GodandMe2theMax

Wipe that look off your face!

 "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow, the Lord will do amazing things among you."
Joshua 3:5 

This was the verse that God gave me on Sunday.  I wasn't sure why, but it stuck with me, and I kept being drawn back to it, even after our class moved on further in our study of Joshua.  You know, when you read something like that, you don't necessarily think God's talking directly to you, but something inside me just felt like He might be doing just that.

Ceartainly you've heard the expression "Wipe that look off your face before I wipe it off for you."  Nearly everyone has. Perhaps you've had it said to you, or in the heat of the moment, perhaps you've said it to one of your children.  (No, certainly not the latter with me.  Never.)

If you've ever had it said to you, it's also quite likely you didn't even know you had that look on your face!  You're just simply unaware of it.  But those words (ok not exactly, but that concept!) is what Father whispered to me Tuesday morning: "Wipe that look off your face!  I AM GOD  What do you expect?"

Let me back up.  As you know by now if you've read anything I've written this summer, my daughter and I spent time in Zambia in July, working with orphans.  When I first came back, I was gung-ho about telling each girl's story, hoping and praying God would move someone to sponsor one of them through what is called the "Father's Heart" program.  

But honestly, I didn't feel the love reciprocated.  I knew I couldn't expect others to share my passion for these girls. Until you've hugged them and looked into their eyes yourself, I'm not sure you can fully share that passion.  But I still hoped and prayed that God would provide a way for them to be sponsored. Every few days, sometimes every other week, I would post a snippet about the need for them to have an education on my facebook page.  I talked about it with anyone who would listen, yet aside from a few, most were not moved to action. 

The deadline for sponsorship was Tuesday - October 1st, and both Amber and I have been overwhelmed with grief and emotion, knowing that some of "our girls" will attend school next term, and some in the same community will have to stay behind and watch their friends leave for school.  The thought of them thinking that "Auntie Beth worked hard to find sponsors for the others, but somehow Auntie Beth didn't find a sponsor for ME" has haunted me, honestly.

Monday morning, my daughter Amber left for school with tears in her eyes and a pack of brochures in her hand.  She said she's determined to somehow find a way to get the rest of her girls sponsored.  She had planned to walk the Kroger parking lot after school to tell people about the Father's Heart Program and "her girls" that still needed sponsored.  That was her plan, anyway, until I told her she wasn't allowed to solicit at Kroger.  I just looked her in the eye and told her God knows.  God knows which one of our girls must be in school this year.  And if for some reason they can't be sponsored this year, then maybe next.  I told her we'd done everything we can do, and the rest was up to God.

Yes, to say I had pretty much given up would be an accurate statement.  We both have hugged each other and cried together over these girls that we fell in love with this last summer.  But we were downcast, losing hope.  And God said, "Wipe that look off your face, oh ye of little faith!"  

I don't know why I lose faith so easily sometimes.  He's proven Himself faithful over and over again.  He is incapable of faithlessness.  In fact, earlier in the day on Monday, I had received word that someone was looking for a girl to sponsor and had selected Agness, one of the girls from my group.  I checked my email later in the evening, only to discover the whole story.  You see, the day SNAPS (pictures) were taken, Agness wore a pink Batman t-shirt.  The family who was praying over which child to select was immediately drawn to Agness, because the husband is a huge Batman fan.  They referred to her as the "Batgirl" but they didn't want to pick her solely on the t-shirt, so they decided to let God choose.  They prayed over 3 girls, and then put their names in a cup...whichever one was chosen would be the one God wanted them to sponsor.  And of course, God orchestrated for them to choose Agness' name, aka "Batgirl."  

I don't know when it started happening.  Maybe 6 or 7 PM on Monday.  But I got a message from my friend Susan Kendall, the wife of the founder of Family Legacy.  Unbeknownst to me, she decided to "feature" Amber's girls on her facebook page to see if anyone was interested in sponsorship.

Susan sent me a message, asking for some specifics from Amber about a particular little girl.  Amber and I looked at each other with tears flowing down our face, excited about the possibilities.  Our jaws were dropped to the floor in awe. And God said, "Wipe that look off your face!  I am God  What do you expect?"

We checked Amber's sponsorship page, and within the hour, that one person who had inquired about one of Amber's girls felt led to sponsor not one but two of them.  Within just a few hours, all but one of Amber's girls were sponsored, each with an incredibly unique story of how God moved in the heart of the person to hand-select just the perfect match of a sponsor and child.  And God said, "Why do you sit there with such astonishment?  I am God!  Wipe that look off your face!"

Even after "Batgirl" Agness was sponsored, I still had 4 girls that remained unsponsored.  Truthfully, the older they get, the harder it is to find sponsors.  They aren't as "cute and adorable".  But I can tell you that I spent time with these older girls, and the real beauty is on the inside.  God allowed me to catch a glimpse through His eyes and see these girls as royalty - His princesses.  

I decided to check my sponsorship page pretty late in the evening, but something was different. Memory, the smallest of my girls was moved from the "Needing Sponsored" column to the "100% sponsored" section.  I did a double take to make sure I read that correctly, and indeed I had.  The name of her sponsor:  Sheri Reaves.

Let me tell you, the fact that this "Sheri Reaves" sponsored Memory is nothing short of a miracle, and I must tell her story.  Their story.  It is a God story.

Last week I was in Niagara Falls for a week of meetings with our operations/management team, including some of our international staff.  The President of our company sponsored a blanket for one of the girls from my group, and in return, I had promisted to bring him a picture of the girl with the blanket.  It was the first opportunity I've had to see him since I went to Zambia, so as soon as he was free, I went up to him and gave him the picture.  Of all people, the one girl randomly assigned to the money he donated for a blanket was Memory.  

Our speaker for the meetings was perhaps one of the best I've ever heard, and his name was (is) Chuck Reaves.  Well, Chuck made it clear throughout his presentations that he was a Christian.  There was no hiding it, and no reason to hide it.  He was transparent, and you could tell the hand of the Lord was on him, with incredible wisdom and power.  Chuck just "happened" to be standing right there when I handed Mike the picture.  Mike showed it to him with a big smile on his face, told him briefly about me going to Zambia, and that was that.

Or so I thought.

You see, God has a way of putting people together, and there are no accidents.  It turned out that Chuck had an interest in Zambia and in the past, he's been involved in putting wells there.  We chatted a little, then it was time for the meeting to start again.  That evening, our dinner consisted of a "progressive meal", rotating from restaurant to restaurant at the hotel, including rotating who we sat next to at each venue. And who would God put next to me during the appetizer?  Sheri Reaves, Chuck's wife.

We talked as if we were old friends.  Chuck had already told her that I had worked in Zambia, and she wanted to know all about what we did and the minsitry we worked with.  Of course, I was glad to share, too!  In fact, I'm sure I talked way too much!  Our conversation jumped from her church name (Twelve Stone) to my church name (Five Stone) to my cancer, Zambia, Tanzania, and everywhere in between. We covered the globe, really.  The appetizer was soon over, and it was time to rotate to another location, so Sheri gave me her email and asked that I email her information on the ministry in Zambia so she could learn more.

When I got home, I followed through, sent Sheri some links, and I really thought that would be the end of that.  

Until I saw the name of SHERI REAVES listed as Memory's sponsor.  

I emailed her immediately to thank her and give her more information and pictures of Memory, and what she replied to me was nothing short of a miracle.  

Why did she choose to sponsor Memory?  

Because MEMORY was her grandpa's name.  (TRUTH!  She said they called him "Mem" but his real name was Memory!)  When she saw "my" girl by the name of Memory, she knew God wanted Sheri to sponsor her!

And then God said, "If you don't wipe that look off your face, I'm going to wipe it off for you!"  

No seriously, why am I always so astounded when God does what He promises to do -- be 100% faithful?

I mean, is it by "chance" that there was a little big eyed girl by the name of Memory in my group this summer?  Is it by "chance" that my president was randomly assigned as the sponsor for Memory's blanket? Is it by "chance" that I would choose to give my president the picture in person instead of mailing it to him months ago?  Is it by "chance" that our speaker would be a Christian and would happen to have an interest in Zambia?  Is it by "chance" that I would sit next to his wife and that he would have already told her about me?  Is it by "chance" that Memory would be unsponsored?  Is it by "chance" that Sheri Reaves' grandfather's name was Memory?  

Even an atheist should know the answer to those questions. And when he answers them honestly and contemplates these said "chances", God will say to him as well, "Wipe that look from your face!"

I could share several more stories of God-ordained matches, but blogs are supposed to be 750-1000 words, and I'm pushing 2000 right now.  In case you haven't noticed, I've been working on keeping things more brief, but sometimes, God-stories are not to be told in an abbreviated way.  And this is the case today.  I want to share every detail so you can shake your head with me, eyes glazed over (hopefully in tears) and know God is faithful.  Always. In every detail.

