The past 2 weeks in pictures

Chongwe and Camp Hope VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

                                                 “For the glory of God!”

He sees me

He Saw You

“What an incredible journey Jesus made;
what an overwhelming expression of love He undertook;
what an awesome purpose He had in mind.
You were on His heart.
When He left His home in heaven, He saw you;
when He became a man on earth, He was seeking you;
when He stretched out His hands upon the cross,
He was reaching out to you;
when He returned to His Father, He was preparing a place for you.
You are the sheep He has come to shepherd,
to guide, to feed, to protect, to shelter, and to carry.
You are the one He calls His own.”

~~~~~~

Courtesy of  Roy Lessin from his site “Meet me in the meadow” 

Lessons from the Mamas

       One of the things that God has really been challenging me on these past 2 weeks is to step even further out of my comfort zone and stretch my service beyond the EOH staff. He has really put it on my heart to assist the Mamas that have been cooking for Teen Mania. Every morning these sweet women have been arriving at the camp sight at 6am to fix breakfast for TM and each night they don’t leave till well after 8pm. They spend their days fixing food not only for TM but also for the Camp Hope children. By the end of the week they are tired and worn out but they don’t get a break till TM leaves.

        So for the past 2 weeks I have been trying to help them in any way I can. We have fixed food, set up meals and washed dishes together. I have sat with them by their fire, talked with them about their lives and served alongside them and have been so blessed through this. These women have become very special to me. I have grown to know them and love them. While God was using me to bless them in these small ways, He was also using them to richly bless me as well. It has been such a joy to me to be able to come alongside these sweet women and assist them in any way I can. I have seen God in their selfless service and have been challenged by their example to be more servant hearted and other centered. These women have taught me what it means to be a real servant of God. I am so blessed to have gotten to know, learn from and work alongside these sweet women.
                                                         "For the glory of God!"

Camp Hope

        “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Over these past 2 weeks I have seen the hand of God at work in this country. I have again seen how God moves in the lives of His children. I have seen first hand some of the miracles that our God can and did perform. I have stood still and seen that He is God. I have again experienced the power of our God. The power of my God.  I have seen demons cast out, people healed over night,lives changed and hundreds saved through the power of God.

        For the first camp we were expecting 300 children. 370+ showed up, out of which over half of them accepted the Lord. For the second camp we were expecting 150 children, all of which showed up with 31+ accepting the Lord. All in all we had over 300+ precious children come into the kingdom of the God. Praise the Lord!! Through the work of the Lord and all of those Teen Mania and EOH missionaries, 300+ children now have a brighter future ahead of them. They now walk with a higher Power than that which is in this world. They now have safety in the name of Jesus. Through this camp they will now spend eternity in heaven.

       I will never forget what I have seen and learned through these camps. I will never forget the way God showed me His power as I watched Him cast out a demon from a 6 year old child and saw a girl walking on her healed ankle 2 days after she broke it. I will never forget the sight nor the feeling of walking through the camp and seeing hundreds of children kneeling with their teachers to pray the sinner’s prayer or the deep feeling of God’s presence stirring in the camp as hundreds of quiet voices rose in prayer to their Savior.

       Even as I write, I am still in awe at how God has worked and how He has revealed Himself to me. I have had so many encounters with our Creator as I have sat back in awe at what I was seeing. Many times I would sit there in amazement and incredulity because of the things He was letting me witness and the things He was teaching me through those experiences. I have grown in my faith and trust because of what I have seen and experienced. I can truly say that God is in control of everything in this universe, working things out for our good and His glory. I have seen this, I have lived this and I know this to be true!

                                   "For the glory of God!"

Day 36: “The power of the cross!”

       One of my favorite songs is “The power of the cross” by Natalie Grant. In this song Natalie Grant talks about being freed from darkness and having chains falling off your life through the power of the cross. This song has always been special to me, but after today it holds a whole new meaning for me and will forever stir up a sense of awe and amazement at my God.

        This afternoon I witnessed a visual battle over the soul of a 6 year old boy. This sweet child was possessed by a demon and was thrashing around screaming and crying. He refused to be prayed for nor to hear about God. Some of the Zambian translators took him aside and began to pray for him. As I watched, heaven and hell were fighting for his soul. I watched as the fight went on for nearly 40 minutes while Christ strove to deliver this precious child. Never in my life have I seen anything so incredible and heartbreaking in regards to a child. My heart was breaking for this sweet child as I watched him being thrown around by this demon. It was terrible yet amazing to see.  My heart was aching for this child, that one so young had to deal with something like that. Yet as I watched him grow calm as the demon was being cast out, till eventually it was gone and he was back to normal, I was filled with awe at what I had just seen. I had just witnessed Christ casting  out a demon!! This child was in literal darkness from the hold this demon had on him, but through Christ his chains are gone and he has been set free!!!  Stuff like that doesn’t happen everyday!

         I am overwhelmed by such a visual example of my God’s power. This proof that He is alive and active in our lives. It’s incredible!! The entire world is the “battle lines” for Spiritual battles, but out here in foreign countries is truly the front lines for the battle. Back in the states things like this are hidden, pushed under the rug, but here Satan isn’t afraid to show that he is at work here. He’s not afraid to show the world that he has a hold on this nation is actively at work to bring it down and destroy the eternities of it’s people. This is a place where the battle is very visual and obvious. This is a place where you see things you never dreamt were even possible in today’s world.

          I have never doubted the power and majesty of God, but after today my faith has leaped to a higher level. After what I witnessed today, my faith is stronger then it ever has been before. If anyone ever has any doubts about the power, majesty or might of God, just go on a mission trip and all doubts and questions will be gone! Out here it’s impossible to not see God in everything around you, to not recognize that He is here, at work. It’s impossible to see the things I’ve seen and not praise Him with all I’m worth and not give Him all the glory this human mind can think up. He is such an amazing, powerful God that is worthy of all my highest praises!!! I have never in my life felt the presence and the power of God so strongly as I did during that fight. He was there…He’s always with us, but this was different. He was with us more then ever before. I could feel Him in the hut with us, I could sense and feel the battle that was going on. It was such an amazing, overwhelming feeling to know that I was standing in the room with God and His angels as they fought for this child!!

