Visiting Village of Hope

Visiting Village of Hope - Zambia

This letter was sent out to those who we thought might be considering a trip to the Villages of Hope.  If you are part of this group, we hope this information is helpful.

January 30, 2011

 

Dear Friends,

 

Greetings from Zambia and the Village of Hope! 

 

Our new year, 2011, has begun with a great start to the school year, and the children are joyful and flourishing.  One visitor from the Ministry of Youth Services said that he saw a "sparkle" in the children that he hadn't seen anywhere else.  So we are grateful to the Lord for allowing us to be part of this work.

 

I'm writing to you in my role as Volunteer Coordinator on the Zambian side.  I know that many of you, individually or as you lead missions in your church, may be considering coming or sending a team to our Village of Hope.  Last year we were so blessed by the many individuals who came to serve, help us, and share love with the children and staff.

As the New Year has begun, many of you are now putting together your calendars for the year, so here are some things to consider.

 

Ø      Currently, all contacts about volunteering should be sent directly to me at villagesofhope@gmail.com or call the AKCLI office at 410-939-5900.  Many of you have been in contact with Terry Brandon in the past.  He is no longer serving as Volunteer Coordinator in the states.  So please do not send any information to him.

Ø      We schedule based on a first come, first served program.  Although we try to work with groups to make sure everyone is accommodated, the earlier you reserve the dates, the better.

Ø      We have an updated Volunteer Manual which I will send to you if you are considering a trip.

Ø      Although many folks want to come in the US summer, we welcome volunteers throughout the year.  Also it is often a little less expensive to travel at other off-peak times.

 

We have spoken with some of you and know you are working on a plan for a trip. If you have a time that you are proposing, please let me know as soon as possible.

 

Blessings to all of you.  We thank you for your prayers and we look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new friends throughout this year.

 

In His Service,

Kathleen Schwartz

Volunteer Coordinator in Zambia

Sent to the Blog

We Are Not in Kansas Anymore!

 

A few days ago Benedict was thinking about where all of the adult missionaries serving in our Village of Hope lived when they were kids, like the kids here.  Kamau lived in Kenya,  Anita lived in Micronesia, Kimberly (as an army kid) spent years in Germany and other places, Dick lived in Zambia, Benedict was in PA – an east coast kid, and I was raised in Kansas. 

 

How amazing it is that, literally, from the 4 corners of the earth a team has been brought together to love and care for the children here.  And who knows where these kids, raised in Zambia, will live when they are adults.  Maybe they will go out to the 4 corners of the earth.

 

Shutterfly

 

Sue Wright, who is visiting from MN, put together a Shutterfly book to bring to our children here.  I first saw Shutterfly when our daughter Jessica used this internet technology to put together the pictures from her wedding.  Sue used pictures that had been taken of various activities of the children in their church.  She put them together and wrote a story, or descriptive narrative to go with the pictures. 

 

Sue and Dave have gone around to all the houses and shared this book.  Our children here love it.  They have questions like:  What are their names?  How old are they? 

 

Sue's plan is to use the pictures she is taking here to make another book to have at her church.  She will send a copy to us so the children will have a book with pictures of themselves. 

 

This is a great idea and perhaps others who are planning trips to Zambia would want to put together a Shutterfly book of their church or family or community to share with us.

Thank you, Sue, for starting our Shutterfly library!

 

2011 Volunteers

 

We are beginning the process of setting dates and collecting information from individuals, churches, and groups who are planning to visit and volunteer at the Village of Hope.  A letter will be going out soon.  If you are interested, please let us know at villagesofhope@gmail.com.  When the e-mailing is sent out, you will be sure and get a copy that will include our updated Volunteer Manual.

 

Mr. Rogers Visits Our Neighborhood

 

Before I returned to the US in November, we had had some problems with several children who don't know how to handle their anger.  The song had come into my mind, "What do you do with the mad that you feel?"  This is a song that Mr. Rogers wrote and sang on his PBS program watched by my children when they were young.  I went out to Amazon and ordered a songbook and a 2 episode DVD of the program in which he deals with anger.

