So much has happened since the last time one of us posted. If I ever have the privilege of coming back to Zambia, I will make sure to bring my own laptop! :P Anyway, I digress.
It is almost time for us to leave. I am sad because I may not ever see some of the amazing people I have met on this trip. The orphans and mamas have tugged on my heartstrings, and I pray that I will never forget my feelings for them. I will miss the EOH staff so much, and even my crazy fellow interns. (I mean "crazy" in a good way, btw.) I take comfort in the fact that God is in control, and He will watch over all of them.
Since my last post, we've met Kimberlee (an intern from years past), gone through the second Camp Hope in Lusaka with the short-term missionaries, our second Fellowship Day, said goodbye to Mama Harawa, the Lusaka MFH 1 and 2 orphans and mamas, stayed overnight in Chongwe and said goodbye to all of them, had a fantastic dinner and party with the EOH Zambian staff, and now we're preparing to say goodbye to the Lusaka MFH 3 and 4, and then dinner at Bob and Mary's house.
I never thought I'd cry because I felt sad about leaving someone. I've cried when someone has died, when I'm extremely frustrated, or teared up a bit at a sad movie. I think I've only cried a bit ONCE when I've missed someone, and even then I did not cry in public. After leaving the kids and mamas in Chongwe, I competely lost it and cried in public. I was already sad, but didn't start to feel the tears well up until I saw Maximillian (one of the boys in House 1) wiping away tears. Then I hugged little Doreen for the last time and told her that we loved her and will miss her very much. She looked at me, and seemed to frown the biggest frown I've ever seen on her face. She then waved goodbye to us, and I felt the first tear fall. As we drove away, I looked out the window to see another boy, Joshua, looking right at me then begin to cry. That broke my heart completely and the rest of my tears began to fall. More tears fell when I saw Megan and Kate crying as well. Needless to say, it was a very quiet ride back to Lusaka.
I began to pray to God quietly that I would never forget the feelings I felt at that moment. I never want to forget those precious children and mamas, nor forget how God took them away from horrible situations and placed them under the protection of Every Orphan's Hope. I began to think about the next time Brian and I could come back. Christmas time? We'll see how the Lord leads. :)
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Friday, August 13, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Reflections
I am so very thankful that, despite my torn feelings from the previous day about being in the background, our first "Fellowship Day" went well! No doubt, I was tired by the end of the day from running around, giving directions, and making last-minute changes to the schedule, but I felt so blessed and encouraged.
My heart felt sincerly glad to see Teen Mania bond so well with their MFH partners. They were laughing together, encouraging each other throughout the games, and most everyone was smiling.
I pray now that the members of Teen Mania will bring the orphans' stories back to their home churches or fellowship groups and that people will be touched. I pray that these beautiful children will be sponsored so that they can continue growing and live their lives for Jesus.
Before I end this blog post, I would like to share something that really touched my heart. After all the Lusaka kids got back on the bus and left for home, I got a chance to spend some time with a few of the Chongwe kids. I was showing a few of the kids - Rebecca, Joshua, Kauya, Lister, Catherine, Samuel, and Justine ("e" is silent) - how to throw a frisbee. Kauya really got into it and was trying to improve his form every time he tossed the frisbee. Then Joshua got ahold of it and threw it quite hard to Justine, but it went way over his head and landed on Kauya's head. Kauya began to cry and he hid his face inside his sweatshirt. I walked over to him to make sure was ok, and held him as he sobbed quietly. I got a bit upset when Joshua just laughed and a few other boys seemed to be teasing Kauya for crying. I think that upset him more, so I guided him over to a log to sit.
I realize that Kauya's bump on the head wasn't serious at all, and it probably didn't hurt him that badly, but just knowing that he probably doesn't get comforted when he does get bumps or bruises or someone hurts his feelings made me so sad. I sat with him for about half an hour until I had to leave. He seemed to cheer up after a while, but it made me so sad to see him sad. He normally has such a sweet smile, and seeing the tears rolls down his cheeks made me want to take him in my arms and protect him there forever. I prayed quietly, as I sat with Kauya, and later Bianca, who came over looking quite sad herself. I prayed that these kids would know that Jesus does care about their hurts and sad feelings, and that they would cry out to him when they are in need of comfort. I began to sing "God is So Good" quietly, and Bianca joined in while Kauya leaned his head on me. It was such a precious moment that I will remember forever.
One other special moment happened right before we started playing frisbee. I was standing with Rebecca, watching some of the younger boys kick a soccerball around. I then noticed the clouds and I commented to Rebecca that it makes me think of heaven. Rebecca then began to sing a song about heaven. I don't know the name of the song, but right afterwards, I asked her what she thought heaven looks like. She thought a moment, smiled, and said, "BEAUTIFUL!!" The brightness in her eyes and her sincere smile just made my heart melt. I pray that these precious children will all sincerely find Jesus, so that we can all have a big ol' reunion in heaven one day.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
My heart felt sincerly glad to see Teen Mania bond so well with their MFH partners. They were laughing together, encouraging each other throughout the games, and most everyone was smiling.
I pray now that the members of Teen Mania will bring the orphans' stories back to their home churches or fellowship groups and that people will be touched. I pray that these beautiful children will be sponsored so that they can continue growing and live their lives for Jesus.
Before I end this blog post, I would like to share something that really touched my heart. After all the Lusaka kids got back on the bus and left for home, I got a chance to spend some time with a few of the Chongwe kids. I was showing a few of the kids - Rebecca, Joshua, Kauya, Lister, Catherine, Samuel, and Justine ("e" is silent) - how to throw a frisbee. Kauya really got into it and was trying to improve his form every time he tossed the frisbee. Then Joshua got ahold of it and threw it quite hard to Justine, but it went way over his head and landed on Kauya's head. Kauya began to cry and he hid his face inside his sweatshirt. I walked over to him to make sure was ok, and held him as he sobbed quietly. I got a bit upset when Joshua just laughed and a few other boys seemed to be teasing Kauya for crying. I think that upset him more, so I guided him over to a log to sit.
I realize that Kauya's bump on the head wasn't serious at all, and it probably didn't hurt him that badly, but just knowing that he probably doesn't get comforted when he does get bumps or bruises or someone hurts his feelings made me so sad. I sat with him for about half an hour until I had to leave. He seemed to cheer up after a while, but it made me so sad to see him sad. He normally has such a sweet smile, and seeing the tears rolls down his cheeks made me want to take him in my arms and protect him there forever. I prayed quietly, as I sat with Kauya, and later Bianca, who came over looking quite sad herself. I prayed that these kids would know that Jesus does care about their hurts and sad feelings, and that they would cry out to him when they are in need of comfort. I began to sing "God is So Good" quietly, and Bianca joined in while Kauya leaned his head on me. It was such a precious moment that I will remember forever.
One other special moment happened right before we started playing frisbee. I was standing with Rebecca, watching some of the younger boys kick a soccerball around. I then noticed the clouds and I commented to Rebecca that it makes me think of heaven. Rebecca then began to sing a song about heaven. I don't know the name of the song, but right afterwards, I asked her what she thought heaven looks like. She thought a moment, smiled, and said, "BEAUTIFUL!!" The brightness in her eyes and her sincere smile just made my heart melt. I pray that these precious children will all sincerely find Jesus, so that we can all have a big ol' reunion in heaven one day.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Friday, July 30, 2010
Behind the Scenes
We interns have been working on the first "Fellowship Day" for the MFH kids and Teen Mania for the past few days. It has been interesting, as we have been doing ALL the work, but Teen Mania (and later the short term missionaries) will be getting to spend ALL the time with the MFH kids. It's been a bit of a struggle of me, as the serving part of me is glad to plan a time for these short-termers to get to know the orphans in hopes that they will sponsor them. The selfish part is envious, as I wish I had more structured time to spend with the kids and didn't have to do any grunt work.
It has been helping me to know that I am not the only one who is doing behind the scenes work, as we 5 interns have been doing it all together. It also helps when God reminds me that the more people who come to love these orphans and are burdened by their plight, the more help the orphans will receive. I am encouraged that so many people want to help by praying for the orphans and widows, donating clothes, toys, and Bibles, taking time to come all the way to Zambia to see how they could help, or even sponsoring a child.
Now a little bit about our "Fellowship Days":
We will be having two Fellowship Days - one tomorrow (Saturday) and one next week. These days are designed for the two short-term missionary groups (the 70 Teen Mania crew and the 21 short-termers) to get to spend time getting to know individual orphans. We will be bringing the Lusaka MFH kids to Chongwe, so that ALL the MFH kids from both locations are together. We will be grouping up 2 Teen Mania members with 2 MFH kids, so that the TM people will get to know at least 2 orphans very well and be able to go back home and help to find more sponsors for them. We have also organized games for them to play together in teams - tug of war, 3-legged race, relay race, and a trust walk. We're also bringing in some crafts for them to do together, and prepared a Bible study based on Phil. 2:1-2 for the groups to study together. The kids will also be getting special badges for participating in the events.
The entire day will be based on Philippians 2:1-2, which says : If you have any encouragement from being united with christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with his spirit, with any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like minded.
The idea is to use the different games as examples for the kids to understand the meaning of these verses. For example - tug of war is an example of being united as a team; relay race is an example of being like-minded as a team, etc.
We're excited for the Lusaka kids and the Chongwe kids to spend more time together, and also to see the Teen Mania kids fall in love with these precious, beautiful children.
Please pray for our two Fellowship Days and our second Camp Hope which is starting on Monday.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
It has been helping me to know that I am not the only one who is doing behind the scenes work, as we 5 interns have been doing it all together. It also helps when God reminds me that the more people who come to love these orphans and are burdened by their plight, the more help the orphans will receive. I am encouraged that so many people want to help by praying for the orphans and widows, donating clothes, toys, and Bibles, taking time to come all the way to Zambia to see how they could help, or even sponsoring a child.
Now a little bit about our "Fellowship Days":
We will be having two Fellowship Days - one tomorrow (Saturday) and one next week. These days are designed for the two short-term missionary groups (the 70 Teen Mania crew and the 21 short-termers) to get to spend time getting to know individual orphans. We will be bringing the Lusaka MFH kids to Chongwe, so that ALL the MFH kids from both locations are together. We will be grouping up 2 Teen Mania members with 2 MFH kids, so that the TM people will get to know at least 2 orphans very well and be able to go back home and help to find more sponsors for them. We have also organized games for them to play together in teams - tug of war, 3-legged race, relay race, and a trust walk. We're also bringing in some crafts for them to do together, and prepared a Bible study based on Phil. 2:1-2 for the groups to study together. The kids will also be getting special badges for participating in the events.
The entire day will be based on Philippians 2:1-2, which says : If you have any encouragement from being united with christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with his spirit, with any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like minded.
The idea is to use the different games as examples for the kids to understand the meaning of these verses. For example - tug of war is an example of being united as a team; relay race is an example of being like-minded as a team, etc.
We're excited for the Lusaka kids and the Chongwe kids to spend more time together, and also to see the Teen Mania kids fall in love with these precious, beautiful children.
Please pray for our two Fellowship Days and our second Camp Hope which is starting on Monday.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Stories from the Heart
I've been thinking a lot lately about some of the kids I've met both at Camp Hope, on the roads, and at the different My Father's Houses. Some of their stories have broken my heart and even seeing some of the faces of the kids who weren't able to attend Camp Hope, Chongwe are still haunting me.
I've met many children so far, but there are a few who have really made an impact on me for various reasons. God has been using these individuals to touch my heart and to teach me many lessons.
My Father's House, Chongwe -
Doreen - this darling little girl is 3 years old, but looks as though she were much younger. She is very new to the MFH in Chongwe. Before she came to the MFH, she was found sitting in a house all by herself. Apparently, she'd be left in the house all day while her guardians went off to do whatever it is that they did, and she would just sit. When I first met her, she didn't smile, talk, play much, and she was hesitant to go to certain people. She wanted to be carried around almost everywhere even though she could walk. (She's the little one that I am carrying on my back in my facebook profile picture.) All of us felt our hearts break for her, wanting her to feel loved and feel free enough to behave as a child should. We all took turns playing with her, talking to her, trying to make her feel safe and showering love upon her. Late last week, Doreen seemed like a completely different child - she was singing, laughing, smiling, dancing and insisting that she walk by herself. She finally feels free to be a 3 year old, and I am so happy that she is receiving the love of Jesus from everyone around her.
Jonah - he is Doreen's older brother, who is about 9 years old. He was brought in at the same time as Doreen. He wasn't able to stay at home with his little sister because he was out herding goats all day. When I heard this, it was hard for me to imagine this little boy out on the fields by himself, herding a bunch of goats around. He didn't get a chance to just be a kid. When I look at his adorable little face now, watching him smile his big smile, laughing and playing, it makes me so thankful that God brought him to a My Father's House. He is safe and is showered with Jesus' love every day.
Maximillian - Max is about 12 or 13 years old. I don't know his story, but he is one of the most smiley young men I've ever met. He's got the hugest smile, which helped me recognize him when we first met. Max also loves to draw - he draws everything from flags, cars, and people. He drew pictures for most of us interns. The pictures don't really look like us, but he always includes something that we are wearing or holding so we know it's us.
Andrew - he is also about 12 or 13, and is a very active guy. He loves to laugh and joke around, but also has a passionate heart for Jesus. He had a hard time remembering my name until I told him that my name is just like his name, but with an "a" at the end instead of a "w". I told him I'd test him the next time I saw him. The very next day, he came up to me and said very loudly, "Andrea with an A!" and smiled his handsome smile. That made me smile.
Lister - this little cutie is about 6 years old. I met her when I was holding Doreen, and I felt a wet trickle down the back of my arm. I looked over my shoulder to see what it was, and saw a little girl giving Doreen some milk. She seemed quite shy and didn't seem to know any English when I first met her, but she leaned on me and smiled. I got a chance to walk around with her and was talking to her slowly in English, when she suddenly broke her silence and began to ramble quickly in English. Guess she knew English after all. Anyway, we sang some songs together and kicked a ball back and forth with little Doreen toddling after us.
There's another little one who has touched my heart from MFH, Chongwe. This child is HIV positive, which is why I am not using any names. This dear one does not appear sick, but would have to be taken to a clinic every once in a while to get medicine. This child is doing well, but it made me so sad to know that this little one has a deadly disease. The poor child didn't do anything to deserve it, and it makes me so angry to know that this young one has HIV. I am thankful that this child was found and brought to a loving family at MFH. I often see this child smiling, playing, and just being a kid. I am thankful for that, and I pray that if it is God's plan for this child, that this dear one will be healed.
The Mamas - these mamas, who take care of the orphans, are not just your ordinary women; they are women who love God and who were hand-picked by the EOH staff and their individual pastors. Many of them are widows, although one of them is still married, and still have children of their own. I recently discovered that three of the mamas, either in Chongwe or Lusaka, have young children of their own. Two of the children in a MFH with their mother, and the other 2 mamas' children are cared for by a close relative. It's amazing me to that 1) the two biological children of one of the mamas are cheerfully sharing their mother with 6 other kids, and 2) these other mamas would give up their own lives to care for 8 to 9 children who are not even their own.
