Monday, September 26, 2011

September 17, 2011

I spent today reflecting on some of the things that I read in the book, Too Small to Ignore by the president and CEO of Compassion International. I will just share an excerpt with you that truly shows the great importance of our role in the lives of children. I hope that you are as challenged as I was after reading it.

“First, we must understand that Satan knows the heart of God. It is Satan’s greatest joy and highest priority to do all in his power to break the heart of Elohim, the creator of heaven and earth. Remember that, as Lucifer, Satan was a witness to the process of creating the world. I can imagine heaven’s one-time chief angel watching with great interest as the Spirit of God hovered over a dark and formless world. He saw the dazzling advent of light. He watched amazed at the creation of land and sea, plants and animals-all the creative work of Jehovah. It frustrated and angered him to see the great joy and satisfaction God was getting from the emergence of this wondrous works of his hands.

Ever watching for and avenue of attack, Satan found it in the moment God fashioned a man in his own image from the dust of the earth and then breathed his own breath into the man’s nostrils. Something about this crowning [art of the Creation moved God deeply with a profound love. Satan saw it and knew he had found an inroad. All he had to do was attack and hopefully destroy mankind. He began his strategy as a serpent in the Garden of Eden, and he has been doing so ever since.

At the moment of birth, all heaven stands in breathless anticipation and breaks into shouts of joy and praise. Each child is born into the world loved and full of potential to bring joy to the heart of God. A little flame flickers deep in the child’s being. It reflects a dignity and worth, made in the image of God Almighty.

Meanwhile Satan and his evil hosts stand ready to pounce and destroy life as quickly and completely as possible, knowing how that will break the heart of God. All of heaven and hell are present and focused on the newborn life-for vastly different reasons. Both have strategic designs for this little one.

Given this frightening warfare between heaven and hell, it is all the more ironic that children are seemingly so unimportant to us adults. While all of heaven stands and cheers whenever a little one is born, and all of hell hurls itself at its destruction, we glibly go about our lives and ministries oblivious of the raging battle or the strategic importance of the children around us day by day. What is to be done?

It begins now, here, and with you! It begins with the very next child God brings across your path. Every child you encounter is a divine appointment, with each one you have the power and opportunity to build the child up or tear the child down.

A life can be launched with as little as a single phrase, an uplifting word, or an act of kindness. The spirit of a little child is a lot like wet cement. When a child is young, it takes little effort to make an impression that can last a lifetime. ..Sadly, the opposite is also true. All it takes is a single unkind word, an isolated act of cruelty or abuse to destroy a life!

Nothing thwarts the effort of Satan to destroy little lives more than a caring adult’s timely intervention to build them up and assure them they are loved. The path of destruction can end with you. You can decide, as I have, that you will be an instrument of grace in the hands of God. Every child that passes me in the grocery line, at church, or at the ballpark I consider a divine appointment, an opportunity to lift that child up-if only for a brief moment. It may just be in the moment that will launch a life or restore one that needs kindness today.”

He also writes, “ Children may not have much to give materially, but they generously give all they have to those they love and believe in: hugs at bedtime that require both arms and legs; full body squeezes amid giggles and laughter that are beyond value; a storm of sloppy kisses on your cheek; a squeeze of your hand that confides, I am afraid, but I trust you; pudgy little fingers folded in a simple, sincere prayer that rises up like perfume to the very heart of God. These things are priceless and more than enough. Few gifts on earth are as wondrous as the love of a child. Advocates for children know deep in their hearts the truth of the saying, ‘You never stand so tall as when you stoop to help a child.”

After reading just the few pages of this book I am moved in a deeper way to love and serve the children in my life. It’s a sobering truth to look at the spiritual warfare that is going on and a call to fight on their behalf. Children are a gift from God and we have been entrusted with them. We need to take our roles seriously and be praying on their behalf. I am both convicted and challenged. Lord help me to serve the children in my life as you would, to love them as you do and do all in my power to protect them and help them to know and love you.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

3-day at the fair with Henry (my good friend's nephew)



Carrying 50kg's of cement on my head (110 lbs)



Dentist day at school



Dinner with my daughter Swazi



Footprints



helping build a mud brick house in the slums



Helping push the bus I drove..not sure if it broke down or ran out of gas



Holding hands



My boy Joshua -I steal him from his mother often -)



My favorite dinner...but not tonight.



My grass house in the sky



My new friends



My typical writing on the board stance.



The Adventures of the 3 Musketeers



The dump truck I drove



Driving a dump truck




helping build a mud brick house in the slums





August 12, 2011

2 months ago I applied for my long-term work permit in Lusaka, which is about a 5-hour bus ride from where I stay in Ndola. The place was packed and there seemed to be no real order to things. Lines and lines of people from so many different countries filled the hallways and small offices. I signed it at the vacant front desk and made my way through the crowds of people, not knowing where to go. I popped my head into one of the offices and saw a man sitting at a desk with no line. I asked him where I need to go to apply for my work permit and he informed me that I could take a seat and he would be happy to help me. He quickly looked through my documents and spouted of 2-3 things I was missing and need before I can even apply. As he listed off the things I was missing he mentioned that it was REQUIRED that I include teaching certificates and teaching diplomas. I told him I do not have any of those items because I have never gone to school to become a teacher. He just looked at me and said, “Well, they are required so come back once you have them and then I can submit your application.” I left the immigration office a bit discouraged but then I spent time praying and reminding myself that Zambia is where God called me to be and he can make a way where there seems to be no way. I took a taxi to an internet café and printed off the other two items they had requested, the school’s license and the job offer letter I received for the teaching position. While rummaging through my old emails I came across the letters of recommendation I had emailed when applying for the job. I decided to print them as well, thinking who knows maybe the more paperwork I have the better. By the time I finished it was too late in the day to return to immigration so I just sent out texts and emails asking people to pray for me and for the Lord’s favor for the next morning when I would return to immigration.

