Day 6 & 7

Day 6:

Day 6 was one of my favorite days last year and it has won the title again. Today is the day where all the special needs students get to come together for a big day of special Olympics games. This is special because today the kids feel normal, they get to play with bright colored things, and they get to run around and be silly with us. We have 9 stations each highlighting a special skill such as kicking. Then the kids get a check mark after they complete a station.  I just love looking around and seeing a smile on every student and staffs face. It's a beautiful day no matter how hot it is outside. 

We broke for a snack and the kids got to eat five slices of bread and a milk pouch, and they were jumping on me for more. I just could not believe this. They eat five slices of plain bread and fight for more. 

After the snack, we come together as a group to do a huge parachute and the famous tooty ta. Tooty ta was made famous last year by our team. It's a silly song that does not require English but requires you do to silly dances. Whenever we do it, kids run at us. We have up to 100 children doing it at a time with us. So you could imagine the look on the kids faces when we did it with them. Most remember the dance from over a year and a half ago!! After that, we did eye exams at a local MOHI school. 

Special Olympics day is definitely a special day. 

Day 7: 

Yesterday is too hard for me to talk about. It's one of the best days and one of the worst. It's the last day at the school, which means the last day with the staff and children. I had to say good bye to some staff and students that have touched my heart in so many ways. I do not know gods plan for me, but I know I am not finished here. Still, the going isn't easy. When kids run at at you arm and arm and ask you "will you remember us", kids that have not been in the special needs group, just two boys that were in the goodbye celebration. Those moments hurt my heart. So of course I said: "picture!" 

There's the two cuties. The day was filled with many joyful goodbyes. God allowed us to touch the community and the kids so much. For that, I am thankful. It's what keeps me from having a flood flow from my eyes. God has done amazing work for the special needs community since we started working with them. We have seen the number of that population rise in schools, we have seen the pre existing kids at the schools improve drastically, and we have seen the students and staff bond together to support these children. There is still a massive amount of work to be done.... God use me, have your way. That's all I can ask. I hope to be blessed and returning constistently. I want to continue to thank all those who have encouraged me, supported me financially and emotionally, and my pray warriors who woke up to my text in the middle of the night and immediately prayed for me. Thank you. Do you see the evidence of god working through your support to lift up Kenya? To change Kenya? To reform it and make it a country working towards his glory? Because I do. I see evidence all around of that. It's a beautiful place with beautiful people. I became even closer with a few staff members that have been instrumental in uplifting the special needs community by going into the slums and searching for these kids. They are hard to find but they do it willingly for God. They have become so dear to me that's it was almost impossible for me to say goodbye. 

We had to say goodbye because yesterday was the last day with the kids and the staff. They do not work on Saturdays. So today we have a quick safari. I cannot believe that yesterday was it, but the echoes of our work will continue even while we are away. 

Above are josh and Lisa's sponsored children that I was so so so blessed to see. Esther and Sheldon. Esther was so close to me the entire time. She had to be touching at least one part of me while she was with me. Sheldon would not talk, but he said thank you for the gift and asked me to say hi to josh and Lisa. We gave him pez and he would only eat one stack because the other 6 were for his sister. He is very giving.  Esther was beautiful and so loving. It was a blessing to meet them. 

Xoxo, 

Maddie 

Ps I do not re read these so I know there are always spelling errors but that makes it more me! :) 

Day 3,4, and 5

I realize its been a few days and I apologize. We have eaten out twice at missionaries houses stationed in Nairobi that work with missions of hope and yesterday we ate at a restaurant. That being said my time to write has not been much. 

