Well today is the day. The day our first mission trip team leaves for Zambia! Words cannot express the excitement that we feel!
As the group leader I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I am, about Heathrow, and the fact that planes are delayed, or maybe the logistics on the ground in Zambia, or maybe that we have over 2500 pounds of luggage that needs to arrive on time, (that is over 50 bags at 50 pounds EACH!, that’s why we have a flatbed truck picking us up at the airport) or so many other things. Or maybe that the Vic Falls travel agent just called me and told me she didn’t get return plane tickets for us in time. (No worries right?!)
But beyond the nervousness I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to take 15 amazing people ready to serve and love on those less fortunate whom I know so well and call my family. Our team is made up of enthusiastic, young, and ready people who know they are the guinea pigs on this first trip! Basically these are my close friends who have volunteered and gone above and beyond already! I am pumped to see the kids react at Laura’s read hair, or see Kasey and Katie cooking up a storm for our team meals! I can’t wait to see our guys building with materials in Africa and learning that power tools aren’t the only way! (don’t worry we have power tools packed too ☺ but pray for electricity) I am excited about seeing the kids faces when Clayton teaches them about baseball! And I know Greg is going to be friends with everyone within minutes or arriving. I know that Charlotte and Kate and Ellen are going to provide that loving touch and ability to explain things better than I can! I can only imagine what David will find on the medical side of things. And I can’t help but get a large grin on my face when I think about Kim in Africa, don’t know why, it just makes me happy!
Some of us leave today and others in the next few days. As of January 1st we will all be in Zambia, ready to go! We ask you to follow our blog posts throughout the week right here. No doubt, get ready for some great stories! I am sure we will have them! It will certainly be crazy! I can't even imagine how much we will laugh these next few weeks.
As we try to spread God’s love and his word please pray with us! We ask you to pray for the schools we and all the people we will interact with. As we distribute supplies that have so generously been given to us, please pray that those who receive these gifts know it is out of Christ’s love. Please pray for our kids vacation Bible School/Camp we will be holding! And pray for protection from illness, injury, or anything else that might happen. (No worries we got a doctor on this trip!) Please pray for our Zambian team, as they have prepared for MONTHS for these crazy Musungus. (white people)
We thank you for supporting Arise Africa, and what so many of you have sacrificed to make this trip possible. We pray that we will be good stewards of your money, materials, and love.
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and the kings to the brightness of your dawn. ” Isaiah 60:1-3
In Him,
Alissa Hollimon
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
We got T-Shirts
Yep that's right we got merchandise!!
Shirts are $20 and all profits go to building classrooms in Zambia.
Order Here if you are interested
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
God's Grace
The past few days our Arise Africa team has been nervously praying for God to help us find two brothers who are in our child sponsorship program. Brian (11) and Armond (7) live alone in a child headed household, that Brian is the oldest in. Basically they have no parents after watching their father stab their mother and then be taken to jail where he died months later.
When we started the child sponsorship program the headmasters at the school chose the kids who were most in need of help. And they were at the top of the list. The past month through our donors we have been able to pay for their school fees, start feeding them and tried to keep an eye on them. But they have nobody else at all watching after them.
The boys had not been at school the past few days and our Arise Africa team members and teachers from the school had started looking for them at their house and in the community. They had disappeared and were nowhere to be found.
We just got word from Zambia that they were found, in a market picking food from a dump. We are so grateful to know they are safe and sound. But yet just as our Zambians said, "the situation needs an alternative solution."
Please be praying for all of our team and most importantly Brian and Armond. As we navigate through these tough situations and try to do what is best we ask you to pray with us for solutions and stability for our kiddos.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed at times, but then I remember that I am blessed to work with some of the most driven and compassionate people on earth both in the USA and Zambia.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Playing for A Cause
On October 23rd Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw will be holding a baseball/pitching clinic in Dallas to benefit Arise Africa. Please take a look and sign up if you are interested! And spread the word!