The following morning I arrived at immigration as the doors opened and made my way back to the same immigration officer’s office. I greeted him in one of the local dialects, Bemba and took a seat in the broken chair next to his desk. I handed him my documents except for the letters of recommendation and as he looked through them asked if I had all the requirements. I informed him again that I have everything except for the certificates and diplomas and that they are items I will not ever have to submit. Once again he said, “they are required for submission and there is nothing I can do for you without them.” I told him that even though I did not have a degree in teaching I had taught last year in the states and had a letter of recommendation from the principal/director of that school. He told me he could not be the one to approve that and sent me to another desk out in the hall. As I stood in the line of about 12 people I just prayed and asked God to act on my behalf. He brought to mind the verse in Proverbs 21:1 which reads, “ The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” He gave me a peace and a confidence in the fact that it is not these immigration officers or the government that is in control but him. Once I reached the desk of the 2nd immigration officer she looked at my paperwork and told me I needed to see the office supervisor. She pointed me in the direction of his office and once again I made my way through the growing crowd of people. I entered the office, which was over crowded with desks, files, and people. No one was waiting at his desk so I approached and informed him that I was told he needed to review my file. I explained that I was working in Ndola as a 3rd grade teacher and needed to apply for my long-term work permit. He asked why I could not be helped by the two immigration officers I had previously seen. I explained that I do not have the required teaching degree or teaching certificate documents to submit an application and I will never have them. I continued to explain that last year I was a teacher in the states even though I did not have a teaching degree. I told him the only thing I have is a letter of recommendation from the director/principle of that school. He asked to see the letter, quickly read it, pulled out a stamp, stamped the letter and signed it. He then took the rest of my documents put them in a file and said, “I am approving your file for submission, take this receipt to the accounting desk to pay and then return the receipt to me to place in your file.” I was so excited and just in awe of how God works, as I left the office and was walking down the road I just started laughing. My application was approved for submission!! And they accepted a 2-paragraph letter in place of a teaching degree!?!?!?!?!? HA!! Only God could do such a thing! So now it was time to wait to see if my application would be approved. But honestly after all that I was not worried.

Fast forward 2 months I was back in Lusaka to follow up, being that the Ndola office had no status update for me and the Lusaka immigration number I was given to call was never answered. As I walked up to the next free immigration officer and sat before them as they flipped through the book of application statuses my heart was pounding fast. I don’t know if it was from anticipation or nervousness but it seemed like an eternity and that book was at least 200 pages. I have no idea how it was organized but finally she came to my name and I strained my neck to catch a glimpse of what lay before her. Before I was able to see she said, “Ok, here we are…you have been approved for a 2 year work permit.” I was sooo excited I just wanted to hug her and hug everyone I saw. She stamped my receipt and informed me that they are currently out of work permit books but I can follow up and eventually they will have them. As I walked out the doors of the immigration office my tears welled up with tears as my heart overflowed with gratitude to my Lord and as I reflected on his goodness and faithfulness to me that had been displayed once again. What a mighty God I serve!!! Psalm 77:12, “ I will meditate on all your works and consider your mighty deeds.” If we take time to do this on a daily basis there is nothing that will come from it but a heart of worship, a thankful heart to the one who works wonders on our behalf. Psalm 118:15-16, “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things! The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things.” And verse 21a, “I will give you thanks, for you answered me.”

Monday, August 15, 2011

Waiting for transport


Me and most of my pupils


August 6, 2011

Recently I have been thinking a lot about faithfulness and reflecting on what God’s word clearly says about the importance of faithfulness. I will just share a bit of what I came across. 1 Corinthians 6:20 states, “ You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” Romans 12:1, “Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.” Both of these verses make it clear that we are not our own. Our lives belong to the one called and redeemed us; the one paid the greatest price for us. Our response is to be one of living for him and serving him. All that we do is to be for him and his glory. I heard a message recently wherein the pastor preached on how God is the owner and we are the managers of our lives. Just as in any company the managers will have to “report” to the owner and give an account for how they spent their time, the company’s money and how they managed the responsibilities they were given. It is the same with us; we will one day have to give an account on how we spent our lives, our time, our money, our talents and giftings. All were given to us by the “owner” How are we managing what responsibilities he has given us? How are we “spending” our lives?

I Corinthians 4:2 says, “Now it is REQUIRED that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” And what does it mean? REQUIRED- something that is required is not optional, is not extra credit; this is a big deal to God. What has God entrusted to you? Are you faithful in what God has called you to? Are you faithful in this season even if it’s not what you want or if things are not the way you would like them to be? Where you are right now is where God has you. Are you content in that? Are you serving him where you are? Or are you complaining and saying, God, I want______. If I had a spouse, if I had a better job, a child then I would be happy and then I could serve you better. How are you managing what God has already given you? If we can’t be faithful in the “little” things God has called us to do how can we expect him to entrust us with more? The other thing we need to remember is that God does not expect perfection from us. But one thing he does require is faithfulness.

Matthew 25:14-30 reads, “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Live each day keeping in mind who were created for and asking ourselves regularly if we are serving him faithfully.

July 30, 2011

Well yesterday was a bit of a crazy day. About a month ago I had promised my kids that I would have them all over to visit me at my place after school closed. I had originally planned to have them over in groups of 5-7, a number I deemed “manageable” Well, after giving it a bit more though I realized there was no way for me to contact them once they went on break so I changed my plan to have them all meet me at school the day after school closed. I rented a minibus and met the kids at school at 10:30 in the morning. Most of them were already there and many had come as early as 7am. We all crammed in the bus and made our way back up the bumpy dirt road to the main road. All but one had come, I asked the kids that lived near him if he was coming and they informed me that he was sick. I felt bad that he was going to miss all the fun. As we drove up to the main road I saw him running down towards us, with a huge smile on his face, obviously happy he hadn’t missed out. Once we arrived to my building they all looked up at the 10 story building in amazement. They followed me in like little ducklings, and I counted them every minute or so to make sure I had not lost any of my 28 babies. When the lift came down to the ground floor they looked at it and then at me and then at the stairs. They decided not to brave the lift, most of them, if not all had never been on one before. As we climbed the stairs it sounded like a heard of elephants invading the building. I followed behind them smiling and noticed 2 were walking very slowly up the stairs. One of the boys was delicately stepping on each step as we climbed higher and higher. I realized that he had never climbed stairs so high before and he was worried they would give way. Once we got to my flat, the stampede charged through the door and took off in every direction to explore. They cautiously walked to the edge of the balcony in awe of how high they were..filled with both curiosity and a bit of fear. One of the girls walked down the hallway and I heard her yelling for me, “teacher, I am lost..where are you” For the next 6 hours they ran around the house, danced, read books, ate a nice meal, jumped on the beds and some even napped. Many of them came up to me and said, “Teacher, we are not leaving and we will hide when it is time to go.” They were arguing who would stay and who would sleep where. It was precious. Once it was time to go me and Swazi lined them up at the door in 2 groups of 14. We took the lift down and had them line up in two groups again, counting and recounting as we made our way to the ice cream shop down the street. We got many curious glances as we marched down the sidewalk and even had a man try and join the ranks once he realized we were heading to the ice cream shop. I had them all sit on the curb and went into the shop to place my order for 30 ice cream cones. She looked at me like she misheard me so I repeated the order and we began taking the cones out to the kids as they patiently and eagerly waited. I don’t think I have ever seen kids enjoy ice cream so much in my life; I just sat watching them savor each lick and wondering if some of them had ever even had it before. Anyway, their joy brought me so much joy in my heart…All I could do was smile.

