Fanning into Flames

Kate Dibbern writes about the team's final day at Eden Children's Village. 

I’ve been avoiding writing a blog because I had no idea how to put
down in words the experience I had yet to fully process. Each day has
been a lifetime of lessons.  We just came back from our final time at the orphanage village.  We had the privilege to deliver one full set of hand crafted furniture to a cottage, a couch, a love seat, and an end table. As we entered the village, the kids came out of the houses in droves and surrounded us.

They jumped around wanting to play and have our undivided attention.
With smiling faces and broken English they seem so innocent.  My heart became theirs. Yet, behind each and every one of their eyes there is a
past, a very sad past. They are all orphans and whether they have
parents alive or dead, they have been abandoned. Some as babies in a
sewer or dumped on the side of the road.  Some as toddlers left to
starve or beg.  And some as teenagers raped, beaten, abused, and
tossed out to fend for themselves.  Their past in the last few years
of their life has 10 times the sorrow and despair of mine.

This morning we travelled with another missionary living in the bush outside of the orphanage. The stark opposition of life outside the orphanage was breathtaking. The reality of starvation, the turmoil of the AIDS epidemic, and the utter hopelessness made any National Geographic photo of a third world country come to life. Avoiding the reality of the presence of starvation in our world amongst brothers and sisters lost from faith has become blindingly present and real to me. Starvation was staring at me through a man named Joseph with sunken eyes and a body so fragile from AIDS, standing next to his barefooted wife and little boy with a belly swollen from malnutrition.

The problem seems so big, and the need for creating disciples seems so real. This country is withering from hopelessness. Their physical life is not what matters, but helping the Holy Spirit in His work spreading the unrelenting love of God and teaching those that the gift from God is for all and meant to be spread through us, is where all hope lies. My prayers for their lives and souls has become more then just spoken words, it’s an utter plea to God that the word of life take hold of these people and spread like wildfires across these golden savannas.  The bubble that the orphanage provides protects and creates a family environment where the children learn God’s word and feel His love through those that work and live here. Yet the difference between the two is vast and the reality of what is to come or the steps needed to
be taken is still unknown. I find myself pondering this, how are these children going to re-enter society and not be sucked back into the surrounding culture. The first generation of graduates are soon to take this step. As they arrive at the top of the cliff not knowing if the next step is a couple of feet down or a few hundred feet down the need for prayer and faith in God’s strength and wonder is necessary.

Through obedience in God, He will secure a bridge connecting society
and the positive environment the orphanage has provided. May this be
the strong burning embers of Gods glory awaiting to engulf this place
in a fire for him. 

Coming Home

I'm Justine Anthony and I am going to be a senior at Southwestern college this coming fall. Over Christmas break God laid missions on my heart and then Ben came to speak at chapel but I missed the opportunity to apply. Then I got a phone call from the Birky family, who I babysit for in Lakin, asking if I would be willing to go to Zimbabwe with them to help with their three kids and do some ministry. Right away I said yes. 

This trip has been an eye-opening experience. I knew that some kids were without families and had been abused but I had never come in contact with them before. I arrived in Karanda, Zimbabwe and met a little 4 year old girl who had been tied up outside for part of her life because she is deaf and has some kind of mental illness. Her family didn't know what to do so that's what they resorted to. My heart broke for her and it was a blessing getting to meet her and show her some love. Her name is Praise, keep her in your prayers! 

After Karanda we went to Eden's Children Village. At the Village I was able to meet so many children who don't have parents but have complete faith and trust in The Lord. I was astounded by their faith. I got the opportunity to pass out candy and dresses to the kids as well as chase them around. Another opportunity I had was going to a preschool classroom and hanging out with them for a couple hours. One of the girls, Chaiedza, showed signs of being abused. The teacher came up behind her to help her and she started flinching and covering her face. It was heartbreaking and hard to hold tears back. Keep her in your prayers as well. 

I was inspired by the missionaries' attitudes and their hearts to serve others. It was exciting to be around people who had the same mindset and attitude as me. Now as we are sitting in the airport getting ready to board plane two I am saddened that I am leaving all the children but thankful that the missionaries are there for them. I'm hoping I will get the opportunity to go back. 

