Here’s a post I just got from April…my sista! They are having an amazing trip at Wiphan–and this momma is just DYING not to be with them! Christy–my Created for Care Sidekick and my sister…TOGETHER…loving on 450 precious kids–oh I can hardly stand it. SOOOO…who’s in for a Wiphan Zambia trip for next summer?? Because I’m SO in! Okay…without further delay…here are April and Christy’s Summer ’13 Wiphan TOP TEN from their trip so far…
So we actually have internet tonight so I thought I’d write out some highlights of my trip to Zambia… or atleast my personal Top 10. There is already so much and we’ve only been here 3 days… I’m homesick for my family but I LOVE this place and these people!
1) Meeting Mwape. I am in love with this little 8th grade girl, with the most gentle spirit. Heather and I got to sit with her in her bedroom as she showed us her school work and told us she “will just cry if she doesn’t make the top grades” on her test. I love Mwape. She was talking about her test to see if she gets to go to 9th grade. I’ve never wanted someone to pass a test more in my life.
2) Hugo and Oliver following us home. Two of Wiphan’s Mapalo 2nd grade students showed up at the Castle Lodge;) on Saturday afternoon. I think they have a crush on Heather. They wouldn’t leave until we told them we were going to our rooms and we told them to meet us at church the next day. The next morning, Sunday morning, they didn’t meet us at church. They met us at the entrance to the Castle Lodge! Hugo wanted to carry Heather’s bag and Oliver held my Bible… Mischievous but special young men. They showed up at the Castle Lodge AGAIN after church and stuck their feet in the pool and got chased by Nila, the attack shitzu:). All in all- I’m thinking a pretty eventful day for them. I am going to love watching these boys over the years at Wiphan!
3) Being told at the pizza place at the “mall” that though the sign says you can get 4 “GetYouSome”s for free if you order 2 large pizzas- we didn’t qualify for the deal because we ordered 5 large pizzas. You only get the deal if you order exactly 2 large ones? I love Zambia!
4) Hearing the kids Sunday School class sing the CBS song “Read Your Bible, Pray Everyday” at church this morning. I’m not sure there are words for what it meant to hear those little voices with their beautiful accents sing those words! PRAISING God for David and Patti Henderson and CBSI!!!
5) Catherine Chanda (6th grade Wiphan student) breaking my heart when she hugged me today and wouldn’t let go and said, “I love you so much”. Because I know I’m not THAT lovable (she’s only known me a couple of days;)), it makes me see how much she just wants and needs to love and feel loved. Catherine is a double orphan. I’m looking forward to getting to hug her tomorrow!
6) Having Mary Kunda (1st grade Wiphan student) sit on my lap and play with my hands through a 3 hour Zambian church service.
7) Getting to dance and sing for 2 hours with the coolest worship leader IN THE WORLD- Pastor Aaron! and THEN getting to talk about God from the “pulpit”. We each got to share a little at church today. Surreal to get to stand and tell them how I’ve been crying tears of joy throughout the morning as we’ve been singing because I can NOT believe how big and amazing our God is. I talked about Hagar and how God found her at the well and how He is the God who sees us. I mean, HOW do I get to do this!!?? Only by the grace of God. People say that all the time- but I know what it means at this moment. I’m in awe of Him and so humbled by my inadequacies. And that He gave me the chance to tell someone about Him and what He means to me. Little me!? The only way this could be ANY better is if Harris and the girls were in there dancing with us. I’m not even sure my heart could hold that much! God truly is good ALL THE TIME!
8. Seeing chickens mate… Not really a highlight but it happened.
9) Watching Heather teach kids in the compound the ChaCha Slide (she played the music on her iphone;)). She also taught them Jesus Loves Me & Jesus Loves the Little Children. BUT I’ve got to admit watching her say “how low can you go?” and seeing all those little smiling faces dancing with her. Super fun moment!
10) After asking Christy who she thinks would play her if there was movie about her… her response being “Whoopi Goldberg”. It took me a few minutes to recover from that answer I was laughing so hard;)). I’m laughing so hard I’m snorting now, just thinking about it. Seriously- that was HER first, gut answer. She didn’t even hesitate!
Okay- so I thought doing a Top 10 would make me not write too much but still pretty long! If you hung in there, I miss y’all! Tomorrow is when the week really begins… We will be working with the kids all day Monday at Nkwazi and Tuesday and Mapalo… when the people on the trip who haven’t been here before get to meet ALL the kids and finally see the school in action. Good stuff and I’m so excited!
XO- April
“The world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.”
~Helen Keller
~Helen Keller
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