I've been told that the bond between mother and child doesn't seem to be as strong here in Zambia, and that it's not just the parents that raise their kids, but the whole village/community has a hand in caring for the child. It's also common for parents to give up their children, if they cannot care for them because of lack of money/food. It just goes to show that so many families in Zambia are impoverished or in extremely desperate situations.
"Street Kids" (refers to kids who are not living in a MFH) in Chongwe -
Not all of these kids are orphans, but many of them are. Some of them are living in a single-parent home, with guardians, but many of them are being abused, mistreated, or are living in other horribly unsafe situations. Again, I don't know all their stories, but there are a few kids I met during Camp Hope, Chongwe who have made an impression on me. Some of them were actually attending Camp Hope and some of them are kids who were just hanging around.
Jimmy - I mentioned both Jimmy, who is about 13 years old, and his Pink Floyd shirt in an earlier blog post, but I wanted to include him again. I first met him when he was hanging around during Camp Hope, wanting to join, but he either attended last year or didn't have permission from a teacher or a parent to attend. I was trying to talk with him and a few other boys who were hanging around the field, but they didn't seem to understand much English, so they just laughed whenever I talked. They'd say "yes" when I asked them certain questions, but mostly just laughed. The next morning, I saw Jimmy, in his Pink Floyd shirt of course, sneak into the breakfast line meant for the Camp Hope kids. This action of his touched my heart. I don't know if he was sneaking in because he was poor and hungry, or if he was just being a sneaky kid and trying to get free food. I will never know, but it touched me because it reminded me that many of these kids ARE poor and hungry and are struggling to survive. It also reminded me that no matter how much free food we give these kids, it means nothing if they don't know Christ.
Verile - this cutie is 4 years old. He came into Camp Hope on the third day, and when I saw him, I fell in love with his face. That may sound crazy, but he has the cutest smile EVER! He almost looks like a bull dog - a squished smile, but OH SO CUTE!! He also has a HUGE head, which I'm sure carries a HUGE brain.
Sara - this dear little girl attended Camp Hope in Chongwe. I don't know how old she is, but I am guessing she's around 9 years old. I met her when I was sitting on a log up on the field where all the Camp Hope groups were meeting. She walked up to me while her group was playing. She looked at me, and I smiled at her. She smiled back and promptly sat on my lap and snuggled her head into me. She grabbed my hand and wrapped my arm around her, holding on to my hand tightly, as though she was afraid I'd let go. When I found out what her name was, I told her it means "princess" and that she is a princess in God's eyes. I told her Jesus loves her so much, and she just smiled at me. I don't think she spoke much English, so I just prayed for her, as she sat on my lap.
I am so happy that even when everyone else may forget about these dear young ones, who can barely fend for themselves and have no voice, Jesus does not forget about them. I am reminded of Matthew 19 when the little children where brought to him and the disciples tried to send them away, thinking they were a nuisance. Jesus then said unto them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Jesus does indeed love the little children. :)
I'm sure this list will grow as my journey in Zambia continues. Stay tuned!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
I've met many children so far, but there are a few who have really made an impact on me for various reasons. God has been using these individuals to touch my heart and to teach me many lessons.
My Father's House, Chongwe -
Doreen - this darling little girl is 3 years old, but looks as though she were much younger. She is very new to the MFH in Chongwe. Before she came to the MFH, she was found sitting in a house all by herself. Apparently, she'd be left in the house all day while her guardians went off to do whatever it is that they did, and she would just sit. When I first met her, she didn't smile, talk, play much, and she was hesitant to go to certain people. She wanted to be carried around almost everywhere even though she could walk. (She's the little one that I am carrying on my back in my facebook profile picture.) All of us felt our hearts break for her, wanting her to feel loved and feel free enough to behave as a child should. We all took turns playing with her, talking to her, trying to make her feel safe and showering love upon her. Late last week, Doreen seemed like a completely different child - she was singing, laughing, smiling, dancing and insisting that she walk by herself. She finally feels free to be a 3 year old, and I am so happy that she is receiving the love of Jesus from everyone around her.
Jonah - he is Doreen's older brother, who is about 9 years old. He was brought in at the same time as Doreen. He wasn't able to stay at home with his little sister because he was out herding goats all day. When I heard this, it was hard for me to imagine this little boy out on the fields by himself, herding a bunch of goats around. He didn't get a chance to just be a kid. When I look at his adorable little face now, watching him smile his big smile, laughing and playing, it makes me so thankful that God brought him to a My Father's House. He is safe and is showered with Jesus' love every day.
Maximillian - Max is about 12 or 13 years old. I don't know his story, but he is one of the most smiley young men I've ever met. He's got the hugest smile, which helped me recognize him when we first met. Max also loves to draw - he draws everything from flags, cars, and people. He drew pictures for most of us interns. The pictures don't really look like us, but he always includes something that we are wearing or holding so we know it's us.
Andrew - he is also about 12 or 13, and is a very active guy. He loves to laugh and joke around, but also has a passionate heart for Jesus. He had a hard time remembering my name until I told him that my name is just like his name, but with an "a" at the end instead of a "w". I told him I'd test him the next time I saw him. The very next day, he came up to me and said very loudly, "Andrea with an A!" and smiled his handsome smile. That made me smile.
Lister - this little cutie is about 6 years old. I met her when I was holding Doreen, and I felt a wet trickle down the back of my arm. I looked over my shoulder to see what it was, and saw a little girl giving Doreen some milk. She seemed quite shy and didn't seem to know any English when I first met her, but she leaned on me and smiled. I got a chance to walk around with her and was talking to her slowly in English, when she suddenly broke her silence and began to ramble quickly in English. Guess she knew English after all. Anyway, we sang some songs together and kicked a ball back and forth with little Doreen toddling after us.
There's another little one who has touched my heart from MFH, Chongwe. This child is HIV positive, which is why I am not using any names. This dear one does not appear sick, but would have to be taken to a clinic every once in a while to get medicine. This child is doing well, but it made me so sad to know that this little one has a deadly disease. The poor child didn't do anything to deserve it, and it makes me so angry to know that this young one has HIV. I am thankful that this child was found and brought to a loving family at MFH. I often see this child smiling, playing, and just being a kid. I am thankful for that, and I pray that if it is God's plan for this child, that this dear one will be healed.
The Mamas - these mamas, who take care of the orphans, are not just your ordinary women; they are women who love God and who were hand-picked by the EOH staff and their individual pastors. Many of them are widows, although one of them is still married, and still have children of their own. I recently discovered that three of the mamas, either in Chongwe or Lusaka, have young children of their own. Two of the children in a MFH with their mother, and the other 2 mamas' children are cared for by a close relative. It's amazing me to that 1) the two biological children of one of the mamas are cheerfully sharing their mother with 6 other kids, and 2) these other mamas would give up their own lives to care for 8 to 9 children who are not even their own.
I've been told that the bond between mother and child doesn't seem to be as strong here in Zambia, and that it's not just the parents that raise their kids, but the whole village/community has a hand in caring for the child. It's also common for parents to give up their children, if they cannot care for them because of lack of money/food. It just goes to show that so many families in Zambia are impoverished or in extremely desperate situations.
"Street Kids" (refers to kids who are not living in a MFH) in Chongwe -
Not all of these kids are orphans, but many of them are. Some of them are living in a single-parent home, with guardians, but many of them are being abused, mistreated, or are living in other horribly unsafe situations. Again, I don't know all their stories, but there are a few kids I met during Camp Hope, Chongwe who have made an impression on me. Some of them were actually attending Camp Hope and some of them are kids who were just hanging around.
Jimmy - I mentioned both Jimmy, who is about 13 years old, and his Pink Floyd shirt in an earlier blog post, but I wanted to include him again. I first met him when he was hanging around during Camp Hope, wanting to join, but he either attended last year or didn't have permission from a teacher or a parent to attend. I was trying to talk with him and a few other boys who were hanging around the field, but they didn't seem to understand much English, so they just laughed whenever I talked. They'd say "yes" when I asked them certain questions, but mostly just laughed. The next morning, I saw Jimmy, in his Pink Floyd shirt of course, sneak into the breakfast line meant for the Camp Hope kids. This action of his touched my heart. I don't know if he was sneaking in because he was poor and hungry, or if he was just being a sneaky kid and trying to get free food. I will never know, but it touched me because it reminded me that many of these kids ARE poor and hungry and are struggling to survive. It also reminded me that no matter how much free food we give these kids, it means nothing if they don't know Christ.
Verile - this cutie is 4 years old. He came into Camp Hope on the third day, and when I saw him, I fell in love with his face. That may sound crazy, but he has the cutest smile EVER! He almost looks like a bull dog - a squished smile, but OH SO CUTE!! He also has a HUGE head, which I'm sure carries a HUGE brain.
Sara - this dear little girl attended Camp Hope in Chongwe. I don't know how old she is, but I am guessing she's around 9 years old. I met her when I was sitting on a log up on the field where all the Camp Hope groups were meeting. She walked up to me while her group was playing. She looked at me, and I smiled at her. She smiled back and promptly sat on my lap and snuggled her head into me. She grabbed my hand and wrapped my arm around her, holding on to my hand tightly, as though she was afraid I'd let go. When I found out what her name was, I told her it means "princess" and that she is a princess in God's eyes. I told her Jesus loves her so much, and she just smiled at me. I don't think she spoke much English, so I just prayed for her, as she sat on my lap.
I am so happy that even when everyone else may forget about these dear young ones, who can barely fend for themselves and have no voice, Jesus does not forget about them. I am reminded of Matthew 19 when the little children where brought to him and the disciples tried to send them away, thinking they were a nuisance. Jesus then said unto them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Jesus does indeed love the little children. :)
I'm sure this list will grow as my journey in Zambia continues. Stay tuned!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Camp Hope, Chongwe - Part 2
Whew! It's been a tiring week, but also a week full of blessings. Camp Hope, Chongwe has ended, and we interns are able to relax a bit today. Right now, we are all sitting in an internet cafe checking e-mail, updating our blogs, and later we're going to experience a Zambian movie theater and watch Toy Story 3! :)
Anyway, back to the subject of this blog. The week was tiring with getting up before sunrise every morning and getting back long after sunset. But our time in Chongwe was most excellent. I met so many different children and teenagers, got to talk with some of the Zambian interpreters and EOH staff members about their pasts and how they came to Christ. I've been so encouraged by them.
Camp Hope, Chongwe was set up as a one week long VBS/day camp, which is open to 300 or so kids and teenagers from around the Chongwe area. The ages ranged from 4 years to 16 years, and all of them are broken up into 25 age groups of about 10-15 kids. Teen Mania, a group of 70 teenagers from North America, were the main teachers for each group. Because many of the kids who came spoke little to no English, interpreters from around the area were gathered to translate what the English-speakers taught.
Camp Hope began each morning at around 8:40 am or so, and ended around 4:30 pm, but many of the kids would come much earlier and gather at the nearby field to wait. Some would often hang around at the end, as well. Here's what a normal schedule of the day would look like for Camp Hope:
7:00 - interns arrive with Humphray and bread for the kids' breakfast; volunteer mamas would start prepping food and get it ready to pass out to all the Camp Hope kids, plus random kids who would wander off the streets and into the food line
7:15-7:45 - kids begin to gather on the field and are entertained by interpreters / interns (us) while they wait for breakfast
7:45 - 8:15 - kids get in line to receive their breakfast of hot tea, 2 buns with peanut butter, and a hard-boiled egg.
** Side note about breakfast time - there were 2 kids in particular who stuck out to me at this time because they were not registered for Camp Hope. These two boys would often wander around the field where Camp Hope met, wanting to be a part of it, too. Unfortunately, we had to turn many kids away because they didn't receive permission from their teachers/guardians, or had already attended last year. Camp Hope is for kids who have never attended, so that all have a chance to hear the Gospel. Anyway, these 2 boys were named Jimmy and Gilbert. Jimmy stuck out to me because he would always wear a Pink Floyd shirt, and Gilbert had a pretty distinct look. I had met them the day before on the field, and knew they were not part of Camp Hope. But I still talked with them as best as I could (they spoke mostly Nyanja), and played with them. The next day, as I was passing out buns to the kids in the breakfast line, I noticed a Pink Floyd shirt. I looked up and noticed it was Jimmy. I smiled at him, and he sheepishly smiled back because he probably knew he was sneaking in. I let him in, though, because there was plenty extra, and he was probably hungry. Then I saw Gilbert sneak in. He had changed shirts, but I knew it was him because he looked a bit guilty, as well. We let him in, anyway. :)**
8:15-8:40 - chaos nearly erupts; the kids who were first in line finish their breakfast and begin to wander around the area. Keep in mind none of these events happen indoors, and all of the Teen Mania staff are still preparing for the day at this time, so it's basically us interns and whatever adult is around in charge of the 271+ kids. Little ones are beginning to cry, and we often have no idea why; rowdy boys are pushing and shoving because, well, they're boys. We all do our best to get them under control, which is often hard because sometimes they have no idea what we're saying to them. Thankfully, God is gracious, and nothing really bad ever happened during this time. We were always somehow able to entertain them with singing songs, playing with them, or trying to say things in Nyanja (one of the main tribal dialects), which tends to entertain them because we're a bunch of "Mazungos" (a person who is not Zambian).
8:40 or so - we bring the kids down the hill to join Team Mania in front of the makeshift dining hall. Here they sing more songs and wait for the translators, who are in a meeting at this time.
We interns pass out the groups' t-shirts, bandanas, and nametags, and for the first couple of days, Brian and I did registration.
**Side note about registration: like I mentioned in the first blog about Camp Hope, we were given a list of all the kids who registered for Camp Hope through their individual churches. The list was not very organized, and much of the information was not correct. Our job, as registrars, was to find each name on the unalphabatized list, ask them for their age, grade, guardians' name, school name, and village name. Most of the younger kids needed an interpreter, so it took quite a while. The first day of registration took almost 3 HOURS!! Then we had to deal with the kids who snuck in, or hadn't registered but had a note from their teachers. There were a few girls who had forged a note, and were sent away. That was difficult for me, as I would love to let them ALL attend, but I know we have to draw a line somewhere. **
9:00 or so - Teen Mania and the interpreters would take their groups up to the large field near one of the local schools and proceed with lesson and art time.
During this time, we interns would hang around to see if the groups needed anything, or in my case, to see if any more kids wandered in to register. Some came late, and some came with official notes from their teachers and were let in. (Most Zambian schools are year-round, so many of the kids who do attend school needed permission from their headmasters or teachers to attend Camp Hope.)
12:30 or so - kids would line up for lunch; pretty much the same deal as during breakfast time, except this time kids from the outside are not able to sneak in because all the Camp Hope kids are wearing their t-shirts.
**Another side note - Street kids would often wander by, wondering what all the singing and cheerful laughter is about, and they would just look so hopeful that it would break my heart. A few kids came up to me and asked in broken English, "I would like to attend, too." I was SO sad when I had to tell them that registration was closed. I tried to encourage them to sign up for next year's camp, but I'm not sure if they understood me. I didn't just want to ignore these kids, so I invited them to come sit with me on the field to talk. I learned most of their names, and I asked them if they attended church, if they knew about Jesus, and if they had ever read/seen a Bible. Apparently, most people go to church in Zambia, and know about Jesus, and because these particular kids didn't speak much English, it was hard for me to assess if they had accepted Christ into their hearts. I tried using hand motions and drawings on the dirt to explain the Gospel, but most of them just giggled. We ended up drawing in the sand together, and some of the girls came over to touch my long hair and snuggle up to me. They seemed happy until a group of Camp Hope walked by with their t-shirts and shiny crowns they had made during craft time, and then they all looked sad.
