It's Jameson again!
Today was another awesome day and very cool day. We started the morning off with meeting all the kids at the Giraffe Center (you can see pictures of this if you go to the blog entry with our schedule on it and click on the link). This is such a big deal to all the kids! Most kids will never leave the small town of Riuru outside of Nairobi. They won't ever go anywhere else until they are old enough to be done with school and they are looking for work. So for them to be able to go to the Giraffe Center is a HUGE deal. At the center, you get to feed, look at, and even "kiss" a giraffe. It is almost like a game preserve but they have about 3-4 giraffes that are there.
The kids love it and really get so excited. Plus, they get to ride in a big bus to get there (which is a thrill in and of itself). They have a program that lasts the better half of a day for the kids with information, a movie, and, of course, feeding the giraffes. They also have turtles and warthogs at the Center as well.
One of the amazing things was the simple trip that we took the kids on. Schools in the US go on field trips all the time but most of the time the students have probably been to the place they are going already (i.e. the zoo, museum, or park). Here, the kids haven't even thought about going because it is not something they can just go to. So when they find out they are going, it is a huge deal, not only to them but to their families as well. It is an amazing thing to see so many kids so excited about a field trip. It will be something they talk about for a very long time!!
When the kids went in to watch the movie, we left to head back over to FOCUS to continue working. Once we got there we started on our projects. Some of us continued painting the walls to the inside classrooms, some of us did landscaping and removed some shrubs, some of us fixed the sand box, and some of us hung a tire swing! It was awesome to see everyone pitching in to accomplish all that needed to be done!
The property that Project Lucas and FOCUS now have is amazing! It is so much more useful and suitable for the kids. I think back to two years ago when we came to their other property and I am just blown away by how much this new one is so much better. The kids really have a sanctuary to go to when their life is crazy and horrible at home. They have this place, like a refuge, to have people love on them and care for them. They have a place to come and eat a meal and learn in school. They have a "home" away from home.
I love the fact that we can be a part of it. We are changing the lives of some of these kids right now in the two weeks we are here. It seems like there is so much that needs to be done and there is only so much we can do, but at least we are doing something! As Scott says a lot, "It's a drop in the bucket." What we are doing is a drop in the bucket but at least it is a drop and it is, even more importantly, a HUGE drop for these kids!
One of the cool things with Project Lucas and FOCUS is that even if you didn't come on this trip, you can still provide that "drop" for one of these kids. It's as simple as sponsoring a child for $30 a month! My wife and I as well as our high school students and leaders sponsor children from Project Lucas. I can't tell you the blessing it is to come here and see them and hang out with them, but, even better, is knowing that our "drops" are affecting a child for the rest of their lives. What a blessing!
What can you do? What will your "drop" be? It's very simple...just do it and stop putting it off til tomorrow. There will always be tomorrows but there always won't be the chance to change a child's life!
No comments:
Post a Comment