From Nothing to Everything

Yesterday, I was able to experience something that I never thought I would see. Poverty at its finest. My family here in Nairobi is made up of several brothers who literally come from nothing, but have more than I will ever have. The place that they call home is in the heart of Nairobi in the Mukuru Slum. Nairobi is made up of several slums, the biggest one that receives the most media attention is Kibera, but today its all about Mukuru, where my friends and brothers live. I was told that when I was going through a slum that all five of my senses would be touched and I never could have been prepared for what I was about to witness. I had seen photos, movies, but nothing could have prepared me for this. I could not get over that this is where these people live. Here, in this place, where trash, slug, and filth are exhorted. The smell of poop, pee, and days, maybe even week old trash builds up. People sleeping on dirty rags in the sun, just trying to stay out of peoples way. This degree of poverty is mind blowing and real. The only way to describe it is unbelievable.

Here are my friends with absolutely nothing and yet, they insist on showing us their prized possessions, which are pictures of their girlfriends, mother, or their little boy who has just been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. They call us brothers and want to show us their lives. Their hospitality and generosity is just absolutely mind blowing! I mean here is a man who wakes up every morning at 5 am to provide barely enough money to feed his family for one day, his son is diagnosed with a major disorder, and I ask him how he makes it through each day and he says, "faith." Wow! And you should see the smile on this guys face when he says it. He's experienced it, lived it, and believes it with everything he has. If only I could have half of this man's faith. Going to their house has definitely been one of the greatest gifts that I could have ever been given. I will never forget this experience.