Tuesday, June 11.
The ladies started off the day with
prayer. A small group of us women who live at Kachele Village
gathered in the middle of the yard, sitting on tree stumps in the
sun. We shared our stories to one another and then continued praying
for the things on our heart.
Shortly after, we jumped into a
tinted-windowed mini-bus and headed to Kitwe to meet up with the
Service Centre team. We were warmly welcomed by Blessings, Towela,
Mary, Clement, and Esnart. This a power-house of a team. A
power-house of the most gentle and sacrificial, yet anointed and
authoritative people. They shared about their hearts, about the work
in Mulenga, and a particular child in Mulenga that touches each of
their hearts.
The mini-bus then took us into Mulenga,
a slum-compound on the outskirts of Kitwe. I first visited this
community in 2009. A few things are noticed immediately. First, the
only road that enters into the community is one that was built by the
care workers themselves. Secondly, children are everywhere. The
majority of the population is children. Thirdly, drunk men and women
wander around everywhere from early morning to late evening. The best
part about visiting these communities is not the adorable children we
get to play with and hold and love on (although a plus), but seeing
anointed men and women of God playing with, loving, and truly
delighting in the most vulnerable children in the community. These
are children whose parents are drunkards and/or prostitutes and/or
deathly sick or children completely without parents.
We then proceeded to Luanshya to sit at
the feet of James and Sukai. I continue to use the word 'anointed'
because there is no other way to describe all the people around us.
When I first met them, I found myself to be in the presence of people
that completely exude Christ. I found myself wanting to be with them
all the time, to sit and listen to them. Today during tea with them,
Lisa leaned over and whispered to me, “I just want to cry this
whole time. I feel like I'm with Jesus.” We sat together, hearing
the story of how they came to be involved with Hands, how God has
touched and changed their lives, and about the Jesus that they know.
James, especially, has a crazy testimony of how God viciously chased
him down. After James shared a word with us, we prayed and sang
together, then came home.
Julia has been really wanting to lead
us in communion (something she has never led or been involved in
organizing before). When we returned home, we had a beautiful time of
breaking bread and praying together. It's been really amazing to see
people become inspired to initiate or lead something along the way
this trip. I was so proud of Julia tonight.
I lie in bed tonight with a grateful
heart, completely filled. I don't deserve to be here, I don't deserve
to be with these amazing leaders of Africa, to walk with them, and I
don't deserve to be leading an amazing family of random individuals
who love God desperately and have hearts so filled with compassion.
So all I can do is sit here and be completely grateful, giving God
the glory and thanking him for his goodness and choosing me to be a
part of it.
-K
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