Building Relationships

Doing an internship with CURE has been a dream of mine for a long time, and it's definitely a dream that God has given to me. The internship was my primary reason for coming to Kenya, but it certainly wasn’t the only reason. My main focus while I’m in Kijabe is my job since I’m in the hospital from 8am to 5pm, and much of my evenings include making and eating dinner, working out, having some quiet time with the girls, and finding quiet time by myself. But that’s not all I hope to be doing with my time here with CURE. The whole CURE International organization emphasizes both medical and spiritual healing equally. Spending time with the children and parents in the ward and building relationships within the hospital staff is so important, and I have to try hard sometimes to make sure I’m actually doing that. Building relationships with the staff isn’t very hard at all actually since Kenyans are notorious for being welcoming (and they most definitely have been)! I’ve only been with the PT staff for 3 days, and just through the wheelchair conference this week I have come to love the people I get to work with and we are becoming great friends. It cracks me up how sarcastic and joking they are with me, especially the girls.

Just look at this lovely group of PT’s J

Here is the wheelchair that David (CURE's PT assistant) and I built today.

Showing love to the kids that may feel broken, unwanted, and ignored can bring so much healing. Eternities are changing every second, and I keep praying for the kids in the ward that they would see something different in me and the other staff. I encourage you to pray with me that they would see the joy that comes from Christ in the way we love them and maybe they would want that same joy. The hospital chaplain lead devotions for the conference yesterday and she talked about Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again; Rejoice.” We are to rejoice for the joy that the Lord has given to us! Something she said that I really loved was that we are not happy FOR every circumstance, but we are happy IN every circumstance. We have a choice to make. We can choose joy, or we can choose sorrow. I will choose joy. For the joy of the Lord is my strength.