The Young Family Farm »

Soooo…back in August—Sarah Titus and I posted a project that we challenged ladies from all over the United States to join us in. You might remember the post here: It’s A Girl Thing. We sent the kits to BOTH Korah (in Ethiopia) AND Wiphan (in Zambia). While we haven’t gotten any feedback yet from Project61 in Korah (they DID get the kits but I think they still need someone to train them)–HOWEVER we JUST got feedback back from my sister in Zambia who is training the widows and young girls how to use these kits!!!

Here’s the DEALIO if this project is news to you. MOST girls and ladies in Africa do not have the money OR access to sanitary items. SO–during their monthly cycles they often just sit at home. These widows NEED to leave their homes to find work to provide for their children–but they can’t!!! And 60% of young girls drop out of school because they have no way to care for themselves during that time and are too embarrassed to go to school. WELL–thanks to women stepping up to the plate ALL OVER AMERICA–these girls and widows now have washable, organic pads. While I know some of you are saying, WHAT???? Is that sanitary. Well…lemme tell you this. THIS IS more sanitary than what they were using–some times making tampons out of old newspaper. They just didn’t know what else to do!!! Many of the girls and women get infections. Not knowing what the infections are, some women are even outcasted by their husbands if they still have them thinking they have been unfaithful. Some even left or worse–abused because of being falsely accused of something they couldn’t help. (I read an EYE opening article about this…it’s just awful!) AND did you know the drop out rate for girls INCREASES to just 8% (did you hear that?!) when they have these?!?!?!?

Does someone look happy to you???

I am so honored to be a part of this project!!! I want to thank YOU–women from all over the country who read my blog entry that day…AND CHOOSE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! And when I saw women ALL over America–I mean ALL OVER. I can’t tell you how many packages arrived at my door. I would look at where they each came from and REJOICE!!! From Canada to Florida from New York and California!!! Sarah Titus and I collected…sorted…resorted…and then off they went! I heard stories after stories of women who volunteered wanting to bless these girls and women–and in turn, they ended up being the ones blessed!!! I even heard a story of someone going in a JoAnn’s fabric store in Oregon and the lady behind the desk asking a lady, “By any chance is this for Baby of My Heart’s “It’s a Girl Thing?” AND guess what? They were giving DISCOUNTS!!! SO…you think God just MIGHT have His hand on projects like these??? Ya think God cares deeply for the details of these girls and women????

And do you think it makes HIM rejoice when HE sees His beloved Zambian children getting these!!! And when He sees this widow CLAPPING because she can’t believe God has provided this for her?!

I can get SO WRAPPED up in my little world and get worked up over the dumbest little things. And guess what. MOST of them in the big scheme of things–DO NOT matter!!! I want MY LIFE to be all about investing in others and making a difference in the world. WHO’S WITH ME?!?!?

And they line up to get their very own kits—I promise these are their MOST treasured possession now!!!!

If you were a part of this project…REJOICE!!! Rejoice in how HE has used you!!!!!! And if you would like jpeg files to print and share with the groups that sewed with you—PLEASE email me (via the contact page on my blog…if I write my email here I’m a spam target!) and I’ll send you lots of pictures to share with your sewing teams!!!! Now…some people (like our husbands;) might poke at us mommas for being bloggers…for reading blogs daily…BUT truly we can use things like blogs to CHANGE the world as we come together for projects like this one!!!!!!!

Thank you to everyone who took part in this project!!!!!!!! Hold tight…I have something else up my sleeve:). You know me…always up to something;-).

Off to do a happy dance!!! Go ahead and join me…isn’t it fun to be a part of things like this?!?!!??!?!

Last but not least—here is my sister’s Day 3 update from Ndola…ANOTHER MUST READ!Another amazing day. We started the day at Mapalo school’s campus with the sponsored kids and gave them their letters and they wrote their sponsors back. We then visited our friend’s (The Fains) sponsored child- Evans Chisenga. Evans father passed away and he lives with his mom. He is the oldest child in his family and the only one who attends school. I guess that makes Evans the “man of the house”. He’s a sweet, kind, and smart young man and we are so honored we got to meet him today!
We then headed back to Sinia campus where we were greeted by the ladies who attend Wiphan’s Skills Training program. They had been told about the “It’s a Girl Thing Project” and even though they were also told we would not arrive until 1 pm- most of them arrived at 8 am. I asked Elizabeth why they came so early…. she said, “They were just too excited!”. As we talked about them, gave them instructions for use and for cleaning them… they danced and sang and praised God for his provisions. Humbling to say the least… When’s the last time you praised God for your maxi-pad? BUT to these ladies, these gifts are life-changing. They can leave their homes during that time of their cycle- they can work, go to school, and be kept safe from infection. These are the things we take for granted that we truly rarely think about. Toilet paper, tampons:), soap & running water…
Your sister in Christ, April

P.S. April is going to be with us at the retreat sharing Wiphan at the orphan care breakout!!!!! If you want to get more involved—come meet April there and she’ll get you plugged in and tell you how YOU can make a difference RIGHT where you are! (Or…maybe some of you will be on our next trip?!) Hope you all have a GREAT day! I’m off to the airport to see a family united with their 2 new ones from Uganda!!! Can you say TWO less orphans in the world! SO excited!!!!!!!!!! Pictures of course to follow tomorrow! SOMEONE…PLEASE pinch me!!! I know this is Earth–but SOME times His SWEET REDEMPTION feels like heaven!!!!! How glorious it is to live for Him and be a part of things like THIS!