That incident just reminded me of how much these beautiful children in Zambia need to feel loved and cared for. Some of them are abused at home, are born into families who practice witch craft, are forced to care for themselves and younger siblings because their guardians are too drunk to care. It's devastating to think about and to look into their eyes and see all the hurt and pain behind them. All of us who came over from America poured love into them this past week, but we know they really need to know the love of Jesus, as he will be with them forever, even when we leave and go back to America.**
1:30 or so - second class session and play time in indivdual groups
4:00 - ending songs back near the dining hall; collection of t-shirts, crafts, bandanas so that they won't get robbed on the way home; and good-byes
The last day, the kids were able to bring their t-shirts, bandanas, and crafts home, and the good-byes were SO SAD!! A few of the kids refused to let go of their teachers, and some of them had tears in their eyes. It was heart-breaking. It hurt a bit to watch these kids leave, knowing that many of them were going back to devatation situations and that they may not ever receive love like the love they received during the week. All we can do now is pray for them. Pray that the seeds that were planted would grow; pray that the decisions to follow Christ would remain true; pray that these beautiful children would know that God is their heavenly Father and loves them SO much.
Thanks for reading and praying.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Anyway, back to the subject of this blog. The week was tiring with getting up before sunrise every morning and getting back long after sunset. But our time in Chongwe was most excellent. I met so many different children and teenagers, got to talk with some of the Zambian interpreters and EOH staff members about their pasts and how they came to Christ. I've been so encouraged by them.
Camp Hope, Chongwe was set up as a one week long VBS/day camp, which is open to 300 or so kids and teenagers from around the Chongwe area. The ages ranged from 4 years to 16 years, and all of them are broken up into 25 age groups of about 10-15 kids. Teen Mania, a group of 70 teenagers from North America, were the main teachers for each group. Because many of the kids who came spoke little to no English, interpreters from around the area were gathered to translate what the English-speakers taught.
Camp Hope began each morning at around 8:40 am or so, and ended around 4:30 pm, but many of the kids would come much earlier and gather at the nearby field to wait. Some would often hang around at the end, as well. Here's what a normal schedule of the day would look like for Camp Hope:
7:00 - interns arrive with Humphray and bread for the kids' breakfast; volunteer mamas would start prepping food and get it ready to pass out to all the Camp Hope kids, plus random kids who would wander off the streets and into the food line
7:15-7:45 - kids begin to gather on the field and are entertained by interpreters / interns (us) while they wait for breakfast
7:45 - 8:15 - kids get in line to receive their breakfast of hot tea, 2 buns with peanut butter, and a hard-boiled egg.
** Side note about breakfast time - there were 2 kids in particular who stuck out to me at this time because they were not registered for Camp Hope. These two boys would often wander around the field where Camp Hope met, wanting to be a part of it, too. Unfortunately, we had to turn many kids away because they didn't receive permission from their teachers/guardians, or had already attended last year. Camp Hope is for kids who have never attended, so that all have a chance to hear the Gospel. Anyway, these 2 boys were named Jimmy and Gilbert. Jimmy stuck out to me because he would always wear a Pink Floyd shirt, and Gilbert had a pretty distinct look. I had met them the day before on the field, and knew they were not part of Camp Hope. But I still talked with them as best as I could (they spoke mostly Nyanja), and played with them. The next day, as I was passing out buns to the kids in the breakfast line, I noticed a Pink Floyd shirt. I looked up and noticed it was Jimmy. I smiled at him, and he sheepishly smiled back because he probably knew he was sneaking in. I let him in, though, because there was plenty extra, and he was probably hungry. Then I saw Gilbert sneak in. He had changed shirts, but I knew it was him because he looked a bit guilty, as well. We let him in, anyway. :)**
8:15-8:40 - chaos nearly erupts; the kids who were first in line finish their breakfast and begin to wander around the area. Keep in mind none of these events happen indoors, and all of the Teen Mania staff are still preparing for the day at this time, so it's basically us interns and whatever adult is around in charge of the 271+ kids. Little ones are beginning to cry, and we often have no idea why; rowdy boys are pushing and shoving because, well, they're boys. We all do our best to get them under control, which is often hard because sometimes they have no idea what we're saying to them. Thankfully, God is gracious, and nothing really bad ever happened during this time. We were always somehow able to entertain them with singing songs, playing with them, or trying to say things in Nyanja (one of the main tribal dialects), which tends to entertain them because we're a bunch of "Mazungos" (a person who is not Zambian).
8:40 or so - we bring the kids down the hill to join Team Mania in front of the makeshift dining hall. Here they sing more songs and wait for the translators, who are in a meeting at this time.
We interns pass out the groups' t-shirts, bandanas, and nametags, and for the first couple of days, Brian and I did registration.
**Side note about registration: like I mentioned in the first blog about Camp Hope, we were given a list of all the kids who registered for Camp Hope through their individual churches. The list was not very organized, and much of the information was not correct. Our job, as registrars, was to find each name on the unalphabatized list, ask them for their age, grade, guardians' name, school name, and village name. Most of the younger kids needed an interpreter, so it took quite a while. The first day of registration took almost 3 HOURS!! Then we had to deal with the kids who snuck in, or hadn't registered but had a note from their teachers. There were a few girls who had forged a note, and were sent away. That was difficult for me, as I would love to let them ALL attend, but I know we have to draw a line somewhere. **
9:00 or so - Teen Mania and the interpreters would take their groups up to the large field near one of the local schools and proceed with lesson and art time.
During this time, we interns would hang around to see if the groups needed anything, or in my case, to see if any more kids wandered in to register. Some came late, and some came with official notes from their teachers and were let in. (Most Zambian schools are year-round, so many of the kids who do attend school needed permission from their headmasters or teachers to attend Camp Hope.)
12:30 or so - kids would line up for lunch; pretty much the same deal as during breakfast time, except this time kids from the outside are not able to sneak in because all the Camp Hope kids are wearing their t-shirts.
**Another side note - Street kids would often wander by, wondering what all the singing and cheerful laughter is about, and they would just look so hopeful that it would break my heart. A few kids came up to me and asked in broken English, "I would like to attend, too." I was SO sad when I had to tell them that registration was closed. I tried to encourage them to sign up for next year's camp, but I'm not sure if they understood me. I didn't just want to ignore these kids, so I invited them to come sit with me on the field to talk. I learned most of their names, and I asked them if they attended church, if they knew about Jesus, and if they had ever read/seen a Bible. Apparently, most people go to church in Zambia, and know about Jesus, and because these particular kids didn't speak much English, it was hard for me to assess if they had accepted Christ into their hearts. I tried using hand motions and drawings on the dirt to explain the Gospel, but most of them just giggled. We ended up drawing in the sand together, and some of the girls came over to touch my long hair and snuggle up to me. They seemed happy until a group of Camp Hope walked by with their t-shirts and shiny crowns they had made during craft time, and then they all looked sad.
That incident just reminded me of how much these beautiful children in Zambia need to feel loved and cared for. Some of them are abused at home, are born into families who practice witch craft, are forced to care for themselves and younger siblings because their guardians are too drunk to care. It's devastating to think about and to look into their eyes and see all the hurt and pain behind them. All of us who came over from America poured love into them this past week, but we know they really need to know the love of Jesus, as he will be with them forever, even when we leave and go back to America.**
1:30 or so - second class session and play time in indivdual groups
4:00 - ending songs back near the dining hall; collection of t-shirts, crafts, bandanas so that they won't get robbed on the way home; and good-byes
The last day, the kids were able to bring their t-shirts, bandanas, and crafts home, and the good-byes were SO SAD!! A few of the kids refused to let go of their teachers, and some of them had tears in their eyes. It was heart-breaking. It hurt a bit to watch these kids leave, knowing that many of them were going back to devatation situations and that they may not ever receive love like the love they received during the week. All we can do now is pray for them. Pray that the seeds that were planted would grow; pray that the decisions to follow Christ would remain true; pray that these beautiful children would know that God is their heavenly Father and loves them SO much.
Thanks for reading and praying.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Camp Hope (Brian's Perspective)
From July 17- July 23rd the EOH interns have been helping out with running Camp Hope. Camp Hope is a 5 day camp where EOH partners up with another organization (Teen Mania) to teach about Jesus to the children in the Chongwe community.
Teen mania brings about 60 teenagers from all over the United States to live in tents and help to put this camp together. Its a pretty large operation and includes 275 children, 60 teenagers, 25 translators, 10 cooks, and everyone in EOH. All the cooks and translators are local volunteers who give up an entire week to work at the camp. I took a picture of all the cooks (we call them mamas) who helped to cook breakfast and lunch for 300 people with only a few big pots, firewood, coal, and water from the nearby well as their tools. It was pretty tiring just watching some of them get up at 6 or 7 in the morning to start breakfast and finish washing the last dish at 9 or 10 at night.
The children come from all over the community sometimes walking 20 km every day to arrive at camp each day. During camp, they get a free shirt, a bandanna, 2 big meals, get to do a variety of crafts, and, most importantly, they get loved by 60 teenager who all have a heart for children and who all want to tell them about the love of Jesus.
The children all arrive around 8 AM to eat breakfast. They then get in groups of 10-15 and together with 2-3 teenagers and a translator, they go out into a large field for bible stories, crafts, and fun. Even though English is the national language, most of the younger children speak the local dialect first (Nyanja) and don't understand English very well. That is the reason for the translators.
During this time, Andrea and I and the other interns are in the background making sure the teams have their supplies, helping to hand out and feed the children during lunch, and just making sure things are running smoothly. When we get some free time, we walk the field taking picture and praying for the camp in general.
Here are some pictures of the groups that were sitting around the field...
Honestly, sometimes it's hard for me to really get fully on board with these camps. It takes so much resources to put a camp on like this and I wonder if it would not be better to just use those resources elsewhere. I think its partly because I tend to just see the numbers and resources that gets put in and don't fully know the depths of the spiritual return and it makes me doubt . I know a lot people talk about the value of a single soul and I fully agree and understand that it is priceless, but when there are 70 people from teen mania who come out to Zambia for 2 weeks and they each have to raise ~4k dollars, I think about how the $280,000 dollars could have been used to build 6 or 7 more orphanages and I wonder if a 1 week camp makes sense.
Teen mania brings about 60 teenagers from all over the United States to live in tents and help to put this camp together. Its a pretty large operation and includes 275 children, 60 teenagers, 25 translators, 10 cooks, and everyone in EOH. All the cooks and translators are local volunteers who give up an entire week to work at the camp. I took a picture of all the cooks (we call them mamas) who helped to cook breakfast and lunch for 300 people with only a few big pots, firewood, coal, and water from the nearby well as their tools. It was pretty tiring just watching some of them get up at 6 or 7 in the morning to start breakfast and finish washing the last dish at 9 or 10 at night.
The children come from all over the community sometimes walking 20 km every day to arrive at camp each day. During camp, they get a free shirt, a bandanna, 2 big meals, get to do a variety of crafts, and, most importantly, they get loved by 60 teenager who all have a heart for children and who all want to tell them about the love of Jesus.
The children all arrive around 8 AM to eat breakfast. They then get in groups of 10-15 and together with 2-3 teenagers and a translator, they go out into a large field for bible stories, crafts, and fun. Even though English is the national language, most of the younger children speak the local dialect first (Nyanja) and don't understand English very well. That is the reason for the translators.
During this time, Andrea and I and the other interns are in the background making sure the teams have their supplies, helping to hand out and feed the children during lunch, and just making sure things are running smoothly. When we get some free time, we walk the field taking picture and praying for the camp in general.
Here are some pictures of the groups that were sitting around the field...
Honestly, sometimes it's hard for me to really get fully on board with these camps. It takes so much resources to put a camp on like this and I wonder if it would not be better to just use those resources elsewhere. I think its partly because I tend to just see the numbers and resources that gets put in and don't fully know the depths of the spiritual return and it makes me doubt . I know a lot people talk about the value of a single soul and I fully agree and understand that it is priceless, but when there are 70 people from teen mania who come out to Zambia for 2 weeks and they each have to raise ~4k dollars, I think about how the $280,000 dollars could have been used to build 6 or 7 more orphanages and I wonder if a 1 week camp makes sense.
It helps to know that EOH makes sure that anyone who has accepted Christ will be followed up with the local church and I honestly do hope and pray that those that accept Christ during this week will grow and that the seeds that we plant will fall on good soil (Mark 4:1-20).
I also know that a lot of the people who come to Zambia are changed and go back to their local church in the US and inspire people to get involved. It's one way to disciple the church and something I've realized is of utmost importance. I feel that the God of Zambia has so much to teach the American church and people who come here should go back to their local church to inspire the church and teach them all God is going in Zambia.
Sometimes it saddens me that the church body would gladly donate thousands of dollars for someone they know to come on a missions trip, but would not donate $50 a month to sponsor a child in Zambia to ensure that a child's spiritual and physical needs are met. I know there is a need for both types of funds though and I am happy that people are willing to give to God's Kingdom.
With all these doubts during the week, it was a struggle sometimes. In many ways, I am tainted and sometimes sceptical and cynical about how effective these camps may be. I wonder if I would be changed if someone spent a week with me. I don't know if my mind/heart works that way. But I know that I'm not like everyone and it's been a while since I was a little child. What encouraged me was that at the end of the camp, kids were hugging, crying and would not let go of their teachers. They felt so strongly towards these American teenager who could not even speak their language that they just wanted to hug them longer. And in that moment, I understand that maybe a week could change a child's life. Maybe not every child, but some and if just a handful of children were changed forever, then this camp was worth it.
Camp Hope, Chongwe
Camp Hope, Chongwe is about to end - tomorrow is the last day - and so much has happened! It's been pretty crazy and tiring, but exciting and full of blessings.
Most mornings we've been getting up around 5:15ish to get ready to leave by 6:00 am. Most of you who know me know this is EXTREMELY difficult for me, as I HATE waking up early, but by God's grace, I've been able to wake up with little difficulty. :)
It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get to Chongwe from Lusaka (depending on who's driving), so it's important for us to leave early. Humphray, the awesome dude from the EOH Zambian office, who has been driving us interns to Chongwe every morning, has to get all the breakfast rolls and other food in by 7:00 am. The volunteer cooks prepare breakfast and lunch for the 271 kids who have been attending Camp Hope, and many of the kids are already waiting when we arrive.