Clayton Kershaw Baseball camp 2010
What: Baseball Camp with L.A. Dodgers pitcher, Clayton Kershaw. Join Clayton (and the Varsity Scots baseball team) for two and a half hours of instructional pitching, hitting, base-running, catching and fielding! Followed by a Question & Answer session, and pictures with Clayton! Parents, feel free to stick around & watch!
When: Saturday, October 23, 2010 1:00- 3:30 pm
Where: Scotland Yard at Highland Park High School
W h o : Boys 1st-8th grade. Dress in baseball attire, and bring your bat & glove!
Cost: $60 per baseball player. Proceeds will go towards building & equipping 2 new classrooms in Lusaka, Zambia. Please make checks payable to Arise Africa.
Sign Up today: Spaces are limited, so e-mail us to save your spot!
Bring a friend and spread the word!
Register: ellenmelson87@yahoo.com
Questions? Call Ellen 214-906-3333
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Links to Prayers
My good friend, Sarah Chidgey, is currently battling cancer and fighting for her life. See her most recent post on her blog about our little ones in Africa praying for her!! And please join us in lifting her up!
http://sarahchidgey.blogspot.com/
http://sarahchidgey.blogspot.com/
Monday, September 6, 2010
Good hard day
This morning we began the process of selecting kids for our child sponsorship program. I was so happy to be getting back to the schools and the kids after spending a few days doing the non fun stuff like car shopping and signing bank documents that Bwalya kept putting in front of me! I have learned alot about car shopping in Africa. First, don't ever trust the kilometers on the car. I learned this by looking at a car and commenting about the high number of kilometers on it. Then we came back to the lot a few days later and somehow it had about 50,000 less kilometers! Now that is a miracle!
As Bwalya so elegantly said "It's like God drove in reverse in the car for a few days to help us out."
I told him that doesn't work and i knew this because it didn't in the Ferris Bueluer movie. Then the conversation of who Ferris Bueler was started, which lasted for quite some time.
I've also learned that all the car lots and salesmen are related. So they just run from lot to lot as you try to make a deal. This is quite entertaining to watch. But I'm pretty sure it's one big conspiracy too! They also are terrible drivers themselves. We learned this by so naievely getting in one's car as he drove us to his brother's lot across the street to try to make a deal there. I thought I might have knocked out a tooth at the speed we were taking some pot holes at.
The last thing I have learned that if you throw in an iphone with the deal, you can knock down a substantial amount on the car. This is good information to have.
Needless to say I was happy to have today of just good old school!
So we began the child sponsorship process today.
We are working with great community school leaders and teachers who know the kids and work with them on a daily basis. Ruth, our discipleship leader was awesome in this process too!!! She really took charge and we got to follow. This is something I LOVE to do in Zambia, follow behind the folks who know how to run things!
We interviewed alot of kids and took photos for their bios. I am always shocked at this process or hearing the stories that break my heart. But I also was encouraged at the potential I saw in the school we were in and how we can REALLY make a difference. The teachers and head masters commitment to these kids was very evident. And Ruth was so excited about our program. Watching her work with these kids for the first time and seeing them naturally draw to her was awesome. I could see how with a little help, the school could preform even better. The hard work is there, they just need resources to really help the kids.
One particular story that stuck out to us were two boys Brian and Armon who live in a child headed household. This means that Brian the oldest, cares for them. Brian is 11 years old. The boys watched their father kill their mother years ago and then the father passed away in prison. The grandmother was left to care for them but leaves them to care for them selves for months and months at a time.
As they came in they were hesitant of us, for good reasons. Two white girls, a computer and Ruth all trying to talk to them. After some time of warming up and explaining why were are there, they began to open up. As I sat and spoke to Brian whose frame is tiny due to malnutrition I began to wonder how God chose me to be so blessed in this world. Brian is missing half his hair on his scalp due to a terrible ringworm infection and yet he still had a sweet bright grin as he held his little brother's hand while we talked. The bond between the brothers is palpable. And I understand why, at the ages of 11 and 7 they only have each other.
As Brian and Armon walked out of the room, I knew this is why we are there. With just $35 a month per child we can provide the basic needs and an education for these kids, and God will do the rest.
