The Adventure Begins

Malibiya Buti! This is “Good afternoon” in Tonga. You should answer, “Kaboutu.” (pronounced, “Go boat 2”). This is the answer to all greetings. Walking from our guest house to the WHIZ office, Zambians clap when we greet them in their language. This is a traditional way to say hello.

Yesterday we visited a "Community Orphan Trust". The trust is responsible for caring for orphans and vulnerable children, as well people in the community who are HIV/AIDS positive. They run a small business that helps support this effort. Everyone in the village who is part of this trust shares in the work load. As a means of self-support, Trusts grow crops, raise pigs or chickens, or sew clothing. It is an amazing thing to see. The trusts are centered around the churches.

One of rur first tasks has been to assist WHIZ in assessing these trusts, looking for strengths and weaknesses. We do this at a group meeting where the committee officers tell us all about their programs. They work hard, physically hard, for many hours each day. It was fun to see the pride they had in their chickens, pigs, and corn. After the meeting, one of our trusts entertained us by dancing, singing and playing the drums. Elijah, Margie, Leah, and Michael danced with the ladies, to the great laughter of the men.

I (Melinda) want to end my blog entry with a personal story. While building relationships with some of the women after the meeting, a young woman with a child at her breast approached me. She kept saying, “She needs you.” This would be followed by words I could not understand. I wanted desperately to grant her request. Her face reflected the cry of every mother’s heart that feared for her child. I did the only thing I knew to do. We had been told the importance of it by Mr. Jeff Johnson from World Hope International. I laid my hand on the baby’s forehead and prayed earnestly for her. When I was done, the mother sat back on the stone bench and life continued. I rode home with a feeling I have not yet put a name on. This morning during my devotions, God sent me and my roommates to our knees for the baby. We got up knowing that she was in the best place possible, God’s hands. Please pray that our team will be extremely sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. The more we see, the more we realize how much we need God to do His work here.