Day 14: Lusaka children!!!

         Yesterday we were able to go see some of the Lusaka children again.  One of the local pastors was there and he had set up a this ‘schedule” for us to do with the children. We broke them up into 4 groups according to their age groups. Then each of us interns chose a station to be in charge of. Each group of children would rotate through the designated groups so that the interns and children were able to get to know each other better. We had a Bible station, a talent station, a get to know you station and a school station.

          I had the 'get to know you' station so I had the gift of sitting with these children and learning a little bit more about them. With each new group that came to my station, I was able to bond with them in the few minutes that they were there. It was such a sweet time of fellowship and laughter. After each group had filtered through all the stations we played a big group game that the pastor had come up with to help us interns learn our Nongia words. Children were chosen by the interns whose turn it was, to come up and read off a Nongia word. With simple clues we were then required to guess what the word meant. If we guessed right we won a point, but if we did not then we received no credit. In this clever way we were able to learn several new words. We finished off the afternoon with a prayer from Ednah, one of our sweet Lusaka girls.

          This was such a fun time to get together and get to know these precious children. I was touched by the faith that many of them displayed and was amazed by their simple childlike trust in the Lord. But the thing that touched me the most was when I asked the oldest group to tell me one thing that God has done for them and with tears in her eyes Ednah replied, “He has given me a new family.” The truth and hurt behind that statement made me ache for her! This poor girl has been at EOH for years and she still struggles with the hurt that her losses have caused her.

          This simple statement made me resolve all the more to be a friend and an aunt to these children. I want to show them more clearly the love of God. I want to shower on them, the love that He showers on us. Lord willing I will be able to make an impact in their lives and point them towards the Lord so that they draw closer to the Great Comforter and experience a deeper love then they have ever known before!  I want to show them that they are precious and beautiful in the site of God and the people who are caring for them. I want to show them that their hurt has a Healer and their pain can be washed away through God. That is my prayer for this summer.                                               
                                                       
                   ( Esther, me and Grace...2 of our Lusaka girls )

"For the glory of God!”

  "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

James 1:27