Headaches and Heartaches 1/12

Today was sweet. It was Monday and we got to join Otis on his daily drive to pick up all the kids at Kenya Relief Academy. We got to watch each sweet face board the bus and sit wide eyed while this big machine made its way through the crazy Kenyan roads.

We also got to go with Devry to pick up a new orphan named Barrack. He was residing in a catholic orphanage about an hour away from the compound. We would make our way to the home and take this sweet baby back to Kenya Relief to start his life there.

Upon arriving to the orphanage we got to love on 20 bare bottomed 2 year olds running around, all of which were orphans. Most of these kids, including Barrack may be coined “a mistake” or “a tragedy”. But let me tell you this boy was none of those things. He was sweet and craved attention. He was social and in every way beautiful. Not to mention he was born without the bottom half of one of his legs. So at 4 years old, while the other kids woddled around, he crawled his way to every activity to keep up with his rambunctious friends. Barrack is special, ask anyone on this compound, especially Devry.

The rest of the day we spent with the kids because starting tomorrow we are going full force at the clinic. I love just spending time with them. Little ones running up to you with arms spread out ready to embrace every inch of your body. Pure joy. They are love.

I guess you could say I am on cloud 9, and yes that is true. But I think you are missing one thing. One very important aspect of Kenya that people always look over….. that is, until you get here.

Life is difficult.

In everyway, daily life is more exhausting.

Here are a few ways:

-       you will get an immediate headache upon entering a Kenyan vehicle, roads are not paved.

-       You will crave every type of processed food, they only have fresh fruits and vegetables

-       No drinking tap water, or brushing your teeth with it for a matter of fact. Bottled water is your best friend

-       Wifi is horrible, good luck getting a text message through. And if you want to instagram, you better just forget that.

-       Showers are cold unless the heater is turned on. But watch out, if you touch the shower head you are probably going to be shocked.

-       You are dirty 24/7, even after a shower.

-       You will wear chacos so much blisters will form in places you didn’t know existed

-       Bug spray becomes your new perfume and everything in your room will smell like it.

-       You will stand out. White people are stared at ALL the time. No blending in

-       Your room is always the temperature of outside. No heat and no air conditioning

-       You don’t understand the language, so you constantly strive to translate atleast one word out of a whole conversation.

-       Your heart will break, in more ways than one. Every hour of every day. These kids, these people, this poverty

-       Spiritual warfare will wear you down. But Hakuna Matata (no worries), Jesus has conquered death.

-       You will feel completely out of control at all times, which leads you to have complete reliance on Jesus.

I am grateful. For cold showers, bottled water, and more blisters than I could ever imagine. I am grateful for headaches and heartaches because that is where Christ resides…... In this messy, unfiltered life.

Be blessed, Hannah