"I Know, But..."

A friend, who lived in Kenya for many years, returned this week for a visit. One night, a group of us went to her favourite spot for Indian food – Bhajias, palak and tika dishes, masalas, nan, etc – if these are unfamiliar, you have missed truly great food! By the time our guest’s order arrived, she had already sampled favourites from many of our plates – which meant she simply couldn’t clean her plate. Being a witty person, she said: “I know there are hungry children in Africa, but…”

We all laughed, but her statement, one that is repeated daily around our world in different versions including placing the children in China, later returned to me in the form of a rebuke during a prayer time : “How often do I recognize a problem of people suffering and add a ‘but’ before I move on to another concern?”

There are hungry children in Kenya and other parts of our world – children hungry for attention, food, clothing, education, peace, love, etc. During this time of chiding, that I know came from God, I remembered several pictures that I took last weekend during a Church Planting training in the western Kenya town of Kitale. The first was of three children who stood for a short time outside the Tumaini (Hope) Baptist Church. In my pictures of the trio, the two older children expressed many different expressions, including a smile, but the youngest boy always had a look that … there are no words to explain the look in his eyes. But it did lead me to pray as I took the pictures and as I’ve looked back at these. The look in his eyes would not allow me to add a “but” and move on without praying for him.

I also remembered another captured scene that I will long remember. Three boys in threadbare clothes had played near the church most of the morning. After the pastors and church leaders had been served lunch, beans and rice (not fancy, but tasty and nutritious), I spotted the pastor’s wife talking to the boys. She offered them some of the left-overs. The older boy refused at first and passed it to the two younger ones. The pastor’s wife insisted that the three of them eat, but the older boy made certain the younger boys ate most of what was on their shared plate. The woman must have also seen what I viewed – when the younger boys ran off to play, she brought another full plate to the older boy.

Then I saw another amazing thing – after everyone had been fed, including more neighbourhood kids, and the meeting’s afternoon session began, I spotted someone sitting behind the last pew. It was the pastor’s wife – she had finally found time to eat a bit of lunch! I don’t think I will ever read our Saviour’s words, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat” (Matthew 25:35) without remembering this lady.

Please join me in praying for the hungry children of Kenya and of our world. Pray that they will adequate housing, clothes, education, security and medical care. Pray that Christians in their midst will respond also to their spiritual hunger and be active and nurturing ambassadors of their Father’s love and salvation. Bert Yates