Shoe Day

I got to go see my "brothers" today! Christopher and Douglas. They both live in Lifeway. We went with Gift and Evans (two of the house fathers) to see them. We brought them some clothes and Christopher asked for a Bible. Christopher is 12 and Douglas is 21. I had never met Douglas before so I'm glad I got to today. Christopher is the cutest thing!! He absolutely adores my mom! He calls her mom! So it was really good to see them!

Today was shoe day and I spent most of the day on my knees sizing all of the kids feet. I need volleyball knee pads for next week! 

I started reading "Irresistible Revolution" last night. So far its good! I still havent found my Bible. I lost it at camp on Tuesday :(

Tonight we are having a wedding shower for Sara. She is Greer and Susan's niece. She is getting married 12 days after she gets home! And so we are having a shower for her tonight. She is going to be a Junior at a school in Arkansas. She is super sweet! I think I'm going to keep up with her once we get home. 

Tonight we get to eat Nshema!

Prayer Requests—That I will find my Bible!

 

Update..

Yeseterday was the last day of camp. It was really hard to say goodbye to my girls. Throughout the week they all really matured in their faith and began to understand how much God loves them! It was so encouraging to send them home free from the chains and bondage that they arrived with.

Well, there was basically a dust storm at camp and we were outside for most of the day. I spent half of the day with my eyes closed. Later when I looked in the mirror I thought that I had gotten really tan—nope! I was all dirt!!!

After I put my girls on the bus, I got to go out to the Tree of Life (where Mumba lives). When we saw each other we both ran as fast as we could and she knocked me down to the ground with her hug! The whole time I was there I had Mumba attached to my hip. I just couldn’t get enough of my baby girl! She showed me her bedroom. On her bed she had a teddy bear that she sleeps with. I was kind of joking with her and started talking to the bear. I asked the bear what her name was and Mumba says, “Katie.” I lost it and cried! It meant so so much to me to know that when I am gone she has a little piece of me represented as a bear!

This weekend has been productive and relaxing at the same time, which is great! Church was wonderful! Joseph gave the sermon. (My mom has adopted Joseph along with about 10 dozen other Zambians so I have many many new brothers and sisters—And he is one of them!) God really spoke so much truth through him.

Went to the Arcades for lunch and a little shopping after. Then took a nap—hurray! We had a bit of a crisis with finding enough beads for the kids necklaces. I ran back and forth to different villas about 3 times so I got my workout in for the day! I was so busy that I forgot to have dinner, so I just heated up some Easy Mac!

Tomorrow starts week 7 of camp and then only one more week after that! Its bitter-sweet. I cant wait to see how the Lord is going to move and work in these kids lives this week!

Prayer Requests—Rest, Energy, For the kids coming to camp to have their chains broken and be set free from the bondage they are experiencing.

Population Increase!

Two of my girls accepted Christ today! They are each beginning to open up and really share what is going on in their lives, which is such an answer to prayer. Every time I hear their stories of abuse, neglect, and other harmful things my heart breaks for them.Today we took snaps (pictures) and had blessing times (one on one with the girls). In the big group session they learned that God’s love is ALL-FORGIVING. Something that so many of the kids cannot understand. It is really hard for them to grasp that once they have accepted Jesus as their personal savior, there is nothing they can do to make Him love them any less.

Prayer requests—That I will have enough energy to pour into these girls all of the love and attention that they deserve. For each of my girls to really experience Christ’s love for them. 

Camp: Day 1

Today was the first day of the 6^th week of camp. I have a group this week, which is great! I know that the Lord has something big in store for this week. For the past two years I have had the same group of girls who I absolutely fell in love with. They captured my heart from the first day and since then I have prayed for them daily. Well, I was supposed to have the same group again this year, but it did not turn out that way. I don’t know why, and I’m trying not to questions God’s plan, but at first I was really discouraged. I now have a new group of girls. Their ages range from 11-16 and most of them have never been to camp. I am really trying to stay open to these girls and this new group. I really need prayer that God will open my heart to these girls and that I will not compare them to my past group. I trust that the Lord made this change for a reason, I just can’t see it at this time.

My Zambia partner is wonderful! Her name is Charity. She has so much wisdom and insight into what these kids are going through. I’m eager to see what God has in store for this week.

Prayer requests—energy! My group of girls. My heart for these girls. That God will give me His eyes to see and His heart to love.

