MERCY HOUSE
BY: ANDREA GAUL
“Armed guards walked me, a group of other bloggers, and our guides down a muddy trail into
Mathare Valley, one of Kenya’s largest slums and most dangerous places in the country. We were
observing and writing on behalf of Compassion International who had arranged the trip.
I trembled from more than fear. There was hopelessness everywhere you looked—endless tiny
tin shanties where hundreds of thousands of people were crowded, “homes” with no electricity or
running water. Plastic bags full of sewage floated in a green stream and the ground wasn’t made
of dirt at all—it was just a mountain of trampled garbage. The stench was almost unbearable and
nearly gagged me.
A majority of the residents were
small, unsupervised children. They
called out to us, “How are you?
How are you?” hoping we would
put something in their upturned
hands. You could see they were
malnourished with swollen bellies.
Their faces were filthy with flies
covering them and they didn’t bother
to shoo the insects away.
It was a hellhole, not fit for the
living.
I began to cry and couldn’t stop.
I wanted to shut it all out. I was
so angry with God. Where are
you? How can you allow so much
suffering?
I stopped and closed my eyes. I saw
God’s finger pointed at my chest as He asked my spirit the same question: “Kristen, how can you
allow this?”
In that exact moment, I knew my life would never be the same.
I was a long way from home and my family. I was “just a mom.” But my faith journey that started
in high school had brought me to this place. Standing in this wretched hellhole, only He knew where
it was going to lead.”
M
any moms start blogs. Some moms
even travel to third-world countries.
Most moms, however, don’t start non-profit
organizations. Kristen Welch, author of the
blog “We are THAT Family” and founder of
Mercy House, has done all three. A blogging
trip to Kenya with the intent of shedding
light on child
sponsorship
developed
into a cause
that
would
significantly
change both
Kristen’s
life
and the lives
of
women
all over the
world. “What
I
saw
and
experienced
in
one
the
of
world’s
largest slums
wrecked
me,”
Kristen
said. “I knew I had to respond. I returned
home and four months later, my family
founded Mercy House.”
Mercy House exists to engage, empower,
and disciple women worldwide in the
name of Jesus Christ. The organization funds
maternity homes in Kenya and provides aid
-An excerpt from
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