As I am writing this our sweet oldest three daughters are fast approaching Atlanta. Their plane arrives at 10:34AM today Thursday March 29th. I have so much to say regarding the last 2 months here in Africa and about how well Lydia, Mary-Frances and Virginia finished. As a Dad I can tell you my buttons are popping off! Shelley and I are so proud of them and their tireless and faithful service to their Lord. I am about finished with a post about our last few months and all we have seen God do but Shelley and I wanted you to hear from each of them. In their last weeks here in Zambia they had a few chances to share their reflections on their time as missionaries. We have included their reflections below for you. On behalf of Shelley and all our children from the depths of our hearts thank you for your love and support for us while we have been here. Your emails, letters, packages, prayers and financial support have made the ministry here for the gospel a reality in so many lives! We love you so much!
Dave
Thoughts on my trip to Zambia Africa: June 2011- April 2012 from Lydia
Living in a third world country for almost a year has taught me many things. I just want to share a few things that I feel God has laid on my heart. But before I do that I would like to share a few memories.
I taught P.E. every morning Monday through Friday and even on Friday afternoons I taught. So my morning schedule was consistent with getting ready to leave for CCM, then having a 5 minute walk, then getting my equipment I needed for the day, setting it up, and having fun teaching the children soccer, volleyball, and track and field. Teaching Physical Education at CCM for almost a year has made me realize being around children and teaching them about sports is what I love. I enjoyed every moment I had with those kids and hope I have the opportunity again. Also visiting the orphans every Monday was special moments I’ll always remember and long for. I remember the first time I went to the orphanage after having been there two years earlier and seeing some of the same children again! This brought such joy to my face because I never imagined I would have seen them again. Samson being one of them! The children there are so sweet and whenever you go they always run to you and give you a big hug and desire your love and affection. I will also never forget the sweet friendships we made with our neighbors Annie, Andrew, Cha Sha, Masilisio, San Jesse, Catende, Bwembia, and Mondae. All of the sweet memories we had with them playing spades, mad gab, apples to apples, spoons, watching movies, making chips, going on walks, riding the mini bus to town, playing soccer every Sunday afternoon, or just talking. We developed really close friendships with them. God definitely answered our prayers when we asked that we would all make some new friends.
Now I want to share some of the things God has taught me. The greatest thing that I would say God has taught me while I have been living in Zambia is gratitude. I have learned that we need to be people who are thankful, and being here has taught me to be more thankful and appreciative for things. Here in Zambia I see all the people in need: those who may only have 1 pair of shoes, or few clothes with holes in it, or a bathroom that’s outside, or a house with 1 bedroom, or no electricity, the list goes on but I think you get the idea. I often just think why am I not thankful when I have way more then they have? Many people here in Zambia do not have the stuff or conveniences that we do in America but yet they are thankful for what they have. They are hard working people who don’t complain. It makes me sad when I think about all the people in the States who want to have the latest phone or iPod. Or who constantly need new clothes because they don’t want to wear the same outfit twice at any outing. Or someone who spends tons of money on their hair, nails, sports, etc. Before I came to Zambia I admit that I was one of those people who wanted new clothes for fun outings and if I was not able to get a new outfit then I was upset. I now have a new perspective on that. I even told my mom the other day that when I get home I would feel like I have a new wardrobe, when before I came here I was tired of those clothes and wanted new ones. So I would say being grateful for what God has given you and not asking for too much is the greatest thing I have learned. I have also learned that I can share a room with others when before I thought I could never share a room. I realized that a 1-story house with 1 family room, 3 small bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and 1 shower is manageable. I would have never guessed that our family could function properly with this but it has been no problem. So being people who are grateful is something we all probably need to work on.
Another thing while being here that has caught my attention is that back home I took way to many things for granted. For instance, having smooth roads, hot water, air condition, or nice hospitals and restaurants, etc. In Zambia, there are hardly any smooth roads, no air condition, and hardly any clean hospitals. But even though there are none of the nice things here the Zambians still move on with life. Zambians are really humble people who don’t complain but just persevere through everything. So that is another thing God has taught me is to be someone who is humble and persevering through things with out complaining and also not taking those little things we had back in the states for granted.
The last thing I would like to share is on missions. When I was little I used to say I would never be a missionary, and that was because I thought that missionaries had a strange life that was not smooth and they were “disconnected” from everyone and everything. And so I thought people who were missionaries were really weird and were really stepping out of their comfort zone. But I am wrong. Yes, living in Zambia can be challenging and out of your comfort zone sometimes but there are so many things you can learn by being here and so many sweet people that you can build relationships with. I feel like everyone should go on at least a short-term mission trip to get a new perspective on life. Also just being here you can feel God’s presence. I don’t know what it is or how to describe it but God is definitely here. And maybe its because you have to be so dependent on him at so many times.
In conclusion, living in Zambia, Africa has been an amazing experience that I will always treasure and never forget.
The Impact Africa has made in my Life: June 4th 2011-March 28th 2012 from Mary-Frances
The thought of coming to Africa for a whole year with my family was a lot easier to comprehend then the actual reality! When my dad asked me for the first time around January of 2010 whether or not I would like to come to Africa for an extended period of time, I replied ‘yes’ without really stopping to think about the reality. From that point on, my life has been changed.
Yet when time actually came for our family to leave our comfortable life back in America, I was indifferent about the whole situation…in fact, I didn’t even want to come. Instead of thinking about what lives our family could impact, or the help we could accomplish while living away from the busy life back home, I was focused on myself, and what I wanted…I was being selfish.
Now looking back at all we have done, what I have seen and experienced while being here, I am so grateful that I have had this opportunity! What American teenager can say that they lived in Africa for a whole year? Pretty cool, right?