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. 

God bless, 

Justine 

Reflections

We departed Eden Children's Village yesterday morning for Harare, stopping along the way at a small shop known nationally for its "biltong": Zimbabwe's name for beef jerky. Most of us call Kansas home and Kansas is home to some of America's best beef. We couldn't resist the opportunity for comparison. The conclusion: biltong is thinly sliced (easy on teeth) and well seasoned, but there's nothing like a good piece of Angus beef from southwest Kansas. We bought plenty to bring home, so we'll let you be the final judge.

Our group spent most of yesterday in Harare, meandering through various stores and shops, bargaining with the venders for souvenirs. I spent most of my time in a local grocery store, procuring a one-year supply of tea, "drinking chocolate", biscuits, and other tasty African treats.

We had dinner at an authentic Chinese restaurant (which may sound peculiar as we are in southern Africa, but the Chinese presence here is growing quickly due to their interest in Zimbabwe's natural resources) and then spent the night at Gateway Mission, a boarding facility for visiting mission groups. Including a full English breakfast, our group of 22 people paid a total of $307.00 for room and board. ECV's relationship with Gateway Mission made that possible.

Today was spent on a daylong safari at a small, family-owned game park called Imire, which gained international fame when it was featured in a 2007 Animal Planet program called "There's a Rhino in My Kitchen". Imire is home to three of the world's few remaining black rhinos. One of the three, "Tatenda", was raised from 3 months old (literally) in the home of Imire owners John and Judy Travers, after his mother was killed by poachers. The Travers' daughter is our hostess here. Maddy and Hailey fed Tatenda his lunch by hand. The picture above is of my shoe in front of the elephants that five of us will be riding tomorrow morning. They were about 20 feet from our open trailer.

Tonight, our team spent a few hours together in reflection. We processed our experiences and worked through how to share what we saw with our supporters, friends, and families.  Barring any issues in the next 24 hours, our team is going to have some funds left over that we can use to bless the missionaries who live here. Tonight, we discussed the recommended use of those funds as a team. After some discussion, we decided not to earmark any of the funds we give the missionaries as these people are as prudent stewards of natural and financial resources as anyone we've ever known. 

Our meeting tonight concluded with a charge to remain in some way connected to what we saw here, not out of guilt, but through a sense of empowerment. We are not all called to the same task of service to vulnerable people, but the Gospel of Matthew is clear that we are each commissioned to serve vulnerable people the way Christ calls us to do so. Through prayer and time in Scripture, we are to listen to the Lord's call for our lives. 

See you in a few short days. We love you all.

-Benjamin

Eden, through the eyes of me and a friend!

By JT vickers and Brian sixpence

We have been here for 8 days. Working in teams to try to get many things done.  Some have gone smoothly, some have had some minor set backs.  All are exactly what GOD has wanted.

     For instance, the lumbar was not available until several days. So as there were many pieces to build, we quickly noticed that we were never gonna finish. So what to do?  I was able to show 2 Shona men, how to build the furniture, and they quickly picked it up and began to build them quicker and better!   It's a joy to see them finishing a piece of furniture.  The smiles in their face is priceless!!  

   I was very disappointed that I could not finish, and Ben and Rory put it to me this way," fed a man a fish, he eats for a day,   Teach him to fish, and he eats for a life time. JT u taught them to fish!"  A different perspective!! 

    Finally breathing room.  It reminds me of a mission trip n brazil!!  How we had to let some of the work be finished by the locals.  And in the end, we were told how much of a blessing that was to them.  It brought many wonderful things.  

  And so here we are, leaving tomorrow, and there is many things left undone.  I have to be ok with this.  I know it's for a purpose, more than anything I can imagine.  

  Now back to the original story.  I really have never blogged before.  I have to remind myself that it is not my Facebook posts.  I actually have to spell out words!!!!   

