God is so Much More...

This little blog of mine has been somewhat neglected since I have been back in America so I am changing that right now.

Since my last blog update (which probs sounded like I was a total wreck and I kind of was but whatevs) Jesus has just been doing some cool things and moving and grooving in my life here in Lubs.

I have decided to start substitute teaching while I apply for real jobs. God has changed my route to non-profits so we will see where He leads me. I would jump at the chance to go back to Zambia but I don't know if that's what He has for me right now.

Like I said though, God has been teaching me all sorts of cool things. For instance, how not in control I am, how having a relationship with God takes effort, how even when sin tells me things are about me this life is still not about me it's about God, and also how much greater our God is than our tiny human minds could ever conceive. He is so much more.

I often think I put God in a box. I only think of certain characteristics of who He is at certain times. He is so much more though. He is everything all at once. I have been reading Creation Unraveled by Matt Carter & Halim Suh, which is awesome if you haven't read it, and in it they talk about God being just and merciful. He is never one or the other. He is always both.

They also discuss the names Moses calls God in Genesis 1 vs. Genesis 2. In Genesis 1, Moses refers to God as Elohim which means might, power, majesty, or all-mightiness. In this instance, Moses is referring to a name that describes God. In Genesis 2, Moses refers to God as Yahweh which is God's personal name. It's the name He calls Himself (Exodus 3:14-15). God is both Yahweh and Elohim.

Now yesterday I was reading Psalm 103. This passage talks about God's great love for us. It's great and if you haven't read the Psalms just do it. It's like Nike.

Psalm 103:3-5 says, "who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things..."

God forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, and satisfies us and yet He is so much more. I have to keep reminding myself that no matter how much I continue to learn about God I will never fully grasp Him and understand all that He is. As much as I know I will never fully understand though, it makes me want to know Him more. He is the only thing that will ever fully satisfy.

And isn't it cool that we serve a God who reveals Himself to us piece by piece so that we continue to seek Him? My answer is yes but that's just me.

Forever Changed

Well I am a few days into life back in America and I am already struggling. I don’t think I could have prepared enough for coming back. Everything seems different.

I feel so out of place, my house doesn’t feel like my home, and I’m an emotional wreck. I guess that’s what living in Africa for two months will do to you though. I don’t know if I expected my heart to be changed as much as it has but here I am crying every 5 minutes, not knowing how to talk to people, getting emotional as I open the fridge full of food, having a complete breakdown when I saw the new television my parents bought while I was away, and the mere thought of entering a store makes me nervous. And to be honest, the amount of white people around kind of freaks me out.

I am forever changed and I’m okay with that. I would not trade my two months in Zambia for anything. In fact, if I could hop on a plane right now and go back I would. My intern mama, Cheryl, keeps telling me I’m not allowed to make any major decisions within three months though so I think that might fall into that category.

I fell in love with Zambia; with the people, the culture, the slower paced, more relational way of life. God already knew I would feel that way though before I even stepped off the plane. He knew I would fall in love and not want to leave because that’s how He made me. He knew that coming back would be hard for me too. He is the same God in Zambia as He is in Texas though and I know He is sitting here with me as I process all these crazy thoughts and emotions.

Since I know that He is good and that He works all things out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28), I know His plan for me in calling me back to America is good. I know that what He has in store is better than anything else. I firmly believe that with my whole heart.

So as much as my heart is breaking and I want to punch people for saying dumb things like “How was the plane ride? Wow 16 hours that is so long.”, I know He is using each moment for my good and to teach me something. Just like He used each moment in Africa for my good and to teach me too many things to count.

I saw Him and His people in a whole new way. I truly saw what it looks like to love people the way Jesus does. Jesus forever changed my heart. Although I don’t know what the “now what?” looks like, I know God has a plan and it’s going to blow my mind. I just can’t wait to see it.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” -1 Corinthians 2:9

All is Grace

I read the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp recently. I loved it and highly recommend it. Her writing is basically like poetry. It’s beautiful truth that will seep into your soul as you read each page. This book is obviously about gifts and in it she makes a list of the gifts God has given her and giving thanks. God has a way of wooing us with the everyday things we just have to see it. Ann talks about how everything is grace because everything is from God. It is seeing God in everything and thanking Him for everything that is in our lives that brings the fullness of joy.

Anyway, it is a great read and I give it all the stars. The point of me bringing up Ann is that she talks about time. In One Thousand Gifts she says, “Time is a relentless river. It rages on, a respecter of no one.” I have found that to be very true as my time is coming to an end here in Zambia. I keep asking myself where the time went. It seriously feels like yesterday we were getting off the plane and stepping into this new and exciting world of unknown. Now we have finally mastered where everything is, which grocery store is the best and least expensive, how to drive like a Zambian, and it’s time to leave.

Yesterday we visited Chongwe for the last time. We got to go and say our goodbyes to all of the kids and all of the mamas. Some of the kids asked me when I was coming back or if I would be back next year. I told them “I’m not sure when I’ll be back but I will be back I can promise you that.” 

Saying goodbye to those kids was the hardest part of this trip so far. Reading Ann has put things into a new perspective for me though. Although it breaks my heart to leave the sweet little nuggets that have become a part of me over the summer, I am so thankful that God brought me here. I am thankful for all of the smiles I’ve gotten to see, all of the laughs filled with joy I’ve gotten to hear, all of the hands I’ve gotten to hold, all of the many hugs I’ve given and received, and all of the love that has been shared.

My heart wants so badly to stay here but I know God is good and will bring me back in His timing. This morning we had our last devo with the EOH staff. It was really good. God had some great reminders for us that although our time is ending here we cannot even fathom the amazing things He has in store for the future. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

Psalm 73:26 was also in our devo this morning which says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Such a good reminder as our time comes to an end here. Even cooler, how God gives us little nuggets of wisdom like these when we need it most.  

He also gives us wonderful convos with our intern mama, Cheryl, when we need them most like this morning. We got to start our day talking with her and her just giving us advice and preparing us for coming home. The best piece of advice she gave us though was to enjoy today. I am so thankful that we got to talk to Cheryl this morning and to have her to give us words of wisdom. She also looked directly at me and told me not to make and major decisions when I get back for 3 to 6 months. She knows me too well. :)

Through reading Ann, talking with Cheryl, and my continued convos with Brooke and Lauren, God is reminding me to enjoy today and give thanks for each moment He’s given me here because all is grace.

An Indescribable Joy

We had our final Camp Hope of the summer and the roles looked a little bit different this time around. Brooke and I actually had our own group of 19 4-6 year olds. They were an absolute blast and I love every single one of them so much. Getting to know each of their fun, sassy, hilarious, and loveable personalities was so much fun! They each have a story and we got to hear about it which was awesome.

One of my favorite things was when one of them would run up to me and tell me a whole story of something that just happened in Nyanja (thinking I knew exactly what they were saying of course) and then stop and want me to do something. I kept having to remind them I only knew a few words. I wish so badly I could have spoken to them in Nyanja but that just wasn't going to happen.

Thankfully we had two wonderful translators, Peter and Lubasi, who helped us wrangle and talk to the little nuggets. They were the bomb. We could not have done it without them and they are both so wonderful with kids so all of the nugget pies loved them as well. So thankful for these men.

