faithful like a sunrise

Well, I watched the sun rise over the African savannah this morning.. Something that, only a few years ago, I never would have guessed I would do. It was humbling (for several reasons), revealing, and breathtaking. 

“I am the Lord, and there is no other;

    apart from me there is no God.

I will strengthen you,

    though you have not acknowledged me,

so that from the rising of the sun

    to the place of its setting

people may know there is none besides me.

    I am the Lord, and there is no other.

I form the light and create darkness,

    I bring prosperity and create disaster;

    I, the Lord, do all these things.”

Isaiah 45:5-7

I sat on the porch outside, in the morning chill, to watch the whole thing. I took so many pictures that I was called the “sun paparazzi.” I obvi didn’t want to even think about missing one second of it. The whole experience of it was incredible and humbling; and just by watching God’s creation in action, I learned more about who He is and who I’m not. Let me walk you through it.

5:45am. 

Sweatshirt on, face sans make-up, and bed head hair, I anxiously grab my coffee and camera and make a bee-line for the porch. I have left my Bible and journal inside, as I anticipated only having maybe 10-15 minutes to catch the sunrise and then have plenty of time to have a decent quiet time upon returning inside. (I soon found out that this was not at all the case.) Emotions at this point, still high. Excited, enthusiastic, expectant.

5:55am.

As having originally anticipated heading back inside at this point, I am realizing that I underestimated the amount of time that this sunrise would require. And I’m okay with that. By now, I have seen the light push out the darkness and make way for a new day. Beautifully symbolic of God’s power and how, not even the greatest amount of darkness could overcome even a flicker of light. The light of God always overcomes the darkness of sin. Anyway, the sun is taking longer than I expected to make its grand appearance, but like I said, I’m alright with that. 

6:05am. 

The sky keeps getting lighter and lighter, yet no sun is present. I actually have to remind and convince myself that the sun, without fail, ALWAYS rises. There can be no light without a sun. I know that I am probably just being silly and that the sun will pop up at any minute now. Telling myself to shut up and be patient. Resolving that I will not have a quiet time this morning, but at least I have plenty of time to get ready, no problem.

6:15am. 

30 minutes strong, and I’m going crazy. Wondering where the heck the sun is and how there is so much light without it. I literally asked one of the girls sitting inside if I had missed it. (She told me to wait for it and go talk to God about it.. I did.) My mind is deciding that there must be some cloud behind the mountains in the distance that are hiding it. That’s why I haven’t seen it yet. Must be. Getting VERY antsy and impatient because I know how frightening I look and how I have not even gotten close to getting ready to leave for the day. And regretting taking SEVERAL pictures each minute because I know how many I’ll have to sort through later. 

6:27am. 

I have been approaching my wit’s end because the minutes are ticking away. And all of a sudden, I see a few bright red streaks approaching. My hope is being restored, slowly at first, and then more and more as red takes over a piece of the sky. I know the sun is actually coming. Getting my camera warmed up again and actually sitting on the edge of my seat. 

6:33am.

THE SUN IS ACTUALLY REAL. I see that ball of red light peek over the mountains in the distance, and I watch it rise up into the sky like a bubble approaching the water’s surface. It took all of two minutes to watch the entire sun make its way into the sky for the day. Right now, I’m overwhelmed by the beauty of it all and by the sheer fact that the sun actually, finally showed up. Because I honestly questioned and doubted it for a good 10 minutes. I am camera-happy and not even caring about having to get ready for the day. Within a matter of minutes, the sky is transformed and the light has come. 

I had a lot, A LOT, of time with just me and my camera and my coffee to think about God this morning. Reflecting on the morning, I was reminded of just how small and insignificant and how narrow-seeing I am. I LITERALLY questioned that the sun would rise. Even as I saw proof that it was rising. I am blinded by my impatience and my ignorance, like a child. God, on the other hand, is even more faithful than the rising of the sun. Just as the sun can be counted on to rise each day, He will never abandon me or fail to show up in my time of need. 

Not only that, but His timing is perfect. Had my timing been perfect this morning, that sun would have been in the sky by 6:01am. But I had limited vision and perspective. I couldn’t see where the sun was at that time or how quickly it would make its entrance. God knew all along though. He watched the sun as it slowly (that’s relative) entered into my piece of the sky and He knew that I simply needed to be patient and trust His promises. 

