James 1:27

 

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” 

James 1:27

 

The day to day life of a missionary is not always the exciting moments we read about in books, some days are just downright dreary. It’s easy to get into a routine to get things done for the orphanage, for your supporters, for the school, or for around the house and forget about the reason you are even on the field. Not every interaction, deed, or minute of life will directly affect the ministry in the way God laid it on your heart. Some days are stuffed full with administration responsibilities, or fixing the car, or running errands in town to hours away, or cooking for unexpected guests, or doing laundry (with limited water and electricity), or a number of other things. The past two weeks have not been like that at all…God’s vision for Mission of Love is to build up the community with the love of Christ, so that they can help the orphans and widows and be Christ’s hands and feet to those whom we are called to be. We had two Saturdays where the community committee (created by MOL) sent out notices for all the double and single orphans in Chief Nawya’s area to come here if they need assistance. We already had notice (applications) of 30 double and 30 single orphans that are being assisted through MOL with clothes donations, school fees, food, and other necessities when possible. We expected these 60 children to be here between the two Saturday’s and hoped others would come for help as well…we had a lot of clothes, blankets, shoes, etc. to give away. To our surprise, we helped over 135 families (ranging from 1 child to 9 children in each family) with clothing, blankets, and toothbrushes; keeping all their information on file, so when funds come in for school fees and food, we can send it their way. The committee worked very hard interviewing each family and seeking out the ones with the greatest needs, so that we could help them first. The first Saturday was only for double orphans and the second Saturday was for the single and double orphans that hadn’t been helped yet. Both Saturdays were extremely long days, but the children and care givers were so happy when they received new clothes, blankets, shoes, socks, underwear, hats, gloves, and anything else we had to give them.

I know I have to remember not to take days like these for granted…it is a rare privilege to be able to be Jesus’ hands and feet so evidently in the lives of orphans and widows. Each and every day we should be looking for opportunities to fulfill God’s commandments of loving others and blessing them out of the abundance God has given us. I am looking forward to the next time I get to team up with the committee members and the community to help those living right around me.

Angels Sent from America

 

“Oh LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!  Your glory is higher than the heavens.”

Psalm 8:1

 

Immediately after getting back from South Africa, I had two friends arrive from Grace Baptist Church in MD. They had planned their yearly mission trip to come here and serve with me in Zambia and to bring a ton of school supplies for the preschool. We had a great start to their trip seeing one of the Seven Wonders of the World, a lunar rainbow, and getting to meet the President of Zambia. We all enjoyed experiencing these rare sites together; especially the part about getting special clearance from the President for my work permit :o) Unfortunately things calmed down a bit when we got back into the bush and started work around the camp for the school. Having been to Africa several times before, Karen and Rachel fit right into the bush, lacking comforts we so often take for granted coming from a western culture.

Being the amazing people that they are, Karen and Rachel had organized a fundraiser at Grace Christian School to raise funds for supplies intended for the preschool here in Zambia. God abundantly blessed them in their endeavors and they were able to bring over 4 suitcases filled with various things for the school. It truly felt like Christmas in July as we were going through everything they had brought imagining how much it was going to benefit the program. They brought books, colored paper, wooden blocks, outdoor balls, a parachute, dress-up clothes, tons of art supplies, scissors, paint brushes, puppets, puzzles, math cubes, pattern blocks, and much more. Once we had everything unpacked, Karen and Rachel graciously helped organized the new supplies with the ones that had been collecting over the years and inventoried to see what else I would need for the school.

In addition to organizing the school supplies, we also worked very hard on the library. If you remember, the Florida Team helped us make huge strides in the library, but there was still lots to do. We spent a couple of days, organizing, sorting, labeling, and filing away books in the proper section. Karen was particularly useful in sorting all the educational books we had stored up in the library.

After a few days of “easier work”, the girls and I decided it was time to get our hands dirty. The plan for them was to paint the school house, but since our builder disappeared for a couple weeks and never finished his job, we were unable to do that, so we found something else to keep us busy. The inside and outside of my “house” was filled with broken bricks, cement, and dust. So we put on our face masks and went in with our shovels, wheel barrels, and brooms. We spent hours getting up the dried cement, sweeping the floor, and taking loads of bricks and dirt out of the house. Then we cleaned up all the bricks outside of the house and decided to clean up the rest of camp. Males do a great job of making new things and completing projects, but a horrible job of cleaning up; leaving a lot of us to sort. Needless to say, camp looked very different that night when the sun went down…and we all slept very well that last night!

