Kenya believe there's more?

Kenya say this play on words is getting old? I knew you could... ;)

I'd like to continue repeating some of the stories that I heard from Merci Chidi in Kenya about the foundation of Ripples International - her organization which was started with a desire to help those suffering from AIDS. Some of what I'm about to repeat is speculation and some is from remembered conversations from almost a year ago. So if there are any mistakes in facts, they are all mine.

After getting Ripples underway by concentrating on building an organization that helped people get free testing for AIDS and then help and support for those with AIDS (with generous help from USAID and other organizations) Merci became aware of a growing need for a infant rescue center for abandoned babies. Not having funding for this project, she decided to do what so many others have done - she decided to sell stuff on the internet. Her idea was to make crafts in Kenya and send them to America where someone would sell them on the internet. All proceeds would go to the Infant New Start Center. She did some research and found a connection in Minnesota (I believe). Since she was flying to the US to report to USAID anyway, she decided to take a detour to Minnesota to make sure that this internet company was on the up and up.

As she flew, she met a lady who was from Wisconsin and who was intrigued by the work she was doing. She told Merci that if she was ever in the Racine area, to come look her and her church up. Merci arrived in Minnesota and went to visit the internet store and discovered that it was just a fly by night operation. The owner, who was completely gracious, told her that he doubted her plan would work. She was now stuck in Minnesota with a few days to kill before heading to Washington, so she decided to call this lady she'd met on the plane. Well, one thing led to another, and before she knew it this woman's husband was her biggest donor (and owner of several TV stations in the Wisconsin market). She'd gone to Minnesota to land a small internet company and she ended up with her biggest donor in Wisconsin (where the Board of Directors are now located, by the way).

The following year, as Merci was preparing to head to the US for more discussions with her various partners, she was confronted by her staff. They had been noticing that a lot of young women were coming in for AIDS screenings after having been victims of rape and incest. Not only was this heartbreaking to her staff and Merci, but it was felt that they ought to do something about it. Merci, however, knew that there was no money in the budget for such a project, so she informed her staff to collect the documentation and to pray for some divine help.

When she got to the US, she discovered that her Wisconsin donor's wife had prepared for Merci to give a talk about her organization to some influential politicians and their wives. Right before the meeting, Merci's staff sent her all the documentation they had accumulated about the young girls. Merci was rather upset by the documents and prayed to God for some help. She doesn't remember the talk going all that well because she was distracted by thoughts of the other thing.

The next day, as she was sitting in the hotel's restaurant having breakfast, this middle aged woman walked up to her and introduced herself saying that she had been at the talk the day before and that she wanted to help. Then she handed Merci an envelope and walked away. Merci, thinking the envelope to contain some sort of small donation, finished her breakfast and then got ready to leave for the day. At a stopping point, she decided to open the envelope.

It was a check for $20,000 US Dollars - more than enough to start a program for young raped and abused women. Merci thanked God for His intervention and then called the woman to thank her and tell her what the money was going to be used for.

When she was done speaking, there was silence on the other end. For a second, Merci thought she had somehow offended the woman, thinking that perhaps this woman wanted the money to go to AIDS care or something. But then she heard the woman on the other end sobbing.

This woman had been a victim of rape and incest when she was a child. She had never told anyone and had lived with the stigma all these years, just having confronted it within the last year. She had been looking for someway to reach out to other people who had been injured and, after having prayed to God, she heard Merci talk and decided to give money to help in Kenya. She was so overcome with emotion, the woman told Merci to start up the project and send her all the bills - she would pay for everything.

I can honestly tell you that after hearing stories like this from Merci and many others in Kenya, I knew that God was not only actively at work there, but that people's reliance on Him in their lives was making profound impacts. If there had been any lingering doubt in the reality of God before going to Kenya, they were gone by the time I left. And what I especially found to be profound in its impact was the matter-of-fact nature of God's working in people's lives. These people acted and spoke as if God was just around the corner - not some far off and nebulous cosmic figure that you had to struggle to think existed. His existence and intervention in people's lives was taken for granted - not something that had to be proven to anyone. I struggle for such a connection to God - though my connection to Him has been greatly bolstered.

Tomorrow, come back for a big announcement!