Faith Turns Fire Into Fuel

Day 1

When one wakes up in a new country, with mostly new people, all that can be expected is the unexpected. What do you want when you travel? A question we all ask ourselves. Luxuries you wouldn’t normally have at home? Food you never knew you’d love? A view to forever remember? A better question is what do you need when you travel.
Today showed me the answer. Faith.

Upon our groups arrival at orientation, there was an immediate air of reverence. We walked into the Pangani School serenaded the sweet sounds of worship through song. The beauty of which was only furthered by the story of Mary Kamau. A woman with more will and strength than most of the men I’ve ever met. From the humble beginnings of two classrooms with just fifty students, to now the second largest education/support system behind the Kenyan government itself, Mary’s story grew into an odyssey of tens of thousands.

The core of all of this growth? Faith.

And when one sees faith so raw and real, it shocks to the core.

This shock was a shared sentiment, as my grandmother (Sue Byrd), Joanne Copeland, and I were guided through the slums. People who are living on the absolute fringes of their society, for so long seemingly forgotten and uncared for; yet I saw more smiles in one block of slums than I’ve seen in the wealthiest neighborhoods in my city.

Faith turns fire into fuel. It’s not just all we need when we travel, it’s all we ever need.

By: Braxton Bond