In all the gaps of our work projects, Karen and Rachel did a great job helping me teach my weekly English lessons with the house moms, playing with the children at the orphanage, working on their math and verbal skills, teaching Sunday school, and just being great company to us all. We also got to experience a traditional Tongan wedding, a first for us all!

Being gone from all my friends and family since April, I was really homesick and yearned for familiar companionship. Karen and Rachel did so many things to help progress the school, the library, the mother’s and children’s education, the camp, and the community, but most of all they brought companionship and spiritual encouragement my way. The week they were here went by so fast, but how God knew I needed them here for the time that they were here. They shared in my joys, in my burdens, in my struggles, in my excitements, and all the other emotions I have gone through since leaving home. If they had done nothing else but come to just talk and listen, I would have been very content…however, thankfully they can multitask, so we also got a lot done :o) It was a great week and a half and I hope that God will bless them (and me) to be able to come back and see the fruit of their labor next year!! Thank you for everyone who helped them come and all the prayers that got them here and kept them safe.

South Africa Detour

 

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19

Like most things that happen, a five day trip to South Africa was not in my plans for the month of July. Back in May, I had injured my back lifting those bins of clothing I was sorting into sizes to be stored away for later use. At the time, I had no idea until a week after the incident I was woken up by an intense muscle spasm in my right leg. We went to town and saw a doctor and see said that she thought I pinched a nerve and that it would be healed in the next 6-weeks. So two months pass and I am still having spasms at night and pain in my right leg. Naturally my mom became more concerned and started researching more diligently and asking doctors for their advice on what I should do. After a few days of idea shooting, we all decided it was best that I see a doctor as soon as possible. Unfortunately they don’t have that kind of specialist here in Zambia, so I had to fly to South Africa.

We contacted a few people trying to see the best route to determining what I had actually done to my back and how I could help it recover. We were hoping to get an MRI, but that process is long and almost impossible without living there to see everyone you need to see in a timely manner to get the prescription for the MRI and then an actual appointment, so it was suggested that I see a physical therapist first and if they couldn’t figure it out, than I would try to get in with a specialist. Praise God I was able to get a flight out of Livingstone two days later and off to South Africa I went. God was also gracious to give me a place to stay for my time there and someone to drive me to all my appointments. At the first appointment, the physical therapist was able to determine that I actually  ripped a disc between to vertebrate in the lumbar region of my lower back. The rip was deep into the middle and there was jelly like stuff (nucleus) leaking out, irritating the nerves causing the extreme pain in my back and leg; the muscle in my leg was trying to compensate by going into a spasm since the nerve pain was so intense. We all prayed hard that the physical therapists would be able to determine the cause of the pain without needing an MRI and thankfully God answered that prayer.  She gave me several exercises to do, especially if I was experiencing a spasm, and others to strengthen my lower back so that the disc can heal properly.

As much as I didn’t want to go, thinking it was an inconvenience, God blessed my time there with the people I stayed with and the pastor who drove me to my appointments. In addition to everything God had already done, he was prepared for this moment more than I could ever have been.  A week after I got back, I got an email from a friend in my church back home, informing me that the kids from Vacation Bible School raised money for the missionaries. The children had given more than expected so the additional was sent to me totaling the exact amount of the travel and medical expenses for this detour…Praise God!  

It seems my back will take 6 months to heal, meaning no heavy lifting or strain on my back for that time, or else the disc could rip back open and I will have to start all over again with the therapy. I am already feeling better and have not had any leg spasms since I have been to South Africa.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” 

Philippians 4:19

Sid Roth (Ultimate Promise Keeper)

 

“No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”  Romans 4:20-21

Since I have moved here to Zambia, God has been teaching and showing me many things about him and how he is faithful. Just the fact that God provided a way for me to come, the means to come, and friends and family who have supported me the whole way is testimony enough to his greatness, power, and sovereignty. So when I saw a lunar rainbow in Livingstone, at one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the other month, I remembered God’s covenant with Noah, and since then I have been seeing how God consistently fulfills his promises, especially in my life.

