Hollingers in Zambia 2013

As many of you know last year Patrick and I went on a mission trip with Family Legacy  Missions International to help with the plight of the orphans in Lusaka, Zambia. This year it was even better as Mark and Andrew joined us on the trip and Patrick stayed an additional three weeks after camp to work as a member of the summer mission staff. It was a very rewarding trip for everyone and we hope you enjoy our story.

Hallelujah House Opening-

Last fall we worked with three other families to raise money that allowed us to build a permanent house in The Tree of Life Children's Village that would be the home to twelve orphans supported by two full time house mothers. The house was recently completed and we spent a day and a half completing the final touches, the decorating, and deep cleaning necessary to prepare the house for the kid’s arrival. It was very moving to see the reception that the twelve new girls received from the other 348 brothers and sisters in the village. The story that touched everyone’s heart was that of an eight year old girl who walked into the Hallelujah house to find her three year old sister that she had not seen in close to a year. Through tears of joy she proclaimed blessings on the people that made this possible.  They are now reunited in the village and both relieved from living on the streets of Lusaka. We wanted to thank everyone that contributed in any way to the completion of the house as it exceeded all of our expectations as it all came together.

The 12 beautiful girls that now call Hallelujah House HOME.

 

Camp Life

 During our week of summer camp (Camp Life)we were part of a group consisting of 112 'Ambassadors' that were paired with over 1120 Zambian children. By the time summer is over this year the camp will  have included over 700 Ambassadors and over 7000 Zambian children. We each had our own group of approximately ten children for the week and throughout the week's activities we were able to learn so much about the struggles that each of them face every day just to survive. In the evenings the ambassadors found time to share our stories with each other and it helped to provide the inner strength for the following day. At the end of the week each of the children received a blanket that brought tears of extreme joy to the kids especially given it is the middle of winter in Zambia and many of the kids struggle to stay warm in the evenings. We wanted to thank everyone that contributed to the blankets for not only our 43 kids but other kids in the group as well. At the end of the week as the children left for home for the last time it was a very emotional parting as the joy of the week was replaced with the stark reminder of what lay ahead for many of these children.

Some of Andrew's boys so excited about their blankets and other simple gifts.

Sponsorship

Our family touched the lives of 43 vulnerable Zambian children, but our mission is not complete as our goal is to find sponsors for each of these children.  The good news is as of this writing, we have 24 of the kids sponsored and only 19 remaining. These kids are praying for sponsorship – for an education, a way out of the poverty, a way to truly change their lives, their community, and their country.  My son Andrew, seeing the despair around him as we toured the compounds (slums), was overwhelmed.  He said there are so many that need help, how can we make a real difference.  I reminded him of the starfish story.  You probably know it, but just in case you haven’t heard it: 

Though we are talking about so much more than starfish.  We are talking about children - individual young people that didn't ask to be born in Zambia or in these conditions of poverty and abuse.  Our desire, the desire of Family Legacy Missions International, is to change this nation of Zambia, one child at a time through a foundation of Christian based education. The sponsorship of a child is $44 a month or just under $1.50 a day (1 British Pound Sterling) and provides the child with the following: 

• Entrance into a Lifeway Christian Academy which includes a school uniform
• Four hours of Education daily with an average student to teacher ratio of 25-1 (The norm in Lusaka is between 100 and 200-1 per class today)
• One nourishing meal daily
• Attendance at Summer Camp assuming good attendance rates (incentive for children)
• Extra food and supplies at home assuming good attendance rates (incentive for care givers)

The sponsorship runs from now until the child graduates from high school unless the child moves out of the area or you elect to drop the child’s sponsorship. Here is a link to each of our 43 kids and perhaps one will touch your heart as much as they each touched ours.  Sponsor a child

One of the ladies who was at camp with us stood up in our final evening together and shared her story: 

In her first year at camp, around summer of 2008) she had 10 girls in her group. She was only able to find sponsorship for one of her ten girls. That girl was in her group again this week and the great news is she is on the path to graduating from high school this December and has been accepted into university. As tears rolled down her cheeks she said she could only wonder what would have happened had she found sponsors for the nine other girls. She finished with, “Don’t let that happen to one your kids.”

