HCC Profile: Joshua and Gift

(The next few blogs will introduce you to some of our wonderful Zambian brothers and sisters in Christ.)

No matter what time of year you visit the Hope Children Center (and I do hope you can all visit and share in the labor there one day) you'll see gardens growing. Right now, even though its the end of the dry season, the gardens are flourishing with corn, tomatoes, onions, green beans, cabbage, spinach, pumpkins, and more.

God has blessed the Hope Center with a great care-taker of all this produce! His name is Joshua, and he lives in a small brick house on the Hope Center property with his wife Gift and their 4 children (Rachel, Ines, Webby, and Joshua), plus one nephew (Karen) who's mother died when he was 3 or 4. Both Joshua and Gift are very hard workers with quiet, humble spirits and great smiles!
Joshua has worked for HCC since September of 2008. Before that, he farmed in the Teta area, a remote area past Kamena which is where Pastor Navice is from and has started many churches.

Joshua's job is not only to plant, weed, and harvest the gardens year-round; he is also in charge of getting the fields ready before the rainy season. That's when the large plots of maize, kasava, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables will be planted. He lives right by the garden and often spends his nights on patrol making sure the crops aren't stolen (a future fence will help with this). The metal roof of his house has even been commissioned as the place to dry the groundnuts (peanuts) grown there. (Here is Joshua with some of the groundnuts).
Gift helps in the kitchen and in over-seeing the orphans. Some days you'll find her washing dishes late into the afternoon or corralling the kids and getting them to the bathhouse for a shower. She brings joy to those around her and an enthusiasm that is contagious.
We thank God that he's brought this couple to the Hope Center and ask that he would provide and protect them as they serve the orphans of Serenje.

Up and Running

The Hope Center is up and running!


Starting July 1st, the Hope Center in Serenje, Zambia started feed orphans from the surrounding community. Right now, about 50 are in the program, and about 45 come each day for a mid-day meal. (Many more who live too far from the center are being helped with regular food distributions.)

While things are still in the beginning phases, and there is much to be figured out, the basics are in place. Volunteer ladies from the community (most of whom are care-takers for the kids) are taking turns coming to HCC each day and cooking for the children.

The facility is incredible, thanks to God's provision, your giving, and the sacrificial work of some Cornerstone & Zambian men. It truly is a light to the community, and the kids are so excited to spend time there each day. (More posts in the next couple weeks will tell stories about a few of these kids specifically... so check back!)

A small team, consisting of Mark & Betsy Meyer and Rachel Wise just returned from a check-up trip to the Hope Center on Oct. 9th. They were able to see how the feedings were going, check over the gardens and facilities, and spend time with the local leadership figuring out how Cornerstone help in the future.

There will be more posts soon - but for now, here's a couple pictures from this last trip. Enjoy!

Betsy gets plates ready while the children pray and thank God for the food they are about to receive.
David fills up on nshima (the national dish), cabbage from the garden, and beans.
The ladies who cooked for the day are enjoying a meal with the kids.

Hope Children's Center Grand Opening Update

A Zambian Pastor's Perspective

A friend sent me a link to this interview by Mark Dever (a pastor in Washington D.C.) with Pastor Conrad Mbewe from Lusaka. It is a bit long, but he does a great job of describing the Zambian church. It is worth a listen. Click here to get to it.

Back from Zambia

Here are some highlights from our time in Zambia. As we gave the soccer goals to the three government schools (Kamena, Teta, and Serenje) the whole community would come out to play and celebrate. These gifts were a huge success and were a huge bridge-builder among the people that we are ministering to.
This is one of our Hope kids out in Kamena. You've perhaps seen his face as he is in some of our printed material. I was saddened to see him quite ill this time, notice his very apparent distended belly...And here is a couple of trips back...The Ribbon-cutting was phenomenal! See the District Commissioner do the honors. He is the equivalent of a "governor" in the US. He stopped one of his lower ranking officials and asked why the Hope Center was not given MORE land! He is enthusiastically behind our efforts and that gives us a lot of freedom as we minister. God has given us faor with the most important governmant official in the land!

They even found a lady who could bake us a cake for the ceremony. Everyone got a taste, too!
Our Hope kids looked great in their new duds we brought them. And they each got a Fanta to drink. Life is beautiful!The last week there, Tim Day joined us as we had training for the church-plamters and many of their wives. Seeing their growth and maturity over the last couple of years has been one of the most rewarding aspects of being invovled with the Hope Center. These men will graduate in the fall and a new batch of men will begin training in 2010 for three years. God keeps growing His church in Zambia!These are the men who helped create the vision for the Hope Center. Navice, the director, and Geoffrey Malwita who came from Kitwe to see the realization of this dream!

Ribbon-Cutting

Pray for the official Grand Opening of the Hope Center which will be tomorrow (Thursday, 25 June). The whole community will be coming out. 50 "officials" will be there. Even the District Commissioner (like the governor of a state) will be there and will give a speech. A lady was found that could bake enough cake to give everyone a small piece. Amazing! May God receive glory.

Today three women walked up with five orphans. They heard about the Hope Center and wanted to know if we would take them in. My heart breaks - so many yet to help. But we are here and may God give us great increase.

An Update

Here is Team Zambia/USA. There were three exhibition games as we presented the goals and nets. Huge welcome for us - and for the gospel as it was presented each time!
Navice is holding one of the Hope babies whose mother dies at the child's birth. Because of HOPE there is a thriving young child. Navice is an awesome leader here!
This is why we are here! This is one of the Hope orphans named Susan. She has changed dramatically over the last months. Full of joy and HOPE. Her father died of bledding (?). Because of the Hope Center, Susan (and 150 more) are fed and in school.

The team needed a sabbath so we took an "American day" to Kundalila Falls. Though not as spectacular as Victoria, we were the ONLY people there. IT was very cool - and very needed.