Looking forward to the future

My oldest son is a junior in high school this year.  We've spent the year going to college fairs and planning for what his future will look like after graduation.  It's exciting to plan because I know he will do great things in life.When I am around my son's friends, it's not uncommon for me to start asking them what they are planning on doing in the next few years.  I posed the same question to a group of girls that ranged in age from 14-16.  These girls may be the same age as my son and his friends, but that is where the similarities stop.  

The old water source that was shared with animals and often times dogs would die in the same water they would drink

Dreaming of a future is a new concept for these girls and their families.  Until just five months ago they were using a dirty hole as their only water source.  They shared the water with their cattle, pigs, goats and dogs. The water is shallow at the edge but it is very deep where it runs under tree roots and goes underground. Dogs would often times go and drink from the water and fall in getting caught under the roots.  They would die and only resurface after their waterlogged bodies bloat and explode. Some of the water they would draw would have fur in it. Once the dog would surface, they would scoop the dog out and continue drawing water as if nothing had occurred.  The alternative to using this dirty water source wasn't any better.  Mera Bumda, 55, said that people would openly go to the bathroom in the other water source and that the animals used the water for baths and drinking.  Not to mention that it was much further away.Mera is a widow who has asked her two granddaughters to come and live with her to help her since she is often sick because of HIV. Before the new water source was dug she was rarely able to even get up during the day.  She would have constant diarrhea and relied on her granddaughters, who would often miss school, so that they could take care of her.  Today, just five months after the new borehole was dug, Mera was dancing and singing songs of thanksgiving.  Mera feels like now that they have a clean water source they can have a future.  Before, they were living day to day and being overwhelmed by their circumstances.I walked down a dirt path worn through the grass to a borehole.  I met up with the girls and was able to ask them what they dreamed of and what their hopes were for their children and grandchildren. The girls were quick to tell me the professions that they dreamed of {nurses and teachers} and were hopeful that their children would have a better life since they were excited about the improvements that were already being made to their own lives.  They dreamed of leaving the village and moving to the city.  

Listening to the girls dream about their future at their new water source

"The borehole has brought us together.  Things have changed!" Bazaar

These dreams were not dreams that they would have imagined could be reality. It's amazing how a simple thing like clean drinking water can change the face of a whole household and in Bazaar Buwmba's opinion, a whole community.  Before the borehole Bazaar said that people were living for themselves.  Now the community can live as one family-people looking out for each other.  This community is now able to dream.  They are able to think about the future.  They are thankful. World Vision has brought water to their community and Mera feels important and loved because someone cared for them enough to give sponsorship dollars to their community.

Walking from their new borehole is much easier and their health problems have all nearly disappeared!

To learn more about the area I visited and what the impact of clean water can be like in a community check out the information about the water effect.   To find a child available for sponsorship visit here.It only takes $50 for one person to have clean water for life.  You can make a difference to that one person.You can read more about this community and what life was like before and after the new borehole on the World Vision Water Effect site.A collection of stories from my week in ZambiaRainbows and WaterA Child's LifeLooking Forward to the FutureThe Needs are so GreatWelcome HomeSpirit Lead Me Where My Trust is Without BordersPreparing for Zambia

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Welcome Home

Down a long dirt road we drove. Feeling every bump and ditch worn in by years of flooding and drought. If it's not one, it's another. This year, it's drought. We arrived at a home with the cleanest dirt I have ever seen. We stepped out of the van and were greeted by Edward who said "welcome home." His greeting will forever stick with me.

We were visiting Edward Kanyama and his wife Justina Michelo. Before we even sat down we had a lesson on how to tie the traditional skirt called a chitenge. A chitenge is basically a few yards of fabric wrapped around and tucked but carries with it the meaning of respect. We went around and introduced ourselves and the group of women would reply "twalumba" which means we are very grateful.

Photo by Jon Warren || World Vision 2014                                             

When World Vision entered the community Justina heard about the WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) program for the first time. It was like a light had been turned on and she suddenly realized that the diarrhea, scabies and worms that her and her nine children had dealt with for a lifetime were all caused by dirty drinking water and unsanitary living conditions. This was new information for Justina.

Justina happy to be showing us her new dish rack. 

I just kept thinking about the story with the Ethiopian Eunich who was reading Isaiah and when questioned by Phillip if he knew what it meant his response was "how will I know if no one has told me." It's amazing to think that in 2015 there are people that don't know that you should wash your hands before you eat or after you go to the bathroom. They don't know that going to the bathroom in the bush brings flys that then land on their food. As American's we are taught this from a very young age. I even had a hand washing song I sang with my children. But how would they know if no one has told them?

The people of Zambia have lived for generations feeling cursed. They believe that diseases are brought on by something that they have done wrong. A child with a distended belly? The wife must be having an extramarital affair. Constant diarrhea? Their ancestors are unhappy with them. When World Vision first came into the country there was some apprehension. But once they showed the people and the people gave them a chance, they have been on fire for change. The important message about sanitation and hygiene is being spread and put into practice even though this community is still waiting for the clean water aspect. These changes have already proven to have great benefits to their health.