So when you're weary; when you want to give up; when God shakes you in your Texan cowboy boots...
When you stand in awe and say, "I can't believe this!"  Just know, you can believe it.  So wipe the look of disbelief off your face.  Because He is God.  And you just never know what He might do when you take the Word of God literally.  Consecrate yourself, for tomorrow, the Lord will do amazing things."

And He did just that.

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

PS - As of right now, one of Amber's girls and 2 of my girls are still needing sponsorship.
The deadline is less than 3 hours away.  I am believing God will be God.  If nothing else, please pray for 6-year old Melody and 12-year old Jane and Stella, that God will provide for them!  Because, He can and will do amazing things!

Update -
Since the deadline is officially now past, there is a very outside chance that for the next few days, perhaps you can call the ministry and do a late registration for sponsorship. By the grace of God, Melody was sponsored just 25 minutes before midnight, and that leaves just Jane and Stella needing sponsorship!  Please pray for God to provide in His perfect way and perfect timing!

 

 

Team Moses...

"You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out.
The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.
Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. 
You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.
Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live 
and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times,
but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves.
That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.
If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain,
and all these people will go home satisfied.”  
Exodus 18:18-23

Some of you may be familiar with this passage above.  When you really start to pick apart Exodus 18, you can see some incredible leadership principles that are very applicable for today.  But this blog is not about leadership - I'll leave that to my husband Frank who is working on his PhD in Global Leadership. Leadership and studying leadership is his passion, not mine, really.  But I have learned a few things about this subject in my (gulp) 44 years of life.

Moses was trying to lead the people of Israel, but the problem was that he was micro-managing every little detail of the job, small disputes and large.  He couldn't see the forest through the trees.  His father-in-law Jethro came over for a visit and watched Moses in action one day, then Jethro cut to the chase and told Moses the way he saw it.  In today's lingo, he said, "Dude!  What are you thinking?  This job is too big for you to do everything by yourself!  You need a team of people to help you so you can keep your eyes on the big picture of leading God's people!"  Jethro didn't mince words with Moses, and like a wise son-in-law, Moses immediately put Jethro's advice into action.

As I studied this passage, I couldn't help but think of Ireen, the Zambian orphan girl I mentioned in my last blog.  I kind of feel like Moses.  Overwhelmed, because the job set before me is bigger than I can handle. It overwhelms me. Like Moses, it consumes me.  

Ireen's story is poignant; I wanted to give it time to resonate, and I didn't want to post something directly after it that would detract from the potential impact, so I've held off on posting anything else about our trip.  But as tends to be my problem, I was less than "fruit of the loom" brief in telling Ireen's story.  Some have told me, "I haven't had time to read it yet, but I will."  I get that, really I do! So my goal with this blog is to make it short enough to read on your mobile device while in line at Target; short enough to read during the commercial of a Rangers game; and short enough to read before your kids start school on Monday.

Back to Moses.  He was trying to do it all himself.  The job was overwhelming.  He needed a team.  And that's what I need for Ireen and her little brother.  I received an update recently saying that Ireen's assessment by the CPU (Child Protection Unit) is still pending.  I believe in my heart that maybe it's still pending because I haven't found enough sponsors yet for her and her brother to be rescued to live at the Tree of Life Village.  It's a burden I wake up thinking about, dream about, and go to bed praying about. I have some of their sponsorship committed to, mind you, but if the government sees fit to place Ireen and her brother in the full-time care of the ministry in Zambia, I definitely don't have enough.

If your heart was broken for Ireen like mine, or for any of the other girls I will post about in the coming days, and you want to step up to be part of "Team Moses" and sponsor an orphan's education or full-time care, would you message me or call me?  Maybe you can't give any significant amount on a monthly basis, and I understand that, really I do!  Our family is in the midst of actively raising our monthly support as well for our ministry and living expenses.  But just because we are "in the ministry" ourselves doesn't excuse me or exempt me from being a giver...and a cheerful one at that! 

So this is my final plea (for now!) for Ireen and her brother Nicholas.  Would you consider teaming together to accomplish the task?  Maybe you can only give $10 - $25 a month.  Someone told me they think they can start to donate on a monthly basis now that their Compassion International child is in her 20's.  Someone told me they can give $50/month and would commit to 1 year of sponsorship.  Whatever you can give, please know that it is desperately needed.  Please message me so we can talk more and I can share more about how to join "Team Moses."  

 

 

I have many more stories to share about what God did in the lives of these sweet girls in Lusaka, Zambia, but before I move on, I must be sure I have done what God has asked me to do.  Please stop and pray now and ask God how you can help make the burden lighter. 

"The work is too heavy for me; I cannot do it alone."  

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

 

Why did I go to Zambia? To rescue one. Meet Ireen Phiri.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will comfort you and watch over you."  
Psalm 32:8

Word of warning: This blog is not for the faint at heart.  And if you don't think you can do what God might ask you to do, then maybe it's best you stop right here and not read on.  And another word of warning, try as I might to keep this concise, I have once again failed miserably.  However, this story is too important to leave out the details, too compelling to not articulate every word.  Read on at the risk of a broken heart for orphans.

In case you missed my last blog, I talked about how important it is for the children in Zambia to get an education, and I posted a video that paralels the lives of two girls growing up in Africa, one with an education and one without.  If you missed it, scroll down to the blog below to watch the short, powerful video.  It's an eye-opener, for sure.

I also mentioned how God is using the ministry we worked with in Zambia - Family Legacy Ministries International (www.familylegacy.com) - to radically change the ability for the orphan child to be educated in Zambia through their Father's Heart Program. If you're familiar with organizations like "Compassion International" or other "sponsor the child" programs, Family Legacy's "Father's Heart" program is similar in structure, but the schools that most of the chilren get to attend are Christian Schools (Lifeway Christian Academies), run by the ministry.  In fact, the ministry is now the largest private provider of education in the entire country of Zambia!  The children are not only getting a top-notch education at a low teacher-student ratio compared to government schools, but they are participating in a top-notched Christian discipleship program as well.  This includes Biblical lessons on relationships, Christian character, and life skills.  On top of all that, the children receive 1 meal a day at school, and with good attendance, extra "blessings" of food are given to the caregivers of the child at their home.  Yes, the Father's Heart Sponsorship program is comprehensive, and if you're interested, you can sponsor one of the girls still needing sponsored that Amber and I led during our week of CAMP LIFE.  Look for the link toward the bottom of this blog to learn more!

Since I returned from Zambia on July 14th, I have slept through the night only twice.  Jet lag?  No.  In fact, I really didn't even experience jet lag.  My first night home, and nearly every night thereafter, I stayed up later and was up in the morning before the rest of my family.  No, jet lag is not the problem. My "problem" is a girl named Ireen, who lives in the compound of Chainda.  The Lord has woken me up nearly every night telling me to pray for her.  I cannot sleep, and I cannot rest.  I've told some of you bits and pieces, but let me tell you Ireen's story, here and now.

On Tuesday afternoon of CAMP LIFE, I had already had my one-on-on "Blessing TIme" with Nephie and Catherine.  (See the previous blog if you missed Nephie and Catherine's stories!)  We had time for one more, and so Magdalene, my Zambian partner and translator, called over 12 year old Ireen to come sit and talk with us.  

Without even knowing her story or background, I could tell Ireen didn't have a good home life.  She was probably the dirtiest girl in my group.  She didn't smell, mind you, not one bit.  But her hair looked like it was braided months ago and then left untouched since, her skin was dehydrated, and her eyelashes were long and mangled together with dirt.  

I started the conversation with some simple questions.  How old are you?  Do you know your birthday? Who do you live with?  But I could tell the conversation that started very light had quickly turned very serious.  As Ireen spoke in Nyanga (the native language in Zambia) with Magdalene, tears flowed down her face.  I saw Magdalene take Ireen by the chin and look closely at her face.  Then Magdalene turned to me to tell me Ireen's story.

Ireen is a double orphan.  She has a little 4 year old brother Nicholas, and her mom died after her brother was born.  Ireen's dad then re-married, but after that, he passed away, too, leaving Ireen with her step-mom.  If you're familiar with the fairy tale Cinderella, well then you can likely guess some of Ireen's story.  But even Cinderella didn't experience or endure what Ireen is currently living.

You see, Ireen's step-mom has her own kids as well, just like Cinderella's step-mom.  So when there is food for the family, the food goes to the step-mom and Ireen's step-siblings, leaving Ireen and Nicholas to go hungry.  On most days, they go without food, getting only one meal every few days, at best.  And school?  Sure, the step-siblings get to go to school, but Ireen?  Well, she gets to stay at home and do chores all day.  