Day 3: 

Today was all home visits. That means we walk through different slums and visit those with needs that force them to stay inside their 10x9 house. We saw three different special needs children. All with similar difficulties. Growing up in this small of a space with literally no where to walk or crawl forces bodies to develop with problems. Add in lack of nutrition, adequate water supplies, and illness every where forces children to have many difficulties. Most are forced to stay in their home their entire life. The culture in Kenya looks down on those with disabilities. It is a serious disgraces to have a child like this. The family hides their child inside the house so that no one discovers that their child has special needs, so well that most neighbors do not even know there is another child. The good news is that we are one of the first teams to actually go in and show love to the kids. The community watches us, mzungus (white people), so closely that every move we make they internalize. Once we enter the slums the kids follow us no matter how far until we reach the home. From there we are able to bring the special needs child outside to asses him or her. The kids see us touch and take pictures and love on them, which sends the message that we accept these kids. We end up drawing 40 kids into one small alleyway or walkway and have all the adults watching as well. The team will laugh with them, tickle, play, hold, and dance with the kids. The entire community is able to witness Gods love through simple actions requiring no words. That is what I love about entering the community. For dinner we ate at a families house that is living in Nairobi with their two children. It was amazing and filled with lots of laughter. 

Day 4:

 Today was amazing. There is no about of detail that I can add to today's story to bring it justice. It's something that will require a face to face conversation. It dealt with a family we met last year and the drastic change we saw today. This change was because of our team, Parkview, and of course God. We happened to be blessed with the experience of helping this family and the ability to see the change. 

I bought lots of Kenyan coffee and espresso :) 

Day 5: 

Today we worked in two schools of MOHI assessing the special needs students that currently attend those schools. We did recreational work, eye exams, music therapy, yoga, and a general work up of them. We began at MOHI and assessed some kids we worked with last year and some new ones. Then we moved onto the most fantastic part of the day which was seeing Vinnie. He was a young man we visited last year that had leg problems. Vinnie was extremely shy but had a contagious smile. He was joyful but very reserved. Today we got to see him again and I cannot express the joy that I felt once seeing him again. We simply just visited him and tried to see the progression of his leg since we last saw him. After Vinnies visit, we went to another school. We did the same thing as at Pangani. The kids are wonderful and love seeing us. 

The detail and rest is left to be told when I return. I am very tired but very filled. Please continue to be praying for our team as we have many getting sick. Thank you for praying! 

Maddie 

Day 2

Thank you lord for continuing to reveal yourself in unique and creative ways. Today is Sunday. We participated in the Pangani center church service today and heard from what seemed to be a 14 year old girl preach and sing for four hours. Looking back at this morning, I have no idea how she spoke that long but she was so filled with the spirit it seemed hard for her to stop. She never ceased to praise God for everything from the slums to the current generation. Witnessing the faith of this young women was like getting a slap in the face. She spoke with such unwavering belief in every word she spoke about God, you could see the closeness of their relationship seeping from her beautiful face. I am thankful for this little one today for reminding me how much we as Americans get caught up in four stuff. Therefore, believing that we can save ourself. We forget that God is all we need. We forget the power of God and do not rely on him. We take our eyes off of God daily. This realization led me to remember what a Kenyan said to me last year, "when God is all you have you realize he is all that you need" isn't that how we are called to live? I have been faced with many questions lately because I have been forced to question myself. I find myself getting angry at the American lifestyle. God has really spoken to me about praising him for the life he has allowed me to live instead of questioning these blessings that I once again think that my family has achieved single handedly. That is not the truth! God has blessed me abundantly to the point where my cup has overflowed, because of this I see the opportunities I have before me. I am able to use this overflow of blessings to do more for Christ than has been possible. So today I am thankful for what he has given me. Thankful for my God who relates to us all so individually that only he truly knows how we need to be loved and fills us with that love if we allow him to. 

Later this evening we will join Mary and Wallace for a dinner at their house. I am sure it ill be filled with praise, laughter, and great food (they have an avocado tree in their backyard = the greatest guacamole you will ever taste). Tomorrow will be the first day working with the special needs children at the school. We have found out that the students have grown from about 15-200 students in a year and a half with special needs. Seeing as there are only 14 of us, we are attempting to find the most effective way to care for them. Tomorrow will be a challenge but a day of work that is more than welcomed. 