In Jeremiah, God promises to give us a “hope and a future”; that his plans for us are always good and never for harm. I am still figuring out where my time here in Zambia fits into the bigger picture of my life, wondering how long I will be here, if God will call me elsewhere, when God will bless me with my husband, what impact he will allow me to have here in the community…and so on. In spite of all the holes and questions that I have running around in my mind, I don’t ever have to doubt that God’s plans are far better than my own and that he has me here to fulfill a purpose he created me for (Psalm 139).

In Isaiah, God promises to “never leave or forsake” us, to always be there in times of tribulation and times of joy. He reassures us that he is in control and wherever he calls us to go; he will not send us alone. Ever since I started my journey into missions, I can see where God walked right alongside of me…there were times when I was extremely ill, impatient, frustrated, scared, worried, not in control, confused, lacking in faith, and unfocused; but despite my disposition, God never let me do it alone, he was there to catch me when I fell, to heal me when I was sick, to hold my hand when I was scared, to calm me when I was out of control and unfocused, to give me his spirit of patience when my flesh was lacking it, and to never let me lose sight of the reason he had sent to me where I was serving.

Often we don’t understand why God is choosing to do things the way he is, but thankfully he has blessed us with his Spirit to give us the faith that we need to endure and keep following his footsteps even if we can’t see more than two feet in front of us! The rainbow is an amazing reminder of how careful God is to fulfill the promises he makes to each and every one of his children. Every promise he made to Adam, to Abraham, to David, to the Israelites, to his disciples, to Mary, to you, to me, and to so many others since he created us has come to pass or will come to pass in his perfect timing and plan!

God sent me here to begin a school and to use the gifts he has blessed me with to build up the community and to help the orphans, widows, children, and others in the community draw nearer to Christ; through discipleship, education, and building relationships.  I am grateful to have been reminded of his calling and the reassurance that God will always carry out the promises he makes to us!

MOL Clinic Coming Soon?

These past few weeks have been a time of great interruptions or divine appointments, as we like to call them.  During the time we were preparing for the team and while the team was here, we had two severe instances where local people came in need of stitches.  One woman was using a pickax…when she swung it; it missed and went right into her shin.  Her mother brought her here hours later to receive stitching from Jako.  Praise God that he and Amber both have wisdom and knowledge when it comes to injuries like this, otherwise these people coming to them would most likely die from infection because they are unable to get to the clinic a ways away.  Jako graciously gave her the stitches she needed and instructed her to come back 6 days later to get them removed.  Thankfully for Jako, it was a straight cut down her leg, so it was very easy for him to sew up.  

The second incident came near the end of the teams stay here in the bush.  A man came hobbling up to camp telling us that he had an accident on his bike the night before and almost lost his second to last toe.  The chain cut from the bottom of the toe all the way to the bone.  Jako had a much tougher time sewn him up at the angle he was given.  Luckily, he had a helper (Tammy) who was very intrigued by giving stitches in the bush and wanted to give it a try herself.  She watched her teacher carefully and even got to get in and attempt a stitch of her own.  Although the man was in a lot of pain, I think they were able to save his toe.  He never came back to get them removed, so we pray that he didn’t get an infection or anything severe like that. 

Unfortunately I don’t think MOL is planning on opening a permanent clinic any time soon…hehe, but we would love for the government to put one up in Mukumba for the villages around here.  The nearest clinic right now is so far away a lot of people can’t get there because of the distance.  Charles has to take our babies there once a month and it is a long trip on the tractor.  Jako says that if the people show an interest in a clinic and make their need known to the government, they will come out here and build one and staff it, but first the community needs to show a care and an interest.  Please pray that if it is God’s will the people who are able to influence the community begin to talk about a clinic and the need for medical care closer to them.  

Hi-H…Hi-Ho…It’s Off to Work We Go

 

 

Well as most of you know, we have been under a lot of construction lately. Since the last update on the school,  the FL helped us get the roof on and it is almost finished. With most of the roof on, the builder was able to go in a start plastering. He is almost finished with that and installing all the window frames. Once he has shined the walls and finished the frames, we will be able to pick out wall colors and start painting the classroom and store room. The next project up there will be to put shelves into the store room and bring all the school supplies from the library here up there to be organized and stored.

While we were busy on the roof of the school house, the builder was busy on the brickwork for my house. He and his crew worked very hard for two weeks; all day; to finish the brickwork so we could start putting a roof on. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to work on it with the team that was here from FL, but the good news is that it is ready for a roof as soon as we are able to get the materials for it and make time to put it up!