Yes, this story of no education and little food is all too common in the life of an African orphan child. Ireen's story is similar to untold others.  But there was one thing I noticed about Ireen the first time I met her.  You see, she had scars on her face.  I just assumed it was from an accident of some sort.  But on Tuesday, she had fresh wounds both on her cheek and up near her ear, both areas still red with blood.  Another part of her ear looked nearly infected.

During our "Blessing Time," Ireen told us that her step-sister had stolen some money from her step-mom.  Instead of punishing her own child, the step-mom took it out on Ireen.  She trapped her down on the ground and sliced up her face with the prongs of a fork.  As I heard this story and witnessed the wounds, I realized this was not the first time a simple kitchen fork had been used as a weapon on her sweet face.  The rest of the scars I had noticed earlier...those were not the result of an accident, as I had originally assumed.  No, they were intentional abuse.  Repeat abuse.

What do you say to a child who has experienced something like this?  It's hard enough to lose both your mom and dad at an early age, but to have to grow up being unloved is a whole other story.  As we tried to finish our "Blessing Time", and as I tried to learn as much as I could about Ireen's situation, I just silently prayed for God to give me words to say that will somehow comfort Ireen.  We finished our "Blessing Time" by praying over her, and somewhwere in the midst of the tears of our time together, I learned that like Catherine, Ireen had accepted Christ the day before during our "Small Group" time. Once again, the Lord nudged me, "Oh ye of little faith!"  

After we finished talking and praying, Magdalene and I clung to Ireen and walked her up to where the mobile nurse's station was located at CAMP LIFE, so she could get some medical attention for the wouunds that were dirty and at risk for infection.

  

Later in the week, on Thursday, Ireen let me take these pictures of her scars to document the situation.

As a mom, I cannot fathom how any person who calls themself a mother would hurt another child like this, but this one thing I did know: God sent me to Zambia for Ireen.  He has yet to show me what all that entails, but I know God had put Ireen in my care that week so she could be rescued.  Rescued to live a life free from abuse; rescued to have an education; rescued to know what it means to live freely in Christ Jesus, rescued to know that someone loves her.  

You see, not only does Family Legacy have the Father's Heart sponsorship program that I mentioned earlier, they also have something called "The Tree of LIfe Village."  Children who live at the "Tree of LIfe" are children, just like Ireen, who were in desperately terrible situations of abuse or neglect.  After an investigation is done by CPU (the government's Child Protection Unit), if a child is deemed to be in a situation of extreme neglect or abuse, then the government can place them in the full time care of Family Legacy, and eventually, they can go live at the Tree of Life Village.  But did you catch the "if" part of that?  The government has to deem it necessary (and there is a lot of corruption in the government), and for that to happen, a case must be filed, a $100 fee paid to start the investigation, and perhaps most importantly, a sponsor for Ireen's full time care at the Tree of LIfe Village must be found.

As I spoke to staff members at Family Legacy about Ireen's situation, it was apparent that the most important thing was to find a sponsor for Ireen, but as I learned, if CPU sees fit to remove her from the home, they will also remove her little brother Nicholas.  (That means double sponsorship would be needed, both for Ireen and Nicholas.)  To complete the paperwork and even start an abuse report, I also needed to commit to Ireen's sponsorhip myself or at least commit to sponsor her until I can find another sponsor.  

And that, my friends, is what left me immobile.  

Immobile because in spite of my heart's longing to sponsor Ireen and rescue her, I knew I could not sign a paper of financial commitment like that.  To sponsor a child at the Tree of Life, it's $250/month per child, plus the $100 fee required just for CPU to begin the investigation.  

Some have mentioned to me that they think that's a high amount, but in reality, it is not.  That covers all education needs, food, clothing, medical needs, counseling, and allows for the child to be raised in a loving and safe Christian home with 11 other children.  This is not an "orphanage."  This is not even a "house".  This is the opportunity to grow up in a Christian HOME where love abounds.  Many of the children at the Tree of Life Village are HIV positive and have other serious illneses.  With Family Legacy's sponsorship programs, only 6% is deemed as "overhead" compared to some ministries and sponsorship programs that are 20% or even higher.  $3000/year is a small price to pay to rescue a child like Ireen, don't you think?

But for me, knowing our family's current financial situation, knowing that we are actively raising money just to not go in the hole each month, that $250/month might as well have been $300,000. 

I texted my husband about Ireen.  "What should I do about filling out this report?  I know we can't commit to the Tree of Life Sponsorship, but what can we do?"  I asked him.  He just responded, "We need to pray about it."  Then he quickly reminded me that I shouldn't make decisions in the heat of emotions.  Yes, I knew that, but he didn't quite understand the urgency of the situation, or so I thought. Honestly, I got more than a little ticked at him that Tuesday night.  But the truth is, there wasn't a whole lot that we could do at that point, except to pray and ask God for wisdom.  

As we texted back and forth, he reminded me to pray that Ireen's step-mom would come to know the Lord.  He said, "That's the answer. Then all Ireen will need is the Father's Heart sponsorship, and if her step-mom gets saved and changes, she won't need removed from the home."  We began to pray for that to come true; I knew God could do it, and I started to get excited about the change that might be coming for Ireen.  You see, on Thursday of CAMP LIFE, I would get to go into the compound of Chainda, and "my girls" would be able to share the Gospel with people in their own community and with their own family members.  I began to pray that we would have the opportunity to visit Ireen's home.  In my mind, I tried to picture her and role play what a conversation might look like.  I thought of a few ungodly things to say to her, too, but hey, this was just role play, not real life!  I figured I better get those thoughts out before they actually came out of my big mouth, unchecked!)  I posted the situation on facebook, and many people around the country began praying for her step-mom's salvation.

I cried myself to sleep Tuesday night, although I'm not sure you could call what I experienced "sleep."  I cried for Ireen.  For the pain she's had to go through.  For her safety.  And I cried for help from God. Help to know what to do.  To know how to handle the situation. And for God to somehow save Ireen's step-mom or provide a way for Ireen and her little brother to go live at the Tree of Life Village, if that was His will for her and Nicholas.  The one verse God kept bringing to my mind over and over was one I memorized a few years ago.  It has two parts to it, and I started claiming the first part for me and the 2nd part for Ireen:  "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will comfort you and watch over you."

As I prayed about what to do, God just kept telling me to trust Him.  I wasn't sure that He wanted me to fill out that abuse form at that point, mainly because I wasn't sure what He was telling me to do about the obligation for financial commitment.  But God just kept telling me this one thing:  that "He will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go."  And as I prayed for Ireen's safety, He assured me that "He would comfort her and watch over her."  

Wednesday of CAMP LIFE came, and I could hardly wait to see Ireen.  "Are you safe?" I said.  She shook her head and answered in English "Yes,"  Then I hugged her and with tears in my eyes told her I loved her.  Somehow between Monday and Wednesday, this dirty little girl with mangled eyelashes became one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen.  She didn't have a bath, and nothing in her physical manner changed at all.  Nothing.  In fact, I'm not even sure she changed her clothes.  But I had changed.  God had changed me.  He allowed me to love her the way He loves her, just like "Uncle Greer" asked us to pray at the beginning of the week.

I tried not to show favoritism with Ireen.  I held hands as I walked throughout the day with the others, too.  (That's what you do over there in Zambia, you know.  You just walk hand-in-hand because you love each other.  Even the adults do it!)  But I must be honest, I slipped Ireen my apple every day, so she could take it home to feed her little brother. Truth be told, I saw some of the other girls doing the same thing.  They seemed to understand how bad the situation was for Ireen, much worse than even their own orphaned stories.

By the time Thursday arrived, I could hardly wait to get to Chainda to talk with Ireen's step-mom.  But that divine appointment was not going to happen.  It turned out that Ireen lived on the far outskirts of the compound, and we weren't able to go to her home to share the Gospel.  My heart sunk.  "What now, God?  What am I supposed to do?  I can't sign that form to say I'm responsible for her sponsorship, and I can't NOT sign that form, because she needs to be protected - she's a child of Yours!"  

And He told me, "I'll instruct you and teach you in the way you should go."

  

This picture was taken on Thursday after the girls had shared the Gospel throughout their community of Chainda.

I took the abuse report back to the hotel Thursday night and prayed over it again.  God had told me that He would show me what to do, and He was faithful, as usual.  That night, I talked to the staff at Family Legacy and told them again about Ireen's situation.  I told them again that signing the form to commit to her sponsorship at the Tree of Life was just not an option for me and our family, but I would commit to finding a sponsor for her, should CPU allow her to be placed at the Tree of Life.  

"I will find a sponsor for her.  I have to."

