New Perspectives

10 Aug 2011 5 Comments

by Faith Beltz in Africa birth, IDPs, Midwife mission trip, Nairobi

I imagine many people  must wonder what led me to rearrange my life, move out of my home,  leave  my friends,  and go without modern comforts and security while exposing myself and my daughter to possible disease and difficulty in order to spend every dollar I have on serving people who I do not know and may never see again.

I can tell you that it not for the reasons that most people seem to think. I am not some sort of hero or saint and it is not easier to attend births in Africa.

You see, somewhere inside  of me there is a drive that doesn’t allow me to live a quiet and predictable life. There have been many times that I wished I was different. But for as long as I can remember, I have been seeking new perspectives in a quest to learn more about life and myself. And my soul cannot rest when I know that there is so much need and injustice in the world.

Yes, I am in Kenya to teach and to share, but I am also here to learn.

Even here in a slum of Nairobi, I am feeling blessed in abundance after visiting GIWA for a few days. There I slept  on a dirt floor and shared food with those that had none. I reunited with mothers who told me their complications of birth of which they were lucky to survive and saw children with signs of malnutrition.

We cooked in the closed mud house which made our lungs ache and our eyes water from the  smoke. I was shown scars that remained on those attacked in the post-election violence. I checked on orphans I know and met more.

 

 

Despite these hardships, the people greeted us with huge smiles and warm hugs. My friends from my previous trip went out of their way to welcome me and Grace and make us comfortable. You find  the children  laughing and playing even if they are cold or hungry or working harder than most adults I know in the states.

It was wonderful to be there and Grace and I can’t wait to return. We have decided to leave Nairobi and FreMo clinic with all of our things next week. We were asked for many things from people at GIWA and I know it will be difficult to face the fact that we cannot help them all.  But, I will give all that we have.  Because, that is the only thing that my conscience will allow me to do.

So, for now our double room of cinder block and tin, without running water or electricity here in Kawangware feels like a luxury hotel.

 

 

 

 

That is New Perspective.