Yesterday was a moving day of ministry in the Nairobi slums. We went in groups of 6 with members of Fountain of Life Church and armed security escorts, to do home visitation for people suffering with HIV/AIDS.
It was a scene that is indescribable, with mounds of trash and raw sewage flowing through the gutters and narrow passage-ways. Pretty intense, but a blessing to share the gospel with some people and pray and encourage some that know Christ, and to see contentment and the true joy and peace of Christ in a whole new way.
My most memorable visit was with 30 year old Ennis and her 2 year old son Morgan, both HIV positive. She used to wash clothes for less than 1 per day – around 20 a month. She pays 8 a month to rent her 6×6 home with black plastic bags sagging as her roof – filled with holes that leak water into her home when it rains. This meager space that she shares with her 3 kids was barely standing room for our group of 7.
Today Ennis sat on the floor with her Bible next to her and 2 year old Morgan crawling from the floor onto her lap. She sits with her back against the twin bed – the only bed for her and her 3 children. She is too weak to stand up to greet us, with injury and infection/ sores on her legs. She smiles and praises God, her eyes filled with tears of joy that brothers and sisters in Christ would come to visit her. I will never forgot the contentment, just her son and her Bible and yet she was so filled with joy and hope despite her physical illness and her desperate situation.
I wish I could bring her and her story to every church in America as an example of what Paul wrote when he said I have learned to be content no matter what the circumstances. Earlier in Phillipians 4 Paul starts that chpt by saying “rejoice in the Lord always”. Ennis was a living example to me and I praise God for her. More stories to come from this day.


Thanks for keeping us updated with your writing Mark. I’ll catch up with you when you get back, would love to hear more of those stories.
By: scott on March 19, 2009
at 8:31 pm