The muzungu ball

So my day started out with my boys running toward me as they got off the bus. I brought my soccer ball today and they were so excited. They kept calling it the muzungu ball (the white person ball haha). Today we had a lot of blessing times which is one on one times with my boys. I got to see what has changed since last year in their lives. It was pretty sad actually because a lot of them don’t have enough money to go to school anymore. Which is not good because if they don’t go to school they have no way to go anywhere in life. They said that they get chased away from the school when they try to go. Can you imagine that? All these kids want to do is learn and they aren’t allowed because the school directors are so greedy for money that they refuse them. How different that is in America. Kids would rather be anywhere but a school. It just doesn’t seem fair.

I have this one boy, Chrispin, who tends to get in a lot of trouble. He has always had a feisty attitude, but today something was different. He kept getting into fights with the boys around him and not paying attention during big group and small group time. My partner said that he had an angry spirit and a difficult time paying attention. Last year he struggled with drinking with his friends so I talked to him about that and he said that he tried to quit but he just couldn’t do it on his own. He also said that he tries to pay attention but something in him wont let him. Well on the way out of the big group time he got in another fight with a boy from a different group and the leader of that group told me he thought Chrispin was very angry and that I should take him to the prayer room. This was about the third or fourth person who had told me this so finally we went. It was the craziest experience. In years past people have to go into the prayer room or “deliverance room” a lot because the kids in Zambia are just filled with evil spirits, but I never have had to do it. So immediately when we walk in the room the people who were praying noticed that Chrispin’s whole body was stiff and resistant. They tried asking him some questions but he was being very quiet. Then they noticed that he was wearing this chain around his neck and they said we should take it off of him because it could hold some evil powers if a witchdoctor gave it to him. Turns out the chain had no clasp or opening that we could take it off with so we had to pry to open. I don’t know how long I was in there for but like I said before I have never experienced anything like that. I wont go into much detail about it but something that was so incredible was that the main guy who was fervently praying for Chrispin didn’t know about his spirit of drunkenness and all of a sudden he started praying for that. It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit could lay that on his heart to pray for. Afterwards Chrispin was completely different. He helped count all the boys and line them up and was smiling and laughing again. Continue to keep him in your prayers along with all my boys.

My partner and I are struggling a little bit. She hardly ever translates for me. She will be talking in Nyanja to the boys and I will have to ask 4 or 5 times what she is saying before she answers. And even then her answer will be that they are just chatting. So I’m really hoping that gets better. Mine and Jodi’s partners went to the bathroom again after camp to put on makeup. They asked if we wanted to go and this time we said no haha.

Kelvin told me that he wants me to request him to be his apostle for next week. I wish I could but I told him that we weren’t allowed. But it has been so cool to getting to be a group next to him. It’s so encouraging.

At dinner, the Americans are given the opportunity to stand up and give testimonies about their days and some of them are just heartbreaking. A girl shared about how one of her girls just found out that she is HIV positive. The child is eight. EIGHT. These children endure so much and you can see it in their eyes that all they want is for somebody to love them. For somebody to look them in their eyes and tell them they have worth. I think of how much I LOVE my boys and I can’t understand how somebody could ever think otherwise. All I have to do is look at them and my heart is filled with joy.

Tomorrow or the next day I am going to be talking to my boys about respecting women and making the right decisions so be praying for that conversation. I have partnered with an American who has girls about the same age and I’m going to have my boys serve them lunch. I’m really excited about that!

I hope all is well in the states.

much love.