There are so many stories from our time in Zambia, ones of extreme joy, to ones where orphans are left to die on the streets. We consider ourselves very fortunate and we hope to make a permanent impact on the lives of vulnerable and orphaned children in Zambia and hopefully the country as well. 

Please take 2½ minutes to watch this video.  It truly represents the difference sponsorship can make in the life of one of these children. 
2 girls - 2 lives. 
Pay close attention to the girl on the left.  That is the life so many of these children are left with if someone doesn't give them a chance. 

There are so many people that contributed to making this trip memorable for our family and we truly appreciate anyone that has taken the time to read the story of our journey. 

If you would like to know more about our kids, here are the things we learned about each of them:


My girls:

Meet Esther Phiri:

Esther is 8-9 years old.  Most of the kids do not know their birthdates.  She lives with her mom and 2 brothers and 1 sister.  Her dad has died, plus she had one brother that died.  Her mom spends her days seeking work as a maid so that she can get food to feed her children.  Sometimes one of her brothers also does piece work (each day gathering with other Zambians looking for manual labor) to bring in some money.  Her sister is sponsored and gets to go to school.  Her prayer is that she would also get a good education.

Dorcas Ngandu

Dorcas is around 10 years old.  She lives with Mom and one of her 7 siblings.  Her dad has died.  Some of her siblings also live with an Uncle – the older brother of her dad.  She sleeps on a blanket on the floor and generally eats 2 meals of Nshima (cornmeal mixed with water – similar to grits) a day – only 1 if things are 'tight' for the family.  She would love to be a nurse when she grows up.

Eunice Lungu

Eunice is 10-11 years old.  She would like to be a doctor!!  She lives with her mom and dad and her 3 sisters.  She sleeps on a straw mat.  Her dad repairs shoes.  She didn’t smile a lot, and when I think of her and her life, I am reminded that I don’t know but a tiny bit of her story.  I saw some men repairing shoes as we walked around in the compounds.  It was around 10:00am and they were drinking beer, and being quite abusive to people as they walked past.  It makes me wonder…..

 Mark’s boys:

Gibson Soko

Gibson would like to go to school.  He lives with his mom and dad and 3 sisters.  His dad does some side construction work when he can get it.  Gibson usually gets to eat only 1 meal a day, as that is all the family can afford.  Gibson was kind of quiet throughout the week, but he was a very strong young man.  Gibson would like to be a teacher.

Lazarus Lungu

Lazarus is 11 years old.  His mom and dad are divorced and he doesn’t know where his dad is living.  His mom isn’t working right now, so he and his younger sister struggle to find food.  His grandfather provides for them when he is able.  Lazarus generally eats once a day.  He wants to be a soldier.  With an education, his world will open up!

Fred Mumba

Fred is 10-11 years old.  His dad died this past year.  He lives with his mom, and older sister and 2 younger brothers.  He has not had an opportunity to have any schooling.  He would love to go to school and eventually become a doctor.  Mom does not have a job at this time, but Fred prays that she would find work.

Isaac Mwanza

Isaac is 10-11 years old.  His father died a long time ago, and he now lives with his mom and his step-dad, neither of which have jobs.  His mom does go into the community to find odd jobs to try to bring in some income.  Isaac used to go to community school, but he had to quit because his mom could not afford the fees.  His favorite subject when he was in school was math.  He has 3 brothers and sisters.  He wants to be a policeman so that he can provide peace and order in his community.

Lamach Phiri

Lamach is 10 years old.  He is one of the fortunate ones, as he lives with both his mom and dad.  His dad gets some work with the Catholic Church that he attends.  Lamach has 3 older brothers and sisters.  He would like to be a soldier when he grows up.

