Kalulushi Children's Home and Feeding Center

Children In Need

2012-02-02T19:25:00.005+02:00

We have been receiving so many requests to help orphans in the community. We already have a list of about a dozen children who we do not have the funds to help yet. Then, as we were in the community a couple days ago, a woman came crying to us. She inherited 6 children last month when their parents died. She is not able to take care of the extra burden of feeding those extra mouths.
Please, if any of you would like to help feed a child, it is only $30 a month. That $30 will insure that a child will have the nourishing food they need to grow healthy and strong.
Please, check to the right of this post to see how you can help.

Christmas

2012-01-03T15:05:00.000+02:00

Christmas Shopping

2011-12-19T16:15:00.001+02:00

We went shopping for the kids. Each child will receive a backpack, school shoes, and a toy (boys-cars and girls-dolls).

The doll for the girls. They each requested for a doll.

The set of cars for the boys.

They are required to wear black shoes to school.

When the Dog Bites...

2011-12-19T14:27:00.001+02:00

Last week, I was driving home when I found Jennifer crying on the side of the road. She was with a group of her friends, and they explained to me that Jennifer had been bitten on her backside by a large dog. I quickly got her into the car and rushed her to her house. I wanted to let her family and guardians know what had happened. We then took her to the hospital.

Jennifer sits on her guardians back as we wait at the hospital.

We ended up waiting for 3 hours in line before she could be attended to by the nurses. She received injections, and we took her back for further injections the next day. We also had to get the papers of the dog that bit her to make sure it had its shots (praise God that it did). Then we had to file a report at the police station, or otherwise, the clinic would not treat her.

The second day, Jennifer (in pink) sits in line to see the doctor.

It has been a week, since Jennifer was bitten and she is doing much better now. She has a small limp, but she said that she will be fine soon.

A big thank you to all those who prayed for Jennifer. It was a scary time, but I praise God that He put me in the right place at the right time to help Jennifer.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T21:45:00.001+02:00

I want to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans. I told the children at the feeding center about Thanksgiving today. They then took turns telling what they were thankful for. I really enjoyed the conversation we had with the children today. It was a day full of laughter.
I am very thankful that God has allowed me to get to know these children. They are a blessing to my life. I am also thankful for each of you that follow this blog and the work we are doing with the children.
I hope you have all had a wonderful day with your families. It is hard to not be with my family during the holidays, but I still thank God for allowing me to serve Him here in Zambia.

2011-11-16T07:32:00.001+02:00

Dear Readers,
Although, it is only getting hotter here in Zambia, a look at the calendar shows me that Christmas is getting nearer by the day. I would really love to do something for the children in the feeding center for Christmas. They have so many needs that I cannot even consider toys, nor would they ask for them. There is one thing that they have been faithfully praying for every day, and that is school supplies. The Zambian school year starts in January making Christmas the perfect time to get them what they need for the following school year.
I am asking that you consider giving $30 to sponsor one child for Christmas. This would provide for school shoes ($20) and a backpack ($10). Other supplies they need are notebooks, pens, and pencils, but I will try to get those things myself.
If you would like to give towards Christmas for these children, please send cash, check, or money order to:

Jennifer Townsend
P.O. Box 11
Mesick, MI 49668

Checks can be made out to "Jennifer Townsend" with "Christmas Children" in the memo. We thank you for your support and prayers throughout the year. Any additional money will go towards the children's Christmas. Who knows, maybe there will be enough for them to get a toy after all?

More Jumping

2011-11-11T11:21:00.001+02:00

The children really enjoyed their jumping pictures so they wanted to do it again. Here are a few more jumping pictures.

Jennifer

Mwape has his shirt full of fruit so that is why he is holding it like that.

Wazungasa and Jennifer

Bupe and Jennifer

Mwape, Bupe, and Jennifer. They are jumping off of a small pile of sand which is for the church building. I'm sitting on the ground.

Maria.

It started getting chaotic as they were all jumping at different times.

Laughing

2011-11-08T18:31:00.000+02:00

Eating:What They Do Best

2011-11-08T17:41:00.000+02:00

The children are all becoming very close. They are all friends regardless of age.

Bupe is washing his hands. Lord willing, we will one day be able to build facilities with a kitchen and dining area so that more children can come eat.

November 2011

2011-11-05T13:20:00.001+02:00

Maria

Abby

Bupe

Wazungasa

Mwape

Zinya

Bupe, Wazungasa, and Mwape being silly.

Rosemary and Jennifer

Maria, Abby, and Zinya

Sitting on the bench with Gladys and Clara.

Jumping

2011-11-04T17:10:00.005+02:00

Wazungasa

Mwape

Maria

Zinya (ok, so she was actually running instead of jumping)

Abby was just running, too.

Bupe

Watching Themselves on the Computer

2011-10-31T13:09:00.001+02:00

Sorry, that I have not been updating the blog for a few days. My computer crashed and with it went all my videos. I had a lot of great videos of the party, but I was only able to retrieve one. Lord willing, I will one day be able to recover the data when I am next in America. Until then, this is the one surviving video of the children watching themselves on the computer.

Independence Day Party

2011-10-24T16:16:00.000+02:00

I invited the children over to my house to celebrate Zambia's 47th Independence Day. We had hotdogs, chips, coleslaw, and ice cream. They weren't sure what to think of all those foods at first, but I gave them an example of how to eat a hotdog and they dug right in. We had a lot of fun eating, playing games, and looking at their pictures on my computer. They were also unbelievably well behaved. We had the most wonderful time together today.

Jennifer was the first to jump in to try the hotdog. By the way, I never told them that they are called hotdogs. I didn't want them to think I was feeding them dog.

Bupe looks like he's been eating hotdogs his whole life.

Maria is still a little perplexed.

Joyce ate well.

Zinya took the food seriously.

Matildah is checking it out.

Rosemary, Peter, and Blessings enjoy their food. Peter and Blessings are Gladys' children so I invited them to come as well.

Clara lended a big helping hand.

Rosemary is eating some of the homemade chips.

Mwape

The whole group is busy eating.

Daniel and Wazungasa. Actually, Daniel is now called Elijah. He chose a new name at his initiation.

They watched videos of themselves on the laptop while eating ice cream.

Rose, Mwape, Peter, Felix (he has changed his name to James), and Blessings.

They really liked watching themselves on the laptop.

Zinya actually managed to get the ice cream on the outside of the cup. She is so talented.

They have a lot of fun together. Jennifer plays with the twins.

It was Mwape's turn to wear the hat.

Joyce.

They all got up to move around.

Bupe, myself, and Rose.

With Zinya.

With Mwape.

With Abby.

Two Jennifers become ONE.

Maria and Bupe.

Wazungasa

Peter.

Matildah and Joyce.

Just Joyce.

Matildah and Joyce have a brother, Lloyd. He is actually a twin, too, but his brother past away.

Daniel (Elijah) has the hat.

Return of the Twins

2011-10-17T17:25:00.000+02:00

We were all so excited to have Matildah and Joyce back with us after they've been gone for several weeks. This is Matildah. She ate so well that we gave her more.

Joyce was really fast. They must have been really hungry.

The table looks fuller with the twins back. We are still praying for Doris and George to come back.

While others were finishing their food, I went in the other room with some of the girls to have some activities.

Joyce was loving the attention from everyone because they were exited to see her.

Abby was doing some entertainment for the other girls.

Joyce was having a lot of fun.

We started a "don't smile" game. I was up against Zinya and I couldn't get her to crack into a smile. Puffing her cheeks seemed to be an effective tactic. I thought a quick snap of the camera might break her.