 

Last week, thanks to electricity in the school, and Kimberly's tech assistance, we watched the programs.  For the first time children saw someone swimming using proper strokes, fish in a fish tank, a kid doing a "poppa wheelie" in a wheelchair, a slide whistle, a mechanical train that goes on a track, and probably other things that I'm not even aware of.

 

I didn't know when I ordered it that in the second episode Mr. Rogers visits the performing group "Stomp."  They used hands and feet, buckets, brooms, pipes and drums to make musical beats and songs.  I expect to see our kids trying some of those things.

 

The message that came across to both the children and the teachers was that each person has things they can do when they feel angry so they don't hurt themselves or other people.  Whether it's a sport, art, talking about it, and most of all praying, we can have things we do when we are angry.

 

As I watched the programs, I was struck again by the genius that Mr. Rogers was in his creative love for children, his music, and his loving way.  If he was still alive I would have wanted to write him and say that he has touched children in Africa and we are grateful.

 

 

 

Mr. Rogers Visits Our Neighborhood

Mr. Rogers Visits Our Neighborhood

 

Before I returned to the US in November, we had had some problems with several children who don't know how to handle their anger.  The song had come into my mind, "What do you do with the mad that you feel?"  This is a song that Mr. Rogers wrote and sang on his PBS program watched by my children when they were young.  I went out to Amazon and ordered a songbook and a 2 episode DVD of the program in which he deals with anger.

 

Last week, thanks to electricity in the school, and Kimberly's tech assistance, we watched the programs.  For the first time children saw someone swimming using proper strokes, fish in a fish tank, a kid doing a "poppa wheelie" in a wheelchair, a slide whistle, a mechanical train that goes on a track, and probably other things that I'm not even aware of.

 

I didn't know when I ordered it that in the second episode Mr. Rogers visits the performing group "Stomp."  They used hands and feet, buckets, brooms, pipes and drums to make musical beats and songs.  I expect to see our kids trying some of those things!

 

The message that came across to both the children and the teachers was that each person has things they can do when they feel angry so they don't hurt themselves or other people.  Whether it's a sport, art, talking about it, and most of all praying, we can have things we do when we are angry.

 

As I watched the programs, I was struck again by the genius of Mr. Rogers in his creative love for children, his music, and his loving way.  If he was still alive I would have wanted to write him and say that he has touched children in Africa, and we are grateful.

 

 

 

2011 Volunteers

2011 Volunteers

 

We are beginning the process of setting dates and collecting information from individuals, churches, and groups who are planning to visit and volunteer at the Village of Hope.  A letter will be going out soon.  If you are interested, please let us know at villagesofhope@gmail.com.  When the e-mailing is sent out, you will be sure and get a copy that will include our updated Volunteer Manual.

 

 

Shutterfly

Shutterfly

 

Sue Wright, who is visiting from MN, put together a Shutterfly book to bring to our children here.  I first saw Shutterfly when our daughter Jessica used this internet technology to put together the pictures from her wedding.  Sue used pictures that had been taken of various activities of the children in their church.  She put them together and wrote a story, or descriptive narrative to go with the pictures. 

 

Sue and Dave have gone around to all the houses and shared this book.  Our children here love it.  They have questions like:  What are their names?  How old are they? 

 

Sue's plan is to use the pictures she is taking here to make another book to have at her church.  She will send a copy to us so the children will have a book with pictures of themselves. 

 

This is a great idea and perhaps others who are planning trips to Zambia would want to put together a Shutterfly book of their church or family or community to share with us.

Thank you, Sue, for starting our Shutterfly library!

 

 

We are not in Kansas Anymore!

We Are Not in Kansas Anymore!

