FALL 2009 Synergy 27
brilliant idea or a great epiphany-- Albert’s foot against my shin. We were both going for the ball at the same time and, to no surprise, he won the battle. After helping me off the field and getting me some ice, we laughed about the accident that caused the huge bump on my shin which could still be seen a month later. When I looked at Albert that day, I saw a young man with potential. I began to imagine all the great things he would do in his lifetime: the college he would attend, the successful career he would attain, and the family he would have. Then the great epiphany did hit me, but instead of a pain on my shin, I felt a pain in my heart. Albert doesn’t live in the United States, and he doesn’t have the equal options to conquer the world that I had when I was his age. There is a difference in attitude when you come to this part of the world. At one point during the summer, a child in an eighth grade classroom boldly asked one of the volunteers, “Why do Americans want to walk on the moon and study space?” The volunteer paused for a moment, not really knowing how to answer. It seems that being told to “reach for the stars” and to “dream big” were adages that I took for granted as a child. This is why I think our message to the children this summer was so important. We encouraged them to dream big, have hope, and have faith. By supporting their dreams and teaching them how to aspire, I now feel like the definition of tumaini is something that all of these children can now understand. Hope begins with a dream and is sustained by faith and action. I dreamed of going to Kenya and making a difference, and I hope that the people I was in fellowship with were blessed as much by my presence as I was by theirs. But perhaps most importantly, I have faith that they will lead prosperous lives, because everyday people like us will act and give them the invaluable ability to begin hoping for the opportunities they deserve. u