The place we are staying at has a large monkey population. This morning the monkeys attempted multiple times to steal our food. One got away with a handful of cereal and a biscuit. They also swing right by our windows and like to be roosters in the morning. Oh joy... 

Peace and blessin's,

 Maddie  

Day 1

We arrived safely last night around 12 a.m. Kenya time. We arrived at our beautiful hotel around 2 so you could imagine how ready we all were to plop down in our beds. I cannot tell you the joy I felt when I simply smelt the air and saw the familiar landscape. It felt like home, even though I only spent two weeks here before. There's something about this place that my heart longs for. This was made apparent to me when I awoke at 7, only getting 4 hours of sleep and a few more hours between the traveling, joyful and wide awake. I was too anxious to get back to Mathare and the pangani center, the school we work with in Nairobi. Once we arrived at Pangani, I was greeted with the all to familiar "how are you" chanted from the children's mouths as they run up to us and reach for our hands. No one minds this abrupt interruption from these random children. It actually is not an interruption at all. It's something that is welcomed joyfully. We proceeded to head into the school to hear about Missions of Hope (MOHI) current efforts and how they got started. This is something I definitely want to share with you all because the way they run their programs is amazing. 

MOHI was started by Mary and Wallace when they realized the great for improved education in the slums of Nairobi. From there they rented a one bedroom apartment that would be used as a classroom. They found kids, preschool age, that presented the highest need for education and those who would fit their goals of using education to improve the quality of life of the children. Receiving an education means getting out of the Mathare Valley and out of the perpetual cycle of extreme poverty. So these children were given an enormous opportunity by receiving free education through sponsorship. Eventually the popularity grew as people found out about MOHI. To provide for the need, MOHI partnered with CMFI to receive financial aid for their sponsorship program. This has grown from that one bedroom apartment to now 17 schools across all of Kenya. Each one of these kids is carefully selected by choosing those who have the highest need such as pregnant mothers or orphans. These children receive education, health care, a nutritious meal, a uniform, and the love of God. This alone is a beautiful system that God has so graciously crafted for his children. That is not the only thing MOHI is doing. They saw the shame the parents felt that they could not provide for their children so they provided a solution. Mothers are given the opportunity to go to sewing school to eventually relieve a micro loan to begin a business. These women are also given jobs by MOHI to make the children's uniforms once the moms graduate. The fathers are taught welding and wood working to start their businesses to provide for their family. They also receive work opportunities to make desks and other things the schools need. Recently a water bottling plant was built to sell bottled water and farms have been started to provide the ingredients for all the children's meals. Isn't is amazing how every aspect of the school is empowering the entire family and community? It is so clear to me that God has blessed Mathare and the Kenyan people. God is doing amazing things, more than amazing. It's grown vastly in ways only God can create and conjure up. Praise him for all these beautiful things he has done. Yes the valley has much much more work to do, but there are amazing things already being done. 

Thank you for reading and showing interest in these people and Gods work. I encourage you to pray for God to reveal himself in more depth and creativity. Ahh God is good, so good. 

