Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Crisis in Kenya
It has been gnawing at me for the past few weeks. I've put it out of my mind choosing to pretend that the violence in Kenya is not really happening. I've pretended with our local paper that it is only worth a small blurb of attention on the last page of the world section. That is all it has held in my mind, but today, as I read of the continued violence in a country I always thought of as the one safe beautiful place in Africa, I feel a growing frustration at my helplessness to do anything. The world is a crazy place. It is a world where a team of five doctors in India can steal kidneys from 500 people (this made page 11... people not paying for Portland Public trains took too much of the front page) and 178.6 million people will be traveling by train for the Chinese New Year. I'm not sure why Kenya stands out amidst all this news. Maybe it is because I've known people who have lived and worked there. Maybe it is because fellow seminarians are from there. Maybe because I have prayed with missionaries who have served there. Maybe because it is a place I've always wanted to visit. Maybe it is because I just finished reading A LONG WAY GONE (which is about boy soldiers in Sierra Leone). Not sure what it is, but I feel frustrated and helpless that there is so little that can be done from my sofa on a rainy Portland day. I found one web site through Africa Inland Mission- a respectable organization serving in Africa. They have set up a relief fund (read more @ http://www.aimint.org/usa/projects/kenya_crisis_fund.html). Anyone have any other ideas? I'd love to hear if you know anyone there or other ways to help.
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I, too, have been wondering about Kenya...much like Dafur. Nothing much in the news, and even less on the nightly news. Very sad. We have some acquaintances who are there...the Stickneys. Jason might remember the family. I sent you an email from Buddy Greene asking for prayer. We can do that!
ReplyDeleteLoveland paper had only a small article - but then Loveland's paper you can read in two minutes - takes longer to do the crossword than to read the entire paper.
ReplyDeleteKenya is in a sad state and we can pray for them.
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Dale and I have spent some time in Kenya and we have driven through the slums where so much of the violence is taking place. We have friends there, too, and have been heart sick at the violence. There is so little we can do but pray for peace.
ReplyDeleteIf you are interested in more reading, I read a great book called The Zanzibar Chest (I forgot the author). It is written by a journalist who reported on all the similar violence in Somalia, Burundi, and Rwanda in the 90's. He gives interesting insights into some of the causes and he provides an eyewitness account. It's pretty fascinating and educational.