        I have seen many wonders and acts of God, but this was by far the most amazing of all! God is truly in this place, working in this nation. He is still doing miracles in today’s world, we just have to search Him out in order to see the things He wants us to see. If we want to see miracles, we must first see the One who performs the miracles. We must first experience Him before we experience His miracles. This is what I learned from personnel experience this afternoon. My God’s not dead! He’s surely alive and active in our lives!! He is still as powerful and active as He was in Biblical times. Nothing has changed and today was proof of that. Glory be to the Lamb!!!
                                                          “For the gory of God!”

 "[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it ." 

                                                              Colossians 2: 15

Epiphanies of God

      Some people are  just slow learners when it comes to the things of the Spirit. I am one of those. God has tried again and again to teach me the same lesson and I still have yet to fully grasp the lesson. Though I am a slow learner, I am still a learning. Through this trip I think I am finally catching on to His lessons and not just learning but remembering the lesson.  I think…think…I am getting to the point where I understand how God is working in my life to teach me these things and how to apply more fully to my life.

      God has continually been reminding me that He is charge of my life. He is at the wheel, guiding me where He wants me to go. He is allowing certain things into my life to remind me that He is the Ruler of my life. See the little pattern there? He, He, he. It’s all about Him. He has always been teaching me this, but now I am finally seeing that He is really the center of my life. I have always known this, but now I am seeing all the more that He is more then just  my God and my King, He is my Master. My Lord. The Captain of my soul. He is my all in all.  

      God has finally brought me to the breaking point in my walk. He has brought me to complete brokenness so as to reveal to me all that He is. He has brought me to my knees in submission to and awe of Him. God knows that up till now I have never weakened in my resolve to follow Him wherever He leads me, but He also knew that until I had experienced the sorrow and homesickness that accompanies the role of being a missionary, I would never be fully qualified to do His work. He knew that until I had been tempted to forsake my calling and return to my family, I would never be strong enough to go where he sends me.

        This past month I have been tempted again and again to abandon the whole missionary thing once I got home and live a “normal” life. But time and time again I have been strengthened in the Lord and have come out of that temptation having defeated Satan’s plan to turn me and emerged stronger and more resolved each time. God truly knows what He is doing in my life and I have no fear whatsoever that He will lead me astray or allow unnecessary harm to come to me.  I know that whatever happens is all a part of His will and nothing is by “accident”.

        I know that this life I have accepted is not going to be easy. I know that I will face hardships with worse homesickness and sorrow, but God never promised me that it would be easy. Look at Christ's life. He chose the good life, the path that He was ordained to walk, the life and fate that God had called Him to. His life is a perfect example for me of what my life should be as well. Just as my Savior did before me, I need to embrace those hardships and count them as blessings because I know I will come out of them stronger and more patient in my walk.

       I have been placed on this planet for a reason. I have been called to this life of ministry for a purpose.  A purpose that was destined from before my birth. Before I ever came to an age of understanding, God had placed this calling on my life. I am not here by chance but for this chance to serve my Lord. I have been called to a sacred duty, a holy purpose, a once in a lifetime opportunity to serve the Great King in this small way.

       For whatever reason, God has seen fit to call me into this life. There never was an option for me. Though I struggle now, it is simply a test of my strength and a trial for my faith. I will follow the plan that my Lord has for me and I will fulfill this sacred calling. I have been summoned into the service of the King and when He sends I go, when He summons I stay. The Lord’s protection lies over my life. There is no going back. My life is not my own. Never has been and never will be. I am entirely at His disposal for as long as He has need of me!  June 8th, 2012 was just the starting point for this amazing journey that lies before me. I have now started out and will not rest from the Lord’s service until He either calls me home or tells me my work is in this field is completed.
                                                              “For the glory of God!”

Day 31: Becoming an African

       We have been living in Chongwe for 6 days now and life has been absolutely blissful! I could totally get used to living this life. I wake up every morning to the sounds of Africa right outside my window. I love waking up at 5am to the rooster crowing and the sound Mama Jane sweeping the house with her twig broom. These are sounds that I have grow to love! The gravel crunching outside my window, dogs barking in the distance, voices raised in praise, the crackling cooking fire, wind rustling through the trees, millions of crickets singing and people laughing around the evening fire. These are sounds that have grown close to my heart! To me, these are some of the most beautiful sounds in the world!

       Since I have been here I have learned so many new things. I am truly learning to be African. Mama Margaret recently told me that I am now an African lady because I have become as African as I can get. Since moving to Chongwe I have taken to wearing my chitanges (sarong-like wrap skirts) every day and I have learned to cook Nshima and hand wash my clothes. I spent a good hour yesterday helping the girls hand wash their clothes. Then later, I learned how to balance stuff on my head. My first lesson; carrying a large bowl of potatoes on my head. According to the cooks, I passed the test and am now on my way to becoming a Zambian. The next step is learning to wrap babies in a chitange, cooking Zambian food, learning African dances and…learning how to butcher chickens….ick…that is one thing I don’t think I will be doing.

       It has been so sweet to be able to spend nearly all day with these sweet children and to be able to shower love on them in everything we do! God has abundantly blessed this time and enabled us to be able to bond with these children and get to know their precious personalities. I have loved being able to partake in family devotions and prayer time for the house I’m staying in. Such a sweet, God-centered time it has been! God has given us such a perfect opportunity to minister to and love on  these children while impacting their lives for Him. I have really hit it off with several of the children and we have already have so many sweet talks that are Christ oriented. I am learning so much from these children.

        Tomorrow begins Camp Hope #1. I pray that this will be an incredibly God-centered week in which this team is able to impact these children and either lead them to Christ or plant some seeds in their lives. May He be exalted, glorified and praised through us throughout this week! Please keep us, the teams that are doing the camp and the children that come in your prayers whenever you think about it. Please pray that lives will be touched and souls won for the kingdom of God!!!

                                                     “For the glory of God!”

