They gave us roses to welcome our arrival after a difficult journey. They danced and celebrated three years of caring for orphans with food, clothing, homes, families, education and hope. They pulled us excitedly into their lives and shared their joys and fears. Together we crafted and played, sang and danced and listened and learned. We worshipped God together and shared our stories. We prayed for each other.
These are the things I remember from Ilula, the second village we spent time in during our stay in Kenya. ELI has another Training Center and orphanage there, where they are providing homes and hope for hundreds of orphans, giving life skills to villagers for agricultural sustainability and livelihood, and supporting alcoholics as they transition to sober lives, repairing themselves and their families. The Training Center is managed by the most wonderful and humble men and women, from whom I learned a great deal. Three years ago they saw the needs of their country and their neighbors and birthed a vision for development and transformation. God is renewing hearts and communities through their creative, loving and visionary grassroots leadership.
As I write this, the Training Center in Ilula looks drastically different than it did when I was there. Hopefully most of you know by now of the violence that is ravaging the country as a result of disputed presidential election results from last week. I am saddened to say that much of this violence is taking place in the very region I was in – the North Rift Valley in western Kenya. You may have heard of a church in the town of Eldoret that was recently torched, burning about 50 men, women and children alive. Thousands have fled their homes for safety and are now on the move with no protection, food, or shelter.
Ilula is very close to Eldoret and has now become a refugee camp for hundreds of Kikuyus (the tribe being attacked) in the area. Instead of welcoming a few ignorant Americans into their arms, the children and leaders in Ilula are now welcoming hundreds of displaced people from surrounding villages and are attempting to meet their physical and spiritual needs.
I would like to ask you to pray for my friends in Kenya. Pray for the crisis to find resolution quickly and for God to protect those in the Training Center in Ilula. Pray for the leaders of that center – Samuel and Laban – that God will grant them wisdom, selflessness and safety, since the Center is open to attack because they are housing Kikuyus. Pray for the orphans there, some of them pictured above, whose already unstable lives are being shaken once again. I am attaching a few helpful links if you are interested in learning more about what is going on in the region.
I am so grateful for my friends in Ilula and for the things they taught me about life, and I am grateful for your willingness to pray for them with me. Here are some links that will help you:
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=2&newsid=113979
http://www.empoweringlives.blogspot.com/
http://www.theworldpress.com/press/worldpress/kenyapress/kenyatimes.htm
“How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! ‘Violence is everywhere!’ I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted with bribes and trickery…” – Habakkuk 1:2-4
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