First Day of Camp!

Friends and family back home,

Please note: two updates today! So keep reading ☺

This evening, I am reporting in on behalf of a very tired, happy and slightly sun-burned team! What a day this has been! Today was the first day of our “routine” while we are here in Zambia. It was the first day of camp! This is a bit of a long update, but hopefully, it will give you a window into our week!

Our morning started bright and early at 7:10am when we met at the bus. Camp will be held every day at Destiny School, where we visited Saturday and Sunday. We have come to know and love the community of children around Destiny, so showing up there each day feels like home.

In case you are curious, we travel in a large blue bus. Arise Africa owns several buses that serve the public bus route in between mission trips. A big blue bus, billowing with white, cheerful faces is quite a sight to behold in Africa! As our bus pulled into Destiny, children started pouring in. By 8:45, camp was under way. Each of our team members has been paired with a wonderful Zambian partner and assigned a group of children for the week. This morning was the first time we got to meet them. I can say with certainly that everyone quickly fell in love with their groups—boys and girls of all ages, 5-15.



Camp this week is based on the theme of “Faith.” So our time today centered on Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we can not see.” We worked with our children, with the assistance of our Zambian partners, to explain the significance of this passage and work on memorization. We used games to demonstrate acts of faith, such as the “trust fall,” which was a huge hit with the kids!

The Zambian children refer to Americans as “Aunt” and “Uncle.” So Uncle Robby worked with our dear Zambian friend Uncle Bwayla to lead the large group time. Our team learned new Zambian songs and dances—you should see the way that the children watch our team! They think we are hilarious as we sing and dance along!



Camp concluded with a lunch for all—peanut butter and jelly! Even though camp officially ended at 12:00, the children stayed around to play some more. What joy! So the festivities continued until our team had to move on.



Each afternoon this week, our team is divided into four groups to visit other ministries in Lusaka. We will see three very different locations this week, following our rotation. I will talk you through each stop according to what my group sees. This afternoon, my small group went to the Mother Teresa Home for Children. This is an orphanage run by Catholic Nuns in the middle of Lusaka. It was incredible. The orphanage is settled behind a guarded gate and covered in cool shade trees. Children are running everywhere—and they were thrilled to welcome us as guests. Our team divided up to love on the 76 children who call this place home. A nursery of over 40 babies was the first stop. After carefully washing our hands, we scooped up precious babies and took them to front porch to play. The children at Mother Teresa’s are there for varying reasons—some are orphaned, others have been removed from high-risk situations. Whatever the reason, these children are cared for and love by this amazing ministry. My group was really moved by the opportunity to show love to these precious kids. Boys played soccer and ran outside—most of the girls never left the nursery. We are all looking forward to returning for another afternoon at Mother Teresa’s later this week!

What a tremendous blessing it is to have such delicious meals prepared for the end of the day! Tonight we enjoyed spaghetti and garlic bread, salad and brownies. Alissa and her Arise Africa team have thought of every detail for our trip and we are immensely grateful.

I mentioned it at the beginning and it is true—we are a sunburned crew this evening! Pink faces, tired bodies and full hearts—what delight. I know our entire team joins me in saying, THANK YOU for praying. THANK YOU for sending us. THANK YOU for joining our team. We couldn’t be here without you. Tomorrow is another day of camp, and we can hardly wait!

Our love from Zambia,
Ann

Longings Fulfilled

It was an amazing feeling when I finally saw Hope. She walked into church, her bright smile lighting up the entire room. I watched as my sister, Ellen, went running towards her. Hope came running towards Ellen with the same excitement. I knew immediately: THIS must be Hope. The girl I have prayed for. The girl I have longed to meet for such a long time. This must be Hope.

On Sunday, John, Robby and I had the privilege of meeting a young Zambian named Hope. Hope came into our family in 2010 when she befriended my younger sister, Ellen. Since that summer, I have thought and prayed for Hope as though she were already a dear friend, even a family member. Like many children in Zambia, Hope’s life hasn’t been easy. In fact, when Ellen met her in 2010, life seemed hopeless for this child. As Ellen learned her story, she was moved to take action on behalf of a little girl she barely knew. Ellen wanted to fight for Hope.