                               “So...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”

                                                      1 Corinthians 10:31

Viewing the night sky from African: lessons from the stars

       I have really been struggling with homesickness and sadness over missing my family since I have been here. This is the second post I have written about it, but this time I am writing from a different point of view. I have been going through ups and downs while being here. One day I am totally fine and happier than I’ve ever been, but the next day I am more homesick and sad than I’ve ever been before. Each time it takes an encounter with God to break me out of that net of sorrow that Satan had trapped me in. A little extra time with Him, a longer prayer time, or some other form of Him revealing Himself to me.

      Yesterday was one of those days when I was struggling. Last night I was missing my family so badly and longing to be home with them. I was silently struggling with that when I was sitting outside around the cooking fire with some of the Chongwe kids. As I sat there staring up at the star light sky, God revealed Himself to me in those stars. As I sat there thinking about how great God is to have placed each one of those stars in the sky and to have named every one of them, a sudden thought came to me. “If God can do something like that, how much more can He do in my life? If God has numbered the stars and calls each one by name, how much more so does He call me by name and number my days? If He is that powerful on behalf of the galaxy, how much more powerful and active will He be in my life?” 

     I am more precious to Him then all the stars in the sky. I am more beloved to Him then all the milky ways in all the galaxies of the universe. I have been called by His name and claimed as His child. I am His child, His heir, a sheep in His pasture. If He is so caring and watchful of the stars, I can only begin to imagine how much more so He will be in my life and in matters that concern me. He has not, never has and never will, abandon me. He know what I am going through and what help I need. “Before a word is on my tongue” He knows it completely. Before I ever have a need, He is aware of it and is just waiting for me to seek His help before He comes to my aid. He is a loving and caring God. A Shepherd that is careful and watchful of His sheep. A Father whose tenderest thoughts are bent on His child. A King who is ever present to send help and restore my spirit.

      God knew that I was in a struggle and needed help. He knew exactly what kind of help I needed and He sent it in the shape of the stars. He guided me to look at the stars so that He might remind me of how much He cares about me and for me and how well He knows me and is involved in my life. He used the stars to remind me that He is always with me, even when I don’t feel His presence. He is still here. Always here with me. No matter where I go. (Psalm 139) He is truly the all knowing, omnipresent, all powerful God who knows me better then I know myself.  He is always going on before me, leading me down His chosen path. I know that in His hands I am safe and in His plan I am where I need to be.
                                                         "For the glory of God!"
                                                                 

Day 28: Life in Chongwe thus far

          Well, I am blogging sooner then I thought I would because we are back in Lusaka for the night…something that we didn’t think would be happening  until the camps were over. The other three girl’s visas expire tomorrow so we have to go back to the immigration office again. Because of how early we need to be there, Mama Margaret told us to just hitch a ride into town with Ba Humphrey and stay the night. So here we are….sitting in the office updating everyone back home.

        Life in Chongwe is very different then in Lusaka. For one thing, Chongwe is a country village so everything here is done similar to the old fashioned way. We bathe in tiny plastic tubs, wash laundry and dishes in tubs outside and then hang dry all of our laundry. We get up at 5am for morning prayer and go to bed around 8:30pm. Sweeping is done on hands and knees with tiny brushes, followed up by floor polish that’s applied the same way.  They eat porridge for breakfast and Nshima (a paste like dish made from ground corn) and Veg (boiled greens) for most dinners. We go to sleep at night listening to thousands of frogs and grasshoppers  and wake up to the rooster crowing outside our window.

          But the two differences that get me the most are the fresh meat they have for dinner and the types of eat they eat. If they want chicken for dinner, they slaughter a hen right outside their backdoor and prepare her for their dinner. They literally have fresh meat. As for their meat preference….these people eat nearly the entire chicken, and by that I mean liver, feet, organs  and all. There are few parts that they throw away. Quite the new experience for me! By the way, boiled chicken livers is actually not that bad. Yep, I ate part of a chicken liver. Talk about the ultimate experience!! That was my first taste of all out African food, and it was not bad…not bad at all. Not my favorite by any means! Not at all!! Nor am I eager to eat it again!! But since it was set before me I had to be polite to the ladies that prepared it for me and at least do them the courtesy of tasting it.

         Part of the Teen Mania team arrived last night, but half of them missed their fight so they won’t be here until Saturday. So for today at least, we have 45 new people milling around getting used to being here, which meant that things were slow in Chongwe. It was one last relaxing day before things  get busy. Monday morning is Camp Hope #1!!  Praise the Lord for all the sweet children this entire team of EOH and TM missionaries will be able to minster to!!! 300+ orphans are about to be touched by God!! I pray that the Lord will be glorified through our actions over these next few weeks. May His name be magnified in highest praise as we serve Him through these precious little ones.
                                                            “For the glory of God!”

Shoes for orphans

      I recently updated all of you on the EOH’s sponsorship mission, but I wanted to touch up on one the needs that these orphans have. Because of the lack of sponsors, these children also lack good shoes. When a sponsor sends money the first places EOH sends it is to feed, clothe and school the child. Shoes are one of the last things that get bought, therefore shoes for these children are scarce. Most of them either don’t have shoes, then the children who do have shoes either have poorly fitting shoes or shoes that are old and worn out.
     Since I have been here I have seen the majority of these kids running around bare foot. The ground here is very hard and rocky, so because of this their sweet feet are often torn up and cracked. They have sores all over the bottom of their feet and the skin is peeling in several places. Washing the girls feet at our girls party, many of them had raw, aching feet that were tender to the touch. All because they don’t have enough sponsors to supply shoes.

      When my parents heard about this, God put it on their hearts to start raising the money to buy every child in the EOH program a new pair of shoes. They have 2 weeks to raise all the money, because the lady they are sending it with is coming here on the 28th. There is a lot of money to be raised in such a short amount of time. We are not sure of the exact amount yet, but there are over 70 children in the EOH program so we need enough money to get 70+ pairs of shoes. Please consider helping us out with this fundraiser! If you pity these children and want to do something to help, please help us raise this money!! You can be the supplier of a much needed pair of shoes to an orphan in Zambia!!! Please! This is just a small way you can help if you are unable to commit to a monthly sponsorship!!