Vincent Musole

Vincent is 10-11 years old.  His Dad died a couple of years ago, and he now lives with just his mom and 2 brothers and 1 sister.  He does go to the local community school, but would love the opportunity to go to a good school where he will learn and grow.  He enjoys English and math.  His mom works selling fried bread along the road to try to earn an income for the family.

Stanford Kasempashi

Stanford is 9 years old.  When he came to camp, he was called Doubt.  We asked him about his name, and he told us he didn't like being called Doubt, and that he had another name - Stanford.  We began calling him Stanford and changed his necklace.  He was a happy young man.  He lives with his aunt right now and has 1 younger brother and 1 younger sister.  His father lives nearby, but doesn’t want the burden of raising him or his sister.  Sanford used to go to the community school, but is not able to now.  His favorite subject was English.  He really enjoys singing and dancing.  He wants to be a pastor.

Robby Mwansa

Robby is 9 years old.  His dad died when he was a baby.  He has 5 older brothers and sisters.  He lives with his mom who tries to find work as a maid.  He is able to attend a community school, but this school has a student/teacher ratio of around 150/1, and they meet for approximately 2 hours a day.  Through this, however, Robby has discovered that he enjoys math.  He would love to be able to attend a good school.  Robby would like to be an accountant.

Matthews Phiri

Matthews is 11 years old.  His father abandoned the family when he was a baby.  He lives with his mom and 5 brothers and sisters.  He used to go to the community school, but isn’t able to currently.  When he went to school, he enjoyed math.  When he grows up, he would like to help people and to be a lawyer.

Andrew's Boys (with descriptions by Andrew)

 

Gift Tembo

Gift is 10 years old. His father and mother split when his mom visited a witch doctor. There was a dark presence about him the whole week, but during his blessing time we prayed over him and a change was seen instantly. Gift’s prayers are that he can go to school and that his family will have more food.

Aaron Mwanza

Aaron is ten years old. Although quiet, Aaron has the strongest desire to be loved. He rarely left my side, and during the dances he was all smiles. He has a rough life at home, but his brightness shows through, and he wants to go to school. His parents are split up, and when he visits his mother, she often beats him.

Patson Tembo

Patson is eleven years old. He is a quiet yet diligent boy, and he always knew the answers to my questions. When he grows up, he wants to be a mechanical engineer. He has never attended school, but I assure you, his dreams would be achieved if he gets the chance.

Gift Phiri

Gift is ten years old, and he has one of the saddest home lives. Both of his parents passed away when he was younger. He lives with his grandma, who has trouble getting enough food for him. His aunt also lives with him, and beats him if he doesn’t do what she says. He has never been to school.

Fabias Hamoonga

Fabias went through the biggest transformation of any of my kids this week. He barely said three words for the first couple of days. All I managed to get out of him was that he was ten years old, and his parents have to beg for food because they cannot find any work. On the last day, my translator and I took him aside and asked him more questions. Completely out of nowhere, he started crying and so my translator prayed over him that the lord would set him free of anything that has grasp over him. By the end of the day Fabias was laughing and jumping around, as if he was a new person.

Samson Mumba

Samson is eleven years old, and he was another boy who grew a lot as the week went on. He accepted Jesus the first day of camp, and right then there was a huge change. He wants to be a teacher, but once again, he hasn’t gotten the chance to go to school yet.

Patrick Koolala

Patrick was my youngest boy, at seven. He was extremely quiet throughout the week, and when I could get him to crack a smile, it was heart-warming. He is very smart though, and when we went to the compounds, he was eager to share about Christ. He went to school for one year, but had to pull out due to lack of funds. He would love nothing more than to go back.


If you have any questions at all, please feel free to call me: (503)-318-2844, or email me: madgethollinger@gmail.com.

There is really nothing I would enjoy more than to answer any questions you may have.  I love this ministry and I love these children with a love I never thought possible outside of my own home!

