Something Good

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? John 1:46
A banner hangs behind the pulpit in the tent at the church in Pangani (the area that the center is located in ). The first day we arrived at the center I read this verse and thought how brilliant it was to put this on a banner to encourage the community. Of all the verses we have given people to encourage them in the past few weeks this one is certainly one of the most encouraging. The answer to the question is of course Yes since Jesus came from Nazareth and at that time many people didnt think anything good could come from Nazareth much less the Messiah. Yet Jesus did-he came from the most unlikely of places. I just love that about him-just full of surprises and he always seems to turn things upside down. I am sure there are many people that dont think that anything good can come from Mathare Valley, but that is so not true and I feel like that verse is placed in the Bible for people such as these.
Over the past weeks we have met and been encouraged by some tremendous people from the most humble backgrounds and darkest places. We met some women the other day who are single because either their husbands left them when they found out they were positive or died from HIV/AIDS. These women have taken in orphans and are taking in pregnant women who have been kicked out of their homes. To top it off they have no jobs or money or much of anything yet they have chosen to live in community with one another. A few of the women were Christians and a few were not, but in the past few weeks all of them have been saved including one of the young pregnant women who is a Muslim from Uganda. We have met with them several times in the past few weeks and they have the light of Jesus glowing within them. I would say that is something good.
Today we met another group of young men who went through the CHE program a few years ago. They now work at a community center which houses a school with over 200 children, a community library, a HIV/AIDS support group, youth sports and arts program, micro enterprise loans for women who are guardians of orphans and spiritual mentoring etc. They grew up in this community and rather than sit back and think only of themselves they have really poured their lives into making this community better. It was super encouraging and they really exemplified just what being the hands and feet of Christ looks like. That too is something good.
I could honestly go on and on and on but for now I wanted to share those with you. If our Saviour can come from a place such as Nazareth who knows what amazing people will come from Mathare Valley.