A Cry to the Heavens......

Hello All,
As we have passed through this last week with sorrow in the wake of the terrorist attack in Nairobi, we all feel a sense of loss and vulnerability.  The loss for the victims and their families and also in a selfish way for ourselves - for our freedoms.  There are many stories of heroism coming out of the mall attack.  Many stories of people showing love to each other no matter what religion they are.  The terrorists were al-shabab extremists and even Muslims were helping non Muslims to escape. Here is a link to an article by the former ambassador to Kenya and Jim's former boss at UCOM in Stuttgart Germany.  It tells how Kenyans are uniting to overcome.
Here is a link to anther article that show heroism and loss.
It is hard to understand how something like this is "allowed" by God. Our freedom to choose and the fact that there is sin in the world define this human existence.  But God overcomes evil with good, redeeming us from this world.

Here is another article written this week by a friend and doctor here in Kijabe.  As the work of healing the sick continues here at the hospital, stories like these make you want to continue in the work that is sometimes difficult at best.

Below is an elegy written by Trevor's class:


A Cry to the Heavens

An elegy by the Senior Class, Rift Valley Academy

Scattered shoes and broken glass
Strewn on sparkling marble floors,
Sounds of trickling fountains
Drowned out by thunderous gunfire
Exploding from men with dark intentions.
Lives lost in senseless slaughter
Leave the hallways of our hearts empty.

Our spirits are heavy,
Minds full of fear and doubt.
Finding peace in the valley of the shadow of death,
To the Lord we cry out
with every labored breath –
For meaning, answers, forgiveness, hope,
Healing, and REDEMPTION –
Come before tomorrow
for we need light in the darkness,
a darkness wrought with sorrow.

We cry out to the Heavens for
An answer to the madness.

Restore to us the gift of peace,
The promise of life free of fear.
The days go on and on
Healing cannot happen fast,
But through love and strength and unity
The cowardice of evil men will not stand.
We can hope for another day,
A sky filled with joy and not with blackness
And the laughter of children
Will restore our halls to gladness.

It is with love and unity that we pray for all of you who are grieving and shaken by this horrendous act.  We stand together with you.  You are not forgotten. RVA Class of 2014

I know this week's blog has a lot of links to other articles.  There are so many written this week that were amazing I just had to share a few.
As we continue life here, please pray that we won't forget the reason for it all.  God has work for us to do and we need to lean on Him in all things.

In His Hands,
Jullie T.