Zambia was difficult for a dozen different reasons. Most notably, I was aware of how close I was to coming home, while simultaneously dealing with the realities of this whole thing ending and how much longer I still had left in the field. Needless to say, Zambia was a difficult month.
Zambia was, however, still a month of tremendous growth and victory in my life. I saw myself persevere in the face of wanting to move on from this season of life. I saw myself seek discipline even when my hard drive full of movies beckoned with a much louder voice. I saw myself beginning to transform my heart posture from desiring the Lord for His blessings to desiring Him for simply being with Him.
We stayed at a compound owned by a Catholic women’s diocese for the month. The site was beautiful and we were able to pretty much do whatever we wanted at the base. Hot water, full kitchen, and beds were our comforts. It was definitely a nice luxury straight from the Lord. The base was located in a village called Maramba Village, located east of the main city of Livingstone, which is famous for its proximity to Victoria Falls.
Life in Maramba was simple and quiet. The people greeted us daily with smiles and waves. We woke up daily to go to a small primary school about two kilometers away to teach a group of children age 2-10. This was easily my favorite part of the month. My kids were the nursery students age 2-4 and it caused me to gain a newfound respect for pre-K teachers. The kids were a handful each and every day, but man were they fun. I got punched, kicked, bit, slapped, hugged, slept on, and peed on by these kids, and I loved every bit of it. These children were a blessing straight from the Father.
In the afternoon, my team and I did soccer ministry. Every day, the children of Maramba go to the local soccer field to train and play soccer with one another. Soccer is a way of life for many young people in Zambia. If soccer isn’t played on a given day, then that particular days tends to lack a certain flair. The kids we were with loved the game. The girls connected with our girls from the very beginning, which was a beautiful thing to behold. Every day involved us watching, occasionally participating, and every day playing with the kids on the sidelines. At the end of each session, it was our privilege to share the Gospel with these kids. Our host goes daily to the fields to love on these children, which left us each humbled with the chance to bring a little bit more community with us when we shared life with them.
And that was Zambia. Zambia was hard. Zambia was not always fun. But Zambia was full of life and the Father’s love, even when it was hard to find it. If we’re being honest, I don’t have much desire to go back and do Zambia all over again, but I wouldn’t be the same man I am now had I not spent a month in Maramba village with my team and the community.
