It’s been over a year since I’ve written an entry on this blog. I’m fairly certain that’s a no no in the blogging world, but oh well! My last entry was written before I began my trek up Mount Kenya. For anyone who is wondering (because my blog gave very little indication), my friend and I did reach the summit without problems. It was an exciting adventure and an inspiring accomplishment, one that I will never forget.
A lot has happened since that climb, and perhaps I’ll have time to reflect on some of the more important moments, but for now, I want to share more about my recent trip to Kenya. Of course, I had every intention of writing while I was there, but it was difficult to find any spare moments during my days. My trip was incredibly productive, and I want to share more about my experiences even though I’m no longer in Kenya. So here we go…
Are you ready for some honesty?
I left for Kenya on June 7. Before the plane even left the ground I was exhausted. The work I do is not easy. It can be stressful and there are moments when I really want to quit. I was having quite a few moments like that before I departed. It was becoming more and more difficult to see the joy in my work. The needs are too many. There is never enough money, and at the end of the day, I feel like I’m letting everyone down. I know that I’m not alone in this work, but at the same time, it’s hard to not feel completely alone when the needs of 45 children, 80 students and 14 staff members fall on my shoulders.
Rapha Community Center has grown a lot in the past year, which is wonderful for the mission of HEAL and the children we serve. However, we are encountering many challenges as we try to stretch our limited resources to meet the growing needs of our community. I guess you could say that I was in need of some serious inspiration. I needed a BIG reminder of why I do what I do.
I look forward to sharing more through future posts, but for now I’ll leave you with a photo from my first day in Kenya. Enjoy!
Until next time,
Jennifer
Jennifer – you are doing truly important and therefore truly difficult work. You are a real leader, and every real leader has that feeling. So proud to follow your journey from a far distance (geographically and years since we’ve caught up). Keep grinding it out! I hope to help you and your kiddos in some capacity soon 🙂