3 of our sweet nugget pies accepted Christ that week which is so awesome!!! Heaven is absolutely rejoicing for these sweet kids even more than we are.

We ended Camp Hope with each of the kids releasing a balloon into the air and it was so cool. 300 balloons all going up into the air at once and the kids absolutely loved it. It was incredible. The kids had an indescribable joy.

We got to spend a lot of time with the missionary team that came for Camp Hope and loved all of them! They each led their groups so well. I loved getting to know each of them and the team leader, Sharon, in particular. She is so genuine, and caring, and led the team with such humility.

The Saturday after Camp Hope we all went to Chongwe and all of the Lusaka kids and mamas came and we handed out sponsor gifts, played games, had lunch, and it was such a fun time for the missionaries and the kids to all spend a little more time together before they left and we got to plan it and put the groups together. God totally used us which was so cool to see. We had a missionary tell us she wanted to sponsor one of the kids that was in her group so we were so pumped about that! It's cool when you get to see the fruit of what God is doing.

Sponsorship is a really awesome thing. Each of these kids is so grateful to have the opportunity they do to go to school, and have the amazing family and support system they do through My Father’s House. Being here I have learned so much about the sponsorship program and when Gary, the founder of EOH, was here he explained it in more detail which helped me tremendously.

Sponsoring a child is $27 a month. When Gary was here we asked him how he came up with the number of $27 a month. He explained to us that he did the math and added all of the costs up and it costs roughly $324 a month to take care of one child in My Father’s House, so if each child were to have 12 sponsors than the amount each month would be $27. This money goes to food, school, school supplies, clothing, healthcare, etc.

Gary also informed us about how once someone decides to sponsor a child, they are added to the Facebook group of sponsors for that child. This is a way for sponsors to communicate with each other and know who the other sponsors for the child are.

Being a sponsor means these kids will get an education. Being a sponsor means these kids will get regular meals when at one point they might not have. Being a sponsor means these kids will be taken care of. Being a sponsor means these kids will do chores alongside their brothers and sisters. Being a sponsor means these kids have the opportunity to grow up in a family that not only loves and encourages them but most importantly loves and seeks Christ in all they do and will direct these kids to know our Savior.

Sponsors have an amazing place in these kids’ hearts. I have collected the hundreds of letters that these kids have written to their sponsors and seen the joy on their faces when they get a letter or gift or birthday card from their sponsor. It’s an indescribable joy. 

If you would like more information on sponsoring an awesome My Father’s House kid I would love to talk to you about it! Feel free to check out the website. http://everyorphan.org/sponsor-an-orphan/

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." 
                                                                -James 1:27

Love Does

I started and finished reading Love Does by Bob Goff while being here. If you haven't read this book you should. It is mesmerizing and full of amazing stories that always relate back to God and how He moves in our lives. Being here has made the statement "love does" even more relevant as the people here truly love with their whole heart and action comes out of that. I am in awe of their love for people. They serve wholeheartedly, welcome you into their home as if you are their friend who has just been gone for awhile, and just love to spend time with people they love. 

Brooke, Lauren, and I had the privilege to spend Friday to Tuesday at the My Father's House homes in Chongwe with these amazing people. Chongwe is a town/village about an hour from Lusaka. It is much more rural than Lusaka so it was a totally different experience. It is definitely much more how I pictured Africa going into it. People walking down the roads, little huts set up to sell fruit and veggies, kids outside playing football, cooking outside on a fire; it is just different from our home in Lusaka. They are both amazing in their own ways. 

I loved the newness about Chongwe and being out of my comfort zone after getting used to our home in Lusaka. I mean we've mastered the roads here and know how to walk to the homes. We are practically locals! (Super joking but it does feel that way when we run into someone we know walking around). We know that when a bus yells “hospital!” they aren't actually going to the hospital it’s just a route.

I loved the lack of electricity in Chongwe. They have solar lights in all of the homes which I thought was super cool. And at night the stars and the moon are so amazingly beautiful. There are not even enough words to describe how great of an artist our Creator is. Seriously you just have to see for yourself. They just reflect God’s beauty.

“Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.” –Psalm 148:3

A few words to describe our five days: amazing, incredible, challenging, joyful, eye opening, hard and wonderful all at the same time.

In Chongwe there are 7 homes at My Father’s House. House 3 and 4 are currently on the mend after a storm destroyed the roofs on both of them so the kids from those homes have been dispersed into the other homes. Not all of the homes are full but as of right now since 3 and 4 aren’t ready yet they pretty much are. There is a mama and 8 kids in each home (or a max of 8 kids); 4 boys and 4 girls.

Brooke stayed in house 1 with Mama Anna and a lot of the kids in her house were gone this weekend for sports. It was a holiday so they didn’t have school on Monday or Tuesday. There were some nuggets from homes 3 and 4 though. Lauren stayed in house 2 with Mama Mary; she had a couple from house 3 as well. I got to stay in house 7 with Mama Sarah, James, Joseph, Romario, Dorcus, Idah, Doreen, Mabel, and Christine.

Gig 'em from House 7 in Chongwe!

They begin their mornings around 5 usually (we started at 6 since it was a holiday weekend) with morning devotion. I woke up to my house singing morning praises because that is how they wake everyone up for devotion. Talk about a great start to the day and the best way to wake up in my opinion. They don’t even say good morning or anything until they have finished praises and devotion. I loved that. Acknowledging God before anyone or anything else in the morning and thanking Him for the day he has made.

I helped with chores and helped cook a little. We played a lot of football with kids and I must say my skills have improved drastically. Even Kauya said I was a striker; I’m pretty sure he was just trying to be nice though. One of our intern duties is to collect sponsor letters so we did that with all of the kids and actually got them from all of the kids who were home. One day we went across the road to the schools. Most of the kids attend the one directly across the road but three of the younger kids attend the Esther school.

The Esther school is run by Americans so those three (Michael, Doreen, and Idah) are on summer break and the rest of the kids are in school because they do trimesters here. We got to meet Kevin and Tina who have been involved in running the Esther school in Chongwe. The teacher housing is right before the school so you walk down a little path and then there is the school. Their time is actually up this week but they are staying to adopt their little girl. She is stinkin adorable.

While in Chongwe we ate a lot of food. Nshima, which is their staple food item, was had a lot. We had porridge, samp (which is maize that is somewhat mashed plus ground nuts. It tastes kind of sweet.), and ifisashi (chinese cabbage plus ground nuts) and you might think that sounds gross but you’re wrong. It was SO good! We had rice with a bean soup which I was a big fan of. Kapenta was on the menu one night (it is dried little fish) but the girls and I decided to pass on that one. When I informed Mama Sarah and Dorcus that they didn’t need to make me any Mama Sarah said she doesn't like kapenta either so I felt good about my decision.

We got to work with some of the kids on reading and English. Something I struggled with while being in Chongwe was the older kid’s educational foundations. I just want them all to be able to do well in their studies yet they aren’t able to because of where they have come from and the previous education (or lack of) they have had. Brooke, Lauren, and I were only there for a short period and could only do so much; what they need is someone to help them daily. I trust God will provide for them because he delights in giving his children good things and education is a good thing.

