Greetings Prayer Warriors Around the World!
This coming Sunday, August 23rd, at 2:15 PM, our Zambia team will be giving a report at Grace E-Free Church. They meet at Calvary Baptist Church in Newark, near Burger King. Love to have you join us, feel free to contact me for directions. We also hope to have the directors of the Village of Hope, Ben and Kathleen Schwartz with us; they are here for their daughters wedding. In addition to meeting our team, you'll also see some great video and slides.
Today, as we continue our report on what God is doing in Zambia, we like to share with you a little about Zambia and more importantly the Village of Hope.
A few facts about Zambia:
The population is over 11 million of which over 11% are orphans, some reports suggest as many as 20% as the AIDS epidemic spreads.
Average Zambian makes about $1 a day
Zambia's Government has declared that they are a Christian Nation!
The money used is Kwacha. Rate when we were there 5,000k to $1. Was really neat taking 1,000,000k at a time out the the ATM, that is until we filled Kamau's van with gas, 240,000k (little over $5 gal). Small loaf of bread 3500k. Cost of living for us actually higher there than in the US.
In Africa, handicapped children are thought to have demons in them and witch doctors try to beat or burn them out, sometimes the child in killed; we abort them.
Men are told to have sex with a young girl and they will be cured of AIDS. We buy our children sexy outfits and tell them to "practice "safe" sex".
Very little protein available. Average Zambian eats 2 chickens a year; South Africans 20.
Very little violent crime
Open doors for ministry; pray for willing workers.
This is where the Lord led Benedict and Katleen Schwartz to plant the Village of Hope. Ben and Kathleen are from Harve de Grace, Md. Kathleen ran a music school and Ben owned his own business. They have 6 children; 2 adopted and have been active in Inner City Ministry, working with Special Needs folks and etc; special folks.
At an age when many of us are looking at retiring and fellowship; they left everything behind to work full time with AIDS orphans.
Ben is the CEO of the Village of Hope and Kathleen runs the school they have started for the children in addition to being our hostess and a million or so other duties.
They now live in the guest house at the Village which is always filled with folks. The only room they can call their own is their small bedroom. Electricity regularly goes out, little water pressure, up at 3 or 4 in the morning, ministering and sharing the love of Jesus all day long; my kind of folks!
On the way over, I reread the Autobiography of George Mueller. Ben and Kathleen follow his model of ministry. Dreamers, visionaries; looking to God for direction; boldly taking large steps of faith.
Many ministries look to foundations for help; they come to Ben asking to be a part; God.
This village is a great model for opening other facilities to minister to and love orphans anywhere in the world. A God sized vision; as complete and balanced as I've ever seen.
Their philosophy: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.- James 1:27
The Village is on 230 acres of land and their goal is to become self supporting. They grow a lot of their own food and are helping to start many micro businesses in the area currently providing employment opportunities for 183 people. They even make their own blocks for their buildings and a windmill was being installed when we left.
They have opened a small "Mini Mart" on the Great North Road with plans shortly to open a small restaurant and are building a chicken house which will house, I believe, 6,000 birds which they will be selling to Zambeef. looking to produce thier own egs also.
As the children grow older they will be given opportunities to work in these and other micro businesses they are starting.
They've started a small school for the children and burned off a large area just before we left where they are looking to build a school that will house 200 plus children.
There are plans for a clinic, soccer field and much more.
Did I mention the Village of Hope Church that now meets in the school?
Today the village, which is a true Village of Hope, houses 24 children, 8 to a house, each with a very Godly African House Mother.
Several more houses are being built as more children are expected. Most likely when we return next August, there will be 100 or more children there.
They are raised in the African Culture as Africans but with a huge difference. Their lives are saturated with God's Word and the love of Jesus. They live very simply, no AC, hot water, washing machines and etc.
In the mornings, the children meet in a central location where they sing and pray.
Everything is shared, even chores! Very structured life filled with love and care.
There is a children's home in Livingston that is closing and some of those children will be coming to the Village.
Pastor Greg and I had the privilege of meeting a group of village elders and leaders who had come to see the work. These are men who have lost children and grandchildren to this horrible epidemic. They were overwhelmed with what they saw and so thankful for a place that they could feel safe in sending their children who they could no longer care for. Children from these villages will be arriving shortly also.
Recently a Zambian family donated 500+ acres of land in another part of Zambia to open another Village.
While with a Zimbabwe refugee farmer, he shared that he had some land he wouldn't be using this season, "what would you like me to grow for the children.".
God is working in a very special way here; truly, Holy Ground.
Next blog update you'll meet the Hamelryck family who arrived the day before us and are now living their with their 10 children, the cargo container and you'll met some of the children.
Please continue to pray for our children in Zambia and around the world.
Until Every Child Knows
Big Jim
Matt. 19:14
James 1:27
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