On another note I am happy to report that all my kids did very well on their exams. They class average was an A!!!! Praise be to God! Please keep them and me in your prayers, as this next term will be even more difficult. They will be taking cumulative exams in November on the entire years worth of information. Since I will be traveling back to visit the states they will have to take exams a week early. Pray God will give them strength to retain all the information they have learned and that I will continue to find creative ways to help them learn and remember what they have already learned. My biggest challenge is that most of them cannot read. Pray that as we start a reading program the kids will improve in this area quickly.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

This is how we cook when there is no electricity

Friends goofing off

being a kid with the kids

I talked a driver into allowing me to drive the public minibus

A walk through the slums

Greetings from Zambia

More happy kids

Pencil bags from Mr. Bill in the states. They were beyond excited

July 18, 2011

I received this devotion via email some time back and it was very challenging to me and wanted to share it with those of you who take the time to read my blog.

John 15:5 - I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing."

“There are those who feel that they must be constantly laboring for the Lord in order to meet God's high standards. Jesus gave a clear picture of what our relationship to Him ought to be like. He is the vine, the source of our life. We are the branches, the place where fruit is produced. As we receive life from Christ, the natural, inevitable result is that fruit is produced in our lives.

In our zeal to produce "results" for our Lord, we sometimes become so intent on fruit production that we neglect abiding in Christ. We may feel that "abiding" is not as productive or that it takes too much time away from our fruit production. Yet Jesus said that it is not our activity that produces fruit, it is our relationship with Him.

Jesus gave an important warning to His disciples. He cautioned that if they ever attempted to live their Christian life apart from an intimate relationship with Him, they would discover that they ceased to produce any significant results. They might exert great effort for the kingdom of God, yet when they stopped to account for their lives, they would find only barrenness. One of the most dramatic acts Jesus ever performed was cursing a fig tree that had failed to produce fruit. Are you comfortable in abiding, or are you impatient to be engaged in activity? If you will remain steadfastly in fellowship with Jesus, a great harvest will be the natural by-product.”

In addition, it is important to remember that fruit takes time to be produced and to mature. Lets remember that when we are tempted to grow impatient with our children, our spouse and even ourselves. Why do we make something so “simple” so hard? All we need to do is abide in Christ!! Yet WE want to focus on fruit production. The works we do outside of what comes from abiding in Christ will not stand the test, they will be done in our own strength and thus burn up. Matthew 7:16-20 reads, “ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” So what “fruit” are we producing? You can staple “good fruit” to your branches but very soon it will be clear that this fruit was manufactured and did not come from the fruit abiding in the vine. Stop focusing on the fruit and focus on abiding..the fruit will come. As is says in Galatians 5:22, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.” If your abiding in the vine you and others will see these in your life. And if your not seeing them, cry out to God and again..ABIDE in him!!

July 5, 2011


I was awake early into the morning just thinking about the situations a lot of the children and even adults go through here in Zambia and I was in tears over it and crying out to the Lord. The poverty, the suffering and injustice I see can sometimes be seemingly too much for me. Injustice is one of the things that grieves and angers me the most. I know that it is ok to be angry, even Jesus was angry but in his anger he did not sin. I spent time crying out to God asking him to give me the right perspective on it all. I began reading in Psalm and came across verses that I could not read without crying. It spoke so specifically to what was on my mind and to the situations of many in this country. .

The first was Psalm 10:8-18: “He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims. He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless, he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees.’ Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, ‘He won’t call me to account’ But you, O God, do see troubles and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out. The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed in order that man, who is of the earth may terrify no more.”

The second verse was Psalm 12:5, “Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise, says the Lord. I will protect them from those who malign them.”

God really used these verses to remind me that he has not forgotten them, that he is the helper to the fatherless and to the oppressed, he hears the cries of their heart and will encourage them and rise up to protect them. We live in an evil world full of sin and darkness. My prayer is that of verse 15, “break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out.” I pray that God would use me to encourage those suffering and oppressed and that I would be able to point them to Christ. I pray that the seeds of bitterness would not take root and that all can be used redemptively in their own lives and to help others who have or are walking through the same things. May they not lose hope..may they find refuge and protection in the arms of their Heavenly Father.

June 13, 2011

June 13, 2011

Last week was one of the most difficult weeks I have had since I have been in Zambia. On Monday in the middle of teaching science there was a knock on my classroom door. When I went to open it I saw that one of the other teachers was there and she asked me to step into the hall. She then proceeded to say; “ I have some bad news…Susan has just passed” I was in a state of shock and disbelief. (Susan was our head teacher and the founding teacher of the school. She had been sick since January and unable to teach since that time) I began to cry in the dark corner of the hallway and then I was told that we now need to tell the children. Susan had taught 2nd grade so most of my pupils had her last year. As I was attempting to compose myself the other teacher encouraged me to be strong for the children. I was thinking to myself, how will I tell them, what’s the best way? Before I “figured it out” she took me into the classroom and told them all for me. They were as shocked I was. I sat at the back of the room wiping the tears as they gently fell down my face but there was no hiding my sorrow. Most of the kids continued working on their class work but I didn’t want them to ignore what had just happened. I quietly went around the room collecting the science workbooks still unable to hide my tears. They were all studying my face very carefully as I passed by them. I then went to the front of the room and just talked about how I know how much each of them loved Aunt Susan and that we will all miss her. I talked about how she was so sick and suffering when she was still here with us. I told them that she is now in Heaven with God and has no more pain. I told them it’s hard for us that are still here but she is in a better place now. I told them its ok to be sad, its ok to cry because we loved her and we will miss her. It’s always a hard thing when someone we love passes.

