Monday, Day 4, over 1,000 orphaned and vulnerable children were bused to the Legacy Center and gathered into their groups with our Zambian partners and given a much cherished banana, while they eagerly waited for 100+ American counselors to arrive. In the meantime, we took a bus tour of the Capitol City of Lusaka and another small tour of the Bauleni compound to give the Americans, who recently arrived, an idea of where the children live daily.
I was excited that we were going back to Bauleni because that’s where our sponsored kids live, as well as the kids we had from Camp LIFE 2011. Our bus pulled up to a field full of uniformed school-age kids on their way to a government school. (School uniforms are the tale-tale sign a child is in a government school).
As we parked, my eyes were peeled, searching for our sponsored and 2011 Camp LIFE kids. Sure enough, before I exited the bus, I spotted Enos from Camp LIFE 2011 and yelled for him through the open bus window. He came running, we hugged, I asked him about some of the other boys, and I reminded him of the “I love you” sign in sign language, as I taught him last year.
Before I knew it, Enos vanished, but my heart was full in being able to remind a young boy that he is still valued. My heart was also amazed that out of thousands of children in the Bauleni compound, I was able to see a boy I shared Christ with a year ago. God is good!
Enos – Zambia 2011 Camp LIFE
Enos going to school - Zambia 2012
As we walked through the compound, I took pictures of the cultural living.
Outdoor cooking is a must in Zambia, as the typical home does not have a kitchen. Coal is sold everywhere. Sugar cane (pictured above) is also sold everywhere. Zambian kids chew on sugar cane for a snack.
Two little ones playing in the laundry buckets. This is how laundry is washed.
A little sweeping helper
Roller skating on a portion of a skate with a little help from his friends
Children carrying children
Snaps! The children all want their snaps taken. Their faces truly melt my heart.
One of our villa mates buying street food.
The much anticipated time arrived! We were bused to the Legacy Center for Camp LIFE to begin. Hudson and I would finally meet our new group of 10 boys. Here they are full of the same anticipation and the beginnings of admiration for Hudson, as seen in the background.
I will tell you details about of each boy in my next blog post, as these boys need prayer and sponsoring.
The day was spent getting to know one another, Hudson played a much anticipated game of football (soccer) with the boys, and we sang Zambian chants with the boys. Watch this video of a break dance chant! Fun, fun!.
The boys loved touching Hudson’s hair and taking snaps!
Large group worship was amazing for the boys, learning musungu (white people) camp songs and hearing a very engaging message about putting on the Armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18.
Thompson, one of our Zambian partners, leading the boys to large group worship as they chanted, “One, two, the armor of God!”
Here is a Camp LIFE song video of large group.
As we said goodbye for the day, each boy received a cross sticker and a sweet (tootsie roll). They had fun putting their stickers on their foreheads.
Hudson is saying goodbye the Zambian handshake way. We’ll see you tomorrow sweet boys! God is good!