Hope’s story paints a stunning picture of the gospel and also the Lord’s work through my sister and Arise Africa. After a long journey, Hope now lives under the safety and security of Arise. This ministry has fought for Hope. My sister and Clayton have fought for Hope. Many of you have PRAYED and fought for Hope. I wrote a book based on Hope. And on Sunday, I finally got to meet her. This girl is amazing. I sat next to her at church as she sang and worshipped the Lord. She loves Jesus. She loves people. She adores my sister. A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul. My longing was to meet Hope. How sweet.

Hope is one of many, many children who have been blessed by Arise Africa. Goodson is another one. Ellie Lewis is on our team and she came with a similar longing: she wanted to meet Goodson, the boy she has been sponsoring through Arise. I watched as Ellie got to meet Goodson and his family for the first time. I know what a sweet moment that was for Ellie.



Friends, lives are being changed in Zambia. And it has nothing to do with US…it has everything to do with the Lord. But what a sweet privilege it is to get to play a role. Longings are being fulfilled here this week—and it’s happening through the beautiful lives of children like Hope and Goodson.

It’s so good to be back.
Ann

Getting Ready for Camp

Dear friends,

The night is winding down in Lusaka. Here are just a few thoughts from this evening.

There is some great Tex-Mex in Zambia. Our team had an incredible meal at a local restaurant. The place was supposed to be closed tonight, but they opened up just for us. Everything was going smoothly. We had finished eating. Then Alissa surprised John David Newman with a millipede. It was one of those "close your eyes and open your hands" moments, and John David was a trooper. He did great, but all the girls screamed at the sight. With the millipede on the loose, it was time to get the check and head for the bus!

Back at the Baptist Mission, the team heard all about camp. Each of our team members will have 10 children and a Zambian Christian as a ministry partner. Tonight we learned the kids' names and started making name tags and getting ready for day one tomorrow. If you do the math, that's 260 children who will join us for camp. I love the thought that 260 people may experience love and compassion like they have never felt before. We want to know their stories and point them to the hope that we have found in Christ.




We finished the night singing and praying together. We started with "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" and eventually ended with "It Is Well With My Soul," two songs that hit us right where we are. Thanks for praying for us. Pray that we would rest in God's love for us. Pray that he would remind us that he's with us as we dive in tomorrow.

It's around 11pm here, and we'll be on the buses to go to camp by 7:10am tomorrow morning. Time to get some sleep!

Grace and peace,
Robby Higginbottom

Meeting the kids and Worshipping the Lord

Greetings from Zambia, friends!

Since arriving in Lusaka, we hit the ground running. Saturday (yesterday), was a long day for our team. We all battled to stay awake all day…and then crashed at the end of it! We welcomed in the New Year at 8:30 pm.






I wish I could paint a picture of our team from yesterday. We went into the heart of Lusaka, to Destiny school, which sits next to a community. I stood back and watched in awe as our students spread out in a community, looking for children to interact with. As news spread through the streets, children with bright smiles came running. Within minutes, we had a full-blown playgroup. Guys had kids hanging off of each arm and the girls were quickly whisked away for games and dancing. I followed as much as I could with my camera, so hopefully, we can give you a window into the fun. For the next 3 hours, the grounds of Destiny School were filled with laughter, running and excited singing. I was blown away by our team—it was so encouraging to watch them embrace these precious kids from Zambia. What a beautiful foretaste to the week ahead!





We enjoyed an early dinner, prepared especially for us—chicken fingers, French fries, watermelon, salad and brownies! After a short small group session, everyone disappeared to the cabins. According to the leaders, there was not a peep after 8:30—sound asleep to welcome in 2012! Through out the night, we heard Zambia ringing in the New Year with fireworks.

Sunday morning, we were a different team—refreshed by sleep! We were invited to join Pastor Peter and his church for worship at Destiny. What an experience! It’s beautiful and humbling to witness the worship of our God in a different country. Americans were scattered among Zambians, children were bouncing from lap to lap, and the Lord was praised. It was awesome to see! Zambians worship through song, dance, prayer and God’s Word. Our teamed jumped right in!

