PIC

Me and the My Father's House kids...they're such goofballs at night!

Realities

I feel that I need to share some of the harsh realities that I have come to know about Zambia and its culture. The hardest lesson learned is this: we can’t help everybody. Everyone needs more food, water, coal, clothing, shoes, money…and we don’t always have the resources to supply them with all that they need. A couple of days ago, there was no water in Mutendere (providence where we live) and we were sitting on a bus outside of the Every Orphan’s Hope office. The security guard, David was giving people water in a hose. We watched him fill a couple of buckets full of water, but then he started shooing the people away and watering the plants and the ground. We all got confused as to why he wasn’t generous with the water. One of the EOH staff, Ester, asked David why he stopped, and that’s when he pointed behind us. We spotted a huge crowd of people with water buckets filling the road behind us, all walking towards the EOH office. They all looked so tired and so desperate. David said that he didn’t have enough water to give to everybody, so he had to stop giving it out.

It’s hard to understand that a Zambian might have to walk for an hour to get water for his/her family for a day. They don’t complain, because that’s their life and they don’t know anything else. I guess that is why it’s so important to give these people the love of Jesus in their lives. He is the only way that we can truly help these people. 

            What’s also hard to understand is the hierarchy of respect in Zambia. The men always come first. Then women and children come last. In American society, children are always regarded as first priority because they are helpless without adults. But here, it’s mind boggling sometimes to see how their culture works. Last Sunday we had a grand opening for the children living in My Father’s House in Chongwe. The big celebration was set up with a tent and chairs, and a mat outside. Big important head men in the village, as well as businessmen, and the head chief of the village was invited to participate in the ceremony, so they were all invited to sit in the chairs in the tent. The children sat outside. The ceremony was wonderful, the children got to sing, dance, and give some testimonies about how they use to live before coming to My Father’s House. Throughout all the speeches that the people made, the emphasis of the ceremony was celebrating the children. When it came time to serve snacks and food to the crowd, it was planned for the children to get food first. But the headmen and the businessmen jumping in line first, grabbing all the sodas and grabbing seconds so there was barely any food left for the children. The women got in line next, and then the children, who the ceremony was for, finally got some food. It’s heartbreaking though to see, that even when you are celebrating children in the name of God, that the Zambian culture will always be observed. So I guess I have to realize that it’s not our job to change their culture, but just to change their hearts toward God and God’s children.

More Camp

June 23rd/24th

Well, after sleeping in a tent the first night of camp, most of the interns wanted to come back to Lusaka for the night. While camp is amazing to participate in, we aren’t needed at night in Chongwe, and it’s nice to get away for a bit, have some quiet time, get a shower, and be ready for the next day. Today at camp I got to sort out over 300 shoes that two missionaries and their church donated to the kids. It was a wonderful gift! But after going through all the shoes, we realized that there wasn’t an even number of shoe sizes, which means that if we give the shoes out during camp, some of the kids won’t get shoes in the right size. So after unpacking the shoes and sorting them into sizes, we had to re-pack the shoes according to size and put them away again. We will be able to give the shoes away, but if we tried to give them out during camp, one child could go home with shoes that don’t fit them, so they would be useless.

I also had an unnerving experience the other day at camp that made me realize that not everyone in Zambia is perfect, even if they are picked to work for an organization like Every Orphan’s Hope. I had the job of going around from group to group and giving out nametags to all the children. So I came to this group of 11-12 year old girls, and their Zambian partner/ translator had a baby with her. Her baby was no more than a year old, it could sit up but that was most of what it could do. While I was writing down some of the girls’ names, the Zambian partner put her baby up on a small hill so she could go and help translate. The little baby, not crying or whining, lifted up his/her arms for the mom to hold him/her. The Zambian woman then slapped her little baby hard across the face multiple times. . I went to Mama, told her what happened, and Mama stormed outside to talk to the Zambian woman, and let her know that slapping her baby in front of the girls wasn’t appropriate. All the girls in the group, as well as the Teen Mania girls, saw it happen. I was stunned along with the Teen Mania girls, but the Zambian girls barely batted an extra eyelash. It must be common for them to see women punishing their children harshly like that. Children come last in the Zambian culture. Men are honored first, then women, then children. So it’s not uncommon for a Zambian to abuse their child. 