In his powerful name, 

Maddie 

The return

As I sit here packing, I do not know what to think or feel. Yes, I'm overjoyed to be returning to Nairobi. Yet, I remember how I returned when I was there last. It was hard for me to process how to feel here in America. It was hard for me to purchase a single item for months. I am reminded of how complacent I have become and how easy it was for me to return to the American ways. So I sit here thinking that once I get there I will be extremely upset with myself, but I cannot do that. I can only be in the moment there because there is a refreshing self emptying that occurs. For two straight weeks I do not think about one selfish desire, and that is the most at peace and passionate I have ever felt. I cannot wait to be at that place again. So thank you for allowing me to do that, to be so interested in what god is doing through me that you sit here and read these words, to be so excited for me that you helped me push through school to get here. Thank you. These past few days I have received a generous amount of donations from family and friends. It was a reassurance from God, telling his daughter that he  has a grand purpose for these next two weeks and that this time will fall directly into his plan for my entire being. Do you know who made that possible? You all. So do not underestimate your importance in all of this. I may be the one going, but you have provided that ability by faithfully trusting The Lord with your money and you have rained prayer over this entire trip. There is no me without you. The biggest thing I have seen people do as they hear about the stories and the work being done in Nairobi is that they feel they aren't doing enough and that they wish they could be as "courageous" as me. Well, I humbly say I am not courageous, God is powerful. God created the entire concept of earth and life. Do you not think that he has intricately weaved all our stories and intersections together for the love of him?  You are doing enough. In fact, I sometimes would think that you are doing more than me. I spend two weeks of my time in Nairobi. You make the sacrificial giving that has be so joyfully generous it might greatly affect how you live the next month. There is no possible way some of you can take off time from work, your kids, your family, and guess what? Maybe its because you aren't suppose to. Maybe its because God has called you to witness right here. So please do not feel that you are not doing enough. That doubt is not from God the father. That is simply from satan bringing guilt into your life. Thank you for allowing me to do this.

All in all, tomorrow night begins the journey back to Nairobi. So thank you, keep watch on the blog for updates, and if you feel called to donate there is still time. Thank you for investing in this trip. I hope that you may see God working and moving through it all. 

God bless xoxo, 

Maddie 

Desires Of Dust

I was very shy about sharing this publicly. Its something that is deeply imbedded in my heart, but I know that anyone who has never visited Nairobi will not understand. I decided to share this with you because you support these beautiful children by supporting me. I also think its imperative to know about these stories so you understand what you are looking at in the pictures I post. This is my story. Just one of them. I hope you may begin to form an accurate vision of this place. 

Dust is what I want to be covered in. Seas of browns and light reds pour into my dream-like vision. Little hands reaching for mine. I want my heart to be filled by smiles that generously are given to my foreign face. Nairobi, the land that I never expected to capture the title "home", is where I want to be. 

Almost a month to go and I feel the tug of my heart, the swells, as my thoughts are filled with Kenya. Yes, I want to be covered in dust and sand. It's inescapable when you are there. Yet it's a sign that clings to me, when I return to my resting place for that night, of where I walked. The sand and dust are light red. The faces are all brown. Both collide to form an ombréish painting.  I want to be back to where that is all I see. I want to feel the touches of hundreds of hands throughout the day grasping for me, yearning to touch the unfamiliar white skin that I have, desperately desiring one glance from my eyes. I loved the kids running to me shouting "How are you?". They surrounded me with joy. Each touch reminded me of my purpose: to love. Their smiles were infectious. Despite the surroundings of tin houses and tattered dusty clothing, walking through the Mathare Valley was joy. My heart longs to be there. To be in the place where I only spent two weeks. I never expected it to leave a well in my heart.

These are all things I long for. Things that most will never understand. What I know for certain is that no one could understand the unexpected feeling that swelled up in me on my first day. This feeling took me by complete surprise: Jealously. It was felt the first night as the grace house workers sung to us as we poured out of our buses, singing with the brightest smiles and genuine desires to serve us. It was felt when I was surrounded by the disabled children. The way they were closed off and quiet then transformed into typical rambunctious children. All because they had unshakable joy. A joy that could only come from the father. A joy unknown to me in America, where food and medicines are abundant. Where we can have any want within moments of wishing it. So why do we not have this joy? 

I will never forget the convicting realization that they have more than we Americans will ever know. They have absolutely everything they need and are assured in that one thing. They have total reliance on God. Each child has nothing to rely on but him. Is that not exactly what God asked of us? We are supposed to serve one master, we are supposed to drop our nets, we are supposed to crawl and bow in the dust of our maker. These children and people do that every moment. They praise the Lord with all their might to have been fed and given the opportunity to go to school. Their small beautiful voices praise God so wholeheartedly that it's captivating to watch. So yes I am jealous of these children, I am jealous of their trust in God. 