I have learned so many things through this experience, but I think the things that have really affected me are these things:
- TO be grateful for what I have- I have seen the homeless, starving, with torn or ragged clothing, and the fatherless and motherless children; children who are abandoned by their parents, or abused so badly that they just run to the streets, or parents who are dead, and so they have no place to go to. They don’t know when they will get their next meal, whether they will be able to live another day because of sickness or disease and not having any Kwacha’s to go to the clinic, or the right medical attention… etc. I think you can imagine the picture…Picture them, and then picture the normal family, kids who have parents who love them, who are fed three times a day, have a good home, involved in sports, go to school, yet still finding some little thing to complain about…I never really saw how ungrateful and selfish I am until I saw how the world is living all around me in Africa. The author of Hebrews tells us to “Keep your life free of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said ‘I will never leave nor forsake you.’ So we can say confidently, ‘the Lord is my helper, I will not fear, for what can man do to me?’”
- TO love the parent-less just as Jesus tells us to in His word- Before coming to Zambia, I had never seen an orphan, nor really cared about them. However, after looking at their humble and sweet disposition, you can see that they are deeply hurting inside. All they long for is a mother and father who could care for them, love them, hug and kiss them, encourage them, and just smile at them. Yet they don’t have that, and some never will, and it makes me so sad just to wonder how I could have been, if I were one of them…I don’t even want to think about that. For Jesus said in Matthew 18:5, that “whoever receives one such child in my name, receives me…” Our family was able to play a great role in helping the orphans this year, which was an amazing opportunity! I’m so grateful that our family could help, and make a difference in one of these little hopeless children’s life!
- TO love my family and appreciate them more – In Deuteronomy 26:11, The Bible is telling us to “REJOCE in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you, and to your household” I believe this is telling us that we should be thankful that we have been given a family, and we should rejoice, and show that we are grateful for such things. Because in Zambia I don’t have so many places to go, friend’s homes to spend the night at, or sports practices to run to, I have become very close to my family! Life back in America was pretty hectic, either everyone was always involved in sports or different activities, or Dad was sometimes out late at work, and so we didn’t spend as much “quality” time as a family, as we do here in Zambia, but because we are always in around 6 pm, (kind of like a “curfew” time! because of the snakes, and mosquitoes, and other “dangers of the night” =)) we have spent a great amount of memorable times as a family! I will never regret or forget these fun times!
There are a lot more things I could rattle off right now, but I think that these are the three things that struck me most of all. I will never forget my time in Africa; it will always be in my heart! I believe being here in Africa has helped me become a more mature, grateful, humble, and compassionate person. I think Africa has changed my life, more than I ever would have expected, and I am grateful.
My Ministry in Africa and the Impact It’s Had On Me
Virginia
3.20.12
My ministry in Africa
- One of my ministry’s here in Africa was the orphanage. When I first got here, my mom and I would go to the orphanage on Wednesday and play with the babies and then on Mondays we would go as a family. I still remember the first time I went there. Just walking in and a bunch of kids running up and hugging me and playing with me, it was kind of over-whelming at first. Those kids are so sweet! All you have to do is hug them, play with them, and do different things with them and that would make them so happy. I just felt so sad to leave those kids, I would think, why are they the ones who are still there and I’m going? That was one of the things that I really enjoyed was going to the orphanage and spending time with those sweet kids as James tells us to in James 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world”
- Another ministry I had in Africa was Monde.
There’s a cute little baby next door who was 8 months when I arrived so I would hold her on my back with a shatangay when I first got here. But I was there when she just first learned to crawl, took her first step, and learned to talk I also taught her the parts of her face and how to say different things! I was like her baby-sitter. I would help feed her, give her baths, and watch her pretty much all day. I would also take her to the stand near by and buy her a lollipop! So I really feel like that was a big ministry, not only to Monde and me, but to her maid Musonda who was always very busy! I definitely enjoyed helping her with that!
The Impact Africa has had on me
- One of the impacts that I have been changed by is things. There is a sweet family when you walk out of our wall fence who live in a one room house, who are so sweet, we always waved to them when we walk by. There is 3 girls and 2 boys and every time I see one of those kids they are in rags, they don’t have cute clothes, the don’t have enough food, but there always so happy to see us! So when we go to the store we might buy them some food, or give them some clothes, when leaving for home I donated them all my clothes that I don’t need! So seeing them and how they live makes me not want everything I used to. When I was back home I would look on the Internet for things that were the “new fashion” like Toms for an example. I wanted Toms because everyone was wearing them and they were cute, but living here has changed that perspective for me. I know that I don’t need everything I want, so that has helped me in a big way!
- Another thing that has changed in my life is I feel closer to my family and Christ, before I came to Africa our family was just kind of spread out we still went to church together and did family worship, but sometimes one or two might be gone or we might be studying. But since we have been here are family has grown so close! We are in the house by 7:30 because of snakes and mosquitoes! So we always eat dinner as a family and after dinner we have family worship! It has been so good to me to be able to talk with my sisters. We’ve spent more time together so I hope that continues when we are back in the states! As for my relationship with Christ, in America I was a Christian and I went to church, I just never moved forward in my relationship, I didn’t really read my bible and spend time with the word, I had other things that I wanted to get finished first. Since I’ve been here though I have more free time and we do family worship, which helps, so I feel like I am growing in my relationship with Him!
So over all I feel like this trip to Africa was an amazing, life-changing year in my life that I will never forget. I will always look back on it and think “I am SO glad, that I went to Africa and spent only one single year of my life to share to others about Christ and serve others, just as Christ served us and how He commands us to go in Matthew 28:18-20 which says, And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me. Go, therefore and make disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
-Virginia