Africa Vision Trip
Well it's hard to believe that I have been back for close to 2 months now, but my trip to Africa is not one that I am soon going to forget. In February I traveled with Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas, and local business owners Steve Dalton and Dan Steiner to Kenya and Sudan . Through Calvary Church we teamed up with a missions organization called Kids Alive International. Kids Alive is focused on helping orphaned children in poverty stricken areas around the world. In essence, their helping those who can't help themselves.
While there, I was able to see first hand the devastating poverty in these nations. Because this poverty is so severe and because various diseases such as AIDS are so rampant, many children become orphans and are left to fend for themselves. That's were Kids Alive comes in, they partner up with the local people to help them start and maintain orphanages, health clinics, schools, and churches. What impressed me about Kids Alive International is that they seemed to take a very balanced approach to helping these kids. They not only clothe and feed these children, but they also strive to educate them as well as to get them involved in a local church. For some of the older children Kids Alive even makes a way for them to learn a trade.
From what I saw the biggest effect of that Kids Alive had on the children were their eyes. As I traveled through the various slums, the gaze of the street kids were very deep, long, dark, and full of despair. Even now as I type I can see those hopeless stares. It is something that is very hard to describe, but easily recognized and hard to forget. I thought I knew the meaning of despair, until I looked into the eyes of these kids. They were eyes with no hope. They watch relatives die. They struggle to find food, clothing, and shelter. The have no education to better themselves. They have nothing to look forward to. They have no hope.
But the eyes of the children that Kids Alive had touched were very different. Those eyes had life! Those eyes had hope! Hope because they were being exposed to adults who love them and care for them. Hope because they were being told about God who loves them and a Savior who died for them. Hope because they were being given an education so that someday they could earn a living in order to provide for themselves and their families. These kids were given a chance. These kids had hope, and their eyes told it all.
With my desire to have a company that is committed to changing lives, I'm looking forward to continuing to work with organizations like Kids Alive International.