Justina's tip tap that she built and has conveniently placed close to her latrine for easy hand washing

Children are learning in their schools how to build hand washing stations (tip tap's) and are taking that information home to their families. Families are making changes around their homes like building dish drying racks to keep animals off of their clean dishes, they have rubbish pits, private bath areas, latrines and hand washing stations around their homes. They are noticing that there are less flies that not only bother them, but that spread disease. I could tell that Edward was very proud of his wife and he was a very supportive husband. He says that he is even taking on the chore of fetching water and making meals when his wife is busy educating in the community. We spent some time joking about how my husband is home with the children doing the same thing. It's woman's work to keep the house afterall.

Justina is just one voice, but she is a voice that is passionate about the changes that she has made. She explained that if her community of Hamaundu is remembered for one thing, that it's remembered for being clean. She's happy that she is clean, her husband and her family is clean.

We came into her home, looked at her latrine and peeked in her shower and Justine beamed with pride. In the past four years, since she has been educated, Justine's home has changed. Her family is healthy and clean. She is teaching others to make changes in their homes and see the difference that it makes. Twalumba for your passion and for the lives that you are changing.


To find a child that is available for sponsorship, visit here. Click to learn more about the water effect and how World Vision is meeting that need in some of the most desperate areas.A collection of stories from my week in ZambiaRainbows and WaterA Child's LifeLooking Forward to the FutureThe Needs are so GreatWelcome HomeSpirit Lead Me Where My Trust is Without BordersPreparing for Zambia

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Preparing for Zambia

I find that the way that God speaks to me is through music.  I often find myself tearing up when I spend time listening and meditating on lyrics that I am singing.  This past Sunday we were singing Alive Again by Matt Maher and while I've sung the song before, the lyrics this week spoke to me in a much different way.

There is a line that says "you shattered my darkness, washed away my blindness, now I'm breathing in and breathing out, I'm alive again!"  I couldn't help but think about my upcoming trip to Zambia and the way that God has opened my eyes to poverty, sickness and the overwhelming needs of the children and families in Africa.  

It's easy for me to get comfortable in my home and forget the way that families struggle to have even the most basic necessities like clean water. I have clean water that springs out of a sprinkler in my yard for pete's sake! I can easily forget that nearly 1600 children under the age of five die every day because they have diarrhea from drinking dirty water.

I had the opportunity to travel to Uganda with World Vision this past August as part of a Vision trip with my church who has a partnership in one of the villages there.  The little peanut in the picture above was one of the sweet children that I met while we were in country.

The trip to Africa was a lifelong dream of mine.  My heart has been drawn to Africa for as long as I can remember.  Before I left, I described my travel as a once in a lifetime trip, but before I even stepped foot off of that red soil in Africa, I realized that I was leaving a part of my heart in a country that God had called me to in a mighty way.  I knew I would return.  

I just had no idea that God had plans for my return far sooner than I could have ever imagined! 

Once my feet hit the ground back in America, changed by the work that I saw being done by World Vision I was on fire.  I signed up to become a Child Ambassador through World Vision so that I could match families like my own that have been blessed through child sponsorship with children in the nearly 100 countries that World Vision has a presence. Sponsorship is one of the most powerful ways to fight poverty.  It changes communities. I saw this firsthand in the community where we sponsor our two children Moses and Sheila.

Our sponsored child Moses, his father Richard and the thank you chicken {named Opie}

That trip shattered my darkness about a poverty far greater than I ever realized existed. I am no longer blind to the needs that those families face every day.  It's fairly easy for us to get caught up in the day to day issues and not even think about the mother who is walking four miles three times a day to fetch dirty water that will likely make her children sick. But she has no other option.
The only thing that separates me from the mother in rural Zambia is that I just happened to be born in an area that has an infrastructure that includes a water supply and sewers. After seeing mothers just like myself spend hours fetching water, a chore that could take hours out of their day, I can't be blind to how fortunate I am that I can turn on one of the fourteen {fourteen!!} taps that I have in my home and get clean water. 
Alive Again will be the anthem of my trip to Zambia.  It will be the song that will run through my head as I share life with children and families that don't have access to clean water but who dream of a life where clean water is easily accessible.  It will be the celebration song that I sing with new friends who are experiencing access to clean water for the first time. They are the ones who will be truly alive again when their lives are transformed by clean water.  And it will be the song that I sing to remind me that I am no longer living in darkness.  I have seen the light through an African sunrise and will take those hearts that are burdened and those smiles that radiate with me through all of my days even when I am on the other side of the world.  I am no longer blind to the suffering and to the needs and I will speak up and be empowered by their stories so that other people are no longer blind to the needs that these families have.
I am anxious to meet these families. I am excited about how God will use me and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity that I have to travel with World Vision to be able to be the voice behind these stories.  To read a little bit more about the water effect and what World Vision is doing around the world to provide clean water go here.
You can follow me on my trip by using #watereffect on instagram, twitter and facebook.  I am also hoping to blog from the field.  I'm told we have an internet connection, though it's rural Africa...it could be dicey!  
Shattering our darkness is the first step that we can take in making life altering changes. Please read along with me and allow yourself to have your eyes opened to the very basic needs of the people in Africa. If you are empowered, share so that others can have their darkness shattered. To find a child that is available for sponsorship, visit here. 
UPDATE: A collection of stories from my week in ZambiaRainbows and WaterA Child's LifeLooking Forward to the FutureThe Needs are so GreatWelcome HomeSpirit Lead Me Where My Trust is Without BordersPreparing for Zambia

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