Merry Christmas

Herren velsigne deg og bevare deg,

Herren la sitt ansikt lyse over deg og være deg nådig,

Herren løfte sitt åsyn på deg

og gi deg fred.

Han skal gi deg kraft til å leve

gi håp og framtidstro.

Han har sagt: "Kom til meg, du som strever

og jeg vi gi deg ro".

Han skal bevare deg fra alt ondt,

gi deg styrke når du er svak.

Tross ditt svik, dine nederlag,

er Hans nåde ny hver dag.

(Nairobi by night, taken from the internet)

As Christmas was coming to an end, on the night of 25th, Audi and I happened to find ourselves on the top floor of one of Mathare's story buildings. We witnessed the endless line of people walking up and down the main street of the area; women coming home from work, children playing, youth on their way to Christmas bashes and drunkards trying to find their way home.
Taking in the backdrop of all this activity, being the masses of single-room houses nearly piled one on top of the other in an area meant to fit no more than a quarter of the population that currently inhabits it, we knew at least a bit of what could be found behind the 600 000 doors of Mathare: a vulnerable balance between hope and hopelessness, appreciation and disappointment, love and mistrust, enthusiasm and desire to give up, as the people who have become our close friends leave their lives in God's hands realizing that their prosperity, happiness and even their security depend completely on Him.
Taken aback by the beauty of the moment, we sang.

(Downtown by night, taken from the internet)

He will give you power to live,

give hope and faith in the future.

He has said: "Come to me, you who struggle

and I will give you peace".

He will keep you from all evil,

give you strength when you are weak.

In spite of your betrayal and your defeats,

His grace is new every day.