Matthew 25…‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Here is today’s update from April in Zambia!!! If you were a part of a girl thing project…you must read:). They will distribute the kits soon!!! YAY! For those of you who know my sister April–you’ll appreciate this post and her humor. For those of you who don’t know her…you need to because this girl cracks me up—I love her humor…but I really love her heart!

This update is longer:). Harris said people are going to make fun of me since he sent one today, too but his was 2 sentences but here it is anyway…
Day 2… Believe it or not we actually slept until 8:00 am (which never happens at home!). I also started the day by killing a HUGE African spider in the shower. (I was a little impressed with myself for how nonchalantly that whole thing went down:)). Harris had the “English Breakfast”- eggs, bacon, etc because he’s braver than I am…. I had toast…
“Fat Cow”- what Labstone calls his van- picked us up at 9 am and we headed to Sinia. There we handed out all the letters to the students who are sponsored there. It was SO much fun to see this in person. It’s hard to believe that less than 2 years ago I was here taking pictures and collecting profiles for Wiphan to get the sponsorship program started and now I’m here watching it. I CANNOT begin to explain how much these letters mean to the children. But here is an example- Harris and I sponsor Obbrey. Obbrey is a precious guy in the 2nd grade (he really might be the cutest one!). He wasn’t there when we arrived because he was just running late… when he arrived Harris said- “Obbrey’s here” and I look over and there he is with this Lion mask on his head. I tried not to cry… BECAUSE 6 months ago when I was frantically pulling together a letter for him because we’d missed the deadline, because in our busy, busy life we had a hard time finding the time to write a letter (seriously!)- I wrote a note, Isabelle drew some pictures and I saw a paper plate lion mask Anna Kate had made at preschool that day sitting on the counter and added it to the envelope. A second thought, a “why not” thought…. and FOR 6 MONTHS, Obbrey had saved that “second thought”. He was wearing it and on top of that he was carrying a little plastic bag that he keeps all of our letters in. I can’t explain a moment like that… but I think you can imagine. All of the things you take for granted, the abundance of what I have and what my kids have and this precious little boy we write a letter to carries it and keeps it safe. There are just no words for that.
Later, we all hopped in “Fat Cow” and went to Obbrey’s house. Obbrey rode with us in what was his first ride in a car. We met his mom, a young widow who is raising her son and her daughter (also a 1st grader at Wiphan school!). She tries to sell vegetables to pay their monthly rent of approx. 40,000 kwacha ($8 US dollars). Obbrey’s father died before he was 3. They are grateful and feel blessed to have a place that Obbrey and his sister can go to school and have a meal each day.
Okay- so after THAT (what to you do after that!?), we went to a lodge in Ndola that has 2 of Wiphan’s Skills Training students interning. They are learning to cook, set tables, and are learning housekeeping skills. The owner of the lodge says he is so impressed with them and how hard they work that he plans to hire them! These young women walk 30 minutes EACH WAY- even during rainy season so they can have this opportunity and they are so proud and feel so blessed to have it. Again…no words.
On our way home from the lodge we stopped at the Quick Save because Harris wanted me to see the Ndola grocery store and he wanted to buy Labstone some “EET-SUM-MOR”s. Which really is how they are spelled and you can tell how they sound. Labstone ate them in 2 seconds. For some reason, Harris thinks this is hilarious:)
Once we were back at the Castle Lodge- we met with Pastor Francis and 2 other pastors. One from Kitwe, the other from Chichonga- both who had been trained for CBSI (Community Bible Study International) and I had brought materials to train our Pastor, Pastor Francis, as well. It was another awesome event… Harris and I meeting with these 3 pastors, introducing Bible Curriculum and discussing ways to start groups in Zambia. Francis is so excited!
All of this on our first full day, all before dinner… and tomorrow’s schedule is full as well. SUCH A BLESSING! Tomorrow, after we do letter writing at Mapalo- we are meeting the widows and Mary, Wiphan’s nurse, at Sinia to demonstrate and present the “It’s a Girl Thing” project!
I can’t wait to tell you how that goes. I knew they would love them, but after showing Elizabeth, Kunda and Abby- I discovered just HOW GREAT this need is and now know that we will have to monitor distribution:). We’re thinking there could be a mini-riot over these things. Just kidding- kind of:)
Love you and though I’m having fun with my friends here- I still can’t wait to come home. I REALLY miss my girls.
ALSO- I have to add that we changed rooms in between the meetings with the pastors and dinner due to the giant rat/roommate we didn’t know we had. Not surprisingly- no one else here thinks having a rat in your room is that big of a deal. I actually surprised myself when I asked why we even needed to change rooms because “couldn’t there just be a rat in there, too?” Still… Eunice suggested it so we agreed with the girl who knows 🙂
Keep praying for Zambia!
Love you!
~April

Please keep April and Harris and Wiphan Zambia in your prayers!!!