God bless you and thank-you for taking the time to read my blog!

Madge Hollinger

 

Falling More In Love

Back from Zambia and struggling to put into words our amazing journey.  This year, my ‘our’ consisted not only of my son, Patrick, and myself, but also my husband, Mark, as well as my youngest son, Andrew.  The fact that the trip consisted of the four of us, is certainly one of the most amazing parts of the journey.  I fell in love with Zambia last year, and one of the hardest parts of coming home was the realization that my husband, as hard as he tried, could not truly understand these feelings of mine that were all consuming.  Now he knows!  He went, he experienced, he believes in the ministry, he loves Zambian orphans!!

 





 

Several thoughts have come to me regularly since I have been home, one of those:  ‘If you want to fall more deeply in love with your husband, take him to Zambia, and watch him work so incredibly hard preparing a house to be home to 12 beautiful orphan girls – including mopping the whole place so that it would be perfect.  Watch him embrace and love on 10 little boys that have craved the warm touch and caring voice of a real man in their lives.  Watch him get to know and play with the little girls that stole his wife’s heart a year ago.  Watch him brush the tears away of those same little girls as they had to say good-bye after an amazing week, then hug and console his wife who also couldn’t stop the tears.  Watch him look on with amazement at the two young men that he raised as they gave completely of themselves, even though they were exhausted and somewhat sick.  I can assure you that you watch your husband do all of that, and you can’t help but to fall more deeply in love with him.’  I thank God for this wonderful man that I married 20 years ago this August and for the journey that we are on together.

 



Putting together shelves for Hallelujah House with another wonderful man, Dave Plum

 



Having fun with Vanessa one of the sweet Hallelujah House girls!



Playing with Miracle, one of my girls that I had last year and again this year.  We have the privilege of sponsoring her and it is wonderful to see the confidence that comes from getting a great education.  She KNOWS she is part of our family!!

Mark sharing lunch with his boys!

Mark with his boys and his Zambian partner.

In one of the classrooms in the compound.  Sponsorship means these kids get educated and will change their lives, their families' lives and their country.

Consoling my girls.  A sad day having to say good bye!



 

I SEE A GENERATION

One of the most encouraging parts of this journey to Zambia, was serving alongside my son, Patrick.  When you see all that God has been doing in the life of your child, being transferred through him to others, it creates an indescribable joy. 

Pat with his group of 10 boys and his two Zambian partners

My post title comes from the second verse of a beautiful worship song by Hillsong – Hosanna.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQGJdTpMUcU&feature=player_embedded

‘I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith, with selfless faith
I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees, we're on our knees’

I saw my son serve, with selfless faith…..never complaining once of the filth, the dust, the peanut butter sandwiches that he made daily – even for other members of the group, including me on more than one occasion. 

I saw my son love children that had not had much love in their lives.  I saw my son cry because God had broken his heart for what broke God’s and he fell in love with the 'least of these'.

I saw my son be bold as he stood to speak in front of a hundred people about the things that were affecting his heart.

I saw my son teach ten little boys about what it means to be a gentleman and how to respect young ladies.

I saw one little boy cling to my son with tears streaming down his face because he knew this ‘man’ loved him and spent time with him….played soccer with him…..was interested in what he had to say, and he didn’t want this ‘man’ to leave.

I am in tears now, as I write this blog, thinking about this young man, my son, and his service in Zambia….this young man, who is about to go to college and move away from my house for the first time in 18 years.  I am so thankful that I was able to witness the evidence of all that God has done in his life.  God’s timing is so perfect!  Yes, I will still be anxious, though I know I shouldn’t be, as I say good-bye in front of that dorm, but I am comforted knowing that God has and continues to work everything together for good in Patrick!

Patrick and Evans

Patrick and Elvis

LOVE!

