Moments

I could tell you only of the moments I was filled with joy, but instead I will tell you that this trip has been filled with many emotions, ups and downs. I have laughed and cried. I have been overflowing with joy one moment and then filled with frustration. But, I do not regret nor curse these emotions or the moments that inspired them. These moments made me a better person and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

I was filled with joy as I waved to the children coming to greet us and their laughter flooded into the van as we drove down a bumpy dirt road. An elderly woman, who took her bundle off her head so she could shake our hands and thank us, brought a smile to my face. Then the overwhelming sadness and helplessness felt when we saw a child at the clinic that we could not help, but could only pray over him and his mother. Wishing we could make everything better and do more than wipe away her tears. There’s the peace you feel when you take a crying baby boy into you arms and the crying ceases and he looks up at you with deep brown eyes. Only to have the peace taken away abruptly as you are told his parents are dead and he’s an orphan.

I want you to know these moments and experiences because they have changed me.
They have made me a better person and helped me to grow in my faith. They have brought me to the knowledge and comfort that God has been at every one of these moments. In the child’s laughter, the mother’s tears. He is the father to the fatherless and the ultimate healer. He has comforted me and I know that he is with all the people, young and old, that we have seen and met.

My team and I have been truly blessed with the joy of these people. They have given us more than we could ever give them. My hope and prayer is that these few moments of mine will touch you and inspire you. May God bless you and be with you!

- Sarah Lange is a senior majoring in pre-med from Wyoming. While she has studied abroad before, this is her first trip to Kenya.