A Heart for the Poor

If you know our oldest son, Kevan, then you that he has a very caring spirit. When he was just a few years old and beginning to talk, he was riding with Carrie in the car while she was driving her mother home. Carrie's mom lived in downtown San Diego, in a very low-income area. Kevan noticed the people sleeping on the sidewalks along many of the streets downtown on the way to Grandma Berta's. He asked Carrie, "Mom, why are all of those people living on the streets?" In her attempt to simplify the explanation according to his age, she said something like, "They don't have a home to live in." Kevan asked, "Why not?" To which Carrie replied, "Well, they don't have enough money for one." Kevan had the last word, "When I grow up I'm going to build them all houses so they don't have to live on the sidewalk."

That's Kevan. Though he's older now and his knowledge and understanding of the world around him is much deeper and more complex, his heart has not changed. When we recently asked him about ministry in Africa he responded that he had "a heart for the poor" and that he wanted to help them. Knowing that there are so many destitute people here in the Kigoma area I invited him to join in helping with a local feeding program nearby. So last week we went together to assist in feeding the destitute. These are people who literally live in what's called a "destitute camp" outside of town (and I'm referring to what is considered "destitute" by local African standards). They are mostly aged, sick, maimed, diseased, or otherwise "unfit" for society. The government allocated a piece of land and built a few shabby buildings for them to stay in several kilometers from town. Out of sight, out of mind. Some friends of ours here in Kigoma minister to them regularly, including a thrice weekly feeding program, so Kevan and I joined in serving them a hot meal. There were about 200 children and 50 adults on that particular day.

Kevan serving bowls of hot rice and beans to some of the children

Kevan will continue to minister to the poor and hurting in this way in the future. The very program he is helping with was actually started by the teenage daughter of our missionary friends. Her own father didn't think it would work, but she had the heart and the vision and put a plan into action. Years later she is gone and married but the ministry she began continues. Please pray for Kevan to continue to have a heart for people, and pray that he will develop his own vision for ministry here in East Africa.