I wasn’t prepared for what happened next but I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. One by one each of the children began to cry. Some softly without a sound, others a wailing that came from deep within them. The wailings grew louder and more and more of them began sobbing and morning. I have never seen children morning before and it was almost too much for me. I wanted to just embrace them all and hold them and comfort them all. That day I think I had about 26 or 27 in class and I think all but 2 were crying. I started with the ones that seemed the most affected and went up to them individually and just held them, rubbing their back. As I made my way around the room, my shirt and skirt became more and more soaked with their tears. I tried but I couldn’t hold back my tears any more. So we wept together and though it was a hard time we bonded on such a deeper level. The most touching moment for me was as I was comforting them they too began to comfort one another. Amongst their own tears they would rise from their seats and pick up a friend who had fallen to the ground weeping and would hold them, drying their tears..comforting each other so tenderly and sincerely. One of my boys was sobbing uncontrollably and as I was making myself over to him one of the other boys walked over to him and was using his own shirt to dry his tears. This day will be forever etched in my mind. I am reminded of the verse in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 which reads, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comforts, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comforts we ourselves have received from God.”

Saturday, May 28, 2011

May 28, 2011

Last Monday I decided to walk into town from school instead of taking a taxi. I will do this from time to time to just pray, think and interact with the people that are always walking along the streets. I was on the phone with my mom when a taxi driver stopped and asked if I needed a ride, I said how much to Kansenshi (the area I live) He was trying to charge me 30% more than what it should cost, so of course I refused and continued walking, even after he said, “ok, madam, lets go” As I turned the corner, I saw one of the street boys I have seen time and time again wandering the streets of town. This is the 1st time we interacted and as I was talking to my mom our eyes locked and he just put his hand on his stomach. I of course knew what that meant and motioned him to follow me. I told my mom briefly about him and told her I needed to get off the phone so I could get him some food. He walked with me, well a few steps behind me as we approached a small take away restaurant. I went in to get a menu and when I turned around to ask him what he wanted realized that he didn’t enter. I went back outside and found him standing in the little alleyway next to the restaurant. I motioned him to come and pointed to chicken and chips and asked if he wanted that. He shook his head yes. I told him to follow me and we got a table and I placed the order. I soon found out that he spoke almost no English. He knows how to answer when I asked his name and age..that is it. I found out his name was Joseph and he is 11 years old. When the waitress came I asked her to interpret for me. I asked him where he stays, who he lives with etc. I found out that he lives with his grandmother in one of the compounds, Cenia, which is close to the school I teach at. I found out that both his parents have died and that he use to be sponsored but the people who use to sponsor him stopped. I asked if he wanted to go to school and he said he really did. I told him that I would like to pay for him to go back to school and to meet me in the morning so I could take him. He was very happy. At this point, it was already dark out so I called a taxi, I had the taxi driver take us to one of the entrances to the compound so that Joseph would not have to walk so far. The next morning I took a friend with me to translate and waited at the bus stop for over an hour, he never showed up... so I sent her home. I was discouraged and decided to walk to school to pray and with the hope of seeing him as I walked even though I knew it was not likely. I was praying and after about 5 minutes just started praying in the Spirit. I stopped momentarily and just closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes and looked ahead, I did a double take, it was Joseph; he was in the middle of the road, crossing the street to meet me. I was in shock, disbelief and excited all at the same time. I immediately called my friend and she arrived about 15 minutes later to translate. We escorted Joseph to the school and went to the office to meet with the school director and caseworker. They knew him and come to find out they have been trying to get him to come in for over 2 years. The case worker went to meet with the grandmother later in the day, after he finished some other work and spent time verifying the facts and getting the full story.

Wednesday was a public holiday and our church was hosting a cookout with all traditional African foods..including caterpillars and African game meat. And yes I ate it all and have the picture to prove it. Well I had invited Joseph to come and told him to meet me at the bus stop at 10am. I took my housemate with me and we waited at the bus stop for over 2 hours. Again my heart was discouraged but I just gave it to the Lord..not knowing why he didn’t show was the hardest part. Was he sick, (he had complained of a headache the day before), was he on the streets again, was is grandmother ill, did he over sleep, was he afraid, had he lied about wanting to go to school? I decided to go visit the compound with my friend, we walked around for a little over an hour looking for him and asking if anyone knew him. We never did find him but I had a great time wandering the unnamed dirt roads between the homes made from the same dirt. The amount of children I saw was amazing, they followed us and were so eager to come up and greet us and follow us around. As we were leaving I saw a group of boys, about 6 or 7 of them making mud bricks. They were only about 8 or 9 years old but were working so hard. I decided to go up and tell them what a great job they were doing. As I entered the plot they were so excited to show me and tell me all about what they were doing. I kiddingly said, “are you going to build me a house here?” They just laughed and said, “yes we will!!” Then I asked for the shovel and said I want to make some bricks. They had a mold for forming the bricks to my rights and a pile of mud in front of me. I started lifting the mud and filling the mold, packing it in carefully..I had no idea if I was doing it right or not..ha. When I finished I went to hand the shovel back to one of the boys and he said no, there is another mold there and pointed and said I should do another…ha ha. I gladly continued…and I didn’t realize till I was finished but a small crowd had gathered to watch the crazy white lady make mud bricks. Once I handed the shovel back to the boys, one of them asked for the equivalent of 20 cents. I gave each of the boys a little money and as I did this one of the ladies from the crowd said,, “what craziness is this? She is paying you and she is the one making the bricks? “ We all just laughed. I would have spent the whole day there if I didn’t have somewhere to go. I absolutely loved it. One of these days I will spend a day making bricks with them and will remember to bring my camera.

The next ay I found out that late that night Charles, the caseworker had met up with Joseph. The grandmother wants to meet me and talk with me. Friday after work we went to the house but no one was home. It was deep in the compound and took a long time to get there, we got lost a time or two but eventually found it. I even ran into some of my pupils and some of the other kids from the school. They were surprised to see me and very excited. When we got the Josephs house, it was heartbreaking to see the condition of the house. I can’t even adequately describe it in words. Well, no one was home and the neighbors said they went to town to beg. The grandmother is old and had a fall a while back so has problems with her legs and feet and has to use a cane to walk. We will attempt a visit after school on Monday; please pray we find them this time.

