“Come at once to Nairobi.” That was the only instruction Elizabeth’s husband had given her before she departed her home village with their 2-week-old son. More than 10 hours of bus rides combined with frequent stops and station changes have brought an already tired Elizabeth to the brink of exhaustion. It’s impossible to sleep while holding an infant, and she can’t afford to miss a connection.
Elizabeth hasn’t heard from her husband since leaving, and his phone now seems disconnected. “How will I find him when I arrive?” she asks herself repeatedly. “Maybe he can’t afford cellphone minutes,” she reasons to pacify the anxiety rising within her. After all, he hadn’t sent her any money for transportation either. Elizabeth had to borrow shillings from her cousin to make it as far as Gichagi.
The bus hisses into her final stop 45 minutes outside of Nairobi. She bundles her young child as warmly as possible before stepping out into the cold, damp air. Her eyes find the lone familiar face in the crowd. “Have you heard from him?” her cousin asks with an air of hesitancy. “No,” Elizabeth replies reluctantly. The two women then begin their long walk to the nearby village.
Days turned into weeks and then months, with no word from her husband.
What began as a hopeful journey soon became a cruel reality. The young mother was now trying to come to grips with being abandoned by her husband in an unfamiliar city hundreds of miles from home with no shelter, no food, no money, and a newborn to care for.
There was now also a growing pain in her chest. The sudden harsh circumstances would have been easy to blame for chest tightness or fatigue, but within a few days of arriving in the Gichagi slum, Elizabeth knew that an infection was beginning to spread. Securing food was already an overwhelming concern, and paying for medical care was simply out of the question. If the issue compromised her ability to nurse her son, however, the condition would become critical.
Just when hope seemed lost, restoration began to bloom.
A young girl learned about the terrible situation while playing with friends in the narrow dirt ally outside the small one-room shanty where Elizabeth was staying. Filled with compassion, she immediately returned home to share the story with her mother, a Vapor Ministries team member.
As word of Elizabeth’s plight spread among the remainder of the Vapor team, plans for her immediate care burst into life. Leaders and volunteers from the center arrived quickly, offering prayer, food, and transportation to a nearby hospital. When she learned that the well-wishers were also going to pay for all the medical services she needed, she was overwhelmed to tears.
For 30 days, Elizabeth battled what was revealed to be a blood clot in her chest. In that span, team members brought food to her home, and children from the discipleship league delivered clean water to her door. As Elizabeth’s strength returned, so did her faith in a new beginning.
That was many years ago, but YOUR compassion and encouragement still impact Elizabeth’s life today. She has since remarried and is raising a family. She has routinely found part-time work at the center and received food supplies when they were desperately needed. She is also a coach in the discipleship league, and all of her children participate in the program.
Elizabeth said the impact pouring out of the Vapor center in Gichagi reaches far beyond her own family. “I have watched Vapor transform the community,” she reflected. “So many people have benefited. I know women who have had help starting businesses. Others got assistance when they could not pay their rent. Children are getting an education. Vapor has been an incredible blessing to this community.”
Your love and faithful partnership made Elizabeth’s story—and countless others like hers—possible. Your support is more than a one-time act of kindness. It’s the steady hand that lifts someone in their darkest moment and continues to walk with them toward a brighter future.
Thank you for being part of this incredible journey of hope and restoration.
If you’d like to make a special year-end gift today or become a ministry partner, please click HERE.
Comments