Psalms 71:8 "But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more."

Well our time in Zimbabwe at Eden Children's Village has come to a swift end. I could capsillate this adventure with one word: HOPE. From stories of how the orphanage all began with the faith and prayers of Kevin and Susan Fry who had fostered 150 high-risk children in the US before they were in their 30's to survivals of their orphans here in Zimbabwe found in garbage bags, shoe boxes, and pit toilets. One word comes to mind: HOPE. When I have had the pleasure to be guest in all the homes in The Village and seen jubilant dancing, singing, and laughing throughout the night by children who have lost their parents to AIDS or were deserted as infants, I could only express HOPE. After eating the staple meal (They eat it 3 times a day, 7 days a week...) of the Shona people-sadza (think grits without water) always combined with collard greens accompanied by worms (you heard me!) or raw fish the size of sardines or butternut squash or beef (if they're lucky) without hearing complaints I can only say: this is HOPE! After interacting one on one with young gentlemen and young ladies with special emotional needs due to severe abuse and/or neglect, and they say time after time "I only want to help people", I have to believe, there is HOPE! No, not just wishful thinking, not just a gutsy pulling oneself by the bootstraps. No, not a sprint to the finish line, but a victorious march-with a limp! By the way, it's victorious because though they limp they appear to be leaning on-God! In fact one young man was insightful and tranparent enought to say: "I want God because I know He's real-I just don't always trust Him because so many people who loved me have died." Pure honesty! Here again-HOPE! Here I was able to share from my own life's losses and Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans not to harm you but to prosper you: plans to give you HOPE and a future." There are no quick answers, no easy solutions, no one-step remedies-only HOPE! And the days I have spent here make it abundantly clear, no matter how troubling life can become, there is always HOPE!               

Blessed

Every once in a long while, we experience a defining moment, usually accompanied by a lesson we'll remember forever.

During our first morning in Doma, Kevin Fry, one of the founders of Eden Children's Village toured us through the property, showing us the clothing bank, farming operation, herbal garden, health clinic, school, and orphan cottages.  It was during my tour that day I had such a moment.

ECV uses Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum in its school system, which allows each child to work at his or her own pace.  This differs greatly from the American standardized public education system.  In fact, it has proven to yield significantly better results in cases involving special needs children.  I wondered how and why.  Kevin explained that every child comes to Eden with unique issues and academic challenges.  Most or all of their orphans are behind in at least some core subjects.  It was when he described the circumstances that led to those discrepancies that I was almost forced to sit down.

Kevin told us about one of the ECV orphans who was found as a newborn in the bottom of a pit toilet (what we would call a port-a-potty).  Her umbilical cord was still attached and he estimates the baby had been in there for several hours.  The fact that she was still alive was a miracle. 

Another child, Jimmy, was born in the hospital where his mother was a long-term psychiatric patient.  He roamed the halls of that hospital until he was two years old, at which point he was moved to Eden Children’s Village; he was born HIV positive and his body is now rejecting the anti-viral drugs that should be sustaining his immune system. 

A third child, Blessed (pronounced “Bless-ed”) was found as a newborn in a sewer ditch in Harare when a security guard noticed a trash bag moving.  He ripped the bag open to find her laying there, just hours old with her umbilical cord still attached.

Two nights ago, I had dinner in one of the orphan cottages.  After a hearty meal of sadsa (thick corn meal), rape (their equivalent of our spinach greens), and 1 inch-long fishes that look at you while you eat them, we sat down and sang with the kids.  Their passion and joy were contagious.  Pauline, the child Kaila and I sponsor led a devotion based in Matthew 10:31-32:

"But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

She stressed that each person in the room was created by God for a special purpose, and that our numbered days were not to be wasted.  Perhaps the remarkable wisdom of this 17 year old woman stems partly from the fact that she memorized the entire book of Proverbs word for word.

While she was talking, I spotted a beautiful, soft-spoken, elementary-aged girl.  She had a captivating innocence about her.  After the study was over, I asked Pauline for her name. 

“Oh, that’s Blessed,” she replied.  For a second, I was speechless.  Six years ago, some series of circumstances resulted in this beautiful, vulnerable child being left for dead in a closed trash bag in a sewage ditch.  With her permission, I took this picture with her. 