Family Legacy agreed to let me turn in the form, based on my word to find a sponsor.  This is outside of the norm, but I know it was God-ordained.  Let me step up on my soapbox for one moment, please. One person told me they thought this was a bit manipulative of the ministry, not accepting the abuse report without someone signing up for the sponsorship.  After all, it's all about the children, not the money, right?  I want to set that straight, in case you are thinking the same thing.  There must be sponsorship guidelines in place for those who will go to live at the Tree of Life Village, because the needs of so many children are great. There are a whole lot more chidren who need rescued then spots available at the Tree of Life.  The primary way they can determine which children will be rescued is by sponsorship. There are some children who live at the Tree of Life Village currently who have lost their sponsorship (more on that in a later blog), and there are some children that the government has just "given" Family Legacy and told them to "take."  Sponsorship for these precious children is vital to their care, and if they took "everyone" they wouldn't be able to so superbly care for and minister to them all.  It would be more of an orphanage-type situation vs. a home.  So if you are a nay-sayer, please believe me when I say that $250/month for this full-time care is not an exorbitant amount and requesting the commitment to sponsor them is not a manipulative practice.  It's the most pratical approach, and it is working.  I saw it first hand, and I saw the kind of care and the joy experienced by these children who reside at the Tree of Life Village.  (Stepping down from my soapbox now.)

I had heard some of the others who had attended CAMP LIFE previously talk about what happens to the children once the CPU starts to investigate.  Some of them suffer even more abuse as a punishment for a report being filed.  I completed the form, but before I turned it in to the CPU agent who was at CAMP LIFE on Friday, I felt compelled to talk to Ireen about the consequences that may be endured for me filing the report.  She understood the "what ifs" and she agreed to my turning in the report.  That afternoon, truly in the last hours of CAMP LIFE, the CPU agent met with Ireen to start to document her situation.

By Friday, we were a very tight little group, and the girls were watching out for each other.  On their own, the girls had a time of prayer over Ireen.  My littlest girl, Memory, prayed that her step-mom would feed her, even if it's okra.  (Apparently okra is the "liver and onions" meal of Zambian children. They all told me they hate it with a passion!)  With that prayer, all the girls burst into laughter to the point of tears. We could always count on Memory for a laugh, that's for sure.

No longer did these girls hang their head in shame, thinking they were "no good, dirty and deserted orphans."  No.  By the end of the week, they had named themselves "Girls of Grace."  And I could see the change that God had done in each of their lives, but especially with Ireen.  In the midst of her situation at home, God had given her a peace and joy that is unexplainable unless you compare the pictures of her from the beginning of the week to the end.  She doesn't even look like the same girl, really.

These pictures were taken on Friday, the last day of CAMP LIFE.  Nehemiah 8:10 - The joy of the Lord is her strength!
Special thanks to my boss, Tim Childs at Raptim Travel, who sponsored this blanket for Ireen.  I have prayed more times than I can count that it will keep her and her brother warm, and her mom will not steal it from her. 

As I continued to text with my husband about the urgency of the situation, I asked him if I could leave $250 with the ministry to get things started for Ireen.  I felt like it was "ernest money", to show my commitment to help her and to help find a sponsor.  I had almost that exact amount of cash, and in my heart of hearts, I believed it needed to stay in Zambia and not go back to the USA with me.  He agreed, and I handed it over to Andrew Knight, who is the "man on the ground extraordinairre" in charge of sponsorship programs at Family Legacy.  The first $100 of the money was to be put toward opening the case with CPU, and the last $150 was to be determined, based on the results of the investigation.  If CPU would see fit to place her in the care of Family Legacy, then the remaining $150 would be put toward her first month of sponsorship at the Tree of Life.  But if CPU determined she was not able to be placed at the Tree of Life, then the remaining $150 could be put toward her Father's Heart sponsorship and enrollment fees for her education.  

So, where do I go from here?  Well, I don't know, exactly.  I'm still waiting on the outcome of the investigation.  In my heart of hearts, I believe CPU will decide to remove Ireen and her little brother Nicholas from the home.  However, the step-mom can fight that.  Then if there are any other family members around, they can claim "rights" to the children, and there can be a lengthy legal battle.  I hope I know something within a few weeks or sooner.

What I do know is that God sent me to Zambia to help Ireen.  I believe God won't let me sleep at night because I've not fulfilled my obligation to find sponsorship for her and her little brother.  If the CPU determines that she must stay living where she is, then I will commit to her Father's Heart sponsorship personally, so she can go back to school.  But if the CPU gives the go-ahead for her to be placed at the Tree of Life Village, then I wil not rest, I cannot rest, until every penny of her sponsorship (and Nicholas', too) is accounted for.  

This is a video of the children who currently reside at The Tree of Life Village.  Since it's hard to understand their English, here's what they sing:  "I'm 6 years old, and I'm still growing UP! I need wisdom and I need knowledge. The only choice is a better place. Tree of Life! Tree of Life! A blessing to the nat...ions. Tree of Life! Tree of Life! A blessing to the nations! The 2nd solo repeats the same words, then the whole group sings: "We are a blessing to the nations. We are happy at Tree of Life! We go to school and are still growing UP. I need wisdom, and I need knowledge. Tree of Life! Tree of Life! A blessing to the nations. Tree of Life! Tree of Life! A blessing to the nations!"

 

Yes, Amber and I each led a 10-girl group while in Lusaka.  Of those 20 girls, 5 of my girls and 6 of Amber's still need sponsored for their education and 1 meal a day through the Father's Heart program.

Our girls and the status of their sponsorship can be found at the links below:
https://web.familylegacy.com/give/ambassadors/6791 (Beth's girls)
https://web.familylegacy.com/give/ambassadors/6795 (Amber's girls)

But it's the sponsorship for Ireen that is the most heavy on my heart.  It's Ireen that God wakes me up at night to pray for.  It's Ireen who is suffering ongoing abuse, scars physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Out of our group of 20 girls, only Ireen is in a terrible situation of abuse and neglect.  I do believe she will be placed at the Tree of LIfe, and so I must plead with you to join me in the monthly sponsorship for her and Nicholas.

The other 10 that stil need sponsored would be through the Father's Heart program, and in God's eyes, they are just as important as Ireen.  The price of sponsorship varies in this program, depending on the age of the child, due to the mandated testing requirements of the government.  For children in grades 1-6, there is a 1-time $95 enrollment fee for school and then a $44/month commitment.  For children in grades 7-12, the sponsorship changes to $66/month and a $190/enrollment fee.  

Will you take some time to personally pray Psalm 32:8 in regards to sponsoring one of these girls?  Ask God to "instruct you and teach you the way you should go" and please, as a favor to me, will you ask God to "watch over Ireen and Nicholas and comfort them."  

He is faithful, and I know He will instruct you to make the right decision, and I know He is going to watch over Ireen and Nicholas until we can get them safely placed and sponsored at the Tree of Life Village.  No, I can't rescue them all, but I don't have to.  God sent me to Zambia to rescue one.  And her name is Ireen.

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

 

 

"Blessing Time"...Meet Nephie and Catherine

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."  Psalm 147:3

"Blessing Time" was a scheduled part of CAMP LIFE each day.  This is when I could go spend one-on-one time with each girl, along with my Zambian partner Magdalene, of course. I'd heard others who had been to CAMP LIFE before say how this was their favorite part of the day, and I was anxious to get to know these girls a little better.

Education is key in bringing about change in the lives of these children, and as I said previously, that is a luxury that most of them are not able to afford.  Through Family Legacy's Father's Heart Sponsorship program, children are able to attend a Lifeway Christian Academy and receive one meal a day.  In addition to that, as an incentive for the child's good attendance, extra "blessings" of food are given to the caregivers at home.  You see, many families would rather keep the kids at home to do the work or take care of the other children.  Some of the situations are much like child/slave labor, and that's why the extra incentives have been built in for the caregivers.  

To sponsor a child through "The Father's Heart" program, for children in grades 1-6, there is a is a 1-time $95/enrollment fee for school and then a $44/month commitment.  For children in grades 7-12, the sponsorship changes to $66/month and a 1-time enrollment fee of $190.  The price differential is because of the additional testings that the government requires to take place for the older children.

This short video is very indicative of what I saw and what a difference an education can make.  Take some time to watch...

 

(If for some reason you cannot see the video, I also posted it on my facebook!  You can look there or message me, and I will send you a link!)

Over the course of the week, we had "Blessing Time" with all 10 girls, but Tuesday, we met with Nephie, Catherine, and Ireen.  I want to introduce you to each one, so you can pray for them specifically for them.

This is "Nephie".  Is she not just beautiful?  Just look at that sweet, innocent smile!  I think you'll find that I'm going to say almost that exact same thing about all my girls.  They are all so beautiful, and I would soon learn just how beautiful, inside and out!  