       If you want to help buy a pair of shoes for one of these children you can either leave a comment on my blog with your email address and we will email you our address, or you can donate to my Paypal account. I can promise you, either way that money will get to those children and they will be getting a new pair of shoes!!!! Thank you and God bless!!

                                                             “For the glory of God!”                 

             “….I tell you the truth, as little as you do unto the least of these my brethren, you did unto ME.”

Matthew 25:40

Day 26: The orphan situation in Zambia

       My heart is heavy this morning as I think about the orphan situation in Zambia. It is weighted down with grief and pity for the surrounding orphans of Zambia. There are over 2,000 orphans in Chongwe alone! Yet 300+ orphans are expected to show up for both of the first 2 camps that EOH is hosting. One cannot help but think “how is that possible??!!!”  How can there possibly be 2,000 Chongwe orphans and 600+ orphans coming to the camps, yet there are still an abundance of orphans out there that are not being reached by EOH!!!??!!

         Thousands of innocent children around Zambia are daily being orphaned by the AIDS/HIV crisis. Thousands of sweet children, thrown into the street or taken in by abusive, neglectful guardians. Guardians that squander the children’s inheritance and often times neglect and even abandon these children. These children suffer mental, emotional,  physical and even spiritual abuse as their sweet spirits are damaged by these experiences, making them withdraw into themselves. Many of these sweet children become physically sick from the environment they are in. They become distrustful, scared, sick, lonely and emotionally dead as wander around searching for love. Searching for someone they can learn to trust. Someone who will take are of them.

        EOH has been taking in dozens of these precious children each year, changing their situations around and giving them the love that they search for. Reviving them and giving them life in Christ Jesus. Through EOH, 70+ children have been given a second chance at life. A chance to grow past the age of 18. But these children sponsors. They need the help of 12 monthly donors who will dedicate themselves to helping this child grow strong and healthy and grow in the name of the Lord. Without sponsors, EOH would not be able to continue the work that they are doing in these children's lives. Apart from the help of the sponsors, Jesus would not have this open access to reach these precious children for the Kingdom of God. These children need many more sponsors. They need someone like you who will be willing to come alongside them with a small $27 a month donation to help change their lives. Please. Don’t just pity these children. Act upon that pity. Change a child’s life. God calls us to care for the orphans in their trouble. Are you willing to obey that command? Don't just listen to God. Listen and obey.

To sponsor a child go to:

 http://everyorphan.org/sponsor-an-orphan/

“For the glory of God!”

The EOH ground staff

             Here is a description of  the people that I am working with this summer. These people are wonderful! I love working with them.

            Mama Margret is super sweet,loving, generous, compassionate, and other centered. She is in charge of all the ground work over here, so she is always kept busy. She is always looking out for the interns and making sure we are safe, happy, healthy, and content here. She is always laughing and smiling and always has a word of advice and wisdom ready on her lips. She is a huge spiritual soldier, a woman who has walked with God and established a strong relationship with Him.

           Baa Mareta is a quiet, loving lady who is also strong in her walk. She is the go-girl for EOH. Always on the go running errands, shopping, getting money from the bank and working out problems that arise.

         Baa Patricia is very  jolly. She's always smiling and laughing, and constantly goes around singing praise and worship songs in Nongia. She loves to teach us how to cook Zambian recipes and is always dancing and singing. She has a huge servants heart and gets to the office earlier then anyone else to make sure the office is clean for the day.

       Baa Caison is super quiet but very funny. He is often heard muttering to himself under his breath then laughs it off or pretends he wasn't. He is studying Spanish so he is often heard to be practicing his newest Spanish words.

       Brian is one of the guards here. Every morning when we come we are greeted with his huge smile and joyful greeting.  He is always smiling and laughing. He is a busy bee who is always serving the staff in ways that are not even his duties.

        Baa Muchimba is our  taxi driver.  He is super calm and seems to never care about anything. He is very caring and treats us like family. He is our daily go-to guy, taking us anywhere we need to go.

       Baa Mariann is in charge of all the Lusaka houses. She oversees them and makes sure there are no problems with the kids or mamas or anything like that. She is very passionate for the Lord and the work she is doing and does not stop until problems are solved.

        Mrs. Michelle is in charge of the sponsorships. She is very adamant about getting her job done and making sure those children are getting enough sponsors. She is very encouraging and super understanding and supportive of us interns. She is really sweet and loving. Very much like an aunt to us.

        Mr, Jake is Mrs. Michelle's husband. He is a quiet, attentive kind of guy. He is really friendly and encouraging. He's kind and generous. Very supportive of the work we're doing and eager to lend a hand and pitch in to help.

           These are some of the people that I have the pleasure of serving with over the next few weeks. Together, we will be reaching out to the local orphans and bringing Christ closer to them. In just a couple days, 72 Teen Mania missionaries, 33 short term missionaries, the entire EOH staff and 4 interns, will be hosting 3 Camp Hopes and touching the lives of over 300 orphans. Now that will be the work of God!!! May His name be praised and He get all the glory and credit from the work we are and will be doing!!
                                                “For the glory of God!”

       “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Day 25: giant spiders

           Last night was a very interesting night. We were harassed by giant African spiders. The night started with a loud scream of fright coming from the bathroom. Running over there, Christina and I discovered that there was a huge, hairy, tarantula-like spider in the bathroom. This spider had sitting on Elise’s toilet paper and when she saw it she had screamed and threw the toilet paper over the counter…so now the spider was cornered by the counter. After going through several minutes of playing “not me” to kill the spider, Elise finally put on a tennis shoe and finished the job.

           Around 1am, I was awakened by more screams coming from Elise and Kate’s bedroom. Apparently another spider like the one in the bathroom had crawled under their door and was now loose in the room. After nearly an hour of screaming, the spider was finally cornered and stomped on.  According to Kate this was “the worst night ever!!!”  Since I was not the one in the room that had the spider in it, I won’t say that, but I will say it was a very interesting night!! TIZ…this is Zambia! Like I’ve said before…nothing ordinary ever happens around here!

