“Mzungu, Mzungu” the kids screamed as I walked down the dirt road to the edge of the forest for my evening walk. Never mind that I’ve known most of these children for four years now, they still squeal and giggle when I walk down the road, calling out “white person, white person” as if they’d never seen me. When I graduated from WCA over seven years ago, I would never have pictured myself living in the remote village of Ndathi situated at the base of Mt. Kenya, much less pursuing a career in international development and relief. However, the Lord has graciously worked with me over the years, teaching me to embrace my gifts and use my abilities to serve and walk with those people on the fringe of society. 

Today I am working on a short-term contract in Kenya to help establish a community library in a region where there is no electricity and no running water- much less any libraries. Our aim is to bring books, audio and visual materials and other artifacts to the community to help increase their access to knowledge while also promoting a culture of learning. By doing this, it is our hope that we can help the community help themselves.
 
Over the years, I have worked on various projects in this region and learned countless lessons but undoubtedbly the most important lesson I have learned is to work hand-in-hand with the community. It is much easier said than done, but at the end of the day if the project does not resonate with the community, the project will fail no matter how well-intentioned it is. To me, it goes back to loving our neighbor. Many organizations come in with big budgets and great ideas, but they often fall short at respecting and loving the community they are aiming to help. It is easy to enter a poverty-ridden area and automatically feel sorry for the locals but I have learned that this gut reaction is often mislead. I have met people who cannot afford to eat more than one meal a day but they have a joy inside of them unmatched by any other. This simple discovery stirred within me a desire to learn from my neighbors, which in turn has facilitated a two-way relationship where we are both able to share our particular areas of knowledge and encourage each other.
Whether it is your dream to serve communities in far away lands or to serve your local community, take time to appreciate people’s unique gifts and knowledge and then work with them to determine the best way to spur on development. As my time in Kenya comes to a close, I look back and am incredibly appreciative for my Kenyan friends. The lessons I have learned from my neighbors, most of whom have not completed 9th grade, far surpass the knowledge I acquired during my graduate studies.
 
Never take for granted the lessons you learn when you stop and take time to live with a community different from your own. It is my hope for all of us to venture out into the world, eager to love and learn about the beauty of the nations. After all, one day we will all be together- people from every tribe, tongue and nation- worshiping our Creator. The more people I meet from different tribes, tongues and nations, the more joyfully expectant I become for the days ahead.