Faith

   The first day in the Slums we went on a prayer walk. We walked in teams through the community and prayed for the people, churches and businesses as we passed. The 5-mile walk I thought would be thigh-burning long turned out to fly by. It was the most intense, incredible, and impacting walk I’ve ever taken. We were submerged into the culture. With every step we had a purpose, with every wave and smile we were part of a plan, and with each prayer prayed God was before us. No glance, touch or word spoke was a coincidence. That’s the way I saw it. It was no meaningless walk, and it wasn’t just a way to our destination with a few prayers thrown in. I soon realized this when our first stop was at a church we passed by in the slum.

The wife of the church pastor greeted us. In broken English and some Swahili, she told us the unfortunate story of two boys who they just heard had past away in a drowning accident. The families of the children were just arriving at the church for more news. Without hesitation or any time for the few of us to really process it, the CCP staff member we were with gathered the church leaders and the families and said, “Gaby, pray for the boys.”  So I did. Holding the hands of two of my team members and a group of mourning Kenyans. We never knew these boys, we had just met these people, and here we were embracing them with prayers and condolences. . It was intense, but a powerful way to start this walk with so much purpose. God placed us at the perfect time to be there for those people just as they were needing prayer.

We continued walking, and heard about sick children, starving families, and emotional scaring. With each story was a beautiful person living in it, so as we walked…we prayed. Soon, we made it to a home up some loose wooden stairs. We ducked under laundry and stepped over trash until we reached to top.

The curtain door separated us from one of the most beautiful women I have ever met. She welcomed us in her home and insisted we “Sit, sit, sit”.  So we did. We sat on her mattress that lay on the floor, taking up nearly 90% of her home. Then, this beautiful dark skinned woman started to talk and share her story. She is a refugee in Kenya and she proceeded to tell us how her dark skin saved her life.

She came from a mixed race family. Her mother was African from Sudan, and her father an Arab. Her mother had already passed, but the rest of her family was light colored, and God gave her BLACK skin. During a war that broke out in Sudan there was a sort of  “Racial cleansing”. This young girl at the time was forced to watch as enemy soldiers killed her entire family leaving her alone and orphaned. From there she talked about being taken to barracks in Uganda where she was rapped and abused. She was nearly killed in another attack in Uganda where she painted the picture of the experience she had being totally buried under people who had fallen on top of her after being killed. She was found buried alive under the dead people covered in blood, and she then escaped with soldiers to Kenya where she stays alone in that small house in Kawangware.

She has a mattress, a small coal burning stove and her Bible, which was in pieces because of how worn it was. She told us about how memories of what she had been through haunt her dreams and thoughts every day. She was the ONLY one that had survived, and she believes through it all that there is a purpose she is still alive. She spoke profound and wise words about scripture and God's love and purpose.

We asked how old she was, and my stomach turned when I heard her say, “Sixteen”. All of that in the short life of a sixteen year old? Orphaned, abused, abandoned, and alone… You’re only SIXTEEN?! I was in shock, you sit here and believe there is hope in the end, and that there was a reason God allowed you to live as everyone around you died… and you are only sixteen?! My thoughts and emotions went so many places as I tried to process this poor girls life.

Did I mention that this strong, hopeful, beautiful girl was named FAITH? And that is exactly what she had. She is still healing and very scared, but her faith is what keeps her going, and what has through her brutal life. We encouraged this beautiful Faith and prayed before we had to continue on. She smiled for some pictures and thanked us with so much gratitude for visiting and praying with her.

After we left we wanted to curl up and cry for this poor young woman, yet at the same time we were so uplifted by the way she lives her precious and beautiful life. Saying we were left broken is an understatement. Feeling the ache with each word she said is indescribable, but walking away completely inspired by Faith’s faith was totally LIFE CHANGING!

She changed my perspective on everything. No circumstance, suffering, or fight for her life was more powerful than her faith. She knows God has a plan, and she is living her life as each day is a gift, waiting to see what He has for her next...

I want the faith of Faith!

       

Soon after this first visit we were able to return to her home with some food and more prayers. She informed us that she was accepted into a refugee camp in the States, and hopes to be on her way as soon as September. We are unsure where yet, but pray that Faith can attain this dream and continue to change lives in America.