HYC Nairobi: The Answer to My Prayer

My time in Kenya was by far the best and most impactful experience of my life. From building bricks, to spending time at the children’s hospital, I learned so much about myself, others, and God. When I was applying for HOPE Youth Corps, I prayed God would take me somewhere where I could learn how to love others the most, because my theme scriptures for the year are John 13 (the washing of the disciples’ feet) and John 15:13. Kenya was the answer to my prayer, and I am so grateful that my first choice didn’t work out.

I have to say that the most impacting part of my time was the few days we were at the Kenyatta National Hospital in the pediatric ward. I was on an oncology floor, working with children in some of the wards. 60-70% of the children had retinoblastoma, which is a cancer in the eye, and almost all of them had only one eye or an eye patch the entire time. The first day we were at the hospital, we were only with the kids for a total of maybe two and a half hours or so. They were fairly reserved initially, but as we sang songs with them and held them, we felt them warming up. By the second day, after having only spent a couple hours with them the day prior, they were ECSTATIC to see us. My group was asked to help on another floor for a little while and while we were gone, the kids were asking for us, asking us to come to them. Seeing how joyful these precious children were to see us made my heart so full, and made me feel as though we were actually able to help relieve and distract them from their physical pain.
The third day we were there, I had been playing with this beautiful 3 year old girl named Shantel. She has retinoblastoma in her right eye so she is only able to see out of her left eye. The first day I met her, she was incredibly shy. There was a language barrier between us because she couldn’t speak English and I couldn’t understand Swahili. Yet despite this, we built a connection by me merely holding her, throwing her in the air, spinning her around, playing ball with her, etc. Our last day there, when I put her down to leave and say goodbye, she burst out in sobs when I walked away. Immediately I realized the impact God’s love had on these children. Going into the hospital, I felt so helpless and hopeless for these beautiful children who were suffering and in so much pain. I was frustrated that I couldn’t speak Swahili with them, that I couldn’t heal their pain, and that I had nothing to give them physically.

I couldn’t understand how I, someone who can’t relate to their pain or fix them, could in any way help them. Yet God showed me that He takes our morsels that we offer and turns them into gigantic pots of gold. God used the little I had and used me, and everyone else, to pour out His love on the children. Everything else on this HOPE Youth Corps was just as amazing and I have to say that even though I’d love to see other places and go on new adventures through HYC, I would most certainly go to Kenya again if it meant getting to experience this all, and see the Kenyan brothers and sisters again! It was challenging, yet uplifting and I was blessed with an amazing group and amazing leaders! I miss it already so much and look forward to when I will return, whenever that may be!