Sparrows + Lillies
Click through the above to learn more about how to sponsor a child through The Zambia Project!
Happy AUGUST to you! So much has happened over the summer, and I can’t wait to tell you about it! God has continued to show up and show off!
828 CHURCH MISSION TRIP
Our team of 11 from 828 Church (and Rose Bud, Arkansas) travelled to Zambia and South Africa in July and August, and WOW, it was absolutely incredible! Normally on these trips, I come back exhausted, but this year, despite all the traveling, hard work, and obstacles, I came back feeling so refreshed and encouraged! Only JESUS!
To give you a brief overview, we went to some of the most rural places in Zambia, to an area called Mitete. We spent five days in the bush, where we got to share the Gospel, organize on a kids’ event for local children, and pray for many of the locals! Many things did not go according to our plans, but they were definitely a part of God’s! He continued to show up time and time again, and lead us to be exactly where we needed to be! Because of this, 2 new churches were planted, 3 were revitalized, and countless people gave their hearts to Jesus and were even healed in front of us!
From there, we spent an eventful day traveling to Mongu and our friends at The Zambia Project! It was the absolute best getting to hang out with these champions who are an inspiration to us! This is always one of my favorite moments on these trips as many of these incredible people have become dear friends, (and also, so I can redeem some of the times that I constantly bothered them for their receipts 😉)! We also got to see the amazing ladies of Hope Art (and buy all of the things), take a tour of the Village of Hope School, Homes, Medical Center, Champions Club clinic (OT program), Save a Life Centre (for malnourishment), as well as the sustainability projects, radio station, Hope Church Mongu, and MORE! God is really moving through this team and their efforts!
After stopping by to see our friends at Trail Missions, and see one of the seven wonders of the world, Victoria Falls, we then traveled to George, South Africa to visit Hope Church George, who are absolutely KILLING IT! We spent the weekend learning from their amazing team, and seeing the incredible work they are doing at Hope Church Wilderness Heights and Protea Park. We also were able to catch up over supper and coffee with more amazing friends! It is incredible how friendships like this can form when you only see each other over short periods, and sometimes years apart! Literally only GOD!
Last but not least, our team ventured to Kruger National Park for some tourist time, where we got to see some of God’s amazing creation! Not only did we see giraffes, zebras, elephants, warthogs, kudu, and impala, but we also got to see a napping cheetah! What a treat, and the best way to end this epic trip!
Naturally, it was not all sunshine and rainbows. From travel troubles, to having a bat in our chalet, to my bag being lost for three (yes, I said three) weeks, the entire team agreed that the grace of God was so tangible the entire time! While we stressed leading up to certain situations, our team was incredible at “leveling up,” and taking on the obstacles with God. We all had such peace facing some of the most difficult challenges, and it was evident it was not from our own efforts!
To read more of the details of the trip, I recommend checking out the blog that our amazing team wrote along our journeys. Also, please feel free to ask me about my bag adventures when you see me next, because it is a WILD ride, but God and His provision are AMAZING!
CHAMPIONS CLUB
The first Champions Club in Zambia is officially OPEN at VOH Mongu!
Champions Club is a program for children with special needs and their caregivers. Craig Johnson, associate pastor of Lakewood Church in Texas, not only shared his wisdom and guidance throughout the process, but he even came out for the joyous occasion of launching the program! Tanya, one of the missionaries in Zambia, is an occupational therapist, and her and team will be leading the clinics, outreaches, and more to help children and caregivers in the area access the resources they need!
We love our Champions!
BIBLE TRANSLATION
Did you know that Bible Translation was one of the initiatives happening at The Zambia Project? The team has partnered with The Seed Company to facilitate Bible translation workshops where the Bible is being translated into 5 NEW LANGUAGES that are native to Western Zambia. Some of these languages were only spoken before, which means this team had to create an alphabet before they could even begin recording the translation. AMAZING doesn’t even begin to cover it! They have finished the first draft of the New Testament in all 5 languages and are now checking and proofing these drafts to make sure they are accurate and easy to read in each language.
In July & August, the first, in-person Bible Translation worksop in over 2 years happened in Mongu and at VOH! They celebrated the completion of the “Why Jesus” booklet in Fwe, and they can't wait to have these published and sent out into the community!
HOPE ART
Last month, Hope Art Africa turned 13 years old! Hope Art was started as a way to uplift impoverished women and help to care for vulnerable children in Zambia. To date, Hope Art has been able to invest over $280,000 into the Zambia Project; providing clean drinking water, food, shelter, education, and healthcare to children across Western Zambia.
This past weekend, our team from the 2022 Southern Africa Mission team got to share all about our trip and how God moved through it all! You can check out the livestream of the event HERE. (I highly recommend it for a good laugh, and to be inspired by how big God is!)
At the event, we were able to sell some of the new items we brought back from Zambia, and the 828 Church family blew us away with how much they supported the cause! Just over the weekend alone, 828 Church spent over $1,500! That equates to caring for over 50 vulnerable children in Western Zambia FOR A MONTH!
Since July, they have spent over $3,100! Thank you, 828 Church, for your support!
FUNDRAISING
God has been bringing Caleb and I though a crazy, but beautiful season of learning about His provisional, and that He is all that we need! The song Jireh by Maverick City Music has consistently been on my heart, especially the verses based off Matthew, Luke, and Ephesians that say:
If He dresses the lilies with beauty and splendor
How much more will He clothe you?
If He watched over every sparrow
How much more does He love you?
Day after day, we are reminded of God’s love for us, and that we don’t have to stress about finances, clothes, food, a roof over our head… anything! It has been a challenging lesson at times, but amazingly awesome journey! One of the ways that He continues to be faithful is in providing more monthly partners, even in some of the most surprising places and people! Thank you to each one of you for being obedient to the call; I am truly humbled and SO grateful!
I will continue to work on fundraising for my monthly budget goal each month, so lots of prayer would be appreciated! If you are not already a monthly partner, you can click here to learn more, or fill out the form below if you would be interested in chatting more!
PRAYER REQUESTS
Please pray for…
A seamstress for the Hope Art team in Zambia to help with bags, critters, and more!
More sponsors for the VOH Students as more continue to join and attend. Please follow this link if you are interested in being a sponsor!
The continued progress of the Hope Church Kids building
Hope FM that is LIVE and broadcasting to thousands of people in Western Zambia, as they continue to share the Good News!
Our missionaries in Zambia as they continue to raise funds and do AMAZING things to love people and tell them about Jesus!
My fundraising needs, as I continue to work towards fully depending on this income!