On a more positive note we got to know the kids really well. For example, Ngosa can sing really well and led the choir at church on Sunday. Samuel loves to play slap jack and loves to win too but who can blame him. Doreen has a personality all her own. We said she was a woman trapped in a seven year olds body. Her personality is just too big for her tiny self. She loves to dance and laugh and sing and pretend like she doesn't know what you’re saying and answer you in Nyanja. James is so kind and servant hearted. It took some time for him to warm up to me but we definitely bonded. I think it was me offering him all of my leftovers. He loves the Lord and even when devotion was in Nyanja I could hear it in his tone of voice how he spoke of God. He’s a total boy and loves to play football. He loves to learn and is a rock star at math, which is his favorite subject.

Jerry, Samuel, and James

I had such an amazing few days getting to know each of these kids and the mamas more. I am so thankful and humbled that they let me into their lives for a few short days and into their hearts. I definitely learned a lot from each of them and from being in Chongwe and just doing life there. God is so present there and it was so cool to see. All of these people are amazing in how they love one another. It took me back to Bob and how, "simply put, love does." It was so evident how much they love by their actions.

We are back in Lusaka now and we picked up a new team Wednesday for our next Camp Hope so things are back in full swing. We are expecting to have 300 kids in Matero on Monday for Camp Hope round 2! We are so excited and just working to prepare everything for the kids and helping the missionaries in whatever they need. This team is from Virginia and the rest of the team, who are from Texas, arrives on Saturday. We are looking forward to having all of them here!

We spent yesterday with the VA team and already love them! About half have been here before and some are board members in the States. It has been really fun to get to know them all and has made us even more excited for the camp to come!

Pray that we will get to know everyone and form good relationships with each of them before we go into Camp Hope. Pray for the kids that will be coming to camp; that their hearts will be open to what the leaders have to say and that the Spirit will guide each group. Pray that the leaders will lead with grace and humility. Pray for lives to be changed as we share the gospel with a new group of 300 (hopefully) nuggets!

Rejoice and Be Glad!

This week has been a much slower pace than last week which has been so nice. We have been able to go to the My Father's House homes and visit the kids. It's crazy how one week of not seeing all of them made me miss them so much!

Monday we went to homes 1 and 2 and had tea with Thoko and got to catch up on her life. It was great to hear about her week last week. I am so thankful for her friendship and how fast it has grown since we have been here. While we were having tea a bus of fellow Americans showed up. People just show up at the homes we've learned. They came by to talk to the kids and they sang a few songs and prayed with them It was really sweet. I could tell that the man leading the group was very genuine and his heart was very much there by the way he spoke. They were coming to teach at a bible college nearby. While they were still there, Lubasi, Thoko, Lauren, Brooke, and I left and went to Lubasi's school, the University of Lusaka. He is about to start his third year of law school. Whoop! It's a lot different than A&M but it was so cool to see where he goes to class and hear about his classes and professors.

Gig 'em from the University of Lusaka in Zambia.

Tuesday we started one of our tasks of collecting sponsor letters from all of the kids in the homes to each of their sponsors. (For more information on sponsoring check out the link http://everyorphan.org/sponsor-an-orphan/) We went to homes 1 and 2 that morning and sat with Emmanuel, Denga, Thoko, and Lubasi while they wrote some letters and drew some pictures for their sponsors. We listened to some music and sang along to the songs for them. They love it when we sing. (joking) We learned Denga loves country music and Lubasi will just pretend to know the lyrics and sing along to anything. He's got some great dance moves though. Thoko has the voice of an angel so she could sing pretty much anything and it would sound wonderful. Since being here we have mastered the schedule of when the power goes out and Tuesdays is one of those days except for this Tuesday. We still aren't sure as to why we had power but it was one of those things that I was so thankful to have since we don't normally have it on those days.

Wednesday we went to visit the homes with teen mania. They are the missionary group I mentioned in one of my earlier posts about Camp Hope. We visited all of the Lusaka homes and then headed to Chongwe for the day. One of the teen mania girls sponsors one of the kids in Chongwe so she wanted to surprise her. In Chongwe we got to play with the kids and see the mamas. We haven't gotten to spend much time out at Chongwe so any time we do get to go we are always so excited. We will be going there tomorrow however and staying until Tuesday! We are so pumped! Back to Wednesday though. Teen mania was splitting up into three groups to go visit a clinic, visit a village, and visit the head man and Abigail informed us that we would be going with them and we were to each pick a group. 

I picked the clinic but once we got there the woman working said she couldn't let us help because she didn't know we were coming and didn't know who we were which makes total sense. I wouldn't just let some random mzungus come start doing stuff at my clinic either. She was very thankful for the offer but said no. We ended up going to a small village/a couple homes together and asked the woman if there was anything we could do. She took us over to this large straw hut without a roof type thing and pulled out a bag of corn. This "hut" (it's in quotes because that is what I named it and I do not know the correct term) was filled with corn. Thomas (our translator) showed us what to do and we quickly learned we were to beat the bag of corn with a wooden club. This caused the corn to come off the cob; once it was off Thomas grabbed a bowl and shook/sifted out the corn dust so only the corn remained. It was a really cool process.

A couple of the teen mania girls talked with the two women and got to know them a little bit. Teen mania did a great job at serving the people but also forming a relationship with them. I am very thankful I got to go with them and see them love so well. We prayed for them which was such a sweet time and then headed back to the My Father's House homes. I got to play with Doreen, Suzen, and Idah, some of the girls that live in the homes. They each of such amazing personalities all their own. Doreen is a little fire cracker. That girl has a lot of sass and I think she was smack talking during the game but it was in Nyanja so I can't be sure. She is so great. Suzen is a ray of sunshine. She is always smiling and is such a sweet heart. And Idah is a little on the shy side at the moment but I am sure that after our 5 days there we will be besties.

After our adventures we headed back to Lusaka. We spent the main part of the day in Chongwe. Once we got back to the office (aka our home) we started making dinner. We decided to have a 4th of July celebration with Thoko, Charles, and Lubasi and it was going to be Friday but then we are going to Chongwe so we had to move it. Anyway, we wanted to make them an American meal and what better day then American Independence Day? We made burgers, mashed potatoes, had watermelon, and made apple cobbler. It was delicious. And we even taught them how to two-step! Not necessarily American but we're all from Texas so what's a girl to do? 

Brooke, Charles, Lauren, Lubasi, Me, and Thoko celebrating the 4th of July!

Today we got our visas renewed which we thought was going to take us half the day and took about 10 minutes tops. Whoop to that! We went to homes 3 and 4 later in the day to collect some more sponsor letters and to see the kids. I got to talk to Clement, who is in 9th grade, as I attempted to help him with his math homework. Praise Jesus that math is pretty much the same in every country. Lauren got the history and geography lesson. One of our tasks while we are here is to help the kids with their school work so it was really encouraging that we were able to help them today and they felt comfortable asking us for help. Our relationships with all of them have definitely grown so much. 

One of the main things I've been learning here is that each day is a gift. Our staff devo was from Psalm 118 yesterday and verse 24 says "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Each day is a new opportunity to love and encourage each other, and to make a difference in someone's life. As I travel to Chongwe tomorrow and spend 5 days there I pray I will rejoice at each new morning The Lord gives me.

God is Good...All the Time

Wow so it's been ages since I've posted a blog. It has been a little crazy here in Zambia. We just wrapped up our first Camp Hope and it was amazing!! The kids were a blast and teen mania did a great job leading each of their groups! It was so cool to see their relationships build with their kids and translators over the course of the week.

