HOPEww Volunteer Corps Kenya 2018 Report

In July, my daughter Lydia and I joined 20 other adventurers from the U.S. and Kenya for a two-week service project in south-central Kenya. Kenya is 9,400 miles from Chicago by air. But after being there for two weeks, I feel in my heart that it is very close! We spent a week in Nairobi and a week in the town of Embu. In Nairobi, we cleaned cabinets, chairs, and windows in the children’s ward of Kenyatta National Hospital. In Embu, we renovated a playground. In both places, we spent a lot of time with kids, and got up close and personal with a group of giraffes. Fun fact: a group of giraffes is called a tower. Ed Rothschild is 18 feet tall and weighs 6,000 pounds. I met him at the African Fund For Endangered Wildlife’s Giraffe Sanctuary. I was pretty thrilled. Ed just wanted to eat.

While we were in Kenya, Obama was also there, and got a lot of media attention. Many of the kids thought David was Obama. We were warmly received (perhaps even more so than was strictly warranted!)

We visited the HOPE worldwide office in Embu, and I have to say, I was deeply impressed. The office also functions as a drop-in center for people at risk from HIV. I have been a fan and supporter of HOPE worldwide for nearly all of my 30 years as a disciple, but I had not come close to grasping the depth and richness of HOPE worldwide's commitment to the communities they serve until I heard from the staff in detail what they were doing, and how they were doing it. You can read on the HOPEww website about their work, but it really only scratches the surface. When they say they are reaching those who really are in need, they are telling the truth!

As we began our third day at the hospital, I saw one of the girls hanging out in the hall of the children’s ward. She was about 9 years old, and was wearing a Minnesota Vikings sweater. I explained to her who the Vikings were, and asked if she was a football fan. She looked at me for a moment like I had two heads, and then said very soberly, “The something-somethings are here!” I had her repeat herself a couple of times, and figured out she was saying, “The Mzungus are here.” I wondered, should I run? I asked her, “Is that a sports team? Is that a tribe?” She didn’t give me any more information, so I went to one of the Kenyan brothers and told him what she said. He started laughing, and said, “Mzungu means ‘white foreign person’!”

Mzungus forever!

I can’t describe how close Lydia and I now feel to our brothers and sisters in Kenya. So many shared adventures and memories!

I am very grateful to the organizers of HOPE worldwide Volunteer Corps. These trips are incredibly diverse in their scope and specific areas of service. But no matter what you do or where you go, you will experience these life-changing and transformative elements:

• A core group of people who are together the whole time. By and large, whatever you experience, you experience together.
• Practical, daily, shared walk with Jesus and worship of God.
• Serving others who need your help, together.
• A clean and refreshing break from your normal, day-to-day routine.
• Cultural encounters that will challenge and change your view of the world.

Also, I highly recommend that you consider going on a HOPEww Volunteer Corps (whatever your age). If you are eligible, apply for a scholarship! Or if you see the opportunity, support someone else going. Or, give to the scholarship fund directly. Amazing things are bound to happen as a result!