Her real name is Nephel Phiri, and Nephie is the one mentioned in the earlier blog who spelled her name wrong on the necklace, but "Nephie" just seemed to fit her well.  The last name of Phiri is a common name in Zambia, kind of like "Smith" or "Brown" is here.  When I arrived at CAMP LIFE on Monday, looking for my Zambian partner Magdalene so I could identify my group of girls, apparently she spotted me first, so Magdalene sent Nephie over to get me.  She literally attacked me with hugs as if we were long, lost friends.  "Auntie Beth!!!  Come this way!!!!"  And that was my first greeting from Nephie, actually, with any of "my girls".

When I sat down with Nephie for "Blessing Time", I learned that she's 11 years old.  I asked if she knew her birthday, and she did not.  We were told that many of the children have no idea what day they were born, only about how old they are.  My heart cracked a little more.  If you know me, you know birthdays are big for me.  My husband jokes that I celebrate "Beth's Birthday Month" and proclaim it as a national holiday.  We were instructed to write down a birthday of 1/1/and the year if the child didn't know her birthday, that way the ministry could identify the child's birthdate as being "unknown."  

Nephie is in grade 3, and praise the Lord, she currently has a sponsor through the Father's Heart program.  But did you catch that?  She is in grade 3, but she is 11 years old.  That means Nephie is already 3 years behind because of not being in school.  Can you imagine your 11 year old being in 3rd grade, but still being smart as a whip?  My heart split open a little more.

When I asked her what makes her happy, she said "I'm happy because I get to go to school now."  How many of our children will answer that question like that?  But these kids know and understand the value of education.  How I wish our children could really grasp that same importance!

Nephie is a single orphan - her mom passed away, and she lives with her dad.  She said that there are 8 children in the family, 4 boys and 4 girls.  She said she sleeps on the floor of a two room house.  Nephie has goals of being a nurse one day, and she asked that we pray for her to be able to concentrate at school.

I asked her what pains her, and she told me what pains her is listening to her 18 year old brother cry throughout the night in pain, due to his sickle cell anemia.  She said they don't have any money for medicines, so her brother cries a lot, and that makes her sad.  I asked her if she feels safe at home, and she said now that her community chased away one of her neighbors, she does feel safe.  She said the man kept preying on her, but he never hurt her though.  (Praise God for His protection!)

I learned that before coming to CAMP LIFE, Nephie had already asked Jesus into her heart.  However, sometimes she attends a JW church.  Please pray that God will invade her home and she will understand the difference between truth and lies, as her mind is probably getting mixed messages.  Finally, Nephie asked that we pray for her dad to find employment.  We prayed together, hugged, and I told her if she wanted to talk with me anytime later in the week, just to let me know.  Please pray for Nephie and the prayer requests mentioned!

At the end of the week, each child was given a wool blanket.  This is a picture of Nephie with hers.  Special thanks to my friend Ashlie Rich who sponsored this blanket for Nephie.  (More on the blankets in a later blog!)

The next "Blessing Time" we were able to do was with Catherine - Catherine Tembo.  Catherine was my oldest orphan girl.  She is 14 years old and even knows her birthday - November 9th, 1998, but as I quickly learned, she's already had a harder life than most people I know.  She's a double orphan - both her mom and her dad have already passed away.  

Catherine shared with us that after her parents died, she used to live with her auntie.  The auntie made her "go out with boys" so they would have money for food.  By the grace of God, Catherine's grandma heard about what was going on, and she stepped in and took Catherine away from the auntie.  Now, she  lives with her grandma, 2 brothers, 2 uncles, and 5 cousins in a 2-room house.  She said there are 8 people who sleep on the floor in the room she sleeps in.

Pictured above is Catherine Tembo.  
Can't you just see the joy of the Lord come through her face as she sings one of the praise songs, while waiting in line?

 

Remember that first "Small Group" I talked about from Monday?  The one where I was so concerned about the girls not understanding the decision to accept Christ into their lives?  Well, when I asked Catherine if she had ever thought about making that decision for herself, she told me, "I already did that."  I asked her to tell me more about it, and she said, "I made that decision in "Small Group" on Monday, Auntie Beth!  Isn't that just like God?  He has all the details wrapped up perfectly, and we don't need to worry, not one bit!

Like Nephie, Catherine is also blessed to already have a sponsor through the Father's Heart program. She attends the Lifeway Christian Academy in her compound of Chainda, and her favorite subject in school is English, but she has a goal of being a teacher one day.  

I asked Catherine if she feels safe at home, and she said she does most of the time, now that she lives with her grandma.  But she did say one of her uncles gets drunk all the time and screams at her, "Follow your father to the grave!"  She said once he threw a big stone on back, but when he is drunk, she now just tries to stay away from him.

Catherine wept as she asked us to pray that God would forgive her for her past mistakes with boys and that she will stay pure now that she's a child of the King!  She was a child.  A victim, really, and yet she was holding guilt for what was forced upon her.  We prayed together, and I believe God healed her heart and made her whole again.  That's what He promises to do, you know, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."  Psalm 147:3

Catherine asked that we pray that her sponsor will be able to continue, then she said one more prayer request.  "Please pray that God will add years to my life."  This 14 year old girl knows all too well the reality of the brevity of life.  She has seen it.  She has lived it.  And she doesn't want to repeat the cycle of death.

"Please pray that God will add years to my life." - Catherine Tembo
Special thanks to my friends Steven and Kelly Bardeua who sponsored this blanket for Catherine!

 

We had time on Tuesday for one more "Blessing Time" - with a little girl named Ireen Phiri, but I will save that story for the next blog.  I'm well aware that as I type all the details, most people don't have time to read all the details, and her story is one that cannot be missed, so stay tuned.  It's her story that keeps me awake at night, and haunts me during the daylight hours.

Take the time to pray for Nephie and Catherine, will you please?  Especially pray that they will be able to stay in school and grow in the Lord!  And pray that God continues to bind up the wounds of these brokenhearted ones who have lost so much.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Abundant Life - MONDAY, CAMP LIFE

 "I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  John 10:10

 

FINALLY!  The day was finally here for me to meet my 10 girls!  I was giddy with excitement, and it wasn't from the ice cold shower I had, either.  (Actually, I did have about 1 minute of scalding hot water before it turned ice cold, but hey, "this is Africa" - what do I expect?)

But you know what?  God sure has a sense of humor.  After all this waiting, we didn't get to meet our kids right away on Monday morning.  No, the ministry felt it was important (and they were right!) for us to go tour the city and see some of these compounds and slums that our children were coming from. The tour guide for my bus was  a man by the name of Clay Hughey, a staff member with Family Legacy.

Admitedly, I am an observer of people.  I try not to be judgemental, really I do.  But I can't help but form evaluations on people based on what I observe.  The old saying "actions speak louder than words" is true, and after spending part of my week as an eye-witness to the great Clay Hughey, I must say that I hold nothing but high respect and deep regard for this man and his family.  They don't just spend the summers doing CAMP LIFE in Zambia.  No, they live there full time.  You see, I had "known" Clay's name over the years.  I have done countless tickets for him.  It wasn't his wealth of knowledge about Zambia, and it wasn't his rather quick wit.  No, what impressed me about Clay was his compassion and wisdom in helping make key decisions for the ministry to catapult the welfare of the orphan child.  Did you catch that?  It wasn't to catapult the ministry.  God is using Clay in an incredible way, and Amber and I were blessed to have him as our tour guide for the morning.  Props to God, and props to Clay for allowing himself to be used in such a mighty way! 

As we entered a compound called Chaisa, I could hear a few gasps from some who were perhaps on their first ever mission trip.  Sites like this are not easily forgotten.  For me, It reminded me a lot of the barrios in Barranquilla, Colombia -- with one exception.  Although the homes seemed similar in structure, the number of small children walking around alone was alarming.  On top of that, as Clay gave us the facts on the orphan situation, the number of people that live in the homes is probably twice as many as what I have seen in Colombia.  As we learned, it's not uncommon for 12 people to live in a two room shack.  We even drove through an area that had recently flooded, but prior to that, the homes were made of plastic garbage bags.  Forget the "rooms" - there were no "rooms."  

One major component of reaching the orphan children of Zambia and changing the cycle of poverty is through education, and Family Legacy is now the largest private provider of education in the entire country.  They call their schools Lifeway Christian Academies, and we were able to tour the LCA in the compound of Chaisa.  This particular school has an incredible God-story behind it.  You see, in that very spot in Chaisa, there once stood a bar that until Family Legacy purchased the property, housed a brothel.  However, the owner of the bar passed away, and his family couldn't agree on what should be done with the property, so the courts ordered it to be sold.  Family Legacy was in the right place at the right time.  It was God's time.  Clay told us about how he went to view the property the first time, and he showed us the rooms that once housed a mattress and a woman, "open and ready for business.' Today, this same property is not only providing a sound education for orphans, it's also teaching them that Jesus is THE WAY, the one and only way!