So I guess I should recap the last week and a half...

• We also got to go to the Lusaka mama's devotional one day which was incredible. We talked about Ephesians 6:10-18 and putting on the full armor of God. It was really cool because we had talked about that with Cheryl, our intern mama, before we came here and how that would be/is so important for us. It was also cool because going into Camp Hope that is really important.
• We got to spend a lot of time at homes 1 and 2 the week before Camp Hope which was really awesome. 
• Mama Christine, Mama Florence, Mama Josephine, and Mama Juliet taught us how to tie our chetenges which was a fun experience. Mama Florence then informed us that once we put on chetenges all the men will say "I want to make you my wife." Lolz then on our walk to homes 1 and 2 Mama Christine had to turn down some proposals for us. Mama Florence wasn't kidding.
• Thoko's birthday is two days after mine so we got to take her out for a girls night and go out to eat for her birthday. She turned 20! Whoop! I am so thankful we got to celebrate with her and enjoy our new friendship.
• Brooke and I had a very interesting conversation with Peter, the gardener/cleaner for the office, about him being a Jehovah's Witness. We had to leave somewhat in the middle to go to a meeting but we are planning to finish the conversation with him. Pray for him and his heart to be open to what we have to say.
• We took a bus for the first time on the way to church last week and I got hit on. Then once I turned him down he looked at Lauren in the seat behind me and then moved on to Brooke as we got off.
• We went to church with Lubasi and Thoko (who leads the praise and worship team!). Funny story: we were supposed to go with Humphray but he ended up being sick so we called Lubasi at the last minute to ask what time their church started and he said 9 and it was 9:05 or something so we said "oh you're already there then huh?" And he said "no I'll come get you guys! I'll be there at 9:30." We were very confused since it started at 9 but we said okay yeah!
• We picked up teen mania from the airport and welcomed them to Zambia. They didn't really accept our welcome because we are white. Classic. It was funny though once we talked to them later.
• Brooke, Lauren, and I found out we weren't going to be teachers for Camp Hope like we thought. We found out we would be doing what the past interns had done which was hand out the tshirts, bandanas, crafts, and be available to help out in any other way possible. We were disappointed to not have our own little group of nuggets of course but we were very willing to serve in any way we could. And that meant that we now had 283 nuggets not just 17! Best ever!
• Camp Hope 2014 started on Tuesday and it was an absolute blast. Camp Hope is a week that kids who are orphans or have the potential to be orphans can come to camp and are well fed, stay the night so they get rest, and most importantly hear the hope and love that comes from Jesus. And they are loved on immensely. These kids have so much joy. The first day the three of us got out of the car kids swarmed each of us and at one point I ended up on the ground from a group hug. That might have been because Brooke told them to all come hug me at once but ya know totally worth it. 
• I learned some Nyanja. They all wanted to teach us words and then the next day they would come and quiz us on what they taught us. 
• I met some kids that I just wanted to take home with me. My friend, Peter, who is 14 and lives with his mom, is such a sweet heart. He was one of the main kids who liked teaching me Nyanja and he protected me from the kid with the giant grasshopper so we were insta friends after that! He would help me translate what some of the younger kids were saying who didn't speak much English. 
• And then there was Susan. She is 5 years old and so stinking cute. She didn't speak very much English but she would talk to me in Nyanja and I would repeat it back to her and she liked that. We would make faces at each other and I taught her my fish face and she taught me camdanda which is the cross. She liked to play with my necklace. She has a laugh that is filled with joy and that was one of my favorite things from the week. Listening to kids laugh.
• Lubasi led a chant with the kids multiple times throughout the week and the kids ate it up. They loved it and would come up to him later and ask him to do it again. He is great with kids and is going to be an awesome dad some day.
• I learned some new songs and games from all of the kids this week. Do like I do is a very popular game where everyone forms a circle and then a kid gets in the middle and does a couple dance moves and everyone copies them then they pick someone. Super fun!
• Day 3 was when things got real. The past two days of just hanging out and fun games of getting to know each other were over and everyone was getting real which was super awesome. One of the teen mania girls told me her group spent 40 minutes just going around and doing testimonies. I was like that's awesome! Along with the Spirit moving and Jesus changing lives comes satan and evil spirits attacking. We had one kid come to the tent where we had the first aid station and his leader said something was wrong with his eye. I asked him and couldn't really understand so I asked Charles to come translate for me and then another kid came up bleeding so I left Charles with him. When I came back I learned that he was having visions of his dead mom and Lubasi just said we just need to pray for him. So I sat and talked with him a little bit and then Lubasi and Lauren came over and we all prayed over him. He was hearing the gospel and was under attack because the enemy didn't like that. 
• Oh we ate lunch with the kids and translators this week and they ate nshima everyday and each day a lady would come up to either me or me and Brooke and say, "You like nshima?" and we would say "oh yes! we love it!" and each time their face was shocked. They thought we were part of teen mania and had one been here a couple days. We were like no we've been here about three weeks now.
• All of the kids had a blast with their teachers and translators and learned a lot. I think it was harder for the younger groups just because it's sometimes hard for younger kids to understand anyway but throw in the language barrier and then that adds a whole new eliminate. 
• Yesterday was the last day of camp and it was so much fun and so sad at the same time. When it was about time for the kids to get on the buses to go back home, I saw a teen mania girl and she was crying so I gave her a hug and told her that yeah it does suck that these precious kids have to go back into their situations but you shared Jesus with them and they have hope in Him. They know that they aren't alone in whatever they go back to and that is something to be joyous about. I had to remind myself of that as I said goodbye to Susan and Peter and Stella and Aster and Tendai and all of the other precious nuggets. God has a plan for them and they are each so precious to Him. They each heard the gospel this week and that is something to be celebrated. I'm not sure on the total salvations from this week but I'll be sure to put that in the next blog.

These little nuggets will forever have my heart. And nuggets doesn't really translate but Charles, Lubasi, and Humphray have adopted the word already so we are slowly getting people. : )

This week was a whirlwind. God has definitely been teaching me so much and using all of the amazing people in my life here to do it. I am so thankful for Camp Hope and all of the workers that helped to make it possible. The kids stayed overnight at the church so we had round the clock caregivers. The cooks, the coordinators, the translators, and of course the EOH staff worked so hard to make this an awesome camp for the kids!

I'm continuing to pray for the kids as they have gone back to their daily life, whatever that may look like. Praying that they have heard and now know the truth and have the hope and love that comes with knowing Jesus Christ. He is all they need. I am even more thankful after this week that God is the Father to the fatherless. So thankful that each of the 283 kids are His.

What's better than a birthday in Zambia?!

Well today was my birthday and what a day it was. I can honestly say this was the best birthday I've ever had. I felt so loved today by all of my new friends and my old friends from afar! 

Today started out with facetimeing mom and dad. So thankful I got to see them this morning (their night) and for their love from Texas! Praising Jesus for technology and communication!

 Today we had a workshop for the mamas of the homes led by Abigail and Agatha. Us interns got to sit in on it and learn some new things. The mamas started off the workshop with singing and dancing. It was so joyful and so much fun! Then after all the dancing, we were all sitting back in our chairs and they started to sing again. This one was my favorite though because I could only hear their voices in the quiet office. It was beautiful listening to them. I picture that being a sneak peak into heaven. 