If you are at all interested in our child sponsorship program or want to sponsor Brian or Armon please just let us know through email at: alissa@ariseafrica.org.
Off to take a shower - it's been a few days folks!!
As Bwalya so elegantly said "It's like God drove in reverse in the car for a few days to help us out."
I told him that doesn't work and i knew this because it didn't in the Ferris Bueluer movie. Then the conversation of who Ferris Bueler was started, which lasted for quite some time.
I've also learned that all the car lots and salesmen are related. So they just run from lot to lot as you try to make a deal. This is quite entertaining to watch. But I'm pretty sure it's one big conspiracy too! They also are terrible drivers themselves. We learned this by so naievely getting in one's car as he drove us to his brother's lot across the street to try to make a deal there. I thought I might have knocked out a tooth at the speed we were taking some pot holes at.
The last thing I have learned that if you throw in an iphone with the deal, you can knock down a substantial amount on the car. This is good information to have.
Needless to say I was happy to have today of just good old school!
So we began the child sponsorship process today.
We are working with great community school leaders and teachers who know the kids and work with them on a daily basis. Ruth, our discipleship leader was awesome in this process too!!! She really took charge and we got to follow. This is something I LOVE to do in Zambia, follow behind the folks who know how to run things!
We interviewed alot of kids and took photos for their bios. I am always shocked at this process or hearing the stories that break my heart. But I also was encouraged at the potential I saw in the school we were in and how we can REALLY make a difference. The teachers and head masters commitment to these kids was very evident. And Ruth was so excited about our program. Watching her work with these kids for the first time and seeing them naturally draw to her was awesome. I could see how with a little help, the school could preform even better. The hard work is there, they just need resources to really help the kids.
One particular story that stuck out to us were two boys Brian and Armon who live in a child headed household. This means that Brian the oldest, cares for them. Brian is 11 years old. The boys watched their father kill their mother years ago and then the father passed away in prison. The grandmother was left to care for them but leaves them to care for them selves for months and months at a time.
As they came in they were hesitant of us, for good reasons. Two white girls, a computer and Ruth all trying to talk to them. After some time of warming up and explaining why were are there, they began to open up. As I sat and spoke to Brian whose frame is tiny due to malnutrition I began to wonder how God chose me to be so blessed in this world. Brian is missing half his hair on his scalp due to a terrible ringworm infection and yet he still had a sweet bright grin as he held his little brother's hand while we talked. The bond between the brothers is palpable. And I understand why, at the ages of 11 and 7 they only have each other.
As Brian and Armon walked out of the room, I knew this is why we are there. With just $35 a month per child we can provide the basic needs and an education for these kids, and God will do the rest.
If you are at all interested in our child sponsorship program or want to sponsor Brian or Armon please just let us know through email at: alissa@ariseafrica.org.
Off to take a shower - it's been a few days folks!!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
PTA Meetings
This morning Katie and I ventured out to Greenhill school to have a meeting with the parents of the school. This is a big step in our process of helping them build a classroom. We wanted to discuss the process of building and ways they can contribute to the building.
Greenhill has done a great job of organizing the parents of the school and they are very involved. Although money is sparse their effort to help their kids and the school is not. They were very involved in the meeting and helpful. When we arrived they had already met with multiple builders who have quoted them I was given a sheet with the breakdown of the supplies and cost.
One thing that always impresses me is that these people want to help and work. They aren’t lazy and are willing to do anything to help make this happen. We looked again at the land that the school will be built on and they were already clearing it from shrubs and laying out the perimeter. Once again this was great to see but also scared me because our team in America is just getting started on the fundraising for the classroom. It is hard to plan and not get ahead of ourselves because God willing this will happen. I explained this to the Zambian parents and asked them to pray too for our fundraising. And trust me they are!
The block will actually have two small classrooms on it and will be built specifically to be able to hold government exam papers. Apparently right now the kids have to go to other schools to take their government exams because Greenhill school is not able to administer the tests because they do not have a “secure” classroom. The government requires a school to have at least one classroom and closet that is secure and enforced to hold these special exam papers. Wow, I am learning a lot! This is just one more step that we will help Greenhill become more of a renown school and recognized by the government.