So,  this pick is of me and Brian!   He is a 13 yr old child, who came to Eden when he was 8 months old. Since the first days we were able to hang out with the kids, Brian and I seem to always find each other!  I asked home to help me write this.   I asked him," what would you like everyone to know?"   So he thought and said that," I want people to know about me!"  This is a basic human thing I suppose.  We all want to be known. For something!!!  Even in the deep Zimbabwe mountain, in an orphanage, that basic need still prevails.  So we began to write things down. And this is the sum of his message!

Brian

•I like carpentry, soccer, and wants to be an engineer!  

•favorite food is, rice and chicken. And cabbage. 

•favorite bible vrs John: 1:2. Go look it up!   

    We talked about that vrs for a while! 

• has 1 sister,Belinda.   Twins 

•he lives in ECV 5. W 13 other kids. 

•favorite subject n school, spelling!

•i asked him when he had ever seen GOD. His answer,". One day while he was walking home, a kid started to wanna fight him.  And all of the sudden a man who he had never seen, stepped up and stopped the kids!  Saying," stop it!!  GOD  doesn't like that!"   He felt really protected.  And never saw the man again. 

•on his birthday this yr, march -18. He felt JESUS calling, he went to pastor condongrie and Brian asked JESUS into his heart!   

According to him, he should get baptized this Sunday. I will be sad, I will not be there!!  

Brian loves Eden, it helps in so many ways.  Food, clothing, protection, and LOVE!!  I look forward to the day I see him again.  He will always be my friend!  

From Karanda to Eden

As I'm writing this post, our group is gathered around a fire at Eden children's orphanage with 3 guitars going and bluegrass hymns being belted and it seems to me a very accurate picture of the way our group is here to love and worship The Lord through service. I was a part of the Karanda team that just joined up with the Eden team and now our group is finally whole again. The Karanda adventure was an amazing experience, we got delayed at the beginning due to airline delays and the fact that it gets dark here around 5:45 and its too dangerous to drive out of the city after dark. But we eventually made it to the hospital after a 3 hour drive and navigating through a river (thank goodness for the 4 wheel drive). We met a great group of medical missionaries who want to serve The Lord through medicine wherever He leads them and it was so encouraging to meet people on fire for The Lord halfway around the world. Karanda mission hospital was founded 50 years ago and continues to serve the people in Zimbabwe today. They have built up a great reputation and people will travel for days just to be seen there. I got to see some incredible surgeries and clinic work that makes me excited to be pursuing medicine... There is so much good to be done through medical missions and this trip has definitely planted a seed in my heart for the people here. Praise God for the work he is doing here! I'm excited and honored to have been a part of it.

-Jaimie Dungan

It's In Their Eyes

My name is Tim Walter. I am a landscape photographer from Denver, Colorado and I’ve come along with the team to Zimbabwe to photograph Eden’s ministry here and the activities of the team. It has been a pleasure to be a part of this trip.

To say that Eden Children’s Village is an extraordinary place or their work is extraordinary work would be an understatement. To try to explain it would never be adequate. To describe the impact they have had on the children here, in many areas, would fall far short. The only way to understand is to see the ministry of ECV firsthand. I am glad that I have had that opportunity and I am so thankful for the support of those friends and family that have made it possible.

I’ve been moved in many ways in just a few days here, but let me tell you about today.

I suppose because I’ve bundled a ton of camera gear over here to Africa and my primary responsibility has been to photograph a story – ECV’s story – Susan Fry (of one of ECV’s founding missionary couples) asked me if I would go around to each of the classrooms, morning and afternoon, and photograph all the kids so they would have a picture to send to their sponsors. “That’s yearbook photos,” I thought, “not exactly what I signed up for.”  But the permanent staff work so hard here and this was something I could do to share the load, so I said, “I’d love to!” Several hours and 163 kids later (thank you, Haley, for your help) it struck me that I had been given what was probably an especially unique gift.

A photographer strives to “look and see” things around them that most people may walk past and miss, and to reveal subtly impactful stories that hide there. It may be a wedding or a baby or, as in my case, beautiful Rocky Mountain landscapes. There is always a story to be told and a picture holds a thousand words. Today I looked into the eyes of every kid here and took a little bit of their story with me.

