Mitumba

I just returned from a visit to Mitumba slum. I went with the intention of seeing the ministry there, and seeing about my possible involvement in children’s ministry. It is interesting to me that after having mentioned this place to quite a few people here in Kenya, nobody had even heard of it! They didn’t even recognize the name as a place in Nairobi…the word mitumba actually means “old clothes”. It is a place that is hard to describe if you have never been there to actually see something like it, but I will try my best.

It has been raining here in Nairobi for awhile (we are in the spring rainy season), and so everything is a mess…muddy, dirty, messy, smelly…any and all of those words apply. Diana and I drove to Mitumba and met up with Pastor Shadrach. He is a Kenyan man who, along with his wife Violet, have seen the needs of the children in this slum, saw them eating dirt and chewing on used condoms… and have stepped up to the plate and have given themselves to helping the children. He walked us into the entrance to the slum, and pointed out that he liked my shoes because they have good traction to walk around Mitumba…I understood what he meant as soon as we ducked through and around little tin buildings, and sloshed around the puddles and muck, and dodged garbage and waste. I thought I was prepared after walking around Kibera, but in Kibera we didn’t actually go into any houses, and didn’t veer off the main “road”. Mitumba is a much smaller slum than Kibera with only about 17 - 20 thousand people calling Mitumba their home, but a slum is still a slum. It’s not pretty. When the unwanted breeze picks up, it fills the air with smells of waste, sewer, animals…and makes you not want to breathe in… So we go through the maze of tin shacks, on trails only wide enough for one person, and get to a small opening in the middle of a few buildings…and we have arrived. It is a school for the slum children, from preschool age to grade seven. Pastor Shadrach is so proud of what they have accomplished, and at first I could not see any accomplishment. All my mind comprehended was that everything is so dirty, there are so many children crammed into such a small area, and I’m supposed to work here??? I just kind of got this buzzing in my head, and missed some of what Pastor was saying…I must admit I was in somewhat of a panic mode, and maybe still am.
We walked into a few classrooms, greeted the children and the teachers, and then walked into a tiny office off one of the classrooms to discuss what is happening at this school, and where I could possibly get involved. After Pastor Shadrach and his wife Violet began talking and sharing what the Lord is doing in their ministry, I could really see that, yes, great things are happening!! The school has over 270 children, most of whom lead very difficult, young lives, and all of whom need much love and care. They are able to give the children good education, meals, clean water, and a healthy, loving Christian environment. They have also started a couple of small businesses to first of all employ some people who live in the slum, and also sell what they make to raise money for the orphanage they have started…which begun when they realized that the reason so many children were falling asleep in class was because they had no place to go at night and would just sit in the corridors of the slum walkways and rest their head against the tin buildings. So there are many things that God is doing in this place, and is using very dedicated people like Pastor Shadrach and Violet to do it.

In my conversation with them, it is clear that they need a lot of help and support…there is so much work to be done there. So please pray for us as we seek the Lord’s guidance on possible ministry opportunities here…Trevor and I are going to start going to Mitumba on Saturday mornings, and running the youth program there! It was really neat, because at first Pastor Shadrach really wanted me to teach, and I sort of agreed because I didn’t feel that I had a choice…but after praying about it, realized that I felt no peace about that, and called him to discuss this with him…when I mentioned that we would be free to help on Saturdays, his voice lit up and said “I have been praying for this for a long, long time. You can run the youth club, and counsel them, and get to know them and their struggles.” I feel such peace, and so excited that Trevor and I can minister to these broken youth together.

But at the same time, I am also feeling terrified and completely out of my comfort zone… The slum is not a “nice” place to be, and yet the need is so great. Meeting the children was wonderful, though…they are so excited and beautiful, wearing their bright red sweaters and navy blue pants/skirts. My heart breaks when I think about them, and the pain and sorrow they have faced in their short lifetimes…
So please, please pray.

We are also leaving for Korr tomorrow…a desert village in Northern Kenya…we may be staying until Wednesday, unless Trevor needs more time to fix the vehicles there, then we would catch the next flight back, possibly with AIM or with MAF…maybe Friday or maybe the following Tuesday…Please pray for this as well, for wisdom and knowledge for Trevor as he works on their vehicles, and that we would be a help and encouragement to the missionaries living in Korr…

Much, much love,
~A