We spent alot of time surveying the land:
After hanging out with the parents and surveying the land I got to chill with some of the kids. They are currently out of school and will begin classes in a week. A lot of the kids are not around but the orphans who live at Greenhill stay during the holiday breaks because they have nowhere else to go. It was fun to hang out with the older ones and talk about how things are going. These kids have been raised by Mr. and Mrs. Tembo for a long time and I am impressed at how polite and caring they are.
As we were hanging out I went in the dorms where the 50 kids sleep. There are two dorm rooms, one for boys and one for girls. And there is one toilet for ALL the kids. About 25 kids sleep in each room that has bunk beds everywhere. They boys dorm is tight, and some boys have to sleep 3 or 4 to a bunk bed. But they are so happy to have a place to stay that keeps them warm and safe. One 16 year old that I have known for a long time, Joe, showed me around the place.
He showed me his bunk bed and his one suitcase with all his possessions. I am always shocked at their living conditions even though I have seen these dorms many times and sometimes think we should be trying to improve the living conditions before the school. But as the Tembos have expressed, education comes first. You see, these boarding kids are fine in their rooms, although it is tight and cramped and certainly below American standards. But they need help with their education and their school. And that’s what we will do. I dream about being able to provide a room big enough for each boarding kid to have their own bed and a desk but know that right now we are building two classrooms and that is what is needed most.
OK that is all I got for now, off to more meetings and scouting out places for our team to stay in January!
Greenhill has done a great job of organizing the parents of the school and they are very involved. Although money is sparse their effort to help their kids and the school is not. They were very involved in the meeting and helpful. When we arrived they had already met with multiple builders who have quoted them I was given a sheet with the breakdown of the supplies and cost.
One thing that always impresses me is that these people want to help and work. They aren’t lazy and are willing to do anything to help make this happen. We looked again at the land that the school will be built on and they were already clearing it from shrubs and laying out the perimeter. Once again this was great to see but also scared me because our team in America is just getting started on the fundraising for the classroom. It is hard to plan and not get ahead of ourselves because God willing this will happen. I explained this to the Zambian parents and asked them to pray too for our fundraising. And trust me they are!
The block will actually have two small classrooms on it and will be built specifically to be able to hold government exam papers. Apparently right now the kids have to go to other schools to take their government exams because Greenhill school is not able to administer the tests because they do not have a “secure” classroom. The government requires a school to have at least one classroom and closet that is secure and enforced to hold these special exam papers. Wow, I am learning a lot! This is just one more step that we will help Greenhill become more of a renown school and recognized by the government.
We spent alot of time surveying the land:
After hanging out with the parents and surveying the land I got to chill with some of the kids. They are currently out of school and will begin classes in a week. A lot of the kids are not around but the orphans who live at Greenhill stay during the holiday breaks because they have nowhere else to go. It was fun to hang out with the older ones and talk about how things are going. These kids have been raised by Mr. and Mrs. Tembo for a long time and I am impressed at how polite and caring they are.
As we were hanging out I went in the dorms where the 50 kids sleep. There are two dorm rooms, one for boys and one for girls. And there is one toilet for ALL the kids. About 25 kids sleep in each room that has bunk beds everywhere. They boys dorm is tight, and some boys have to sleep 3 or 4 to a bunk bed. But they are so happy to have a place to stay that keeps them warm and safe. One 16 year old that I have known for a long time, Joe, showed me around the place.
He showed me his bunk bed and his one suitcase with all his possessions. I am always shocked at their living conditions even though I have seen these dorms many times and sometimes think we should be trying to improve the living conditions before the school. But as the Tembos have expressed, education comes first. You see, these boarding kids are fine in their rooms, although it is tight and cramped and certainly below American standards. But they need help with their education and their school. And that’s what we will do. I dream about being able to provide a room big enough for each boarding kid to have their own bed and a desk but know that right now we are building two classrooms and that is what is needed most.
OK that is all I got for now, off to more meetings and scouting out places for our team to stay in January!
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