What’s good everybody?? Team Zealous Love has had a great first week of ministry! We have spent the last week seeking out Unsung Heroes.
Unsung Heroes: Men and women who are dedicated to serving some of the most impoverished populations in the world, yet rarely receive recognition for their dedication and service. These givers may also live with meager conditions but give constantly from an abundance of God’s love. Their names may not be in history books, their acts unknown to the rest of the world, while unrecognized, they shake a generation and move a culture and ultimately build the Kingdom.
The Lord’s provision has been absolutely incredible. There has never been a team who has done UH ministry their first month and there has never been a UH team in Zambia. The fact that we are doing UH our first month and in Zambia…coincidence? No says I. The Lord has provided so many contacts that our schedule is PACKED with meeting people and organizations! We meet these people in hopes of sharing their stories and creating more hosts for future World Racers. As the World Race grows they need more contacts to send racers to!
This week has been a very fruitful. We have been in Lusaka and have connected with four Unsung Heroes! Funny enough they have all been somehow connected to the Ng’ombe compound (a shantytown within Lusaka where the poorest of the poor live). I can’t begin to explain how big of a blessing it has been for our first month to be a ministry in which we seek out others sharing The Kingdom here in Zambia. Without further ado here are some REAL heroes in this world:
Gertrude: Chikumbuso
Gertrude. A REAL HERO. She is the co-founder of Chikumbuso. Her and Mama Linda started Chikumbuso in 2005. This was formed out of their heart to teach and help those who don’t have the opportunities to afford to go to school. Each day around 380 students come to Chikumbuso. For those who don’t have a home at all there is a boys and girls room for them to stay. The students that stay there are usually there because it isn’t safe enough for them to go home. For instance, the girl that was currently staying there was 14 years old and had been beat and raped by her father. Chikumbuso takes care of her and provides care for the child she had.
The students at Chikumbuso learn a variety of subjects and skills. While these students are learning there are around 50 widows also at Chikumbuso crocheting. Everyday each woman comes and crochets hand bags, bracelets, and a couple other items out of paper bags. Literally, your everyday Target or Walmart bags ripped into strips and crocheted. The women then sell these items and receive 70% of the sale to help lift them out of poverty, and the other goes to Chikumbuso to help pay teachers and for food.
When telling her story Gertrude showed a heart of humility and thankfulness. The very first things she said was “It was a Jesus thing”, she never imagined something as big as Chikumbuso coming out of a desire to teach children. She wanted people to know her story, because she said she wasn’t any different than anyone else. At one point she was sleeping on the street and now she runs a school for orphans and is caring for and empowering widows. The Lord wants to use us all. He doesn’t care where you are at, sleeping on the street or finishing up college, He just wants you to be willing and obedient. If you would like to check out more visit chikumbuso.com.
Whitney Morreau: Impact One
Whitney Morreau. A REAL HERO. She also is near and dear to my heart because she is from God’s country aka the 270 (for you who don’t know that is the western KY area code). Whitney has started a ministry in Ng’ombe called Impact One. Impact One is only 4 months old, but she is already making a big difference. Her goal is to partner with schools in Ng’ombe and develop their teachers and further their vision. She had her first meeting with the schools the other week and 14 schools from the compound showed up! The schools were given an assignment to create a proposal to turn in next time, and this little step alone has proven to be fruitful. Four of the schools who had never communicated or partnered up came together to create a proposal that the four of them would work together on! Just like that schools are beginning to help each other out and further their goal of educating and empowering students in better and more effective ways.
Through training these teachers Whitney hopes to develop relationships with each of them. By getting to know them personally she will now have a platform to disciple them in Jesus’s name. Her heart for these people is soooo genuine. She loves these people. To make the commitment to come over here and start this organization alone because you know what The Lord has called you to takes some faith and strength from The Lord.
If you would like to connect with Whitney or help her in anyway check out impactoneinitiative.org. You can also find her on Facebook!
Eric and Holly Nelson: Special Hope Network
Eric and Holly. REAL HEROS. They are two wonderful people who are serving in Lusaka. They started Special Hope Network in 2010. SHN is an organization that treats and develops kids with intellectual disabilities. They are the ONLY organization who treats kids with intellectual disabilities in Zambia. Special Needs kids have a negative stigma in Zambia. Most people think they are insane, crazy, have been cursed by family members, or there is some other crazy reasons. In this case most of them are neglected by their family and society. For instance, Eric told us a story about a man who brought his child to the center. He asked if Eric could help his son who was crazy. His son had been in a Psych Ward and just got out…his son literally just had down syndrome. People over here just don’t have knowledge of these disabilities. Because of this 4 out of 5 kids with intellectual disabilities die before the age of 5. Special Hope Network has set out to change this.
They have two treatment centers in two different compounds. Around 70 children come to these centers three days a week. They require their parents to come with them to the center. This is so they can learn how to treat and care for their child properly, and also build community with other parents who have children with special needs. Unfortunately, most parents with special needs children feel alone, so this allows them to build community with others!
They are funded by sponsors. Each child has a sponsor that pays for their education and treatment. This allows the students to come for free! If you are interested in learning more about sponsoring a child with special needs please visit specialhopenetwork.com.
Megan Bloemker: Arise Africa
Megan. A REAL HERO. Megan is apart of a ministry called Arise Africa that started a few years ago. Arise Africa has a mission of rising up Africans out of poverty and giving them opportunities to succeed. They currently serve in two schools in compounds and have an orphanage. At each school they have 3 staff members. These staff members all have 30 kids they report on. So quick math, they are impacting 180 kids at two schools. Each staff person brings that child food, does home visitations, and leads the students in a bible study. These students that are being cared for have sponsors through Arise to pay for all of this. So if you are interested in sponsoring a child through Arise check out ariseafrica.org.
The orphanage they run is run very empowering. They only have 9 kids in their orphanage right now because they want to be thorough. Giving each of them the best chance to succeed. I really wish I could express to you in this blog the passion she had for this, but this Helvetica 11pt font isn’t going to do it. They don’t just want to house these kids. They want to show them what is looks like to be responsible, to strive for things that are difficult, and to dream and pursue it. The children they have brought in have lived there for about a year now, and in that short time they have gone from tight faced street kids to loving and hopeful people.
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What a blessing it has been to meet these people who are being a light. Who have left comfort behind to move to these places and serve the impoverished. And not just serve them, but empower them. Hoping to change a culture in Jesus’s name. To love those who are neglected, to give strength to the weak, and to encourage the downtrotted. I pray each of you check these ministries out! They are changing lives y’all!
A few of my teammates have also wrote blogs about these ministries. Check them out!
katherinechen.theworldrace.org
