Hanging out with Kenya Deaconess Sisters in 2009
A big huge thank you to all of you who take the time to read my little blog posts. My last post in April, 2020, I focused on the needs of the suffering in Kenya due to the pandemic, the flooding and the invasion of locust. And so many of you responded with prayers and gifts totaling more than $4,500!
It’s been fourteen years since my first trip to Africa in 2006. It was then I witnessed poverty unlike anything I’d ever seen before, (and I didn’t even venture into the slums of Nairobi until 2008). I returned home shaken to the core, and for several months, would find myself crying at a memory or emotion coming to the surface. More often than not, I would kneel at the altar at Holy Cross, completely helpless, letting the tears flow down my face and asking God, “Why?” “Why the suffering?” “What am I supposed to do? It is too overwhelming—this poverty and suffering.” As I laid down my pleas, I began to understand that I could not save the world. Relief of all reliefs! But I wasn’t off the hook.
My focus became my deaconess sisters in Kenya. I watched them. I listened to them. I worked alongside them as they embodied mercy for those in their care, including me. Their compassion was a healing balm for my own feelings of helplessness. As we made home visits, I listened as they brought words of comfort as they sang hymns, read a Psalm and prayed. I watched as they took from the little they had, in order to share something with others, be it a pack of sugar or a little bag of maize. I soaked it all in—the suffering and the compassion. Through their steadfastness and faithfulness to Christ and His Word, I learned that things can change, however small that change seems to be, because they simply brought Christ’s compassion to others.
Deaconesses Eunita and Elizabeth in 2013. We have been friends since 2006. They are my mentors in mercy.
You all have walked alongside me on this journey. Your prayers, words of encouragement and donation have brought mercy to those who suffer. You are a part of the change!
Here is the latest update from my friend and colleague in Kenya, Pastor David Chuchu.
“DCM* has been responding to the vulnerable people in our midst facing health threats from corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Kenya. Life has been so difficult to many people here as they are often subjected to harsh conditions in which they move, live and work. Pastors, evangelist and deaconesses similarly became vulnerable as a result of the closure of churches. Your generous help has been able to reach 200 households with direct cash transfer on our MPESA platform.* These includes support to 82 deaconesses, 30 pastors and 20 Evangelists and 68 vulnerable families with mostly widows and orphans headed homes. In addressing the needs of the sick and the elderly in Kamuga, where we have a proposed hospice, DCM facilitated the youths to distribute food items door to door for 70 households. These are elderly people or very sick persons that could not access support through the money transfer on mpesa platform. Your support touched many hearts and their prayer abounds with joy to you. So far we have spent Kshs* 617,800 ($6178) in this response. We thank you dearly for your support. We have also received request of our retired pastors and evangelists that are also down and have inadequate access to health and other basic services. In our next distribution we will include some of these church workers that devoted the time to serve and now due to COVID-19 pandemic and in hardship and pain. We continue to thank you for your support.”
*MPESA is a system of transferring money via a cellphone, similar to Venmo
*DCM is Diakonia Compassionate Ministry
*Kshs is Kenya Shillings
Reunited in January 2020: Pamela, Eunita and Elizabeth
Also, the architect is continuing to work on the renderings for the hospice house. Now more than ever, this place of refuge is needed. More on that to come!
Always Mercy,
Pamela