Something I am realizing as time goes on here is that God is giving me a strong burden and heart for street boys, I have a feeling my ministry here EVENTUALLY is going in that direction. Even before I met Joseph, I visited a place in the capital city, which has an outreach program to street boys. They offer shelter, food, counseling and just a safe place to be. A guy who use to be a street boy runs it. I was moved deep within as I interacted with these teen boys. I will be praying that God continues to direct my steps and give me wisdom in this matter and as I seek the counsel of those around me. For now, he is bringing street boys to the school. I think we have at least 5 now and I know the number will continue to grow. Keep this in your prayers!! God is at work!!

Friday, May 27, 2011

May 27, 2011

I have been enjoying teaching this term and am really seeing the kids start to show more interest in learning. It’s an exciting thing to see. I am now doing extra lessons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after we finish school. (from 4-5pm.) On the 1st two days I focus on English, grammar, copying from the board and handwriting. On Thursdays I focus on math. I have been having groups of 10-12 each day; it is really paying off by the grace of God! One thing I also implemented was “teachers helpers” during these tutoring sessions. My helpers will assist me as I teach, walking around as I teach and letting me know how the others are doing and even helping their fellow classmates. My helpers are pupils that are strong in the certain area I am teaching and I will usually have 2-3 each time. I did this for two reasons, one, during class it is difficult to give a lot of one on one attention, there is one of me and 30 of them and also because I was noticing a strong reluctance and even refusal to be helped by anyone but me. For math particularly, it is crucial that I mark their books during class to ensure they have grasped the concepts and its fresh in their minds, otherwise I would have a lot of kids behind and could not move on to the new lesson the following day. So what I do is I mark their books and have them return to their seats to make the corrections. If I have a long line of kids waiting to still me marked for the 1st time I will call on my “math helpers” to assist. I want them to know it’s ok to make mistakes and that it’s ok to get help from others. And this also builds leadership skills in those helping and is just another training ground for building all their characters.

Last Friday was the bible verse test..EVERY child memorized the verse perfectly!! I was so blessed and so proud of them. I am sure the piece of candy I offered for this “extra credit” played a big part but regardless they are learning and memorizing scripture. And most of them do not read, some have no one at home that can read and some speak very little English..so this is no small thing. I was sooooo proud of them.

In English class on Thursday they were learning about the proper use of “a” and “an” in the English language. I had about 12 of them crowded around me as was marking their books. I finished marking one of the boy’s books and passed it back to him. I heard him say, “TEACHER!!” in a discouraged and disappointed manner. I was still “caught up” in marking the next child’s work when I heard one of the girls say, “teacher, look at _________, he is crying” I immediately knew what the issue was. I had the 11 move so I could get out of my chair and go to him. I knelt on the floor next to his chair. He was laying his head on his desk, looking at his exercise book and he wouldn’t look at me. I called his name and told him to look at me, he didn’t budge..So I just started rubbing his back and called his name again. He looked at me and the tears poured from his eyes…I continued rubbing his back and asked him, “who makes mistakes” Through the tears he quietly said, “Everyone” I said, ”you are exactly right!” Then I said, “who is perfect” Again he responded correctly, “Only God” I sent a few more minutes encouraging him and when I looked up, most of the class was surrounding us, observing what had just transpired. I went back to my seat, continued marking books and after 2 more tries he did his work correctly. Even at a young age they put so much pressure on themselves and expect perfection from themselves. I pray God will use me to help them grow in this area and that he will help me to not get caught up in what I am doing and what I think is important and miss these discipleship moments.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

May 9-16, 2011

It’s hard to believe that 4 weeks have gone by and that today was the 1st day back at school. I got a “wake up call” this morning from one of the morning teachers saying, “you better come in now, your kids have come early!” HA..they came 3 hours early!! I guess they are excited as I am to be back! Well we are still waiting to shift to the new school building (should be moving in June) so there were no classrooms available for me to use. So I had each of the kids grab a chair and we went outside under the shade of one of the trees and had a lovely 1st day. I love my kiddos more and more each day and am glad to see them excited to learn. It brings me such joy to see their smiling faces each day, to embrace them, to see them running up the hill to school to greet me and help me carry my bags in the morning, to have them eagerly help clean and prepare the room for class, to have them linger in my presence wanting my attention instead of choosing to go outside and play on break, to have them escort me to the road to catch a taxi and yell, “bye teacher, bye, see you tomorrow” until the car is out of site. God has really given me his heart for these kids and I am so thankful to be used by him to make a difference in their lives.

I have been struggling a lot with one pupil in particular since last term. She has had no motivation or desire to learn. She would not participate in class and all her work would be incomplete and the work she did do was often incorrect. My initial response was to become frustrated and I was thinking, “I don’t know what to do, nothing is working with her” Then one night in an almost audible voice I heard God say, “Have you prayed for her” Wow, how convicted I was that I was not doing the one thing she and I needed most! So that night I spent time praying for her in faith that God would break through and do a work in her heart as well is in my own heart. That he would give her a desire to learn and that he would give me patience and wisdom. The very next day I saw an amazing breakthrough!!! I was nearly in tears. Its like she was a new girl!! She was copying everything from the board neatly and even though there were many mistakes, she was writing everything when before she would write maybe 1-2 sentences even after I told her at least 3-5 times to keep working. I started a new thing with the kids as well this term, a weekly memory verse. I can remember in grade school that we had a bible verse for each letter of the alphabet so I had my mom send me the letter charts for the verses I learned as a kid. The 1st one, Letter A is “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. I explained to the kids the meaning of the verse..reminding them of the saying I have them repeat in class on almost a daily basis..ME: “Who makes mistakes?” THEM: “Everyone!!” ME: “Who is perfect?” Them: “God.” I was so excited to see their eagerness to memorize the word of God, I had them write the verse on a small slip of paper and put it in their shirt pockets to practice. One of the girls came up to me and said in Bemba, the local dialect, “I can’t read and no one in my house can read so how will I learn this? “ I told her I would help her and she can practice on the lunch breaks with the other kids. That day 4 girls stayed after to work on memorizing the verse. One of the girls was the girl I had prayed for the night before, more than anything she wanted to memorize the verse and after about 30 minutes or so the 4 of them knew the verse. As I was preparing to leave all I could do was smile because the halls and the front yard of the school were echoing with the young voices reciting Romans 3:23 over and over again, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”