First Day of Camp

June 22nd

Today was extremely busy but amazing! We were up by 6am and drove out to Chongwe from Lusaka. The site where camp is located is mapped out like this: there is a road, and on the right side of the road there is a school and a huge field. Then on the other side of the road is a hill and then down the hill are the four My Father’s Houses, where we set up all the Teen Mania kids to camp, the praise and worship, the registration table, the t-shirts, etc… So when we got there, we came in from the back entrance, away from the school and the hill. I played with some of the kids in My Father’s House, and then I looked up the hill and saw some kids watching us. I started walking up the hill to greet the kids, and when I got to the top, hundreds of kids all over the road and the field were staring back at me. Some were engaged in playing games, talking, etc, but when I showed up at the top of the hill, they all stopped and watched. It was definitely a moment when I had to look to God for guidance, as I walked through the throng of children shaking their hands and smiling down at them.

Later on that day, while we were waiting to put the kids into groups for camp, me and two other interns, Grant and Chelsea, were instructed to keep the kids together and away from the Teen Mania group until they could be grouped properly. I tried to keep the kids occupied by talking to them, singing, even playing a game, but they were so many, and it was over whelming to try and give enough attention to each and every one of them. Before I knew it, at least 10 kids hands and arms were clutching my waist and tons of little faces were staring up at me, desperate for attention and to be loved. I felt like I was being pulled so many ways emotionally, because there was no way I was going to be able to give each kid the love they need and deserve. The best part of the morning was that once we started grouping up the teenagers with their kids, all the kids were loved and given the special attention they needed. They all started grouping off and kids were running to the Teen Mania group to hold their hands and smiling at them. As an intern, we don’t get to teach a group of orphans, we get to help all the short-term missionaries connect with the kids, and we make sure everything runs smoothly. Even though doing administration work during camp means that I don’t get to develop relationships with the kids, I still get to witness God’s work by seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces when they meet their Teen Mania teachers. It was also amazing to watch these teens experience what I got to experience with the children 5 years ago. 

My Father's Houses Opening

Today was amazing! We had the grand opening of the My Father's Houses in Chongwe. Bob and Mary (missionaries for EOH), Gary and his family, the bishop from Grace Church, Barclays' representatives (bank), and head men of the lands, and the head Chief Bunda Bunda of all of Chongwe cam to witness the official opening of the homes. It was touching to hear the story of how they picked out the land, once called "the dumping place", and transformed it into a work of God. Mama told us stories of how Satan tried to stop the building of the homes in Chongwe. The workers called one evening saying they couldn't keep staying on the property because their generators (for lights) wasn't working, and they couldn't sleep because it felt like hands choking their throats everytime they fell asleep. But Mama encouraged them to persevere, and the structure got built.
Some of the children came up and gave testimonies of where they used to live before My Father's House and the majority of the children were passed around from family to family or lived in un-livable conditions. It was amazing to see the what the work of God is doing in these children's lives through Every Orphan's Hope. After the ceremony, we just staying around and sang, danced, and played with the children. Two little girls clung to me the entire afternoon. I picked them up, tickled them, played with them, and just held their hands. It made me realize that if God's purpose for me here is to do nothing but love on these girls, then I can do that. This was the first day that I've really been able to connect with the kids. Right before we had to leave, we were all sitting around with the kids and they were teaching us Njanji, asking us when we were coming back, etc. It was really touching to see how much they needed to be loved, talked to, played with, prayed for, everything. I really pray that God works in these children, and that He uses Teen Mania to make an impact on the children's hearts.

Devotion

I feel like I need to share a devotion that I had this morning. I was reading Psalm 118: 13-14:
" I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."
Over the past couple of day, tensions have run high: tensions between us interns and tensions within the EOH staff, due to the high stress of planning camp and the opening of the Chongwe My Father's Houses. Yesterday I got so frustrated and upset at everything that was going on around me that I felt defeated. I felt worn out, finished, and started praying for God to show me his purpose for me here in Zambia. The Lord then answered by prayers through a friend who talked me out of my misery. That was the momeny when I realized that I can't rely on myself to do what God intends for me to do here. The Lord is my strength, which means that I have to totally rely on him. When power does out, water runs out, and food runs out, I have to remember who sustains me, and who will provide for me always. The Lord is my song. He will keep me positive and keep my heart going, and no one else. It's almost shameful and amazing to think that God had to break me down, physically and emotionally, before I could surrender my own will to Him, and follow His will for me in Zambia.
Thank you so much again for your prayers and your support. I ask that you pray for everything to run smoothly next week for Camp Hope, and so that we can make an impact in the lives of children from all over Chongwe. May the Lord bless you and keep you safe!
~Jessie

Pictures...

Also, blogger isn't able to upload my pictures to this website. So if you would like to see some pictures, please go to my facebook page. (just go to facebook.com and search jessica showers) and my pictures have some Zambia photos.
If you would like to read a blog that is being written by another intern on my team, Sophie, you can go to http://sophiesshoes.blogspot.com. It might give you a different perspective on our experiences here in Zambia.
Thanks and God bless!
~Jessie