Meet Gift!

Gift was one of the 14 girls I had the privilege to meet at Camp LIFE. All of my girls were from an area of town called Chawama. I met my group of girls on Monday, and got to know them throughout the week. A large part of my time at camp was spent in "blessing times" with each of the girls. Gift was one of my happiest kids all week, and our blessing time did not come until Thursday. She is 11 years old and has survived both of her parents. She lived with her mother's cousin, and much like many of the kids that had lost their parents, she was considered a burden to the family because they had difficulty providing enough food for themselves, and to them she was just another mouth to feed. After her parent's death, she first lived with her Grandmother, but after a short while she moved in with her mother's cousin. This year was not Gift's first time at Camp LIFE, and I am happy to report that she had put her faith in God during a previous year of Camp LIFE. She had a light about her that was unusual given her circumstance, and it wasn't until Thursday that I caught a glimpse into the pain and suffering she dealt with on a daily basis.


On Thursday, she did not greet me with her usual smile, and did not respond to my attempts to love and hug on her. Immediately, I knew something was wrong. I spoke to my Zambian partner, Nelly, and we both agreed that she would be our priority of the morning. When we sat down for our blessing time, I asked her what was wrong. She sat quietly and thought for a long while before she responded. She proceeded with a passionate story in a long flowing of words in her native language, Nyanja.  I watched her as she spoke with a strong conviction. I waited anxiously for my partner to translate. I came to find out that her mother's cousin had been discouraging her from coming to camp since Monday. She was told that we were Satanists, but Gift knew better. She fought each day to be able to attend camp, but on Wednesday night her mother's cousin had enough. Like many nights before, that night she beat Gift. She was warned that going to camp meant that she would need to find a new home. The next morning her cousin locked her in the house while she went off to work. At this point of the story, a broad smile came across Gift’s face. She informed us that her mother's cousin had forgotten that there was an extra key in the house. Gift used it to let herself out and came to camp. She knew very well that she would not have a place to come home to because of her disobedience to her caretaker, but she was intent on attending Camp LIFE.
Wow, I thought to myself, as I tried to put myself in her shoes. Would I have been so brave as to stand up and leave my home, just for the opportunity to worship the Lord? My heart went out to her, and I knew I had to intervene in some way. I couldn't stand by knowing that she had nowhere to go, all because she was willing to sacrifice everything to learn more about the God who had saved her. Nelly and I spoke to Innocent, the discipleship leader (one of Family Legacy’s 270 Zambian employees) of the Chawama compound, looking to him for a way to help Gift. He told me not to worry, and that he would see to it that she had a safe place to lay her head that night.
I had to leave Africa, not knowing what would become of that courageous little girl. It broke my heart, but I had to trust that God had a plan for His sweet and faithful Gift. Once I was stateside, I received an e-mail to let me know that she was safe and sound at her new home in the Community Resource Center. Someone had volunteered to sponsor her to provide the $100 per month that would ensure that she would have Godly house parents who will care for her 24/7, receive 3 meals a day, and guaranteed her a spot in school. God rescued her from a horrible situation, and gave her people that cared about her well being. He truly is our ultimate Provider! I tell you Gift’s story not to dishearten you, but rather to show you the amazing impact Family Legacy is having on thousands of kids just like Gift.