 

This morning I woke up at 5:30am to go clean the villas for the new people who are arriving today. Every Friday night we have a staff meeting to assign the jobs that need to be done for the next day—That was my job for this Saturday. I went in my pajamas, which made it a little easier to get out of bed. All I had to do was get out and brush my teeth. After I finished walking around to each one and cleaning them, I came back and took a 3 hour nap! Much needed!

Now I’m waiting for the bus to take me to the Arcades so I can get some lunch and free internet!

Camp starts tomorrow and I just got my Zambia partner. Her name is Charity and she is so sweet! I' looking forward to see what all God has in store for this week. I'm staying open to His will.

Please pray for--My kids to feel comfortable openly expressing what is going on in their lives. God to work through me and speak through me to these kids. For God to give me His eyes to see what is not always seen in their lives.

PRAY!

Today was emotionally draining. It is in my weakness that God shows His strength!

Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord

I had a glimpse into the state of fear that some of these children live in daily. It breaks my heart because I feel so helpless. It is then when I have to remind myself that God is in control of EVERYTHING. I have had to rely on his strength rather than my ability (which is so small). In Him all things are possible and I am being reminded of that daily.

There was a little girl who was afraid to go home. When it was time to load the bus she began to weep uncontrollably. I held her for a while and felt so helpless. There was nothing I could say or do to comfort her. So I started to pray. She fell into my arms and continued sobbing. I hurt so badly for her that I began to cry (which I’m sure did not help the situation). She refused to get on the bus to go home. She clung to me and the table whenever someone tried to get her to go. That night she stayed at the CRC until something could be resolved at home. Praise God for the incredible Christian men and women who have devoted their lives to serving these kids through the CRC.

Prayer Requests—Pray for this little girl to feel peace and her Father’s love! Pray that the situation at home will be resolved and that she will feel safe at home. Pray that I will rely fully on God’s strength and not what I can or can’t do. 

Officially Week 1

I haven't updated my blog in a few days so I will try to remember what all I’ve done—which is a lot!

Well camp started!!!! It was so exciting to see all of the kids! The first day was a little crazy, but it always is because that is when we have to divide all the kids into their groups. I was supposed to help with that but ended up on babysitting duty. The age of kids who come to camp usually ranges from 7-20, but this week the Tree of Life Village kids are here and so the little bitty’s came to. The youngest is 2-years-old. They are precious, but a handful—and not potty trained (and we did not have dippers—that was interesting) It was really difficulty to contain them all in one area. The only think I can think to compare them to are bouncy balls on a hill—they go everywhere they are not supposed to and its really difficult to get them back. One little boy (2-years-old) named Kapalo decided to attach himself to me for the whole day—Lets just say the next morning I could not feel my arms! But he was so adorable!

I got to see Mumba!!!! She has grown and is a little taller than last year. I was looking for her and saw her in one of the buses. We found each other at the same time. There were a bunch of kids in front of her so she had to wait a little bit to get off the bus. She started jumping and clapping her hands when we saw each other. When she finally got out of the bus she tackled me to the ground and gave me the biggest hug I have ever received! Unfortunately/fortunately she is at the Tree of Life Village. It is unfortunate because she wont get to be in my group for camp, but it is fortunate because the Tree of Life is an absolutely amazing opportunity for her and it got her out of a bad home situation. However, this week I do not have a group of kids so I have been going to her group and just holding her! Every day before she leaves she tells me that she wants to come live with me in America. It breaks my heart! I would bring her back in a millisecond if I could!

When I haven’t been working at camp, I have been moving boxes, sorting donation items, organizing donation items, cleaning, doing projects for camp, and working of the computer database with all the kids information. It’s a very time consuming job, but very necessary at the same time! In the past two days I have spent 7-8 hours on the computer just working on the database—those hours were spent late at night.

Tonight all of staff gets to eat out! Which means we are missing beef tips for dinner—I am not sad about that! I had spaghetti-Os today for lunch. It took me back to my preschool days. J

Tomorrow is shoe day! I love seeing the kids faces when they receive their brand new shoes! After every kids gets their shoes, t-shirt and bandana we go out into the community so that they can share the love of Christ and everything they have learned at camp—This year’s theme is “Jesus Loves Me.” Something that is so so so important for these kids to understand because many times, Jesus is the only one who loves them. But his love is really all they need, sometimes all they have!

