Big News for a Big Move!!

FINALLY, I am getting to shout forth this exciting news and proclaim it to the world! I am stepping out in faith and following God's call to MOVE to Zambia, Africa in January 2015!!I have been able to tell several people already, and I can't even begin to tell you the amount of support I've felt through it all! God has already surprised me with his faithfulness in this as He continues to confirm the plans He has in store for me! Here are some details about my departure, my trip, and my new life that I'm looking forward to in Zambia.

Who am I going with? I am joining staff with Family Legacy Missions International, a non-profit missions organization whose focus is bringing the good news of Christ to the orphans of Zambia. I have been blessed to volunteer with this ministry for the past 6 summers, so I have already seen a big glimpse of the heart of the ministry and how it operates. Each staff member not only has a beautiful heart for God, but also for the orphan child of Zambia, and everything they do reflects that. It is truly an honor to come alongside this ministry and be a part of all of the special things that God is doing through Family Legacy.

What is my "job description" in Zambia? I will be wearing two hats as I join the ministry. I will be serving as the Short Term Missions Coordinator and the Father's Family Ministry Assistant.

• As Short Term Missions Coordinator, I will be planning and facilitating any short term trips that we host in Zambia, including their travel to and from Zambia and their time on the ground. These trips could include all kinds of purposes and people, such as groups of doctors wanting to assess our children's health needs, to groups of college students wanting to hold a sports camp for our kids, etc...
• As Father's Family Ministry Assistant, I will be working primarily with the children that we have in our full-time residential sponsorship program. Many times, often via Camp LIFE, we meet children whose home lives are not just heartbreaking and unfortunate, but are dangerous and life-threatening. Instead of simply providing education and food to these children, we rescue them out of the pits and bring them to one of our full-time residential homes.
  • The Tree of Life Children's Village is exactly what it says - it is a village of (soon to be) 50 homes full of these children. Within the next year, there will be 600 children living in freedom and joy in these homes, rescued from pits of despair! Many of these kids have been living there for several years, and these are the children that I have watched grow up!
  • We have two more residential homes - one is a "transition home"  and one is a home for older teenagers who are working towards completing their schooling. The transitional home is usually the first home that the children live in once they are in our care. This is where these kids learn basic functions and procedures of living in a house, such as brushing their teeth, using silverware, and general "house rules." This is where they transition from living off of the streets to living in a beautiful, loving home.
• My job will look different from day to day, but I will be working to communicate back to the stateside offices and to sponsors, distributing clothes and materials to the homes as needed, and supervising the overall functions of the residential areas.

When do I leave? My departure date is set for the middle of January 2015! I get to spend another holiday season with loved ones and then start my new year in my new home!

How did I reach this decision? It's a long story, but I will do my best to condense it! :) On my sixth trip to Zambia, I spent this summer working in the ministry-operated schools for the kids in our sponsorship program. I have always been open to the possibility of moving over, and since I had no teaching job lined up and had finished my time at A&M, I was very aware that this would be great timing for God to call me. During my six weeks there this summer, God clearly revealed that He wanted me to move to Zambia, not to work in the educational department, but instead to work for the Father's Family department. Surprising as that was, I had a joy and peace about the decision from the very beginning. God was calling me to serve the children that I have been building relationships with for six years now, the children that I have watched grow up in Christ's love, and the children that have kept me coming back every year! I will be working in my dream job with the most wonderful kids in the world, in my favorite place on the planet. Thank you God for this opportunity!

What about Ebola? This is the question that usually comes first when I tell people that I'm moving to Africa. Ebola has been in countries neighboring Zambia on and off for 40 years. The recent outbreak in Western Africa is over 3,000 miles away from Zambia, and it is unlikely that it will reach us as there is very little direct travel between the two areas. Furthermore, we are incredibly blessed to have the only full time pediatric infectious disease specialist in the nation of Zambia on our staff, serving our children, so I know that I will be in very capable hands if anything should happen to me... whether it's ebola or something else!

Where will I be living? Family Legacy owns property about 15 miles from the international airport. It is a beautiful hilltop that overlooks the Zambian country from all directions. At the bottom of the hill is the Tree of Life Children's Village, which is where I will likely spend most of my days. Drive up the hill, and you will find my new home. The ministry is currently in the process of building new staff housing on-site, so my commute will be a whopping two minutes to work every day! It is an incredibly safe area - security is a priority to the ministry to keep our staff and kids safe. And may I just say, this place has the most beautiful sunsets in the morning and the most beautiful sky full of stars at night!!

How much of my funds do I raise? All Family Legacy staff members, whether they are U.S. or Zambia based, raise 100% of any and all support funds. This allows for 95% of every dollar donated to the ministry to go directly to the benefit of the orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia, and 5% of all donations to be used for administrative purposes. While yes, I was intimidated by the thought of having to raise all support to live off of, I trust in God's provision. Without a doubt, I know that God has called me to join the ministry, and I know that God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. God will equip me with as much or as little as I need in this time, including my financial support!

The support I raise will go toward housing, food, transportation, plane tickets, and the general cost of living. My support goal is to create a base of monthly supporters to raise $3000 a month. I will also need to raise $12,000 before I move to cover the cost of moving and the cost of my first three months of living there. With that said, any donation is welcome, and no donation is too small! Please be praying for me as I begin to raise support for my new season of life in Zambia. If you would like to donate, you can make a one-time, monthly, or yearly donation at this link: http://www.familylegacy.com/mariah If you are interested in potentially supporting me, I would love to talk more with you about this new chapter of life and answer any questions you may have! Feel free to email me at mariah@familylegacy.com and we can set up a time to meet or talk on the phone! If you would like to receive a support letter to learn more about my journey, email me your address and I will send you a letter as soon as they are produced!!

Thank you for the kind words and encouragement that you have already showered on me!! I could not be more excited and humbled and at peace as I take this step into ministry!! Can't wait to see how God works during the remainder of my time here in the U.S. and when I arrive overseas!

Sending love in Christ,

Mariah... soon to be more permanently, Auntie Maliah.