Abby was actually my toughest opponent.

Matildah was still looking a little confused with all our games, but she'll warm up again very soon.

Getting ready to go.

Do You Want to Learn Bemba?

2011-10-13T14:31:00.000+02:00

The children will give you your first lesson in Bemba.

Odds and Ends

2011-10-11T17:35:00.000+02:00

After eating, Mwape started doing push ups.

I think he did about 5 of them and then just started laughing at himself.

I'm glad Mwape is doing better. He was sick last week.

Rosemary

Clara and Gladys help every day. Here, they get a good laugh with the children.

Time to go. Does anyone really want to go? No, but some have to get to school.

The boys are taking out the chairs, but seem more interested in chatting.

Zinya and Abby. Remember that Zinya started coming because Abby wanted to share her food with Zinya who was not getting enough food at home.

Huh?

Rosemary and Bupe. They are brother and sister. They actually get along very well.

"Get a picture of us by the car!!!"

Rosemary pretending she's talking on Gladys' phone as Bupe jumps in the car.

Maria is still finishing off her banana.

A few of the kids came to pose by me. It was actually a very cold and windy day. What happened to the hot season?

How many times did Bupe get in the car?

"Sunglasses?"

2011-10-11T17:02:00.000+02:00

When Wazungasa showed up today, I immediately noticed that he was sporting a new pair of shades that he was quite proud of.

I guess he should be proud of them as it appears that he made them himself. Too bad that he didn't have enough materials to reach his ears.

Then I realized that Zinya had her own pair in her back pocket. Of course, this seems to be the female frames.

Mwape goes for the serious look.

Bupe cannot hold back a grin.

Jennifer, try opening your eyes. You'll see better.

The 2 B's - Beans and Bananas

2011-10-11T16:43:00.000+02:00

Wazungasa with his "sunglasses". More on that in another post.

Maria is enjoying her beans and rice.

Zinya has her food cornered, and just about gone.

Everyone is just about finished.

What did Bupe do to get that look from Jennifer?

Hi, Zinya.

Hi, Maria.

Zinya and Jennifer

Abby and Maria are eating their bananas.

I just wanted to throw this one on at the last. Now that is determination when it comes to eating.

Random Pictures From Today

2011-10-07T12:30:00.000+02:00

Jennifer, Zinya, and Abby

Jennifer gets a laugh out of having her picture taken while she is eating.

Zinya would not eat the food until I took her picture like that. She sat there for a minute just waiting for me to take the picutre.

Clara gets a laugh from the children's antics.

Mwape was not feeling well today as you can see.

Wazungasa

Zinya had to copy Wazungasa.

Abby

Zinya had to copy Abby.

Wazungasa asking me for a ride home, which I gave them.

Abby.

Zinya had to copy Wazungasa and Abby in getting her picture taken outside the car.

Gladys carrying the table.

Mwape and Bupe are getting in the car.

Sitting in the car. Pray that Mwape feels better soon.

SHOES!!!

2011-10-03T15:23:00.000+02:00

The children have been praying every single day for shoes. In fact, Bupe was embarrassed because he did not have shoes to wear today. Then Mrs. Sarra, a missionary friend came. She had a big box of Crocs for the children. The children were so excited and thankful for how God provided. They had fun picking out their shoes. They thanked God during our prayer time. Then they all went out and knelt down to thank Mrs. Sarra for the shoes. There were a lot of happy smiles today.

This is Bupe (It is my fault that I didn't get his face). He was in tears this morning because he didn't have shoes to wear. It is amazing how God provided shoes for Bupe on this day of all days. I think his feet are smiling.

With the Children

2011-09-30T19:45:00.001+02:00

Watching the kids eat. I've got malaria so I don't even remember this. Clara took the picture.

The children eating.

Clara and Gladys are putting the table away as the boys carry the chairs.

Jennifer and Zinya with cookies. Fruit is hard to find at this time so the children are happy to get cookies for and unhealthy change.

Jennifer

Mwape showing off his chair carrying style.

Everyone is saying goodbye. Wazungasa is saying, "Teacher, I'll be praying you get better, and the car too!"

Getting the Car Fixed at Toyota Copperbelt

2011-09-30T19:26:00.000+02:00

What a day. I dropped the car at the Toyota place around 11:30. Clara and I then took a bus to town center and walked over to immigration. That went well. We got some food and sat around. I was so sick that I could barely walk. I was falling asleep at random places. I actually don't remember much of it. So we finally decided to go back to the Toyota place. At least they have air conditioning and c...hairs. This is the HOT season. And with my sweating from malaria, it was just horrible. So we sat (and slept) there for several hours.

Inside the Toyota place.

A lady, Chibuye, has been my "superviser" for the car the last few days. She does a good job. Well, it got really busy so this other guy showed up and was helping. His name is Changala. Changala asked me which vehicle was mine and I told him. He went to check on it. He came back with the worst news. "They have found that the fuel pump is not working. We do not have it in stock, so you will have to find it somewhere else. We will close soon so we will not be able to install it until Monday." Oh, I felt terrible. The whole weekend without the car. Having to run around Kitwe looking for the fuel pump without a car. Not feeling well. Monday without the car for the feeding center. So many problems going through my mind. Changala was helpful though. He even drew a map for me of some of the places where I could find the pump although I knew it would be several miles of walking on my part.

Clara had a lot of patience today.

Changala was having the guys remove the pump so that I could take it with me and be sure to get the right model. I was so discouraged, but trying to keep faith. Then he came back and said, "Oh, they found that a certain wire was not connected to the pump properly so they are trying to connect it and see if it will work. Pray that it will work so you can go home with your car." Clara and I did pray. Meanwhile, Chibuye had finished with the men she was helping, and she was praying with us that it would work. Well, it did work. Praise God.

My car spent most of the day hanging out on the left.

Then, Chibuye and Changala went to work on putting together my bill for me. When Chibuye handed it to me, I found that they had given me a 10% discount on almost everything. It was still over 3 million kwaha ($700), but less than we had estimated originally.

Then, it was closing time so the guys who wash the cars had left. But since it is a service they promised me, Changala went and washed my car by himself inside and out. The car is performing brilliantly. Now, if only my body will do as well. I'm really praising God for the positive things that happened. Yes, it was incredibly expensive, but I felt like they did go the extra mile. Especially Changala. He was such a good man. It was truly as if God sent him to help me because I had not seen him there on my 4 previous visits. Please, be in prayer for my finances. This has taken everything I had for the next month. Pray that God will provide.

Prayer Requests

2011-09-28T18:27:00.000+02:00

We have been enjoying our time being back with the children. I'm sorry that it has taken so long to update the blog. The internet has been down for a few days as the system had been vandalized, but it seems to be back up and working now.
I have not been feeling well, and finally found time to see a doctor today. Yes, its malaria. I'll be on medication for the next 3 days. Pray for me as the medicine is about 100 times worse than how the malaria has been making me feel (I'm too much of a wimp to let the malaria get too bad).
The car is also down. It has been having problems for several weeks. I've had several people work on it, but it was just getting worse. I finally gave in and took it to the Toyota shop to be checked out. They said to come back for it tomorrow. Praying it won't be too big of a problem.
I won't make it to the feeding center tomorrow because we will have to hire a taxi so one of us has to stay behind. Since I'm not feeling well, I am the one staying behind. It will be the first time I'll miss going to the feeding center, but I have confidence that Clara and Gladys can handle it well. I thank God for their help.

