Degree of Obedience

Sometimes I don’t know why I write notes during church, but today I found out why.

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My day typically starts around 8. Teresia cleans up because we don‘t do dishes at night after a long, hard day. Then she prepares breakfast for me which has lately consisted of Kenya’s take on a pancake, chai, and eggs or beans or another type of protein. This is a very important meal because I won’t eat again until all the kids at the center are fed, changed, and back in their bed or chairs (around 2pm). Teresia has made it her mission to see that I eat a very large portion; I will most certainly be gaining weight as long as she’s in charge! I’m being very well taken care of. While she’s cooking I entertain Angel, her one and a half year old daughter who has become my shadow. I try to do my devotion during this time also.

I have so many thoughts and feelings after my first full day at Total Rehab, which was Sunday. No amount of preparation could have gotten me ready for all that I would experience. It’s an overwhelming amount of sounds, smells, and sights that are all so foreign to the culture I know at home. Things are acceptable and overlooked here that most people in the USA would shame. These kids get to be free and find their happiness however that may look. It’s honestly quite beautiful. It’s raw and it’s real. I hope I’m able to go into detail about each and every one of the children with y‘all over time, because they’re each breaking into my heart and tearing down walls that are there due to unfamiliarity. The language barrier has proven to make connecting with some of the children very difficult. Teresia and her staff are teaching me without even meaning to how to be open minded and accepting of all. Patience and perserverance are necessary. You don't have to smile on your face through it all, but it sure makes it more enjoyable for both parties if you do. Judgements are not allowed here. Being uncomfortable is without a doubt common for volunteers. I have experienced a lot of uncomfortable situations already. For starters I’ve been peed on three times in two days. And you know what, I could care less because it gave us all a reason to laugh and if I’m the Mzungo that’s the butt of the joke, then so be it! My time here is so short that letting the things like that (that the ladies who run the center deal with every single day) roll off my back (or down my leg) then at least I’m making their day easier. It’s very difficult to paint a picture of this place with words, so I will take pictures over time. Through my entries hopefully you can begin to gain some perspective, but here is the entrance:

Total Rehab Centre

When I walked up to this welcoming gate for the first time, I had no idea why I had been called here. Being here was the culmination of all of my planning. It has only taken two days to realize that I am here to let God influence this entire month. To have the answers now wouldn’t give Him the opportunity to work in me and let the outpouring of that spill over into the kind of work I do and guide the conversations I have.

I see him in the concrete things like an impromptu worship service for 3 visitors that came to see the children Sunday night led by Isaac, an orphan of Total Rehab. Most children were tucked in bed already, because it was about 7:30. Of the 5 or so that were still in the main area, Isaac led in Swahili from his wheelchair. Those who could jump and dance did. Those that could not get up clapped and sang unashamed whatever praise came from the belly of their soul. Although I couldn’t make out the words, to see this kind of worship blew me away. I clapped and swayed like the white girl in the room I was and loved every second of it. It blessed me getting to be a part of them thanking God for life and that He was their Father.

I see Him in Monday morning’s devotion when I stumbled across some old notes from a sermon that met me right where I am today.

I prepared my heart with this message before going into day 2 of volunteering. I was praying for God to help me in my weakness to be His servant no matter how difficult this task was. I usually start my devotion with Streams in the Desert and go find the verses from that day in my bible. While thumbing to 1 Kings, I found this notebook paper and the parable. And there it was...

“The degree of her obedience became the proportion of the way she saw God work miracles and move in her life and her situation.”

The notebook paper is full of notes from a sermon at Pinelake from the past. I usually write notes to keep myself engaged, but I think God knows what He’s doing and they resurface when I’m in need of them. Don’t miss these!

• God calls us to be vessels and help others and He will amply supply us to fit into that role. Don't wait until you're a fat calf to start being generous.

• This journey would be very dark if we didn't have our God to cling to. Don't give up. Praise Him in your weakest moments. God will hit a moving target - so go to work and pray.

They hit me smack in the face and gave me the courage to take on another day of adjusting to everything that I’m doing while in Kenya. I know He will continue to reveal himself in even less obvious ways. Your prayers are so appreciated and powerful enough to be felt halfway across the globe! I couldn’t be happier to be in His will and serving His people.