If God knew every hair on the head of young Blessed, how would he allow this to happen?  In the midst of these thoughts, I was reminded of a sermon I heard from Samson Latchison nearly ten years ago.  He was speaking to a group of high school students about the controversial subject of abortion.  At the climax of his talk, he simply stated, “Every baby that the earth drops, heaven catches.”  This isn’t specifically stated anywhere in Scripture, but Romans 6:23 reads:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

As a newborn in that sewer ditch, Blessed had never even been given a chance to sin and therefore repent and follow Jesus, so if she had passed, I believe God would have been merciful.  It would have been likely that she would have died in that ditch.  She was so vulnerable. 

But she didn’t.  She moved.  And that security guard saw that movement from a across a busy street in Zimbabwe’s capital city of three million people and found her there and brought her to safety. 

At the end of our tour of the schools, Kevin Fry emphasized that every ECV child is taught that he or she was created for an important purpose in God’s Kingdom and his or her existence is proof of such a commission.  These children were chosen by God to be raised by His people.  It will be interesting to see that purpose unfold in the life of a little girl named Blessed as we return to this orphanage in the future. 

Hi Everyone,

  Words cannot express the overload one’s senses experience when arriving here in Doma in Eden village. New fragrances, sights, sounds and tastes...mostly all good. The nights are cold probably in the low 40s and it does feel colder than that in our tent! Our host Kevin Fry always has hot coffee and a roaring fire going when we “surface”at 6:00AM each morning for devotions.The daytime weather is very pleasant..70s to low 80s, wonderful for our guys who are building the tables and benches, I do wish i had brought warmer clothes though...quite chilly in the shade.

 As you will see in some of the photos we are in a very scenic area,  flowers, mts. and  a beautiful lake with Crocs!! No swimming for me!They did have a cobra last week but he won’t be visiting again, they made sure of that.

 The food where we are staying this week has been nothing short of FABULOUS, Susan Fry makes the BEST real ‘ole American breakfast, dinners  and suppers!

My morning was spent sorting the many ,many pair of Crocs we brought. Their clothing ware house is immaculate and all itemized by computer.. amazing.

  There are so many new experiences each day I will have to share more later. Just a beautiful country and these Zimbabwean people and children are that as well.

  We miss you , love you and will be writing again at a later date,

           Hugs Moni M

Mission has legs!!

Another great day here in Doma. We almost have all the legs cut and assembled for all fifteen tables and the four benches that go along with the tables. Thanks to some very helpful local guys(4) that are willing to pitch in a help us. We have an assembly line working, one guys measures then the next guys cuts followed by me putting them together all 5 pieces, finally one guy that puts bolts in them that finishes the legs off. We are waiting on one last load of timber that will arrive in the morning. This last load consists of the 2x8's that will be the tops of the tables. Last night we made a trip over to the village that is about 1.5 miles away from the orphanage. They sang to us and fed us a great local meal that consisted of beans, vegetables and sadza (grits made of maze). While we were there to eat with children and their house mothers, I was able to look at the current tables that are in each of the 5 huts. And to say the least they are falling apart if not already completely broken. Yet the attitudes of the children and their house mothers are super positive and warming. I am looking forward to the time when we are able to take the tables to the children and show them their new place to eat, since they had to eat on the floor when they have lunch and dinner. Time seems to be flying by here, I miss home and all the friends and family. Thanks again for the support and help getting us here. I know the children and most of all the staff here at Eden's appreciate the hard work that went into this trip. Until next blog take care and God bless. Praise Yeshua!


Chance

Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS!

"Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS..."
Tonight I met the ultimate expression of this verse in a little boy named Jimmy. As I had the pleasure of being the night's guest in House 5 of Eden Children's Village, I asked the boys who reside there to sing a song for me. A fair skinned 6 year old-Jimmy, leapt to his feet and with a wide smile began to sing at the loudest volume his body could expel a song recalling the might of our God. His expressiveness, his passion, his exuberant dancing caught my attention. When I began sharing from Philippians 3, I maintained eye contact with the older boys of this house much of the talk. I was speaking along side my gracious brother Elliot (the house father) who kindly agreed to translate my words to the native tongue Shona. I was prepared to speak to older teens not 6 year olds! Coming to the climax of my devotion, I spoke of the unfailing love of God. I quickly caught a glimpse of my happy new friend Jimmy. Tears were pouring down his face! Following the prayer, Jimmy returned to joyful dancing as before-looking up at me with his winning smile.
I later learned Jimmy's mother was committed to a mental institution when he was born. Due to inadequate child services in Zimbabwe, Jimmy was left to wander the halls of the institution until he was two when he arrived at Eden Children's Village. Just last November, Jimmy was riding the handle bars of a friend's bike when a motorcycle crested the hill Jimmy and his friend were approaching. Jimmy suffered the full force of the racing motorcycle, plunging him headfirst into a concrete embankment. When Jimmy finally arrived at the hospital, cerebral spinal fluid was seeping from his ears. Through prayers of the staff and supporters of Eden Children's Village, Jimmy survived! Miraculously, Jimmy has no brain damage as a result of the accident! By the way, Jimmy is HIV-positive.
To those who like me, have allowed loss and abuse to cripple them with doubt, cynicism, worry, bitterness, and a fear of the future-hear the wild shout, watch the victory dance of a six year old named Jimmy and REJOICE in the God who comes to save us!
He is the boy pointing to the sky in the left corner of the picture! :)