Prayer Requests—Energy to make it through the next month. Mom to arrive safely. All of the kids at camp who are bound and broken (these kids need prayer more than anything else!)

The First Sunday

This morning I set my alarm for 7:00 so I could start my day and get ready before church. Well, for some reason my clock is set an hour ahead. So when my alarm went off this morning at what I though was 7:00, it was actually 6:00! I got up showered and got ready. Then the girl that I’m rooming with asked me why I was up at 6:30 and I told her that it was 7:30. Then she informed me that my clock was wrong! Oops! I was able to have a good breakfast and get a really good quite time in though so that was a blessing!

We went to church and when I say church I mean CHURCH! Talk about a body of believers coming together to praise and worship an awesome God! The way Zambians worship is amazing! They dance and sing like no one is watching because they know that the only one who is watching is God. And I know that God is smiling when he sees them worship. Paster Rafael gave a powerful sermon about Abraham. He did an excellent job relating it to our lives. The big question he asked was—Will you sacrifice your Issac for God’s purpose? Wow! That question by itself is so thought provoking and as the Lord continued to speak through him the message turned into a snowball affect! Pastor Rafael reminded all of us that God will provide. When I look around Zambia and see some of the poorest of the poor, these people still have faith that God will provide. I wonder if I would have that sort of faith if I were not blessed with the life I have. I pray that I would!

After church we went to the Arcades (a mini strip mall and market). I spent the afternoon with Omega, Davison, Issac, George, and Innocent along with other summer staffers. Those guys crack me up! They had us laughing the whole time. For 30 minutes they were trying to learn Spanish—I was no help at all! I was able to look around the market and do a little shopping. Then I got on the bus to head back to Mulangushi and had a wonderful conversation with Evans! Evans took me around Garden Hill compound last year when I went to see Mumba. He is such an awesome man of God! He was telling me all about his passion for wanting to become a Pastor!

Came back to Mulangushi and worked on organizing stuff.  Had dinner. Did a ministry project. Loaded the truck for tomorrow. Sorted beads. Killed a bunch of mosquitoes.

So, there are three owls outside of our villa. And these are not friendly Chi Omega owls. They don’t hoot—they hiss! And they watch you wherever you go! I’m afraid they are going to swoop down and attack us one night.

Please pray for—Camp to run smoothly tomorrow. The kids to open up and be vulnerable with their counselors.

Happy 4th of July!

5:30 am my alarm woke me up so that I could go pick up people at the airport. Myself and three other people jumped on the bus and went to pick them up. It was still dark outside when we left! For those of you who are familiar with my sleeping habits—I have only pressed snooze 2 times while I’ve been here. I usually pop right out of bed. Shocker I know! Also, I have only taken 2 naps—only 10-20 mintues. I tell ya, coming to Zambia is going to be a blessing in many ways!

When we got back from the airport we unloaded all of the luggage—just call me muscles! Then we unpacked box after box after box of clothes, toys, sheets, towels, books, ect. All of these things were divided up and will be taken all over Lusaka. That was a long and tiring job, so we took a lunch break that turned into an afternoon break! That is when I took nap #2. I woke up to a honking truck full of loaves of bread. We hopped in the back and went around to each villa to drop off a weeks worth of bread (10 loaves per villa) The bread we use is freshly made by local Zambians! Yum!

All of the Americans for week 5 are now here and ready to serve. It is so encouraging to see their willing hearts and eager attitudes! Having a new group of people each week with such enthusiasm will really help me get through times that are exhausting and hard.

Considering the 4^th of July celebrates Americas independence and we are in Zambia, we forgot that today was that day until we opened a donation box full of American scarves!

I had chicken and French fries (or “chips” as they are called here) for dinner. After dinner, we were able to hear some of the people testimonies about how God lead them to Zambian. It was so great to hear how God works in people’s lives. I really fell like this is going to be an incredibly powerful week of camp! I cant wait to see all the kiddos and how the Lord is going to move in their lives! After dinner we spent a few hours sorting through donations items. I'm up to my eyeballs in moving boxes! But I don’t mind AT ALL because it is such a blessing for these kids to receive a pair of shoes or a new shirt! The absence of materialism is so apparent here. And it is so refreshing to see kids and adults truly appreciate every single thread in their sweater. They know and understand that it all comes from God and they give Him all the praise and glory!