Sunday, April 17, 2011

April 7, 2011

Well, today was the last day of term two for my kiddos. It’s hard to believe that I won’t see them for a month, it kills me. I honestly can’t imagine not having them in my life; God has been good to knit our hearts together so quickly. I was sitting just observing them as they worked on their math review work and just thanking God for them. I was thinking of all that has transpired in my life thus far and how it was all training ground and preparation for this time in my life. I am living my dream, a dream that I feared would never come to fruition. God is so good!! It is easy to question God and doubt his promises in the difficult times but he is a God that does not change. His plans are to prosper us and not to harm us. Even the storms and hardships of life, the sin of others God uses. This life is like our classroom and it is full of quizzes and exams. I have always had an inward struggle with verses such as, “consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature, not lacking in anything.” (James 1:2-3) That was always one of those verses I would read quickly and say yeah, yeah ok but never truly believed. God has really changed my perspective and it has changed even who I am. Just like a student must study in preparation for the quizzes and test that they must take to pass a class. You must strive to do you best and its true you will struggle and even fail at times but even that is to be part of the lesson. Maybe you need to change the way you are preparing or training. Maybe you need a study partner or a new study partner. Sometimes those we study with are more of a distraction than a help. And the teacher is always there to help and wants to see us do well. It’s easy sometime to think, gosh this teacher is hard on us and gives us too much work but it’s for our good. And in the end when we do well on our final and do well in the class we see the teacher in a different light. Anyway, its just a thought but I am thankful for the perspective change and I can now more fully give thanks in all circumstances and especially more so in the “trials”. And I always try to remember Gods promises such as in Jeremiah 29:11, “ I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” God is good!

Oh and I just have to share the about the end of the day, all my kids escorted me up to where I catch the taxi to go home. What a sight and sound that was..ha. Anyways, they were all fighting over who would carry my bags and hold my hands..too bad I only have 2 hands. J The taxi parked on the side of the road and my boys packed the trunk with my bags then they ALL(about 20 out of 30) were embracing me at once. It was hard to stay balanced and it was a bit emotional, they were hugging me like they would never see me again. After about 5 minutes I was like its time for me to go, I love you all!!! They said we don’t want to go on break, we love you, we will miss you and as I got into the taxi they all reached out to grab my hand. The taxi began pulling away, which was packed full of people, and my little mob of rugrats chased us down the road until we reached a speed they could not keep up with. Ah, that touched my heart so deeply. These kids have changed so much in just 3 months; they are really opening up on a new level emotionally. It’s amazing how kids respond to love. But you know, I have changed as well. Like I said before..GOD IS GOOD!!!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

March 27, 2011

This weekend I attended a 2-day international Christian teaching convention in downtown Ndola. I am still in processing mode but really was overwhelmed at how God met me there. He really used the sessions to give me a renewed vision for teaching and even somewhat of a new perspective. One of the quotes flashed on the overhead screen really struck me, It went something like this: “Being a teacher is like being a candle; it consumes itself to light the way for others” As I have reflected on this quote I am reminded of the great Teacher, Jesus Christ who lived a life of sacrifice and who ultimately gave his life for his “pupils”. And what are we called to do? I will reference Ephesians 5:1-2 to answer this question in part. “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Christ poured out himself fully on our behalf. It is clear from scripture that this was not easy. In Jesus’ last moments before crucifixion he cried out to his Father, “ My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will. Matthew 26:39b. As I reflect on the life of Christ, I am both convicted and challenged. The bible makes it clear that our lives, what we do, are to be an act of worship to the Lord. Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” To be honest, it is difficult for me to imagine doing everything as an act of worship and to the glory of God. In my mind I say, “How is that possible?” I think I am still processing these thoughts but at least for now I can say is that God wants us to be aware of him in anything and everything we are doing. All things are by him and through him. all we are and all we have are by him and through him. Even our struggles and sufferings are for a greater purpose. He is the potter who is skillfully forming us more and more into is image. We may not understand, we may fear but we must trust the ever faithful, the ever present help in time of trouble and remember that his plans for us are better than any plans we could have for ourselves. The more we empty ourselves of ourselves the more God can fill those places and work more effectively in us and through us. And I have come to realize that this is completely and utterly impossible on our own. Where does it start? It starts with prayer. Getting on our knees and asking God to change our hearts and give us the desire to see him glorified and to see his purposes fulfilled through us. This is all still in process in my mind, so I am hoping this at least makes some sense. I will leave you with some more verses to reflect on, I received them in an email last week.


Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light
for my path.
( Psalm 119:105 *NIV )

For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves,
God has a positive answer for us! After all.....

When You say, "It's impossible".
God says:
"All things are possible". ( Luke 18:27 )

When You say, "I'm too tired."
God says:
"I will give you rest". ( Matthew 11:28-20 )

When You say, "Nobody really loves me".
God says:
"I love you". ( John 3:16 & John 13:34 )

When You say, "I can't go on."
God says:
"My grace is sufficient." ( 2 Corin 12:9 & Psalm 91:15 )

When You say, "I can't figure things out."
God says:
"I will direct your steps." ( Proverbs 3:5-6 )

When You say, "I can't do it."
God says:
"You can do all things in Me." ( Phil 4:13 )

When You say, "It's not worth it."
God says:
"It will be worth it." ( Romans 8:28 )

When You say, "I can't forgive myself."
God says:
"I forgive you." ( I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

When You say, "I can't manage."
God says:
"I will supply all your needs." ( Phil 4:19 )

When You say, "I'm afraid."
God says:
"I have not given you a spirit of fear." ( 2 Tim. 1:7 )

When You say, "I'm always worried and frustrated"..
God says:
"Cast all your cares on ME ( 1 Peter 5:7 )

When You say, "I don't have enough faith."
God says:
"I've given everyone a measure of faith." ( Romans 12:3 )

When You say, "I'm not smart enough."
God says:
"I give you wisdom." ( 1 Corin 1:30 )

When You say, "I feel all alone."
God says:
"I will never leave you or forsake you." ( Hebrews 13:5 )

Always remember that; Every Word of GOD is Flawless; HE is a shild to those who take refuge in HIM. ( PROVERBS 30:5 ) For the Word
of GOD is living and active! Amen. ( HEBREWS 4:12 )

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

March 2,2011

Well I have finally shifted to my flat, as they say in Zambia. From the outside of the building things look very nice but once inside, it’s a whole different story. There are 4 elevators, 2 of which have been broken since at least last summer when I was last here. The other 2 work “most” of the time. I learned a valuable lesson yesterday..the lifts are turned off at 10 pm. My good friend Judi (who lives on the 1st floor) is pregnant and was put on bed rest because she started having contractions. She still has 6 weeks to go and I decided to take her a meal for dinner. I made her 2 shepards pies and brought along a French loaf as well. After having a great time together with her family and some friends I started off for home only to realize that the lifts were off meaning I had to take the stairs to the 7th floor. I quickly noticed that many of the lights are out in the stairwells, thus it was even too dark to see the stairs. As I was passing the 3rd floor I stepped and something and it seemed to run away. I was convinced it was a rat but didn’t want to know. My friend, who was escorting me home took my phone which has a small light on it and went back down to see what it was. I reluctantly followed behind to see what it was, only to discover that it was a small corncob. Ha-ha, we laughed hysterically.

