Love instead of being loved

Every night we get the opportunity to sit together as a team and share the things that we learned that day. I love it every night because it gives me a chance to ponder on the things that I am learning here, and I also get to learn and be inspired by the other members of my team. Tonight a girl on our team said something that really hit me, she said that when you worry about loving someone else instead of worrying about being loved back that makes a huge difference. I really liked that because I think it's completely true and I think it's the way Christ was when he was on the Earth. I think that we all love knowing that others care about us, so it takes extreme sacrifice to love someone before you know that they will give you that love in return. I have felt that kind of love from people in Zambia many times, especially with the children. They have a knack for loving easily and openly.
Today I got to experience that love even deeper because we had the opportunity to spend the day helping out at the house of Moses (which is an orphanage for babies until they turn around 2 years old). It was so wonderful to be able to hold these beautiful babies and to play with these cute toddlers and to feel of their love. It is very hard when I think about the fact that these adorable little babies don't have a Mother or Father who can love them and be loved by them. It doesn't seem fair that they should have to go through life on their own. But it is so wonderful to know that Heavenly Father is watching out for them and loving them every minute of their lives, and he has a plan for these little babies.

Everyone can make a difference!

Today we visited a partnering organization of MWB, called Bwafano. Bwafano was created by an amazing Zambian named Mrs. Chola who saw something wrong in her community and decided that she was going to try to help. Bwafano is based in a compound which is like the ghetto of Zambia. Because of Mrs. Chola, Bwafano now has a school which teaches and feeds the children in that community, an AIDS testing center, a women's sewing club, and a whole network of people who check up on the people in the community who are sick with AIDS so that they can make sure that they are taking their medicine. It is pretty amazing to see all the work that she has done with Bwafano and how much it is helping her community.
We got to go on a little tour of the community and follow some of the volunteers who check up on the AIDS patients. The volunteer that my group followed was named Earnest, and he was a truly amazing man. Earnest has many children of his own that he needs to feed, and he doesn't have a job, but he is still willing to serve his neighbors who are affected by AIDS. Earnest told us that sometimes he and the other volunteers will even pitch in some money to help those with AIDS so that they can afford to get their medicine. And when asked why he does what he does he replied that he loved his community and he wanted to make it better. It has been so inspiring for me to see people with absolutely nothing, who are living in the worst conditions, and yet they are the happiest most loving people that I have ever met.

I'm very grateful for the medical care that we have in the United States!

Today we had the opportunity to visit the nicest hospital in Zambia. It wasn't very nice. It was really sad because as one of our team members put it the Nurses there were very well equipped for there job but they lacked the resources to do what they needed to do. We visited the preemie baby section and it was so hard to look at. The babies were so tiny and unlike the US they didn't have one nurse per baby, and they didn't have tons of supplies and machines to take care of them. It was very hard to see. Also, if any of the mother's wanted to visit their tiny babies they had to walk all the way from another building, after just giving birth. I was absolutely amazed by the strength of these mothers as I watched them stand for hours, just holding their babies hands. It made me so grateful for all of the resources that we have in the US. And it made me grateful for all of the Mom's in the world, especially mine! :) We were able to help out a little by bringing bags full of new born baby and birthing kits, thank you for all of your donations. You have no idea how much that will mean to a new mother and her little new born baby!

Meya Village

Today we got to visit an average Zambian village, and it was very eye opening. Driving in on our big bus was quite the adventure because the road was really bumpy, if you could call it a road. But it was an adventure and I loved every minute of it, especially seeing the scenery as we drove. It was so cool to see real African huts spread out in the African bush.
When we entered the village we were welcomed by a group of beautiful Zambian mothers, singing to us in their native language Nyanja. They were singing praises to Heavenly Father, and thanking him for sending us to help them. It was a truly beautiful experience and I am very thankful for those women and their faith.
After their welcome we were able to set up a Super Kids Camp for all of the village kids, while their mothers were able to attend a medical clinic that we set up. Webster, one of the Zambian staff members of MWB, is in charge of the kids camp and he does an amazing job. Despite the language barrier between us and the children we were able to spend the day playing games with them and feeling of their spirits. I spent most of the day with two little girls named KK and Luc, and I just held their hands and hugged them. They were both very tiny and very cold and they were wearing little outfits that were ripped and torn. It was very sad for me to see that because I wanted to give them all of the clothes that I had just so that I could keep them warm. But that isn't acceptable because there is so much need that everything we give must be given out evenly so that there aren't any fights and everyone is able to be helped. Thank you so much everyone who donated clothes and jackets, these kids are the kind of kids who were helped by your service! Anyways, the kids at the camp were just like kids here they were very energetic and they loved to have a good time, but they were especially loving to all of us team members and it was really easy for us to love them back.
At the same time as the super camp we had a little medical clinic set up in a hut that one of the village women was kind enough to let us use. The village women and some men stood in line for hours just so that they could come into the clinic. All we had to offer was some ibuprofen, cough drops, eye drops, fungal cream, and etc., but they were still so desperate to get any help. It was really heat breaking for me to see all of the serious conditions that the village people had, and our inability to help them. We told many people that they needed to visit a hospital and get help, but most will never be able to afford a doctor or transportation to get there.
There is so much need in the world, but it's good to know that by doing whatever we can we are helping people and are truly making a difference. Thank you for all of your donations, the people of Zambia greatly appreciate your love!

