Kindfund

# Lea Bernsteiner: Part 2 Reflections on my time at Kindfund Kenya

Everything gets alive when I’m looking at the ton of pictures and videos I’ve taken in the two months of December and January. All those smiley faces!
I’m already back at home since quite a while. However, I’m looking back with thankfulness to the time I was able to spend in Kenya.

It’s kind of crazy how quick you dive back into your „old normal life“ but all the single moments which I‘ve collected there will not just disappear but they will have an impact on my life. It’s worth it.
Back to the time in Kenya and African surprises:
School started back again for the kids in January. Pamela & Ken were away and there was no teacher for class 1 at Primary school in Ngaremara! So within seconds I got the new ‚mzungu‘ teacher. Whereas the fact to be a ‚mzungu‘ (white person) made me more of an attraction to the little ones than a person to.
It was a real joy and challenge to teach a bunch of very energetic kids for the rest of the week.
Situations like this leave you speechless in the way how spontanious things often are in Africa. However I really got used to it. One day I was saying to Pamela: „It’s probably about just stepping out of the door and trusting God.“ Pamela promptly said:“You got it Lea!“
I experienced that Africans don’t seem to judge you with how you do things. Unhealthy pressure which you sometimes find in our communities doesn’t really exist there.
It’s amazing, even little ones are involved in a Sunday service no matter of which age or character they are. I remember little Joy just 4 years on one Sunday stepping out in front of the whole community and singing her little song. This girl just loves to sing and God can use this gift in her!
My task in Kenya was not just waiting for extraordinary/special incidents like the teaching, but all in all to spend time with the children which was an absolutely thankful job. I had a full suitcase with me with lots of gifts from people of Austria. We were doing crafts like knitting, playing games, trying to learn the recorder, climbing a tree, slacklining and ongoing. Something they untirelessy love to do is playing football. I prefered to play with the small children as football is not what I usually do. With that I felt very equal:). It’s not about materials but to simply spend time with the kids. They enjoy that so much. Although they don’t own a lot of equippment they are not getting bored but creative with filling their time with simple things. I had my eyes opened as once a little one approached me showing a bug to which he had tied a cord and was going to take it for a walk like a dog!
My prayer was that God uses situations where I could say the right things to the children and show love to them. Pamela and Ken also encouraged me to share what was on my heart at the regularly fellowships and I also had the experience to take a Sunday school. I’m thankful for that. It wasn’t always easy for me to carry through programes as I was on my own. Therefore I had to work my way through how to handle the adventorous lively big groups of kids. A good way was to divide the kids and doing things with a limited number of classes. An example was when I unpacked the guitar which I had brought with me. Everyone was curious and eager to play it. So I lined them up (about 20 kids) and one by one they played the guitar for a few moments. I stood next to the guitar and said „Okay now it’s the next one’s turn.“
When there were challanges or even conflicts I strongly remember what Pamela once said: „Do good anyway.“
Someone might think, those poor people in far Africa, they must be so thankful with all that they get gifted from generous people like us. However they are the same humans as we are, including evil roots. Sometimes you experience greed or feel like people see you as a person who is throwing around gifts / gift machine. Pamela said and I’m sure this also counts for Ken that God gave her the love for the people in Kenya and that this is what is important in the long run to endure and do what God has prepared.
Something which personally touched me was one day when we went shopping for the older school kids in town (which took hours like typically!). I had an encounter with a little streetboy. With shining eyes he said „yes“ after I had asked him if he knows that Jesus loves him. It really made an impact to me to see that a child like this boy has to live in such a condition and you wish that those poor people have at least the hope of Jesus which noone can take from them. Next to me one of the older boys was standing and told me: „I was in the same situation on the same streets!“ How wonderful it is that with Kindfund children get a new chance for life and the opportunity to hear the truth of God’s word!
Something I’m not missing to mention is what cool and loving „Mum“ and „Dad“ Pamela and Ken (both 70 +) are for the kids!!! Pamela once started a water battle and Ken was playing volleyball with the children! Amazing!
I truly can recommend to all you guys to take the chance if you have one and step out to immerse into a project just like Kindfund. I experienced it as a real blessing. Besides I personally find it extremely healthy if everyone of our western world would get at least once in a lifetime a glimpse of poverty. Better still getting to know people with their individual stories and not simply seeing horrific pictures in the media. It gives us an idea of how disadvantaged many people living on the same planet as we are. And it brings you to the conclusion of how unthankful we often are, taking things just as granted.
Let us also pray for Kindfund family in this current situation of corona virus. It hasn’t stopped in Kenya and they need the Lord’s comfort and help especially as they don’t have access to needed resources as a country.
Thank you Kindfund Family for having me! I would have liked to return soon which isn’t possible for now. God knows if and when there’ll be the next chance to visit. That will be a joy to see again all the precious faces there.
Asante sana.
Lea

Let us also pray for Kindfund family in this current situation of corona virus.

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