Signs and Wonders
we went to the Kampakete Village outside Lusaka. this was the Africa I think many of us envision when we see things on tv. the villagers live in small huts, bath in community wells and eat from the community pot. the children outnumber the adults 4 to 1. they all are fed one meal of porridge - a mixture of cornmeal, soya and sugar- a day, sharing bowls and eating without utensils. i sensed the children were in a surreal state - many have only hear stories of the mazungu or 'white man.' this was their first live encounter with them.
we played games and shared our stories. we held the children who were looking for comfort. afterwards, Pastor Benson gathered up all the children under an alluminum shack for the church building was destroyed by vandals. i was blessed to see that these children were faithful and obedient. the Bible says the joy of the Lord is the strength of his people. this was never more apparent than now - these children, with little to eat, wearing worn and torn rags, many of them without shoes, were delighted to play, have the clothes that Americans no longer deemed 'in season', and eat the one meal that they know day in and day out. and still, they know the sequential order of the books of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and all in between, they sang songs of praise and recited poems that they worked on as a village. they performed dramas that explained the HIV virus, and how witch doctors have told myths to the people that the cure is to lay with young virgins - the younger the better.
it was hard to leave the children, and while they all feel they were blessed, each and every one of us on the team had mutual blessings. people believe that signs and wonders dilute the power of God and the teaching of the Lord because the sign becomes idolatry. however, while i have held onto finding confirmation in the small things in life, this village was the miraculous sign and wonder that many seek for confirmation - i encourage those to seek far away from the U.S. should they require water to be turned into wine.
we played games and shared our stories. we held the children who were looking for comfort. afterwards, Pastor Benson gathered up all the children under an alluminum shack for the church building was destroyed by vandals. i was blessed to see that these children were faithful and obedient. the Bible says the joy of the Lord is the strength of his people. this was never more apparent than now - these children, with little to eat, wearing worn and torn rags, many of them without shoes, were delighted to play, have the clothes that Americans no longer deemed 'in season', and eat the one meal that they know day in and day out. and still, they know the sequential order of the books of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and all in between, they sang songs of praise and recited poems that they worked on as a village. they performed dramas that explained the HIV virus, and how witch doctors have told myths to the people that the cure is to lay with young virgins - the younger the better.
it was hard to leave the children, and while they all feel they were blessed, each and every one of us on the team had mutual blessings. people believe that signs and wonders dilute the power of God and the teaching of the Lord because the sign becomes idolatry. however, while i have held onto finding confirmation in the small things in life, this village was the miraculous sign and wonder that many seek for confirmation - i encourage those to seek far away from the U.S. should they require water to be turned into wine.
posted by Micah Orloff | 5:06 AM
3 Comments:
We are all awed by the experiences you relate. Our prayers are with you and Alicia and everyone with whom you come into contact. We very much appreciate what you are doing.
Love Dad, Mai and Vitamay (Joey)
Thanks for sharing this with us. Something like this makes us open our eyes to all the blessings and grace from God which we have taken for granted. It reminds us to always praise and give thanks for we are very fortunate in this materialistic world of ours and also humbles us because they have so little, yet in their heart, they carry God's love. How about us?
Thanks again...you and everyone in the "breath of Heaven" mission are working with the hands of God, not only to those in Africa, but to us too...who will be following your blog. Take care!!!!
Recsie
It is a wondrous thing you do and a testament to the validity of "tikkun olam"...the sage wisdom that those who help even one other in fact "heal the world". Love, Keith,Carl & Sheba
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