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Last week as we continued our series on various cultures that endure hardships and impossible situations. We looked at Kenya and the aftermath of political unrest brought about by the elections of 2008.

When our group landed in the Rift Valley near Eldoret, Kenya, we were prepared to teach and facilitate unity among the warring tribes during our Leadership Conference. However, we were not prepared for the visit to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp and the impact it would have on us.

The IDP camp for the Kenyan government was an embarrassment. On two occasions prior to our arrival the Kenyan government tried to 'kick' these people out of camp. With an eye toward improving their international image, the Kenyans attempted to disband the camp and remove the humiliating reminder of the civil violence that had taken place.

The Kikuyu put up a fight which made the front page of the Eldoret paper. The publicity forced the police to forego the removal of the homeless refuges from the camp.

As we approached the camp we weren't sure what to expect. The refugees met with us and shared their powerful and horrific

stories of survival - many had friends and family slaughtered or burned.

Those that remained in the camp were the poorest of the poor. They had lost their property and had nowhere to go.

Although the government continually promised to give them stipends to help them get back on their feet, the refugees were greatly dismayed because the money was never forthcoming.

When you hear first hand the stories of people that you see on CNN it removes the sense of detachment from world issues.

You cannot just change the channel or look away; when you look away at this camp your eyes will focus on another face, another story.

Our hearts ached for them. With over 1,000 Kenyans killed and hundreds of thousands displaced, the stories of loss of life and missing family members evoke such compassion in your heart that you will cry, "What can I do to help?" I was constantly reminded of James' passage as many of them were believers:

"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:15-17

However, I've learned that it is vitally important to study the culture and current factors impacting the people you are trying to help when involved in missions before implementing any action.

Failure to do could result in causing more problems for the people you are trying to help.

As we sat for about four hours in the tents conducting our research and

listening to the current

situation we discovered that helping these displaced people would not be easy.

Almost all the 'make-shift' tents leaked. During the rainy season the mud in Eldoret is thick and prevalent, making it difficult to keep the tent clean.

The high elevation in Africa is similar to a desert climate resulting in the tents being too hot during the day and very cold at night.

The elementary and immediate solution of supplying new tents, however, needs to be examined.

Such an action could result in greater persecution from the Kenyan authorities because the government's goal is to close the camp and move them off the property.

If we supply them with new tents, the police may become more forceful and we could lose face with the government and risk further opportunity to be of help.

We learned that the cost of land in Eldoret is only about $2,000 per acre and that price is negotiable!

A solution of just buying land for displaced people from tribal wars is complicated: the wrong tribe in the wrong area could start another tribal war. Instead of helping we would be responsible for an increase of bloodshed.

The third major need we discovered was about fifty children in the camp had not attended school for the last eight months because 'free' public school attendance requires a school uniform, shoes, and payment of a small annual fee.

This was a problem we could tackle! It is important to have resourceful and trustworthy people on the ground. Two previous members of Cornerstone had moved back to Kenya and agreed to help. These people flew to Eldoret to assess the need, oversee the paperwork, and administrate this large task and in one week 50 children were sent back to school!

Five months after we left Eldoret the Kenyan government successfully completed the eviction and closed the camp, with little regard for the plight of the refugees.

I ask that you pray for the people many who are homeless. Presently, some are living in some form of temporary housing; others are living on the street. We now are looking at other ways to help these people so that they can be in a position again to work and to rescue their families from generational problems.

This trip taught us some valuable lessons: be open to God's will and see where you can help in effective ways; God prepares the way for you to help others; and change is in our reach both oversees and right here in our own country. Let's look for ways to impact our circle of influ-ence for the glory of God!

Pastor Gary C. Simons is the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Bible Fellowship.[[In-content Ad]]

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