July 4th, 2012

             Yesterday we got a tour of the whole village and how everything works. It’s really quite amazing how they don’t waste anything, if they can use it for something they don’t throw it away. My favorite part, of what I have experienced so far, is meeting the children in the village. They seemed so excited to see us and didn’t have a care in the world. We were only there for a short time but in that short time they played with us and introduced themselves. I think we are going to go have dinner with them tonight. I also helped with prepping things that they will need in the clinic today. They use herbs for all their medicines and I spent my afternoon with a lady by the name of Angelia cutting ginger. She told me that they use it for stomach aches and she also introduced me to her family. Her and I seemed to have made a connection when she saw my bracelet with all the Saints, she then told me that she is also Catholic. She tried teaching me a few Shona words but I don’t think I’ve quite picked it up, she’s very patient with me though. Everyone here has been very inviting and I look forward to see what I can give to them and them give to me in return. Hope all is well back home.

God Bless,

Naomi Bonilla

We arrived this evening at Eden Children's Village in Doma.   The trip was an adventure in itself.  After getting into Washington DC late, after less than 4 hours sleep, we were at the airport in time to check all the totes again and board for the 13 hour flight to the Addis Ababa Airport in Ethiopia.  We got on the plane on Sunday late morning and arrived at Addia Ababa.  Changed planes for a 3 hour flight to Harare.  After a little confusion about when to deplane we arrived in Zimbabwe at about 3:00 Monday. We picked up all the totes and had no problem going through customs.

Susan and Kevin picked us up, and we were very happy to arrive in Doma at about 7:00 pm.  So glad to be here and for the relatively uneventful trip.  Looking forward to tomorrow.

Jane

We Have Arrived.

We arrived this evening at Eden Children's Village in Doma.   The trip was an adventure in itself.  After getting into Washington DC late, after less than 4 hours sleep, we were at the airport in time to check all the totes again and board for the 13 hour flight to the Addis Ababa Airport in Ethiopia.  We got on the plane on Sunday late morning and arrived at Addia Ababa.  Changed planes for a 3 hour flight to Harare.  After a little confusion about when to deplane we arrived in Zimbabwe at about 3:00 Monday. We picked up all the totes and had no problem going through customs.

Susan and Kevin picked us up, and we were very happy to arrive in Doma at about 7:00 pm.  So glad to be here and for the relatively uneventful trip.  Looking forward to tomorrow.

Jane

prep for departure

timeline of totes

Good Morning Friends And Family,
   Yes we are still on good 'ole USA terra firma ., soon to board our flight out to destination Zimbabwe.
  We have had a smooth journey so far with a delay in Chicago that caused us to arrive in DC and only enjoy a short 4 hours sleep,.... all is good though.
Regards Moni

Departure

Meeting last night at Ben and Kaila's made me and I'm sure some others that are going on this trip feel good. Not only to mention some last minute pep talks and a few prayers, but also because we were able to look over our packing list. Each of us has two "totes" (basically a big plastic box for supplies) that are packed to the brim with 50 lbs of clothes, crocs, hardware and power tools. 

The next morning meeting back at Ben's we found that we needed to pack about 50 more crocs so we had to do some rearranging. We were able to leave Ashland about 8:30am, I would love to tell you how the road trip went but I was asleep the whole way of corse. We did stop briefly in Pratt for a few last minute supplies at Wal Mart. Then back on the road. Arriving at the Wichita Airport we were told by the overly friendly people at the check in counter that we can't send all of our totes directly to Harare . So unfortunately we must take them to our hotel in Washington DC and the recheck them when we go back to the airport in the morning. Not that big of a deal but it would have been nice not to pick one of those up again till we arrived in Africa. All said and done it was a very positive and successful day so far. Thanks to the Bonilla Family, Kaila, and Kris and Darcy for sending us on our way. I can speak for the group when I say we are looking forward making an impact on lives as well as our own. Thanks you all for the support and the kind words. We will do our best to keep you all updated and post pictures. Much Love and God bless!!!

