August 17, 2018

In the morning we got to spend time with the kids on the front porch. They know a lot of games that do not require toys or electronics. Lots of paddy-cake type games with fun little songs that go with them. Not that we could understand half of what they were saying sometimes. Somewhere in all of that, they were showing us how to “Salsa.” A team just prior to our visit taught them the dance. And you know what? They are pretty good!

Worship time in Kamphekete

We drove out to Kamphekete for a church service at that village. We traveled through the city and then out east past the airport. We had tarmac (pavement) for most of the trip, but we still traveled another 10 – 15 minutes (it actually seemed like an eternity) on a dirt road.



They start their service with singing praises - a time that we call worship.  Then the interpreter explained that they start with praise and then enter a time of worship.  Worship time is when each person speaks out their adoration to God, recognizing who He is. 



Jose and his interpreter

Pastor Jose preached for a short time and then invited people to come up to get healed. There were people who had healing in their necks, knees, hands/arms, a tumor in the chest, and severe headaches.





 

She was released from constant
pain in her hands and arms.

 

Her neck was healed and full range of
motion was restored.

 

His hearing has been restored.

We prayed for her ears; she can
now hear fully again.

The congregation prayed for Pastor Benson.

We request that you pray for two children in that church: a young girl who lost her hearing and speech after receiving anti-malarial medicine, and a five-year old boy named Gracious who has never been able to speak or walk his entire life.

 

Continue to pray for her hearing
that was lost due to malaria
medication.

Gracious.

August 16, 2013

August 16, 2013 – Our first full day in the Village.  Jose and Ted took off early to pick up two children from a compound (neighborhood).  Unfortunately, they were not able to get hold of the person they were to deal with.  They will try again on Monday.  In the meantime, the area they were driving in was difficult to process on an emotional level.  There were a lot of people hanging around in the area who do not work; children in the area unsupervised.  Trash was everywhere.

On a much lighter note, Steve and Chris went with Judy to each of the houses in the Village to do a craft with the children.  Five houses; 12 children each.  We really got to get to know the kids better.  The kids put their name on a bracelet or necklace.  What cool names!  Precious, Gift, Scotch, Mwewa,  Jameson,  Loveness, and Iless (pronounced Iris).  These are just a few names that we don’t hear every day.






Later in the day, Judy, Jose and Kareen took turns inflating a huge beach ball that all the children bounced off their hands trying not to let it touch the ground.
 

 

 

 

Ted made chili for dinner.  Good stuff!  Now the team seems to getting more and more horizontal on the sofas in the sitting area.  Oops.  Jose just drifted off.  Time to get this thing posted so we can get to bed and ready for a new day.

Meet The Team

Don't forget to pray for the team while they are in Zambia and during their travels.
 

Jose Gutierrez

Steve Rogers

Christine Mulligan

Prayers From Around the World

I have been anticipating this trip for a long time.  Excited is an understatement.  I cannot wait to see what God will do with our team.  Sometimes we have grown a little wary because everything has gone relatively smoothly.  That is not to say that there have not been some attacks, mind you!  It is great to know that we serve a God that is bigger than anything that comes against us. 

Personally, I am amazed by the wonderful support of our family, friends, and the congregation of Grace Chapel of the Coast from Oceanside, CA.  Although, I don't know why I should be so amazed.  They have helped me with many other projects and outreaches.  They are more amazing than I am amazed!

God's timing is always amazing, too.  I receive daily emails from Sanctuary First (a group from Scotland) that contains a prayer and a Bible verse.  The prayers come from all around the world via missionaries or people at their home-base praying for the peoples in other countries.  This weekend I received one that had a prayer for Zambia that I just have to share with you. 

Blessings,
Christine Mulligan

Zambia
God of all days, blessings and praise to you, on this cold dry Mwandi morning
As the winter sun’s golden light casts gum-tree shadows on the piebald sand.
Beside the Zambezi with its wide water, silver dunes and narrow waterways,
White cattle egrets and mewing fish eagles shall be glad
The reeds, the rising riverbank and flat island pastures, the velvet bush and scarlet bougainvillea shall rejoice and blossom.
We give thanks for this moment’s bliss and awe in the beauty of your creation
And the perspective brought to our life in this gift of solitude with you at the start of the day.

For our brothers and sisters we will meet today with all their diverse needs we commit them all to you. The Aids patient, the widow, the orphan, the destitute, the oppressed, victims of violence, injustice and exploitation, the rejected and marginalized.

Let your presence in us support them, let them know they are loved and treasured as we are.
Sweeten our bitterness, soften our hard hearts and guide us in our confusion.
Help us to encourage the sick and to comfort the dying and broken-hearted.
Help us to be bringers of laughter and joy, compassion and forgiveness.

To share food, clothes, medicine, money, trust, friendship and knowledge and stir that new growth of love within us so we are blessed by those we bless.

We thank you for our call to Mission and praise you for the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen
By Keith & Ida Waddell

Scripture of the day: Mark 1:35-39

The Count Down

Count down to August 13.  Jose Gutierrez, Steve Rogers and Christine Mulligan will travel to the Breath of Heaven Children's Ministry Village, Lusaka, Zambia.

1 DAY TO ZAMBIA. He is calling... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCeeZ_hdrBM

CREATION CALLS Brian Doerksen [HQ]

www.youtube.com

Music by Brian Doerksen www.briandoerksen.com Planet Earth clips courtesy of the BBC. "Believe on the

 

2 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. It's a fact!: Boys become kings, girls will be queens... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAhXvBRKtHs

"Kings & Queens"

www.youtube.com

Images from the Breath of Heaven Children's Village in Lusaka, Zambia, set to Audio Adrenaline's "Kings & Queens." Watch in full-screen mode for best

3 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. It's a fact!: 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

4 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. Zambia fact: AIDS has left nearly one-and-one-half million children without one or both parents, resulting in many households being headed-up by children. Households without parents are especially vulnerable to swelling the growing number of street children. Once committed to the streets, a child’s chance of ever escaping a life of desperation to become a productive member of society is slim.

5 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. Zambia fact: Breath of Heaven Children’s Ministries is dedicated to helping meet the needs of a growing orphan population in Lusaka, Zambia. www.bofheaven.org

6 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. Zambia fact: Zambia has one of the world’s most devastating HIV and AIDS epidemics. More than one in every seven adults in the country is living with HIV.

7 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. Zambia fact: The median age of Zambia is 16.7 years. Life expectancy is 51.5 years. (The median age of the United States is 37.2 years; life expectancy 78.6 years.)

8 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. Zambia fact: Of Zambia's estimated population of 14.2 million, 1.4 million live in the capital city of Lusaka.

9 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. Zambia fact: Being a former UK protectorate, the official language is English. Other languages spoken are Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages.

10 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. Zambia fun fact: In 1964, the former protectorate of Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, received independence through an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom.

11 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. Zambia fun fact: This is the home of Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River. Locally it is known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or The Smoke that Thunders.

12 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. Zambia fun fact: The color of flag is very symbolic. Green is for the rich flora; Red is for the struggle for freedom; Black is for the color of its people; Orange is for its natural resources and mineral wealth; The eagle above the color bands is representative of the people's ability to rise above the nation's problems.

13 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. Zambia fun fact: The country is landlocked. It is an unusual shape; some describe it as looking like a butterfly.

14 DAYS TO ZAMBIA. Zambia fun fact: The capital of Zambia is Lusaka.