I totally get the whole Brangelina (Brad Pitt + Angelina Jolie) thing now. You know the adopting of several children from developing countries? You know what I'm talking about, Madonna's on board now.
What I'm getting at is everyday I see bright eyed, glowing-smiled children running around after me in the slums of Nairobi and I can't help but shake all their hands, ask them how they are, and wish I could take each one of them home in my pocket.
I think you would think the same thing if you were me. Seeing children wearing two different types of shoes on their feet, covered in dust from the streets and hungry for food and attention. When I walk through the slums I am indeed a novelty and the children just eat it up. They run after me yelling, "How are you? How are you? How are you?" And I respond, "I am fine, how are you?" Sometimes they too respond but mostly they just giggle and run around.
Despite how amusing and adorable this experience is, it is also very heartbreaking. I see several children who look as though they haven't been bathed in a week, sometimes their eyes are crooked, they walk with a limp or they are ill with TB/HIV. I just don't know how to cope, as there are so many.
But I know one mustn't get overwhelmed because if you allow yourself to think too much about the issues in the slums and all over Kenya for that matter, you'll find it too difficult to move forward. So I shed some tears, say several prayers and wake up the next day to do it all over again.
I know Brian and I can't save the world but at least we can make a difference in a few people's lives. You have to start small, and one person is better than none.
P.S. Just to be clear, we have NOT adopted any children but I must say it's quite hard to resist these little guys ;-)
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