After the workshop we had planned to go get pizza! Partly for my birthday and partly because we've been wanting to try the Zambian pizza. We had made plans with Charles and Lubasi to take us there this past weekend. We were pleasantly surprised though when Hope and Meya (two of the Lusaka girls from homes 3 and 4) showed up at our casa! They came into our room and wished me happy birthday! (seriously they're the sweetest.) Hope said she was my birthday present. I told her I'd take her for sure! 

Thoko and Peter also came with us to get pizza so it was a solid group! On our walk to the pizza place, Hope and Meya gave me a card that they made! They made me a birthday card. I almost cried. So thoughtful of them! I also got a chance to talk to Meya more and learned that she wants to be a doctor and a soccer player when she grows up. Girl power what up! Rocking those two careers. I also got to talk to Lubasi more and quiz him on his musical interests. I like to hear what kind of music people like. Also fun fact most of the people I've asked about music like country music! There is also a radio station that was playing the Dixie chicks, lady antebellum, and Dolly Parton one day. Go country music for reaching Zambia!

Once we got to Pizza Inn we found out there wasn't really room in the inn. Just kidding but it is a very popular place. Especially on two for one Tuesday! While we waited for our pizza we played a game, chit chatted, bonded and did some more talking. It was wonderful! While we were waiting on our pizza, Lubasi also gave me a birthday card! I mean seriously I'm so thankful for my new friends!! They're so sweet and thoughtful!

Okay so we got our pizza and it was delicious!! It honestly tasted pretty much the same as American pizza. A little less sauce but other than that pretty much the same. So good!! We will definitely hit that up again!

We of course had to take a birthday selfie with everyone!

After we ate we were needing our receipt (we have to keep them for our expenses and such) so we needed that and Charles had given it back to the lady at the counter so he and I went to see if we could get it or another one. They are still pretty busy and this poor woman is getting yelled at by a guy who doesn't have his pizza (I personally thought he needed to chill a little bit but hey I'm the mzungu what do I know) and people are waiting in one to order and we get up their asking for a receipt. She thought she threw it away so she said she'd look. This sweet girl (probs about my age) dug through the trash to find our receipt. Meanwhile the guy upset he doesn't have his pizza is still upset he doesn't have his pizza and is still yelling at her. She gives us the receipt and I just felt led to give her some encouragement and let her know she was doing a great job at her job and how much I appreciated her finding the receipt! And she was so thankful and gave me a high five. Besties with the pizza girl now! That's what's up. 

Ended the day singing and dancing with Lauren and Brooke to 22 by tswift. It was an excellent birthday! Without a doubt. What's better than a birthday in Zambia? Nothing!! Except having amazing new friends to celebrate with! So thankful for each one of them! 

I learned to cook nshima!!! Kinda.

This weekend was our first full weekend in Zambia and it was incredible! I am so in love with this place and these people and the experiences I'm having. God is so cool in the fact that He truly knows what's best for you. Never would I ever have thought I would be in Zambia for two months but He knew. Such a stellar guy He is.

We spent most of our time with the kids in the Lusaka homes this weekend. Saturday we spent with homes 3 and 4. We played some games and then we played football. They love their football. I of course am not an asset to the team but I am determined to get there. We started out played monkey in the middle and then decided to play boys against girls (I can't remember who's bright idea that was seeing as how there were more boys than girls.) but Michael decided to be on our team and man that boy can play! Choolwe is a pretty awesome player as well. I mean I feel like you have to be here. 

We also had been really wanting to see the sunset so we asked Charles if he would take us. Charles has been our tour guide for the past couple days. He's shown us around Helen Kaunda and where the homes are and how to get around. He is a gem. He lives in Lusaka house 1 and is going to turn 20 in July. He will also be starting college in July to study public relations. He loves to joke with us and tell us things that aren't true which is great for our joking banter that we already have with each other. Although sometimes a problem when he tells me things to say in Nyanja and I have no idea what I'm saying and then people laugh at me. Good times. 

Brooke, Charles, Peter, Lauren, and me after our wonderful Saturday!

So Charles and some of the other kids from houses 3 and 4 went with us to Jesus Army, which is a place where kids can go to school if they can't really afford to go to school, so we could watch the sunset. There's a big open area and lots of kids were playing football and just playing around. The sky has been so beautiful since we've been here so we've been dying to see the sunsets. There are large cement walls around most of the homes in Helen Kaunda which makes it nearly impossible for us to see it from our home/the office. So Jesus Army was the place to go and I am foreseeing some more visits there for sunsets in our future. 

There were also some pretty adorable kids hanging out there. Charles took my camera to take pictures of them and then all of a sudden they are all surrounding me so I said Charles what are they doing and he goes oh they want to take a picture with you! It was the cutest. They were so happy and full of joy and just wanted to talk to us. 

We also got to stop by Moses' house and meet his wife, Perci and their one year old, Wangu. They are just the cutest little family ever y'all. Perci is so sweet and so welcoming and invited us over for dinner one night which of course we accepted! And Wangu. I mean come on I love babies and she is just the happiest and her laugh has so much joy! I can't wait to be her friend. Once she gets to know of course. Also she took a baby selfie. How stinkin cute is that?

I could just tell that Moses and Perci love her so much and are just so overjoyed to be parents and that just made my heart melt. It just made me think that the way they look at and feel about her is just a small glimpse into how God looks at and feels about us, his children.

So on Sunday we went to Deliverance Church which is where Moses goes. I know what you're thinking. Baby Wangu swayed us into trying Deliverance first and you might be right if there hadn't of been A WEDDING yesterday. I know! I went to a ZAMBIAN WEDDING yesterday and it was incredible. It was so full of joy and life and there was so much dancing and celebration. I loved it! It was during the church service which was very interesting so anyone could come (clearly since we were there.)

At the service there was a group from Michigan visiting the church and later we found out that they will be giving free health care in Chongwe which is awesome and such a blessing! Initially though everyone kept trying to seat us interns with them because I guess they just assumed the young white girls are with the huge group of mzungus. We kindly told them we weren't part of that group. I guess they assume mzugus stick together? I don't know. 

The service was awesome. There was worship, praise, shouts of joy, praying, arms outstretched, dancing and more dancing and singing! I loved every minute of it. Something I love about the people here is that when they pray they pray with such praise and power. There have been some prayers where they've just praised God the entire time and it's awesome. I love it. We don't need to be asking God for something with every prayer we pray. Taking time to praise Him is so important and they get that here. 

The rest of our Sunday was spent with the kids from houses 1 and 2. We've been wanting to learn how to cook nshima (which is a staple food in their diet here) so Charles said today was the day! When we got to the homes, there was a group of girls standing outside and Charles told us that they were the girls brigade which basically I got was pretty much like Girl Scouts plus Jesus. So they came in and sang a couple songs and prayed and then Thoko (one of the girls  from house 1 who will be 20 this week!! June 19!) led them in a song too! It was so cool. I am kind of obsessed with the songs. 

After they left it was finally time to cook! We made (or rather we cut up a couple vegetables and then watched Thoko make) chibwabwa(which is a green veggie), another green veggie I can't remember the name of, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and nshima. It was delicious!! Nshima is made from corn meal I believe and it kind of looks like mashed potatoes but it doesn't taste like it at all. It doesn't really have a taste so that's why you eat it with other things!

