Beautiful Girls Like These

The first line of a blog post is always the hardest to write. There’s a lot of writing and deleting and writing and deleting and writing and deleting. Which is exactly what I’ve done this evening. The past two days have been so full of contrast that I don’t know where to start. So I’m going to start at the beginning and warn you in advance that this is the unabridged version. In other words, it’s long.

When I was packing for this trip I thought to myself, “Wow, there’s nothing like packing for a trip to Africa to reveal my idol of materialism.” Because it’s true. And also makes me want to gag a little. I mean let’s be honest, as I was coordinating my “outfits” I went to my drawer to pull out some tops when I came across three white V-neck tops and two gray tops. And I have a feeling that if I would have kept digging I could have found more. How many do I really need?

Yesterday that hit me fresh all over again.

We walked the dirt roads of Maai Mahiu and visited the homes of each of the six girls moving into Lulu Place next week. It was humbling, to say the least. They live, for lack of a better word, the most simple, humble life, and are full of joy. While we live the most complicated, full of options kind of life and want more. I don’t want to speak for everyone, but this is my simple observation. Maybe I should just speak for myself. Either way, it always leaves my speechless.

 

Before I left for Kenya, I was with my discipleship group and I explained to them that I had to get out of the mindset that this was just an eight day trip and I’d be back home to my comfortable life after that. Because the truth is, it’s really easy to be sent out on a short-term trip when you know you only have to endure being uncomfortable for a short amount of time. And I know myself really well and I have this fear of coming back unchanged. But after the past two days especially, this I know, the Lord is faithful. Unless your heart is made of stone, it is impossible to come back without an imprint, and even joy, in your heart.

Because it’s hard to put into words the homes we were invited into yesterday, I want to invite you into their homes.

Three sisters. The older two are going to Lulu Place. The little one, Mercy, is staying with her mama. She needs healing on the complete left side of her body. Would you join us in prayer for her?

 What you see is all there is.

Showing us her bed. 

It’s gut-wrenching. And unfair. And hard to understand. I think of the scripture in Acts 17:26 when the Lord says, "From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and fixed the limits of the places where they would live." That gives me hope because that means He knows every detail, because He placed us there. And He sees. Because He placed us there. He sees these girls. He sees their moms. He sees their eight brothers and sisters that all sleep on three beds in a little 12x12 square room lined with blankets to create bedrooms, and planks of wood for a roof. Does it make sense to me? I don’t think it ever will. But it gives me hope. 

Last night as we debriefed around the table, Angela brought up the fact that this trip is different than most because although yes, we have seen where the situations these girls are living in, we know there is relief. Talk about hope! We don’t have to walk away, fly back to the states, and pray about what to do. This time we get to come alongside a faithful couple from Kenya who is doing the very hard work. They have dreamed, they have prayed, they have planned, they have developed relationships, and now they will run a home for young girls alongside a church they already shepherd.

A church we got to visit today and celebrate the opening of Lulu Place! What joy! I love watching the Lord do His thing as people pursue their dreams. That will never get old to me.

Lulu Place. It's beautiful, isn't it?

Is this when I admit that we have a lot to learn in America? We think we know how to throw a party, but I submit that we have yet to scratch the surface of celebrating others. Don’t get me wrong, I love our traditions, but Rift Valley Fellowship take seriously “rejoice with those who rejoice”.

After getting out of the van, they carried each girl on their shoulders. Priceless.

 Each girl and her mother being introduced at church.

 Rose and Laura praying over the girls, dedicating both them and Lulu Place to the Lord.

The girls seeing their new home for the first time. 

Feeding the 500 after church.

Today the six Lulu girls were given dignity. And love. And security. And a celebration fit for queen, as Debra so eloquently put it. We all met on the lot of Lulu Place (imagine just a small group of 500), set up tents, prayed, sang songs, and then as the girls pulled into the driveway, each of the women of the church ran to greet them singing a beautiful song in Kikuyu, a tribal language. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life. Because our reason for coming was to dedicate and commission Lulu Place, it is safe to say the eight of us, while videoing and photographing, we’re crying big tears of joy. We later joked that it was the only reason for our sunglasses, to keep from looking like absolute fools. The extreme of seeing their situations yesterday, and their future today was simply overwhelming. It was fitting that the celebration lasted five hours.

We weren’t just celebrating the girls, we were ultimately celebrating the Lord, His faithfulness and provision. And His glory.

Praying over the home before the girls came.

Today I asked Esther what words the women were singing in their song, it went like this, “Beautiful girls like these, where have you ever seen them? God is good; He has allowed us to see them.” Heaven help us, I could cry just typing out those words again. After she told me the words in English, she then proceeded to tell me that this is the song they sing as brides are coming to meet their groom. Sobs. I don’t know a more appropriate song to welcome these girls to their new home.

This is Esther. We love her.

“Beautiful girls like these, where have you ever seen them? God is good; He has allowed us to see them.”

Beautiful girls they are. God is so good. He has never let them out of His sight, and He gave Esther the privilege of seeing them, too. A stunning love story. My prayer for all of us is that the Lord would give each of us the privilege of seeing someone as well.

Give us eyes to see and a heart to love your people, Jesus.

P.S. Here is a video we made for Bayou City Fellowship yesterday. It's a 38 second clip of Lulu Place. No pressure to watch, just thought we'd share!


My Movie from Debra Parker on Vimeo.

Also, if you're interested in even more photos, you can follow #KenyaDigIt on Instagram.