We Can't Wait For Monday

2011-09-24T12:15:00.000+02:00

We went to tell all the children that we will be opening the feeding center on Monday. They had all missed us so much. Everyone is excited to get back together. They had really missed coming to eat every day, and we had missed taking food to them.
Praise God that He has kept Zambia at peace. Thank God for the wisdom of former President, Rupiah Banda, as he bowed out gracefully. Pray for the new President of Zambia, H.E. Michael Sata, as he begins his term in office. Pray for this time of transition in the government.

Election Results

2011-09-23T18:16:00.000+02:00

Zambia has elected a new president. Please pray for wisdom for the new President, H.E. Michael Chilufya Sata as he was sworn in to office today. Pray for a smooth transition of government as this is the first time that the opposition party has won in 20 years.
We thank you for your prayers during the election times. Zambians went to the polls on Tuesday, but the final results were not announced until very early Friday morning. In the time leading up to the announcement, there was a lot of tension and rioting throughout the country. A lot of the worst of the rioting was about 10 miles away from Kalulushi. We thank God for His protection during this time period.
Now, almost everyone is now celebrating and things are slowly getting back to normal. The feeding center will open again on Monday. We are looking forward to being with the children again. Praise God.

Cookies and Elections

2011-09-19T13:16:00.000+02:00

The Zambian elections will be held tomorrow. As this is a time of uncertainty, we have been asked to close the feeding center for a short time for the children's safety. Everyone is encouraged to stay in their homes for a short time. After we ate today, we took the children to their homes to speak to their guardians about this issue. They were all very understanding. Most of them would not have let their children come anyway because of the nervousness about threats of violence by some people. We have had many discussions with the children in the feeding center and in the church about staying at home this week. We have also discussed situations they need to avoid at this time. Please, keep all the children in your prayers.
I usually get the children a healthy snack to take home with them, but today, since we don't know when we will meet again, I got them a treat that they have been begging for, COOKIES. They were all excited about COOKIES.

Maria with her cookies.

The baby is Tamara, Maria's sister. Maria shared some of her cookies with Tamara. By the way, Tamara is intrigued with me. I held her for quite a while as she stared at me with great interest.

Jennifer, Tamara, and Maria.

Jennifer with her cookies.

Wazungasa near his house.

Mwape is eating cookies in the car.

Rose, Bupe, and Mwape are waiting while we stop at Zinya's house.

Gladys is speaking with Zinya and her mother about the upcoming elections.

Please, keep Zambia in your prayers this week. Pray for free and fair elections. Pray for peace.

Playing for the Camera

2011-09-14T12:19:00.000+02:00

It started with a pose with Teacher Gladys.

Then, Wazungasa asked for a picture alone, but Jennifer and Rosemary jumped in the picture.

Then everyone else jumped in. That is why Wazungasa is looking a little grumpy.

They kept jumping into every picture.

Finally, Bupe said, "Wazungasa, let's have a picture together."

Time to sit down and have our prayer requests.

They've settled down again after all the excitement.

The Kids and Me

2011-09-14T12:12:00.000+02:00

With Maria

With Abby

With Zinya

Jennifer and Jennifer

With Wazungasa

With Mwape

With Bupe

With Rosemary

Big Bellies

2011-09-14T12:08:00.000+02:00

The children's appetites have been growing so much. It is quite obvious that they are getting bigger every day. They were showing off their big bellies today. Yes, most of them are inflating their stomachs, but they all did have bumps from being full.

Wazungasa is not inflating his stomach. This is actually how he was looking after eating.

Mwape was next to show off.

Jennifer was funny.

I thought Bupe might make a good Santa.

Zinya was sticking her tummy out as far as she could get it.

Abby looks like she has a ball hidden under her dress.

I think Maria was the winner. Of couse, I do need to get some worm medicine for the children as it is likely that their stomachs are full of worms. Aren't you glad I told you that?

My 9/11

2011-09-11T16:40:00.000+02:00

I would not be able to be here in Zambia to work with these precious children if it were not for my brother, Jeremy. Jeremy passed away in an auto accident on September 11th, 2001 at the age of 15. Yes, I remember that day very well, but not in the same way that most others do. If it were not for Jeremy (and he loved Zambia although he never got to visit), I do not know if I would be ministering here today.

In Loving Memory of Jeremy Benjamin Townsend.

We Shall Meet Again.

Felix and Daniel

2011-09-09T15:22:00.000+02:00

I know that you all haven't seen much of Felix and Daniel, but they are receiving food everyday even if you don't see them. Today, I took them for their medical check-ups. They had a "male" surgery about a month ago. Since then, they have been traditionally sitting in a house built just for this occasion without coming out. They are receiving instruction from their elders about being mature young men. This is common amongst their tribe. The only time they have been able to exit the house is to go for their medical check-ups which I take them for.

Felix and Daniel. You can see how their hair has grown long. They even look pale from not being out in the son for so long. They are also wearing clothes that we gave them.

Andrew has also been staying in the house with them. He has been receiving George's portion of food since George has been gone to visit family in the bush.

Felix, Daniel, Kennedy (their friend that went along for the ride), and Andrew's eye.

As soon as they got back home, their grandmother chased them back into their special house (the part made of wood). They will stay their until the 17th when they have a big celebration that they are now adults.

Gladys' Son, Peter

2011-09-08T15:55:00.002+02:00

Rose, Bupe, and Mwape's House

2011-09-08T15:54:00.002+02:00

The Chingenge's House (Felix, Daniel, Jennifer, and Wazungasa)

2011-09-08T15:27:00.000+02:00

Arriving and Setting Up for the Feeding Center

2011-09-08T14:44:00.000+02:00

Every single day, we have to cook the food and bring it to the church. The church does not have windows or doors yet, so we have to store the table and chairs in a house on the property. We all work together to get things in order. The boys get the chairs, teachers get the heavy table, and the girls bring in the plates and cups.
We are currently applying for land so that we can build a place specifically for the feeding center. A place with a kitchen and dining area. Please pray with us about this need.

Dropping Off the Children

2011-09-07T14:20:00.000+02:00

More of the "behind the scenes" footage. Every day, we pick up and drop off Rosemary, Bupe, and Mwape. Here is a typical day of dropping them off.

Cooking the Food

2011-09-07T13:41:00.000+02:00

Every morning, there is a lot of cooking going on before we can take the food to the children. Afterwards, there are a LOT of dishes to wash. Here is some of the work behind the scenes.

Tomatoes and onions are the base for most Zambian dishes, so we always have a good supply of those.

Every morning that we have nshima, we start the some charcoal. The charcoal is made and sold all thoughout Zambia. It is just charred trees, really.

It always leaves my hands a little black.

A chicken is ready to be cut up.

The chicken is then put in a pot to boil in its own juices. The neck, gizzard, liver, and kidney is also there (Clara at them).

The chicken is then fried.

Gladys cut up a huge cabbage to provide vegetables for 2 days.

After oil is heated, tomatoes and onions are added along with salt. Normally, the they would just be cut up, but I use the blender to speed up the proccess.

Once the tomatoes and onions have cooked down, the cabbage is added.

After cooking for about 10 minutes, the cabbage is ready and looks like this.

This is the bag of mealie-meal which we use to make Nshima. Yes, its upside down.

Mealie-meal is ground maize. This is breakfast meal which uses the inside of the kernel. Roller meal uses the whole kernel.

The pot has been on the charcoal until it is about ready to boil.

Clara starts adding the mealie-meal as she stirs the pot. This is the tricky part as lumps are common.

Clara adding the mealie-meal.

Its good to have Clara back and in good enough health to start helping.

Meanwhile, we saved some of the oil from frying the chicken. We add tomatoes and onions to that along with salt. It can be left like that, but I add some spices and water to make the "soup" go further.

