A House of Blessings

This afternoon we went to dedicate the AIDS Orphan home that our team has been working on all week. It was an amazing "event" to be seen. Not only were the new home owners there but so was a lot of the community and other organizations that helped. It was truly amazing to see the number of groups represented such as the West District team, the house work team, the Maua Methodist Hospital Community Health Department, and women's group among many others. It was a celebration that brought out a lot of groups who helped in the process of making this a home for Alfred and Bessie. Alfred (15) and Bessie (18) are two AIDS orphans who have lost both their parents to the disease. They were overwhelmed by the celebration and dedication as many of us were. As far as we can tell, they had been living in a shed shack that was about five feet tall with corrugated metal sides. The home they will now live in which is pictured above is a 10X20 two room house which greatly improves their living conditions. As Corey said: "it's not often that you get to see a moment that truly changes someone's life." And he's right, it was very powerful. We have had a couple of those moments this week. They now have a home which we all hope and pray will be a house filled with blessings for years to come. We got to see two youth get a new home and we have got to know the work crews at both the AIDS Orphan Home and the Maua Methodist Hospital. Lisa had the idea to call the house a "House of Blessings" and those words are written on the house along with the date the house was dedicated. It truly has been a week filled with many blessings and the week isn't over yet as tomorrow we will go to serve a neighborhood school by conducting a medical clinic. 

The question in our devotional for this evening was: "what will you tell someone who wasn't with us at the dedication about today?" I believe it was Harrell who said he would tell them everything. And I think that is key. I have been writing this week each day with my thoughts from the day but that doesn't begin to describe the week. I want people to experience it for themselves. I want people to know they we can do more and we can't forget about others. We have been given so much and we should be expected to give back. As uncle Ben from Spider-Man puts it: "with great power comes great responsibility." Or the gospel of Luke puts it this way: 

"Much will be demanded from everyone who has been given much, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked."~Luke 12:48

We have been given so much and we should be expected to give back as much. We have so many material things and we don't need them all. We suffer from the burden of having too much while others, such as our Christian brothers and sisters in Kenya suffer from the burden of too little. As we were leaving the building of "The Great Wall" at the Maua Methodist Hospital today I was struck by what our fellow worker and new friend Patrick said to me, Eric, and Margie. He said: "Don't forget about us." 

I can't and I won't.

It's on me, it's on us to go back and share everything about our experience. To share all the blessings that we have given and also the blessings we have received. The blessings that we have received from our God.

Blessings,

Kevin