Camp!!

The school terms here in Kenya run on a different schedule than they do at home. Kids are in school from January to March, then they have the month of April off. Then it’s back to school from May to July, with August having no school. Then it’s the last three months of school from September to November, and December being the last month off. During the months of holidays in April, August, and December, a lot of the kids go to camps. We got to go to the camp that the kids from Mitumba slum went to! It was great! Pastor Shadrach asked us to come for a day to speak to the youth during one of their sessions. It happened to be during the time that Mom and Dad were here, so they got to come along…it was actually their first chance to meet the youth and kids from Mitumba.

The kids spent the week at a high school (which is also a boarding school) in Ngong Hills, which is close to Ngong town. (which is also not far from where we live!). One of the things that struck us the most about seeing the youth/kids at the camp, away from the slum, is that you would never picture them as growing up and living in a slum. They are such beautiful young people, so incredibly well-mannered, so welcoming and inviting, with futures so bright it’s almost blinding! Their environment does not determine who they become!! Their past does not determine their future!! It just really rang true all over again, that the possibilities for these youth are endless. They have hope in Jesus Christ, they are getting a good education, they are being counselled and encouraged in the Lord, they are gaining courage and confidence. They have had to work so hard, they have come so far, and will have to continue working harder than many people to get past the many obstacles in their life, and to not let their past determine who they are going to become. But it is happening!! Aahh I get goosebumps just thinking about it! :o)

Going to camp is such an incredible highlight for them. They get to leave the slum, ride on a bus (which is a novelty!), and spend the week sleeping in dorms, eating great food, learning more about God, sing and dance, play a ton of games, and just get renewed and refreshed. When we arrived on a Thursday, they were all so hyper and excited and I don’t think that the smiles ever left their faces!!

The topic that we were given to speak about was “Friends and Peer Pressure”. We had touched on these topics before during our youth Bible studies, but were able to go into a bit more depth at the camp. We really enjoyed the chance to speak to them. What we did not realize was that after our session was over, the youth would be given a chance to write down questions and we would have to go up immediately and answer them with no time for preparation or research! It was slightly scary, and I have to say, I was a little relieved when our time was up and they had to save some of the questions for another day! They have so many questions, though, and I am so glad they are getting good and safe places to ask them and have them answered from the Word of God.

The rest of our time there was spent just hanging out with the youth, watching their games and relays, taking pictures of them, catching crickets, running around, playing basketball and all sorts of other fun stuff. We joined them for the meals of ugali, sukuma wiki, and stew, which was Mom and Dad’s first chance to try Kenyan food!


We had a really great time (but were scolded by some of the youth that we did not come for the whole week! We are hoping that we can spend more time at the camp with them in August..). I think seeing them in a different environment, out of the slum, helped us to understand them better, and see who they really are. We are finding that our hearts are getting more and more attached to these youth, which makes the thought of leaving them unbearable. We love them so much.