AFRICA!!!!!
It is so strange to think how quickly the first four months on the world race have gone by. And now we are in month five…..and in AFRICA!!!!
This month we are work in with Redemption Shalom Church in Lusaka, Zambia.
We are staying with the Pastor and his family in their home. They have been married 20 years and have 6 beautiful daughters and one grand-daughter.
They have been more that gracious to open thier home to us, cook meals for us, and share their hearts for Zambia with us.
Our ministry this month consists of teaching and evangelizing.
We are teaching at Destiny School which is ran by the church. The school provides education to impoverished children in the Matero area of Lusaka.
There are currently 410 students that attend Destiny school in classes from preschool to grade 9.
There is a program called Arise Africa that is helping to sponsor 170 children at the school. Sadly there are still 240 students who do not have sponsors.
Part of our ministry is to reach out to organizations and find potential sponsors as well as help in Destiny School find a way to become self-sufficient in providing for the students. They are currently in the process to apply for government aid but this process can take years to be approved.
It is very encouraging seeing how they are standing standing strong in their faith that God will provide.
As teachers in the classrooms my team has been able to experience what school in Africa really looks like.
There are at least 35 children in each class but most have more.
There is a limited amount of materials for teachers. These include chalk, some paper, a few rulers, markers that are almost dry, and crayons that are broken.
The day starts at 7:30 and ends at 4pm with a few breaks in between.
The books that are taught out of vary depending on the subject but most are student editions.
The same material is taught in each class on different levels.
The material is about 2 grades behind the actual grade. For example in grade 5 I taught what verbs and nouns are when children in America typically learn this in grade 3.
The ages of the students also vary in each grade. In grade 5 and there were students from 11 to 16 in the class.
The students clean the classrooms before returning from lunch and physical punishment is still practiced. These are just a few of the differences.
Another ministry we will be a part of includes a mission trip. We wil spend 5 days I a small village about 2 hours away from Lusaka.
Here we will be involved in village life and go evangelize.
We have already gone out since being here and the experience was wonderful.
We chatted with many people, some in small pubs (tiny structures with dirt floors and no door), some outside their homes, and some in the middle of the dirt, rock road.
Two women accepted Jesus as their personal savior, some heard about Jesus for the first time, and many, many more received prayer.
Africa is everything I expected and yet not at all what I expected.
My heart has longed to be here for so long.
There is such a hunger for truth in the atmosphere here.
God’s presence is simply undeniable.
Prayer requests:
*For Destiny School to be self-sufficient.
*For the students to understand the importance of completing thier education.
*For the teachers to seek God’s plan for their classrooms and students.
*For God to heal hearts and families of the people of Zambia
*For Pastor Peter and his family to make a lasting impact on the people in the community.
*For acknowledgement that each person has a purpose and has value.
*For the enemy to leave and God’s people to rise up in this nation.
IN OTHER NEWS:
*I AM FULLY FUNDED!!!!
God has provided $16,267 for me to become a missionary to the nations!!
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!
*My new team is all ladies and we are excited to see what God has planned for Africa.
My team includes Anne from Georgia, Amber from Louisiana, Leighton from Arkansas, Christina from Canada, and Nikki from Illinois.
*God is teaching me to really appreciate where I am in life, how to carry his confidence with me all day, what his heart looks like for the people of Zambia, and so much more.