“Wait on my timing” and “believe my promises” and “trust my faithfulness” were the reminders that God so sweetly delivered to me this morning on the porch. He is so good to me, and He has given me no reason to doubt, but I did anyway. I literally doubted that the sun was going to rise. But God is gracious and abounding in patience for His children. He knew that I was going to doubt, but He lovingly and patiently reassured me through the beauty of His sunrise that He is faithful. He is as faithful as the rising sun. 

recent happenings..

Nearly two weeks have gone by without a post to document them, so this is me playing catch-up! Even so, I am saving this past week's events for the next post.. as I am still in the thick of it! Anyway, here's what I've got for ya!


-My parents and youngest sister were here for week four of camp, which was two weeks ago! They had a wonderful trip, and are back home safely. I got to be with them for a very brief amount of time on the last day of camp, and it felt so good to be there with them! While I was there, we took some pictures, but we also got to experience the balloon release! Each child got a balloon (all of which were the Zambian flag colors), and released it into the air after saying altogether, "I am the next 50 years of Zambia." This was hugely symbolic for them.
"The Next 50" has essentially been a movement this year, as it is Zambia's 50th birthday as an independent nation. Reflecting on the last fifty years and looking ahead to the next fifty, Family Legacy is building up the generation that will be accountable for those years. We are pouring into the children, the future of Zambia. We are declaring that this future will be inundated with children-turned-adults who have come from the bottom of society, but because of the Lord's grace and love, have been raised up as the leaders of the country. We are pouring love and the Word of God and life into children who are the least of these, but in just a few years time, will be the anointed ones to take hold of their nation's future and make it a bright one. This is powerful stuff, y'all.
Here are pictures of my parents at camp, and of the balloon release. Such a fun day!

Mom, me, and Dad! Love those peeps.

Little sister Melanie and her PRECIOUS baby girls.

The balloons flying up, up, up over the Zambian flag! 

-Once my parents left, we had a break week in between the two teacher trips! We spent the week sleeping in and relaxing, but we also got to work on the teaching resource closet. I don't have the before/after pics, but imagine a dusty, crowded storage room full of random educational supplies. Then imagine a much less (but still a little) dusty room, with shelves upon shelves of pencils, pens, construction paper and the like, all neatly organized. That's basically it. But it definitely was some hard work and quite a success. Pat on the back for us.

-It just so happens every year that July 4th falls on break week. Since we are an American-run organization based in Africa, we still make sure we celebrate our homeland's independence. Each year the celebration gets bigger and better. This year was no exception. Complete with barbecue, potato salad, watermelon, a dance party, actual fireworks, and the singing of our National Anthem, this July 4th was a blast. It was a wonderful way to end break week with sweet friends and delicious food.

The Teach ONE crew on the 4th!

Zambian fireworks are a thing. Proof.

-We started our second Teach ONE trip at a different school yesterday (Monday and Tuesday were national holidays). We have just about gotten our feet wet with our new teachers and classrooms, but we only have a week left with them! It has been a whirlwind as we have been pressed for time to do all that we want to do, but it has been good so far! More updates will come once I get some pics taken!

-Last night, I downloaded the new Hillsong CD "No Other Name." It finished downloading this morning as I was getting ready for school. I'm listening to it now as I blog, and I definitely recommend it. But, if at all possible, download it in America. ;)


Anyway that's all for now. It is bedtime here in Zambizzle, so I'm out for now. Thank you for your prayers, and keep 'em coming! I only have one more week to love on these kids (don't even want to THINK about how quickly goodbye is coming up), so pray that we teachers would all make the most of it!


-Auntie Maliah

zambia through new eyes

This year's trip to Zambia has been wonderful, but very different. Different is not a bad thing, it is what I needed after 5 years of the same thing. Different is just different. It's an adjustment. In years past, I have been a summer staffer for Camp LIFE, helping facilitate camp for the orphaned and vulnerable. This year, I came as a teacher on the Teach ONE trip. Alongside the other American teachers, I have gotten to mentor the Zambian teachers in our schools to help them become more effective in the classroom. I have seen things this trip that I've never seen before and had new experiences than in all of my previous summers. It has been rewarding and exciting the whole time, so far! Here's what I've learned/seen/done so far!

