Reflections on the Day

Painting walls and sometimes
ourselves,
Cutting boards to length and
drilling holes,
Assembling bookshelves,
Sorting thousands of
books.
A spontaneous round of Amazing
Grace sung in Kikuyu,
Enthusiastic and spirit filled local
volunteers who showed up in
great numbers,
Bouncing down bumpy dirt
roads of Kikuyu to
deliver food to families.
Being welcomed into a stranger's home
and being invited to come back as a
guest.

Seeing the many faces of God.

A full and rich day.

What follows are some of our reflections on today:

"It was exciting to see some of the men from the community use power tools for the first time. It was a little frustrating at first as they striped screws and broke a few bits. But with some instruction they got the hang of it and didn't want to quit. It was an unexpected bonus to be able to teach them to use these tools and see the joy and pride on their faces. It was definitely worth a few broken bits and split boards."

"A lot of kids came into where we were sorting books. The kids got really excited seeing all of the books. Some stayed to help us and every time they took a break they would pull out books to thumb through."

"Two women showed up today. They had heard that the library was already open. They had come to read. The excitement from the community is so great we may be full on day one. We might even have to build some overflow seating outside."

"When delivering food today I was struck by the extreme poverty some people live in. It is like nothing I've ever seen or imagined. But I was also struck by how happy the kids are, how their lives are not encumbered by all of material things that fill our lives and how the whole community plays a part in raising the children. On reflection I think perhaps they zare not the ones who are impoverished - perhaps we are."