Day 182 - Mumo Means Grace

January 9, 2013 (Sam)

      On January 5th at around 9pm Nairobi time, God’s grace manifested itself in a little hospital room in Ongata Rongai, Kenya.

      If you remember a few weeks ago, we put out a request for help as one of our good friends here frantically tried to figure out what she was going to do as her 17 year-old daughter prepared to give birth to her grandchild. That request was answered with extravagant generosity as almost $700 was donated to cover the cost of basic necessities for the newborn as well as to pay for the hospital bill for her delivery.

      Today we went to Anita’s home to visit her, her daughter Katherine, and Katherine’s four day-old baby girl. In our arms we carried bags stuffed with baby clothing, blankets, formula, bottles, and groceries for the two grown-ups.

      A tiny little figure lay on the mattress in the corner of the room under a white blanket. She is tiny. Delicate. Beautiful. We asked her name. “Christina.” Named after Christina Carlson, my wife. Her middle name is “Mumo,” which is the Kamba word for “Grace.” “Because,” we are told, “she is here by the grace of God, and her needs have been provided for by the grace of others.”

      We pick her up and hold her. She feels weightless, dressed in her brand-new onesie. Christina holds little Christina in her arms and feeds her formula from a new baby bottle. None of this stuff, the clothes, the formula, the bottle, were we able to pay for ourselves. It was all purchased with donations made by others who wanted to help this family as they start off on this new, scary adventure.

      I’m sitting on Anita’s couch eating mothokoi, a traditional Kamba dish, sort of a smorgasbord of beans and corn and other unidentifiables, and I realize I can’t stop smiling. I’m sitting here watching a miracle next to me. A million answered prayers. This baby, her health, the provision for her needs... this is nothing short of a miracle.

      There’s a verse in First Peter that tells us to use our gifts to serve others. I got to watch about a dozen people do that over the last two weeks. Some through donations, some through kind letters, some through advice and encouragement. It was mind-blowing, honestly. We are given the ability to provide God’s own grace to others through our generosity. Thank you to everyone who stepped up and did just that. This family will always have a reminder now. Every time they look at little Christina Mumo as she grows up, they will be reminded of God’s grace.