Justice and Life in Gambella

The following is a post that I (Matt) wrote for my personal blog, justiceandlife.org.  I’m re-posting it here, because it gives an overview of our trip to Gambella last week.

Justice and Life.  There’s a reason this blog has that name.  My life’s mission, or goal, or purpose, however you prefer to say it, is to lead and challenge others to create a just world, and come fully alive.

I’ve spent this week in Kenya, with a team of volunteers.  We’re here to help the poorest of the poor villages.  Working through an organization called Global Hope Network International (GHNI), we are working with what we call the Isiolo cluster of villages.  Those are four villages near the town of Isiolo.  Our beloved village of Gambella is one of those villages, and that is where we’ve spent the most time this week.  Gambella is the village that five families (including mine) in Algonquin, Illinois, has partnered with, to come along side them in their journey out of extreme poverty.

This week lands squarely in the sweet spot of my mission, and it has been delightful.  Our group has been split across the different villages in our cluster, but our team from Algonquin has been focused primarily on Gambella, working on a few projects that you can read more about at our Algonquin4Gambella blog.

My mission comes from my belief that one person—with very minimal effort—can change the world, and make it a more just place, leaving it better for everyone.  But, it doesn’t end there, because in the process of creating a just world, people come fully alive—the people who are doing the “helping”, and those who are being “helped.”  It’s the greatest win-win in the history of win-wins!

Read the rest of the post at Matt’s blog, justiceandlife.org…