We also had our first taste of Zambian rainy season. Today we have had spurts of some big rain. After church, we went together back to the Arcades for lunch and shopping in the street market…and in the pouring rain! The market is filled with wonderful, handmade items. Shopping is also an awesome opportunity to get to know some people from the community. I’m not sure that the rain deterred the shoppers! We all found some great finds to bring back to the states.

This evening, we will take a leap of faith by enjoying some authentic Zambian Mexican food. We’ll see how our Tex/Mex tastes approve of how it’s done in Africa! I will report in tomorrow.

Friends and family, THANK YOU for praying. I can’t say that enough. We feel carried and loved by each of you. Tomorrow will be our first day of camp. Please pray for a great start as we look to be used by the Lord for big, eternal things. Our team is excited and would love your prayers. Robby and I remain SO PROUD of this group. It has been awesome to watch them love each other and the people the Lord puts in their path. We love you and look forward to sharing each and every detail upon return.

Our love and thanks to you all,
Ann

Traveling, London, and Arrival

Friends and Family,

We have safely arrived in Zambia! Our team has had a FULL but great few days. Here's a little recap to paint the picture for you...

We gathered at DFW and successfully checked close to 80 bags and trunks. It felt great to drop the bags off and then not see them until Zambia. Our flight was on time out of DFW and we boarded a huge British Airways plane. Eight hours later, we landed at Heathrow. Most of our team struggled with getting enough sleep on that flight, so landing in London was a relief! We passed through customs with ease (it's amazing how the crowds part when they see a large group coming). Next stop: the city! We all hopped the Tube for underground travel directly into the heart of London. I was so proud of our team--navigating the crowds and train changes with ease. We stayed together the entire time...pretty impressive!

I arranged a bike tour for the group through Fat Tire Bike Tours, a renowned company run by friendly Aggies. What could be better! Most of the group jumped on bikes for the afternoon, while a small group decided to kick around the city. The tour was a huge success! We were fearful that the cold weather and potential rain would be a problem, but all things considered, it wasn't bad. We had a few sprinkles and some chilly wind. However, it was well worth the effort as we all enjoyed a guided tour of London's highlights: Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, and Kensington Palace. It was a GREAT way to see the city!





The Lord really blessed each and every detail of the day...from the Tube to efficiency to returning to the airport. Everyone enjoyed a nice warm meal at Heathrow and tried desperately to stay awake!



Our flight to Lusaka was on time and we were all relieved (shockingly) to get on another plane with one goal in mind: SLEEP!! I'm proud to say that most of your weary travelers were able to get some shut-eye. I woke up to see the sun rising over Africa--pretty amazing!

Alissa and her wonderful team met us at the airport...as did each and every checked bag! Woohoo! It was impressive to watch the staff stack luggage into trucks, but they did it. We all rode in a large blue bus with Alissa. I must say, we turned a few heads as we drove through the city of Lusaka. Apparently a bus full of white people is a rare sighting!

Our accommodations will be perfect for the team. We are staying at a Baptist mission--a compound of sorts, settled behind a large stone wall with a friendly guard post. Boys are split up into several fully-furnished apartments with leaders. And the girls are enjoying a large apartment, big enough for all!

For the first time in days, we are all finally clean! A Zambian shower was the perfect way to begin our time here. In just a little bit, we will travel into city for lunch and some touring, followed by an early dinner and some much needed sleep in a BED!

I can't tell you how proud I am of our team. Robby and I remarked earlier that we feel like we are leading a trip of our little brothers and sisters. We LOVE your kids. What a gift to see Africa with them. Thank you for praying. We feel carried along, more than you know. Please pray for a restful night and some solid hours of sleep, as we all need it. For now, know that everyone is doing well and excited to be here. We will update as we go, so check back for more!

Our love and gratitude,
Ann

Arrived and Alive

Our PCPC group have arrived and are all doing great. Everyone has showered and rested up and we are off to see the city!

We will post more later!

- Alissa Hollimon

Kershaw's Challenge update

Please read our update letter and the website will be updated shortly!

We are so excited!!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Kershaw-s-Challenge-Update.html?soid=1103609831636&aid=CN47GGlbjNY