Brooke and I also played football with Brian and Denga while we were waiting for the food to cook. We asked who was the best and Brian said he was so that meant he got to me on my team since I am still lacking in the football skills. Lucky Brian! However, we did win! He said he was the best! He is a sweetheart and put up with me and my poor football skills. 

I also got a really awesome braid thanks to my girl Faith. She's so kind and writes songs which she said she would sing for me sometime so I can't wait for that! She also wants to make pizza so we're working on trying to get a recipe for her. Trying to figure out ingredients here so she knows what to put on her recipe. 

The girls also suggested we have a slumber party at the office which we were all for!! Pizza and baking and watching movies? Umm yes please! They said the boys can come for pizza but they have to leave after that. 

God has definitely been answering my prayers of time with the kids and time to get to know them. It's been such a wonderful weekend and I'm so excited to see what God has in store this week as we prepare for Camp Hope. We are getting ready for 300 orphans next week and for teen mania to arrive on Sunday! Please pray for the team as they get ready to come and the kids that will be coming to camp. I pray their hearts will be open and they will receive the love and hope of Jesus Christ. 

P.S. Charles just texted (on the one phone we have that can talk to the locals) and said to tell me Happy Birthday Eve!  It's going to be a great bday I can already tell! :)

Mzungu mzungu!

Week one in Lusaka is complete. It's hard to believe we've already been here a week but it also feels like we've been here so much longer. I feel right at home thanks to all my new Zambian friends. It was definitely a week of learning and processing everything. Just learning a new culture and their different ways of doing things. I am still fascinated by everything and I know that's not going to change. I'm so thankful for Humphray and Moses who are kind enough to answer our billions of questions. 

So yesterday we did some more translating, and met Charles from the Lusaka home and he gave us a little walking tour around Helen Kaunda. He was so kind to show us from Lusaka homes one & two and three & four. He is a character. He was already joking around with us right after we met him. 

While we were walking we passed kids and they would smile and wave and some would say hello. Others would yell mzungu! (Which means white person or foreigner) We passed this one kid who was playing with a tire but wouldn't smile and wouldn't wave at me and we passed him and this other group of kids called us mzungus so we said mzungus too and they thought it wa funny but the kid with the tire thought it was hilarious and was laughing and laughing. It was almost a cackle. It was so funny!

Today we got to go grocery shopping with Abigail and Agatha for the Lusaka homes monthly supplies. We took a taxi and also had a canter (which is basically a truck with a long bed) to get all of the supplies. We went to a wholesale place, then stopped and got fish, then made our final stop to get eggs and potatoes. Let me tell you about the fish place. We pull up and I can already smell the fish. We went inside and followed Abigail back to where the fish were and she told Brooke and I to put about 8 in a bag. The fish are just chillin in an open refrigerator box. What meat is normally in at the grocery store but it's not packaged and it's fresh right out of the Zambezi River. So we are grabbing them and putting them in plastic bags and we have about 5 bags full when this guy comes up and says they've already done it for us. Lolz so we put all the fish back and let the guy load it up for us. It was pretty comical. I'm sure all the locals were saying silly mzungus. 

Funny story of the day: the last place we went was another grocery store just to get eggs, potatoes, and the stuff to make nshima (which is eaten a lot here). Anyway, after we had checked out and the guys were loading the car, Brooke and I had empty shopping carts. Well a guy came by and took Brooke's but he didn't take mine which wasn't a big deal I just didn't know where to take it so I kind of followed him. He went up the ramp by the stairs so that's what I did (or attempted to do). I started walking up the ramp but it was so slippery because of the shoes I was wearing I just came right back down. I turned around and Abigail, Brooke, and Lauren are laughing at me and then not too far away there were some guys just staring at me. The struggle was real. I got it though don't worry. It was really funny. 

After that the shopping was done! A canter full of stuff which is now at the office (aka our home) for the Lusaka kids! I am so thankful that I was able to go with Abigail and Agatha and just get a small glimpse at everything they do. Every month they do this where they go and buy food for all of the kids. Lusaka only has 4 homes and Chongwe has 7 so I can only imagine how much that monthly load is! These two ladies are so awesome and such hard workers! They truly care about each of these kids and have a personal relationship with each of them. It's been so cool to see. Praising Jesus for these two today!

We also rearranged our room today. Change is fun. We pushed all three of our beds together. If it didn't feel like one big slumber party before, it does now! However, due to the location of the beds we may have just created less privacy for ourselves since the wall that the beds are on looks directly into the bathroom but ya know it's fine. Mzungu musketeers strike again. No biggie. 

Things I'm thankful for tonight: running water, electricity, the beautiful sky, and each new day. 

Just a small glimpse at the beautiful sky here. God knows how to paint a picture. 

Prayers: for the upcoming Camp Hope (in two weeks)-the translators/teachers and for the missionaries coming over and for Moses as he leads and coordinates all of this, time with the kids will be intentional, and the EOH staff. 

Chikondi, Chisomo, and Chifundo

We have been practicing our Nyanja, which is one of the languages spoken here. Common phrases like hello and how are you? You know the basics. Well as we were searching we came across chikondi, chisomo, and chifundo which mean love, grace, and mercy. First, they are each so fun to say but second God's love, grace, and mercy, His chikondi, chisomo, and chifundo are the same no matter what. And oh how He loves us. Just thinking about those today as we went about our day and then we found translations for them tonight! So cool. God's pretty awesome. 

Today we got to visit the kids out in Chongwe for the first time and oh what a joy that was! But before we went there we stopped and got three live chickens. That was an experience. We wanted to go with Abigail to see her get them so we went with her and the lady grabbed them out of the coop (with zero fear I might add. Like a boss.) and tied their feet together so they can't run around. Chicken on the run is never good. And then put them in a plastic bag. The funny part was the poked their heads out of the side of the bag which I wasn't expecting for some reason so that made it even funnier so of course we all took pictures with the chickens!

Once we got our chickens we headed to Chongwe! It is so much more different in Lusaka. In the best way possible. I love each place so much already and I've been here four days. The girls and I were talking about how it feels like we've been here so long yet we also feel like we won't have enough time. 

Anyway Chongwe is outside of Lusaka so it is definitely more rural. It is beautiful though. The large spaces of land and talk grass that seem to go on forever with giant trees filling up the area. I ate it up. Seriously I loved it. The seven homes in the Chongwe My Father's House area are all fenced in together so we pulled in and then went and visited each of them. Abigail gave us a tour of everything and as we went we met kids and the mamas. 

I have so much respect for these mamas. They are each raising eight kids and taking care of them and telling them about Jesus and are so full of joy. They were all so welcoming to us, gave us big hugs, and made me feel so loved. I can't wait to get to know them and hear their heart behind becoming a EOH mama. Seriously so cool. God has called some rockin ladies to this ministry I can already tell. 

He has also brought some stellar kids here. So after getting a tour we finally got to hang out with the kids which we had been dying to do! Who doesn't want to hang out with kids all day? I mean seriously. Cute little nuggets. Come on. So this one kid, Michael, who as soon as we met him with his huge smile on his face I could tell we would be besties, wanted to play futbol. I was all for it. I mean I'm not really the best futbol player but A for effort right? Lots of kids came and played with us! I had an absolute blast! The kids were showing us up right and left. Me and Lauren's team consisted of Michael, Mabel, Jonah, and Benjamin. If I remember correctly we also won. Whoop! They were all the stars as Lauren and I attempted. 

