Today was the last day of Camp LIFE, and thus it was very
emotional. We started with some group time where I did the Blessing Time for
Abigail, tried to redo Ruth, and then asked each of the girls their dream for
when they are older. More on those later. First, I had to take Regina and
Dorcus to the medical tent to continue their treatments. Then, Blessing said
she was feeling sick. Dr. Guffey diagnosed her with strep throat, and gave her
three medications that he said should knock it out in one dose. The medical
student, Will, who was there for 2 weeks serving, said her lymph nodes and
tonsils were huge. Poor thing!
Blessing Time with Abigail went very well. She is a
single orphan, meaning she lives with her mom and has never met her dad. She
has a younger sister. She went to school for grades 1-3, but then was taken out
of school by her mother. She doesn’t know why. Sometimes her mother leaves the
house and locks her out, which hurts her feelings. She eats twice a day. She
told us that she really wants to return to school, and she asked Jesus into her
heart today!
I then met with Ruth again, but didn’t make much more
progress. She is very, very shy. I don’t think she really understands what we were
trying to teach her this week. It was very frustrating to me, but I can only
hope that she gets into a school and can continue to learn about God.
I then asked each of my girls what their dreams for the
future are. They answered as follows –
Ruth wants to be a teacher to young children or a nurse
when she grows up. She wants to work to help her family.
Gift’s first time hearing about Jesus was this week. Now
she wants to be a pastor! She also wishes for her mother to stop drinking and
going to the bars every day.
Dorcus wants to be a nurse.
Blessing wants to be a pilot.
Joyce wants to be a doctor!
Sylvia wants to teach young children.
Idah wants to teach any grade between 1-4.
Veronica wants to be a nurse and she told us that she
really wants to go to school.
Regina also wants to be a nurse.
Abigail wants to be a teacher, and really wants to return
to school.
I let the girls do my hair today. They did a terrible
job, and their little fingers hurt! I don’t think I would do that again.
However, it made them happy, even if many photos of me will be awful now. :P
We also shared communion with the kids today. It was a
really powerful experience, mostly because the girls prayed over me again. In
Zambia, when people pray over each other, they do not do it silently in their
heads or one at a time. Instead, they all pray out loud at the same time, so
you are covered in a sea of voices all praises Jesus and praying for you. To
have 10 little girls who live in so much poverty pray over me was
indescribable. I cried.
After lunch, and a big group session, we got to
distribute “blessings” to the children. These are presents we give to each of
them to bless them and contribute to their meager possessions. Each child got a
large canvas tote bag, two Starburst candies, a rubber bracelet, a bandana, a
t-shirt, a pack of rice with soy protein, an Evangicube, a sticker (they got
one every day), and a large blanket. The blankets were in place of the fleece
jackets they were supposed to get. Unfortunately, the fleece jackets are stuck
in customs at the border right now. Every child will get their jacket
eventually, but we gave them a blanket for now. The fleece jackets were
sponsored by several different friends of mine; please know that your child or
children will still get the jacket. We will have pictures to prove it! In the
meantime, I told my girls that you gave them the blanket. They don’t know about
the jackets at all. It will be an amazing surprise!
Right after we finished distributing the blessings, the
song “Where Feet May Fail” starting playing over the speakers. I lost it. That
song was my theme song for this trip, “Spirit lead me where my trust is without
borders. Let me walk upon the waters wherever you will call me.”
God called me to Zambia to minister to 10 little girls.
Without me paying to be there, those girls would not have got to go to camp.
They received more food each day than they ever get to eat. They received
clothing, food for home, medical attention, sweets that they never get to eat, love
and attention, gifts, and memories that will last forever. They gave me and
taught me so much, too. Mainly what God taught me was on Monday, when I
realized that the words I spoke to those girls this week could not be my own. I
was not good enough. I didn’t have the words. God did. I just had to release
myself to him, and he brought those little girls into his kingdom. I had to be
his vessel only; nothing more.
I cried so hard during the entire song of “Where Feet May
Fail”. At least half of my girls cried with me because they knew we would have
to leave each other. Gift, Dorcus, Idah, Ruth, and Veronica definitely cried.
Blessing and Regina distracted themselves by playing ball. I’m not sure about
Abigail, Joyce, and Sylvia. Dorcus was crying hardest of all. She had come in
very closed off and hurting, and had transformed into a laughing, loving little
girl because of Jesus’s effect on her life. It was amazing.
I am still in Zambia for 4 more days. I will be leaving
Family Legacy tomorrow, but part of my heart will remain here. I will move on
to Livingstone, Zambia, where I will get to stay in a hotel next to Victoria
Falls for 3 days. I’ll be going on a “Cheetah Walk”, a sunset river cruise, and
a safari in Botswana. I will be blogging about that here, so stay tuned.
Also stay tuned for some further ministry ideas that I
have…
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