I Am Safe!

For those of you who do not know about how things in Kenya have been post-elections, I would encourage you to check out the news. I would explain but I am sure you will be better informed via the news. However, though the news gives information about the major things happening here, it does not tell you that Shayla is safe...so, I will take it upon myself to let you all know, I Am Safe! We have leadership that carefully assesses situations on a daily basis and keep us very well informed as to what we are to in response. We were on lock down for roughly 7 days, which was enough to make anyone crazy...but thankfully we do have friends in our estate that we have to keep us company.

Things are seemingly calming down today, as the majority of Kenyans are just ready to get on with life and for things to be back to "normal." It feels weird how normal things feel today especially since yesterday was a definite lock down day. Kenyans all over Kenya are crying out for peace and longing for the senseless violence to stop!

As things have slowed down a bit, I am finding that i am just beginning to process all of what has been going on. Sometimes i just want to cry but wonder if i will be able to stop...I would have to say that the hardest thing for me is knowing the desperate and constant scary state my friends in Kibera (and other target areas in Kenya) experience on a daily basis. It is hard because I feel so helpless! I call them to check on them and they tell me that they have no food and the resources to get food is so minimal. I hate that all i can say is, sorry...I struggle because i think of the Good Samaritan and how he helped the man who was sick on the street because he had the resources to help and he just could not bring himself to walk away...As Christians, we are called to be like the Good Samaritan...and i struggle with seemingly walking away because I can't help...i can't go down into Kibera and bring food for my friends because i am not allowed. Thankfully, my supervisor is working on getting contacts to help in some way. I know that i have to trust the Lord with my friends! I know that He will protect His own, that He will provide for His own and that it is up to Him how He chooses to do that...I am finding surrender of my own desire to "save the world" and leaving the saving in the same hands that created the world in the first place!

I love you all and i am grateful for your prayers and all the emails of support...it means so much to me!

I will keep you updated as i can.

Shayla