Kenya Christians lending a helping hand

On Sunday Parklands Baptist Church in Nairobi issued an invitation to anyone who wanted to help those who were displaced by the election violence throughout Kenya.

The call was made to help by bringing foodstuffs and clothing to the church to be distributed to those in need. An invitation was also issued for those who wanted to help at one of the holding camps throughout the city. I'm sure this appeal was issued in many churches throughout the country. God caused His people to respond - Kenyans helping Kenyans. The pastor talked about the sin of tribalism in his own life. He issued a call of repentance and an invitation of love. Love as God loved us - And this is love, not that we love Him, but that He first loved us. So we ought also to love one another - not as the world loves (demanding love in return) but as God loves (unconditionally, without borders).  I was soon to witness the amazing thing God was doing among His people.

The next day, Monday, I went out to Karura Community Chapel. This church is located at the edge of Nairobi. It is a tent church. The main sanctuary is housed in a large circus-type tent. There is a second large tent set up on another section of the property. There are also a few cinder-block rooms which are used as Sunday school rooms.

Just as we arrived, a large truck filled with people came bumping along the dirt track. They pulled into the parking area just behind us and people began pouring out of the truck bed.

Immediately volunteers sprang into action collecting the names of those who had come.  This however, was just the next thing to do for these volunteers.  They had been there since early in the morning, some even the day before working in preparation for the arrival of these who are now homeless because of the tribal clashes in villages in Western Kenya.

As I walked around the church grounds I witnessed cooperation on a grand scale.  There was the receiving area.  This is where donations of food and clothing are received from individuals and churches.  The donations are unloaded and stacked in one of the cinder-block Sunday school rooms. Here they are counted and noted to ensure that there will not be a short-fall of food, clothing, or bedding.

At the back of the property, there were young men and teenagers helping with the construction of makeshift bathing areas and toliet areas.  When you house 100+ people for an extended period of time, it can be taxing on your facilities.

Behind the tent where the meals were being served was the outdoor kitchen area. This is how Africans cook for large groups of people.   Large pots called sufurias (soo-fur-ee-ahs) filled to the brim with greens and ugali were bubbling as they cooked over a wood fire in preparation for the lunch-time meal. Of course before all this food is actually put into a pot over a fire it has to be prepared. Inside the eating tent, at the rear, I found the food preparation area.

This food preparation area is where some other youths were put their skills to use - I think perhaps some of them obtained skills while on the job!  These young men were learning the skill of potato peeling, others learned to sort legumes and beans.  

I was impressed by these young people.  This is their school break and they were spending their free days helping those in need.

On the other side of the property, by the water tap, is where I found the clean up going on. As you can see, there is a lot more to helping than just buying food and giving it to people.  If you truly are committed to help as these Kenyans are you have to go the full distance.  Preparing, cooking, and cleaning up. 

Used clothing was also a big part of the donations.  Some of these who were displaced were wearing the only clothing they still owned. They had not changed clothes since the beginning of the election violence experienced almost two weeks before.  Clothing had be donated and brought to the sanctuary tent in huge boxes.  Then the sorting began.  A heap of men's clothing was made, as well as a women's pile and an mound of children's clothing.

After the meal an opportunity was given for everyone to enter the clothing area and select a few items that would help tide them over through this trying time.

The experience at Karura Community Chapel was an eye-opener for this missionary.  I have served in several different countries in Africa for over 18 years and I was so blessed to witness this outpouring of love from one African brother to another. UN relief and Red Cross relief are needed, yes, but sometimes when we read about disasters, especially in today's world (where there seems to be so many causes to give to relief work), we try to easy our conscience by throwing money at a cause.  But these Christian came together.  Tribal differences were not an issue and should not be an issue in the family of God.  We are one through Christ and we come together to help others as one family in Christ.  We commit our time as well as our resources. We bring love in the form of a cool cup of water in the name of Christ to a parched land. God first loved us -- we ought also to love one another!  Praise God for His unfathonable love.