:: zambia.....an update ::

This is a hard post to write.  However, after talking to a couple of people this past week, I realized it's time for you all to know our plans for the future.  

So, back at the end of July, Tim and I made the decision to move our family to Zambia, Africa.  We really felt like God was calling us to minister to the widows and orphans there in N'dola, Zambia.  We were excited, anxious, and ready to get started moving in that direction.

About a month ago, it became very clear to us that God's plan was different than we originally thought. Doors started closing, left and right, and it started seeming very complicated in a lot of ways.  During this time, I was talking with a dear friend, who said, "Our God is not a God of chaos."  This really hit home with me, because at the time everything concerning this decision seemed so up in the air.  After much prayer, tears, and more prayer, Tim and I decided to NOT make this move.  (I wand to add right here that this decision was VERY hard.  Our hearts were in Zambia and one of our children was over-the-moon excited about moving to Africa!) One of the main reasons being Cooper.  He has made so much progress in the last couple of months....taking up to 7 steps on his own, using his left hand a whole lot more, and saying more words per week than I can keep track of.  I had come to terms with the fact that in Zambia, I would be doing ALL of his therapy myself....PT, OT, speech, on top of running a household (in Africa, mind you) and trying to minister to the Zambians.  With all his progress, we feel like it's not the right time for him to plateau.  We also had an insurance issue that we had not figured out.  We were looking at changing insurance and with a HIV+ child that is not easy...uh, pretty much impossible.  We weren't sure we were willing to risk Cooper's health care, right now.

It's funny how God works.  After we decided we were staying here, Tim and I both started seeing areas where we could do more ministry....and together!  This was a huge perk of the work in Zambia.  I kind of feel like God used the opportunity in Zambia to help me realize what my gifts are and my desire to use them, even if it's right here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Who knows what is in store for our family. Maybe one day we will move to Africa, but for now, in this season of our lives, we will be staying here.  All of our friends and family have been so supportive, and for that we are very grateful.

Oh, my heart.

We are back and I'm pretty sure I left part of my heart in Zambia.

It is a wonderful, peaceful country where the people are so happy with so little. I was constantly reminded over and over, just how much God loves the orphan...how he protects them and carries them in the palm of his hand. How he also cares for the widow and provides for them.  Once again, I had faces to put with James 1:27...thousands of faces, with sad eyes and big smiles, with big round bellies and dirty feet, with hard hands that have seen their fair share of hard work, with stories that make our pity party look fabulous. At times, it was almost too much to bear...but reality.

We had a wonderful trip, learned and laughed so much. Our purpose in going was to see if we could live in Zambia and raise our family there. The organization we would be working with, Wiphan, had several join us on the trip.  We got to know all of them really well.  They were also very helpful in showing us around and helping us get a feel for life in Zambia.

One of the first things we did when we arrived was visit the schools that Wiphan supports....there are two, Nkwazi and Mapolo.  Both of these schools are located very close to compounds where thousands of children with their families live. Most families don't have water and very few, if any, have electricity.                The schools feed the children lunch....more than likely their only meal all day.

Rose and her friend at Nkwazi school

We also visited Lifespring Foundation School.  This is the school that is supported by Lifespring, the organization that Wiphan is looking to partner with.  It is located in the Kaloko compound...around 20,000 people live here with very little running water and electricity.  Lifespring also has a Home Base Care program (HBC).  Basically, they help those with HIV and AIDS by providing education through classes, home visits to make sure they are taking meds and eating well, and transportation to and from the clinics. It is estimated that 70% of the people in Kaloko are infected. If you know our family well, you know this is near and dear to our hearts.

Fifth grade boys at Lifespring school

Typical house in Kaloko compound

Nkwazi School is also the base for the widow training programs. Women come (and I mean walk) to the school to take training classes in keyboarding, hospitality (cooking and cleaning), and jewelry making. The women in the keyboarding classes have now started in the data entry program, begun by some Atlanta business men affiliated with Wiphan....they are earning a salary and even have bank accounts! The women in the hospitality program are getting jobs in restaurants and hotels.  The women in the jewelry making program are making and selling jewelry made out of paper beads and seeds in the local markets.  These women now have hope and a future, and they are thrilled.

We also discovered that N'dola has an ice cream shop, a Pick 'n Pay (imagine an upscale Piggly Wiggly), a pizza place, a coffee shop, a great medical clinic (that can get ALL three of Cooper's meds...we actually talked to the head doctor), and a large group of mzungus (white people....from Sweden, Britain, Denmark, and the U.S. that all have kids), soccer league, golf course, and year round swim league (Riley was ecstatic).  One night, we had dinner with the Pedersens, from Denmark, and they  assured us N'dola is a great place to raise kids. It was nice to be able to pick their brains on all kinds of topics from church to shopping to gardening.

My new friend, Rose, and I at Mapolo school

Looking down the street in Kaloko compound

In the lunch line at Nkwazi school

No time for school, water is more important....probably
their second trip on this day

Tim playing soccer with kids at Nkwazi school

I hope this gave you a glimpse into our trip. We have not made any decisions yet, but are praying and fasting over the thought.  It would definitely be a wonderful opportunity. It's just such a big decision, and to be honest, scary. I can't tell you how humbling it has been to know that so many of you are praying for us, thinking about us, and cheering us on.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Here We Go....Again!

We are doing really well, summer has set in and school will be here before we know it.  A lot has been going on the last couple of weeks, which leads me to this post.  We wanted to let everyone know that Tim and I are exploring an opportunity to move our family to Ndola, Zambia.  Yes, Africa.  This is so huge and crazy and exciting and overwhelming!  It has all happened VERY fast....so forgive us for not telling everyone in person.

We, along with our dear friends the Dixons, would be working with an organization called Wiphan, that works with widows and orphans and possibly another organization called Lifespring Farm. On July 26th, we will be boarding a flight to Zambia for 9 days. We will be checking out the ministries and doing research of all kinds.

We are so excited about this opportunity, but we need your prayers.  It's just such a huge decision and one we are not taking lightly.  We love our home, here in Tuscaloosa, all of our wonderful friends, our precious families, and all of the things that we are used to.  To pick up and move, leaving all of that is really hard.  But, as hard as it seems, it is so miniscule compared to the sacrifice Jesus made for us. That was the ultimate "hard". I'm reminding myself of that, daily.  I love the saying that I have seen on Pinterest - "If God calls you to it, He'll see you through it".  I have NO doubt that if this is what God is calling our family to, all of the details, worries, fears, and "hard"stuff, will work themselves out. (I've already seen evidence of this:)

With all of that said, we are still in the "exploring" phase.  We will definitely let everyone know what our next steps will be....and we will have more details to share. Thanks for your support!