Prayer Requests—That everyone on Summer Staff will work well together. That the Americans who are here and the kids who are coming with be dramatically transformed through the love of Jesus Christ. REST (always pray for rest please!)

Nshema Day!

This morning I woke up bright and early, had a good breakfast, read some, and cleaned the kitchen and bathroom—I did not know the sink was white until today! Ya, it was that dirty, but now it sparkles!

We hopped on the bus and went out to the Zambian office and saw some of the kids in the LifeWay school! I got to meet Christopher, a little boy who my mom absolutely fell in love with when she was here, and I see why. He is so precious! Next we went to a little market place made up of several huts and people selling all sorts of things. The people here are so nice, I never once felt unsafe!

Then it was time to eat—Nshema!!!!!!! This is a Zambian staple food and it is so good! Typically you eat it with cabbage and some sort of meat—I had chicken J It is a very messy food to eat. But it is one food that your mom cannot get mad at you for playing with. Playing with nshema is a requirement. You take some in your hand and roll it into a ball, then dip it in the sauce and cabbage and pop a piece of meat in your mouth. My tummy thanks me whenever I get a good meal of nshema! (The picture above is what I had for lunch. Nshema is the white stuff. I think it is made from Maize)

Next we went to visit a few CRCs (community resource centers). Family Legacy has 21 of them planted in different communities around Lusaka. They serve as places for children to come if they are in trouble, danger, or just want a safe place to play. We played with some of the kids in the communities which was so much fun! They are so curious and laugh at us whenever we try to speak chinyanja. I was impressed today because most of the kids we talked to could speak English really well. 

Heavy Lifting

Today started out as a slow day. We were told to relax, read and rest. Three of my favorite R’s! However, that changed very quickly…

First we had to check all the villas to make sure they are clean and ready for when the Americans arrive. That was the easy part of my day!

Nine Zambians showed up with a trailer full of 1,180 cases of water. This water was supposed to be distributed into 7 different villas (the houses we stay in) and is going to be used for the rest of the summer. Of course the water bottles could not stay on the trailer—unfortunately—so we spent most of the day unloading those. The max I could carry was three. I felt like a wimp next to the Zambians who were carrying five! They may be small, but they’re strong! We worked through lunch because we were so busy that we forgot. So when every villa was filled to the roof with water, we went to eat! We ate a new place called “mint.” I had a frozen white chocolate with my dinner! Hurray for dessert before dinner!

After that we piled back into the bus—my favorite bus driver Samuel was driving—to head back to Mulangushi (the place we are staying). All of us were tired from a long day of preparing to hydrate hundreds of Americans. But we couldn’t forget the children! Every day at camp the kids get Maheu (a Zambian drink that the kids love—taste awful!) You may be thinking how the Mahue gets to camp. I thought that myself the past two years, but I found out tonight. After dinner we went back to villa 44 and unloaded 1,000 boxes of Maheu. Each box contained 24 drinks. We will later transport them to camp. I lifted with my legs and kept a smile on my face and the time flew by!

So today consisted of lifting, lifting, eating, and some more lifting. Although it was a long and tiring day I am thankful that God has given me all the abilities to do the things I did today. You really cant take anything for granted. And I will be coming home with some muscles--If anyone wants to challenge me to an arm wrestling match, you better watch out J

Please pray for—No sore muscles tomorrow. Continuing to have a positive attitude even when the job is not the most fun thing in the world.  

July 1 (White Rabbits)

Today was a very productive day. We spent most of the day sorting all of the donations that people have given. Man oh man, I have never seen so many sheets. And sorting them did not look fun—I did not have that job J Our house is the donations house so we are up to our eyeballs in boxes which is such a blessing! All of the things that people donated are going to be used by kids and the Zambian staff here.

It is so great to be around all of these amazing men and women of God. The people here are so inspiring with their faith and complete reliance on God. If something isn’t working out or they wont have enough food for the rest of the week, their answer is typically, “God will provide.” I feel so blessed to spend a good six weeks with these people. I’m praying that some of their strong faith will rub off on me. I’m learning more and more that our time on earth is limited and we were put here specifically for the purpose of glorifying God—how awesome!

