Hey Everyone!
Well the Lord certain knew what He was doing at the end of my time in Zambia...I am just amazed in how He works even in the last moments! I actually just got home to the states but I will let you know how I'm adjusting in a later post, but this one will be about the last few days of Week 8 of Camp Life!
Thursday - Community Day...God is rescuing His kids 1 by 1 !!Even though I did have a group of girls that were from "Care For Kids", I had Maggie and Susan as well. Greer (director) told me prior to this day that I was going to be taking Maggie, Susan, Peter, Joseph, and JR back to Kamanga so they could share the gospel to their own people in their community. I couldn't wait to go and speak with both of their parents and hope to lead them to Christ. Once we got there, we first went straight to Maggie and Peter's house to try to speak with their mom but she wasn't home. After we left, the kids were literally stoping everyone they passed to show them the evangecube and tell them about who Christ is. They were so bold in sharing the gospel. As we were walking around, I noticed that there wasn't the usually big crowd of kids around us. Maybe only a couple at the most. So as were were walking, I was approaching this little girl and it took me a moment to recognize her, but it was Emma!! (Emma is a girl who came Week 7 and one of my mom's girls last year who is usually beautiful on the inside and out). However, I honestly didn't know it was her because of her unbelievable depressed look, hopelessness, unwanted, and unvalued demeanor but all of it together I knew something wasn't right. As I knelt down to ask if she was ok...Emma began to weep and cry on my shoulder. All that I could hear her say was
.."Auntie Joy, I want to kill myself. My mom is going to beat me!" She kept saying this over and over. I didn't really know what to do except just pray for her. So during that time of prayer, about 20 plus people were circling us. There is no personal space in Zambia, but as I got up from praying I just grabbed Emma's hand and had her walk around with us the rest of the day. I told her that we could go to her Mom's house and pray over her, but she pulled my hand several times saying
"Please don't tell my mom, Please don't tell her...she's going to beat me worse!" I told Emma that we wouldn't go to her house and that I wouldn't say anything to her mom about what Emma had told me about her abusing her. I then asked about her Stepdad and all she could do is cry. I immediately had this feeling that her stepdad had recently rapped her.
Her eyes were so desperate for help!During this time, we finally made it to Joseph, JR, and Susan's house. After being there for a few minutes, we figured out that they weren't the only siblings. There were 6 siblings all together. Also, the dad was there! Praise the Lord. So Stephanie, Paul (our translator) and I entered the home to sit down with the dad. We then began sharing the gospel with him. As Paul was talking to him, I was praying that God would break through and open his eyes to see the truth and light of God. After about 45 minutes, this man...named
Joseph, heard, believed, and accepted Christ as his personal Savior!! What a victory God won that day! We continued talking with him and encouraged him by reading some scripture. My heart was thrilled to know that the man who sexually abused and harmed his children, was now gone and his new life had just begun!!
As we were heading back to the van we came in, Emma was still right there with me along with the other 5 kids..plus some. Emma mentioned to me that she was hungry so I told her that I had brought a big sack of food for all of the kids and I would give her some before we left. Once we got back to Maggie and Peter's house, the Mom was still not there. We entered the house and began to hand out the food...bananas, bread, Maheu, and Peanut Butter Sandwiches. Emma and her 2 sister's ate while we were seperating the food out. Throughout that time, Emma would go in and out of crying. It was so hard for me to know that she was going to be heading back home soon. The only reason she was not at home the entire day was because that was the only way she wouldn't get severely beaten. When we began saying our goodbyes she stood up and gave me this look that struck so deep within me...I felt she was saying with her eyes "Please help me, I'm going to die if you don't!".
I knew right then, that God wanted me to know that He was going to rescue her and I needed to tell her that. So I told her that I loved her and that God was going to get her out of the place she was in but that she needed to believe it! I left the rest of the kids being proud of what they did today, but also sadness in my heart for their living situations.
I arrived back at our Villas (where we live) a little bit later and I went straight to speak with Holly. I told her everything that happened that day with Joseph coming to know the Lord, but also about Emma. She was listening with tears in her eyes and a heart that hurt for this precious child. We finally had a plan to rescue this child...Paul and Holly were going to go to Kamanga on Saturday and pick up Emma to take her to Family Legacy's boarding school in Chilanga called Life Way Homes. It's where there is one house mom with 10 girls living in a safe and encouraging atmosphere. The only thing that we needed to pray about is her mom's consent on letting her go to school...
