 |
| Hughey Family-Erin Hughey is an artist of sorts and put together this fun photo of their family |
 |
| Megan reading to some boys in the community |
On December 28th, Family Legacy sent 7 people to Zambia to expand God's work in Africa. A family of 6 (Clay and Erin Hughey and their 4 children) and Megan (a school teacher dedicated to changing the education system in Zambia). Megan also has a blog, and as I read it this morning, I came across many things that touched my soul to the core. I believe one day my family and I may also be called to live in Africa, so I am reading this and living her experiences vicariously through her blog. With each sentence, I imagine my family in those situations and wonder how we would respond. I want to share with you this story that Megan posted about a little boy and what God has done in his life. He told this story during church service this past Sunday at the Tree of Life Children's Village in Zambia:
Michael:
"my mother was sick and went away for a while. i had to stay with my uncle but he told me, "you are not my relative." i went to the market to watch a video show one day and when i came home my uncle asked me where i was. when i said the market he said i could go stay there. so i had to live at the market for a while. i stayed in a shelter place with a roof of plastic. one day a drunk man came by and peed on me. he made me sit there for several hours. then i was able to go to camp life. they asked me questions and i told them i lived at the market. after camp life, i tried to go home to my uncles house, but he began beating me. my mom returned and pulled a knife on my uncle and said, "get away from my son" so i ran. i stayed at a friends house for a while, but his parents died and i had no where to go. one day i tried to go back home again and my uncle beat me again. then i went to camp life again and they said i would be taken somewhere nice. then i came to the tree of life."
"my mother was sick and went away for a while. i had to stay with my uncle but he told me, "you are not my relative." i went to the market to watch a video show one day and when i came home my uncle asked me where i was. when i said the market he said i could go stay there. so i had to live at the market for a while. i stayed in a shelter place with a roof of plastic. one day a drunk man came by and peed on me. he made me sit there for several hours. then i was able to go to camp life. they asked me questions and i told them i lived at the market. after camp life, i tried to go home to my uncles house, but he began beating me. my mom returned and pulled a knife on my uncle and said, "get away from my son" so i ran. i stayed at a friends house for a while, but his parents died and i had no where to go. one day i tried to go back home again and my uncle beat me again. then i went to camp life again and they said i would be taken somewhere nice. then i came to the tree of life."
Megan's comments: "this boy looked down the entire time, and at the end gave full praise to the Lord for bringing out of darkness and into His marvelous light. powerful huh? these are the children of zambia, except that thousands of them are still living in the streets or in broken homes....this is my prayer. that the Lord wouldn't just be this God that i pray to and i listen for. but that He would be my father, that i would melt in His peace and love Him like he deserves to be loved. to be desperate for Him like the Zambian children are. wow.. i'm learning so much from these babies."
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
 | |||||
| Kids loving life at the Tree of Life Children's Village-this is truly a longing fulfilled! |
"I will not die. I will live to declare the works of the Lord in the land of the living. I declare that I will not die before my time. I will live and praise You for Your works in my life. I will not be the same. My mother and father have failed me, but You, o Lord, will not. I leave the past behind."
These children inspire me. They come from nothing, have nothing, and have no reason to hope for something. But God in His amazing love for His creation, meets us where we are. He has motivated a team of 18 Americans and 270 Zambians to action in Africa. Through Family Legacy, thousands of kids are being heard for the first time. Needs are being met and joy is being found. God declares in John 14:18: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
I get to see it more now that I am here at FLMI everyday...story after story of despair turning into hope. God is stepping into the lives of these kids and rescuing them in a VERY real way. Without the people that God has called as His hands and feet, these children would go forgotten and unnoticed. The Bible tells us that God knows exactly the number of hairs on each of our heads. We are His children and words fail His unending love for us. The lengths He will go to so that we will know Him are great. What an amazing God we serve! Thank you God for your goodness and provision and help me to remember every day how unbelievably fortunate I am to wake up and serve you, my God!
No comments:
Post a Comment