A plate is all ready for the children.

Then we load the car. Carrots are their snack to take home for today. We also take water for washing their hands and drinking, cups, salt, etc.

Bupe is eating a completed plate.

Mwape eating.

All the children eating. Three of the boys are not pictured although they received food. They are not able to attend because of their school time, but they still receive food.

We then return home to work on the dishes. This usually takes about an hour. Gladys did the pots, and then I took over for the cups and plates.

Prayer Requests

2011-09-02T17:13:00.000+02:00

Every day, the children share their prayer requests so that we can all be praying for each other. Yesterday, being the first day of the month, I gave them each a month's supply of soap and toothpaste. Today, Zinya asked if she could pray for God to provide a toothbrush for her so she can use her toothpaste well. The other children also jumped in and said they all needed to pray for toothbrushes.
Then, they started asking for prayer for school because they will start classes again on Monday. All of the children need school shoes and school bags. Their shoes are literally falling apart. Most of their shoes are too small.
The children have committed to praying to God to provide toothbrushes, school shoes, and school bags for each of them. Please, pray with the children over these needs.

Talking and Eating

2011-08-31T20:05:00.000+02:00

Maria Introduces Herself

2011-08-31T20:04:00.000+02:00

Wazungasa Sings

2011-08-31T20:02:00.002+02:00

Rice and Beef

2011-08-30T17:46:00.000+02:00

Another day of eating at the feeding center. Today's food included: Rice, Potatoes (Zambian combination), Beef, and Cabbage.

Zinya

Maria

Mwape

Rosemary

Jennifer

Abby

Wazungasa

"May I have some water?"

Sitting around the table.

Almost finished.

Zinya's all finished.

Rosemary's small toe is sticking out.

Abby and Zinya Receive Their Clothes

2011-08-27T11:28:00.001+02:00

Abby and Zinya were not there the day we gave out the clothes. Abby had been visiting other family, and Zinya was not feeling well. On Friday, they received they were surprised by their new clothes.

Zinya and Abby sit at the front, not sure what is about to happen.

Abby is so surprised to receive new clothes.

I just kept piling them on her.

Zinya is happy, too.

They kept giggling with each other over the clothes.

Some of the children try to sit in the sun with Teacher Gladys. Apparently, 80 degrees is still a little chilly. They were all wearing clothes that they had received.

Bupe was finishing off the leftovers. They had eaten nshima, sausage, chinese cabbage, and bananas.

Jennifer was teaching the children a new song.

Rosemary also had a new song to teach them.

Rosemary's shoes.

Bupe still needs shoes. Mwape has received better shoes although he still could use a new pair.

Wazunga's shoes. They are quite small for him. We will start saving money to get shoes for all the children as they have now received some clothes.

Thankful for the New Clothes

2011-08-27T11:18:00.000+02:00

Praise God for New (Used) Clothes!!!

2011-08-23T18:30:00.001+02:00

The day started out as normal with some good food. The kids had no idea what was in store for them when they got done eating. Today's menu was chicken, rice, vegetables, and strawberry Maheu (Zambian drink). The sad part was that several of the kids were not there today. August is a month that a lot of people visit family because the schools are closed. Several of the children are visiting other relatives, but we have saved clothes for them when they return.

Bupe and Rosemary enjoy their food without an idea of what God has provided for them.

Jennifer, Maria, and Wazungasa are enjoying their food.

Maria's got a chicken leg.

Teacher Jennifer and Bupe

Rosemary

Wazungasa is good friends with Teacher Jennifer

Why does Mwape look so sad with his chicken? He'll be smiling soon when he sees what God has provided.

Starting to hand out the clothes. Each child got a bag with about 6 items of clothing for each of them. Maria was first. She was so happy to get a hooded sweatshirt. She only has one outfit and it is short sleeved. Now she can be warm as it is chilly in the mornings.

Mwape is thrilled to get such a nice shirt. The bag on the table contains the rest of his clothes.

Bupe has a basketball shirt.

Rosemary was in great need of new clothes. She's so happy that she can't keep her tongue in her mouth.

Wazungasa lifts his arms in joy.

Can you see the happiness behind that clap?

Jennifer will look nice in her new, pink top.

Wazungasa is serious as he tries on some of his new clothes. Why? Because he says, "These are school pants. I have to be serious about school."

The children gather around Jennifer and say "Thank You."

Maria tenderly touches her new t-shirt.

The children take time to thank God for what He has provided for them.

I went to visit Clara who is still recuperating from an operation. I gave skirts and blouses to her nieces Sylvia and Mwitwa who were also in great need of clothes.

There was somthing for Benjamin, too. But for some reason, he wanted to wear on of the girl's skirt as a hat.

Benjamin comes to thank Teacher Jennifer for the new clothes. When I arrived at the house, he didn't even have clothes on because he has outgrown all of his clothes. Praise God for providing for the needs of these children.

By the way, here is Clara as she is recuperating at her family's house. She is still in a lot of pain. She has not been able to see the doctor for several days. We are praying that she will be able to see the doctor soon.

Clothes for the Children

2011-08-23T07:57:00.000+02:00

We are praising God for our first donation to buy a bundle of clothes for the children. The children are in much need of clothes. You might notice that they are often wearing the same clothes over and over again in the pictures. Most of these clothes are already ripped and full of holes. What a blessing to be able to buy a huge bundle of clothes to distribute amongst the children.

We went to Chisokone Market into one of the back "streets". There we found several shops selling the bundles of clothes called Salaula. After looking at several bundles, we made our pick and paid for our purchase. One of the young men, carried the bundle through the crowded market to our car. This picture is when we got home, and we were the ones who had to carry it into the house. (HINT: Rolling works best.)

I'm removing the top bag from the clothes. What will we find? It was like shopping at home.

The top layer on display.

It says "Children Rummage 45kgs". These clothes come from America or Europe. (I think this specific bundle was from Europe.)

The clothes are "free at last". They were suctioned in and as they loosened up, the pile seemed to grow and grow.

"A Tinker Bell jacket!!!!"

One of the boys are going to look nice in this shirt.

We spent several hours sorting the clothes into piles.

Some clothes had tags like this. I'm going to assume it is "Value Village". The boys are all going to want this Spiderman shirt.

My living room looks like a wreck, but it is a blessed wreck of clothes for the children. We have separated clothes for the 14 children in the feeding center, along with about 16 other children that we know are in need. We still have a "left over" pile of almost half of the clothes. I know it won't take long to find children who are in need of each and every item of clothing. Keep checking back to see pictures as we start to distribute some of the clothing. Joyful days.

Wazungasa Led the Children in the Song "Mwamba, Mwamba"

2011-08-18T17:55:00.002+02:00

Abby and Zinya's Homes

2011-08-18T16:12:00.001+02:00

Short video as we arrive.

Abby and Zinya are neighbors. We drove by their houses to talk with the families as we do from time to time. Zinya, Rosemary, Bupe, and Mwape posed for a picture with a couple of the other children in the area.

Gladys speaks with Zinya's mother. Zinya's family attends the church and introduced us to Abby who is an orphan. We allowed Zinya to come as an escort with Abby at first. Now, Zinya's family is going through some difficulties. They are in great need of prayer. For now, we are allowing Zinya to come again to the feeding center.

Mwape is looking about the window as Bupe strikes a pose.

Some of the children standing outside of Abby's house, the mud brick on. That is Abby standing near the doorway.

This is Zinya's house. It is just this part you see. Where the red polish ends at the doorstep is where their house ends. The other half is for another family. It is not any deeper than it is wide.