After the tour of the city and the compounds, it was time.  It was finally time to meet the 10 girls that God had entrusted to me for the week.  I had butterflies in my stomach, the same kind you get when you go on a first date.  (Yes, it's been a long time since I had a "first date" but I still remember what they feel like - that's a feeling you never forget!)

The moment was here, and as I met each girl, I put my hand on their shoulder, their back, their head.  I looked them in the eyes and told them I loved them.  I told them I didn't know their name or even what they looked like before that day, but I had been praying for them for months.  The emotions I felt were unexpected.  With a few, I swelled up with tears as I told them these words.  I felt an immediate love for them.  With a few others, I silently prayed, "I hope I can learn to love this girl, but God, she just looks so unloveable!"   Yes, that's the human in me being completely honest.  Some of these girls were dirty.  Very dirty.  Some really didn't smell good, either.  And as I walked down the row and gave a personal greeting to each girl, I remembered what Greer asked us to pray, "Lord, let me love this child the way You love them."  And somehow God's peace started to take over that anxiety and pressure on me to love them.  I didn't have to do anything.  God would do it.  And He did.  He did that and so much more.

Ten precious girls, all lined up from shortest to tallest.  Each adorned with a beaded necklace with their name on it - necklaces they had made before I arrived at CAMP LIFE.  The first was Memory.  Yes, that was her name, and it wasn't very hard to remember, either!  Next was Nephie.  I learned later that Nephie used the letter "I" instead of the letter "L" by mistake when she made her necklace, and then on top of that, she spelled her name wrong.  In actuality, her name was Nephel, but when she made her necklace, it came out "Nephie." She looked like a Nephie, and from that point on, with her permission, that was her name.  "Nephie" fit her well, too.  The next little girl I met was Ireen.  As I met each girl, I tried to make mental notes about them so I could remember their names.  I was planning on taking pictures of each one and then studying their faces (and necklaces) that night.  Ireen's eyelashes were long and mangled with dirt and grime.  That was my reminder.  Eye-reen.  Then Edina.  When I met Edina, I wondered what her story was.  I could barely get a smile out of her.  She was going to be a tough nut to crack, for sure.  Or so I thought.  Stella (tight braids, angled to the left).  Agness (Scar over her left eye).  Jane (Tight braids straight back).  Esther (Big eyes, shy).  Felistus (Big gap in her teeth).  And then finally Catherine, Catherine with a beautiful,contagious smile and a matching scar on her forehead, just like I have.  :)  (What can I say?  I'm visual!)  

These were the 10 girls God had entrusted to me to pour myself into for a week of CAMP LIFE, and somehow I knew that by the end of the week, CAMP LIFE would be a reality for them.  In our orientation, Greer told us that some of our kids would literally be like "the walking dead."  He told us some would come to CAMP LIFE without life or purpose.  I was trusting God that none of them would ever be "walking dead" again!

(I didn't realize until Tuesday or Wednesday that the settings somehow got changed on my camera, causing every picture from the first two days of CAMP LIFE to be terrible.  But, hey, at least I have "grainy" pictures that look like they were taken with a 100 year old camera!  ...and most importantly, I have memories!  I just wish I could share those memories more vividly!)

After we all tried to get to know each other a little, it was time for BIG GROUP session.  This is where we all go to the Legacy Center, sing and dance (and for me, look like a fool while singing and dancing), listen to "Uncle Greer" teach, and then watch a skit that closely models the horrific life that some of these orphan children live on a daily basis.  Since I had older girls, my group was positioned in the very back of the room.  "Uncle Greer" taught from Romans 10 about having the power of God in your life.  "You must hear the Word of God; you must understand the Word of God; you must believe in your heart; and you must speak the Word of God."  Four simple and direct points with hand motions to help them remember.  Up until that week, I had only known the "business Greer", but I must say I definitely like the "Uncle Greer" a lot, too!  It was so cool to see the other side of the founder of the ministry, the one that loves and cares so much for these children!

After the skit and one more song, it was time for "small group."  During small group, I felt very strongly that I should share the Gospel again to be sure they all understood what it meant to accept Christ.  I shared my testimony and how my mom had shown me how to become a Christian when I was a small child.  I shared Scripture verses with them and just spoke from my heart.  Talking about the Lord truly is one of my favorite things to do, and if you know me, just like in this blog, I can go on and on!  (Hey, I like to share details!  It's the details that make you feel a part of the story, right?)

Anyway, after I was sure that I had explained everything as best I could, I asked the girls if they would like to pray and ask God to come into their lives, forgive them of their sins, and commit their life to Him.  Then my Zambian partner Magdalene took over and led some of the girls in a prayer.  I started to get goosebumps when I heard them pray.  It truly was child-like faith, and as they prayed, I asked God to let this be real in their lives.  

Timing is everything, you know, and apparently, I'm not very good at it.  Just as the girls were finishing up their prayer, the music came on and announcements started being made about it being time to go home.  "The Wheels on the Bus" song blared, and commotion began,  There I was, going from a mountain-top high to a super-low emotional moment.  You see, one of the things I am so cautious about when it comes to children and salvation is making sure they understand.  My heart dropped that there was no immediate follow-up with those that prayed a few moments earlier.  I didn't even know WHO prayed that prayer!  I didn't know anything.  Then God quickly reminded me that He had it all under control - every word I said, the timing, and every prayer that was uttered.  I didn't need to know.  (More on that in future blogs!)

All 10 of my girls and 10 of Amber's girls were from the same compound - Chainda.  As we waited for their bus to arrive, Memory clung to me as if she was my own child and I'd known and loved her my whole life.  I grabbed my camera and snapped a picture,

Although she's looking right at the camera, I don't think she had any idea I even took a picture.  She was just holding on to me and rocking back and forth.  Little Memory.  Cute as a bug, and there were times during the week that she had the entire group crying because of the funny things that came out of that little mouth.  To say she was a spitfire is an understatement!

As I have mentioned before, Zambia has more oprhans per capita than any other country in the world. Over 1 million.  Like me, you might ask "why"?  Well, with Monday's CAMP LIFE in the books, we were about to find out one of the biggest reasons.  We rode the bus back to the hotel for dinner and our team meeting, then we were told that all "first timers" to CAMP LIFE needed to stay after dinner and watch a documentary film by Sorious Samura.  It was called "Living with AIDS," and it was filmed there in Zambia.  

HIV/AIDS truly is epidemic in Zambia.  Many of the children who live at the ministry's Tree of Life Village are HIV positive.  The average lifespan in Zambia is only 38 years old, and people are both reproducing and dying en mass.  There is such a stigma with the disease that many will refuse to be tested, or if they do get tested, they will not tell their family, for fear of being eternally shunned.  

 

The documentary focuses much on so called "safe sex" but even more so, it really uncovers why the disease is still claiming so many lives and leaving so many orphans.  (The documentary is almost an hour long, but the video embedded here is about 11 minutes long.  If you have time to watch even those 11 minutes, you'll get a good understanding of the situation.  If you can find the entire documentary somewhere, I would encourage you to watch the whole thing.)

The documentary also shed new light for me on just what children experience there in Zambia.  Think about it.  Most live in a one or two room home with anywhere from 6 to 8 to 12 or even more living there.  The children grow up being exposed to sex from the time they are babies.  There is no privacy, and there is nothing done behind closed doors.  Urges are acted upon with whatever warm body, willing or unwilling, that is available.  And the disease spreads.  And the children lose their moms.  And they lose their dads.  And many of them are left with nothing.  Nothing but the disease themselves, passed on from childbirth.

Daunting is not the word to describe the reality of the situation.  Haunting is a more accurate description.  Amber had terrible nightmares that night.  She dreamed that she went to CAMP LIFE the next day and some of her girls had passed away, leaving Amber to carry the bodies in her backpack all day.  I don't say that to be grotesque or macabe.  The situation is just that dark.  The film did the job intended - it brought the reality of the situation in Zambia, the reality of the "life" these children face on a daily basis to the forefront of my understanding.  

John 10:10 says that Jesus came so we will have life - LIFE ABUNDANT.  That's what CAMP LIFE is all about, so the "walking dead" can find new life in Christ.  Some of my girls had done just that on Monday during small group time - they had made a decision to start living the abundant life in Christ!  

Truly, it was an emotionally packed day.  As Boulder and I layed down, I asked the Lord again to give me His heart for my girls.  How I wanted them each to know what it means to truly experience an abundant life in Christ, regardless of their lack of earthly riches.  I knew He would be faithful.  He always is. Besides, it's called CAMP LIFE for a reason.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

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The Journey...

