LORD, HOW CAN WE FEED ALL OF THESE CHILDREN?

It is very common for children from either the compounds or the streets to knock on our gate in search of money and/or food. We never give them money as alcoholism is a very real problem here in Ndola and there is no minimum drinking age. Any five-year old can buy and drink beer and they often do.

One day last week, our children looked up from their school books to see a bunch of kids coming into our yard at Augustine's invitation. What made this group different from the others is that there were sixteen kids instead of the usual five or six. It is extremely difficult to see this in my own front yard instead of on television or in magazines. Yet, this is why we are here. It is why we came. And it is why so many people back home continue their faithful support of our ministry.

Not owning a vehicle has changed the way we accomplish our tasks and oddly, opened doors right here in the Northrise area of Ndola. Opportunities to touch lives literally walk through our gate loaded with burdens of all kinds on a daily basis; yet where do we start? The needs are enormous! Which ones do we attend to first?

My personal Bible study has me walking with Jesus through the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Talk about an excellent example of keeping focused in the face of a needy world! I know I've said this before, but I will say it again, the Bible has literally come to life for me in a whole new way since moving to Zambia.

Many Zambians struggle with the very issues that were present in Jesus' day. Life for them is about getting clean water to drink, finding a dry place to sleep, and food to feed their families. Women chat together as they wash clothes, pound vegetables, and shell peanuts. Life for the average person in Zambia is about daily survival.


Augustine supervises the kids as they weed and clean up the yard in exchange for Karate classes. Notice how small these children are compared to him. He is only about 5'4" tall himself. These kids are all tiny for their ages which is a result of malnutrition along with many other variables in their lives. One of the boys is seven years old. The rest are between twelve and fifteen.

I knew these children were all hungry but where was I going to find enough food to fill sixteen empty tummys? We do not keep much on hand as our refrigerator is very small. I had just read about Jesus feeding the 5,000 men and their families with just five loaves of bread and two fish. I prayed with my daughters that God would provide. And He did!

While the kids were busy cleaning the yard, the girls and I looked through our kitchen to see what we could find. We found that we did indeed have enough rice to make a huge pot full but nothing to go with it. About that time our vegetable lady arrived with more vegetables than she ever brought before! The girls and I jumped up and down with excitement knowing that these kids would not leave our home hungry. Rice, vegetables, and soy pieces made a well-balanced lunch. We praised the Lord as we prepared the meal.

We enthusiastically prepared lunch for all sixteen children. It is a great privilege to reach a hurting world; at least the part of it that comes into our lives.

Shauna, our little CEO in training, had everyone organized in no time while I grabbed my camera and caught these images.

Isata said, "Mom, it makes me sad that these children don't know if they will find food to eat during the day." She made sure we got all the spices just right.

My sweet boy studied ant behavior while all of this was going on. No matter what he is doing, he will always stop with a smile if I need something. This afternoon I just wanted his picture. All four of our Sierra Leonean children were tiny and hungry just like these kids when they stepped into new lives on American soil. When I see hungry kids, I see my own little ones before they joined us. They are miracles for sure.

Just look at their adorable smiles! Surely I am a blessed mommy.


I told Augustine that we wanted to feed the children. Even he thought there were too many. After reassuring him that we did indeed have enough food, he read the Bible and prayed with them as we dished up their meal.

I doubt that any of these kids had ever tasted rice before, especially since we added onions, curry, and bouillon cubes. Since we do not have mealie meal for Nshima, rice, vegetables, and soy pieces for protein were the day's menu.

After the meal was ready, we realized that we were short plates and silverware for such a large crowd. Augustine had been saving all of our yogurt containers for several weeks which worked perfectly. Between the forks, large and small spoons, we found enough silverware as well. It didn't take too long to realize that most of the children had never used eating utensils before. They learned quickly!


The containers hold about as much as three or four individual yogurt cups in the States.

The little girl pictured above is no bigger than our granddaughter Caylie. I thought she was about five until I got a better look at her. She is actually eleven years old! I estimate that she wears a child's size 5 clothing. If you look at the group picture posted above, you can see how small she is compared to her friends. And. . .all of them are super small as well!

Did we cure hunger either spiritually or physically for these children? No, and that bothers me more than you can even imagine. So what did we accomplish besides emptying our cupboards? We did what we could for that day. Focusing on what we can't do rather than on what we can will only paralyze us in our steps. The needs are too big for us. We must trust in God's sovereign plan.

Augustine is a natural born leader and all of these kids look up to him. We realize that our outreach to them will happen through the Matambos and leaders like them. Many Zambians look to wealthy countries to change their own. But I am convinced that huge sums of money from the outside is not what is needed here. Godly, moral leadership is. We are discipling Augustine and Bridget several times a week. Strengthening them in their Christian walk will equip them for the enormous task ahead that is most assuredly theirs.

They are exploring the possibility of using their church building as a trade school during the week so that these children and their families can learn skills that will help them provide for their families. It is vitally important that these children find healthy ways to occupy their time. Many do not attend school because they lack uniforms and shoes. Those who manage to meet these requirements still attend school sporadically if at all simply because they do not recognize how education is going to change their lives. They and their parents, if any exist, know that while requirements might be met this term, they may not the next. So why bother at all?

Another hurdle to overcome is learning English. Education is done in English, laws are written in English, all of the stores operate in English. Not knowing Zambia's official language puts people at a terrible disadvantage right here in their own country.


Every day we pray that God will use us to accomplish His plan for the people of Zambia. The true needs here are not what they may seem. For changes to last long term, they must come from Zambian leaders. These children need strong Zambian role models. Outside people and their programs come and go. Raising up leaders full of integrity, moral character, and dedication to worshiping God by serving His people will impact Zambia for generations to come.

Thank you again for partnering with us in this great land. Together, we are making a difference!

Blessings and joy,
Beckie