Hi ho it's off to work we go!

Today we spent the day working at the CRC. I was really excited to be able to finally begin helping out. There are a lot of projects going on at the CRC right now, and we all got divided amongst them. Today I was assigned helping out at the playground that we are building for the kids. A lot of the things we are doing at the CRC are to try to make it a more welcoming and fun place for the kids to live. So we're also working on painting a big mural on the outside of the CRC and painting the kids rooms. We are also working on improving the general living conditions at the CRC. We are working on digging a fish pond, building an amphitheater, building soqowea drains, and placing solar panels. Throughout the next couple of weeks we will all take turns rotating through all of the jobs. We have an awesome team and everyone is working really hard. Anyways, while a couple of us were working on the playground today, Anthony Mulenga came up and talked to us. Anthony told us his story, and I got his permission to tell you all. When Anthony was around 6 he began living on the streets, because both of his parents had passed away. When he was around 9 years old he met Kathy (MWB founder) and at age 11 she began paying for him to go to school. At age 11 Anthony was put into a grade that was much lower than his age level, but he caught on to information so quick that his teachers kept moving him up grades until he was in the grade that was correct for his age. Anthony just graduated from school last year and on his final exams he scored the second highest out of all of Zambia. He is an amazing example of where hard work and dedication can get you! And he definitely makes me appreciate school more! Right now MWB is looking for a sponsor to help him, because he is now applying for colleges and is hoping to go to the University of Utah.

Going to Church in Zambia

Today we got to visit the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in Zambia. It was a really cool experience for a lot of the team, because it helped us to realize that the LDS Church is the same wherever you go! It was fast Sunday, and it was really neat to be able to listen to some of the Zambian members bear their testimonies. You could really feel the love that they have for their Savior, and you can tell that they have a very close relationship with him.
After Church we got to visit the CRC (Children's Resource Center owned by Mothers Without Borders) for the first time. I was so excited to meet all of the kids who live out there! When we drove up in our big bus, they all walked out and imediately began introducing themselves and shaking our hands. I was so impressed with them from the beginning, because these kids have all been through extremely hard trials, but you can see a light about them and they are still so happy. I felt honored to meet them, I'm very excited to continue to get to know them and learn from them.
Tonight we had our first team meeting, we'll be having them every night and I can tell that they will be very inspiring. We all sit in a circle and say our Aha! moments, or what we learned that day, and afterwards we get the oppurtunity to learn from Kathy (founder of Mothers Without Borders). Today we took turns sharing why we came to Zambia, it was really powerful to here the different things that brought us here. I'm excited to see what we can all bring to the table, and what we can all get from this experience!

The Adventure Begins! Day 1 in Zambia

Today is my first day in Zambia and I am already in love with this country! My first impression of Zambia is that everyone here is extremely loving and unjudgemental. Ever since we've arrived here there hasn't been an end to the welcomes and the hugs. Yes, I have been hugged by multiple women here before they even have time to learn my name! I think it's so wonderful because they are so loving from the moment you meet them, and they are completely sincere.
I am very jet lagged but very very excited for the adventure ahead of me! I can tell that I will be learning a lot from the Zambian people.

Mothers Without Borders

I am very excited for my opportunity to serve with Mothers Without Borders. There is such a great need. Check out this video.

http://motherswithoutborders.org/documentary.php