1. First of all, I walked a cheetah. You know how we walk dogs on a leash? And some people have leashes for their children, like in malls and stuff? Replace a dog (or a child) with a cheetah. Try to imagine something as exhilarating as it is terrifying while, and all the while, doubting whether or not it was actually happening. That is what walking a cheetah on a leash feels like. Oh, and that's also what having a cheetah repeatedly lick your hand feels like as well. I'm still a little bit in denial that it all actually happened. But I have pics to prove to myself and everyone else that it was indeed, not a dream! 

Like, yeah. I walked those teeth on a leash.

Chipo licking my hand... me freaking out.

Proof!

2. I am the youngest person on this trip.. by several years. On summer staff, I was surrounded by other kids my age, or at least within a couple of years of my age. At first, I was insecure about being so young and felt completely inadequate because of it, but it has been so great and such a blessing to be surrounded by older, wiser, and (obviously) more experienced women. They have taught me so much not only about teaching, but also about having a faith that is not shaken. They are reminding me every day that God is faithful, that He is all-knowing, and that not one detail of my life is missed by God's design. They are speaking truth into me every day, and I have come to love each one of them dearly. 

My sweet roomies for the first Teach ONE trip!

L-R: Ashley, Amanda, Patty, Tia, Diana, me. SUPERSTAR! Love my cheetah girls!

3. Get comfortable, this next part is a novel. When kids first come to Camp LIFE, they have the opportunity to be sponsored through the Father's Heart sponsorship program. This means that an American can sponsor a child by paying to provide them with food, education (through our schools), and Christian discipleship. The education piece is HUGE. 

When I worked every day at Camp LIFE, I saw the first step. I saw so many precious children come straight from the streets with incredibly tragic circumstances, and likely, very little or no previous education. Each week of camp, I would see these kids come with darkness, brokenness, and sadness; but by the end of the week, they would leave with contagious joy because they had encountered Jesus Christ for the first time. 

Now, I am seeing the next step. I am working in the Lifeway Christian Academies, which are built and run by the organization; and those same kids that met Christ at camp and received sponsorship thereafter are now attending school. This is beautiful and wonderful in itself. The least of these are now attending one of the highest-quality school systems in Zambia. This is completely ironic for the Zambian communities, as children (let alone the orphan population) is considered the scum of society and a financial burden on families. They are just "one more mouth to feed." 

These children, unwanted by their communities, are being given Christian education. They are being supported as they work their way through school. After grade school and secondary school, they will be able to go to university, college, or trade school. 

The orphaned and vulnerable children that are in our schools right now are working for their ticket out of generational poverty. Education is the key to their escape and the light at the end of the tunnel. They have a chance at a life that is not plagued with poverty or hunger or disease. Not only that, but these kids are going to make up the next generation of leaders. With Christian principles and a solid education base, our schools, which are currently educating 6,500 kids, are producing what will be the nation's next doctors, lawyers, teachers, political leaders, etc... Out of the million orphans in Zambia (the nation with the seventh highest per-capita orphan rate in the world), how many do you think even have a shot at attending university? Yeah, like two a year. (Not really, but very few orphans attend university here.) We are watching, before our eyes, a generation of the least of these rising up to become the next leaders of Zambia. These kids are going to affect change in this nation, and they're going to start doing it very soon. And I will be humbled to say that God used me to play a part, no matter how minuscule, in helping that become a reality. 

Eat your heart out. 

Beautiful Martha.

Miss G with several of the students at Kamanga LCA.

Long story short, it's been an amazing two weeks. Can't wait to see what the next three hold. Thank you for your prayers... keep 'em coming!

Until next time, 

Auntie Maliah

back for more!

I am officially BACK in good ole Zambia!! I have been back for a week, and it has been a fun, adventure-filled, week! I am doing the Teach ONE trip, which is a trip for American teachers to come over and mentor our Zambian teachers! This has been completely different from anything I've done in the past, but it has been a blast so far! Here's a little recap...

We left Dallas last Thursday and flew to Dubai, UAE. Dubai in June is HOT and HUMID, but other than that, it was really cool to see! This was my first time in the Middle East, let alone Asia, so it was new and different! The other teachers and I decided to make the most of if and venture to the top of the tallest building, Burj Khalifa. This building has over 160 floors, and we toured the 124th floor. It was pretty coooool!

Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE

View from the Top

Proof that I was on the tallest building!

We have been teaching at Kamanga LCA, one of the ministry's Lifeway Christian Academies. We will be mentoring the teachers at this school for two weeks total.. so one more week to go! I have been with the grade 3 class, and it is full of sweet, loving, and precious boys and girls! We are primarily working on teaching English/Language Arts strategies, as reading is the foundation for all of education. The schools in Zambia need tangible, effective ways to teach reading to these students who have never been to school before. Here are a few pics from our time there so far!

