This summer, as part of a team sent by African Inland Mission (AIM), I spent six weeks working in western Kenya.

The trip was organised to help with the building of a desperately needed baby home for the many abandoned and orphaned children of Kenya, and we worked hard landscaping the land to provide adequate drainage for the partially constructed building.

As we lived and worked with the Kenyan people we learnt much about their way of life; their culture, their traditions and their faith.

The differences between us, not only in practical ways, but in attitude and spirit, soon became evident.

On the outside their lives appear to be difficult - they struggle daily to find clean water and clothe their children - yet their acceptance of, and indeed, contentment at, their situation seems far to exceed ours, despite the obvious advantages we have.

It's almost as though the less they have, the more grateful they are for the little they have been blessed with.

Whereas we are constantly gaining more but still wanting more - seeking always greater heights of wealth, power or respect.

In our time there we visited many of the local churches and I was struck by the solidarity of their faith, individually and collectively.

Their thankfulness to God is sincere and joyful and they acknowledge their total dependence on Him.

It's very easy for us, with the technological advances being made every day, to slip into a feeling of self- sufficiency and forget that it's God we need to put our faith in, not ourselves.

To the Kenyans, possessions and achievements are important, but they are overshadowed by the love they feel for one another and for God.

That, I believe, is the root of the contentment we saw in those people and is what is lacking in many of our lives. From them, who have so little, we can learn so much.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.