To Train up a Child

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

We watch the children at various times of the day. One thing you can see, these children are not idle!! They are lovingly being trained to work with their hands and redeem the time wisely. They wash clothes, hang them on the line, wash dishes, garden, cook, and help their mommies (the name they have for their housemothers). They do it with a willing and cheerful heart. My mom talked with the housemothers after we made these observations. The following is a general schedule that they follow:

1) Wake up (6 A.M. on school days and 7 A.M. on week-ends and holidays).
2) Make up bed.
3) Chores (inside and outside the house).
4) Prepare for school.
5)Eat breakfast/wash dishes.
6) 7:30 - 8:00 morning devotion.
7) 8:00-2:00 school.
8) 2 P.M. snack - they nap.
9) 3 P.M. wake up and play.


10) 4-5 P.M. continue playing, water plants.
11) 5 P.M. begin baths.
12) 6 P.M. supper (take turns and help with the cooking).
13) Each child washes his own dishes after supper.
14) 7:00 - 7:30 activity (review reading and math).
15) 8:00 or 8:30 go to bed.



Every Saturday morning is laundry day. Every day they wash their school uniform.



As one housemother reflected, "We must train up the children so they can be productive and responsible adults when they go back into the community.

Ephesians 5:15-16 "See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Less is More

Philippians 4:11 "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content."

The orphans are such an example to me and my family of contentedness. What I am realizing is that contentment is learned through the circumstances the Lord brings about in our lives.

What examples do I see in the orphans' lives?

1) Being delighted in playing with simple things such as balloons, a tire, a rubber ball, or a mud doll for a long period of time.



2) Having fun washing the clothes and hanging them on the line.



3) Eating what is given to them (they have a set menu each week).



4) Sitting on their porch, talking and saying hello to the people as they pass by.



5) Singing unto the Lord.

6) Being so attentive and grateful when we do a craft with them or play a game.



These children have very little and yet are content which tells me that less is more - an important lesson from the Lord.

How many insects did God create?

Being here in Zambia in the summer time has given us an education about the size and variety of the insect population. We can know for certain that God loves variety when it comes to bugs. There is every type of beetle, moth, grasshopper, stink bug, ant, wasp, millipede, etc. and they come in all sizes, especially the large size! We have seen huge grasshoppers and beetles. There is a long black millipede type creature here that is fun to pick up. The children have delighted in showing me and Iryna all the insect creatures!

Bouncing Balloons

These children enjoy anything you do with them and anything you share with them. One afternoon we walked over and passed out balloons. They absolutely love balloons and are very creative in how they play with them. How many things can you do with a balloon? Here are some samples of what they did:
1) Blow them up.
2) Let the air out to make different noises.
3) Fill them with water.
4) Punch them like you're boxing.
5) Bounce them around.
6) Take small pieces of a balloon that has popped and blow them up and make them squeak.
7) Hit your teeth with the small blown up pieces.
I am sure the list could go on. We played with them for almost 2 hours with their balloons. Such a small thing brings great joy!

Heaven on Earth

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

We arrived at the village of Hope in Zambia, Africa on Friday, November 28 after many hours of travel. It is summer here and the rainy season has descended. Surprisingly the weather has been pleasant. The temperature has been in the 80's during the day with 60's to 70's at night. Rain come and goes. Some comes gently and some reminds us of the Lord's strength! We had gale force winds with a downpour of rain about a few days ago. Our electricity was out for 2 days.


In the midst of all this activity are the bright faces of the orphans. They bring with them beautiful smiles, wonderful hugs, and great enthusiasm. God has blessed Zambia with beautiful land and delightful children. It is quiet here now. Only 8 of the 21 children are here because many are visiting aunties and grandmas for their school holiday. All of them will return on December 22.



We took them to church with us and their housemothers on Sunday. My mother made the arrangements with one of the housemothers named Rose. She talked with Rose quite some time. Rose said that she grew up in a family that was not strong in their faith, but the Lord guided her. She felt that if she had had a strong Christian upbringing she would have been able to have been used of the Lord even more. With a reflective but joyful look on her face she said to mom, "I think the Lord is blessing my work here and I am where I should be. When you follow the Lord and serve Him as He calls you, it is like living in heaven on earth." And being here we couldn't agree with her more.