As I walked up to the small mud house, I couldn’t help but notice the long mound of dirt lying beside the home. The piece of tattered wood fixed at the top of the pile had been hand painted, marking the date of death as October 26, 2010. I learned, just before walking through the door frame, that this grave belonged to the mother of the household, whom had died just 4 months ago of stomach cancer.
We were greeted with the usual, “Karibu,” and we shook hands with a young girl. Her name is Lydia. She is 22 years old. Her father had remarried and relocated to Nairobi some time before, and upon her mother’s passing, Lydia has been left in charge of raising her 6 younger sisters. It was hard for her to look us in the eye. She was filled with sadness, oppressed by such a challenge.
A local pastor, two women from his church, and I had spent the last hour going into homes and greeting the people there, encouraging and praying for them however was needed. I hadn’t expected to encounter a situation like this one, though. I asked her if she knew the story of Jesus. She said, “yes.” I then asked if she believed he was the son of God. She very quietly replied, “yes.” When I asked her if she had a relationship with Jesus, she said since her mother had passed, she felt completely hopeless, and no longer felt joyful.
From a 21-year old spoiled American kid with barely any responsibilities, to a 22-year old involuntary mother of 6, there is only ONE thing I knew I could possibly offer as encouragement. I exclaimed, “I know that you have been placed in a situation that is incredibly difficult. It is not fair, and it certainly is not what you would have picked for yourself. However, all joy is not lost, and hope is waiting for you to grab it, but that hope is only found in Jesus, and HE is eagerly waiting for you to take it.”
At this, the pastor said something in the mother tongue, and the young woman got on her knees and bowed her head. She prayed for Christ to take over her burdens, to come give her joy, again. After we had all said amen, she got up, with a smile on her face, waved us goodbye with the typical “asante sana” and we left.
John 16:22 – “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”
