The first day I meet Temwani he ran up to me and jumped into my arms. If you have ever been to Africa you would know that this is an everyday occurrence, however there was something different about him. From the moment I saw him I knew that he would be someone special. From that day on my days in Zambia looked pretty much the same. Our team would wake up, go to ministry in the morning at a local preschool, and then walk home in the middle of the day to have lunch before soccer ministry in the afternoon. Temwani, lived in the house next to where my team was staying and everyday after preschool we would pass his school on the way back home, and everyday he would wait to jump into my arms so I could carry him back home. After lunch we would walk hand and hand to the soccer field and spend the afternoon together, and at the end of everyday we would say goodbye with a huge hug and our secret handshake. To many, days like this would seem simple, and its true days in Africa can be simple, but if you choose to see the beauty in the day the Lord has given you and the people that he has placed in your life, your simple day turns into an extraordinary one.
Temwani taught me a lot, but the main thing that I have taken from him and Zambia is the power of choice. As I have said before I believe that the most powerful thing about the gospel is the gift of choice. We are not forced into anything by the Lord. All he wants is for us to choose him and the life he has for us. A lot of times that is easier said than done. I have definitely learned that being thousands of miles from home, but the one thing that I have started to do every morning before I do anything else is wake up and declare that my day is his and allow him to take the reins. It seems simple but because of it my days are so much richer. Whatever comes my way, I know that the Lord has given it to me for a reason and that he will be with me every step of the way.
As time went on in Zambia, I felt that my connection with Temwani was something that the Lord had given to me for a reason. Out of the many children that I had met this little boy was different.
Temwani is very bright and right away I sensed his eagerness to learn. As I got to know him and his family more, I was blown away by his mother, and how much she loved her 4 children and was doing everything she could to provide for them.
I then learned that Temwani’s little sister was being sponsored by a World Racer that had previous been to Livingstone before us, and soon learned that I could do the same for Temwani. So after a lot of prayer and time spent with him, I decided to sponsor him. Sponsoring him now means that he will get to go to one of the best schools in the area, his books, transportation, food and uniforms will all be provided for him.
The day before I left I went to his home to tell his mother that I wanted to partner with her in supporting Temwani. I believed that it was important that she knew how much of who Temwani is today, was because of the way that she had raised him. As I talked, she burst into tears, and thanked the Lord for the many prayers that she had prayed for Temwani. She then told me that once Temwani’s little sister started going to school, Temwani asked why he could not go and because of that she had been trying to save as much money has she could to send him to the cheapest school that they could find.
She then told me that Temwani’s little sister was also being sponsored by a girl named Katie and was so thankful that the Lord always seemed to provide her with Katie’s.
Saying goodbye to him was hard, but as I handed him a picture of the two of us and explained to him that he was going to be able to go to a different school I felt our connection grow stronger. I may not be with him physically but I will get to watch him grow up all because the Lord presented me with a choice and I got to say yes.