In between the school house and the brickwork for my house, Jako had the builders pour a cement floor in his workshop. Not only is his whole workshop enclosed with brick, it now has a nice solid floor for his new (metal) work table and soon the rest of his tools and supplies. I know he and Charles are eager to get shelves on the walls and organize everything that he has!

On a smaller scale, we have worked very hard to finish up the shelves in the library, put in a second toilet in the  house, fix the generator, and adding shelves in the home office. We are hoping once my house gets finished and the storeroom up at the orphanage, then we will have a break from construction projects and Jako, especially, will have more time investing in the lives of the locals with training, discipleship, and leadership classes.

Florida in the Bush

 

 

Just a few days into the month of June, we had a team of ten people join us from Florida. It was a team composed of mainly young adults, and their pastor, from a Baptist church that has been supporting Amber and Jako for many years. They came out here eager to put a roof on the school house and to organize and set up the library, in addition, to other ministry that we had planned for them. To our surprise on our way back into the bush, Amber hurt her foot chasing after Jakob in a friend’s yard. She thought it was just sore, so we took off for the two hour ride into the bush. When we got back to camp, it was very late and dark. For the first time in two hours we checked Amber’s foot and found out it was quite swollen (looked like she had a tennis ball under her skin). The next day we decided to call our health insurance and they confirmed that it was probably a fracture or break and that she needed to come to Livingstone for x-rays. By God’s grace, they got clearance for her to be airlifted out of the bush to the general hospital in Livingstone, where her brother Josh met her with the car hours later. It turned out she broke the bone on the outside of her  arch and had to get a cast put on. They were gone for the first two days of the trip and thankfully Amber and I prepared all the food plans for the week, so I was able to step in a help organizing the meals every day, in addition, to helping out with Jakob for the time she was gone. Once she got back, we encouraged her to take it easy, but we all know Amber and how she can’t sit still for long…

After things settled back down, the team jumped right in and started to work. The men got right to work making fourteen a-frames for the roof of the school house. It took them almost two whole days just to get the frames done. Once the frames were up and ready, the hard job of leveling came next. Surprisingly enough, the guys let me hop up on the roof and help level the frames so that when we put the roof sheets on, there won’t be any leaks. The leveling took an entire day and I think the locals were amazed to see a girl on the roof, working in a skirt! I have done many roofs on mission trips, but this was the first one I have done in Africa in a skirt :o) Interesting experience… We finished leveling everything late in the evening on the team’s last day in the bush. Jako realized that if we just left it with no roof sheets on, then the sun would warp everything and we would have to start over again; so Jako, Mark, Steve, and I stayed up until 2 am putting up the roof sheets on both sides of the roof…man it was a cold night!!

While the men were diligently working on the roof, the women were helping me in the library organizing the books and labeling them according to the dewy decimal system. We had piles and piles of books all over the floor and the shelves. When all the books were organized and on the shelves, we realized that there wasn’t enough shelf space, so we arranged to have more shelves put in. While they were here, Jako and I were able to put in one wall of shelving, which helped us get more books up and organized. The library isn’t completely finished yet, but after a few more days in there, it will be ready! The team even bought us a scanner and computer program to inventory all the books and we are praying that the next team that comes at the end of this month will be able to scan and enter in all the books. These women also took on the huge burden of preparing most of the meals, doing the clean up, helping with laundry, and organizing clothes and other donations.

God really used the young women on this team to encourage me and lift my spirits. It was so nice to sit in the library day after day, just chatting with the girls about anything and everything (i.e. God, moments of joy, moments  of sorrow, food, books, struggles, encouragements, scripture, marriage, singleness, embarrassing moments, and so much more.) God knew how much I needed that and he sent just the right women to come along side and befriend me. It was the most enjoyable part of the trip for me. I will miss them dearly, but I am excited to keep in touch with them through emails and hopefully see a lot of them back next year :o)

After their time in the bush, we headed to Livingstone for a couple days before they flew out. The first night we got there, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset cruise with a small meal. That same night there was a full moon, so we went to Victoria Falls and saw a lunar rainbow, one of the few places in the world you can see one, and to our surprise, it was the same night as the solar eclipse! We got to witness two rare and spectacular events in one night at the falls…what a beautiful experience/memory to share with this team.