"The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on ME because the Lord has anointed ME to preach the good news to the poor.  He has sent ME to bind up the broenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor." Isaiah 61:1-3

 

We went from our "mountaintop experience" at the tip of Victoria Falls back to the room, finished packing, and then watched as our airport transfer staff comically tried to pack our luggage and the luggage from the other two families into 2 compact-sized cars.  After about 15 minutes, it became very apparent they needed some help from a woman, so one of the other ladies started telling them "what to put where", and eventually, after suitcases were put in the front seat with the driver and bodies were crushed together in the back seat tighter than most American's comfort level, we were on our way...finally going to CAMP LIFE.  We met yet another person at the airport who was also on his way to CAMP LIFE, and after a few minutes of talking, I realized I had actually done his airfare back in November and had chatted with him several times on the phone.  I love it how God does those kind of ordained meetings!

By the grace of God, our PRO FLIGHT was uneventful, but again, I definitely prayed quite a bit for God's mercy in that happening!  Any time I get in one of those small planes, it's a bit unnerving. Amber and I spent the entire hour-long flight looking at all the pictures we had taken...she had taken 711 pictures in the 4 days since we boarded the plane in Dallas!  We laughed a lot, and I'm so thankful we were able to experience this together!

With a successful smooth landing, we were met at the airport by Susan Kendall, and she told us there were some other flights delayed so we'd be waiting around a bit for the others to arrive.  Then we went straight to our orientation meeting at what is known as "The Legacy Center" on the Family Legacy Missions International property.  I remmeber being in a meeting a few years ago when all I saw was artist renditions of this "Legacy Center." To now be in that building and see how God has blessed the ministry brought such joy to my heart!  

What also brought joy to my heart was hearing that CAMP was being held on these grounds, and anytime I had the need to use the restroom, I could just slip inside the Legacy Center and go about my business! (I told you, I didn't really know everything I was getting into, I just knew God said to "GO" so I was obedient!)

If you've been anywhere near me for the last few months, you would have heard me share about how Amber and I will be mentoring and responsible for 10 girls each during this week.  We were participating in "Week 5" of CAMP LIFE, and during week 5, we had 112 participants from the USA.  That equated to 1,120 kids who were able to attend CAMP LIFE!  During our orientation, we had testimony time where some who had never come to CAMP LIFE before could share their journey of how God had brought them there.

One couple shared how they had originally booked their 10-year anniversary celebration to Hawaii when God stopped them in their tracks and told them to cancel those plans and instead, sign up for CAMP LIFE. I believe it was that same couple who was short in their fundraising but felt so called to come that the wife sold her wedding ring to cover the rest of the costs involved.  

Another one shared how her 18 year old son had passed away late last year, and when he did, she asked God to somehow use that for His glory.  I don't remember all the details, but the mom, the dad, and their daughter Jordan were all there at CAMP LIFE, excited to see how God was going to use the pain they experienced to bring honor to Him.

Nearly half of the room was there because of the influence of two or three families.  They believe so strongly in this ministry and these orphans that they keep coming back every year and bringing more and more with them.  For me, it was awesome to put faces to so many of the names that I've done airline tickets for during the last ten years.  I sat in silence as I listened to story after story of God's provision in bringing all these people to CAMP LIFE.

As testimony time came to a close, Greer Kendall (the ministry founder) gave us a challenge for the start of the week.  He asked us to do 4 things.  He asked us to PRAY, RECEIVE, WATCH, and DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF A MIRACLE.

He asked us to PRAY every day this simple prayer: "Dear God, give me Your heart for these kids in Jesus' name, amen!"

He asked us to RECEIVE the word of the Lord.  He used these verses in Isaiah 61:1-3, and he asked that we copy it down.  Then he asked that we write it again, but inserting OUR NAME.  Then he asked that we pray it back to the Lord.  Although I was very familiar with these verses, they sure bring on a new meaning after CAMP LIFE for me.

Then Greer asked us to WATCH.  He said that we are here by God's divine design, and we should tell the Lord that we are here and ready to be used by Him.

Then finally, he said, "DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF A MIRACLE."  I sat there thinking about that.  It really was a miracle that Amber and I were in that room.  OK, God, I said, so far, so good.  Show me why you brought us to Zambia, and help me to have YOUR heart for these children.  Help me to receive whatever you tell me this week, be on the lookout for what You want me to see, and most importantly, God, don't let me get in the way of a miracle.

We went on to the hotel that evening, reunited with our luggage (now pretty much destroyed and unusable, but that's another story), and tried to sleep on the rock-hard bed, fondly given the name of Boulder.  I went to bed praying Isaiah 61:1-3 would be true for my life.

Sunday came, and that meant I was one step closer to meeting "my" girls, but I had to be patient, that wouldn't come until Monday!  They held church for us at the Legacy Center on Sunday morning, and worship was led by the children who live at The Tree of Life Village.  These are the orphaned children who were in such extreme situations of abuse and/or neglect that they now are in the full-time care of the ministry.  All the children were dispersed throughout the room, and the Americans entered the building and dispersed as well.  I sat next to a little boy named Lubinda on my left and a little boy named Cassidy on my right.  I don't know their back-stories, but what I do know is that you could see the joy of the Lord in their smiles.  I loved listening to these sweet African children sing in broken English as well as their native tongue of Nyanja.  

After church and lunch, the "marketplace" came to us.  There on the grounds, many of the top vendors in the area came to sell their wares to all the Americans, and sell they did!  I pride myself on bargains and being a bargain shopper, but I had to use some restraint, knowing that this is their livelihood.  Still, I had a long list of people who Amber and I needed to buy gifts for, and a small amount of cash, but by the grace of God, we were able to get just about everything we needed with what we had.  

Afternoon was upon us, and that meant that I was about to be keenly reminded of how uncoordinated I am.  As a large group, we learned three of the songs (and motions/dance movements) that we would be singing with the kids during the week.  The songs were awesome.  The motions were rigorous and extremely visual.  And me, well I was just plain clumsy.  Regardless of that fact, I did my best, even though the muzungu (white person) in me was very apparent.  

Then it was time to meet the first of our two Zambian partners.  Each of us would be paired up with two people, affectionately known as our "evangelist" and our "apostle."  Our "evangelist" would be designated as our main translator/partner for the week, and when the "evangelist" and I would be working one-on-one with a child, our "apostle" would then lead the rest of the group.  With great anticipation, I was assigned my evangelist - Magdalene Mwale.  

I've worked with a lot of translators over the years, and Magdalene was just as good as the best of them.  She knew when to translate, and she knew when the kids could understand the English that I was using.  Magdalene also had extra insight, because she is a field worker for the ministry, providing regular assessments of children from the compounds.  I was definitely blessed to be partnered with her for my CAMP LIFE experience, and we spent about 20 minutes getting to know each other and praying together.

Magdalene asked, and it seemed to be a recurring question from others, "Why did I come to Zambia?"  or "What made me decide to come?"  And for some of the people who knew I do the airfare for the ministry, I was asked, "What took you so long to come?"  For me, it wasn't a matter of "what" made me come...it was "Who" made me come.  I was so keenly aware of the journey that God had brought both Amber and I on, and although at the time, I didn't know His purpose in sending us to Zambia, I knew He purposed for us to come.  I didn't need to know the "why"; I only was convinced that I was there for a reason, a reason probably to be revealed at a later time.

Looking back now, I do think I understand a little more fully what that reason was, but I'll save that detail for another time, another blog.  Suffice it to say that this journey started a long time before. Back at the hotel after a full day, as Boulder and I laid down to sleep, I reviewed and tried to personalize the words from Isaiah, just like Greer had asked us to do.  

The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on ME because the Lord has anointed ME to preach the good news to the poor.  He has sent ME to bind up the broenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor." 

Why was I on this journey?  Certainly not because I feel called to minister to children.  In fact, as much as I like working with kids and have a lot of experience doing so, I would much rather minister to adults. Could it be that I was there simply so Amber would be able to experiece CAMP LIFE?  That certainly could be part of it.  But one thing I did know as I laid my head down was that I was sent to tell about the Good News of Jesus to the poor and help girls whose hearts were wounded begin to heal.  I prayed again for my 10 girls.  I didn't even know their names or faces, but I'd been praying for them for a long time.  And I knew if I could just find some way for Boulder and I to agree on a comfort level, the time to meet these 10 precious girls would be here soon.  And the journey would continue.

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Prepare the Way...

