Internship Journal: Megan Anderson

Megan Anderson: Lead Intern/ Photography Intern

As I spent the early part of this year preparing for another summer in Kamulu, the word “extra” was on my mind. I was about to have extra chapati to roll at the dorms, extra songs to sing at chapel, and extra time to know staff and students on a deeper level. To ensure I made the most of my extra time here, I set a goal of rooting myself in the things my hands and feet were doing to serve the ministry well while I am here.

In Matthew 25, God calls us to be His hands and feet throughout the world, bringing justice in His name by giving food to the hungry, a home to the homeless, and care to the sick and the weary. So, in true photojournalism intern fashion, I’ve made a collection of photos showing the variety of places my hands and feet have been during my time in Kenya.

Several nights each week, my feet walk to 19 acres, where the vocational training students live. The late-night dinners are preceded by evenings full of dancing, jokes, and heartfelt conversations. I never mind the long walk over there because I am always welcomed with so much joy and excitement by the boys who want to show off the puppies they are raising or by the girls who invite me to share in their devotional time before we eat.

My hands have helped with many afternoons of making chapati: kneading the dough until it’s smooth, rolling it into imperfect circles (at least my chapati don’t “look like Africa” anymore!), and frying it with oil so hot I always get a laugh from the students when I react to touching it. The students guide me through each step and devise ways to protect my fingers in hopes that I can open a restaurant in the US, specifically for Kenyan food, which they say will be a major success.

Occasionally, I get to step into a catering class lesson and practice making more unique dishes like meringue, a dessert that one of the second-years taught me how to make so that we had a restaurant-quality treat.

On the weekends, my feet traveled to various places in Nairobi as staff members generously gave their time to show us interns more of what Kenya has to offer. Karura Forest, one of my favorite places in the city, offers a lush and expansive outdoor space complete with waterfalls, trails, and wildlife for the community to enjoy.

On a small pillow in the cosmetology room, my hands have spent hours being meticulously manicured as I talk to students about what their favorite cosmetology services are, why they love MITS, and their hopes and dreams for after they graduate.

My feet have traveled to rural parts of Kenya to visit the homes and families of MITS students, and I have seen joy come to the students’ faces that I hadn’t seen from them before. I saw their siblings light up as they led me around their homes, guiding me down paths to various buildings, into the forest, and to see the animals. 

At the Eastleigh Center, my hands have shared in time spent drawing during art therapy sessions, which include quiet conversations and moments of peace for both me and the kids. Throughout the drawing process, I learn new words in Kiswahili and hear stories from students as they reflect on what their art means to them.

On many occasions my feet have joined football games, in which I still rarely am able to outperform the students wearing slides. Regardless, I won’t turn down an opportunity to be active and share in the laughter and excitement from a good game.

Each morning my hands flip through the songbook at chapel and I join in singing songs, both in English and Kiswahili. These songs echo in my head throughout the day as reminders of God’s goodness, grace, and power in my life and the lives of those around me.

Although my hands and feet have done a lot during my time here, my heart and soul have been blessed even more so by the staff and students through their abundant hospitality and sincere care for me. Students have pretended to be “allergic to Swahili” to encourage others to speak in English around me and staff always check back in if I happen to mention I needed help with something or I’m not feeling well. The focus on using what one has to serve the needs of the people around them is evident here, and for that reason (and many others) it’s clear that the Spirit of God is in this place. 

One of my favorite books, The Good News about Injustice, by Gary Haugen, sums this idea up well when he says that “injustice is perpetrated through ignorance,” so in order to achieve God’s goal of justice in the world, we as individuals should take measurable action against it. Every day here, staff members are taking concrete steps to feed the hungry, both physically and spiritually, in a variety of ways. They have inspired me to seek out opportunities in my future career to do the same, whether in Kenya, the US, or in other communities around the world. 

Nakupenda sana MITS, asante kwa kuwa nyumbani kwangu.