There is a book called
Hope in the Dark by Jeremy Cowart and Jena Lee that I got as a gift this past year because it had been recommended to me.  I love it.  The book captures the faces and stories of the people that Jena and Jeremy met during their time in Africa. 
I thought I would share some of my favorite quotes from the book. 

"I stood within the filthy, shack-filled slum of Kibera while also looking up at the stunning clouds that danced across the vast stretch of the African sky. There is such tragedy and yet such beauty at the same time. Overwhelmed by the insanity of this broken world, I find it difficult to understand how the pieces of it all fit together. The same earth can hold the fragrance of a field of flowers while also occupying the stench of urine on hot concrete. Who is this God that we call Father, Creator, and Lord?
Kenya

is here. And so is God."

I cannot agree with
Jena
more on this thought. I was in
Kenya
last summer with AIM and I remember feeling so conflicted- I was devastated and shocked at the conditions but the people are so joyful and thankful and genuine and I could go on and on. It's absolutely beautiful and completely awful at the same time.

This is a quote from an older man that they met...

"We know that Americans pity Africans," he told me. "But sometimes I think Africans pity Americans."

"How so?" I asked him.

"Americans seem to expect that everything will be provided for them. For us" he said, "this ear of corn is a gift from God. This evening's rain is a shower of mercy upon us. This healthy breath is life-giving. And, maybe tomorrow we will not have such things, but our hearts are so full from God's provision."

When you meet some of the people in Africa and see the smiles on their faces, you really do begin to understand what he is talking about. They thoroughly enjoy the simple pleasures in life because that is all they have. I do believe we could learn a lot from them and I know I already have and can't wait to learn more this year.

Ok, my last favorite quote...

People ask me, "Doesn't it paralyze you to walk so closely and intimately with suffering?"

"No," I tell them. "If I've noticed anything from my time in Africa, it's that though the suffering is overwhelming, so too is the hope."

So true. I can't wait to be there again. As you can tell from these few quotes, it's a wonderful book and the pictures capture even more so I encourage you to check it out! Oh, there's also a website: www.hopeinthedark.com