Base Visit

Our car was being worked on by the auto mechanics skills class, so Darlene and I drove "the green car", which is usually driven by Francis Mbuvi.  We drove on Kangundo Road, past lots of new buildings  -- Coca-Cola is noticeable for all the red paint -- that are up to 5 stories high.  We drove to Outer Ring Road (we haven't been there since the Eastern Bypass was put in), turned right and went down to the Total gas station.  We delivered the car to a car wash there, partly because it was dirty and partly to keep it safe while we went to the base.  We met the Eastleigh Team there -- Larry Conway, Moses Gicharu, Jane Abuti, James Njuguna and Byron Mugesiah -- and boarded a matatu (minibus - most transport in Kenya is privately owned and is either vans or minibuses) to go south on Outer Ring. We traveled about one mile, then got off, since this matatu was turning down Kangundo Road. We waited less than a minute for another matatu to continue on Outer Ring.  After about two miles, we got off, walked across the road, and began wending our way through hundreds of small shops and thousands of people.  These shops sell vegetables, used books, fruit, shoes, used clothing, furniture, dry foods and many other things.  Watching where one steps is important.

We finally arrived at the railroad tracks; it's a place where two tracks come together and about 75 feet space is between them.  Our first sight was several young men working in a collection of small gardens. A few months ago our Team and some visitors helped these young men with some water pipes, gardening tools and seed.  They have done a great job with it!  One young men had some of the nicest tomatoes I have seen.

The young man with the great tomatoes!!

Did I mention the local smells?  They are varied - food cooking at some local shops, kids who are unwashed, the wonderful smell of ripening tomatoes, exhaust from the train that passed by, garbage piled nearby...

The young men sat down in the shade and up against an old and small tin building that was once a meeting place for a local church.  Both Darlene and I were invited to speak to them.  We always encourage them to trust the God who is able, the God who loves, the Christ who wants to live in and with them, the Lord who comes down to the garbage dump to be with those he cares about.  And we always talk about the future they can have when they trust God.  I used the story of the widow of Nain today, who met Jesus in her sorrow and loss and found a blessing.  Darlene talked about how great the blessings of work are! 

We shook lots of hands and bumped fists (that's the new way of greeting).  Lincoln, who came a little late, wanted his picture taken with us.

Lincoln with a train in the background!

I gave James 1,550 shillings to get some lunch for all the guys.  One named Mutua (about 12 years old) prayed for everyone before we left.  Several of these guys are near his age and are candidates to come and live at Kamulu.  We are trying to get a residence ready for them.  It takes about $300 to do all it takes to do an intake for one young man (children's office, visit with any relatives, getting documents, buying clothes, and so on) -- if you can help us with this, we want to take in 8 to 10 in the next month or so.  Send to Made in the Streets, 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027 or donate online (go to website at www.madeinthestreets.org  

We rode a matatu back to the Total station, excitedly talking about the base and the future.  At the car wash, the car was almost finished, so Darlene and I waited about 10 minutes.  One of the washers asked us where Mbuvi is -- he apparently gets the car washed each time he goes to the Doonholm or Mutindwa bases.  What a great day!  A reminder of the core of our work, where it all starts for us, the very place where God comes down to give his love -- see Psalm 113!!

peace and joy, charles