"A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord!  Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be raised up; every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.  And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all the people will see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."  
Isaiah 40:3-5

It was the trip of a lifetime, really...a dream come true for Amber and I to be able to go work with orphans in Zambia with one of my long-time clients and friends, Greer and Susan Kendall (Family Legacy Missions International.)  Every detail from how it came to be, our airfare, and even a small safari was God-provided.  I knew God was going to do great things on this trip; I had no doubt of that.  But God had plans far beyond my mind's imagination.  The name of the program was called CAMP LIFE, and to be honest, I really didn't know exactly how all that was going to work, only that I would be pouring myself into children who needed to experience love and hear about the love of the Father.  The theme for CAMP LIFE this year was from Isaiah 40:3-5 "Prepare the way of the Lord."  Although He prepared each step of this trip for us, let me just say that He also kept us on a "need to know" basis pretty much the whole trip.  He definitely prepared the way...I just didn't have access to all the details in advance!  So to say I was excited about the trip is an understatement, but I might also add that I was a bit apprehensive at even the thought of CAMP.  CAMP is a four-letter word, you know.  At least in the Beth Banfill dictionary.  Feel free to add to that list of bad words "bugs".  Physical exertion, CAMP, roughing it, and anything of the sort were all part of the trip's unknown elements, and if you know me, I like to be "in the know."  

That "need to know" basis started with our safari at the front-end of the trip.  All I knew was that once we landed in the capital city of Lusaka, Zambia on Thursday, July 4th in the morning, Amber and I would meet our friend at the airport, drop off our six bags of supplies with her, and then catch a connecting flight to Livingstone, Zambia.  Mind you, we left on Tuesday, July 2nd, so that's a lot of hours of straight travel, but we were excited and ready.  Everything went as planned, including navigating the London underground and train system without any mishaps during our full day-layover in London.  

Once we landed in Lusaka and cleared customs, we were handed our itinerary, and within 90 minutes, we were boarding a very small domestic plane to Livingstone.  The airline was called "Pro Flight", and let's just say you can't buy their tickets here in the good old USA.  I definitely spent some time in prayer both before take-off, in-flight, and at landing, but all was well, and we even were served a snack and drink on board.  A driver met us at the airport and took us to our hotel.  Until that morning, I wasn't even sure of the name of the hotel we were booked at!  To our amazement, we arrived to find that the property hosted zebras, giraffes, monkeys, gazelle, baboons, and even a crocodile, all of which were free to roam the property at their whim.  

The hotel backed up to the Zambia side of Victoria Falls, one of the seven "natural wonders of the world."  We were exhausted, but within minutes of checking-in, we decided to walk down to the Falls. Within a five minute walk down a trail, we were at the edge of this beautiful handiwork of God, with a double rainbow in view.

The sight was even more incredible than the picture.  I started to move down a path to get a better view before coming to an immediate hault...I stumbled across this mother babboon, with a baby nearby. I could see the headline, "Woman goes to Africa to work with orphans and leaves her own child as one." Discretion is not something I always take advantage of, but this time I stood my distance and watched in amazement as she climbed the tree and hopped around her palacial home. 

We made our way down another path to the top of the Zambia side of the falls and this view below. After snapping quite a few pictures, we were ready to move on and see the rest of the property.

Remember, we were on a "need to know basis" so I didn't have any idea what this little side-trip to Livingstone included.  I found out that we had Thursday completely free, Friday was filled with a side-trip to Botswana that included a game-drive safari and a river-cruise, and then the only thing for Saturday was a 12 noon transfer to the airport.  We ended up booking a 1-hour "Segway Sunset Tour" with the activities desk for Thursday evening, and I started to inquire whether there was any other activities we could squeeze in before departing back to the airport at 12 noon on Saturday.  Liz, the lady at the desk told us we could book the boat to go to "Livingstone Island."  She told us nothing else except that we could fit it in our schedule and it was very nice.  After weighing the cost and realizing this was a YOLO moment for Amber and I, I booked it.  More on that later, because here's a tip...especially while in a foreign land, it's always a good idea to ask what exactly that little boat ride to the island would include.

We were the only two participants on the Sunset Segway Tour, so our guide was pretty liberal in our speed and the path we took.  He took us to the feeding area where the giraffes live on the property, and we ended the day watching the sun set over the Zambezi River.

 

 

On Friday morning, we met up with some others who were booked for the day trip to Botswana and Chobe National Park.  We soon found out that these two families were also attending CAMP LIFE.  God sure has a way of setting our mind at ease, because having people with us from Texas and Oklahoma sure made me feel a lot safer in a foreign country.  We went on our game drive in the morning and a river cruise in the afternoon.  Now, after having been to the Serengeti last year, I can't say that the sites of animals in the wild were the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and they definitely weren't "in abundance" but we did get to see a lot of elephants, hippos, and crocodiles up close-and personal. 

Included in that "up close and personal" was the awestruck view from the river cruise of watching a family of elephants gracefully step into the river and eventually swim across the channel to the island. It was my favorite part of the day, for sure!

Our short time in Livingstone was coming to an end.  We were having a wonderful time on the side-trip, but Amber and I both were ready to start CAMP LIFE and see what God had in store for us and the upcoming week.  We woke up Saturday morning, ate breakfast, and then we caught the shuttle over to the drop-point for the boat tour to Livingstone Island.  We put on our life jackets, and before entering the speedboat, we were given waivers to sign...in three places...with initials in four other places.  Perhaps that should have been a clue that we were about to embark on real adventure, but again, God kept us on a "need to know basis".  We signed our lives away, made it to the island, and then took a short hike to a campsite.

Then our guide said, "OK, we are in Africa, everyone take off your shoes and socks and follow me." Amber and I looked at each other and our jaw dropped to the ground.  "What in the world did we get ourselves into?" I thought.  As we hiked up to the campsite, the guide pointed out elephant and hippo dung on the side of the path.  Now he's telling me I'm going to walk through this barefoot?  But Amber and I shrugged our shoulders and with a big smile embarked on the adventure of a lifetime.

At some points, Amber was literally knee deep in mud, and with each step, I let out a squeel of nasty disgust. I held my breath with furrowed brow.  I could only think about what might be under the mud I was sinking in. While I never saw a snake, I was definitely on the lookout for one.  As we hiked through the mud, the sound of Victoria Falls became stronger, and my heart began to race a bit more.  We went from the mud to a small rapid.  Our guide stood between us and a drop-point to the falls.   "Step here, he would say, pointing with his foot to a very specific rock, all while holding our hands to cross.  Then he would point with his other foot to another rock.  "Not here, don't step here.  Here.  Put your foot here."

I went first, and after I made it over to that first stop-point, I looked him in the eye and said, "That's my only daughter.  Don't let anything happen to her!"  All I could think of is "what in the world did I get myself into?  Why didn't I ask more questions about this little tour?  Frank would never approve of us doing this!"  After Amber made it to other side safely, my fears eased, and I began to understand why people pay money to put themselves in danger like this.  We had made our way to the top of the falls. We were literally standing on the edge, looking over a massive waterfall, and although the pictures don't show the immense beauty because of the rain, it was indeed one of the most amazing experiences we've ever had in our lives.  (Not to mention one of the biggest adreniline rushes of our lives!)

We eventually made our way over to several other fast moving areas of water, with our guide holding our hand, one by one, and telling us where to place our feet, step by step.  As I experienced it in "real-time", my mind was experiencing it in slow-motion.  I immediately thought of the paralel of my Heavenly guide telling me "Go here, my child.  Don't step over there, you'll be in danger.  Here.  This is the way; you'll be safe here.  Don't worry, just hold my hand."

Amber and I both agreed that we're not so sure we would have embarked on this adventure to the island, had we known all the facts.  In fact, there was a 15-year old girl on the tour from Australia who refused to take her shoes and socks off; she wated at the campsite for everyone else and completely missed the adventure.  That thought crossed my mind - I'll be honest.  But I'm so thankful I didn't back-out.  The beauty on the "other side" was well worth the discomfort and trek to get there.  

I know this has been a long post, but I wanted to document the details.  I shake my head in wonder at God's love for me to bless me with this trip...and to get to do this with my daughter is really something that cannot be described.  We were on a "need to know" basis, and all we really needed to know at that point was that God had clearly told us to participate in CAMP LIFE, and we were being obedient.  It was a no-brainer for us, really.  That's why we were there, treking across the other side of the world. Because we were being obedient to what God asked us to do.

As I think about that morning, the sound of the rushing waterfall, I can't help but think of the experiences that were to come that next week, the memories still vividly rushing through my mind. Had I known in advance what was to come, the depth of emotions I would experience, the pain I would see in the eyes of the girls I was working with, the reality of the HIV-AIDS epidemic in the country, the poverty these children live in, and the plight of the orphan child in Zambia...well,perhaps I would not have come.  

But that's not how God works.  

He says, "Step here, my child.  Here, on this rock.  Step here.  It's safe here.  Don't worry, I'm holding your hand."  And with each step of obedience, before you know it, you're on the other side of the world, feeling as safe as if you're in your own temperpedic bed in Wylie, Texas.  Because that's just how God works, on a "need to know basis" as He made the way straight in the desert.  He raised up every valley and every mountain and hill He made low.  He made the rough ground become level and the rugged places plain.  And He revealed His glory. Yes, He revealed His glory to us, and He prepared the way!

Stay tuned...more to come!

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com