God of Creativity

 

Benedict, Sena, and I have returned to the US for the wedding of our daughter on July 5.  As I worked in our US backyard, I was struck by the contrast between our yard here and our yard in Zambia.  Here everything is so green.  Plants grow that you wished wouldn't, like poke root, vines, milkweed, and more.  I'm amazed at the growth of things around me.  

 

By contrast, our yard in Zambia is dirt – hard, packed down dirt – that makes great clouds of dust as the ever constant wind blows.  In order to get things to grow, you have to break the ground with a pick ax, plant, and then water every day.  There hasn't been rain since the end of February and we won't expect more rain until the end of November.  Despite the difficulty of growing things, Miriam – our head housemother – is seeing to the landscaping of the Village.  We have collected many, many plants that the children water each day.  Miriam even has a lovely white rose bush near her verandah. 

 

I'm glad that God didn't make everything and everyone the same.  He made a great variety of things.  But no matter where we might be, we can see His hand at work.

 

 

One day in the Life of a Room

 

On Wednesday, the Living/Dining room of the Visitor's house would have had wonderful stories to tell if it could talk.  The day started at 8:00am with children arriving for classes.  This space is used everyday from 8:00-1:30, with a break for lunch, for the children's classes.  There was singing, lessons, building with blocks, and artistic activities.

 

At 2:30 the Chimwemwe Ladies arrived.  We have been using this space for the meetings since it had been quite chilly and somewhat cloudy.  It didn't seem like sitting outside was a very good idea.  We had a Bible lesson, medical information, and work on the various items the women are making.  As at most meetings, there was singing.

 

At about 6:00 the mothers and children arrived for our family dinner.  More joy, happy interactions between children and adults. 

 

Although this room has no furniture except work tables, shelves, and plastic chairs, along with a new dining table, the space is used for so many things and is blessing so many more than those of us who sleep in the house.

Lives Changed

 

As we have observed the children over the last months it is very exciting to see the change in some of them.  Many read of Roman who arrived angry and uncooperative.  His "grandfather" had been telling him that he was going to a bad place where there were people who worshipped Satan and they would sacrifice him.  Well, he is now a happy boy with a ready grin.  He is quite talented artistically and strives to please.

 

Mary came, having had no schooling.  She is the older sister of the twins – Gift and Exuldah.  She is the oldest of all the children at our Village.  Mary was very insecure and felt intimidated by the other children who had been going to school the last few months.  However, as she has been in the older class, participating in our "hands on" approach to education, she is gaining confidence and joy.

 

As one person said who came and saw the children in school, "They are all so joyful."

Around the Table

 

The only piece of furniture in the new Visitor's House living/dining room is a large table.  The table and 12 chairs were made by hand by our carpenter, Mr. Musonda.  They are  made out of mokwa wood.  Benedict had him make it large and it very comfortably seats 12.  With the team from DE eating 2 meals a day around the table, it has been a wonderful way to start using it. 

 

On Wednesday night we had a special event that we hope will be repeated many times.  All the members of the Village – mothers, aunties, children, Kamau family, and visiting team – gathered for a dinner together.  Not only was the table full, but children sat around a small table we use for school, on the floor, and in the chairs (plastic) we have in the living room.  The electricity was off (as usual at that time of day) so we ate by candlelight and kerosene light.

 

The children were served first and they all waited, without being asked, until everyone else had been served.  Our large family ate together and it was a great blessing.

Christmas in June

 

The team from Grace Evangelical Free Church in Newark, DE arrived Monday night.  This is Kimberly and Kamau's home church.  This church has embraced them and the Village of Hope as part of their church family.  They arrived with 2 suitcases each, one for their personal items and another filled with things donated by members of the church.  Tonight we sat around while they opened each suitcase.  What a joy to see all of the things they brought – loving, useful, unique.  There was lotion for the housemothers, toothbrushes and toothpaste, warm clothes for the children (It is the cold season right now), knitted hats, duplo building blocks, activities and games for the children, jump ropes, medicine for children, scissors, crochet hooks, and yarn for the Chimwemwe Ladies, art paper, paintbrushes for the team to use painting in the house, and brushes for the children to use on art projects, Ziploc bags (a prized item for us), jigsaw puzzles, treats, and more.  It really did feel like Christmas in June.