Leaving Zambia with Peace.Saturday, August 2, had arrived and this is the day I return home after an incredible time with the kids. I sleep in, rushed to finish my data forms that we wrote up for the kids and then left the Mulingushi Village at 11:15am. We, all 40 of us, arrived at the airport to check in. As time went on, we finally got up to the check in counter and
little did we know that God was still working even in the midst of leaving...there were about 9 of us left who still needed to check in, but we were just informed (15 mins before our flight left) that there were no more seats available and that the flight was overbooked. A few of the people in our group were a bit upset and frustrated, but my friend Stephanie and I, looked at this situation with ease. We then took the initiative to figure it out. So after about 2 hours in the airport, we were re-routed and wouldn't leave Zambia until the next day (August 3). All 9 of us were compensated in a hotel for the night. With having the rest of the day open, I contacted Holly and asked if Stephanie and I could go see our kids in Kamanga for one last time. She quickly said yes and sent Gilbert in a van to pick us up. We went straight to the community and on the way there I knew that I wanted to sit down with Maggie and Peter's Mom. I started praying and within minutes the Lord spoke to me and said,
"She will be there and she will come to know Me!" I couldn't wait to get there and speak with this young mom about the Lord. (Thank you Jessica for praying for a way for the Lord to open up an opportunity to share Christ with Maggie's Mom)
When we got to Kamanga, we only had about 45 minutes to be there because it would be getting dark soon. As we were driving in Peter saw us and literally was sprinting by the van and then all of the sudden he was gone. Maggie soon ran around the corner and was smiling from ear to ear. In about 5 minutes top, Peter came back with Joseph, JR, and Susan!! Oh how my heart was so full again with these kids around me!! Once the excitement settled down, we asked if Maggie and Peter's Mom was home. They said yes. She soon came outside, but immediately we could tell she was very sick. We asked if we could come in and sit with her. Without hesitation, she lead us in her house. All 3 of us, Gilbert, Stephanie and I, began talking with her. We discussed her sickness and then shifted to telling her about Jesus. We were without the evangecube, but we knew God was present and would help her understand. After talking with her for about 45 minutes and with kids coming in and out of the house. She clearly understood who Jesus, what He came to do for her, and how He is still alive today!
She heard, believed, and accepted Jesus as her personal Savior. Immediately, there was no more darkness but light that only comes from knowing Jesus. We read some more scripture to her and prayed for the Lord to heal her. I wish that I would've thought to take a picture of this mom. She was changed in an instant and her life was never going be the same! God was resting in that house and I believe that everything that she had done was cast away and her new life was beginning. You could see that she completely understood who Jesus was and is!! My heart was so overwhelmed of how God moved...I believe wholeheartedly that is why I wasn't suppose to leave Saturday. God provided a way for us to go back to this woman's house to share the Gospel of Peace with this Mother. I was now able to leave Zambia with knowing that God was finished using me for another year in Zambia.
Seeing Emma rescued by the Lord.Driving out of Kamanga was hard, but I was leaving with tears of joy because of what the Lord just did. I was so thankful and knew that God wasn't finished using me until this mother heard about Jesus. We went straight to Mulingushi Village to meet up with Holly and Emma. We all were going to take her to the Life Way Homes in Chilanga. Earlier that day Emma was able to take a bath, get clean/new clothes, and eat dinner. When I saw her I couldn't believe my eyes...she was restored!! Her eyes were glowing with the spirit of the Lord and she couldn't stop smiling. She came up to me and said,
"Auntie Joy, the Lord is My Shepherd!" I almost began crying seeing how God literally took a child out of such a dark place and set her in a place that is full of light!! We arrived at the house a little bit later and met all of her "big sisters". They welcomed her with open arms. Emma was finally in a place of hope, being valued and loved! She was now able to sleep in a bed with sheets and a blanket, have an indoor bathroom, and food to eat! Goodness, the Lord had completed His work and I was humbled to be apart and witness it all!
To see with my own eyes the work of the Lord and watching how He rescues the orphans 1 by 1, is absolutely breathtaking!! I believe being apart of this is what the Lord has set on my heart to do! I am in awe of His works and the way He moves in and through all of us!! I wanted to tell each of you, thank you for praying!! Without you crying out the Lord for Him to capture each child, none of this would have happened! Looking back at the pattern of God is amazing...
...He gave me my same group of kids last year from Kamanga Week 7...which allowed me to go back to that community on Thursday...this was the day that God reveal little Maggie to me...which Maggie introduced me to her brother Peter and 3 cousins (Joseph, JR, and Susan)...after spending time with them on Saturday, the Lord opened up a door for them to not only accept Him as their Savior, but for them come to Camp Life Week 8...having them at Camp Life the last week allowed me to go back to Kamanga with them on Thursday to share the gospel with others(Joseph, JR, and Susan's Dad became a believer that day)...being in the community on Thursday, God allowed me to see Emma...which then provided a way for Emma to be rescued...and then finally, Saturday, with the plane being overbooked, God provided another way for a Mother to have hope and be given the chance to hear His word! Wow...God is so good and faithful to His promises!! I will continue to update you with pictures when I can upload them. Thanks again for being such prayer warriors! I pray that God will bless you in that your cup overflows with all of who He is!
Understanding His Heart for His Kids,Joy
