June 20 – Touring More Schools

The team visited the schools in the Garden Compound – Garden Presbyterian, Garden Hill and St Stephens.

Garden Presbyterian has just completed a classroom building with 3 new classrooms and an administrative office. computer classes are offered to both the students and teachers. More computers are needed as there are many students. The new instructor would like at least 10 computers to teach classes of 20 students.

Garden Hill has 8th and 9th grade with 181 students. Last year 47 of 53 passed the 9th grade test to go on to government schools for 10th grade, and all but 3 are currently still attending classes.

St Stephens has grade 1-7 students with a 100% pass rate for the 7th grade exam.

After returning to the House of Moses for lunch, we visited the N’Gombe School which has 518 students and 9 teachers. The classes start with Pre-K and continue through to 9th grade.

Our evening was spent telling stories and enjoying time together.

Posted by Tom & Barbara Hughes

June 19… Touring the Garden Schools

We started our day with a beautiful devotional including a reading of Hebrews 11:8-9 by the Christian Alliance for Children in Zambia staff. We were reminded not to pitch our tents in times of despair or jubilation instead God wants us to always be moving forward.

Today half the team had the opportunity to visit the Garden Schools. They are newer, community-supported, and have more resources than what we saw yesterday. A couple of the classes sang us beautiful songs. The children are always very welcoming and happy to have us visit.

We found this beautiful plaque at Garden Presbyterian.

WIN_20140619_033856 (2)

The other team went to the Bill & Bette Bryant crisis nursery in the morning to meet the children.

In the afternoon, both teams came together and had the 5th grade class from Garden Presbyterian join us at House of Moses for a snack, craft project, and fellowship afternoon. A joyful time was had by all, and we are looking forward to doing it again tomorrow with the 6th grade students.

We ask for your continued prayers for our health and safety as we continue to serve the wonderful people of Zambia.

Posted by Tracy Hughes and Kim Rometo

June 18 – Enter into His Gates with Thanksgiving

Our morning began with a devotion and singing with the House of Moses Staff. Joyous and thoughtful beginning of our new day. We got into vans and visited four Faith Works Schools in the Kanyama Compound in Lusaka. We drove through a modern city to this “city” of slum housing, dirt roads with huge pot holes and no running water or electricity. Children ran along the side of the van waving and shouting. The first school was housed in a Free Baptist Church. One group of students come in the morning and another in the afternoon. There are not many school supplies but the children are eager to learn and proud of what they have accomplished. These children are welcome to come to school without having to pay for uniforms or school supplies – which none of their families can afford. Faith Works Schools provide for those children who have NO hope of attending school.
Lunch was held at the Helen DeVos school – an oasis in the midst of overwhelming poverty. We didn’t go into many of the classes in this “upper” school – grades 7 – 12. The children were writing exams. The few classrooms we visited were filled with smiling faces. Our last stop in Kanyama was True Gospel Community Church which had 2 teachers who had graduated from the Helen DeVos School. Both the young men were so proud of their accomplishments – and rightfully so!!
On the way home we all talked about our experiences and feelings. I was dismayed to think that so many people live in such horrid circumstances. What can I do? How can I help? I thought back about our morning song, “Enter into His Gates with Thanksgiving”. Yes, even the gates to Kanyama are God’s gates and there is much to be thankful for in Kanyama. The work of so many dedicated folks who are working to educate all of God’s Children – children in Kanyama.
The final part of our day was back at the House of Moses playing with the toddlers – so busy toddling around with smiles and some tears!!
I am so glad to have this experience to see God’s children at work in Zambia.
Vonnie Vance, Greenville, SC

June 17 – Traveling Mercies

The mission team members from the US left late Sunday night and arrived in London early Monday morning. We were escorted to three cabs for a whirlwind tour of London. We were able to visit Buckingham Palace and fortunate to take a ride on the London Eye. Our knowledgable drivers also showed us Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. We were returned to Heathrow where we met up with our Canadian teammates and boarded our ten hour flight to Johannesburg. Two hours after arriving in South Africa we took our third and final flight to Lusaka, Zambia. All 19 team members were blessed to arrive safe and sound at the House of Moses crisis nursery early Tuesday afternoon. The team was able to meet our Alliance for Children Everywhere hosts, go over the house rules, and spend the afternoon with the 30 infants and 16 eight month to eighteen month olds. A delicious dinner of chicken, rice, and vegetables was enjoyed and early bedtimes were planned by all. Tomorrow we will tour the Faith Works schools and unpack the 26 bags of donations. We thank God for traveling mercies and the opportunity to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Posted by: Kim Rometo