I had a good talk today with Samuel, our bus driver. He is such a great man! He calls himself a “family man” because he takes care of his mother, wife, 4 children and his nieces and nephews—I would definitely categorize him as a family man! He speaks 7 different languages. He told me something very interesting—He can read English better than he can read Chinyanja (one of the main language spoken in Zambia), which was his first language. I just thought that was really interesting.

Tonight we went to an American family’s home for dinner. They are living here because the dad is a doctor working for the government to study malaria—very interesting! Anyway, we ate really yummy burgers and a great dessert! Then we played an intense game of apples to apples.

I think we get to go to the Tree of Life Village tomorrow! Which means I will get to see my precious Mumba (the little girl I sponsor)!!

Please pray for—REST! Warmth. Continuing to form relationships with the incredible Zambians, and to learn from them how to fully enjoy the joy that is given to us through Christ!

I made it to Zambia!

Dad, Mom, Coach, and BUFFETT dropped me off at the airport in just enough time for me to grab a starbucks and catch up on some reading. Unfortunately Buffett was not too concerned with saying goodbye because he made friends with a Jack Russell Terrier who was also saying goodbye to his “mama.” He’ll be sorry once he realizes that I’m not coming home for a while. I love that little guy!

I had a long layover in London, which was great! I was able to meet up with Preston since he is doing a study abroad program and was in London. It was a complete miracle that we found each other because my phone decided not to work once I landed. So I went to the stop we were supposed to meet and waited. I didn’t take into account how large tube stops are and how many people go in and out of them. Some how, some way I spotted him in the crowd—such a blessing considering I did not want to be stuck in the middle of London ALONE! Once we found each other we went to lunch. Leave it up to us to find the one “Texas” restaurant in London. Haha. But the food was good and it was nice to be out of the heat. I was so surprised that London was hot—especially in the Tube. I was expecting cold weather. Then we walked around London till it was time for my flight to Zambia. So good seeing him!

Didn’t sleep very well on either flight, but I made up for it once I got here. Longgg nap! I watching Taken on the second flight—probably not the best idea. When we landed it took a while to get all of the luggage found and sorted. I got to see Samuel—one of our great bus drivers. He drove me to see Mumba last year!

Tonight All of summer staff went to get pizza for dinner. It was really good but took forever to get. They aren’t super concerned about time over here. Most of the girls have already been proposed to. Apparently I’m worth a few good chickens J

After dinner we came back to the village and went to the Kendalls house. We watched Indiana Jones—I’m hoping those will be the only snakes I will see while I’m here! And we made brownies!

It’s so cold here! I don’t now the exact temperature, but I know that my teeth have been chattering constantly! I will most definitely be layering up!Looking forward to a busy day tomorrow! So happy to be here!

Prayer requests—That I will stay warm and focused! That each day here will be a productive one and that all of our work will glorify God! That God continues to prepare the kids hearts to hear His truth! That all of summer staff will really get along and work well together!

Getting Ready to Leave!

I've been packed for one week, so clearly I am ready to go! Just to make sure I have everything I went back through my bags--I'm set to go!

I leave Sunday afternoon for Lusaka, Zambia. This will be my third year to go. The Lord is so amazing at what he reveals in my time over there. I am so thankful for the opportunity and calling that he has placed in my life!

I have had friends ask me to keep them updated on what's going on over there, so I hope that this blog will be able to do that. 

Just to explain a bit of what I'm going to be doing...

I will be working on summer staff with Family Legacy Mission International--a wonderful organization that works with orphans in Zambia. I will be assisting in anyway that I possible can. From setting up camp, to making sure the counselors are comfortable and taken care of, to visiting the children and caretakers in their home. Plus much, much more that will only be revealed in time. 

The past two summers I have been a counselor to 15 incredible girls. Each summer 300+ Americans travel half way around the world to serve 10,000+ children. We are taken out of our comfort zone and put into a situation where only the Lord can provide us with the understanding and compassion to reach these kids. While ministering to the kids, we are able to share the love of Christ through song, dance, games, bible studies, and one on one time with each child. I wish I could explain the impact that this has had on my life, but there are not enough words! Every time I leave Zambia, a piece of my heart stays there with the children. 

I hope I will be able to update this blog frequently so that I can share with you all the wonderful things that God is doing!

Please pray for-- my safety as I travel, continual energy throughout the trip, and good health! Also that the children's hearts will be prepared to receive the love of Christ!