Day 7

June 11

It's my last night in Zambia and I so do not want to leave. I want to be here in Africa. It feels so natural to be here, like part of me has come home. I love the people and I will miss my sweet boys so much. God, you have changed me through them. Again, I fell asleep last night before I could journal, so I need to backtrack and record yesterday's events...

Yesterday was show day - WOW! New socks, shoes, t-shirts and bandannas for my boys and 900 other Zambian kids in 3 hours. Such a rush and so incredible. I prayed over each of my boys as I fitted their feet with new shoes. My prayer is still that You would anoint these boys new shoes to be the beautiful feet that spread the Good News. I saw such a transformation in these boys from wearing the same outfit I had seen them in all week to placing them in new, crisp, clean clothes and shoes. And then, my favorite part of the trip - going to their village! So amazing! We stopped at Jeremiah's grandmother's house. She is nearly blind and very elderly. She was already saved and sang to us and shared Micah 6 with the boys. We left her with a bag full of cooking oil, meale-meal, and sugar. She was so grateful. We then visited a grandmother with at least a dozen grandchildren running around. Half the boys went to the back of the house to witness and half of us stayed at the front of the house as the woman found seats for us. The boys unashamedly shared the gospel through the evangi-cube with her. The last woman invited us to sit on a shaded mat while Moses shared the gospel with her. She was already saved as well and said a prayer over us. It was interesting to watch her breastfeed in front of 20 boys! They didn't care...I think I was the only embarrassed one there. :) I was SO proud of my older boys for being so bold in their preaching. They lit up and loved evangelizing with a passion. I sent them back out to keep preaching even after I left and they reported today that they did visit some other houses and will continue to do so. On our way to the bus the boys stopped to witness to a man and some other men started to flirt with me. My boys were so protective - they all surrounded me and threw their arms around me. Samuel held me around the waist so tight. He claims he is always angry and a bully, but I've seen him love all over me, be so protective and cling to me, and also be afraid of certain thing, like when he ducked and covered during the joy party when the confetti machines made a loud sound. Lord protect your Samuel, deliver him from fear and evil. I have learned so much about spirits and evil this week...fill me with the Holy Spirit. The man flirting with me wanted me to take a picture with his youngest daughter. She never smiled and her eyes were dark and scared. I put Samuel down so I could love on her, hold her, kiss her, and tell her how pretty she was. I have such a bad feeling about that man and pray protection over that little girl and his other children from him and his friends.