             The worst part part about it is that according to the EOH staff, that spider was nothing compare to the spiders we’ll see in the bush of Chongwe…80. Yes…the next few weeks are going to be very interesting!!  God’s grace will have to carry us “city girls” through the next few weeks as we face a lot of things that we are not used to! Only His grace is going to be sufficient to strengthen us! May His name be glorified!!

                                      “For the glory of God!”

A lesson from Roy Lessin

15 Things that God will never do:

If you come to Him, He will not cast you out; John 6:37
If you trust in His mercy, He will not condemn you; Romans 8:1
If you are His child, He will not abandon you as your Father; Psalm 94:14
If you lean upon Him, He will not pull away; Matthew 11:28
If you call upon Him, He will not turn a deaf ear; Psalm 50:15
If you drink from Him, He will not leave you thirsty; John 7:37-38
If you ask Him for bread, He will not give you a stone; Matthew 7:9-11
If you receive of Him, He will not leave you empty; Psalm 23:5
If you dine with Him, He will not ignore you; Revelation 3:20
If you walk with Him, He will not lead you to a dead end; Psalm 16:11
If you depend upon Him, He will not forget about you; Isaiah 49:15
If you seek Him, He will not forsake you; Psalm 9:10
If you do His will, He will not do you wrong; Psalm 84:11
If you stand with Him, He will not let you fall; Psalm 41:2
If you trust in Him, He will not allow His faithfulness to fail. Psalm 89:33

(From his daily devotional site http://www.meetmeinthemeadow.com/)

          How true are these verses!! Thank God that He will never do these things!! He is a God who deserves to be praised! A God that higher then any other! The only God!!! Praise the Lord for that and for the sweet reminder that these verses bring!

                                            “For the glory of God!”

Day 24: Power outage and packing for Chongwe

              Today is the final day before moving out to Chongwe for Camp Hope ad we are sitting at the office waiting for the power to come back on so we post our blogs. We have been withough power all morning. Another strange thing that is prone to happen in Lusaka.  Sometime tomorrow we will be moving out to Chongwe for the next 2-3 weeks, so as to be closer to the camps without having to travel back and forth each day. While we are there we will be staying in our assigned orphan homes, so we will be able to really bond with and get to know these children more. While we are out there we may only be able to come back to Lusaka once, maybe twice so we will not have internet access. Because of this my posts will be few and far between for the next few weeks. But bare with me as when I do post I will have much more content on the children and the organization.

                Here is a little preview of how the next few weeks are going to go for me. This upcoming Wednesday, Teen Mania arrives so we will be picking them up at the airport and taking them to our Chongwe orphan homes where they will be setting up camp for the next 3 weeks. On Friday, us interns will be training the TM team on the culture, food, camp, and responsibilities of us and them for Camp Hope.  A week from Monday, our first Camp Hope starts. This is a 5 day camp for 300+ local orphans that TM will be hosting. That same Thursday, a team of 33 short term missionaries arrive.  The following Monday after the first camp…( July 23), the short term team host their 5 day Camp Hope with the same amount of orphans as the first.

                 During all of this, us interns will be very busy with our new responsibilities. We will be running back and forth from each group of kids in the camps, fetching supplies, tending sick children, babysitting children that aren’t/can’t be in Camp Hope, and making sure things run smoothly for both camps. These next few weeks are going to be incredible as we serve God and His children during these camps and see first hand the power of God in the lives of these children. God is going to be glorified and praised more then He has all summer over the next few weeks. Please keep all the interns/staff members, TM/short term missionaries, house Mamas, volunteer cooks/translators, and orphans in your prayers over the next few weeks. God is doing to do some amazing things in all of our lives in the weeks to come!  To Him be all the  glory, honor, power, dominion and praise forever!

                                    “For the glory of God!”

Day 23: Boys party with the Lusaka boys

           This afternoon we had 14 boys show up for our Lusaka boys party.  Considering the fact that the office was full of boys, I’d say we had a really quiet afternoon! When the boys showed up we took a vote on which movie they wanted to watch and ‘Lion King’ was the near unanimous winner. So we popped the movie in and passed out Fanta drinks to all of them. With them preoccupied with the movie, us girls were then able to man the kitchen. We made an entire bag of popcorn….which disappeared nearly as fast as it was made…and 2 boxes of chocolate chip cookies.

             Making that much cookies and popcorn took up nearly the whole movie so there wasn’t as much hang out time as there was with the girls, but it was still a sweet time in which we were able to serve these boys and show the love of Christ to them.  All in all, the afternoon was another he success. By the end of the afternoon, 14 happy boys went home with bellies full from stove popped popcorn and fresh from the oven cookies. There was lots of laughter as the boys posed for the camera in the silliest ways and made plenty of goofy faces while e were trying to document the afternoon with camera footage.

           It was a blessed time of service and joy as we bonded and spent some time with them. God glorified through this afternoon as we demonstrated His love through our acts of service. It was a successful, fun afternoon! These young boys are such a blessing and a  joy to be around and as with the girls, I look forward to spending the rest of my summer with them and showing them the  love of Christ!

                                    “For the glory of God!”

Lessons in the morning

Here are a few lessons that God has shown me this morning. Courtesy of the blog "Faithful is He that calleth you".

1."My willingness and weakness + God's will and supernatural power = my expanding territory."

2."If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?" -David Livingstone

3."As God's chosen, blessed sons and daughters, we are expected to attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed...unless God steps in... For the Christian, dependance is just another word for power." -Bruce Wilkinson

4. “This world is full of suffering, but it is also full of the overcoming of it.”  –Helen Keller

 

5. " Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, 

pray for powers equal to your task. "  -Phillip Brooks

 

6. "I have but one candle of life to burn, and I’d rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light." -John Keith Falconer 

 

7. "God's not in a hurry so why should we be? God's never in a panic, so why should we be?"

- Mama Margaret (The sweet director of the EOH office)

 

8. " Nothing overwhelms God." - Mama Margaret (The sweet director of the EOH office)

9. "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God." -William Carey 

 

                                                  "For the glory of God!"