It was in their eyes, in their smile, in the way they carried themselves or maybe in the way they thought about connecting with their sponsor. That they are fed, cared for, educated, and daily shown the love of Jesus assures that their life is changed forever. They have opportunity two million other Zimbabwean orphans will never have. When I think about the privilege I have had I think I can start to see at least part of God’s purpose for me being here.

Most special of all those eyes and smiles was four year old Bethany, a little Shona girl and the daughter of one of the employees here. She has bright eyes and a sweet spirit and her little girl smile betrays a cute gap where she’s missing her two front teeth. And my wife and I will be sponsoring her for her education here at Eden Children’s Village. I can’t wait to tell her tomorrow in church!

Thank you, Jesus. It has been a good day.

Remarkable

This experience has been remarkable, perhaps because we've been traveling with remarkable people.

Just prior to our departure, most of the members of our very diverse team had never met each other. We have both urban and rural people from Washington state to Texas to North Carolina and Florida. Most of us reside in Kansas. Our youngest member is 11 months old. Our oldest member is, well, in our culture, we don't talk about such things. We are a mix of academics, artists, athletes, baby-bottom-wipers, ministers, medical professionals, retirees, and cattle ranchers, sprinkled with a bit of "granola". An outsider looking in might say bringing a group like this across the world together is a bit risky; sparks could fly.

And yet, we experienced 40+ hours of international transit together, five of which were spent dealing with mostly indifferent and inefficient Kenya Airways staff amidst the sights, sounds, and "aromas" of an African airport; we remained intact. 

We spent hours haggling with an inconsistent customs department at the Harare airport, as they dug through the  team's feminine hygiene products and underwear, looking for something valuable enough to justify duties; with prayer, we remained at peace.

We spent three hours in vehicles, driving down narrow, congested highways and bumpy dirt roads to arrive in Doma long after dark; still, we encouraged each other.

And with sacrifice comes reward. Together, we're experiencing a holistic way of life and a culture that treasures the things we overlook or throw away. We're coming to know missionaries who value our time with them more than the money required to get us here.

We've witnessed Savannah Jenkins, our 16-year old team member come out of her shell and build relationships with at least a dozen children, many of whom ran up to her as a group and embraced her with love. As she was leaving their home, they jumped up and down, chanting her name in unison. 

We were inspired by the courage of Tim Walter, who shared his fears and vulnerabilities with the rest of us, giving each of us the privilege of going second.

Many of us shared the emotions of Jerry and Nancy Voorhies, as they witnessed the smiles of the twin children they've been sponsoring for the past three years.

We've heard the enthusiastic, dream-come-true report of Jaimie Dungan, our young medical school applicant, who was able to assist Dr. John Birky in two major surgical procedures at Karanda Mission Hospital. 

We've seen JT Vickers, our Texan tradesman, spend time with two young Shona men, patiently teaching them how to build new living room furniture for the orphan cottages.  JT has taught us that the relationship with and development of these two young men are more important than the work of our hands.

We've heard the account of Justine Anthony, our early childhood development major, who spent time with 12 children in a preschool classroom the size of an American bathroom.

We've heard the laughter of dozens of orphans, as Kate Dibbern and Robbi Lee taught them new, fun ways to stay active by playing games.

We have all appreciated the delicious meals diligently prepared by Joy Haggard, who even spent the time making tortillas and rhubarb cobbler from scratch (and wonder if Joy will try to disappear the day of our departure; these are her people).

A few of us tried to hold down that food as Melissa Bender described her trip into the African bush to treat the wound of man who would otherwise not receive care. A highlight for me was Melissa meeting Dave and Cynthia Fortescue, the Zimbabwean missionaries her parents have supported for over a decade.

Last night, Hailey Weston and Maddy Martin joined their peers for a late-night lock-in with local teenage girls, connecting with them as role models and providing support to the young, female missionary who is working with them. 

And I am so grateful to Ashlee Alley, who has shepherded not only her Southwestern College students, but many of our other team members. She has done much to create a safe, stable environment for our team to grow and serve.

I am honored to be among such servant-hearted people who are willing to surrender themselves to the Lord's call to care for vulnerable people and am pleased to report that the best of this trip is yet to come. Stay tuned.

Benjamin