Commissioning Service


We just wanted to share with you a little of what God put on Scott's heart to say during our commissioning service at New Life CRC this morning:

Mother Teresa used to say "Calcutta's are everywhere. Find YOUR Calcutta".

Sometimes we hear the questions: 'Why are you returning to Zambia?' or 'Wouldn't you be able to get more done by just sending money to the project?' These are legitimate questions. The answer we give is that people are involved in the mission. It is extremely interpersonal. A few months ago, we very nearly cancelled the trip due to a lack of funds. Word of this reached some people back at Grace Academy and we heard that the children were deeply saddened. They were counting down the days of our return, just as we are! In Zambia, Seeds of Hope (SOH)), employs about 50 people, who are all dedicated and committed Christians, who care about the children and their future. But we learned an interesting and tragic truth three years ago. We would often give tours of Grace Academy to visitors who wanted to see for themselves what this project was all about. These were people in leadership in Zambia. They would always thank and commend us, as an organization, for the what we were doing in their country. Then they would look at us, and with great sadness, explain that they could never do this themselves. You see, Zambians have been so devastated by poverty, death and disease, that they can only see one day at a time. They can't see a vision for a future. Even if we gave them all the money in the world, they could not envision what Grace Academy and Buseko home have become, despite their strong Christian faith. SOH vision, obviously is to change this. Eventually, the goal is to have local Zambians run this project... but we are not quite there yet.

And on a more personal level, we know that the work is never finished just because children receive proper nutrition, healthcare and education. They still carry the wounds and scars of what brought them to the doorstep in the first place. They may not even know what a functional family looks like. Their fathers are either dead or drunk, their uncles likely abused them, their mothers were/are treated like property or abandoned for another women, yet they held everything together as best they could. We pray and dream that these children will not only receive a college education but will also move forward to getting married and having families of their own. We know that in Christ, all things are made new. But we would never let our own children fend for themselves on this faith journey. And neither will we let these children. They have become our "Calcutta". And we will not assume everything is great because they smile well for the camera. We know better than that. They have much hurt and confusion, and we will continue to return to Zambia to share the love of Christ in whatever way the Lord sees fit. Thank you for your support for the children of Zambia. Please pray that Jesus would indeed make all things new in the lives of these children both emotionally and spiritually.

Thank you