Patrick's boys as they teach a man from their community who Jesus is and what He did for us

Patrick with his boys as they go out to serve and reach the community in which these boys live

Patrick enjoying being one of the guys!

Patrick and I with all of my girls and his boys

If you want to make a difference in the lives of one of my son's boys:
https://fathersheart.familylegacy.com/ambassador.php?aid=41.00002699

Meet my other girls (last five)

Ten beautiful little girls stole my heart. Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of them and prayed for them. It just doesn't seem fair that I sit here in comfort behind my door, alarm engaged to keep out anyone that could do harm, while they live without even a door to keep out anyone that might harm – and so much harm does befall these beautiful children. 

Most evenings while we were in Zambia, people could share about their days with the kids, or what was on their hearts. Most evenings I was in tears as God was tugging at my heart with each word spoken.  One of those evenings my friend Tia's husband, Dave, shared. He told of one of Tia's previous trips to Zambia. He told of how she was so overwhelmed with grief for all of the heartache and horror that she was seeing in the lives of God's children, His beloved orphans, that He says He cares so much about. She cried out to God - 'God, how can you, a loving God, let this go on?' She clearly heard God speak to her heart - 'Tia, how can you?' I can tell you that she has worked continuously since that time, making a difference.  God spoke to my heart during this trip as well – he has filled it with the desire, no the NEED, to made a difference.  Oh, how I pray, He doesn’t let me forget. 

Now let me introduce you to 5 more beautiful girls:

Veronica was the first of my girls that gave me a smile.  When I first arrived at Camp Life from our tour of Lusaka, I found my Zambian Partner and she was standing in front of my group of ten girls.  As I was speaking with Febbie, the girls were all looking me over.  As I turned to look at my girls that I would get to know over the week, I noticed Veronica.  She was looking at me curiously, probably wondering what I was going to be like.  As I caught her eye, she gave me the most beautiful smile.  I can still picture it!  Veronica was one of only two of my girls that had been to camp before.  She did not get sponsored before, and I wonder if she truly trusts that God will find her a sponsor this time.  That is not something I asked her about.  There are hundreds of things that I have thought about since leaving that I wish I would have thought to ask.  Veronica lives with her mom and three of her siblings.  Her mom does not currently have work.  When I asked how they get money for food, she told me that her mom sold a radio that they had been given.  She hasn’t been able to go to school, though she would love to go to school and someday grow up to be a nurse.  Thank-you Mary Klement for purchasing these shoes for Veronica!

Lizzy is such a fun little girl.  To hear of the things she endures, and to see the scars that prove it, you would never guess the stories belong to this same little girl.  She was always trying to get into every picture with a smile.  Even when all of the other girls were looking at me with concern the first day, not sure what the week would hold, you could just see her little head popping up with an impish grin.  Lizzy lives with her Mom, her dad has died.  She has 5 siblings.  She is one of the older children in the family.  Perhaps that is why her mom takes her anger and frustration out on Lizzy.  She told me of the times that her mom beats her, yells at her, and tells her she doesn’t want her anymore.  I saw the scars all over her arms and legs of times when she was hurt.  Lizzy’s stories broke my heart, and by the end of the week, I knew I couldn’t just find Lizzy a sponsor, I had to be her sponsor.  When a child’s situation is so bad, their camp counselor (ambassador), that would be me, can recommend that the situation be researched.  If the situation is found to be as represented, FLMI can work to have them removed from the home and placed in the Tree of Life Village.  That is, if they have a sponsor.  I couldn’t take a chance, so Mark and I are going to do what is necessary for this little girl to have a safe environment.  It does cost more - $250 a month, for these kids to live at the Tree of Life, but so very worth it.  To give this little girl, with so much spunk, the opportunity to grow up safe, with a good education, knowing she is loved and knowing that she can make a difference in her country – PRICELESS!  Thank-you to my wonderful brother Doug Klement for purchasing Lizzy's shoes for her!