A Family's Heritage

 

In March we had Steve and Karen and their son Ryan Delaware.  They loved being here and were sorry to leave.  On Monday, three of their daughters came.  As I watch these lovely young ladies, I'm blessed to think that they have had a Godly heritage, being taught to serve the Lord and give of themselves. 

 

35 Years

 

On Monday Benedict and I celebrated our 35^th anniversary.  Like many of our past anniversaries, our only time together was when we had a quick lunch of salmon salad and an apple on our new dining room table.  Our marriage began in the context of ministering together.  And that is what we are doing 35 years later.  Benedict spent the morning organizing work here, and the afternoon doing business in Lusaka, ending the day picking up a team from Delaware and arriving home after midnight.  I was teaching children, preparing rooms for the team, making curtains, etc.  "It is our meat to do the Father's will."

 

Living and Active

 

In the Bible it says that the Word of God is living and active, sharp as any two-edged sword.  Yesterday at the Chimwemwe Ladies Club this fact was brought home again to me.  Our Bible study was about David and Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan.  In Genesis 2 it says, after the story of the creation of man and woman, "that is the reason that a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.  And the two shall become one." 

 

In this area it is common to hear of one woman sleeping with another woman's husband – even a friend.  Men sleep with many women and in the process, hurt their wives and family.  It is so common and it makes me very sad.  So I shared about David and how he slept with Bathsheba, then added murder to his sinning. 

 

What struck me was how engaged the women were at this story about David.  Many had never heard it.  These stories from New and Old testaments and the Parables/stories of Jesus speak of deep truths in ways we all can understand and relate to.  These stories are living and active to our souls.

Building blocks, paper beads, bouncing balls, and Zambian dirt.

 

Our new living/dining room has become quite a center of activity.  Each day from 8:00 to 1:30 it is used as part of the areas of the school for our children.  It is the area where they paint, glue, draw, build with blocks and Lincoln Logs, and lots more.  Today the Chimwemwe Ladies met in the living room since we were learning some new crafts.  Based on a ministry craft from Uganda, we were making paper beads.  Some women were working on placemats made with gingham checked material. 

 

There are also often children in here and with little furniture, it makes a big area for bounding balls.  And of course in this dry season there is always dirt on the floor.  We have to sweep it a couple of times a day.    But all of these are joyful activities with happy children and adults.

 

Community Center Dedication

 

A team from Neenah, WI – Calvary Bible Church and Faith in Action – was here in May.  In 10 days they built a community center.  It was wonderful seeing the working together of folks from WI, 4 brothers from Kenya, and our own workers from Zambia.  Long days, cooperation, provision of supplies, good weather, and safety made the work go quickly and joyfully. 

 

Before the team left we wanted to dedication the building.  The team first prayed in the large room.  Then folks from the area came and with singing, prayers, and testimonies, we dedicated the building. 

 

This Community Center is located behind the Farm Market, overlooking the pond (in rainy season) and puddle (by the end of the dry season).  It is a beautiful location.  The purpose is to provide a meeting place, a library especially for all the children in the community, computer lab, and temporarily the school for the children of our village;

Children, children everywhere

 

A few days before the dedication of the Community Center, we had a concert.  One of the team members from WI travels around the world playing the trumpet and speaking.   We invited the community to come for this concert and a message given by a Kenyan pastor.  People kept coming, and coming.  With the unfinished building as the backdrop, over 300 folks came.  The amazing fact is that over half, close to 200 were children from the Nyrienda village, Green compound, and our own Village of Hope.. 

 

What an opportunity!   Children hungry to know God, to learn, to grow.  We will be praying about what we will be doing to reach out to these children.