Break time AKA recess, some of the kids dancing

Morning Assembly - all of the morning session students

Reading with some of my students! 

More blog posts will come soon! It has been a great trip so far, and I am looking forward to the next four weeks here! 

Here's how you can be praying - 

1. For the teachers and students at Kamanga LCA, that this trip would be incredibly beneficial for all of them.

2. For me, that I would continue to walk in step with what God has for me during my time here, and that I would continue to be sensitive to what He's doing in my life. 

3. For Family Legacy and for the well-being of the ministry. Pray that God's hand would still be over all of the growth and in the details! 

Blessings, 

Auntie Maliah (or "Miss G." to my students)

thank you

As I’m sitting here in the London Heathrow airport, about to board my second and final flight home to Southlake, I have realized that I need to extend my thanks to so many of you. I would not have made it this far over the past five years without the support of my family and friends. If you’re reading this right now, thank you for doing so. 

Thank you to those of you who have kept up with my travels and with what the Lord is doing in Zambia. I love getting to tell stories about God’s power and work in my life and in the lives of the kids on this side of the ocean. It is my prayer that my stories can be and have been an encouragement to you.

Thank you to those of you who have prayed for me during my time here. God has protected me well, sustained me, and refined me so much over the past few months. He has listened to your prayers and has answered prayers of protection and encouragement. I could not have made it without my spiritual support system lifting me up to the Lord.

Thank you to those of you who have financially supported me over the years as I’ve returned to Zambia - I can say with assurance that your dollars are extremely appreciated and have advanced the Kingdom overseas. Thank you for your generosity and your willingness to give to this ministry.

Thank you to those of you who have messaged, skyped, or emailed me. Being a world away from my friends and family for two and a half months is so difficult, but these messages and bits of communication got me through. It was always so encouraging to see that me being “out of sight, out of mind” was not the case for so many of you! Thank you for taking the time to reach out to me and keep me a part of your lives!

I am so blessed to have such a support system cheering for me back home. I have worked alongside plenty of people who do not have the same encouragement from their friends and family, and it makes it that much more of a blessing to have you all. To have loved ones genuinely interested and supportive of what I do in Zambia is so special, and again, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. You all have blessed me more than you know! 

By the time this is posted, I will be back home, safe and sound. What a summer it has been! Thank you again for praying me through the whole journey. 

Blessings,

Mariah

guest blog - Maliah according to C and M

Well the time has come- Auntie Maliah is leaving us here in Zambia! We are sitting in her room and she is all packed up and ready to go. We are so sad, but so thankful for the time she has spent with us here!! She’s a keeper, this one. We thought we would list off some of our favorite things about Mariah, for yalls enjoyment. Here it goes:

•       To start, she sleeps with this little brown pillow, that she has had to make a case for because it gets so dirty. Tonight is the first night all summer she is sleeping without it because she had to pack it. (tonight should be interesting)
•       She is really good at movie quoting…. I mean really good. It’s like she was in the actual movie herself.
•       She’s really good at mean mugging. Also, a professional stank facer and peace sign thrower. (take a look at her pics, hollaaaa)
•      Sometimes, she snores at night because she is so congested. Happens to the best of us I suppose.
•       When she eats stale loaded baked potato pringles, you will get the whole works in the toilet. I mean the Big D coming atcha live!!!
•       Now, don’t get us wrong. We LOVE Auntie Malaria. (her nickname for the summer, tack on some lice and there ya have it). Anyways, we really are so grateful for her leadership and sacrifices she has made this summer.
•       Mariah is in LOVE with these children. When she is around them, you can feel the Lord radiating from her heart. It is such a blessing!
•       Mariah also has wonderful leadership skills. If something needs to get done, she is your go-to-girl! Camp LIFE would NOT run without her here. (Example: we are currently watching her chase a butterfly out of our room, I mean who else would want to do this daunting task. “Get out, get out, wrong way” she says…  )
•       We love Mariah’s sense of humor. She never fails to make us smile if we have had a rough day. Her little quirks just make us love her even more!!
•       Mariah is very motivated in her faith. When she has down time, she spends time with the Lord or is giving me advice about my relationship problems.
•       She is easy to talk to. She gives good advice and loves people so well.