Zinya is standing in her doorway.

Zinya's mom helps Zinya to carry a neighbor's baby.

This is actually near Rosemary, Bupe, and Mwape's house. These 3 children are in the Sunday school. They are Moses and Catherine (twins), and Vernon.

Papaya Power!!!

2011-08-18T15:59:00.002+02:00

Sometimes, Catherine also comes to help with the feeding center. She works at a feeding center in Luanshya and has given me a lot of advice about how to run this one. Yesterday, she sent a huge papaya from her tree for the children. The children were thrilled to have such a gift from their friend, Catherine.

The children sitting around eating their macaroni. Three of the boys, Felix, Daniel, and George, are not able to come at this time for medical reasons, but I take their food to their homes. The three smallest girls, Doris, Matildah, and Joyce, are all visiting relatives in other towns. We are not sure when they will be returning.

Zinya really enjoyed her piece of papaya.

Rosemary has a big smile for the papaya.

Mwape's spoonful looks huge from that perspective.

Bupe has a mouthful.

Maria enjoyed all the food.

Wazungasa and Abby are in deep thought over their food.

Jennifer shows off the PAPAYA POWER!!!

Bupe has PAPAYA POWER, too!!!

Zinya has to throw her head back as she enjoys the food.

Yummy, papaya.

A Papaya Hat???

Helping Gladys

2011-08-18T15:47:00.002+02:00

Gladys is a single mother of 3 children, Ferdinand, Blessings, and Peter. Several years ago, Gladys' husband ran off with another woman. Gladys has been struggling to raise her three children since then. She has no job, but if faithful to church and sings in the choir. About one year ago, Gladys became one of the Sunday School teachers.

When I became in need of help with cooking and interpreting after Clara's sickness, Gladys started helping without expecting anything in return. I do try to help her out as I can, but I cannot even begin to help with all her needs as she has helped me with mine.
Gladys and her 3 children stay in 2 rooms of a small house. The owner of the house is a widow and uses the other part of the house with her children. The widow's only income is the rent for the rooms Gladys uses which is about $65 a month, but most of the time, Gladys cannot even pay the rent so they all do without. She is currently 3 months behind in her rent. Recently, Peter had to drop out of school because Gladys could not afford for him to continue going.

Several years ago, Gladys received a small piece of land which is not far from the church. They have dug the foundation, but have not been able to go beyond that. If building does not begin soon, the land will be taken from her. This is Gladys at her land.

Mwape, Bupe, and Rosemary came to see Gladys' land with us. Bupe is jumping across the trench for the foundation.

On the land is this large ant hill. Supposedly, there is enough dirt here for bricks for 3 houses. If Gladys could hire some men to make the bricks, she could then sell the extra bricks to help with other building supplies.

It was easy enough to climb up, but a lot more tricky to come down. Bupe took a big leap.

Gladys was the last one down. Please, pray with me about Gladys' needs. She has been very faithful and helpful to me especially in these last 6 weeks.

Good Food, Great Times, and Funny Faces

2011-08-16T15:08:00.000+02:00

Maria is in the middle of Mwape and Bupe. She is a little confused about the food, but the children helped her figure it out.

Mwape saying, "Get a picture of me."

They all enjoy a cold glass of water since they don't have refrigerators at their homes.

Abby, Jennifer, and Wazungasa

Abby is showing Maria how to do it.

They all started counting the circles on the lids. Jennifer and Mwape are both counting.

Shaking hands with Bupe.

Shaking hands with Mwape

Shaking hands with Wazungasa

The circumference of the upper arm can give an indication of malnourishment. Mwape is still low at less than 7 inches, but he has gained about half an inch in the last month of coming to the feeding center.

Maria's stomach is still small so she was not able to finish her food. Mwape and Bupe share her leftovers.

Wazungasa still has a good appetite.

Rosemary is trying to avoid the camera as usual.

Bupe always likes to have another picture taken.

Jennifer makes a silly face.

Mwape copies Jennifer

Maria copies Mwape

Wazungasa copies Maria

Mwape shows off his full tummy.

Jennifer and Mwape playing a clapping game.

Banana Maheu was their special treat today.

Maria with her Maheu

Gladys and Rosemary are putting the table away where it can be locked up

Wazungasa standing outside of his house. No, that shelter is not his house, but a "shop". They try to sell beans and charcoal from there to make some money for the household.

Shoes?

2011-08-16T14:44:00.000+02:00

These are Mwape's only pair of shoes. They are too small and have several holes.

These are Bupe's only pair of shoes. They are very small so he removed the backs. These are the only shoes the boys have. They wear them to school, church, and everywhere else. These boys are in need of new shoes. Pray that God will provide shoes for the boys.

Difficult Home Lives

2011-08-16T14:40:00.001+02:00

The children come to the feeding center with such huge smiles that it is often forgotten the difficulties they are facing at home. Bupe, Rosemary, and Mwape live with their grandparents, aunt, and uncle. On Sunday, their aunt and uncle started to argue about a phone charger. Next thing they knew, their aunt and uncle were attacking each other with knives. The grandfather tried to break up the fight, but he was also beaten. All the adults were left with several cuts and bruises. The children witnessed all of this. I'm praying that as they are learning God's Word at the feeding center that it will have an impact on their lives so that they do not follow the same destructive path as their elders.

Introducing Maria Mwape

2011-08-16T14:33:00.000+02:00

Maria Mwape is our newest addition to the feeding center. She is 6 years old. Her father passed away when she was 7 months old. Since then, her mother has remarried, but her husband has refused to care for Maria. He told Maria's mother to take Maria to the cemetery because she was better off dead. Maria is still with her mother and step-father, but is neglected and abused.

Maria had never even eaten rice before. The other children had to show her how to eat her food. At first, she was very scared, but as we all showed love to her, she started smiling and laughing with the other children. Please, pray for Maria Mwape and her situation at home.

What Did You Eat?

2011-08-12T14:34:00.000+02:00

The children love the car and a few of them jumped in after they ate. I let them sit for a few minutes while they shared what they ate that day at the feeding center.

Eager Helpers

2011-08-11T12:16:00.002+02:00

The children are so excited by the feeding center, and are always willing to pitch in wherever they can. I got a few pictures of the helpers today. All the children help, but these are the ones that helped today.

Mwape is sweeping the room. It was a fight for the one broom as to who would get to use it.

Mwape sweeping as a couple friends look on.

Since Bupe lost the fight for the broom, he headed out to the car to wipe off some of the dust.

Mwape and Bupe, our good helpers for today.

Abby is curiosly watching Bupe. He was being so funny.

Abby and Rose were having such a good conversation that they were still eating when everyone else had finished. What was the topic of conversation, you ask? Well, there is a debate as to who can do what in Teacher Jennifer's wedding. Little Jennifer wants to be a flower girl. Rose wants to be a knife girl. Then they had to figure out what Abby could be. Then the boys wanted their parts, too. It was a very funny conversation, especially considering that Teacher Jennifer is not even engaged.

Rose, Bupe, and Mwape after being dropped off at home. They never want to get out of the car to go home. Its was a great day at the feeding center. Again, we were complemented on how healthy the children are starting to look. We praise God for the great compliments. We know it is by your help that we are able to feed these children. Please continue in prayer as we look to help more children that are in need. There are thousands just in this area alone.

