The Gap

~ by Juli McGowan, ELI missionary

It wasn't even 7 am yet, but the line of people outside of my house reminded me of the gap between what is and what should be. One man introduced himself and explained he had walked several miles to meet with me. He shared of struggles in his family and his challenge to pay his children's school fees. Another told of a sick person needing treatment who was unable to afford it. The third explained that he needed advice in how to deal with some challenges. As I walked away, I began to pray. Rather than allow the burdens to overwhelm me, I asked God for His perspective. I didn't have the answers or solutions to these problems, but I knew that God was present. So, I asked Him to show me how to live this day, to love with a love that is greater than myself.

Later this morning, I arrived to the training center and began to tabulate the results from our Tumaini na Afya (Hope & Health) AIDS Awareness Campaign that was held on Saturday. It was an amazing day. A couple thousand people attended and just over 800 people learned their HIV status. Although a majority of the people who tested were men, 95% of those who tested positive were young women. This revealing, once again, not that women are more promiscuous than men but simply more vulnerable. Yesterday I visited a young 20 year old widow of two weeks named Emily whose story represents this so clearly. She married her husband only a year ago. He had worked as a truck driver along the trans-African highway. His first wife had died in 2002 leaving behind two children. Emily learned that she was HIV+ several months ago while she was pregnant. Unfortunately, she did not receive treatment and breastfed her baby. As I sat and listened to her share her story, I was deeply saddened. HIV has stolen and destroyed the lives of too many in this young family. Once more, I didn't know how to comfort this grieving lady; but I prayed to the only One who is able to restore hope to the hopeless.

Things are not as they were meant to be. I know this quite well. But I also know that God is with us. These lyrics, written by Tommy Walker, that say "Sweet Jesus come. Sweet Jesus come. Sweet Jesus come to me. Come set my spirit free so I can worship thee. I want to sense your power and love at work in me. Sweet Jesus come" have so often been my prayer. Today Jesus did come and present himself in the form of a hungry man. He came as a father who doesn't know how to provide school fees for his children. He was in the widow who feels alone and in her baby who is struggling to live. He was in the crippled man sitting outside my window repairing our children's shoes. Jesus has come right to where He said He would be. With an open invitation for us to draw near to Him, we enter the gap between what is and what should be.

Julius Kemboi: A Road to Freedom

Currently, we have 16 men enrolled in our drug and rehab program. We only have sleeping space for 10, and when 26 showed up during the newest intake, we sadly had to show some away. However, six refused to leave, insisting that they will sleep in tents, or outside. But they wanted to be free from the grip of alcohol.

Following is the story of one such man: Julius Kemboi. Julius was born handicapped. His family could not afford to buy him a wheelchair, and no-one could take him to school or take him around school, so he never had a chance to be educated. As a young boy, he convinced a friend, however, to teach him to read.

Julius felt trapped, not being able to stand or walk, and as a teenager, found an escape in alcohol. Later in life, he met a woman and got married. Once he had a wheelchair, Julius would go out to drink. Returning home drunk, his chair would get stuck in the mud. Upon reaching home, he would take out his frustrations on his wife by beating and abusing her. She took their four children and left him for about a year, returning recently because she had mercy on him.

Soon after her return, their pastor encouraged Julius to join the alcohol rehabilitation program. At the center, “my eyes were opened,” Julius explains. “I met men who were physically well, but like me, were addicted to alcohol. Some had had good jobs which they had lost to alcohol. Some were policemen, bankers, or government officials. It dawned on me that alcoholism has no prejudice. It affects even the rich.”

Since having been at the rehab center, Julius discovered that God loves him and had given him skills to use in life: repairing shoes, fixing bicycles, and even do poultry farming. “Someone once gave me KES20,000 (about $300) to start a poultry farm. I blew the money on alcohol!"

After completing this program, Julius wants to return to his family and be a responsible husband and father. “I want my family to be able to rely on me once again. I want my wife to be happy, and I want to provide for my children’s education. I pray for God’s forgiveness and his assistance. And I thank God for this place of refuge during this process of recovery."

An Evening of Worship

Patrick, worshiping
Originally uploaded by Boyznberry.

On Thursday night, a visiting team from Christian Assembly led a night of worship and celebration with the children from the Kipkaren Children's Home. The next day, they hosted an HIV/AIDS-awareness campaign, where more than 3,000 people attended the event.

For pictures of both events, click on Patrick's photo.

There is Hope

There is hope
Originally uploaded by Boyznberry.

Incredible! What an amazing day I had at our recent Empowering Lives Aids Awareness Campaign.

When I arrived the 10 k race had finished and a crowd was gathered around the soccer field of the primary school we had borrowed for the day. Immediately I met the headmaster (Principal) of the school and he was thrilled to have ELI host such an event at this school and community.

The soccer game brought loud cheers as the local teams competed for the winners title. This was another of our strategies to gather a large crowd and rally people to know the devastating effects of AIDS, to get tested ("Know your status"), and to hear of the hope that is available for all through Jesus.

For three days, we held a music worship concert every evening with preaching where we shared the love of Christ and many made a decision to follow Christ.

During the three-day event, a total of 404 people were tested for HIV. Fourteen were positive. (These fourteen will now be receiving free treatment at the AMPATH clinic in Turbo.)

God knows how many lives were touched by the worship and testimonies. Over four thousand people attended one or more of the meetings.

God is good. This is another way that we are helping to reduce the future population of orphans. In the ELI Ilula Children's Home, over 75% of the children are orphaned because of AIDS. This campaign and the many other programs and campaigns we host each year are a vital part of our overall strategy to share the Gospel and change the futures of people and children for the better. Being tested and even just being given the opportunity to be tested is a powerful way to reach people and have them examine their lives, their lifestyles, and their eternal destinies.

Thank you again for your support and prayers.

Serving together,
Don