My favorite thing to do in Africa

On Friday we had the opportunity to do my favorite activity in Africa.  Install bio-sand water filters (BSF).

A couple days prior we actually manufactured the filters.

These filters are amazing life saving tools.  Other than the plastic tubing they are made from 100% of materials provided by God.  The case is just concrete (water and rock) and once inside the home we fill them with 2 sizes of rock sediment and then a layer of sand on the top.  Over a short period of time a "bio layer" forms on top of the sand.  When unclean water is poured in the "bio layer" of good bacteria eats away at the bad bacteria in the water, then the sand and remaining sediment continue to clean the water.  It is incredible to watch as we pour in brown water and it comes out over 98% pure within seconds!

Overall Love-Water installed 40 of these filters into families homes who could not afford one.  Many of the families told us they struggle with stomach issues on a weekly basis including severe cramping and diarrhea.  It was not uncommon to be in a family home that would have up to 10-12 people using the filters once installed.  Most of those 10-12 were usually children.

  

I think each one of us were humbled to be welcomed into these homes and to play a small part in trying to bring healing and health to these families.  We also had the privelege of praying for the families and to explain to them why we came all the way from America to do this.  As you can imagine....very emotional.

Kava School gets to keep doors open because clean water is provided

On Wednesday we had the opportunity to travel to an area called Kavu and see the ground breaking for a water well Love-Water is providing there.  This school used to have children bring water to school every day similar to Dambo School.  Recently, they were told they would be forced to close if they did not find a way to get clean water at the school.  Enter Love-Water.org and their amazing donors.

  

This school now has the ability to keep their doors open and keep providing a great education to the children in that area.  And after meeting the Head Teacher (principal) it was clear these kids are getting a great education!   

It was amazing to be here to see what so many of you are supporting through your prayers and finances. Now more than 1,600 children have access to clean water and a quality education...Thanks to You!

Oasis Village Orphanage water well update

Just a quick update about the water situation at Oasis Village Orphanage.  After a few delays Seeds of Hope was able to send a team to the well and try to place a pump down the borehole.  Unfortunately, some of the hole casing is broken and prevents the pump from being dropped downing to the water level.  So where does that leave us?

It appears we have one final alternative.  Seeds of Hope will send a drill team back out to the orphanage and try to break up the broken pieces of casing and using a compressor attached to the drill attempt to blow out the broken pieces so they don't drop into the well.  If this does not work we may be back to square one and needing to drill a new borehole.  The challenge with that is it could cost as much as $6,500 to do that and that money does not currently exist.  So please keep praying for Oasis Village Orphanage and the water they need to be able to open their doors to these vulnerable children.  

These additional efforts will now happen after we leave Africa.  I will try and update those interested even after I return and get word of the outcome.  Until then, prayers are still the most powerful thing we can do for these children.

Morning failure is afternoon success

On Saturday we tried to do a few different projects.  All failed due to lack of resources in one way or another.  So sitting at the house with half the day to go we decided to visit an orphanage we drive by every day.

Jake went inside and asked if we could play with the kids and got the go ahead.  We were surprised to see that in the play area only 3 kids were home because the other 7 were out playing with friends.  After a while the remaining kids got home and were very excited to play with the visitors.  Sadly, one of the younger boys we played with at first now felt left out and I found him off by himself very sad and crying a little.  With very little common language between us, I extended my hand and invited him to play with me. As it turned out, he just needed to be held.  Minutes later he was asleep in my arms.  I decided if that's what he needed in that moment, I would give it to him.  I spent the rest of our time there just holding him.  Not what we planned but exactly what was supposed to happen.

Sometimes when we think the day we planned is not a success, God calls us to an unplanned task which He calls successful because it was His plan all along.

            

Giving the orphanage a test drive

 On Wednesday we went to Dambo School where Love-Water funded a water well 2 years ago.  One of the previous challenges was children were required to bring 2.5 liters of water each day to school.  Quite a task considering this would add to the quantities families have to walk various distances to collect.  The water would be used for filling toilets among other things.  Now with the well the water is cleaner, healthier and obviously on school grounds which is very helpful.

In the afternoon we went back out to Sakanai village and picked up about 45 kids and took them out to Oasis Village Orphanage to play games and enjoy some fun snacks and sweets.  All the kids were transported in the back of a small flatbed truck which made for a pretty cool concert during the half hour drive.  The kids sang worship songs the entire way, so loud that the numerous people we drove by would turn and look to see where the music was coming from.  The older kids acted as worship leaders while the younger kids would request songs.  It was beautiful to hear all 45 voices singing praises to God.

After playing with the kids we gathered together in the cafeteria area to pass out the snacks.  I was reminded how so many of these children are in survival mode.  After some would be given their little packages of cookies they would hide them behind their backs and try and get more.  They do this because they are don't know when/if more food will be available to them.  But there were a few who would openly save their food to share with the kids back at the village who did not get to come to Oasis.  This was amazing to see children with so little, be so committed to sharing with others.

We are being told Monday might be the day we make an attempt to install a pump at the orphanage.  Please continue to pray this works and more expensive, complex measures are not needed.

Sakanai Village

Today after painting some more roof tops at Oasis Village Orphanage we drove out to Sakanai Village to see the kids who will eventually be coming to the orphanage.  Many of the children there do not have a father or mother and many children that do have parents live in homes where alcohol is abused terribly.  Elim City Church has identified this area to be an area with many vulnarable children.

Walking through the village it was not hard to notice the child to adult ratio was heavily in favor of the children.  Without taking an official census I would not be surprised if it was roughly 10/1.  Many of the youngest need to be cared for by those only slightly older than themselves.  A few times we would see children no more than 5 or 6 years old with an infant slung on their back.

