"Sympathy is no excuse for lack of action."-David Livingstone
"Impact Africa" was not how we were going to change Africa, but how Africa was going to change us.
We departed for Africa at 9:30 am on Sunday, May 30, 2010. Our first stop was at the Vapor Sports Ministries location at Farm Links in Sylacauga, AL. We spent all day Sunday in classes to prepare us for our trip. The group included 10 members from MyChurch of Columbus, 1 member from Mount Gilead Baptist Church in Dothan, AL. 3 members from Green Bay, WI, and 4 members from Brook Hills Church in Birmingham, AL. Our flight left from Birmingham, AL at 11:30 am on Monday, May 31st. We went from Birmingham to Dallas to London, to Nairobi, Kenya. It was 20 hours of flight time... NOT FUN. But it would all be worth it. We stayed at a place just out side Nairobi; it was a lodging house called Kijiji. During our stay in Kenya we visited the Kawangware slum, Congo slum, and Gichagi slum. The obvious human suffering that we witnessed was unbelievable. If I had not seen it, I would not have believed it. It is something that words and pictures do not do justice. But one thing that was so amazing was the spirit of the people there. The kids had smiles on their faces, even though they were malnourished and living in very poor conditions. We participated in the football(soccer) program in Kawangware on Saturday. We all paired up with coaches and got involved. The Vapor staff on site was unreal. They were all overflowing with joy from the Holy Spirit. We spent one day on Safari in Sweetwaters Camp in Ol Pejeta Conservancy near Nanyuki, Kenya, right near Mount Kenya. We saw some amazing animals and some amazing terrain. It is so hard to believe that there is something so beautiful and something so horrible so close together. The things that we saw will forever change us. We are so lucky to have the things that we have in this country. Simple things that we take for granted every day like fresh clean water, plumbing, food, shelter... I am not even talking about conveniences; I am talking about necessities, basics for life... If you don't believe me, please go see for yourself. You will have your mind changed for you, I promise. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have not ever been a very sympathetic guy. Well that has change. The little girl in the photo above is Gracious. She is just one of millions of children living in slums. She had my heart strings from the very first look. She is as sweet as they come. She lives in the Kawangware slums but you could never tell it from the smile on her face. Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances Gracious was pulled from my arms and I was never able to see her again. This was an extreme emotional battle for me. I hate flying and I hate being out of my comfort zone and this trip did both of those in a major way, but I would not hesitate to do it again just to see one of those little smiles again. It has that much of an impact...