As her time here is coming to a close, our tears are flowing freely. I have gone through about 20 mini packs of tissues. Snot fest ladies and gents. (but seriously I really have, maybe not from crying but still..) Everyone send up some prayers for her as she makes the transition home, which can be a tough one at best. We love you Mariah!!! We miss you already!

Love,

Auntie Cayla and Auntie Mackenzie <3  

goodbyes

Well, Camp LIFE 2013 is officially over! It was an incredible last week - the American participants here are so generous and soft-hearted to what the Lord is doing here in Zambia. Friday was an amazing final day to end the summer with! We had our last big session, during which the summer staff got to dance on stage altogether, and we had the last Tree of Life Friday night surprise performance... which was a huge personal achievement and a very emotional night. 

Every Friday night, as a surprise, the summer staff would go down the hill from the Legacy Center to the Tree of Life to round up and prepare the kids for a performance for the Americans Friday night. After getting all 300+ children in a central location, we would load them up on buses and send them up the hill. This in itself is QUITE a feat - rounding up and holding the attention of a sea of kids while making sure they are all dressed and ready to go. Once at the Legacy Center, each summer staffer would take a group of kids to different spots surrounding the Legacy Center. We then would keep the kids as quiet as possible as we waited for the music to start (also a daunting task). Basically, the whole performance was that the kids would slowly march in to the music, filling the room from all directions to the song “Glory, Glory Hallelujah” by the London Community Gospel Choir. They were all decked out in beautiful chitenge costumes, held LED candles that lit up, and sang their little hearts out each time. 

As much of a hassle and hair-puller it was trying to get these kids up the “mountain” every Friday night, this performance almost always moved me to tears. Tears not only for the relief of the success of that night (and that it was over for the week), but also because we were all looking at HUNDREDS of redeemed orphan children, dressed to the nines and singing praises to the God who saved them. This night showed the most complete transformation of each of these kids. They went from dirty and unnoticed and neglected to being dressed beautifully, all eyes on them, loved and adored. And the most powerful part is that the room keeps filling and keeps filling. The shear number of children that are at the Tree of Life, safe from the homes they were removed from, is enough to bring me to tears. 

But last night was the most tearful night for me. I leave in 2 days, and I have to say goodbye to these precious kids. Over the past four years I’ve been on summer staff, this year especially, I have gotten to personally know the hearts and personalities and names of so many of these kids. I know who the rowdy ones are, I know who the “troublemakers” are, and I know who the sweet-natured, well-behaved ones are. And because I led the marching orders every Friday night, all of these kids know Auntie Maliah. Saying goodbye to these kids is the absolute worst part of my whole summer spent here. Hands down. And last night, I knew it wasn’t goodbye quite yet (that part comes today), but it was a sign that goodbye is coming. It was overwhelming for a few reasons - I knew that goodbyes were not far off, I was looking at my favorite kids in the world who looked beautiful and were so happy, and it already had been an emotional last day of camp. So anyway, tears were just free falling. 

After the performance, the song “Our God” by Chris Tomlin came on as all the Americans were hugging on the kids. All of the kids know this song from last year since it was the theme song for camp in 2012. So naturally, 50 or so of the kids ran up on stage and started singing, dancing, and pretending their candles were microphones. I was standing by the stage looking at my precious little rockstars when Queen, a 14-year old girl, pulls me up on stage and says “Auntie Maliah, let’s go! I was looking for you!” Before I know it, I’m up on stage, singing and dancing with the kids until the song ends. When it’s done, Queen looks at me and says, “Auntie Maliah, I’m going to miss you very much.” I pull her in for a hug and I’m back to tears. We both just hold each other and cry for a minute. Eventually, I walk her back out to the bus and tell her that it’s not goodbye just yet, but that I’ll see her one more time before I leave. 

Anyway, I’m not looking forward to my final goodbyes to these kids. It’s going to be a tear-fest led by Auntie Maliah here. Every one of these 300+ kids hold (and will forever hold) a special piece of my heart. I feel so humbled that God would bring me here to Zambia and let me love on these incredible, talented, smart, precious children not only this year, but for four years now. What a huge blessing it was to get to be God’s hands and feet and voice not only to these kids, but also to the ones that I got to love on that came through Camp LIFE this year. I don’t know how or why God picked me to come to Africa to love on these kids year after year, but I know I am an unworthy and undeserving vessel who is so grateful that He did.