Back to Africa

Next week will be two years since Carl's motorcycle accident. How can it be? In some ways it seems like forever ago, and at other times it feels like it just happened. And there are times when I wonder, did it really happen at all? It's almost like a dream. We have learned how to live with the effects of the accident and this is our life now. God has proven Himself to be faithful, always faithful.

An answer to prayer: We got to go back to Africa! In July, Carl, Tessa, Christy and I spent a week in the country of Zambia, with the same organization we went with shortly before Carl's accident in 2008. The trip was life-changing for us and for our kids. Below are some excerpts from an article our 19-year-old daughter Tessa posted on her facebook page:

"It's amazing how a week can completely change one's perspective.

Our eyes glaze over when the cheesy announcer on TV asks us to sponsor the poor kids in a third world country. We are told, "A dollar a day and these lives will change." We tune out when we hear that AIDS is ravaging the lives of young innocent children in many places around the globe...

But when it becomes reality, that is when the heart changes. A fellow American at "Camp LIFE' this year tells our group about a little 8-year-old girl in her group who had a very painful gash on her leg and was taken to the camp nurse. While checking her, they discovered that she has HIV. The counselor cries saying how it's so unfair, this beautiful child did nothing to deserve this awful disease, and there is not one dry eye in the room. That is when reality hits.

We are blessed, unimaginably blessed, yet sometimes we feel inadequate or at a loss to know what to do with those blessings. How can I make a difference?

Let me explain my experience this past week when I had the opportunity to travel to Zambia, Africa. First, the facts:

FACT: Half the population of Zambia is under 16.
*One million of those children are orphans; this extreme number is due to the high death rate from extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS.

FACT: The life expectancy in America is 78 years old.
*In Zambia it is 38.

FACT: Zambia has the 5th highest death rate in the whole world.

FACT: The unemployment rate in America is just under 9%.
*The unemployment rate in Zambia is 70%.

FACT: 86% of Zambia's population lives on less than one dollar a day.
*And thousands of kids cannot get an education because they can't come up with the four dollars that is required for a whole year of schooling.

As Americans we are taught to fix problems and it is often considered a sign of weakness to rely on someone or something else. We have a do-it-yourself mentality. But when you step foot in this camp deep in the heart of Africa, it is like the carpet is pulled out from under you. There is SO much need and we have so little control over what is happening. We can't physically change the direction of a nation--or even one child--ourselves.

But God can.

When we give up relying on our own strength and simply show up, asking God to use us, that is when miracles happen. If you are still reading this...you might be starting to tune out. Miracles? Isn't that just a thing from Bible times? Blind eyes given sight, deaf ears made to hear, lepers healed...as Christians we sing the songs but do we have the faith that miracles still happen today?

I have seen a child whose eyes are lifeless, a blank stare, and she seems to be"the walking dead". Her entire emotional and mental system has shut down to cope with the intense pain of life. Within days, even though there is no change in her life's circumstances, she is overcome with joy and there is a contagious light on her face. That is when I know I have truly witnessed a miracle. For one week at Camp this child feels loved and treasured by the people around her.

And the thing is, it's hard to explain, God gives us a genuine love for these kids. They are dirty, they are ragged, they smell bad, their noses are runny---but the second they leave after the week of camp is over, it feels like a part of your heart is being taken away as the bus leaves the grounds. The kids have come to realize after only five days that not only do their teachers love them but there is a Mighty God who loves them.

"The joy of the Lord is my strength" was the theme for Camp LIFE in 2010. Quite honestly, some of us who were helping struggled with the fact that these kids' circumstances are so unspeakably awful, how can we teach them to rely on God when it feels like there is no hope? But let me tell you, our minds changed when we got ourselves out of the way, and simply spoke the Word of God to them. The difference in them was tangible!

God is using an organization called Family Legacy to change the nation of Zambia. In the camps we attended were the future doctors and government leaders of that country, the teachers of tomorrow who will then impact the next generation for good. These children, because they now know Jesus, will not fill the shoes of the present corrupt and selfish leaders, but begin a new season of honesty, morality and generosity.

As I write this letter, there are 105 orphans from the most dire of situations, who have been moved by Family Legacy to a safe place called the Tree of Life Children's Village. This wonderful haven in the heart of Zambia has been completely built through donated monies. There are now seven permanent homes on the property, each housing 12-16 children along with house parents and there is a brand-new, well-equipped school there that focuses on quality education. My dad set up two big playsets on the grounds so the children have a place to just be kids.

But the dream is not stopping there...the future vision of this organization is mind-boggling and brings exciting possibilities to anyone who hears it. God is doing so many exciting things! I am so thankful that I get to experience it but also that I have a voice to come home and explain to others the tangible power of the living God.

So how can you help?

I feel that it is my responsibility to not only get all the kids in my group at camp sponsored, but my mom's and my sister's kids as well. All together this goal affects approximately 40 young girls ranging from ages 8 to 14.

After working at Camp LIFE twice in the past two years, I believe that Family Legacy has one of the most reliable, life-changing sponsorship programs anywhere. The money you give each month literally changes the direction of a child's life...seriously. It provides them with an opportunity to go to school, something that radically alters the future of these children. And it will be an education at a private school or at one of the Lifeway Christian Academy's (LCA), which are schools now being set up through Family Legacy. Not only does your sponsorship provide schooling but it ensures that these children will receive wise counsel, nourishment and help with health issues they commonly face. 95% of what you give goes directly to helping your sponsored child.

This entry has been lengthy--if you have more questions about the sponsorship program, you can visit Family Legacy's website at www.legacymissions.org and click on The Father's Heart link. You may also call me at 717-413-7946. In about a week I will be receiving packets for all the kids I taught so if you have interest in sponsorship, please give me a call!"

Tessa Smucker