The hot water heater is broken and I am told it will be fixed next week, we shall see. I told Judi about it and she laughed, she said that she had the same issue and they just hired someone to come fix it and then 3 months later the maintenance guy for the flats came to fix it. So the water is ice cold, well when I have water. I have also learned to keep the bathtub full of water as well as extra buckets. The water goes off without warning too many times to count in a day. I asked the maintenance guy about it today and he said it is on for 20 minutes and then off for 20 minutes if the reservoir is full..but I have no way of knowing when the reservoir is full so a lot of good that info does me. Ha-ha

And the place was filthy, I wont even mention the things we found when cleaning. The 1st day of cleaning it took 4 of us like 6 hours to get it halfway decent. Then I hired a lady to help me clean a few days after and we spent another 5 hours cleaning. I am finally getting use to doing laundry in Africa. Hand washing, line drying and then ironing (to kill any possible Tutsi fly larva so that they don’t burrow into my skin) I paid an exterminator to spray for roaches and lets just say cleaning up the casualties was hmm gross but better dead than alive..eh.

March 1, 2011

Two Sundays ago we had our annual “College Sunday” at church. This is a day specifically geared towards the college students in the area. We had probably 8 different colleges represented there and it was packed! All of the chairs in the auditorium were filled and we even had to bring in extra chairs. Different college groups did some presentations, mostly musical and the locally famous band, DMK preformed. Afterwards Pastor Chanda gave an excellent gospel message and discussed the love of God. At the end of the service 35 people game forward and gave their life to the Lord. What an amazing thing to witness and be a part of. Afterwards about 5 of us went outside with the 35 and divided them into groups. Some needed to talk one on one with someone so I ended up having a group of 8, 3 girls and 5 guys. We had a small discussion about this new chapter in their life and I just took some time to get to know each of them a little better. What I am most thankful for is that pastor knows the importance of discipleship and does not merely stop when one asks Jesus into their lives. We have already begun visiting these and the other students on campus and in their boarding houses. Starting next week I will be having a discipleship group at my place once a week for 6-8 girls. There is a college just across the street from me so more than likely they will come from there. I am excited to see how God is working here and praying that we will start to see fruit in the lives of these young people. Also, every other Sunday afternoon we have a youth group event and I am encouraged to see the numbers continuing to grow. We have had between 15 and 40 young people each meeting. God is at work in the hearts of these people and I am excited to see what he will do and how God will continue to use this church.

February 25,2011

It has been far too long since I have last posted, so my apologies. My plate has been full but thankfully God has been giving me the strength I need to press through the hard times and the tiredness. I am finding such great joy in spending the majority of my time with my pupils (now 29 of them). I missed 3 days at the beginning of last week being that I needed to be at the flat while the repairs were being done…and oh how I missed them. I couldn’t wait to get back and see their smiling faces and give them a big hug. I think I am hooked..lol. I started extra tutoring lessons with about ¼ of them. I started with 4 that are having some trouble in math and after mid term break, which is next week, I will be working more with the ones that need help in English and grammar. I will more than likely do math-tutoring 2x a week and then the English/grammar 2-3x a week. It’s difficult because a few cannot even recognize the numbers 1-10 when I write them out. They can count but actually identifying the numbers is an issue, thus doing the math problems with the rest of the class has been impossible. Most cannot read and a hand full cannot even properly copy notes from the board. So part of the week off I will be reviewing their work and assessing where they are and which students need remedial work and tutoring. Once I have assessed this I will be able to group them together and better plan the tutoring sessions. I truly want to see them all reach their full potential but realize they are on different levels and not all are able to grasp everything in class. Please be praying for guidance and wisdom from the Lord as I begin the assessment process and tutoring sessions.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Orlando

Fazila

Albena, my tallest pupil

Some of my pupils

February 5,2011

Well thank the Lord I am feeling well again. Having 2 bouts of food poisoning in a week and a half was not fun!! This past week the Lord was really convicting me about being like Martha in the bible. Martha was busy, busy doing this and that but not doing what was more important, sitting at the feet of Jesus, like Mary. Again, I am praying that the Lord would direct my steps to the areas he would specifically call me to serve and intervene. We had a church planning meeting this past weekend and I will be on the planning and leadership team for children’s church, mercy ministries and college campus outreach. I know, already you may be saying, “have you forgotten what you said in the few sentences before?” But I have prayed about being involved in these areas and being a small church still, there is more each of us must do.

School is going so well and my heart is being knit even more to my pupils. I have 2 new kids that started this week, so my grand total is 28. One of them was out for 4 weeks with the measles, the other transferred from another school. By the grace of God, most of the students are able to grasp and understand the lessons and there continues to be a big improvement in class participation and hmm.. lets say classroom etiquette. The school provides a meal 3 days a week, a soy based porridge that is high in protein and other nutrients. I was noticing that on the other 2 days the vast majority of the kids did not have a lunch come mealtime. This was causing sleepless nights for me and I certainly was not going to come with a lunch and eat it in front of them when they had nothing. Ever part of my being turned in repulsion to such an idea. So, now on Monday and Thursday nights I cook for my class for the following days. I have seen a big improvement in behavior after doing this for 2 weeks. A hungry belly is a distraction for sure!

I started another “tradition” with my kids as well. At the end of the day I call them one by one to come and stack their chairs at the front of the room and as they leave I give them a big hug. I don’t think I ever would have thought that such a small gesture would make such a huge difference. There are about 10 kids that I either never saw smile or rarely saw smile. Now as they wait in anticipation for their hug they sit unable to hide a smile on their face, even giddy with excitement. What joy this brings to my heart and even tears to my eyes. May they feel the love of their heavenly Father through me.

