When God Shakes Your World

I know our families and friends in southern California received a jolt the other day when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck. I understand the feeling all too well when the ground begins to tremble, all that has appeared solid and permanent starts shifting, and that which seemed certain suddenly becomes unsure. In a different but equally powerful way, our world was shaken again by God today as we visited two special ministry sites in Nairobi.

Both sites, one in Ngong and the other in the sprawling slum of Kibera (on left, population about 1 MILLION!), focus on providing mothers who are HIV+ with assistance and resources to regain lives of productivity and dignity within their communities. The program, called WEEP (Women Empowerment Employment Program), finds women who need medical, emotional and spiritual help in dealing with the fallout of the AIDS virus. Nearly all are single mothers, their husbands either deceased or gone, who would have died without the intervention of this ministry. Their stories were nothing less than amazing, as they spoke to us of their sickness, desperation, isolation and redemption.

These women (six present in Ngong and eleven at Kibera), all on the brink of death at one point, now reflect life and hope that defies the imagination. Their spiritual fervor is evident, as is their outlook on the future. This is because WEEP (picture- Gladys, left, WEEP Kibera director with Vickie, director of HEART Africa, overseeing ministry) not only assists with medical needs but also trains these women to be tailors and artisans. They make school uniforms, tablecloth sets, clothing and jewelry that they sell. In so doing, they make enough money to care for their families (food, rent, necessities) and they have once again become functioning, "normal" members of their society. Where there was once no hope, now there is hope- these women proudly declare that they will, by God's grace, live long enough to see their children grown! That's a huge statement, considering their conditions just a few years ago.

Our time with them included listening to their stories and talking with them about what God is doing in their lives. Diane Williams brought 400 hats crocheted by women of the church (and other friends!) along with looms and needles so the ladies could learn to make and sell them! Boy, was that a hit! We practiced Swahili with these women (often poorly!), laughed and prayed with them, and gained great insight into what is happening in this part of the world. Our own worlds were shaken once again as we saw God doing the unimaginable in the most desperate of circumstances. Wow! That's the kind of shaking we need!