Sarah is feisty!  So often I found Sarah trying to be in charge of the other girls – in not so nice of a way.  By the end of the week, with lots of unconditional love, Sarah was ready to show the same love.  To see her face change from grumpiness to genuine happiness over the week was amazing.  Sarah’s story is hard, however, so it was so easy to give her unconditional love.  Both of Sarah’s parents were dead.  She never knew her dad, and her mom died when she was young.   She stays with her 18 year old sister, who works as a maid to help with food.   She sleeps on a mat on the ground.  She goes to a Catholic churchJ.   Some days she has to go without a real meal when money is tight.  Sarah does go to a community school, but the school has one teacher for about 150 students, and they have class for about 2 hours a day, if the teacher shows up.  She asked that I pray that God would help with school fees, to have food, and that her sister would be healthy.  She also prayed that she would get her own shoes.  The shoes she was wearing were given to her by someone that out grew them.  Little did she know that God had already answered that last prayer.   It was wonderful to get to hand those shoes to Sarah!  A huge thank-you to my sister, Kitie Hermes, for providing these shoes to Sarah!

My Miracle Mervis was an amazing young lady.  She had been through a horrible ordeal earlier in the year.  She had been taken from her home at night, and brought to a home of a Satanic Cult.  She had rituals performed on her, and has the scars to remember those by.  She doesn’t remember how she escaped, but she found herself rescued about 4 months after she had been taken.  Mervis has been to Camp Life the last several years and knew that God was with her, so she didn’t succumb to all that the Satanists tried to force her to do.  She is so strong and determined.   She has not been sponsored even though she has been to camp 4 years.  I could see this young lady doing amazing things in her future, so I wasn’t going to let another year go by without her being sponsored.  Mark and I will be making sure that Mervis’ fees are paid so that she will get to go to a good school and will always know that we believe in her.  I truly believe that God has a great plan for Mervis!  My prayer is that when she sees the scars that evil men added to her beautiful body, that she will only think of God’s faithfulness!  Thank-you to my wonderful brother Regi Klement for providing Mervis' shoes to her!

Justina, also has a hard story.  She tells us that she is 10, although she looks more like she is 12.  Because she doesn’t know her birthday, I am not sure we will ever know her true age.  She stays with her grandmother, because her mom and dad have both died.  She does not have any brothers or sisters, but an uncle and cousin stay with them as well.  Justina’s grandmother doesn’t treat her well, withholding food from her and telling her she is not wanted.  Her grandmother delves into witchcraft, and Justina has nightmares often.  Justina is not able to go to school, though she really wishes she could.  Again, I couldn’t walk away from this situation, back to my comfortable home knowing that Justina is being so mistreated.  Mark and I have asked FLMI to step in and determine if Justina’s environment is as terrible as it seems.  If it is not, we will sponsor her through the Father’s Heart program, so that she can go to school.  If she is endangered, we will pay the costs to have her moved to The Tree of Life and will support her so that she will get an education and know that she is worthy of being treated with love and respect.  Thank-you to my sweet, and thoughtful brother, Ralph Klement, for providing Justina's shoes to her!!

So… of my 10 beautiful girls, Mark and I are going to sponsor 3.  I don't say that with pride, I just want everyone to know we wouldn't ask others to consider something that we aren't truly invested in ourselves.  My heart will yearn for the moment that I get to see these girls again.  My plan is to return to Zambia next summer, and I will go a couple of days early so that I can visit my beautiful girls that we have sponsored in their homes.  These are my girls forever, and I love them and care about every detail of their lives.  I so look forward to knowing them as they grow into beautiful women of God.  I pray that those people that God is calling to sponsor my other girls will feel the tug on their heart.  To learn more about sponsorship look at a Father’s Heart or call/text/email/facebook message meJ.  To sponsor a child, it is $85 to enroll her in the program and $40 a month after that.  Click on the search by ambassador and type in Margaret Hollinger.  You will see each of these girls.