Then the girls were about to braid all of our hair when we had to leave so next time we visit there will be pics of that! I can't wait to go back and get to know the kids and the mamas more. They are already capturing my heart after only a few hours!

Say hello to my new friend, Michael. He's got such a joyful smile, super fast and got lots of energy, a great futbol player, and can do a mean cartwheel!

Well I Finally Showered...

Today I was overwhelmed by thankfulness. Here each of the staff members, before they do anything, say Pslam 118:24, "this is the day The Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." It has been such a wonderful reminder and especially today for some reason it just really sank in. This day is a gift from The Lord. He gave us life and a brand new day and that is something to be celebrated. I think so often in the U.S. we forget that. We forget that each day is a gift from God and we should treat it as such. 

I am already learning so much from the staff here. Not only growing in The Lord and learning more about Him and being more thankful but also about the culture here. Today we did training for the July Camp Hope and we went over the curriculum and practiced translating some things. (The Zambians translated. We spoke. Haha) 

What the three of us realized though was that in order for them to translate we have to speak very clearly, annunciate all of our words, and project our voices. It was interesting to learn that certain words we say are hard to catch. For example, sentences with lots of "s" in them often slur together on our end and then it's hard for the translators to catch it. 

Side note: the translators are partnering with the missionaries coming over to lead the camps and each missionary paired with a translator will lead a group. The translator is there because 1. Not all of the children speak English and translating it into Nyanja is important for them. 2. Cultural differences and for any questions the missionaries may have. They are to be a team and work together to tell these children the truth, hope, and love of Jesus. 

So we finished up the training for the day around 3:30 in the afternoon. We left around 9am. Time is an interesting thing here. We were told about Zambian time and how it was different but we are still learning that it is very different from the U.S. Like here, you can set a meeting for 8 but people will not show up until 9. It is way more relaxed and laid back which is complete opposite from the go go go of America. It has been very refreshing to not have that though and be in a more relaxed environment time wise. It is all very interesting to me and still trying to learn about everything. 

Now to the shower situation. First of all our accommodations are so great and so nice and I am super thankful so please don't think I am complaining because I'm not. I just want you guys to have a mental picture of our room here. So we each have our own bed so you can imagine that the room is pretty big. Our bathroom has no door, no shower curtain, and no curtain rod. The shower head is on a pretty short cord which means you have to hunch over to get water on you. Oh and it's cold water. So the girls and I have become really close in the past few days and I have to be honest and say I delayed the showering process as long as possible. I'm not about that cold shower life. I did take my first shower in the dark though due to power outage. Shower by flashlight. This is Zambia. 

The Lord is definitely teaching me to be thankful though because the past two nights around 10:30 our water goes out and then we don't have any at all and then suddenly a cold shower doesn't sound so bad. Learning to be thankful and rejoice in all circumstances. 

Because... "this is the day that The Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." -Psalm 118:24

Oh also Brooke, Lauren, and I have also decided to call ourselves the Mzungu Musketeers. Mzungu means white person or foreigner and so we get that a lot here. Clearly. And there's three of us so it's perfect! 

All The Little Nuggets!

Y'all. This place. Zambia. Where they don't say y'all. I've been trying to think of the perfect words to describe Lusaka and I am still just in awe of the culture, of the people, of pretty much everything. It is a very large place. There are so many different areas of Lusaka. Kind of like Dallas or Houston in the sense that it has different suburbs inside of it. We are staying at the Every Orphan's Hope (EOH) office which is in Helen Kaunda.

The people here are so friendly and there are different little shops set up on the sides of the roads. People are outside all the time. I mean all the time. It's so great. We are constantly seeing little nuggets running around and all the kids going to school. Seriously I love it! The kids go to school at different times here depending on the school they go to. It's really interesting and each school has a different uniform. 

Today was our first full day in Lusaka. It was an adventure! We started off by doing a devotional with the EOH staff which was amazing. I could just tell by talking with them for a few minutes that they truly love The Lord. Jesus shines through each of them and it is so evident in the way they speak, the way they welcomed us as sisters in Christ, and the way they serve one another. I can't wait to get to know them more and learn from them. I can already tell I will be learning so much this summer!

We have met six of the EOH staff so far.  Mary Ann who is the My Father's House coordinator, Abigail who is in charge of the Chongwe homes in My Father's House, Agatha who is in charge of the Lusaka homes in My Father's House, Moses who is in charge of Camp Hope and Orphan Sunday, Humphray who is in charge of transportation and IT, and Caison who is the accountant. They are each so wonderful and I am so excited to spend the summer with them!

So after our daily devotional we headed to the grocery store, Spar, to get some food for the next couple weeks. It was an experience. Here they do not keep their butter, milk, or eggs refrigerated at the store. We are guessing because it is so fresh but Humphray said that's just how it is. Also the honey and peanut butter did not have seals on them. Again, we are assuming because they are fresh. We stuck to what we knew mostly. We did get some Squiggles which is their version of Nuttella. We had to try that out! It's actually pretty much the same. 

We also met Peter today. Peter also works for EHO and does some of the cleaning and lawn care and I love Peter. He makes me want to serve more. The way he takes pride in his work and has the biggest servants heart truly reflects The Lord. He works as though he is working for God in everything he is doing no matter what the task and that is so cool to see. He has been working for EHO for about three years he said. He radiates Christ and puts others before himself always. (At least that's what I saw throughout the day.) I'm so pumped to get to know him more and hear about his life. 

We also went to a meeting for the July Camp Hope and met some of the church coordinators for that. They were so kind and I could tell that they have been working really hard to prepare for the camp. I am so pumped to see all of these people serving together and telling these kids about Jesus. It is going to be so cool! Knowing that we can't change their situation but we can give them hope in Jesus. That's what brings us all together.

God I am so humbled to be apart of the work you are going to do in these kids lives this summer. I pray hearts will be changed. I pray we will be able to be servants for you; that we will be like Peter and truly think of others before ourselves. I pray that for myself, the other interns as well as all of the teachers for Camp Hope this summer. 

To close that meeting Moses suggested that one of the women lead us in a song. Of course we didn't know it but it was so beautiful hearing them sing. Being able to just stand in awe of our God who is the same as He is in the U.S. and hears my Engligh prayers and them praising Him in Nyanja at the same time. It was such an awesome moment and made me love God and all the people He's created even more. Zambia has already taken hold of a special place in my heart. 

From Dallas to Dubai to Lusaka...My New Home!

My two month adventure to Zambia began TODAY! (Or yesterday I guess. Time zones and 15 hour flights are weird.) It started off with heading to the airport where of course we had to rearrange some things and get rid of a space bag full of stuff from our suitcases. Intern Mama Cheryl had some new treats to go home with and the poor men that helped us were sick of us by the end of it. Our friend Bobby, the guy who checked our bags, gave us some extra pounds on each of our suit cases. Talk about the grace of God right there! I also met a sweet man named Matthew, who works for the airline, and he found out we are going to do mission work and asked us to pray for him too!