A group called Teen Mania has partenered with Every Orphan's Hope to teach 25 groups of Zambian kids who attend Camp Hope. The orphans from the My Father's Houses do not attend, as it is a ministry to reach the other kids of Chongwe who do not get a chance to hear about Jesus every day. Anyway, there are about 70 people in Teen Mania, and they are all camped out around the MFH houses. They also eat and shower around the area, so Bob, a missionary through EOH, has built a dining common for them to eat and hang out, as well as makeshift showers so they are able to bathe. It's quite a sight to behold. :)
Anyway, as interns, we are not in charge of any particular group of kids. We take care of registration, organizing and passing out t-shirts, bandanas, nametags, passing out food to the kids, and making sure the Teen Mania crew is ok. We also have chances to talk with "street kids" (kids who are not living in the My Father's Houses) and witness to them during our "spare" time. We have also had many chances to help the volunteer cooks with cooking and washing dishes. They tend to find us amusing, as we're not used to cutting vegetables without cutting boards. :P
Brian and I have been in charge of registration, which is pretty crazy. The first day we did registration was INSANE!! We were given a list of all the kids who signed up. The kids were already grouped into 25 groups based on their ages, but their names were not in alphabetical order. This made it very hard for us to locate names. I thought we could do it based on their ages, but it turns out that many of their ages were inputted incorrectly on the spreadsheet.
Needless to say, the registration process took a VERY long time. Each kid came up to us one at a time, stated their name, and had to help update the rest of the information - grade, age, who takes care of them at home, school name, and village name. Often, the kids would not be able to understand us, so we had to rely on our interpreter, who would again repeat the questions in Nyanja.
****
I have to go to bed now, as wake up time is going to be quite early. I will finish updating later.
Thanks!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Most mornings we've been getting up around 5:15ish to get ready to leave by 6:00 am. Most of you who know me know this is EXTREMELY difficult for me, as I HATE waking up early, but by God's grace, I've been able to wake up with little difficulty. :)
It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get to Chongwe from Lusaka (depending on who's driving), so it's important for us to leave early. Humphray, the awesome dude from the EOH Zambian office, who has been driving us interns to Chongwe every morning, has to get all the breakfast rolls and other food in by 7:00 am. The volunteer cooks prepare breakfast and lunch for the 271 kids who have been attending Camp Hope, and many of the kids are already waiting when we arrive.
A group called Teen Mania has partenered with Every Orphan's Hope to teach 25 groups of Zambian kids who attend Camp Hope. The orphans from the My Father's Houses do not attend, as it is a ministry to reach the other kids of Chongwe who do not get a chance to hear about Jesus every day. Anyway, there are about 70 people in Teen Mania, and they are all camped out around the MFH houses. They also eat and shower around the area, so Bob, a missionary through EOH, has built a dining common for them to eat and hang out, as well as makeshift showers so they are able to bathe. It's quite a sight to behold. :)
Anyway, as interns, we are not in charge of any particular group of kids. We take care of registration, organizing and passing out t-shirts, bandanas, nametags, passing out food to the kids, and making sure the Teen Mania crew is ok. We also have chances to talk with "street kids" (kids who are not living in the My Father's Houses) and witness to them during our "spare" time. We have also had many chances to help the volunteer cooks with cooking and washing dishes. They tend to find us amusing, as we're not used to cutting vegetables without cutting boards. :P
Brian and I have been in charge of registration, which is pretty crazy. The first day we did registration was INSANE!! We were given a list of all the kids who signed up. The kids were already grouped into 25 groups based on their ages, but their names were not in alphabetical order. This made it very hard for us to locate names. I thought we could do it based on their ages, but it turns out that many of their ages were inputted incorrectly on the spreadsheet.
Needless to say, the registration process took a VERY long time. Each kid came up to us one at a time, stated their name, and had to help update the rest of the information - grade, age, who takes care of them at home, school name, and village name. Often, the kids would not be able to understand us, so we had to rely on our interpreter, who would again repeat the questions in Nyanja.
****
I have to go to bed now, as wake up time is going to be quite early. I will finish updating later.
Thanks!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Zambian Hospitals
If you have been following up with our blog, you will know that Andrea and I got a little sick. Its funny. I had initially thought we had the same thing since since we both got sick at roughly the same time. However, it turned out that Andrea got a viral infection and I got a bacterial infection so we actually had completely different diseases.
I don't know about you, but getting sick in another country always is horrible. I don't know what it is. Maybe I'm not used to the bugs over here but Andrea and I were basically bedridden for 2-3 days and I was sleeping so much that my back started to hurt from laying in bed for so long. What is worse, is that you don't have all those amenities you are used to.
So after 2 days of flu-like symptoms, the head of EOH Zambia said that it would be best to take us to a clinic to get it checked out. Its winter time in Zambia so malaria is rare, but not impossible. So Phil, one of the Zambian EOH staff, picked us up and took us to the clinic. Since I was sick, I didn't even have a chance to shower for a while so I felt pretty gross.
The clinic was in the middle of town and it took us about 20 minutes to get to. We put our name down and started waited. After a few minutes, I was surprised because Mama Hawara-the head of the EOH Zambian office, showed up to see how we were doing. This was just a few days before the big Camp Hope event which is the biggest single event for the whole organization every year and I know everyone was really busy. I was really really surprised Mrs. Hawara took the time to stop by the clinic and see how things were. She talked to us a bit, sat down and waited with us for 15 minutes and then said she had to attend to business and errands. The fact that she even came at all was a surprise and something I appreciated about the Zambian Culture. No matter how busy people are, they still make it a point to make relationships a priority.
Well, after a few more minutes of waiting, Andrea and I went to see the doctor. The doctor asked a few questions and then basically ordered some blood work and tests done. Admittedly, I was pretty worried about the cleanliness of the Zambian hospital and when I found out that I was going to get blood drawn, I got a little uneasy. But blood was drawn, stool was taken, and within an hour, the doctor got the results and prescribed antibiotics for me and vitamins for Andrea.
Then I really started getting nervous. Throughout this whole time, there was no mention of cost and we were told to go pick up our prescription medicines and go pay. Well, I was thinking that it would cost hundreds of dollars, but instead, it only cost me $70 and Andrea $80. That's INCLUDING medicine, blood work, and the doctor visit. I can't believe it only cost that much. In the states it would have cost an order of magnitude more.
In general, medicine seems a lot more reasonable in Zambia than in the states. It definitely is a lot simpler with a single purpose-to get you better in the least amount of resources. The hospital doesn't have a lot of frills - they don't use a lot of anti-septic or even give you a band aid when they prick your finger for blood tests, the instrument used to take stool sample was... well... lets just say it was very difficult to to use, and the medicine is the most disgusting stuff I have ever tasted, but it works. Everything works it's just not the easiest to use or swallow. AND its cheap. More than reasonable compared to the cost of medicine in the states. Maybe we can learn a thing or two about how to do medicine. Make it simpler, with less frills and a lot less expensive. Do we really need every type of medicine to taste like cherry or orange?
Okay, well, those are my thoughts on the medicine in Zambia. Within 2 days of taking the Zambian antibiotics, I was back to being my perky self and able to write this post ;-)
Brian
I don't know about you, but getting sick in another country always is horrible. I don't know what it is. Maybe I'm not used to the bugs over here but Andrea and I were basically bedridden for 2-3 days and I was sleeping so much that my back started to hurt from laying in bed for so long. What is worse, is that you don't have all those amenities you are used to.
So after 2 days of flu-like symptoms, the head of EOH Zambia said that it would be best to take us to a clinic to get it checked out. Its winter time in Zambia so malaria is rare, but not impossible. So Phil, one of the Zambian EOH staff, picked us up and took us to the clinic. Since I was sick, I didn't even have a chance to shower for a while so I felt pretty gross.
The clinic was in the middle of town and it took us about 20 minutes to get to. We put our name down and started waited. After a few minutes, I was surprised because Mama Hawara-the head of the EOH Zambian office, showed up to see how we were doing. This was just a few days before the big Camp Hope event which is the biggest single event for the whole organization every year and I know everyone was really busy. I was really really surprised Mrs. Hawara took the time to stop by the clinic and see how things were. She talked to us a bit, sat down and waited with us for 15 minutes and then said she had to attend to business and errands. The fact that she even came at all was a surprise and something I appreciated about the Zambian Culture. No matter how busy people are, they still make it a point to make relationships a priority.
Well, after a few more minutes of waiting, Andrea and I went to see the doctor. The doctor asked a few questions and then basically ordered some blood work and tests done. Admittedly, I was pretty worried about the cleanliness of the Zambian hospital and when I found out that I was going to get blood drawn, I got a little uneasy. But blood was drawn, stool was taken, and within an hour, the doctor got the results and prescribed antibiotics for me and vitamins for Andrea.
Then I really started getting nervous. Throughout this whole time, there was no mention of cost and we were told to go pick up our prescription medicines and go pay. Well, I was thinking that it would cost hundreds of dollars, but instead, it only cost me $70 and Andrea $80. That's INCLUDING medicine, blood work, and the doctor visit. I can't believe it only cost that much. In the states it would have cost an order of magnitude more.
In general, medicine seems a lot more reasonable in Zambia than in the states. It definitely is a lot simpler with a single purpose-to get you better in the least amount of resources. The hospital doesn't have a lot of frills - they don't use a lot of anti-septic or even give you a band aid when they prick your finger for blood tests, the instrument used to take stool sample was... well... lets just say it was very difficult to to use, and the medicine is the most disgusting stuff I have ever tasted, but it works. Everything works it's just not the easiest to use or swallow. AND its cheap. More than reasonable compared to the cost of medicine in the states. Maybe we can learn a thing or two about how to do medicine. Make it simpler, with less frills and a lot less expensive. Do we really need every type of medicine to taste like cherry or orange?
Okay, well, those are my thoughts on the medicine in Zambia. Within 2 days of taking the Zambian antibiotics, I was back to being my perky self and able to write this post ;-)
Brian
Clinics and Chongwe (finally!)
As many of you may have noticed, Brian and I have been MIA (missing in action) from our blog for a few days now. We apologize for not updating more frequently, and will try to do better. A lot has happened since the last time either of us has posted...good things and not so good things. I will break this post into parts, so it's easier to read.
CLINICS:
When we returned from Livingstone last Sunday, both Brian and I ended up with fevers. We thought we'd sleep it off and see how we were the next morning. Unfortunately, Brian still had a fever the next day and I will still feeling ill. We were advised by Mama Harawa (the head lady at the EOH in Zambia) to get checked out at a travel clinic. A few people were worried that we had malaria, which was highly improbable since it's winter over here in Zambia and not considered "malaria season". Even so, a little bit of worry crept into my head, so I asked God to help me not to give in to my worries (which is VERY easy for me to do) and put Brian and myself into His hands. God must have answered my prayers because when we entered the health clinic, I wasn't worried at all, even when the doctor told us she wanted us to get our blood tested. I'm not generally afraid of needles or anything, but have always been a bit wary about getting pricked by needles in a foreign country. Surprisingly, the blood test was quick and less painful than tests I've received in the USA. Anyway, to make a long story short, it was confirmed that neither of us had malaria, but that I had caught something viral (probably from the long bus ride back from Livingstone which had a bunch of sick coughy people and NO air) and Brian had a bacterial infection (don't know how THAT happened). We were prescribed some vitamins and Brian received some nasty tasting antibiotics, and sent on our way.
We spent the next day in bed and took turns using the bathroom (that toilet got a LOT of action). Brian took about 2 days to get back to almost normal and I took about 3. I am so happy that Megan brought some Immodium or else I'd probably still be in the bathroom. (Thanks, Megan!)
CHONGWE (finally!):
For those who don't already know, Every Orphan's Hope has built My Father's Houses in two cities - Lusaka (the capital of Zambia) and Chongwe (a rural town about an hour away from Lusaka. Brian and I had only gone to see the orphans and mamas at the MFHs in Lusaka up to this point, but had heard so many things about the kids and mamas in Chongwe from Ben, Megan and Kate, who had all arrived in Zambia 2 weeks before us. We had been itching to get out to Chongwe, but were not able to go while we were sick. This past Friday we were finally able to go!! Praise the Lord!
The kids in Chongwe don't speak as much English as the kids in Lusaka, so they tend to answer "yes" to almost everything we ask them. Some actually do understand, but they speak mostly Nyanja. There are so many kids and I can't remember many of their names, which is why I am thankful that Ben, Megan and Kate were there. Kate attempted to teach me some of their names before I went from photos she had taken, but I didn't do so well. But after meeting them in person, I think I have a lot of their names down. There was little Doreen, a 3 year old who is fairly new to EOH. She and her brother, Jonah (6), both live at the My Father's Houses. Doreen is really tiny for her age and tends not to smile much, but I did get her to smile several times and even giggle. :) I later borrowed Kim's shitenge (don't know how to spell it), a cloth that Zambian women use as a skirt/apron and also as a cloth to carry their babies on their backs, to carry Doreen around on my back. :)
Ok, who else is there? Oh yes...there's James Zulu, Catherine, Justine (pronounced "Justin", the "e" is silent), Maxamillian, Andrew, Aaron, Espina, Lister, Kauya, Alick, Rebecca, Bianca, Lumbambe, Blastone, Samuel, Chuma, Pamela, Veronica, Henry, and more I have not yet met. These kids are so sweet and so full of love. I was impressed by how polite they are - when they saw me, and obviously didn't know who I was, they would come up with big smiles on their faces and put out their hand to introduce themselves. They have a hard time saying my name (like most people do when they first meet me), but they tried. :)
Yesterday, all of us interns and Paul, Kim, and Hosanna (a friend who works at the church that EOH, Texas rents space from) got to stay overnight in a MFH in Chongwe. Most of us stayed in the different living rooms on mattresses or sofas, and Ben stayed on a bunk with some of the boys. We went to bed around 9:30 pm (21:30 hours), which is a lot later than the kid's normal bedtime of 8:00 pm (20:00 hours), but things haven't been quite on schedule with Camp Hope coming up and Teen Mania camping out nearby. The kids didn't seem to mind, as they were super excited for us to be staying with them.
It took a little while for me to fall asleep, as a rooster who didn't seem to know what time it was, kept crowing, a random cow kept mooing, and the house pet, a kitten named Jungle, kept curling up on my feet. I kept kicking him off, as I didn't want him too close to either Kim or myself, as we're both allergic to cats, but he kept coming back. God has been merciful to me, though, because I didn't even sneeze once because of the kitten. He's probably the only other cat that I am not allergic to. I ended up petting him a lot since he is just so cute. (I never thought I'd say that about a cat...hehe.)
The next morning, we were awaken at 4:30 am (the kid's normal wake-up time) by Mama Lydia and the bleary-eyed orphans singing praise songs in Nyanja. Normally, as a non-morning person, I would roll over and cover my ears if someone tried to wake me up, but their voices were just so beautiful I couldn't help but listen and be blessed. According to their schedules, they would normally have family devotions after singing, but because Mama Lydia wasn't feeling well, all the kids got another hour or so of sleep, or maybe it was because we were in their house and Mama wanted us to sleep more. We had already put away our mattresses and folded up our bedding, so as the kids rested (and snored...so cute!), Paul, Kim, Brian and I, with little Jungle on my lap, chatted a bit, as we waited for the sun to come up.
What a fantastic weekend. I am so thankful that God healed me and allowed me to finally experience Chongwe. It's just so amazing to be there. I am excited to go back tomorrow for the beginning of Camp Hope.
Please pray for Teen Mania, as they will be basically running Camp Hope. Pray also for the 300 or so orphans, coming from all over Chongwe, to attend Camp Hope. Pray that they will meet Jesus and come to love him as their own personal Lord and Savior. Pray for protection from spiritual attacks, and pray for us interns, the EOH staff, and others to be united and work well together.