January 29, 2011

Being in a place of such need on so many levels can be somewhat of an overwhelming thing. I spent most of the morning Saturday walking the streets of downtown Ndola. I had nothing on my agenda other than to observe the people and pray. My heart was burdened. As I walked passed the post office I saw a young girl and boy gathering up the broken pieces of a glass Fanta bottle. They smiled at me as I passed and I saw that they were using a piece of the broken glass as a bowl like cup to gather what sips remained in the broken bottle. I decided to take them to a local bakery and allow them to choose a drink and something to eat. (We picked up a third child on the way J) It took them about 15 minutes to decide what they wanted, I think there were just too many good things to choose from. As we left the bakery they said, “thank you madam..thank you” and they skipped along side me as we headed back in the direction of the post office. These 3 kids are regular beggars on the streets of downtown Ndola. I see them on a regular basis and don’t know much of their story. I do know that it is not required for kids to go to school and it is up to the discretion of the parent or caregiver. I have gathered from observation that at least 2 of the 3 stay with a grandmother who is blind. She sits at a central location near one of the bust stops. She is always sitting in the same place with her hand out waiting for those who pass to assist her. The grandchildren “report” back to her and check on her throughout the day. I am sure these children have mastered the art of knowing whom to target and I try not to be a “sucker” but it’s hard. The street kids will almost always come up to me, for the mere fact that I am white. Here white equals money and I am sure word spreads quickly about the ones that give. One thing that I decided is that I will not give the kids money, they will say, “Madame, I am hungry..can you give me money” Instead of giving them money I will go and buy food and give it to them. That way I am certain that they actually eat. It would be easy to go broke doing this but it is something I do not do every day. I am learning to say no and to be lead by the Spirit in whom to help. Its hard, I will tell you that much. Towards the end of the day I saw an old woman sitting under covering of an entrance to a shop. Near by a young boy was begging from some of the patrons parked near by and an even younger boy sat next to the old woman. As I got closer I realized the woman was blind. I would probably not be wrong in my assumption that these were her grandchildren and that their parents had died. I was actually on my way to get something to eat as I passed them. I was surprised that as I passed not one of them approached me to beg..shocked rather. It was about 3 or 4 pm by this time and I had not eaten anything yet that day but as I passed them my focus shifted from the hunger I felt to the thought of their hunger. How does a blind grandmother care for 2 young boys and how dependant is she upon them to beg for money so that they can all eat? I crossed the street to a corner grocery store and bought a bag of rolls, a large package of bologna, some chips, fruit juice and candy bars for the 3 of them. I had food at home I could make and waiting an hour longer was not that big of a deal. I crossed the road again as a light rain began to fall and put the food at the grandmothers feet without saying a word, then continued walking on my way. I had not gotten very far before I felt a small hand grasping mine. It was the older of the two boys; he kissed my hand and thanked me over and over again..he was about 9. I continued walking as the rain grew heavier, I didn’t bother to even open my umbrella. It was as if I didn’t notice the rain soaking me or maybe I just didn’t care. In the scheme of things and what I had experienced today and seen it just didn’t matter to me. I felt like crying but continued walking not aware of anything around me but only on what I had seen so far, my feet must have been on auto pilot because before I knew it I was boarding a bus for home.

January 25, 2011

There is a song that I have been meditating on this week and it a song that always brings me to tears. Most of the time I cannot even sing the words because I am crying too much. Today I was determined to “get the words out” I sat in my living room singing it as the tears poured and my voice cracked but it came from a heart of worship and gratitude for all my Savior has done and for his faithfulness time and time again. Here are the words to the song, may they move you and cause you to reflect on the faithfulness of God in your life through the good and bad times.

He’s Always Been Faithful

Morning by morning I wake up to find

The power and comfort of God’s hand in mine

Season by season I watch Him, amazed

In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways

All I have need of, His hand will provide

He’s always been faithful to me.

I can’t remember a trial or a pain

He did not recycle to bring me gain

I can’t remember one single regret

In serving God only, and trusting His hand

All I have need of, His hand will provide

He’s always been faithful to me.

This is my anthem, this is my song

The theme of the stories I’ve heard for so long

God has been faithful, He will be again

His loving compassion, it knows no end

All I have need of, His hand will provide

He’s always been faithful, He’s always been faithful

He’s always been faithful to me.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Lucky-one of my pupils. He was living on the streets just days ago. If you saw him on Monday, your heart would have broke

January 21, 2011

Week two of school is officially over, my how the time flies. I am starting to see progress both academically and in behavior with my kids. Just like any other children they have their good and bad days. I think to some extent I know how parents must feel when seeking to effectively shepherd their children. Having 25 students, many of whom who would be classified as disruptive it would be easy to become overwhelmed. I have been on the verge of that feeling more than a few times. The Lord has been good to me though and has given me wisdom when I am lacking. After trying and seemingly failing to maintain some form of class order on Friday I was at a loss. Kids were fighting, stealing pencils and erasers from one another, talking to each other and making all kinds of noise. The pupils actually doing their work were in the minority. I was very aware of my weakness. I decided to leave the room and get one of the other teachers. I told her of the situation and had her talk with them in Bemba. There was a big improvement with most of them but a handful were still very disruptive. So far I have tried kneeling near them and talking to them about doing there work, I have tried moving them to a different table and as a class they are having to constantly repeat the following phrases when prompted: “Mouths should be what?.... Closed, “Pencils should be what?... Writing. “ or “Ears should be what?...Open” and “Eyes should be where? …On the teacher” It works for most of them most of the time. Friday however was a bit different. Maybe they were hungry or restless, I am not sure but the normal stuff was not working. I prayed and asked God to give me wisdom and he did. My next move was to take whichever student was talking out into the hall and have a one on one talk with them. I had to do that with about 5 of them but they needed it. I squatted to their level resting my hand lovingly on their shoulder and talked to them about how by talking in class they are being a distraction to others, not respecting me and not honoring God. Then I would say a little prayer with them asking God to help them obey and stay focused on doing their work. I think this is going to be my new practice. God is at work in the hearts of his children, including me J

Some verses I was reflecting on this week are as follows:

Lamentations 3:21-26, “ Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait on him. The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Isa 41:10, “ So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Ps 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Ps. 9:10, “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

Psalm 25:8-9 “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his ways.

Psalm 29:11, “The Lord gives strength to his people, the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”