Once we made it past checking our bags and security, all we had left was the flight itself. First of all the plane was huge. When we walked onto the plane there were these rows of seats that looked SUPER comfy and I’m talking to Brooke about how nice they are and how it’s going to be so great and she says “Oh girl I hope you don’t think these are our seats because this is first class.” I said lolz of course it is. My life. So that was a funny moment on the plane. Secondly, there were so many interesting and different people and so many adorable nuggets! Brooke and I made friends with the guy next to us who does global missions and is from South Africa so that was really cool! He gave us some tips about Dubai and Africa and told us all about his organization. Then two movies, some reading, some questionable airplane food, and a few attempts at sleep later we were in Dubai!!

We arrived in Dubai around 12:30pm their time which is around 3:30am in Texas. Talk about a time change. It is one of the most interesting places I have ever been though. After getting a little settled the three of us decided to adventure to the Dubai mall which is a major tourist spot. Y'all the Dubai Mall. I can't even describe how many different shops, floors, and just how pretty everything was. They had a giant aquarium inside that you could just walk by. How cool is that?! And a ton of adorable stores for tiny tots. If you're looking for some cute kid clothes, the Dubai Mall is the place to be. The number of different cultures and people walking around was crazy. We also saw the Burj Khalifa, which is the world’s tallest building and it is tall. They're not joking about that. We also went to these really cute shops called Souk Al Bahar which just had little knick knacks and cute little restaurants as well as a really cool chair which we decided to take a picture in and I think we started a mass line of taking a picture in the chair. Leave it to the Americans.

We then decided to go to the beach so we had to find a taxi to get there but weren’t 100% sure we would be able to get a taxi back to the hotel but sometimes you gotta risk it to get to the beach! After hanging out on the beach for a while and taking in all the scenery and all of the desert hotness we hailed a taxi and got back to the hotel safe and sound.

Fast forward some hours to the next morning where we head to the airport and board our plane to Lusaka! Who even knows what schedule our bodies are on anymore after all of this. I think I am finally starting to adjust but 7 quick hours later we were in Zambia! (After a 15 hour flight, 7 hours was nothing.) We got off the plane and stood in line for a little bit to get our visas and then headed to get our NINE bags. The three white girls in the Lusaka airport lugging around nine massive suitcases. Sounds about right. When we finally got a cart for our suitcases I was determined to hold onto it because our intern coordinator, Cheryl, had told us that men would try to come and take our cart to take it to the car and put our suitcases in and then want to be paid so I was already in that mindset of don't let go of the cart. Brooke and Lauren are in front of me and they both see the men, Moses and Humphray, who are picking us up from the airport but of course I didn't. So Humphray comes up to me and asks if I need help and I say, "no I've got it thank you." and keep walking because I was so focused on keeping the cart. Then Brooke says "Michaele you know that is Humphray right?" I was so embarrassed. Haha I said I am so sorry I had no idea that was you and explained the whole cart thing to him. Luckily he's a jokester and made fun of me a little and we laughed about it. Day 1 and we already have jokes. Haha Humphray and Moses both are so sweet and so genuine and it was so much fun getting to know them a little bit today.

After they picked us up from the airport we headed to the office which is our new home for the next 60 days!! It was a lot bigger than I was expecting. It pretty much looks like a large house. What would be the living room area is where all of the desks are and then there's the kitchen and then down the hall is our room with three beds! And there are three bathrooms! Talk about spoiled! Haha but really it is so great! After we got settled in a little bit, Humphray and Moses took us to grab some dinner and some bottled water (gotta stay hydrated.) We picked up Mary Ann, another EOH worker, on the way and all went to this place called the Mint Lounge. It was so good! So good to have actual food and not airplane food and the weird stuff from the Dubai hotel. (They eat some interesting things there.) Never have I ever been so happy to see chicken in my life! Then we got to go to Spar which is the market; we exchanged some U.S. currency for some Kwacha which is the Zambian currency. 

It has been a crazy, fast, exhausting, and exciting last couple days!! I have loved every second of it and can't wait to see what the next day holds! I know God is going to do some amazing things and continue to provide as He already has! So thankful for a bed, being off a plane for a while, the first real meal in days, and to have spent my first day in Lusaka with some new great friends! 

Please continue to pray for me, Brooke, and Lauren as we begin serving here in Zambia; that we will serve willingly with a servants heart and focus on building relationships with the people here. Also for health and that we won't get sick or anything. We are so excited and know God has amazing things in store for this summer!!

We Aren't Okay

Hello hello!

I haven't kept this lil blog of mine as up to date as I would have liked but I'm finally getting around to it and I'll try not to neglect it too much in the future.

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of starting my training for Zambia, starting fundraising, applying for jobs, thinking about graduation, oh and trying to work and do school in the process. It's been cray y'all. But through all of this God just continues to show me each and every day that He is enough and He will provide.

Let's start with the training. It has been so awesome! We are reading a book called When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert. I have already learned so much from this book and the response questions at the end of each chapter as well as from my fellow interns. It is always awesome to get to hear other people's responses and especially the ones I'll be spending 2 months with in another country! 

This last chapter we read really focused on what poverty is. It's rooted in brokenness and I loved how they said it. "Every human being is suffering from a poverty of spiritual intimacy, a poverty of being, a poverty of community, and a poverty of stewardship." We are all broken and all in need. It's been so great to be humbled so much already and know that I'm broken too and I'm not okay either. The book says it best when they say, "I'm not okay and you're not okay, but Jesus can fix us both." 

I can't do anything in my own strength and God is continually showing me that and continually showing me that He can.

For my fundraising, I am making teacup/mug candles (which are super cute btdubs) so that has been going super awesome! I also sent out letters which I initially wasn't going to do because honestly I felt bad asking people for money and them not getting anything in return. But as I prayed about the finances I realized I was limiting God. And as I have received so much support already from sending out letters I have also received letters back. People are asking their churches to pray for my trip and they want to know how God is moving in Zambia and that is so awesome!

I wasn't thinking about God impacting other people's lives when I sent these letters out but He absolutely has and it is so awesome!! I was honestly starting to have doubts about funds and if I would meet the $6,000 that I have to raise. A conversation with my mom didn't help much either because she was also having doubts. 

I thought of the story in Mark 9 where the father asks Jesus "if" he can heal his son and Jesus responds, "If I can? All things are possible to him who believes." The father responds, "I do believe; help my unbelief." I love the father's response because this is exactly how I feel. I know God will provide for me but I need Him to help my unbelief. 

God has continually provided and I can already see it growing my own faith and my parent's faith. My mom was blown away by the amount of people that have already donated to help fund my trip. She said, "Well I just need to shut my mouth don't I?" It is so cool to see God using this experience to move in other people's lives already. I am so thankful for each and every donation! And that God has moved in so many hearts already! So far I have received about $1,400 from donations! God is so awesome!! He continually puts my doubts to rest.

In applying for jobs and thinking about graduation and the future, God continually gives me peace about the unknown. He loves me so much and I'm so so thankful. Through this Zambia experience already, my faith and trust in Him as already grown so much. Now when I think about the future, my trust is fully in Him and I know He will provide for me. Whatever that looks like I am fully dependent on Him and Him alone.

I'm not okay and I'm broken but Jesus can fix me and He continues to do that each day.

Please keep praying for my fellow interns and me as we continue on in this journey! And keep checking here for more updates! 

Thanks and gig'em!