Somehow in the midst of fecal filled sidewalks, glue sniffing zombies, and mobs of tiny children in "how are you" choruses, we had the pleasure of meeting an 87 year old gem!
During the community health evangelism this afternoon Joyce, a mother of 8 and grandmother of many, shared with us her faith in Christ. You can imagine when the woman, who had been jumping up and down in her house, arms flailing from side to side with strength and agility, told us her age! Being that the average lifespan in Mathare is 55, a woman that is "well lived" and physically fit is remarkable. What was even more crazy was her faith in Christ which started in the 60's.
Translated through her expressive arm gestures, and our interpreter, we understood she was not one to keep quiet. With every sentence, she said "it is by God's grace that I am here, he has cleansed me and I put my faith and trust in him always." Joyce's age, health, and happiness make her a walking testimony in a drug, infested hopeless community.
Now, we are prepared to go into these homes witnessing to non-Christians while incorporating HIV, malaria, and clean water education. However, we were blessed with such hope and encouragement for the work that God has been doing in the slums of Nairobi far before we started coming here. We can only pray and look forward to the transformations in which God has planned for Mathare.
Tim spent the afternoon at the Pangani Center meeting with the pastors of the Hope Outreach Churches throughout the Mathare Valley.  The pastors get together two afternoons each week for encouragement, study and prayer.  They are currently studying "The Foundations of Christian Leadership" which is offered through The Urban Ministry Institute.  It was a great encouragement for Tim to spend time with the 9 pastors that participated today.  The pastors were very interested to hear about all that God is doing at CrossWay and they send their greetings and blessings to the CrossWay community.  It is great to hear their stories of how God is at work through the Missions of Hope churches in Mathare.  Let's continue to pray for these pastors as they boldly proclaim the gospel and shine the light of Christ throughout the Mathare Valley.