Dream Job 28th February 2012

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It is so hot here, 35 in the shade here today.  When even the locals are complaining it is hot I know I am justified in being a complete sweaty heap!  However life must go on and extreme temperatures can’t keep me away from a day in the office.  If I could have written my dream job

it would have been what I got to do today.  

Nelly is a fab lady here who has worked in the office for many years and does a lot of work with sponsor kids.  She is amazing at knowing hundreds of children by name.  Today I got to join her in an exciting aspect of her job.  We met with children at the school here to tell them that we had found a sponsor for them… what a privilege to give such good news. What an honour to see the smiles that have been brought about by someone somewhere hearing about Tumaini and taking the time to fill out a form to sponsor a child.  Nelly took photos of the children so we can send them to the sponsors. 

It was great to hear some of their ambitions and hear some of their stories.  One story has stayed with me.  I asked each child who they lived with and this particular high school boy told me that he rents a room in the village.  I asked him how he managed to pay for it as he is in school full time so he told me that he sells mandazis (a local cake) at break times.    I tried not to show my shock and emotion.  As an outsider looking in I could rush to say he has nothing, no parents to look after him, no one to cook dinner for him, no one to help with his washing or ask when he will be home.  

However as he talked he wasn’t complaining at 

all in fact he was radiating such joy that it was infectious. He said that when he leaves school he wants to work as a mentor to tell people that Jesus is always there for them. I don’t think I 

could ever tire of a job like that. I feel so blessed 

to have this opportunity.  I am so thankful to see for myself how people’s giving makes a real difference here. I will hold on to the valuable 

lesson I learnt from a high school boy today 

about the joy that no earthly thing can bring.