the kids were enjoying recess.
What I experienced after lunch I may never experience again. I was the only white person around and 50 or so kids surrounded me like I was a celebrity. All of them had to touch me. They wanted to rub my arms and touch my hair, and if they weren’t touching me they were trying their best to push their way to get to me. After several minutes I invited them to show me their classrooms, partly because I thought a new environment might help, but mostly because I knew their teachers would be there. It turns out the classroom just made it worse because we couldn’t all fit, so I had to call on the teachers to save me which they got a kick out of.
After a short break to nap and shower we headed out to Carnivore for supper. Carnivore is an all you can eat meat restaurant, so I was more than a little bit excited.
After being seated they brought out bread, soup, and salad, but let’s be honest everyone’s here for the meat. They bring out many different types served in different ways and they have options in Kenya that you don’t have in America. So, since I’m being adventurous I tried crocodile, ostrich meatballs, and even ox testicle. I know what you’re thinking, how was the testicle, it actually wasn’t that bad. The only thing I didn’t try was chicken livers, because you have to draw the line somewhere.
Hey, if you just stumbled upon this post, I want you to know I’m in Kenya with Compassion International for a week. I wanted to document my experience to share with my family and friends and anyone else who may be interested. I will be back sharing my thoughts on leadership, church growth, and more next week. If you want to follow along with the blog, make sure to subscribe to get email updates delivered to your inbox each week.