 

A few days ago Benedict was thinking about where all of the adult missionaries serving in our Village of Hope lived when they were the same age as the kids here.  Kamau lived in Kenya,  Anita lived in Micronesia, Kimberly (as an army kid) spent years in Germany and Phillippines, Dick lived in Zambia, Benedict was in PA – an east coast kid, and I was raised in Kansas. 

 

How amazing it is that, literally, from the 4 corners of the earth a team has been brought together to love and care for the children here.  And who knows where these kids, raised in Zambia, will live when they are adults.  Maybe they will go out to the 4 corners of the earth.

 

 

 

Blessings of Brothers and Sisters

Blessings of Brothers and Sisters

 

For the last week and a half we have had Susan Lukaart, Steve Eckert, and Jim Kramer in our Village.  Susan and Jim are members of the AKCLI Board.  What a blessing it has been to have them here with us!  Susan helped get our school year started with her invaluable training and mentoring for all the teachers.  Steve met with the mothers and aunties to talk about trauma in children, a workshop that Steve and Susan did together in Ethiopia before they arrived in Zambia.  All of them were working on Board business including a meeting with the Zambia Board.  It has been an exciting time.

 

On Sunday night, Dave and Sue Wright arrived from MN.  Dave heads up the mission committee at my sister's church.  Dave is a large animal vet.  He will be working on helping us develop a dairy program that will supply milk and meat for our children in addition to a training opportunity as the children help with the whole process.  Sue is landscape designer.  She will be helping us with landscaping around the road front as well as at the school, working with the children to make a landscape plan for our courtyard.

 

All of us have gifts and talents that God can use not only where we live but in ministry to others.  God's good economy!

 

A Small World

A Small World

 

In November Dick and Anita Mumba moved to our village.  He is a pastor, church planter, and farmer.  She is a teacher and both of them were in YWAM (Youth with a Mission) for many years.  They met Kamau in Kenya YWAM over 20 years ago.  Dick is Zambian.  Anita is from Micronesia. 

 

Sue Wright is visiting from MN.  A family from Sue's church served for 2 years in Micronesia.  When she asked Anita if she knew this family, Anita did know them from their service in her home country. 

 

Since my sister goes to Sue's church it makes a circle: from me to my sister Minda, to the family in her church, to Anita, and back to me.  It is a small world and God brings people together from so many different places.

 

First Week of School

First Week of School:

 

Dedicated teachers

Teachers learning and working together

Eager children

Rain

Muddy boots and shoes

Electricity!!

Never ending sorting and organizing

A real desk for the office!!!! (thank you DE container)

Tall, green grass everywhere

Lunches for teachers from our restaurant/take away

A break from all the dust of the dry season!

 

Brown to Green

Brown to Green

When I left Zambia on November 3 we hadn't had rain since March.  Although the trees were leafing out as the hot season was on us, everything else was brown and you couldn't get away from the dust and dirt.  As we returned on Jan 5 the transformation was almost too much to take in.  There is green everywhere.  The grass has grown and is often very high.  The trees all seem to have grown several feet and the branches bow down.  Flowers around the restaurant are profuse and beautiful.  There are more birds and there is the constant sound of bird song.  Yesterday as I worked with the worship team to prepare for the service, we had a singing toad join us from outside.  How loud and exuberant he was!  We have had rain, rainbows, and beautiful sunsets.  It is a beautiful place to be.

Exciting School Beginning

Exciting School Beginning

Today we began the 2011 school year at our School of Hope.  Susan Lukaart who has led our Education Leadership Team is here and today and tomorrow are for teacher professional development and training.  It was an exciting time.  Our 3 teachers are so intelligent, asking questions about how to best teach and apply the principles of our school.  We were able to really dialogue about our view of children and the potential and creativity they have.  As Zandile said, the children are all blessings from God.

Tomorrow we will continue our planning and preparation.  Then the next 3 days the children will come for the morning to give us more time for planning as well as time to meet with Susan whose passion for children and learning, as well as experience is invaluable for all of us. 

The children can't wait to get back to school.  What a blessing that is!!