I decided to share that with you to reveal my heart. So you know that I am wholeheartedly in this. To know that the foundation that I took over my Jr. year of high school was breathed from echoes of the children's hearts. This is simply what I felt. I once again hope that sharing this with you cleanses your views of Nairobi. That it renews your take on the children that you pray for and support. 

Thank you for allowing me to pursue Gods will. It's a gift to be surrounded by a community that builds up and gives whole heartily and generously. Thank you sincerely. 

Xoxo in his love, 
Mads

The Story

Hey All,

So these past weeks have been a waiting game. I have been praying about what to do, where I am going, and how to accomplish these things God has laid on my heart. The reason for all this praying is because God has been stirring my heart. Literally. I feel it. Its hard to breathe sometimes and thats how I know God wants me to stop and be still in his presence. As these moments have come, I felt led to type my story. The one that started with my first sponsorship and led me to where I am now.

In sixth grade I sponsored my first child. I was passing by a compassion booth at a youth conference and found a young girl named florence. I remember her eyes, they told a lot about her. I saw pain. Something I did not understand. So I sponsored her, without asking my parents. I just decided that it was something I should do. So I took her picture, filled out the form, and gave the lady the $30 my dad gave me to buy t-shirts and things. That began my affair with Florence and Africa. I was given an opportunity with two of my friends to present her picture to the class and read her letters that she wrote me. That in itself was a blessing. I was able to tell the Jr high about this child! I fell in love with the thought of Africa, I googled pictures of Rwanda and sucked up all the information I could get about it. I thought, in my little sixth grade mind, I am going to go to Africa one day.

Fast forward to Junior year, God was stirring my heart again. He does this usually at night. I lay my head on the pillow and I am wide awake. Then I am like, OK God what do you want to tell me. He usually shows me some pictures in my head. All I saw were t-shirts. I felt that I should design something to raise money. I had no idea what it would be for or what the shirts would look like. So I prayed about it for a while. It took a few months of thinking and praying for me to actually get a design down. I asked a friend to draw out a picture of a small village lit up by the moon with some hills in the back. That is all I saw in my head. That is what God gave me.

A few weeks later I went to a girls night in at my church. There was a woman and a man that performed a skit. This was to bring awareness to us little girls about the prevalence of sex trafficking. Boom that was it! God wanted me to give the money to them! Fast forward a few weeks and I sat down with them over coffee. They showed me some pictures, but what stood out to me was one picture. The exact same vision God gave me of the moon lit village. He was confirming the lead I took for him. As if to say "Child, this is my plan for you. Follow me."

So the t-shirts went and many people were able to hear about Gods loving ways. The ways he leads his children and cares for each of us. Family members held a garage sale and raised an extra $800 for me. All of this from one vision that God so generously gave me that one night. I raised about $3000 for Kenya.

My dad approached me with an opportunity to continue his organization in my name. He saw in me what God placed in me, a passion for "the least of these." I started the organization under the name my father gave it "The Samaritans of Mokena", and presented One Light with a check. This is how the organization started. From the picture of a little girl, to donating enough money to place a roof on a school, God had a plan.

Taking this full circle to now... the waiting game I was in recently. I now have been to Kenya and the Czech Republic and will be returning to Kenya again in May. I cannot tell you how in love I am with those people and the place. Yet, I know that I still have much to accomplish through God for the organization. I transitioned it to have its mission "To be on the front lines of abolishing human trafficking by restoring Gods children." I know that I need to change the name to fit this new mission. I have been waiting for what to do next. How can I start to accomplish this goal of fighting against trafficking? I still do not know what to do, but he is working and encouraging me through his people. Thank you for the prayer because I feel it and see it working. God has been showing me glimpses in his timing of what to do next and where this is going. So thank you all so so much for the support. Its overwhelming and I cannot help but thank our father for this all.

To those of you who have donated to my next trip to Kenya, THANK YOU! You are so generous and supportive. I cannot do it without you. If you would like to donate, please write a check out to The Samaritans of Mokena and send it to: 11646 Kluth court, mokena, Il.

XOXO,
        Maddie