God's Grace and Genuine Gratefulness

2011-08-10T17:08:00.000+02:00

It has been a busy few days. Clara is having an operation on Friday. Gladys has gone to visit family. Catherine came to help one day, but now I'm on my own. I thank God for this opportunity to feed the children every day. Its good that I've had a month worth practice so I can do it on my own now. I will be thankful when Clara and Gladys return.
Today was a joy even though I was alone, the children all helped get things set up to eat. The boys are now fascinated with washing the car, and keep sneaking off to try to clean it. It gets so dusty on the roads, but they always try to wipe off the dirt. Of course, the car is just as dirty as ever after driving for about 30 seconds. I'm grateful for their enthusiasm and desire to help me.
I drove the children home today after they ate since they had been such good helpers. The families are so grateful for the help we are giving the children. I had 4 separate women stop me just so they could share their appreciation.
I want to pass that appreciation on to all of you that have been praying and sending support for this feeding center. We covet your prayers as this ministry continues to grow. We have many plans to expand this to reach more children around Kalulushi. I went with Pastor Frazer today to speak with the Town Clerk of Kalulushi. She did not have much time, but she spoke with us for about 5 minutes. She was very enthusiastic about finding some land for us to use for the children. We will be going back to speak to her on Tuesday. Praise God for all the many blessings that are pouring out for the children. Their smiles say so much.

Washing by the Well

2011-08-04T16:33:00.000+02:00

The Feeding Center has faced many obstacles since it began, but Praise God, He has always helped us through the difficulties. Our latest challenge came in the form of water, or I should say, lack of water. The entire town of Kalulushi has been without water for several days. We need water for cooking, drinking, and washing the dishes for the feeding center. Praise God for the shallow well that was dug at the church so that we could at least get some water to wash the dishes. Here, Gladys and Clara work on the dishes outside just as thousands of women do every day in Zambia.

Mwape Feeds Doris

2011-07-29T18:50:00.000+02:00

Singing Thanks to God

2011-07-29T18:49:00.002+02:00

Good Friends

2011-07-29T18:48:00.002+02:00

Close Friendships

2011-07-29T12:56:00.000+02:00

After he finished eating, Mwape started helping Doris with her food. We asked him how he learned to feed children. He said that his mother had taught him before she died. He now lives with his grandparents.

Bupe jumps into the picture as Mwape feeds Doris. Doris has been calling me "Bambuya (Grandmother)", so I told Mwape that next she'll be calling him "Bashikulu (Grandfather)". All the children had a good laugh about that.

Rose is relishing her food.

Jennifer always wants a picture of her putting food in her mouth.

Wazungasa and George are just about finished.

Doris is cleaning up.

Doris then went to sleep with Rose.

Jennifer, Mwape, and Bupe with their oranges.

Abby, take the peel off first.

Bupe, George, and Wazungasa.

White Feet??!!

2011-07-27T19:56:00.000+02:00

It has started getting warmer so I put on sandals instead of shoes today. I was sitting by Doris as she was eating. I noticed that she was looking at me quite closely. She was lightly touching my arm and giggling. I realized that she was inspecting my "whiteness". Then she got an inquisitive look in her eyes, and she quickly glanced at my feet. Then a shocked came across her face that exclaimed, "Even your feet are white??!! She then started laughing at me. Glad that I can amuse her.

We Love Beans and Rice

2011-07-26T22:09:00.000+02:00

Today, I was sitting with the children at the table while I was feeding Doris her beans and rice. Its a view that I get quite often. Just thought I'd share it with you. Sorry to those of you that cannot understand Bemba. At first, they are mostly talking about the camera. You can probably hear the word "camera" and even "Jennifer" if you listen closely. Town Bemba has a lot of English mixed into it. Mostly, the camera is watching the 3 youngest girls though. Everyone enjoyed the beans and rice that we had today.

A Full Freezer

2011-07-26T19:09:00.000+02:00

Praise God that the freezer is full of food for the children. Just a couple of the things are not for them.

It is a tiny freezer though. My hand is not that big. I'm only 5'2". Our prayer is to one day have a chest freezer.

Meeting Mrs. Chendela

2011-07-26T06:57:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, we had a meeting in Ndola with Mrs. Chendela at the Provincial Social Welfare Offices. Mrs. Chendela's son, Henry, is a friend to us. It was so wonderful to meet his mother. She is such a lovely woman. We discussed the feeding center with her. She was very encouraging about the work we have started. She got us in contact with Mrs. Mwanza who will be in the Social Welfare Office in Kalulushi. She will be able to dig deeper into the needs of the children we are working with. Also, it will give us protection in case any false accusations come against us.
As for the Children's Home in which we desire to house orphans, we will not be able to have an official Children's Home until the Children's Home owns its own property. This is to ensure that the Children's Home will have a permanent place of residence even if the staff changes or moves.
Please be in prayer with us as to how God would lead us to proceed.

Doris Smiles!!!

2011-07-23T17:32:00.001+02:00

Doris has starting smiling, laughing, and talking. There is a visible difference in her health. Praise God.

Teacher Jennifer and Doris are both wearing smiles today.

A Week of Blessings

2011-07-22T19:10:00.000+02:00

We are praising God for the week He has given us with the kids. This week, we accepted 6 new children which almost doubled the amount of kids to make a total of 13 children who come daily for meals.
The children have all become fast friends. Every day is full of laughter around the table as the children eat.
One of the new challenges of the week was that 3 of the new children are 2 years old. They need a little more assistance with eating. They are all malnourished, but 2 year old, Dorris, is the worst. Her body is swollen from lack of protein. Her body is already showing signs of improvement with just one week of healthy meals. Praise God.
Along with the meal, the children receive something healthy to take home with them every day. This might be fruit or milk. We are doing everything we can to improve the health of the children, and we are seeing the visible results.
Also, the children are getting a Bible lesson every day. This week, amongst other things, they learned about prayer. They did not know that they could pray to God, but this week, they have started to pray even at their homes.
This morning, there were 3 women waiting for us when we arrived at the feeding center. They wanted to ask us if there was a preschool. Also, one of the women is keeping 2 orphans at her house. We will be in prayer about inviting these other 2 children to join us.
Thank you all for your continued prayer for the work God has led us to start here in Kalulushi, Zambia.

What Is Your Name?

2011-07-21T16:04:00.002+02:00

This Is How We Eat

2011-07-21T16:03:00.002+02:00

Yummy Macaroni

2011-07-21T12:44:00.000+02:00

Bupe, Rosemary, Jennifer, and Wazungasa. That's a big bite, Jennifer

Abby is getting a big bite, too.

Dorris liked the macaroni.

Is that almost a smile coming?

Zinya likes macaroni.

A big spoon for a little girl.

Teacher Jennifer with Mwape behind.

Dorris is washing her hands.

Mwape, Bupe, and Rosemary get in the car to go to school while the others head home to get ready for school.

The original group of 5 heading home with their milks. Jennifer carries the food for her brothers, Felix and Daniel, who are already at school. They eat when they come home from school.

Mwape, Bupe, and Rosemary. They were smiling, but stopped every time I tried to take a picture.

Rosemary.

Mwape and Bupe.

Cooking and Eating Buka Fish and Nshima

2011-07-20T13:47:00.000+02:00

Clara is cutting the buka fish in half. Each child gets half a fish.

Would you want heads or tails?

Rape and Chinese Cabbage are the vegetables for the day.

Jennifer is cutting up the vegetables.

Clara is stirring the pot of nshima.

Time to eat.

Jennifer is helping Dorris divide her food into bite size pieces. We removed the bones for the little girls.

Everyone is happily eating.

Joyce is almost finished.

Dorris has been getting the nutritious food she needs, but she still hasn't started smiling yet. She has started talking just a little though. She tells us if she needs water, or if she is full. She must enjoy the food because she comes walking over all by herself every morning. We just can't wait until she shows some expressions.

