Day 2 Finally in Zambia

Day 2

On Saturday we finally landed in Zambia!  We made it through the airport with all of our supplies and luggage without a hitch.  This was a really BIG deal because we were carrying items to teach with and gifts for all of the teachers we were training.  Give me a few days and you will see why that was such a BIG deal.  We were greeted by a film crew that would be with us for the remainder of our trip as well as other Family Legacy Staff that we would come to know and love over the next several days.

We unloaded at our villa, took a moment of rest and then hit the streets of Lusaka.  Our drives to each of our destinations each day were the most breath- taking and I don't mean 7 Wonders of The World breath-taking.  I mean startling. Cruel. Harsh. Painful. Tear jerking. Unimaginable.  Of course I knew where I was going, I was told of the conditions, and I had seen many photos.  But, nothing prepares you for what you really see in the flesh.  The first thing I noticed were the people. Everywhere.  Most of them were children running after us, laughing and barefoot or people standing wondering who we were and why we were there. Then I noticed the houses... How do you live in a house 3 cinder blocks tall???  And then a flood hit me...Who is watching all of these children?  Have they eaten this week? month???  That child has to be 2 years old like my son...who is with him??? Is that safe?  Is that person laying down alive? How can any of them be smiling??? Look at this place!!!  Ugh!  It is still painful to think about as I sit here in my warm house after I have just tucked my children into their beds. 

How can this be?  Where is God???  Oh, HE AND I have to have a chat ASAP!  It is so easy to default to that question and assumption.  "God can't be here."  "If He were here this wouldn't be happening."  "If He were here these children wouldn't be orphans, some of them raped daily, HIV/AIDS stricken, STARVING FOR CHRISTS' SAKE!!!"  But don't.  Don't let the devil fool you into thinking this is only his playground.  Look a little deeper, open a door, listen...

Our first stop was at one of our CRC's (Community Resource Centers) for boys.  We walked in and God kindly greeted us through the little angel's voice above.  It was kinda like God saying, "Hello my dear.  You didn't think I stayed behind in America did you???"  These boys (I believe 5 or 6 of them) live in this house because their home situations are either not safe, not sufficient, or non-existent.  They have house dad's, apostles, pastors, and other staff that take care of them and make sure their needs are met.  They also have American sponsors that fund their home, food, medical care, and education. These boys were such a joy!  They welcomed us into their home, showed off their artwork in their rooms (having paper and a writing utensil is a true blessing) and shared their love of Christ with us through...

SONG

and their Evange-cube skills!  Children being prepared not to just sit in their decent new digs but to go out and share the word of GOD.  PAY IT FORWARD!!! 

The boys were an incredible delight to my soul but nothing could prepare me for my next experience.  We arrived at another CRC surrounded by cinder block walls and a gate.  We stepped off the bus and they opened the gate.  I KID YOU NOT there had to have been at least 100 + children that RAN to us, HUGGED us, SMILED at us, TOUCHED us, GREETED us!  I was so overwhelmed and I wanted to sit on the ground right there and boo-freakin-hoo like a baby and tell GOD how much I did not deserve all of this!!! Who was I??? They acted like we were ROCKSTARS!  Seriously folks, the closest thing I am sure I will ever experience to ROCKSTARDOM.  It took all I had to fight back the tears.  I wasn't sure how they would react to that.  I am sure they have experienced more than 100 lifetimes worth of tears and I didn't want them to be confused by my tears of joy.  Pure joy. 

We went inside the house (a girls house this time) and sat down to meet the girls who actually lived there.  No, all of the kids in the photos don't live there.  The CRC's also function kind of like our version of recreation centers.  They are a place for kids to go to be safe, stay out of trouble, and stay off of the streets. Some of the girls told parts of their stories and again tears were fought back.  Most of the time I couldn't even begin to belive my ears.  How can these things be happening to children no less???  The children who know the Lord have such a peace about them no matter how devastating their little lives have been.  Soooo much was hard for me to understand and I felt soooo torn about soooo much.  I mean on one hand I don't want to have to experience anything painful to get me to need the Lord and depend on the Lord the way these kids do.  But on the other hand it is such a beautiful thing to see children who ONLY need Him (They have nothing else!).  He is their EVERYTHING and I truly believe that is what CHRIST desires from all of us.  These children were the perfect example of the transformation...without God we have nothing because we have no hope after we leave this flesh and these worldly objects behind...but with God we have SALVATION and HOPE and UNBREAKABLE LOVE and ETERNITY IN HEAVEN even if we have no family and no worldly objects to claim as our own while here on earth.  Children taught me this folks.  Children.  Aren't I supposed to be the teacher???

After our chat we were able to spend time outside with the kids playing and being touched. ALOT.  Let me just go ahead and tell you this...I am not so sure that Family Legacy has ever taken a red-head with them. Or maybe just not one with red hair like mine. Or maybe just not to those children. They sure did like to touch my hair. ALOT.  They examined my hair like it just might be one of those 7 Wonders of The World. 

One of girls said, "What tis this? What tis this?", as she held my hair up to the sun like she might be looking at a precious stone.

I said, "What do you mean???" 

She said, "Cola (color). I don't see before." 

I laughed and said, "Well, it's red. Or auburn. Or Amber like my name." 

She looked at the other girls and said with her eyebrows raised, "Red!" 

Then all of the girls said, "Red! Red! AHHHHH."

Priceless.

I am quite sure the only other soul that has ever been so excited about the color of my hair was my Japanese grandmother, Memaw (Yuki).  As you can imagine Japanese people don't tend to have red-headed grandchildren unless there is some miracle by God.  I am the ONLY red-head in my ENTIRE family.  And now, my children are almost 1/2 Japanese and look... I FINALLY have a red-headed friend in my little man JT. Good thing I didn't take him to Africa and good thing my Memaw was already in Heaven when she saw him...I just don't think they all coulda handled 2 exquisite miracles by God ;)

Oh just wait until tomorrow...chills, a sign from the heaven's, and love at first sight...