I am working with the house mothers at our homes. I have been teaching them practical lessons on nutrition, home care, hygiene..etc. They have been teaching me about life....real life....hard life. I have seen a strength in some of these women that I admire. They believe from the bottom of their heart that God is good...all the time. WOW.
I have told you about precious Cecilia. Well let me continue with her story from the past 100 days...
Cecilia's journey has been a joy and a heart ache. I have mentioned her before. I simply love her so very much. She is in the Father's Heart program at Family Legacy which means that she still lives in her home but goes to a Lifeway Christian School and has a discipleship leader that checks on her as well as disciples her. I have been to visit her several times since I have been in Zambia. I love how she runs into my arms! It makes me cry joyful tears every time. As I was preparing to leave one time, Cecilia ran and put her arms around me and started to sob. She would not let go. As tears were streaming down my face, I had to peel her arms off and push her back to her discipleship leader to hold her so I could get into the car. She was screaming "Auntie Stepha please don't leave me, don't forget me" She shook my heart. I knew that I would be back soon and I knew I would never forget her. When John was here we visited again. He even gave her some chocolate. We did not see any food again at her home. So about a week after John left, I returned again...with some of the Family Legacy staff. We delivered rice, beans, meat, vegetables, fruit, cookies :) and a sweet bear for Cecilia (she named her bear Auntie Stepha - oh how I just wanted to sit on the floor and cry) The crazy miracle in this story is - Cecilia's mother was not at home during our drop but her step father was. I had never met him before. He simply watched the drop quietly. He asked us to pray before we left. We did. We joined hands and prayed...for salvation, for love, for provision, for a miracle in their home. And we left. Last week I ran into her discipleship leader. She said that Cecilia's mom came home the day of our drop and saw it as a miracle from the Lord. And it was...not just the provision but the change in Cecilia's step father. He saw it as a miracle from the Lord as well. His heart has started to change. He has hope again. How awesome is the Lord for that family. Bless them Lord. Bless them indeed.
The Lord works every day at the Tree of Life. He is deepening the faith of our children that are in our care 24 hours a day. He is preparing their heart for a future that is incredibly different than their past. He is healing. He is speaking. He is working through the barriers and heart break for them.
I was at the clinic with some of our children. The doctor asked me what orphanage they were from. I stopped in my tracks. I fumbled for a response. Finally I said to her, oh, they are not from an orphanage, they are from a children's village. They each have a home with house mothers and other children in them. They are each placed in a family that God designed. It is a place a belonging and healing. She smiled and said, "Oh. I will make a note of that." We believe that each child that is in our care has come to us be the will and grace of God. Each one is unique and special. They have survived hunger, abuse, abandonment, being orphaned, and/or disease. They are worth standing in the gap for. They are worth all of the heart ache, tears, prayers, long days...everything....They are worth it all. They are priceless...treasure....beautiful.
Please continue to pray for the precious children of Zambia. Camp Life begins in June. Family Legacy will reach 10,000 children with the Gospel! Hearts, lives, and eternities changed.
Transforming Zambia one precious child at a time.
Love you!
Stephanie