Joyce.

Abby

Dorris

Matildah and Jennifer

The boys are finished. Bupe, Mwape, and George.

Bupe

Bupe, Mwape, and George. Not sure what they are trying to do in this picture.

Wazungasa is full and happy.

Bupe is washing his hands.

Abby has started eating so much more than when she first came to the feeding center.

Jennifer

The children are finished eating and ready for a short Bible Lesson before the older children go to school.

Everyone got carrots today.

Joyce likes her carrot. We weren't sure if the little ones would eat the carrots, but they seemed to like them.

George and Wazungasa.

Look at our carrots.

What's up, Doc...uh...Abby?

Yay!!!

Bupe, Mwape, and Rosemary are given a ride every day so they can make it to school on time.

Mwape Leads the Other Children in a Song about Jesus

2011-07-20T13:25:00.002+02:00

Cooking Nshima

2011-07-20T13:23:00.002+02:00

Mealie Meal, Meat, and Milk

2011-07-19T18:23:00.000+02:00

We got supplies for at least the next 3 weeks. We bought 25 kg. bag of mealie meal to make the staple food of nshima. We also got a 10 kg. bag of rice, macaroni, milk, beef, ground beef, sausage, fish, chicken, and vegetables. Of course, we only get the vegetables for 1 or 2 days at a time since we buy it all fresh.
Praise God for providing all the food for the children. It feels so good to know that we have what we need for many days to come.

Feeding the Children

2011-07-18T16:11:00.000+02:00

Eating With the New Children

2011-07-18T13:31:00.001+02:00

Today, we ate nshima (Zambia's staple food of a thick maize porridge) with beef and cabbage. It was our first time eating with the new group of children. It was also our first time with a real table. Everyone was quiet at first, but by the end, they were all talking and laughing together.

Matildah is eating her food.

Gladys is helping Joyce with her piece of meat.

Jennifer helped Dorris with her food by making small lumps with the nshima and dipping it in the soup. Also, the meat has been torn up. Dorris did a good job of eating, and finished most of her food.

Zinya and Abby were the big eaters today. Jennifer and Mwape look on from behind.

George, Wazungasa, and Dorris.

Mwape is happy.

Gladys is helping Matildah and Joyce with their food.

Jennifer and Gladys helping the smaller children with their food.

We made 2 attempts at a group picture, but it wasn't very easy. You can see some in the first picture and the others in the second picture. We'll try again in the future when the younger children have gotten used to us.

The New Children-Introduction

2011-07-18T13:02:00.000+02:00

We accepted 6 new children into the feeding center today.It was a very exciting/hectic time. It was a time for all of us to get to know each other. It was a new challenge to feed the smaller children who need more help with eating. We really enjoyed it though. I thank God for how He has made it possible to bring in more children. Let me introduce the new children to you.

This is Dorris Nalomba. She is 2 years. She has kwashiorkor which is protien defficiency. It has made her body swollen and her hair is changing color. She does not smile. We are praying with the healthy food that she is getting at the feeding center, she will quickly improve although she will live with the affects of this the rest of her life in that she will never be tall and will probably have learning difficulties.

This is Matildah and Joyce Banda. They are fraternal twins. They are almost 3 years old, but extremely small for their size. The bloated stomachs are more of a sign of malnourishment and worms.

This is Mwape Zachariah Chibwe. He is 10 years old, and is in 3rd grade at Kalulushi Basic School. Apparently, one of his talents inlcudes posing for pictures.

This is Bupe Banda. He is 11 years old. He is in 4th grade at Kalulushi Basic School.

This is Rosemary Banda. She is 13 years old and is in 6th grade at Lubuto Basic School

The Children Enjoying Their Macaroni

2011-07-17T15:50:00.000+02:00

The kids love macaroni, and they love playing with it.

Table and Cabbage for the Children

2011-07-17T14:52:00.000+02:00

Up to now, we've been using planks and bricks to build a makeshift table. This was because there is no doors or windows on the building yet to protect the table. Now, Mr. Ndashe who stays by the church has agreed to let us keep the table at his house so we can use it every day for the feeding center. Praise God for Mr. Ndashe's help. The children will have a proper table to sit at.

The table didn't quite fit in the car, but we managed to take it to Mr. Ndashe's house.

The table was sticking out the back a bit. Its a good thing we could take back roads the whole way.

Pastor Frazer donated a cabbage from his garden for the feeding center. Praise God for another donation. Clara is Pastor Frazer's niece, and she is showing the cabbage.

Here Come the Twins

2011-07-16T17:32:00.001+02:00

Now it is official, our fifth new child is actually two. Matilda and Joyce Banda will be joining us starting Monday. They are fraternal twins and both 2 years and 10 months. Since three of our new children are small, I have just counted them as 2 because they won't eat as much as the bigger children.
We can't wait to bring you the pictures.

Buying More Supplies

2011-07-16T16:44:00.001+02:00

We enjoyed going shopping for more supplies today. As the feeding center grows, the amount of supplies needed grows too. We bought more plates and cups. We also got toothpaste, soap, and vaseline for the new children. We also got a little more meat, but my poor, little freezer won't hold much, so it will only last about a week.

We also bought a huge bag of charcoal to help with the cooking since the pots will be too big for the stove.

New, bigger pots for cooking

We already bought the oranges for Monday. Each child will receive an orange. Sometimes, they get bananas.

We also bought some Super Maheu Banana Flavor. It is a favorite energy drink for Zambian children. It has a thick, grainy texture. It is unlike any other drink I've ever had.

New Children

2011-07-16T12:01:00.001+02:00

Since we have received support for 5 more children, we went to speak to some of those children we know are in need. First, we went to the home of that small malnourished girl that we saw yesterday. Her name is Dorris Nalomba, and she is 2 years old. She will start coming on Monday. Please pray for her as she is malnourished, and we will need wisdom on how to best help her.
We then went to the house of one of the faithful women in Liberty Baptist Church, Dorothy Lufunda. She had told us of 3 of her neighbor children. They are orphans and are living with their elderly grandparents. The grandparents cannot work to provide for the children. The children only have one change of clothes. Most the time, they don't even have soap. Mainly, they often go hungry. We found the grandfather at the house. His name is Joseph Kapoma. It was easy to see how he loved the children, but could not do more for them. He was also weak, and surely has not had enough to eat. He was very grateful that we came to ask his grandchildren to come. Their names are Rosemary Banda-14 years old, Bupe Banda-12 years old, and Mwape Zachariah Chibwe-8 years old.
We have a 5th child in mind to invite, but we were not able to confirm about her yet. I will let you know as soon as the 5th child is confirmed.
We are praising God for His provisions. There are so many children in need. If you would like to help, there are instructions on the right side of the blog.
Pictures will come on Monday.

Praise God!!!

2011-07-15T22:05:00.003+02:00

We are praising God as we have recieved our first 2 checks to support the Feeding Center. A total of $150 to feed 5 children for a month. We are so excited. Tomorrow, we'll talk to some of the other children who are in need. Pray that God will lead us to the exact children who are most in need.
Be with us in prayer also for some needs. As this ministry grows, we will need a larger freezer. We will also need much bigger pots and pans as we are already using the biggest we have for the children we have. We'll also need to buy more plates and cups for the kids. These are the kind of problems I enjoy having. It is so wonderful to have more children.
Also, continue to pray for Clara. She is my assistant, but she has been sick from the first day the Feeding Center opened. She is in need of surgery, but is too anemic for the surgery at this time. We are working on building up her blood for this much needed surgery. Meanwhile, I am very grateful for other women who have stepped in to help with the cooking. God bless them for the willingness to serve.

