It is Monday morning here in Kenya. I miss how perfect the morning temperature is in Kenya. it is so refreshing to sit outside and spend time with God. What a beautiful way to start the day. Now I am sitting at my favorite coffee shop with a coffee in hand catching up on emails and getting ready for another busy day.
I have met with a lot of different people since I have been here and I can really see how God is multiplying my time here. Yesterday I felt like I just sat in the house on Karanja and met with person after person. But the conversations were good and I was able to see how God is working here and to be able to counsel and encourage those I had the chance to talk with.
One situation that you can be in prayer for is in regards to Maureen. Maureen is one of our kids at the AIM House. She is having a lot of trouble with school, authority, life in Kibera and more. A week before I arrived she got in a fight with Eva who is carrying for the home. Eva had been working hard to help Maureen even when others in the area had given up home on here and that situation caused Eva to ask the question, “Is this too much for me?” As we talked about options everything seemed less than ideal. Everyone involved started to pray and ask God, “Lord how can we help this girl and not give up on her like everyone else?”
The option that has arisen is to send her to a boarding school far away from Kibera. We are looking for a school that is pretty strict but also that is based on Christian principles. The hope is that she will be able to improve her schooling, to forget some of the things from her past. To learn more about God’s love for her and to be in a controlled environment. Now the challenge is to find this school. I would love to find it before I leave but I don’t know if that is possible.
The other challenge will be that we can’t send her until schools open in January. That leaves us two months still and we feel strongly that there is a better option than for her to stay in the orphanage for these two months. If she didn’t have to finish school this year I would immediately send her out of Kibera to live with some friends that can love on her and take care of her apart from the setting she is now in. Because that is not an option we are going to talk to her pastor here to see if there is anyone that she could live with for the time being. We are not sure what the best option is here but we are walking this process out in prayer.
One other thing you can be in prayer about. Maureen’s past is full of abuse and odd spiritual issues. We are pretty sure that she is in need of counseling and much prayer. It is our hope that as we get her into a safer environment she will be in a position where God can heal her spiritually and emotionally as well. Please pray that God will show us how we can help facilitate this healing as well.
The short version is that we love Maureen and we don’t want to give up on her.
For now I have to run. I am late for me next meeting. Thanks for the prayers and encouragement.
Scott