Day 22: New visas and Camp Hope preparations

              This morning we all loaded up and went down to the immigrations office to get my visa. It was chaos there. There were lines of people all pushing and shoving. We got moved to 2 different tables before we got the right place. Once there it took the man quite a while to give me my visa. For nearly 10 minutes he sat there staring at the wall with my passport sitting in front of him. When he finally got around to giving me my visa he only gave me month long visa so now we have o go back on August 6th to extend my visa another 8 days. What a joke!  But at least I am now legal in this country again. That is a huge relief!

              After we left the immigration office, we headed back to the EOH office where the staff had camp registry spread sheets waiting for us. We spent the rest of the afternoon typing spread sheets and updating our blogs.  In the evening the Lord blessed us with the power staying on so we were able to make a real dinner and spend some time in the Word. It was a busy morning that turned into a slow afternoon at the office. God guided us through immigrations, granting us favor in the sight of the workers and enabling me to stay in the country and not get deported….which was what I was worried about since it was taking so long to get the visa. Tomorrow we  will be heading into the office in the morning to finish some Camp Hope preparations and get ready for our boys party.  God’s grace was sufficient for me today! He again proved Himself to be active in my day to day life as He led me through the day.

                                    “For the glory of God!”

Day 21: New passports and no electricity

         Today was a busier day then yesterday. This morning we went to the embassy and picked up my new passport…I am now half way to being a legal visitor to this country. God again showed Himself to be good, gaining me favor in the eyes of the embassy workers and getting me in and out of there with no problems.
        One good story came out of this particular trip to the embassy: my roommate almost got her phone confiscated by one of the guards. She had taken her phone out to check the time and this guard saw her so he stopped us and proceeded to make her scroll through her pictures to prove to him that she had not taken a picture of the embassy. He then made her shut her phone off in front of him and gave her a strict warning to keep her phone in her bag and not take it out again. The funny thing about this story is we had just gotten done warning her that they could potentially take her phone from her if they saw fit and not give it back, to which she had jokingly talked about them doing it. Talk about ironic!!
         When we were finished there we grabbed lunch and headed back to the office. We got here around 2:30 in the afternoon and sat down to do some more blogging and EOH spread sheets. Around 6pm, the nightly power outage happened so we ended up sitting in the dark with only our flash lights for the next 45 minutes while we waited for our taxi driver to come get us. The power came on again around 8:15, so we were able to eat and get ready for bed with more light then a flashlight. That’s always  plus!
         God has been faithful to daily reveal Himself to me and remind me that He is here with me. He has continually shown me that He is walking with me and before me, paving the way and guiding me. It has been incredible to see all the different ways in which He is revealing Himself to me and reminding me of His presence. Tomorrow we are getting my visa, and I already know that He has paved that path and will be working that out as well. My God has been, is and always will be faithful to supply all my needs!!! My God never fails me!!!

                                            “For the glory of God!”

Day 20: clean clothes and EOH blogging

           Today was a slow day in the office. The washing machine finally started working again, so today were able to wash all of our laundry. Other then that we were busy all afternoon blogging both for the EOH blog as well as for our own. 
          EOH has requested that we write up a weekly blog post for their blog so that the sponsors can follow our summer and keep up with all that is going on as well.  So this afternoon we were busy doing that. Once we were done with that we waited around for the staff to come back to the office so we could figure out what we were doing tomorrow.
           In the evening we headed back to the dorms and spent the evening chatting with each other and blogging. Tomorrow we are going back to the embassy to pick up my passport. Yay! It will be a huge relief to me to have a passport again! God is good and I know that He is going to go before me tomorrow, working everything out for my good!
                                     “For the glory of God!”

Every Orphans Hope

        Every Orphans Hope is such a neat organization! Such a hard core, Christian organization. EOH does not believe in orphanages for their children. They want to give their children a home where they will be loved and raised in a Christian home. Making sure these orphans are raised in a Godly environment where they will receive the word of God is very important to EOH. So what they do is take 8 orphans and place them in a home with a 1 Timothy 5 widow, creating a family unit. That woman then becomes their Mama. Through this system, both the widow an the orphans are given a second chance at life.

         When these orphans and widows first come to EOH, they are often emotionally dead, but being here gives Christ a better opportunity to heal and revive them. Within a few months of being in this program, both the orphans and the widows are completely changed by the power of Christ. Being here, Christ’s love is able to descend on them more then ever before, restoring them to a state of emotional “health”. Christ is able to work through EOH to bring His love and joy into their lives and to bring their emotions back to life. EOH is truly a life changing opportunity for these sweet women and children.

             There are 3 kinds of orphans: single, double and vulnerable orphans. Single orphans are children that have 1 living parent, but that parent is incapable of caring for them. Double orphans are children who have no living parents and vulnerable orphans are children who have both parents still living but neither of them are capable of caring for the child. EOH has a wide range of all 3 kinds of orphans, and each of them have their own painful stories and backgrounds.

            Most of these poor children are the victims of AIDs/HIV. For many of them, they have had to experience what no child should go through; the death of one or both of their parents. NO child should feel that kind of pain!! Children should be children. They should run and jump and play. They should be happy and care free. Instead, these poor children have had to watch their parents suffer and die, they have carried a load of grief and pain that no child should have bear! Many of them have lived on the streets and have had to fend for themselves. They have been abused, neglected, abandoned, and rejected. They have suffered the pain of their losses, the hurt from their rejection, the emotional hurt at suddenly finding themselves alone, and the fear of abuse as they are left alone and unprotected. They have been through what many adults have not even gone through. Yet they are just children. Many of them less then 10 years old.  EOH can change that. Through EOH, these children can experience what it is to be loved again. They can experience protection again. They can again know what it is like to be loved, to be treasured and cared about. They can experience the life changing power of God's love. They can have their childhood back!!

            In order to take care of all of their children, EOH has a special sponsorship program set up. Each child needs 12 sponsors giving $27 a month to be sufficiently cared for. EOH gives 100% of the sponsors funds to their sponsored child, while the administration part is supported through donations that are specifically for their administrations. There are over 70 precious orphans being cared for through EOH and NOT ONE of them is fully funded. Some of them are half way, but none of them are complete. They recently filled their newest home and none of these children have sponsors either.