Thanks for reading!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
CLINICS:
When we returned from Livingstone last Sunday, both Brian and I ended up with fevers. We thought we'd sleep it off and see how we were the next morning. Unfortunately, Brian still had a fever the next day and I will still feeling ill. We were advised by Mama Harawa (the head lady at the EOH in Zambia) to get checked out at a travel clinic. A few people were worried that we had malaria, which was highly improbable since it's winter over here in Zambia and not considered "malaria season". Even so, a little bit of worry crept into my head, so I asked God to help me not to give in to my worries (which is VERY easy for me to do) and put Brian and myself into His hands. God must have answered my prayers because when we entered the health clinic, I wasn't worried at all, even when the doctor told us she wanted us to get our blood tested. I'm not generally afraid of needles or anything, but have always been a bit wary about getting pricked by needles in a foreign country. Surprisingly, the blood test was quick and less painful than tests I've received in the USA. Anyway, to make a long story short, it was confirmed that neither of us had malaria, but that I had caught something viral (probably from the long bus ride back from Livingstone which had a bunch of sick coughy people and NO air) and Brian had a bacterial infection (don't know how THAT happened). We were prescribed some vitamins and Brian received some nasty tasting antibiotics, and sent on our way.
We spent the next day in bed and took turns using the bathroom (that toilet got a LOT of action). Brian took about 2 days to get back to almost normal and I took about 3. I am so happy that Megan brought some Immodium or else I'd probably still be in the bathroom. (Thanks, Megan!)
CHONGWE (finally!):
For those who don't already know, Every Orphan's Hope has built My Father's Houses in two cities - Lusaka (the capital of Zambia) and Chongwe (a rural town about an hour away from Lusaka. Brian and I had only gone to see the orphans and mamas at the MFHs in Lusaka up to this point, but had heard so many things about the kids and mamas in Chongwe from Ben, Megan and Kate, who had all arrived in Zambia 2 weeks before us. We had been itching to get out to Chongwe, but were not able to go while we were sick. This past Friday we were finally able to go!! Praise the Lord!
The kids in Chongwe don't speak as much English as the kids in Lusaka, so they tend to answer "yes" to almost everything we ask them. Some actually do understand, but they speak mostly Nyanja. There are so many kids and I can't remember many of their names, which is why I am thankful that Ben, Megan and Kate were there. Kate attempted to teach me some of their names before I went from photos she had taken, but I didn't do so well. But after meeting them in person, I think I have a lot of their names down. There was little Doreen, a 3 year old who is fairly new to EOH. She and her brother, Jonah (6), both live at the My Father's Houses. Doreen is really tiny for her age and tends not to smile much, but I did get her to smile several times and even giggle. :) I later borrowed Kim's shitenge (don't know how to spell it), a cloth that Zambian women use as a skirt/apron and also as a cloth to carry their babies on their backs, to carry Doreen around on my back. :)
Ok, who else is there? Oh yes...there's James Zulu, Catherine, Justine (pronounced "Justin", the "e" is silent), Maxamillian, Andrew, Aaron, Espina, Lister, Kauya, Alick, Rebecca, Bianca, Lumbambe, Blastone, Samuel, Chuma, Pamela, Veronica, Henry, and more I have not yet met. These kids are so sweet and so full of love. I was impressed by how polite they are - when they saw me, and obviously didn't know who I was, they would come up with big smiles on their faces and put out their hand to introduce themselves. They have a hard time saying my name (like most people do when they first meet me), but they tried. :)
Yesterday, all of us interns and Paul, Kim, and Hosanna (a friend who works at the church that EOH, Texas rents space from) got to stay overnight in a MFH in Chongwe. Most of us stayed in the different living rooms on mattresses or sofas, and Ben stayed on a bunk with some of the boys. We went to bed around 9:30 pm (21:30 hours), which is a lot later than the kid's normal bedtime of 8:00 pm (20:00 hours), but things haven't been quite on schedule with Camp Hope coming up and Teen Mania camping out nearby. The kids didn't seem to mind, as they were super excited for us to be staying with them.
It took a little while for me to fall asleep, as a rooster who didn't seem to know what time it was, kept crowing, a random cow kept mooing, and the house pet, a kitten named Jungle, kept curling up on my feet. I kept kicking him off, as I didn't want him too close to either Kim or myself, as we're both allergic to cats, but he kept coming back. God has been merciful to me, though, because I didn't even sneeze once because of the kitten. He's probably the only other cat that I am not allergic to. I ended up petting him a lot since he is just so cute. (I never thought I'd say that about a cat...hehe.)
The next morning, we were awaken at 4:30 am (the kid's normal wake-up time) by Mama Lydia and the bleary-eyed orphans singing praise songs in Nyanja. Normally, as a non-morning person, I would roll over and cover my ears if someone tried to wake me up, but their voices were just so beautiful I couldn't help but listen and be blessed. According to their schedules, they would normally have family devotions after singing, but because Mama Lydia wasn't feeling well, all the kids got another hour or so of sleep, or maybe it was because we were in their house and Mama wanted us to sleep more. We had already put away our mattresses and folded up our bedding, so as the kids rested (and snored...so cute!), Paul, Kim, Brian and I, with little Jungle on my lap, chatted a bit, as we waited for the sun to come up.
What a fantastic weekend. I am so thankful that God healed me and allowed me to finally experience Chongwe. It's just so amazing to be there. I am excited to go back tomorrow for the beginning of Camp Hope.
Please pray for Teen Mania, as they will be basically running Camp Hope. Pray also for the 300 or so orphans, coming from all over Chongwe, to attend Camp Hope. Pray that they will meet Jesus and come to love him as their own personal Lord and Savior. Pray for protection from spiritual attacks, and pray for us interns, the EOH staff, and others to be united and work well together.
Thanks for reading!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Friday, July 16, 2010
Okay, let talk about some kids
So blogger is kind of weird. I started a blog a few days ago about technology but didn't finish it. Andrea then wrote something and posted it. Afterwards, I finished my technology blog and posted it but it ends up AFTER Andrea. So people, if you didn't read my ramblings about technology in Zambia, look down..... way down.... (If you really don't care about nerdy techy stuff, you don't have to read it but I thought it was kind of interesting.)
Okay so we have finally been able to visit all the children in all the orphanages that EOH runs. For those who don't know, I'll give you a little run down on how the orphanages works. EOH basically raises funds to build an orphanage. The orphanage is really a duplex in which each unit houses 8 kids and 1 widow. The widow focuses on raising the 8 orphans with resources from EOH.
EOH has built 4 of these duplexes-
2 in Kalingalinga which is a suburb of Lusaka (the capitol) and is close to the EOH Zambian office
2 in Chongwei which is about 50 minutes outside of Lusaka and in the bush
Chongwei is in the middle of nowhere. They don't have electricity so EOH have some solar panels that store energy during the day so that the house has enough electricity for 4 hours of light. It also doesn't have running water so the community has to draw water from wells.
Okay so that's a little bit about how the orphanages are set up. In additional to these orphanages, we are helping to run a camp for unsaved children in the Lusaka and Chongwei communities. The first camp starts on July 19. 300 kids will be coming from the area to be fed, taught, and loved. For this first camp, EOH teams up with an organization called teen mania who have flown in around 70 people of mostly teenagers to actually teach the camps. These teenagers are living in tents outside the ChongWei orphanage and, with the help of 35 local volunteers, will be putting on a program for the children. The local volunteers will help with translating and cooking. Since the children generally do not eat well nor do they know English well, they are vital to the program. We are mostly helping as extra runners or helpers to address anything that pops up in the next 5 days. So the camps are really focused on the children in the community and not really the orphans.
That's what happens in the next few days. So far our experiences with the orphans have been really good. Its interesting though, since the orphanage (also known as My Father's House), is run by widows who are strong Christian, most of the orphans already know about Jesus and who he is. So though I initially thought we would be sharing the Gospel to the orphans, most already have a thriving relationship with Jesus. In fact, in the first orphanage we visited I was really touched and impacted when a few of the girls who were singing with Andrea began singing the song "He knows my name". I was sitting on the ground playing with a little boy when I heard these girls beautifully sing the song below. Initially, it caught my attention because it sounded so good, but as I realize what song it was and the lyrics they were singing, I almost started tearing up. Here are the lyrics for those who don't know it.
I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call
Okay so we have finally been able to visit all the children in all the orphanages that EOH runs. For those who don't know, I'll give you a little run down on how the orphanages works. EOH basically raises funds to build an orphanage. The orphanage is really a duplex in which each unit houses 8 kids and 1 widow. The widow focuses on raising the 8 orphans with resources from EOH.
EOH has built 4 of these duplexes-
2 in Kalingalinga which is a suburb of Lusaka (the capitol) and is close to the EOH Zambian office
2 in Chongwei which is about 50 minutes outside of Lusaka and in the bush
Chongwei is in the middle of nowhere. They don't have electricity so EOH have some solar panels that store energy during the day so that the house has enough electricity for 4 hours of light. It also doesn't have running water so the community has to draw water from wells.
Okay so that's a little bit about how the orphanages are set up. In additional to these orphanages, we are helping to run a camp for unsaved children in the Lusaka and Chongwei communities. The first camp starts on July 19. 300 kids will be coming from the area to be fed, taught, and loved. For this first camp, EOH teams up with an organization called teen mania who have flown in around 70 people of mostly teenagers to actually teach the camps. These teenagers are living in tents outside the ChongWei orphanage and, with the help of 35 local volunteers, will be putting on a program for the children. The local volunteers will help with translating and cooking. Since the children generally do not eat well nor do they know English well, they are vital to the program. We are mostly helping as extra runners or helpers to address anything that pops up in the next 5 days. So the camps are really focused on the children in the community and not really the orphans.
That's what happens in the next few days. So far our experiences with the orphans have been really good. Its interesting though, since the orphanage (also known as My Father's House), is run by widows who are strong Christian, most of the orphans already know about Jesus and who he is. So though I initially thought we would be sharing the Gospel to the orphans, most already have a thriving relationship with Jesus. In fact, in the first orphanage we visited I was really touched and impacted when a few of the girls who were singing with Andrea began singing the song "He knows my name". I was sitting on the ground playing with a little boy when I heard these girls beautifully sing the song below. Initially, it caught my attention because it sounded so good, but as I realize what song it was and the lyrics they were singing, I almost started tearing up. Here are the lyrics for those who don't know it.
I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call
The fact that these orphans who don't even have much of a male influence in their lives, sing that they have a father who will never leave them or let them go. They have a Father which neither poverty nor sickness and death will take away. The fact that they sang that song of all songs really touched me. It reminds me that no matter where you are at or what situation you are in God can comfort you. It makes me think of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
On a less serious note, I found out that the other interns taught the orphans how to play spoons and the orphans love it. I've heard that in some games the orphans will dive across the table just to get the last spoon. Its been so viral that even some of the EOH staff adults starting playing it. I was able to capture a short game but it wasn't has insane has it has been. The orphans love it so much they once played it for 4 hours STRAIGHT!!!!!!!
This last clip is of some of the girls putting on a pretend fashion show for Andrea. Its interesting one of the things that Kim (EOH staff) mentioned in her training is that the orphanage allows the kids just to be kids. If not for the orphanage, these kids may have been on the streets or with a distant relative. Maybe they would be helping to raise younger siblings or trying to find a way to get their next meal, but because of the security of the orphanage, the kids are able to just play and because they are fed consistently, they have the energy to play.
It was a good day when kids are just able to be kids.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
A Weekend in Livingstone
We interns had a fantastic opportunity to go away for the weekend to Livingstone. We've been able to bond more, relax a bit, and prepare mentally and spiritually for the upcoming madness of preparing for Teen Mania's arrival and Camp Hope. I am not going to say physically because of some of the activities we participated in. More on that later. :)
We arrived in Livingstone on Friday and are leaving early tomorrow morning. It takes about 6 hours to get back to Lusaka (depending on how fast the bus driver goes), so we'll arrive early enough to get back to work at the EOH office.
Anyway, we met Sanderson, a great friend of the EOH staff, who lives in Livingstone. He basically coordinated our hotel stay, our activities, and even our pickup from different places. He has a HUGE heart for ministry and it is very obvious in his actions. THANKS, SANDERSON!! :)
Friday evening we went on a sunset dinner cruise and saw hippos, a crocodile, a giraffe and a beautiful sunset! God is a MASTER artist!! We also met a few "interesting" characters on the cruise, and were able to share our reason for being in Zambia.
On Saturday, we went on a safari in Mosio-Tunya National Park. We got really close to some beautiful animals like giraffes, zebras, impalas, and baboons. We didn't see any elephants, but we did see the path of destruction they left behind. Our guide was telling us how impalas and baboons help each other to survive in the wild - for example, the baboons will often toss leaves and things down from trees so the impalas can eat them, and the impalas will dig up berries for the baboons to eat. God really knew what he was doing when he created each and every animal. Amazing. :) We were also able to see a white rhino (not really white in color, but called that for some reason), but we had to trek further into the grasslands to see it.
Saturday afternoon, we got up close and personal with a few female lions. We got to pet them and walk with them. It was a little nerve-wracking at first, but God allowed us to enjoy these beutiful creatures. After an hour or so with the lions, we visited a few cheetahs, who were a lot less active than the lions.
Today (Sunday), Megan, Kate, and Brian found it in them to do some crazy outdoor activities - gorge swinging and bungi jumping. Megan and Kate did a tandem gorge swing, and Brian did a bungi jump off of a bridge at Victoria Falls. Ben and I had a nice time watching them and taking pictures. :)
We did a bit of souvenier shopping back in town, and Brian and I taught the younguns how to get the best deal. (I LOVE bargaining!!)
Although I had a great time in Livingstone, I am eager to get back to Lusaka and get back to serving with EOH. I really want to meet the kids in Chongwe and spend more time with the beautiful kids in Lusaka. When we left the EOH office last, all of us were feeling a bit sad. As many of the other interns already wrote, one of the orphans came into the office to hang out a bit. This orphan has AIDS and it was obvious that he wasn't doing well. We tried to cheer him up with a few games, which he did enjoy, but he seemed very weak and tired. It hurt all of our hearts to see him like this, and it made me want to do something more for him.
Please keep praying for all the orphans and for Zambia as a nation.
Thanks for reading.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
We arrived in Livingstone on Friday and are leaving early tomorrow morning. It takes about 6 hours to get back to Lusaka (depending on how fast the bus driver goes), so we'll arrive early enough to get back to work at the EOH office.
Anyway, we met Sanderson, a great friend of the EOH staff, who lives in Livingstone. He basically coordinated our hotel stay, our activities, and even our pickup from different places. He has a HUGE heart for ministry and it is very obvious in his actions. THANKS, SANDERSON!! :)
Friday evening we went on a sunset dinner cruise and saw hippos, a crocodile, a giraffe and a beautiful sunset! God is a MASTER artist!! We also met a few "interesting" characters on the cruise, and were able to share our reason for being in Zambia.