Laughter

2011-07-15T12:49:00.004+02:00

Starving Child

2011-07-15T12:22:00.005+02:00

This little girl was brought to the feeding center today. Her name is Dorris. She is malnourished. You can see how she is bloated, especially around her feet. Her hair is also changing color. "The most visible symptoms of kwashiorkor are the swollen belly and swelling of arms, legs and feet as well as changes in skin and hair color." She has a mother, but she is not able to provide the foods Dorris needs. Pray for us as we discern God's will concerning Dorris. There are so many more children like her that we are not able to help. If God leads you to help Dorris or other children like her, please contact us to learn how to help.

The Children Introducing Themselves

2011-07-15T08:29:00.001+02:00

Joy of Eating

2011-07-15T08:03:00.001+02:00

Wazungasa is showing his ball of nshima.

George is enjoying his meal.

Abby has a mouthful.

Jennifer loves the food.

Wazungasa shows how he eats.

I finally got Zinya taking a bite. She kept hiding.

Here is what they are eating, Buka Fish.

They then sit for a Bible lesson. Everyone is laughing here because Zinya was making a big production of tucking in her shirt.

Gladys shows how to take a big bite of nshima.

Cooking with Catherine

2011-07-12T20:27:00.002+02:00

Catherine Chimbila came to help cook again while Clara is in the hospital. We had a good time cooking chicken, rice, and vegetables. The children really enjoyed the food.

Yummy chicken leg.

Jennifer dishing up the food.

Afterwards, Catherine and Jennifer went to visit Clara at the hospital. Pray for Clara's blood pressure to go down so she can have the operation she needs.

Children in Kalengwa South

2011-07-09T15:45:00.004+02:00

Playing with Children in Kalengwa South

2011-07-09T13:17:00.001+02:00

Every Saturday, we go and play with the children in Kalengwa South where Liberty Baptist Church is located. After playing some games, we have songs and a Bible Lesson. We average between 30 and 50 children every week. These are some of the poorest children in Kalulushi. Many of them do not get enough to eat every day, and they only have tattered clothes. This does not seem to stop them from always coming with a big smile and plenty of enthusiasm.

Jennifer with Mary and Lumbiwe hanging on.

Everyone was doing their karate poses. Do you see the boy who is jumping at the back? Good timing.

They also wanted to do flips for the camera.

The smallest children often watch from the side, but we try to include them as we can.

Everyone likes to pose for the camera.

Jennifer with Lewis who is hearing impaired. He is showing off his car. It is a broken toy car with only the wheels. It seems like every week he has something new that he has found to show Jennifer. Last week, it was a broken watch. Lewis is a very joyful boy. Maybe it is because he never hears bad news. Today he kept pointing at his house and the bag of candy that Jennifer was holding. He ran off and came back carrying his little brother, Mofa. Lewis wanted to make sure that Mofa got some candy, too.

That's a well timed picture.

Video of the First Week of the Feeding Center

2011-07-08T17:51:00.002+02:00

The First Week

2011-07-08T14:57:00.000+02:00

On Sunday, I felt very prepared for the feeding center to open. We had the food. We had the children ready to come. All we had to do was wake up Monday morning and cook the food. God had other plans as Clara Chanda (my assistant) woke up very sick. I ran around like crazy to prepare the food by myself. By the time I was ready to take the food to the children, Clara felt well enough to help me.
We went to the church building, but didn't find any children. After a few nervous moments, they started to arrive. We have 4 children (Abby, George, Jennifer, and Wazungasa) who will be attending daily. Also, Daniel and Felix are receiving food, but because their school times conflict with the feeding center time, we leave the food for them every day. We are not able to take a table to the church building yet because there are no doors or widows, but we carry chairs with us every day. We've put together some stray planks and bricks to make a makeshift table. The children seemed happy enough with the setup. We also gave them soap, toothpaste, and vaseline for the month. They also receive milk and fruit.
After prayer and washing hands, the children dug into their first meal of rice with some potato, chicken, and greens. Just as they started eating, Clara received a call that her niece had passed away in the capital city of Lusaka which is about 4 hours away. We cleaned up after the children were finished eating, and then I took Clara to the clinic. Clara then left for the funeral.
On Tuesday, I was blessed to have Catherine Chimbila come help me with the feeding center. She works at a feeding center/preschool in Luanshya. She helped cook the rice, sausage, and greens for the children. On that day, Abby brought her friend, Zinya because she wanted to share her food with her. This brought us up to 7 children.
On Wednesday, my Bemba teacher, Gladys Mulenga, came to help with the cooking. We prepared the Zambian staple food of nshima (maize meal porridge) with beef and cabbage.
On Thursday, Gladys and I prepared nshima with kapenta (small fish) and cabbage. Friday we made macaroni with meat sauce and chinese cabbage.
Each day has brought new blessings. The children are taught a lesson from the Bible every day. They are so attentive and inquisitive. I am blessed to be able to meet these children. They do not have much, but they are full of joy.
At this time, I am supporting all of these children, but there are so many more children in need that I cannot help. Daily, I am receiving requests for me to help more children. If you would like to support a child, it is $30 a month. Let us know if you are interested. God bless.

Introducing the Children

2011-07-08T13:12:00.002+02:00

As of now, we have 7 children being fed at the Feeding Center. Let me introduce them to you.

Zinya Munyamba and Abby Mukaba are both 5 years old. Abby is an orphan and lives with her grandmother. Zinya is not an orphan, but is Abby's neighbor. Abby knew that Zinya also was in need of food so she wanted to share her food with Zinya. Now, Zinya comes every day. Her mother says she wakes up every morning at 5 a.m. and starts calling Abby so they can go.

This is George Chinkwanda. He is 10 years old. He is in 2nd grade at Lubuto Basic School. He is a very quiet and sweet boy. He is very much in need of new clothes.

This is Wazungasa Chingenge. He is 6 years old, but has not started school yet. He is the talker of the group and is always full of enthusiasm.

This is Jennifer Chingenge. She is 9 years old. She is in 4th grade at Lubuto Basic School.

This is Daniel Chingenge. He is 12 years old. He will not always be able to attend the feeding center as it conflicts with his school times, but we leave food for him to eat when he comes home.

In the gray shirt is Felix Chingenge. He is 15 years old. His school time also conflict with the feeding center time, but we provide food for him. Daniel and Felix will attend whenever they are not in school.

George, Daniel, Jennifer, Wazungasa, Zinya, and Abby.

Opening of Kalulushi Feeding Center

2011-07-08T12:59:00.003+02:00

Kalulushi Children's Feeding Center opened on July 4, 2011 at Liberty Baptist Church in Kalulushi, Zambia, Africa. The goal of Kalulushi Children's Feeding Center is to give healthy meals to orphans and vulnerable children who are in need. We have started with 7 children that we feed one meal per day from Monday up to Friday.

Director Jennifer Townsend with 5 of the children.

Eating the Zambian staple food - Nshima with Beef and Cabbage

Washing their hands.

Eating Rice, Chicken, and Greens

They enjoy the chance to ride in the car whenever possible.

Gladys helps carrying the chairs. Until the building has doors and windows, we have to carry everything with us every day.

Cooking Macaroni, Meat Sauce, and Chinese Cabbage

Preparing the plates for the day.

Carrying the plates to take to the children

A plate of Rice, Chicken, and Greens

Each child also receives toothpaste, soap, and vaseline

A plate of Nshima, Beef, and Cabbage

All gone.

Eating their oranges. They also receive milk.