No running water.  No electricity at night.  No clean beds.  No fresh air.  No clean clothes.  No one to comfort you when you are sick.  No one to tuck you in at night.  No one to dust you off when you fall down.  No one to teach you how to brush your teeth or comb your hair.  No one to say, “I’m so proud of you.”  No one to read to you.  No one to say, “I love you and you are special.”  No one to encourage you.  And no one believing in you.  After staying at an orphanage for three nights with the orphans of Zambia these were the feelings and the thoughts that I walked away with.  Sure there are cultural difference between children raised in the United States and those being raised in Zambia, Africa; but should a four-year-olds cheek be so swollen from his molars rotting out that he can no longer speak?

Upon our arrival at the orphanage we were welcomed, sang to and given a room to stay in.  The children crawled all over us!  The girls could not wait to get their hands on muzungo (white man) hair…needless to say I left the orphanage with a few dreadlocks and who knows what else crawling around in my hairJ  After I got past the fact that I would be living without running water for four days and that I may see critters crawling about our sleeping space I slowly began to adjust to life in the orphanage.  I’m not sure if it is something as American’s that we would ever be able to adjust to completely but I do know that the experience has opened my eyes to the overflowing of blessings that have been provided for me.

The children at the orphanage were more precious than words can describe.  Each night we would go into their sleeping room and share scripture with them; scripture to encourage them, show them that they are loved and that though they may be abandon by the world they are not abandon by or Father in heaven.  One boy, Nathan, was 14 years old.  He timidly put up his hand in the dark room being illuminated by one small flickering candle and said, “Why have I been abandon?  Why when I go to one person do they leave me?  And then I go to another and the same thing happens?”  As this 14 year old boy questioned this while scrubbing his own laundry I could not help but wonder the same.  How could his family just send him away?  Why had he been dealt such an unfair hand?  I assured him that sometimes we do not understand the Lord’s plan for our lives.  We do not understand why we have been abandon by the world and we are unsure of our future.  However, we know that the Lord’s ways are higher than our ways and that He has victorious plans for our lives.  2 Corinthians 4:7-9 “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.  This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.  We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed.  We are perplexed but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down but never abandon by God.  We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” 

Many times if a child here has lost a parent and the remaining family members cannot financially support the child they are placed in an orphanage.  The average working woman in Lusaka earns 6,500k per day.  That’s just under $1.00.  In order for the children to attend the government schools they must purchase a uniform costing 50,000k or $10.00.  After grades 1-7 the families are then required to pay school tuition along with uniform costs.  Each day of school costs 2,000k past grade 7.  If you figure each family here has at least 5 children per family the odds of the children attending school are out of the realm of possibility.  The eldest boy at the orphanage was 18 years old and was in the 3^rd grade.  Because his family could not afford for him to attend school he was not able to start school until he attended the orphanage.  Imagine the feelings of despair, hopelessness and defeat in this young man.  We have hope though.  For we know that his world is temporary.  That justice and new life will soon be restored to the orphans of this world.  That will be an exciting and long awaited day to come.

Please continue to pray for the orphans in our world.  Though we do not see them daily and though they may be nothing more than an idea in our minds, they are real.  They are children with hopes, dreams and aspirations.  They are children who are fighting everyday of their lives to be someone.  Let us not let them slip under the radar.  I also ask that you will pray for me and the plans that the Lord has for me in the future.  Opportunities have opened up here for me to run an orphanage starting from scratch.  Though it would mean leaving the comfort and security of home I cannot think of a more exciting and blessed way to spend the next few years.  I thank you all so much for your love and support!  The stories and things that I have been able to experience here are far to numerous to write about!

Serving passionately for Him,

Katie