On Saturday, we went on a safari in Mosio-Tunya National Park. We got really close to some beautiful animals like giraffes, zebras, impalas, and baboons. We didn't see any elephants, but we did see the path of destruction they left behind. Our guide was telling us how impalas and baboons help each other to survive in the wild - for example, the baboons will often toss leaves and things down from trees so the impalas can eat them, and the impalas will dig up berries for the baboons to eat. God really knew what he was doing when he created each and every animal. Amazing. :) We were also able to see a white rhino (not really white in color, but called that for some reason), but we had to trek further into the grasslands to see it.
Saturday afternoon, we got up close and personal with a few female lions. We got to pet them and walk with them. It was a little nerve-wracking at first, but God allowed us to enjoy these beutiful creatures. After an hour or so with the lions, we visited a few cheetahs, who were a lot less active than the lions.
Today (Sunday), Megan, Kate, and Brian found it in them to do some crazy outdoor activities - gorge swinging and bungi jumping. Megan and Kate did a tandem gorge swing, and Brian did a bungi jump off of a bridge at Victoria Falls. Ben and I had a nice time watching them and taking pictures. :)
We did a bit of souvenier shopping back in town, and Brian and I taught the younguns how to get the best deal. (I LOVE bargaining!!)
Although I had a great time in Livingstone, I am eager to get back to Lusaka and get back to serving with EOH. I really want to meet the kids in Chongwe and spend more time with the beautiful kids in Lusaka. When we left the EOH office last, all of us were feeling a bit sad. As many of the other interns already wrote, one of the orphans came into the office to hang out a bit. This orphan has AIDS and it was obvious that he wasn't doing well. We tried to cheer him up with a few games, which he did enjoy, but he seemed very weak and tired. It hurt all of our hearts to see him like this, and it made me want to do something more for him.
Please keep praying for all the orphans and for Zambia as a nation.
Thanks for reading.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Technology in Zambia
When Andrea and I first thought about working with orphans we were super excited. Since Andrea is professionally trained to handle a roomful of children, I was pretty sure her professional skills would be fully utilized. My skills as an electrical engineer who works with computers... not so much. But, God works in mysterious ways and when I told EOH that I could help out with computers, they were super excited and got me Super excited. I could actually use my 30 years of nerdiness for the Kingdom of God ;-).
I first had a short chat with Paul before we left to see what the situation was like in Zambia. He mentioned the computers were old and just needed to be replaced and that the electricity wasn't good. So I went on a mission to collect computers. Through a ton of people who donated their old computer equipment I was able to assemble and test
4 desktops
3 LCDs
1 UPS
2 Routers
an external harddrive
an all in one photo printer
Some extra harddrives
A variety of different cables
Now getting all this stuff to zambia was going to be a trouble. After a TON of packing and repacking and more repacking at the airport, we were able to fit mostly everything (we had to throw away a keyboard at the airport) by actually fitting a desktop in our carryon luggage. In fact, we had so much stuff, i had to stuff clothes in the pockets of our jackets just so we could fit everything. It was pretty funny and i think the airline personnel felt sorry for us.
When we finally arrived in Zambia, we told the Zambian staff of all their new computer equipment and this was their reaction.
The Zambian staff was so excited about the computer equipment that they wanted me to start installing it right away which I was all too willing to do. I quickly found out that technology in Zambia is inaccessible, expensive, and temperamental. For example, internet access at the office is probably using EDGE technology (think internet on an old cell phone) for $80 a month. So it is roughly 2-3 times the cost of what internet is in the US for 1/10 the speed and not always available.
Also, the power in Zambia ain't so great either. Brown outs and black outs are not uncommon and causes desktops to just shut off. I don't know if you guys can tell but I took a video of a light bulb. If you can see, it is dimming in and out which shows power instability. Any computer connected to the power would just shut off - Not so great for office productivity.
Viruses are prevalent in Zambia as well, but because internet is not really available, most virus are from USB sticks and so most common anti-virus software which are made for developed countries which focus on internet/email based viruses are not as effective.
Thankfully, God provides just we need. To solve the lack of power, God had provided a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) which I had brought over. It is basically like a big battery that stores up charge when the power is good and provides power if the electricity ever faulters. It doesn't supply power for hours, but at least gives 10-15 minutes of extra power and enough time for a computer user to save their work and print it out if necessary.
For the viruses, God provided a helpful neighbor. We are currently staying at a bible college where our neighbor, Jon, is a long term missionary who used to work at microsoft as a salesmen. Though he didn't come over to do computer work, because he had a lot of knowledge of computers, all the Zambians go to him for their IT needs. So we chatted and he provided all the antivirus software we needed and some useful advise. Ironically, the best anti-virus software is from Microsoft.... go figure ;-)
And for the slow internet, God provides me with patience ;-) Actually, the lack of internet is really such a game changer. Not only does it prevent the distribution of useful software, but it prevents the transfer of knowledge and an easy way for people to learn. In fact, most website are so full of flash ads, its hard to load a single page sometimes. Its something i probably take for granted a lot since fast, reliable interent is so ubiquitous in the states
Do you want to know the symptoms of malaria, go online.
Do you want to know how to fix a computer bug, go online.
That is one of the reasons there are a limited number of people who actually know how to maintain and debug computers and partly why the EOH office was not in the best of state. But one of the Zambian Staff, Humphrey, has been really eager to learn everything I'm doing and has been shadowing me as I install the new computers and fix some of the old computers. Hopefully, in between serving the orphans, I'll be able to train Humphrey to handle most of the computer needs for the office.
Its funny, during my first week in Zambia I have spent more time with computers than with the kids and I'm greatful God gave me a professional skill and passion that ended up being useful to the EOH ministry. Just like a lot of things in my life, skills I never thought would be used for ministry purposes are fully utilized for His Kingdom.
I first had a short chat with Paul before we left to see what the situation was like in Zambia. He mentioned the computers were old and just needed to be replaced and that the electricity wasn't good. So I went on a mission to collect computers. Through a ton of people who donated their old computer equipment I was able to assemble and test
4 desktops
3 LCDs
1 UPS
2 Routers
an external harddrive
an all in one photo printer
Some extra harddrives
A variety of different cables
Now getting all this stuff to zambia was going to be a trouble. After a TON of packing and repacking and more repacking at the airport, we were able to fit mostly everything (we had to throw away a keyboard at the airport) by actually fitting a desktop in our carryon luggage. In fact, we had so much stuff, i had to stuff clothes in the pockets of our jackets just so we could fit everything. It was pretty funny and i think the airline personnel felt sorry for us.
When we finally arrived in Zambia, we told the Zambian staff of all their new computer equipment and this was their reaction.
The Zambian staff was so excited about the computer equipment that they wanted me to start installing it right away which I was all too willing to do. I quickly found out that technology in Zambia is inaccessible, expensive, and temperamental. For example, internet access at the office is probably using EDGE technology (think internet on an old cell phone) for $80 a month. So it is roughly 2-3 times the cost of what internet is in the US for 1/10 the speed and not always available.
Also, the power in Zambia ain't so great either. Brown outs and black outs are not uncommon and causes desktops to just shut off. I don't know if you guys can tell but I took a video of a light bulb. If you can see, it is dimming in and out which shows power instability. Any computer connected to the power would just shut off - Not so great for office productivity.
Viruses are prevalent in Zambia as well, but because internet is not really available, most virus are from USB sticks and so most common anti-virus software which are made for developed countries which focus on internet/email based viruses are not as effective.
Thankfully, God provides just we need. To solve the lack of power, God had provided a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) which I had brought over. It is basically like a big battery that stores up charge when the power is good and provides power if the electricity ever faulters. It doesn't supply power for hours, but at least gives 10-15 minutes of extra power and enough time for a computer user to save their work and print it out if necessary.
For the viruses, God provided a helpful neighbor. We are currently staying at a bible college where our neighbor, Jon, is a long term missionary who used to work at microsoft as a salesmen. Though he didn't come over to do computer work, because he had a lot of knowledge of computers, all the Zambians go to him for their IT needs. So we chatted and he provided all the antivirus software we needed and some useful advise. Ironically, the best anti-virus software is from Microsoft.... go figure ;-)
And for the slow internet, God provides me with patience ;-) Actually, the lack of internet is really such a game changer. Not only does it prevent the distribution of useful software, but it prevents the transfer of knowledge and an easy way for people to learn. In fact, most website are so full of flash ads, its hard to load a single page sometimes. Its something i probably take for granted a lot since fast, reliable interent is so ubiquitous in the states
Do you want to know the symptoms of malaria, go online.
Do you want to know how to fix a computer bug, go online.
That is one of the reasons there are a limited number of people who actually know how to maintain and debug computers and partly why the EOH office was not in the best of state. But one of the Zambian Staff, Humphrey, has been really eager to learn everything I'm doing and has been shadowing me as I install the new computers and fix some of the old computers. Hopefully, in between serving the orphans, I'll be able to train Humphrey to handle most of the computer needs for the office.
Its funny, during my first week in Zambia I have spent more time with computers than with the kids and I'm greatful God gave me a professional skill and passion that ended up being useful to the EOH ministry. Just like a lot of things in my life, skills I never thought would be used for ministry purposes are fully utilized for His Kingdom.
Brian's Initial Thoughts
Well, I've been in Zambia for a week now and I'm ashamed to say this is my first personal post. Things have been pretty busy for me this side of equator and for those who know me, that's kind of how i like it. But I really wanted to write down some of my thoughts and share some of my experiences before I forget them.
For those who are following our blog, this may be a little confusing cause I'm going to go backwards a little and talk about some of my impressions when we first landed in Dallas and met Every Orphan's Hope. Andrea's been doing a great job documenting what we've been doing but I wanted to share with... the world i guess.. some of the specific impressions I got from the EOH staff and share some of the stories we heard about the beginnings of EOH.
When we first landed in Dallas a pretty big (think ex-NFL player) guy approaches me and asks if I'm Brian. I figured he's Paul and the women next to him is his wife Kim. Now, the first surprised is Paul. The guy is pretty big (think ex-NFL-LINEMAN-use-to-be-in-the-Navy big), and has a shaved head, but is super gentle with a real calm voice. His wife, Kim, is pretty small (probably bigger than Andrea, but next to Paul, she seems tiny) who is super welcoming. Now, I don't about you, but its always kind of awkward for me when you first meet people who you've only talked to over email or over the phone. So we do the chit chat and ask a lot of the typical get-to-know you questions like
1. Where you were born
2. Where have you lived
3. Do you like Texas
etc....
And normally you don't get much but superficial responses, but this time was different... .
Through the questions, I found out that Paul used to be a pretty successful project manager in Virginia. He and Kim were like Andrea and me- DINKs (Dual Income No Kids). He started going on short term missions every year with EOH since Gary (the president) went to his church. And since he was a DINK, he funded himself (sound familiar). Well, after a few summers of going on these trips, he decided God wanted for him to go full time. Just like that. Well-to-do DINK becomes missionary. The crazy thing was that he was thinking about it for a while, but DIDN'T tell his wife about it at all, and AFTER praying and processing the idea with Gary, he tells his wife. So his wife, who has no idea what he is thinking hears this...... and doesn't a word. She says she would have normally said something but God told her to be quiet.
And after two years of raising funds, they sell all their possessions and move to texas.
"Why Texas?" - I asked
"Cause its CHEAP!" - Paul says
So this couple, sells their house, and, so that they can do the work of the Kingdom, goes to a city where they don't know anyone because it financially allows them to do the work they are passionate about. They didn't know anyone in Dallas before, but moves there because this is where EOH is and this is where they are called.
That's pretty cool. I mean, I know a lot of missionaries and know a lot of people who have moved for the Kingdom, but I don't know that many people who are well off, have a comfortable lifestyle, but then "sells" everything and moves to become a missionary in their late 30s - early 40s.
That's pretty cool, but as I found out, a common theme in EOH.
So that's Paul and Kim who joined EOH about a year ago. The next day we meet Gary, the president of EOH. He begins to tell us about how he started EOH and tells this AMAZING story about how he was a successful business man who traveled a lot. And in one of the plane rides, he picks up the newspaper and reads about the consequences of AIDS/HIV in Africa and how there is a generation of orphans in Zambia which at that time had the highest concentration of AIDS/HIV. And he thinks to himself how God loves his child as much as the children in Zambia and he just weeps and decides to do something about it. That's it. That's how EOH begins. He reads an article, God puts a thought in his head, and, BAM, EOH begins (of course there is years of research and building up contacts and prayer, etc.. etc... too but those are just the details ;-)
Gary goes on to tell story after story of how God meet the needs of this ministry and how God provided ZAMBIAN people IN VIRGINIA to help him. I mean story after story of God's grace and providence. And Andrea and I are just sitting there enthralled by his stories. I later told Gary that he really need to record his stories and post it because
1) He has a really good story voice
2) Its just so moving how God does things
And throughout Gary's story, I begin to see the some common themes behind EOH. Not only is EOH living out God's command to serve the orphans in Zambia, but it also desires to disciple the church in the US so that it has a heart for the people, specifically orphans, in Zambia. Its ministering to both sides of the world and bridging the gaps between the global church.
Another theme I saw in action... well.. more like in story, was the idea that God will provide. He WANTS to provide, you just need to do what he tells you to do and he will provide. The problems are big. AIDS, poverty, orphans... these are big problems, but if you do the work, God will provide...
Powerful themes, but that really struck me... and that from only 2 days on the job...
Okay... this is long enough.. no more rambling. I'll post my first impressions of Zambia later.... ;-)
For those who are following our blog, this may be a little confusing cause I'm going to go backwards a little and talk about some of my impressions when we first landed in Dallas and met Every Orphan's Hope. Andrea's been doing a great job documenting what we've been doing but I wanted to share with... the world i guess.. some of the specific impressions I got from the EOH staff and share some of the stories we heard about the beginnings of EOH.
When we first landed in Dallas a pretty big (think ex-NFL player) guy approaches me and asks if I'm Brian. I figured he's Paul and the women next to him is his wife Kim. Now, the first surprised is Paul. The guy is pretty big (think ex-NFL-LINEMAN-use-to-be-in-the-Navy big), and has a shaved head, but is super gentle with a real calm voice. His wife, Kim, is pretty small (probably bigger than Andrea, but next to Paul, she seems tiny) who is super welcoming. Now, I don't about you, but its always kind of awkward for me when you first meet people who you've only talked to over email or over the phone. So we do the chit chat and ask a lot of the typical get-to-know you questions like
1. Where you were born
2. Where have you lived
3. Do you like Texas
etc....
And normally you don't get much but superficial responses, but this time was different... .
Through the questions, I found out that Paul used to be a pretty successful project manager in Virginia. He and Kim were like Andrea and me- DINKs (Dual Income No Kids). He started going on short term missions every year with EOH since Gary (the president) went to his church. And since he was a DINK, he funded himself (sound familiar). Well, after a few summers of going on these trips, he decided God wanted for him to go full time. Just like that. Well-to-do DINK becomes missionary. The crazy thing was that he was thinking about it for a while, but DIDN'T tell his wife about it at all, and AFTER praying and processing the idea with Gary, he tells his wife. So his wife, who has no idea what he is thinking hears this...... and doesn't a word. She says she would have normally said something but God told her to be quiet.
And after two years of raising funds, they sell all their possessions and move to texas.
"Why Texas?" - I asked
"Cause its CHEAP!" - Paul says
So this couple, sells their house, and, so that they can do the work of the Kingdom, goes to a city where they don't know anyone because it financially allows them to do the work they are passionate about. They didn't know anyone in Dallas before, but moves there because this is where EOH is and this is where they are called.