Today we were able to put little faces to our previously general mission.  Please pray for these children in their current environment and also for success with the orphanage water well so that children can begin moving into their new home.

These kids are like our kids at home, huge smiles and easy to love.  Below is a picture of a child playing with a homemade football (soccerball for you Americans).  It is made from plastic bags wrapped around most likely sugar cane.  These kids are amazing football players and excel in making us look silly when it comes to this game.

                           

Oasis Village Orphanage

Thankfully we did finally arrive in Zambia Thursday morning.  We got right to work going to Seeds of Hope and began prepping 20 Bio-sand filters for install.  Bio-sand filters are very close to my heart.  They are a very economical way to give families clean life saving water.  Each filter cost only $85 and lasts forever.  No filter to change, no upkeep, simply amazing.  How much money would it take to change your families life?  Here $85 saves can save lives of an entire family.  I will post more about bio-sand filters later when we go out and install.

                            

On Friday we went to a local primary school.  This was my first visit to a Zambian school but the kids acted the same as kids we've seen in the villages and compounds.  They were very intrigued by the Mazungu (white people) and became very charismatic whenever a camera came out.  We were there as part of an outreach program by Elim City Church.  The program was very energetic and the kids were engaged when they weren't distracted by the Mazungu.  I was again reminded of the water crisis here.  I watched as kids waited to use a single inch and a half water line that came out of the ground.  This water source is shared by the school of over 3,000 students and the surrounding neighborhood.  Imagine what it would be like for you to share one faucet with around 4,000 people.  But wait, there's more.  Imagine that water you share with 4,000 people is filled with disease and sickness.  That is what I was watching.  A strong reminder of why we are here and why we will not abandon our brothers and sisters in their need.

Saturday we had the opportunity to go to Oasis Village Orphanage.  This is a big part of why we are here.  The orphanage is not allowed to open until there is a water supply.  There are approximately 60 orphans waiting to move into this great place.  

This day we could not complete the water need, but there were roofs in need of painting.  So we grabbed some paint brushes and filled the need.  Luckily the heat of the day did not get too crazy, so being up on a metal roof in the Africa sun was not like eggs in a frying pan.

Our hope is that by the time we leave the water problem at Oasis will be solved.  It's hard to get into too much detail about the problems but here is the gist.  A well has been drilled but there are problems with encasing the bore whole that protects it.  We will attempt to put a pump down the 110 meter whole in 2 weeks.  If that does not work it could severely complicate things.  Please pray that this pump will be successful and the orphanage will be cleared to open.

Until next time...

Cause living in airports for three days wasn't enough...

Today I had planned on posting about our arrival in Ndola Zambia, but it was not to be.  Today we are stranded in Johannesburg South Africa.  Our plane from London was delayed 3 hours so when we landed in Johannesburg after 11 hours we had missed our connecting and final flight to Ndola.  To boot, I got sick on the plane which hasnt happened in years.  Even before you add in a team members lost luggage it was a pretty patience testing day.  To rub a little salt in the wound, pretty sure we saw our missed flight taking off as we were landing.

The silver lining is I was able to witness our team display great perspective.  Nobody lost their cool and we were calm in the face of adversity.  This was not easy after we learned there were no more outbound planes to Ndola today.  Hello 21 hour layover.  We are now being told we "should" be able to get on the 6am flight tomorrow.

So we are spending the night in Johannesburg.  Tired and weary but filled with strength in our hearts and courage for the days ahead.  If you feel lead to pray, please ask God for his favor with our health and continued mental toughness.  And we would really like to get to Ndola tomorrow so we can get to work!

Oh, and we did finally get that lost luggage.  It came at a time when we desperately needed something to go right.

Asked, Sent, Went...

Here I am on the eve of starting a very long journey to return to Zambia Africa for clean water projects.  (9,527 miles, but who's counting.)  I have been asked many times by many people, "Are you ready?" or "Are you excited?"  The truth is yes...and sort of all at the same time.  How can one be ready to be away from their family for a record number of days?  How can one say they are excited without feeling like you are admitting to be excited to be away from the people you love most on this earth?  

Only one thing can drive a home-body like me to travel 9,527 miles from my comfortable bed and comfortable routine.  (I love my routine!)  That one thing is Jesus Christ.  He said in Luke 9:23,"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Now I would never compare anything I do to Jesus carrying his cross to Calvary for me, but I think he was being literal about the other part to deny ourselves.  I mean let's be honest, in our day to day lives we go to great lengths to bring ourselves comfort.  For me it's being a home-body and my daily routine.  Lame to you maybe, but brings me great comfort.  

But more than that it's daily seeing my wife and kids who I love intensely.  But what did Jesus have to say about that in Luke 14? “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple." I didn't go there, Jesus did. I'll let you do your own study on what he meant by hate, but again Christ is calling us to follow Him at a price. Theologian and dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." (Cost of Discipleship 1937) Bonhoeffer didn't believe in cheap grace.

I remember telling a friend of mine one time that I loved Jesus more than my wife.  His first question was did she know that.  She knows and even better, she approves.  It is for that reason that I can confidently leave my family and deny myself my comfortable life and go to a place where Jesus has called me.  While I can tell you truthfully I am not excited to be away from my family I know that where Jesus has called me, He is waiting.  And I am incredibly excited about spending the month in Africa with Jesus!

So I encourage you to listen close.  Listen to where Jesus is calling you in this season of your life.  He may be calling you to another country, or to a need in your town, or just to a neighbor who really needs to know someone genuinely cares about them.  Give it a try today.