           Think about it, children running around with bare feet because they don’t have shoes that fit them. Some of their feet are cut up, cracked, and peeling, yet they have no shoes to cover them. Children running around playing soccer with a popped ball, and wearing clothes that are sometimes worn out. These children need more help. Let us be in prayer together that God will raise up the sponsors that these children so badly need!!! Let us pray that people will rise to do their part in serving God by serving His children. These children need help. The help that only more sponsors can give them!

To learn more about sponsoring an EOH orphan go to http://everyorphan.org/sponsor-an-orphan/

                            
                                 
                                                   “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

Day 19: Gifts from sponsors

            This afternoon I was one of the blessed people who had the privilege of getting to witness the Lusaka kids receiving gifts from their sponsors. Even the Mamas got something! It was such a blessing for me to be able to witness their joy and excitement at getting these special gifts. The excitement and joy displayed on every face as they received their gift and letters was too sweet for words to say. I could tell they were touched and blessed that their sponsors would care enough about them to send them a special gift. It was really a touching sight to see their excitement and delight.

          These children are such special children! They are precious, loving children that are such a blessing for me to be around. Each time I am with them I am again blessed by them and through them. My heart is captivated more and more each time I see them. God has truly blessed me to place me here in Zambia, serving Him while I serve His little ones! The joy and blessings that this assignment has given me is too much to begin to describe! I am absolutely in love with these sweet children and am so blessed to be able to spend my summer with such amazing children!

The Lusaka kids receiving gifts from their sponsors VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

                                               “For the glory of God!”

My Solid Rock

         These last 3 weeks have been very challenging weeks for me in my walk with the Lord. I have gone through so many spiritual changes. I keep growing stronger in my relationship with the Lord, but every time I have a day that's spent in the Word and prayer, I am attacked the next day. Satan is not losing any time trying to tear me down and dissuade me from my purpose. I know he is working to try and discourage me from following through with God's call on my life and he is certainly working extra hard now that I'm here. He knows my weakness is my family, and is therefore using that very thing against  me. Every time I spend time several days in the word and give all that I'm struggling with to God, I am encouraged and uplifted. But without fail I always go through a spiritual "darkness" the next few days, fighting everything that God had just recently helped me overcome. So it has been a challenge to me, dealing with all this and not letting myself get too down.

         I stumbled across this video on the internet a few days ago as I was looking for a different song, and it has been such a source of encouragement and strength to me! God has totally used this song to remind me that He is indeed my Solid Rock and is in control of everything that I am facing. This version has an amazing addition at the end, that somewhat relates to what I am feeling...thought on a larger scale than what I'm feeling.  God has used this song to comfort me and remind me that He is near and watching over me with His
loving care. (Turn off my playlist at the bottom of the screen before playing the video.)

                       
                                                            "For the glory of God!"

"My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior......"

   2 Samuel 22:3

Pictures!

         Here are some random pictures of my trip thus far. I figured everyone back home would enjoy seeing these. Blessings!

 

Zambia trip (June 14-July 4) VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Day 18: Girls party with our Lusaka girls!

           Tonight was a wonderful evening of laughter and joy as we bonded with our sweet Lusaka girls while cooking and painting nails. We had 16 girls ranging from the age of 9 to 18 show up for our little party tonight. We set up a nail station and cooking station in the kitchen. Kate, Elise, Baa Patricia and 5 of the girls were on kitchen duty. They spent most of the evening baking and decorating cupcakes and making popcorn amidst much laughter.  Christina and I were on nail duty, so we had the blessed privilege of pampering these sweet girls and helping them feel like princesses for the night. We spent stent most of the evening giving these girls a pedicure and manicure. It was such a sweet time of bonding!

          Later in the evening, some of the interns and the girls had a contest- like game to see who could catch the popcorn in their mouths when it was thrown at them. As you can imagine, this set off an eruption of laugher! By the time their little game was over, the floor was covered with scattered popcorn.  Between all the popcorn flying everywhere and the craziness of their excitement at being able to use our cameras, the room was the quite the site! Once we got that under control we we were able to enjoy the cupcakes that the sweet girls had made and settle down for some quiet activities.

           These “quiet activities” ended up being the girls showing us some of their dances. They danced to several of Christina and Elise’s favorite songs, eagerly showing off their dance moves.   Again, it was a time of laughter and joy as we all gathered around to watch them. In the midst of all of this, the fun evening came to an abrupt end when the power went out. Nearly every night the power goes out from 6-9, and tonight it went out while we were still hanging out with the girls. So after some quick good byes, the girls were on their way home for dinner and we were sitting in the dark with our flashlights, waiting for our taxi to show up.

          All in all, it was a wonderful evening. We were able to minister to and serve these sweet girls all evening while bonding and getting to know them better. Through this experience, all of our hearts were knit closer together and these 4 “aunties” have won a place in the hearts of these girls. Through tonight, we were able to establish a family relationship with them that drew us all closer together. God was at work making this happen so that we could better minster to and love on them. He knew that this party was what we needed to break the ice and familiarize ourselves with them and them with us. I look forward to spending more time with these precious girls this summer and bringing the love of Christ to them.

(I gave my camera to the girls to take some pictures, so needless to say I got some pretty weird pictures!! )

Girls party with Lusaka girls! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

  

                                            “For the glory of God!!”

Receiving His Peace

         This was part of Roy Lessin’s devotional for today. This is an incredible poem that uplifted me and reminded me of how I can receive true peace from the Lord. 

(Mama, I thought of you when I read this. I hope this encourages you and reminds you of His constant care over me. In Him, there is no need to fear or worry! I am in His hands, and He will guard me with a care and protection that is beyond any that this world can give!!! I pray that this will comfort you today and help you to surrender me completely to Him without any fear or worry! I love you!)

"For the glory of God!" 

“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Day 17: Planning our summer

          Today we spent all day at the EOH office making plans and writing schedules for the summer. We wrote out a huge calendar of the next 7 weeks and wrote down everything we need to do before we leave. We planned a girl’s party and a guy’s party for the Lusaka kids, a combined party for the Chongwe kids, 2 days of training for Camp Hope, 1 field day for al the kids, 2 gift days, and 1 Camp Hope. When we were done with all that we added each day that we want to go visit the kids, the days teams are arriving and leaving, when our sponsorship paperwork is due, and bible studies and tutoring sessions with the kids.