That's pretty cool. I mean, I know a lot of missionaries and know a lot of people who have moved for the Kingdom, but I don't know that many people who are well off, have a comfortable lifestyle, but then "sells" everything and moves to become a missionary in their late 30s - early 40s.
That's pretty cool, but as I found out, a common theme in EOH.
So that's Paul and Kim who joined EOH about a year ago. The next day we meet Gary, the president of EOH. He begins to tell us about how he started EOH and tells this AMAZING story about how he was a successful business man who traveled a lot. And in one of the plane rides, he picks up the newspaper and reads about the consequences of AIDS/HIV in Africa and how there is a generation of orphans in Zambia which at that time had the highest concentration of AIDS/HIV. And he thinks to himself how God loves his child as much as the children in Zambia and he just weeps and decides to do something about it. That's it. That's how EOH begins. He reads an article, God puts a thought in his head, and, BAM, EOH begins (of course there is years of research and building up contacts and prayer, etc.. etc... too but those are just the details ;-)
Gary goes on to tell story after story of how God meet the needs of this ministry and how God provided ZAMBIAN people IN VIRGINIA to help him. I mean story after story of God's grace and providence. And Andrea and I are just sitting there enthralled by his stories. I later told Gary that he really need to record his stories and post it because
1) He has a really good story voice
2) Its just so moving how God does things
And throughout Gary's story, I begin to see the some common themes behind EOH. Not only is EOH living out God's command to serve the orphans in Zambia, but it also desires to disciple the church in the US so that it has a heart for the people, specifically orphans, in Zambia. Its ministering to both sides of the world and bridging the gaps between the global church.
Another theme I saw in action... well.. more like in story, was the idea that God will provide. He WANTS to provide, you just need to do what he tells you to do and he will provide. The problems are big. AIDS, poverty, orphans... these are big problems, but if you do the work, God will provide...
Powerful themes, but that really struck me... and that from only 2 days on the job...
Okay... this is long enough.. no more rambling. I'll post my first impressions of Zambia later.... ;-)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
An Afternoon with the MFH 3 and 4 Orphans
Yesterday, Ben, Brian and I went to visit the kids at My Father's Houses 3 and 4, while Megan and Kate went to MFH 1 and 2. We met Mama Juliette, her biological son, Sam, who had come for a visit, and some of the kids - Hope, Dorcas, Daniel, Michael, Ida, Edna, Lisa, Esther, and a few other boys whose names I have yet to learn.
We spent some time telling them where we are from and showing them the location in their picture atlas. They then sang Zambia's national anthem for us in both English and French. Then they asked us to sing our national anthem, so we did, but not nearly as well as they had sung their anthem. :P
Dorcas and Mama Juliette showed us how to make sheema, and we all got a chance to stir the pot. Stirring sheema is HARD! Mama Juliette and Dorcas stirred with no problem, but Ben, Brian, and I had to use both arms to stir just a little. I guess we'd better start lifting weights. :)
When the sheema was ready, the kids sat down for lunch. Hope prayed a sweet prayer to bless the food, and the kids dug in. While they ate, we talked with Mama Juliette to learn about how long she had been a MFH Mama, and where she used to live. As we waited for the kids to finish their meal, I thought a bit about how Mama Juliette had already spent time raising her own biological children and sent them off as adults to raise their own families, and now she's starting all over again with children who weren't even her own. What a special heart all these mamas have, caring for and raising these orphans. God knew what he was doing when he chose these women to be the Mamas to these dear children.
During one of our many football games, I went inside to put Brian's jacket away, and I saw Dorcas sitting on the sofa with a Picture Bible in her lap. I went over to see what she was reading, and I asked if she'd like me to read to her. She seemed extremely eager, so I asked her to choose a story, and she ended up picking the story of Job. I found this interesting, and wondered if perhaps she just picked it randomly or if she really knew what she was picking. Either way, we began to read together and she seemed captivated by the story. I stopped once in a while to make sure she understood what we had just read. It was interesting that she picked this story because, as most of you know, Job is a guy who had everything and had done nothing wrong, but was tested by Satan to see if he really loved God. Job had everything taken away from him, but he never cursed God. He did, however, question God, wondering why all this was happening to him. The lesson of the story was that even though God knew Job loved Him and wouldn't denounce Him, He wanted Job to experience Him. Job knew about God through what other people told him, but never experienced God for himself. I always found this to be a tough story to comprehend, especially as a child, which is why I found it interesting that Dorcas would choose this story. These orphans don't have much, and may wonder why God took away their parents, so Job's story may be hard for them. I don't know what was going through Dorcas' mind, but my prayer is that each of these children will get to experience God for themselves, so that He will be REAL to them. I am praying this for myself, as well.
Sorry for the rambling...hope it made sense.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
We spent some time telling them where we are from and showing them the location in their picture atlas. They then sang Zambia's national anthem for us in both English and French. Then they asked us to sing our national anthem, so we did, but not nearly as well as they had sung their anthem. :P
Dorcas and Mama Juliette showed us how to make sheema, and we all got a chance to stir the pot. Stirring sheema is HARD! Mama Juliette and Dorcas stirred with no problem, but Ben, Brian, and I had to use both arms to stir just a little. I guess we'd better start lifting weights. :)
When the sheema was ready, the kids sat down for lunch. Hope prayed a sweet prayer to bless the food, and the kids dug in. While they ate, we talked with Mama Juliette to learn about how long she had been a MFH Mama, and where she used to live. As we waited for the kids to finish their meal, I thought a bit about how Mama Juliette had already spent time raising her own biological children and sent them off as adults to raise their own families, and now she's starting all over again with children who weren't even her own. What a special heart all these mamas have, caring for and raising these orphans. God knew what he was doing when he chose these women to be the Mamas to these dear children.
During one of our many football games, I went inside to put Brian's jacket away, and I saw Dorcas sitting on the sofa with a Picture Bible in her lap. I went over to see what she was reading, and I asked if she'd like me to read to her. She seemed extremely eager, so I asked her to choose a story, and she ended up picking the story of Job. I found this interesting, and wondered if perhaps she just picked it randomly or if she really knew what she was picking. Either way, we began to read together and she seemed captivated by the story. I stopped once in a while to make sure she understood what we had just read. It was interesting that she picked this story because, as most of you know, Job is a guy who had everything and had done nothing wrong, but was tested by Satan to see if he really loved God. Job had everything taken away from him, but he never cursed God. He did, however, question God, wondering why all this was happening to him. The lesson of the story was that even though God knew Job loved Him and wouldn't denounce Him, He wanted Job to experience Him. Job knew about God through what other people told him, but never experienced God for himself. I always found this to be a tough story to comprehend, especially as a child, which is why I found it interesting that Dorcas would choose this story. These orphans don't have much, and may wonder why God took away their parents, so Job's story may be hard for them. I don't know what was going through Dorcas' mind, but my prayer is that each of these children will get to experience God for themselves, so that He will be REAL to them. I am praying this for myself, as well.
Sorry for the rambling...hope it made sense.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Monday, July 5, 2010
Singing with the Girls
Brian and I finally got to meet the children and the mamas (Mama Christine and Mama Josephine) in My Father's Houses 1&2. The kids seemed a bit shy at first, though they greeted us newcomers with a sweet smile and told us their names. I tested myself to see if I could remember all their names, and I think I did pretty well. I'm praying that I will remember all their names the next time around. :)
After playing a game of spoons with the veteran interns, some of the kids joined us outside for a game of football (soccer). We started playing with Lydia, Emmanuel, and Nelly (I hope I'm spelling their names correctly), then Joseph, Faith, Thoko, and Denga came out to play. The rest were inside playing spoons (they really love that game).
One of the activities I most enjoyed today was singing with Faith, Thoko, and Nelly. They've been blessed with amazing singing voices! Faith brought out her songbook (she actually wrote all the lyrics out herself) and we all just sang. It started off with talking about comparing wedding dances in America and in Zambia. Brian and I showed them how to waltz and swing dance, and they showed us some traditional Zambian dancing. Then the girls said they wanted to sing a song for us. I thought it was going to be a Zambian song and was prepared to just listen, but they started singing "Above All" by Michael W. Smith. After that song, Faith took out her songbook and showed me some songs she had written down. Normally, I would just listen to the kids singing and smile appreciatively, but I felt the Spirit moving and sang with them. We spent the rest of the afternoon singing and dancing around. It was one of the most exciting things I have ever experienced so far, and I thank the Lord for allowing me the time with these darling girls.
Once I figure out how to add videos on this blog, I will put up a video of the girls singing, so you can also be blessed.
I'm off for now, but I or Brian will post again soon.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
After playing a game of spoons with the veteran interns, some of the kids joined us outside for a game of football (soccer). We started playing with Lydia, Emmanuel, and Nelly (I hope I'm spelling their names correctly), then Joseph, Faith, Thoko, and Denga came out to play. The rest were inside playing spoons (they really love that game).
One of the activities I most enjoyed today was singing with Faith, Thoko, and Nelly. They've been blessed with amazing singing voices! Faith brought out her songbook (she actually wrote all the lyrics out herself) and we all just sang. It started off with talking about comparing wedding dances in America and in Zambia. Brian and I showed them how to waltz and swing dance, and they showed us some traditional Zambian dancing. Then the girls said they wanted to sing a song for us. I thought it was going to be a Zambian song and was prepared to just listen, but they started singing "Above All" by Michael W. Smith. After that song, Faith took out her songbook and showed me some songs she had written down. Normally, I would just listen to the kids singing and smile appreciatively, but I felt the Spirit moving and sang with them. We spent the rest of the afternoon singing and dancing around. It was one of the most exciting things I have ever experienced so far, and I thank the Lord for allowing me the time with these darling girls.
Once I figure out how to add videos on this blog, I will put up a video of the girls singing, so you can also be blessed.
I'm off for now, but I or Brian will post again soon.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Sunday, July 4, 2010
We Are Here!! (finally)
After a 12 hour layover in London, England, we are finally in Zambia (arrived yesterday, July 3rd)!! There were no delays in our flights (praise the Lord!!), and even though we were stopped a few times to have our luggage checked because of all the computer equipment we were carrying around, it was still ok because we got to share a bit about why we were lugging it all around with one of the security ladies. :)
At the Zambian airport we put on our super-cool alligator hats from Paul and Kim, so we would be recognized in case they couldn't find the only Chinese people in the Zambian airport. We were then greeted by much of the EOH staff and our fellow interns, Ben, Megan and Kate. All are very friendly and awesome.
We piled into 2 cars (with our 6 large suitcases, plus 2 carry-ons) and headed straight for our home for the next week or so. We are staying in a dorm room for a few days until our permanent housing is ready.
Ben, Megan, and Kate took us to Arcade's, a grocery store, to stock up on food for the next few days. Arcade's is pretty much like a Safeway or a Lucky's except that everything is in kwacha, not dollars.
We went back to the apartment, watched some World Cup, made some dinner of fried rice, got tired around 6:00 pm, and tried to figure out what to do to keep ourselves awake. The lights went out while we were cleaning up, but then went back on after 20 minutes or so. We ended up playing Mille Bourne for 2 hours because Brian and I forgot how to play and didn't read the rules, so basically nobody won. But it was FUN! :)
Anyway, day 2 is much more interesting.
Today is Sunday, July 4th (HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, AMERICA!!). We went with our fellow interns to Deliverance Church where the worship is AMAZING and the teaching was convicting. The people have so much passion for worshiping God, and it helped me focus on praising God rather than worrying about singing too loudly or off-key.
After service, we were trying to figure out what to do, when a lovely woman from the church named Anastasia (pronounced Ana-stah-see-a) invited us to her home for lunch. She made a meal of sheema (made of cornmeal and is the staple of Zambia), chicken, vegetables and fish. It was SOO good! The people of Zambia have been extremely friendly and hospitable.
We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Every Orphan's Hope office, where Brian helped to set up their network, and the rest of us sat around, as we couldn't really help much. :P
Brian and I have not met the orphans just yet because they are all on holiday for a few days, but we look forward to meeting them very soon.
Thanks for reading!!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
At the Zambian airport we put on our super-cool alligator hats from Paul and Kim, so we would be recognized in case they couldn't find the only Chinese people in the Zambian airport. We were then greeted by much of the EOH staff and our fellow interns, Ben, Megan and Kate. All are very friendly and awesome.
We piled into 2 cars (with our 6 large suitcases, plus 2 carry-ons) and headed straight for our home for the next week or so. We are staying in a dorm room for a few days until our permanent housing is ready.
Ben, Megan, and Kate took us to Arcade's, a grocery store, to stock up on food for the next few days. Arcade's is pretty much like a Safeway or a Lucky's except that everything is in kwacha, not dollars.
We went back to the apartment, watched some World Cup, made some dinner of fried rice, got tired around 6:00 pm, and tried to figure out what to do to keep ourselves awake. The lights went out while we were cleaning up, but then went back on after 20 minutes or so. We ended up playing Mille Bourne for 2 hours because Brian and I forgot how to play and didn't read the rules, so basically nobody won. But it was FUN! :)
Anyway, day 2 is much more interesting.
Today is Sunday, July 4th (HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, AMERICA!!). We went with our fellow interns to Deliverance Church where the worship is AMAZING and the teaching was convicting. The people have so much passion for worshiping God, and it helped me focus on praising God rather than worrying about singing too loudly or off-key.
After service, we were trying to figure out what to do, when a lovely woman from the church named Anastasia (pronounced Ana-stah-see-a) invited us to her home for lunch. She made a meal of sheema (made of cornmeal and is the staple of Zambia), chicken, vegetables and fish. It was SOO good! The people of Zambia have been extremely friendly and hospitable.
We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Every Orphan's Hope office, where Brian helped to set up their network, and the rest of us sat around, as we couldn't really help much. :P
Brian and I have not met the orphans just yet because they are all on holiday for a few days, but we look forward to meeting them very soon.
Thanks for reading!!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Eager to Get to Zambia
After several days of training in Texas under Paul, Kim, and Gary, we are even more eager to get over to Zambia!! We've already been so blessed and encouraged by just hearing the stories each of them (and also Cypheen) had to share. Their hearts are so full of love for these orphans and Mamas and the people of Zambia. We are so excited to meet all of them!
Just another day, and we'll be in Zambia with our teammates, Ben, Kate, and Megan!! (BTW, all of your blogs have been so encouraging! We can't wait to join you!!)
A brief summary of the past few days:
Monday - we arrived in Dallas, Texas with our 6 pieces of luggage (most of them filled with heavy computer equipment) plus a backpack each, trying to figure out how to lug it all around. We were greeted by Paul and Kim, who took us back to our posh hotel. Thanks for putting us up with such great accomodations!! We then had dinner at a TexMex restaurant, and were blessed by the story of how God worked in the hearts of Paul and Kim to go into full time ministry and serve with Every Orphan's Hope.
