For any of those wondering, here’s a little recap of my time in Zambia and Zimbabwe. I’m sorry I didn’t get it posted sooner!
My team The Fellowship spent the month of February in Mongu, Zambia working with an amazing organization called Kids Alive – Zambia. Kids Alive serves as a kind of foster home for kids living in abusive and poverty situations; providing them with a loving, Christian home and the opportunity for education. We spent the first part of the month renovating one of the homes, making it a better, cleaner and safer environment for the kids to be living in. We did lots of painting, construction and cleaning up after/bombing the millions of cockroaches that had infested the home. It was nice to have a little bit of time to work our bodies hard, but give our minds a little rest. It was a great start to the month, but most of us were really looking forward to spending some time with the kiddos.
We spent the last half of the month tutoring, teaching and just loving on the kids. It really didn’t take long for them to steal our hearts. We were able to have a fun night around the camp fire pouring into the kids and teenagers, sharing with them about our life experiences. It’s in those moments when I wish I could freeze time and just stay there forever.
I was feeling really homesick and unfortunately I spent most of my time thinking of what I wanted to do after the Race. We’d reached the halfway point in our, for lack of a better word, “trip” and part of me couldn’t believe we were already half way and the other part could believe I still had half way to go. The struggle was real. I literally would just lay there in my own sweat, covered by my torn mosquito net counting down the weeks until our tentative return home. I really wish that I would’ve been more intentional about the present and not been wishing my time away.
We spent the month of March in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe working with the Mark and Helen Begarly. I can’t even begin to express to you how nice it was to work with an American couple. I’d loved our 2 previous host’s, but after spending 2 months in Africa, it was so refreshing to have that small piece of home and have people who understood our culture as well as the Zimbabweans.
We spent our month working out at the Huntington Retreat center, a christian camp ground right outside of town. We spent our week days painting the new buildings that had been built because a fire had taken the old ones. Our weekends were spent in town working with the youth group and spending time with the ladies of the church. We were really busy for the majority of the month and didn’t have a lot of down time, but it was a great month of reflection and time to think. And our hosts were such a blessing in their willingness to pour wisdom and love into us every chance they could get.
Every time I think about it I really can’t get over how blessed I am to be living this life. God is so good and even on the bad days I wouldn’t trade this adventure for anything.
I’m still trying to raise the funds I need in order to continue on the World Race. I only have 2 months to go… I haven’t made it this far not to finish. God isn’t done working in me through the Race. If you are interested in helping me stay, you can donate by clicking the “Support Me!” Link. Any amount helps!
As always, the biggest thing I could ask of you is for your prayers. Being on the mission field and traveling so much can really take it’s tole on you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually… I need strength and to continually be filled up by God so that I can pour out to those around me.
Thanks for bearing with me and taking the time to read about this adventure, and pray for the work God is doing.
Love,
Rachel ??