Chance

Village to Village

I still vividly remember the loving rebuke I received from my father-in-law six weeks after I moved to Ashland, Kansas.  My wife, Kaila hadn't yet arrived (she was finishing a teaching contract in the Dallas area) and I had never lived in a community smaller than a quarter of a million people; I was wading through culture shock alone.  That particular day, I was frustrated because something I had said on the phone while in line at the local convenience store had been repeated (incorrectly) several times and when it came back to me, I was informed of my plans to leave town permanently, which was an absolute fallacy.

"They're eavesdropping!" I barked at Kaila's dad. 

"No, they're not," he calmly replied.  My father-in-law is a very wise man who has spent all 57 years of his life in a rural Kansas town.  I trust his advice implicitly and he doesn't hesitate to be candid with me.  "They're just concerned."

"In my world," I shot back, "If I'm not speaking directly to you and you're listening, you're eavesdropping, because I'm not talking to you!"

"Newsflash," he said. "It's not your world; it's theirs, and everything that happens in their small town is a big deal to them.  What is said in a public place is public information.  If what you are saying is sensitive or could be misunderstood, then say it in your car or at home.  Don't say it in public.  If you want to help people in that community, you'd be wise to adjust your own way of communicating.  You shouldn't expect an entire community to tailor their style to fit your own.  You make the adjustment or you won't be effective there."   

Ashland is a town of 855 people.  Its economy is driven by agriculture.  Wichita, its nearest major metropolitan area, is just shy of a three-hour drive away.  They have no Wal-mart and the nearest Starbucks is a two-hour drive away, which, to some locals is not far enough removed as they would question anyone's sanity who is willing to pay $5.00 for a cup of coffee. 

Relationships are paramount to people in Ashland.   They transcend education, social status, and professional credentials.  People will make life-changing personal commitments and form risky business partnerships with generational trust as their only collateral.  Though gossip has its presence, people genuinely care about each other.  Having been raised in urban California, it would take me years to understand the gravity of this concept.

On June 30th, it will take about 36 hours for six of us to travel from Ashland, Kansas to Doma, Zimbabwe, a small village in the northern most part of the country just north of South Africa.  The journey ends similar to the way it begins: in a car on two-lane country roads.  Like Ashland, Doma is an agricultural village nearly three hours from the nearest city: Harare, the nation's capital.  There is no market for Wal-mart or Starbucks.  People don't seem motivated to spend over two days wages ($2.00 per day) on that fancy cup of Joe. 

As one might imagine, public health and poverty look very different there.  The average life expectancy in Zimbabwe is 39.5 years.  HIV/AIDS and malaria have ravaged the working population, leaving a country of children raising children.  The national education system is very poor.  In rural areas, people live completely without power and public sewage and women often walk for days to the nearest hospital, where they will sit and wait for weeks for a baby to be born. 

Ashland knows no such inconveniences.  It is a relatively safe community with an established hospital and though its public schools are underfunded, they are nationally recognized for academic excellence.  Great OB delivery services are just a 20 minute drive away.  Power and public sewage are assumed.  But in some ways, the two places are the same.  Both of these worlds revolve around people knowing other people. 

From a practical standpoint, we are going to build furniture for orphan cottages at Eden Children's Village (www.edenchildrensvillage.org), to volunteer in their clinic and school, to deliver 100 pairs of Crocs shoes (courtesy of www.crocscares.com), and to offer training to their long-term missionaries as they help facilitate the healing of the 80% of their orphaned children who have been sexually abused and, in many cases, infected with HIV.  But those are practical things; they are a means to an end.  If, as my father-in-law had so wisely suggested, we are willing to learn to communicate love in the local dialect, these projects allow us to build crucial relationships with people, not so we can parachute in a rescue them, but rather so we can learn from them while helping them meet their basic needs.  They have much to teach us.

Perhaps this was the intent of Richard Stearns' words in his book, The Hole in Our Gospel: 

"Salvation of the soul, as crucial as it may be for the fullness of life both in the here and now and in eternity, does not by itself put food on the table, bring water out of the ground, or save a child from malaria. Many of the world’s poorest people are Christians, and their unwavering faith in the midst of suffering has taught me much."