Tuesday - had breakfast at the EOH office and met Gary and Debbie Schneider. Gary shared about how the Lord put it upon his heart to start Every Orphan's Hope, and all the struggles and blessings that have happened since then. Both of us were quite enthralled by his great story-telling ability that we almost forgot to talk! :)
We then went off to lunch and then went on to do our team-building activities - laser-tagging and bowling. (Side note: paint balling was an option, but after hearing about the different bruises people received, I chickened out and opted for laser-tagging, which was still quite fun, even though I wasted 5 minutes because I thought my gun wasn't working, and we got creamed by a bunch of kids.) Also, Kim was quite happy that she ended up beating Brian (and everyone else) at bowling since apparently Ben shot her in the head when they had gone paintballing.
Dinner was with Gary and Debbie at California Pizza Kitchen (ahh...a little piece of home), where we talked about travelling overseas, guns, and getting sea-sick. :)
Wednesday - back to the EOH office for breakfast. Paul went over some of the logisitics of our stay in Zambia, and then we met Cypheen, a Zambian man who had worked at the EOH office until he met and married an American woman whom he met while she was on a short-term missions trip. Pretty cool, huh? Cypheen talked about the Zambian culture and answered our questions.
Then we met Addis, a crazy-cool guy who knows all different sorts of fighting techniques. He showed us how get out of a strong grip, what to do if someone tried to rob us, and taught us what OODA-loop means (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act). We practiced on each other, and at least I know that I can get out of Brian and Kim's arm-holds. :) I think I will just pray extra hard for safety. :)
Dinner was at a BBQ place (I forget the name already) and then we went with Paul, Kim, and Kim's mom to church to worship and be blessed by the teaching of God's word in Ezekial 16.
Now we are at our hotel, re-packing and getting ready for our flight tomorrow.
We will post next when we are in Zambia! :) Please pray for a safe flight and that we won't forget to take our Malaria pills!!
Goodnight!!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea and Brian Tsang
Just another day, and we'll be in Zambia with our teammates, Ben, Kate, and Megan!! (BTW, all of your blogs have been so encouraging! We can't wait to join you!!)
A brief summary of the past few days:
Monday - we arrived in Dallas, Texas with our 6 pieces of luggage (most of them filled with heavy computer equipment) plus a backpack each, trying to figure out how to lug it all around. We were greeted by Paul and Kim, who took us back to our posh hotel. Thanks for putting us up with such great accomodations!! We then had dinner at a TexMex restaurant, and were blessed by the story of how God worked in the hearts of Paul and Kim to go into full time ministry and serve with Every Orphan's Hope.
Tuesday - had breakfast at the EOH office and met Gary and Debbie Schneider. Gary shared about how the Lord put it upon his heart to start Every Orphan's Hope, and all the struggles and blessings that have happened since then. Both of us were quite enthralled by his great story-telling ability that we almost forgot to talk! :)
We then went off to lunch and then went on to do our team-building activities - laser-tagging and bowling. (Side note: paint balling was an option, but after hearing about the different bruises people received, I chickened out and opted for laser-tagging, which was still quite fun, even though I wasted 5 minutes because I thought my gun wasn't working, and we got creamed by a bunch of kids.) Also, Kim was quite happy that she ended up beating Brian (and everyone else) at bowling since apparently Ben shot her in the head when they had gone paintballing.
Dinner was with Gary and Debbie at California Pizza Kitchen (ahh...a little piece of home), where we talked about travelling overseas, guns, and getting sea-sick. :)
Wednesday - back to the EOH office for breakfast. Paul went over some of the logisitics of our stay in Zambia, and then we met Cypheen, a Zambian man who had worked at the EOH office until he met and married an American woman whom he met while she was on a short-term missions trip. Pretty cool, huh? Cypheen talked about the Zambian culture and answered our questions.
Then we met Addis, a crazy-cool guy who knows all different sorts of fighting techniques. He showed us how get out of a strong grip, what to do if someone tried to rob us, and taught us what OODA-loop means (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act). We practiced on each other, and at least I know that I can get out of Brian and Kim's arm-holds. :) I think I will just pray extra hard for safety. :)
Dinner was at a BBQ place (I forget the name already) and then we went with Paul, Kim, and Kim's mom to church to worship and be blessed by the teaching of God's word in Ezekial 16.
Now we are at our hotel, re-packing and getting ready for our flight tomorrow.
We will post next when we are in Zambia! :) Please pray for a safe flight and that we won't forget to take our Malaria pills!!
Goodnight!!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea and Brian Tsang
Monday, June 21, 2010
A Few Facts about Zambia
- Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa (see map below); its capital is Lusaka (where we will be)
- English is the official language; in rural areas tribal languages are spoken; the main vernacular languages are Bemba, Lozi, Luanda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and Tumbuka
THE CULTURE:
- population: 11,862,740
- median age is 17 years (the median age in America is 37)
- the infant mortality rate is 101.2 deaths / 1,000 live births (in America it's 6.22 deaths / 1,000 live births)
- life expectancy at birth is 39 years (in America it's 78 years))
THE ECONOMY:
- about 2/3 of Zambians live in poverty
- the average annual income is $1500, making Zambia among the poorest countries in the world
- Zambia is ranked 197 out of 228 countries (America average income is $46,400 ranking America #11 in the world)
- unemployment rate in Zambia is 50%, as of the year 2000. This number has been impacted by the overall decline in the world economy.
THE FLAG:
- the green background symbolizes Zambia's natural beauty
- the red stripe is symbolic of the country's struggle for freedom
- the black stripe represents the racial makeup of the majority population
- the orange stripe symbolizes the country's copper riches and other mineral wealth
- the eage symbolizes Zambia's ability to rise above its problems
IMPACT OF AIDS ON ZAMBIA:
- more than 1 in every 7 adults is living with HIV, and life expectancy at birth has fallen to just 39 years
- the AIDS rate in Zambia is 15.2% (in 2007), placing Zambia at #7 in the world
- although the HIV epidemic has spread throughout Zambia and to all parts of its society, some groups are especially vulnerable - most notably young women and girls. Among young women aged 15-24, HIV prevelance is nearly 4x that of men in this age category
- children have been much affected by teh AIDs epidemic. In 2007, there were 600,000 AIDS orphans in Zambia.
- it is said that Zambia's youth offer the nation a "window of hope" - the hope of an AIDs-free future. Nearly half of all Zambians are between 0 and 14 years old; relatively few of these young people have HIV, and they are all eager to learn.
For more information about Zambia, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zambia
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea and Brian Tsang
- English is the official language; in rural areas tribal languages are spoken; the main vernacular languages are Bemba, Lozi, Luanda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and Tumbuka
THE CULTURE:
- population: 11,862,740
- median age is 17 years (the median age in America is 37)
- the infant mortality rate is 101.2 deaths / 1,000 live births (in America it's 6.22 deaths / 1,000 live births)
- life expectancy at birth is 39 years (in America it's 78 years))
THE ECONOMY:
- about 2/3 of Zambians live in poverty
- the average annual income is $1500, making Zambia among the poorest countries in the world
- Zambia is ranked 197 out of 228 countries (America average income is $46,400 ranking America #11 in the world)
- unemployment rate in Zambia is 50%, as of the year 2000. This number has been impacted by the overall decline in the world economy.
THE FLAG:
- the green background symbolizes Zambia's natural beauty
- the red stripe is symbolic of the country's struggle for freedom
- the black stripe represents the racial makeup of the majority population
- the orange stripe symbolizes the country's copper riches and other mineral wealth
- the eage symbolizes Zambia's ability to rise above its problems
IMPACT OF AIDS ON ZAMBIA:
- more than 1 in every 7 adults is living with HIV, and life expectancy at birth has fallen to just 39 years
- the AIDS rate in Zambia is 15.2% (in 2007), placing Zambia at #7 in the world
- although the HIV epidemic has spread throughout Zambia and to all parts of its society, some groups are especially vulnerable - most notably young women and girls. Among young women aged 15-24, HIV prevelance is nearly 4x that of men in this age category
- children have been much affected by teh AIDs epidemic. In 2007, there were 600,000 AIDS orphans in Zambia.
- it is said that Zambia's youth offer the nation a "window of hope" - the hope of an AIDs-free future. Nearly half of all Zambians are between 0 and 14 years old; relatively few of these young people have HIV, and they are all eager to learn.
For more information about Zambia, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zambia
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea and Brian Tsang
Sunday, June 20, 2010
A Father to the fatherless
Today is Father's Day. We are both so thankful for our fathers and how much they have done for our families throughout the years. They are both incredible examples to us, and we are thankful that they were around to help us grow up and that they are still here to give us advice and show their love for us.
We were reminded in church today about how much influence a father can have on his sons or daughters. I began to think about the orphans in Africa, and how they do not have earthly fathers to influence them or to love them. It hurt my heart to know that these precious children will never have an earthly father to give them a hug, to teach them different skills, or to give an encouraging word.
I am so thankful for our Heavenly Father. "He is a father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows." (Psalm 68:5) To know that God is watching over us at all times is extremely comforting, and I hope to be able to remind these dear children of this so that they can rejoice in everything.
Both Brian and I have a lot to do before we go, but we're so excited and are eager to go. Just one more week to go!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea and Brian Tsang
We were reminded in church today about how much influence a father can have on his sons or daughters. I began to think about the orphans in Africa, and how they do not have earthly fathers to influence them or to love them. It hurt my heart to know that these precious children will never have an earthly father to give them a hug, to teach them different skills, or to give an encouraging word.
I am so thankful for our Heavenly Father. "He is a father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows." (Psalm 68:5) To know that God is watching over us at all times is extremely comforting, and I hope to be able to remind these dear children of this so that they can rejoice in everything.
Both Brian and I have a lot to do before we go, but we're so excited and are eager to go. Just one more week to go!
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea and Brian Tsang
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
It's Crunch Time!
Last Friday, I completed my third year of teaching. Whenever I finish saying goodbye to my students and their parents, turn in report cards, clean up the classroom, and close the door for the final time that school year, I feel a bit lost. From the end of August until the middle of the following June I have a purpose - to educate my students; to support them in the learning; to teach them how to get along; to be their advocate. When the school year ends, I feel as if I don't have any purpose for the next 2 1/2 months. Sure, I can hang out with friends and family, volunteer for a week or two at a summer camp, try out new recipes, clean my house, go on a vacation, but I never really feel completely satisfied. This summer both Brian and I will have a purpose - a mission for God.
We are still about a week and a half away from heading off to join our team in Lusaka, Zambia, and there is much to do. We are excited to meet our team members, the orphans and the widows. I am sure God has much to teach us and areas for us to grow. Please pray that we will be focused on the mission even before we get on the plane to Texas for training. Distractions are many, and time is short.
Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us, encouraging us, and even donating computers/computer parts! We thank God for each and every one of you.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea and Brian Tsang
We are still about a week and a half away from heading off to join our team in Lusaka, Zambia, and there is much to do. We are excited to meet our team members, the orphans and the widows. I am sure God has much to teach us and areas for us to grow. Please pray that we will be focused on the mission even before we get on the plane to Texas for training. Distractions are many, and time is short.
Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us, encouraging us, and even donating computers/computer parts! We thank God for each and every one of you.
In Jesus' Love,
Andrea and Brian Tsang
P.S. For those of you who don't already know, we will be leaving California for Texas on Monday, June 28th. We'll be there for three days for training, and then head out to Lusaka, Zambia on July 1st. We will return on August 15th.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
We're Going to Zambia!!
Hello, everyone!! We never thought we'd actually be posting blogs together (actually, I'm guessing it's me, Andrea, that will be doing most of the blogging), but here we are!
As many of you already know, we are going to be heading off to Zambia for about 6 weeks this summer. We're going with a group of interns through an organization called Every Orphan's Hope. EOH is an organization that is dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus to orphaned children in Africa (http://www.everyorphan.org/).
About 6 years ago, while Brian was in graduate school, the Lord laid it upon his heart to go on a missions trip to minister to the poor. He was excited to go somewhere, but didn't really have a focus of who, when or where. When we started dating, he told me about his desire to serve as a missionary. I thought it was a wonderful thing, and thought maybe it would be MORE wonderful if I could go with him. After much discussion, prayer, and advice from our pastor, it was decided that we would go after we got married.
Because I am a teacher and Brian has a sabbatical, it turns out that summer time would be the perfect time to go on a missions trip. So now we had a "when" all ready to go. We were still lacking the "who" and "where".
A few years ago, at our church's missions conference, a video was shown about orphans in Russia. This video brought tears to my eyes and an ache in my heart for those precious children. Brian and I talked about it and realized that God was showing us who our focus should be - orphans.
We began looking at Russia as our "where". It turns out that God closed that door, so we were back to square one in terms of finding a place.
Late last year, our friend, Justin Louie, told us he was going to Urbana for the huge missions conference. He offered to pick up some catalogs for us so we could get more information. After he returned, we (mostly Brian) began researching different organizations. After many dead-ends, we found Every Orphan's Hope.
We absolutely loved everything about EOH - their ministry, their focus on orphans and widows, their time-frame for us as interns, the fact that the people in Zambia speak English, and the love they have for Jesus Christ.
Our goal in using this blog, is that we will be able to share our experiences and enlighten you all about the plight of the orphans in Zambia - many of them are orphans because of HIV/AIDS. These kids have next to nothing. We are praying to be used by God to help bring the love of Jesus to them and to give them hope.
Please partner with us in prayer and keep reading our blog!
Thanks for reading.
In Jesus' Love,
Brian and Andrea Tsang (aka Briandrea)
As many of you already know, we are going to be heading off to Zambia for about 6 weeks this summer. We're going with a group of interns through an organization called Every Orphan's Hope. EOH is an organization that is dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus to orphaned children in Africa (http://www.everyorphan.org/).
About 6 years ago, while Brian was in graduate school, the Lord laid it upon his heart to go on a missions trip to minister to the poor. He was excited to go somewhere, but didn't really have a focus of who, when or where. When we started dating, he told me about his desire to serve as a missionary. I thought it was a wonderful thing, and thought maybe it would be MORE wonderful if I could go with him. After much discussion, prayer, and advice from our pastor, it was decided that we would go after we got married.
Because I am a teacher and Brian has a sabbatical, it turns out that summer time would be the perfect time to go on a missions trip. So now we had a "when" all ready to go. We were still lacking the "who" and "where".
A few years ago, at our church's missions conference, a video was shown about orphans in Russia. This video brought tears to my eyes and an ache in my heart for those precious children. Brian and I talked about it and realized that God was showing us who our focus should be - orphans.
We began looking at Russia as our "where". It turns out that God closed that door, so we were back to square one in terms of finding a place.
Late last year, our friend, Justin Louie, told us he was going to Urbana for the huge missions conference. He offered to pick up some catalogs for us so we could get more information. After he returned, we (mostly Brian) began researching different organizations. After many dead-ends, we found Every Orphan's Hope.
We absolutely loved everything about EOH - their ministry, their focus on orphans and widows, their time-frame for us as interns, the fact that the people in Zambia speak English, and the love they have for Jesus Christ.
Our goal in using this blog, is that we will be able to share our experiences and enlighten you all about the plight of the orphans in Zambia - many of them are orphans because of HIV/AIDS. These kids have next to nothing. We are praying to be used by God to help bring the love of Jesus to them and to give them hope.
Please partner with us in prayer and keep reading our blog!
Thanks for reading.
In Jesus' Love,
Brian and Andrea Tsang (aka Briandrea)
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