         When we were done with all that we sat down and planned our weekly bible studies. We picked a topic and split the kids into 4 age groups. Then each of us interns chose the age we want to teach and sat and planned our first bible study. I have the youngest age group and the topic of the summer is going to be the fruit of the Spirit. So I spent  about 2 hours planning my first lesson with the kids.

         When we were done with that we made a list of all the supplies we needed, planned shopping days and we were done. We now have our entire summer mapped out down the most miniscule details. All said and done we have less then 1 week of “down time” to work on our sponsorship duties. Even then, we’ll be busy those days too. It’s going to be an insanely busy, yet Christ centered summer!! I am eagerly anticipating every minute of it, and every lesson from it! I know that God is going to be glorified through the work that is being done this summer, and I thank the Lord that I have the blessed privilege of being here to see that happen!

                                         “For the glory of God!”

Day 16: Marriage proposals, marketplace churches, and birthdays in Africa

           Today was my 18th birthday. It was also my first birthday in Africa. To start to day off we went to Lusaka houses 3-4 and walked to church with the kids from those houses. Walking to church I received my first “marriage proposal”…make that, my first several marriage proposals. Nearly every van driver that drove past us was leaning out his window yelling out proposals to the “Mzungos”…(white people, or westerners). Yes, it was very interesting. Of course, we all “politely” ignored them.

          The service was drastically different from that of the churches back home.  For starters, the service was 4 hours long! The longest church service I’ve ever been to! The second thing that made it so different is the worship style. In America we worship calmly and quietly, each keeping to themselves. But here there is jumping, screaming, songs being shouted out, people with their arms in the air, crying, laughing, dancing and kneeling before God. It is incredible chaos! They are so filled with the Holy Spirit that they let loose and don’t care how they worship. It is such an open, fun, crazy way to worship! I love it!

        The third thing that makes them stick out is the sermon. The pastor at this particular church is not afraid to speak the truth! He is open, strict, and very adamant about telling the truth even if it means offending people. That’s something a lot of American churches are missing. When you can find a good, hardcore, truth speaking pastor, they are few and far between! Our home church has that kind of pastor, but in many churches that’s not the case.

         After church we went back to the office where we ordered pizza for lunch and chilled on the internet for the rest of the day. In the evening we headed back to our dorms where the other girls made dinner, while I had some much needed quiet time with the Lord. During dinner my sweet friends surprised me a cake and a card for my birthday. It was a really enjoyable evening. We were able to hang out and bond as a team while we ate and cleaned the kitchen together. It was a really neat time that  knit us together as a team.

           Sitting here tonight, I still cannot believe that I am sitting in Africa…on my 18th birthday….exactly what God promised me. Years ago I remember God telling me that I was called to go when I was 18,  and I knew it would be when I was newly 18,  but I didn’t realize He meant I would be here when I turned 18.  I can see that He had this planned all along, even when I did not know it. His ways truly are higher then my ways, and His thoughts higher then my thoughts! (Isaiah 55:8)  

          I can now see that God in control of my life more fully then I ever thought He was! He obviously has every minute, of every day, of every month, of every year of my entire life mapped out to the most minuscule detail! He truly is the Master and Lord of my entire  life!!! He is walking the trail before me, marking the path that I am to follow, and I know without a doubt, when I am walking in His footprints, I will never falter from my purpose in life. It is undeniable. This is the plan that was purposed long before my birth, and nothing and no one can stand against the purposes of the Most High! (Isaiah 14:27)

                                         “For the glory of God!”

"“But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”

Psalm 33:11

Day 15: Broken washers, creepy drivers, and Skype time

        Today is day 15 of my stay in Zambia and it's been an interesting day. The EOH sponsorship coordinator and her husband are here, so this morning we all went to Arcades again so that we could get some groceries and talk time for our phones. While we were there I was able to Skype with my family...a special treat for us! Because we were in Livingstone last Saturday we missed our weekly Skype time, so it has been 2 weeks since we last saw each other. It was so nice to be able to see my mom, grandma and sweet sister again! Thank God for Skype and the sweet people who provided a way for me to be able to  do this each week!

        Seeing as this is day 15, all of us girls have clothes that are in dire need of a washing, so after we left Arcades we came to the EOH office to use their washing machine and clothes line. Little known fact...Zambia doesn't have dryers, they only have clothes lines. Well, all I can say about this is God truly has a sense of humor and I think He's laughing right now. The washer won't work. Yep, that's right. Very few clean clothes and we don't have a washer. So.....we might be hand washing all of our clothes. Bring it on! We are truly getting the full experience! By the time we go home we'll have a acquired lot of valuable skills  over the summer.This will be....interesting...fun, but interesting. In a weird way I'm excited to learn how to hand wash my clothes. That's a good skill to have.

         Also, this morning we were promised lessons on cooking Zambian food, learning traditional Zambian dances and balancing stuff on our heads like Zambian women. How awesome is that?!! By the time this trip is over, we will be genuine Africans...or at least as African as American women can be. I am super excited!

        In the evening we went to see the Lusaka children again. Many of the girls are away competing in a sports event for their school, so the group was really small tonight. Towards the end of the visit we were able to take out our cameras and get lots of pictures. I ended up handing my camera over to the kids and letting them use it for a bit, so I got some pretty cute picture. These kids are photogenic!! They love having their picture taken, and they always pose for it. It is the funniest thing!!

      After we left the kids we came back to the office to wait for our taxi driver. Some of the staff members were there so we were able to hang out and talk with them for awhile.When we got back here we made some dinner and spent the rest of the evening talking and blogging. Later when we were driving back to the dorms, we had a new taxi driver for the night. Shortly into the drive we discovered that this driver was a little creepy. He was a married man and was hitting up on Kate! Very creepy and wrong!!! So overall it was an interesting day. I look forward to finding out what God has for us tomorrow! I know He has another crazy day planned for us. For after all, this is Africa, and crazy is what most days are around here. Crazy and interesting!
                                                      “For the glory of God!”