On the drive back to the office my co-worker pointed out to me the compound where he grew up. He described his life there as a child and talked about his relatives who still live in the area. Then he told me that I'll never understand the impact Family Legacy has on the lives of the kids living in the slums. He said he knows because he was a kid just like them who was blessed enough to go to school. Even though he's had more lucrative job offers he stays with Family Legacy because it brings him fulfillment to know the impact education can have. He told me that even if we can just get these kids into secondary school their lives will be changed forever because they will see something beyond life in the compound and they won't turn back.
I think about them often. They are the reason I am here. That grade 7 class and their teacher broke my heart and filled it with joy. They were my first loves in Zambia. Their faces are etched into memories that I often reflect on. My prayers have followed them for years even though I have not seen them since they moved beyond primary school. Last week on a school visit I was coming out of the building where a few teachers , discipleship leaders, and some students were gathered around. A DL called out to me and said "This girl says she knows you." I looked at the teenage girl sitting on a water barrel and immediately recognized her. She was one of the students in my Teach ONE grade 7 class. One of the ones I loved so much. I was in a hurry and almost missed her. I am so thankful someone stopped me because just laying my eyes on her made my day. She thought I wouldn't remember her and smiled when I told her I knew exactly who she was. We talked about her classmates. Some of them are entering grade 10 this year and others are beginning grade 9. There was a silence then she said, "I remember Punchinello." I couldn't help but smile. Punchinello is a character in books I read them during class. It was the most fun I ever had reading to kids. I would read and their teacher would interpret. There was something so moving during those read alouds with that class as their teacher and I told the stories. This girl, who is now entering the 10th grade, remembers them years later. You Are Special. Just the Way You Are. You Are Mine. Best of All. The words between the covers of those books stuck with her. The words that we speak into others can have a profound effect. You are special. God doesn't make mistakes. You are loved. On the drive back to the office my co-worker pointed out to me the compound where he grew up. He described his life there as a child and talked about his relatives who still live in the area. Then he told me that I'll never understand the impact Family Legacy has on the lives of the kids living in the slums. He said he knows because he was a kid just like them who was blessed enough to go to school. Even though he's had more lucrative job offers he stays with Family Legacy because it brings him fulfillment to know the impact education can have. He told me that even if we can just get these kids into secondary school their lives will be changed forever because they will see something beyond life in the compound and they won't turn back. Those kids I helped teach in 2012, they're in secondary school now. When I think about them, my emotions overwhelm me as waves of joy fill my heart. I was blessed to be part of their education even for a short time. Education here changes everything, and in that classroom these kids changed me in the best ways. God used them to call me here and gave me the opportunity to be part of a story that is building something amazing-- the hearts and minds of the precious children of Zambia. I live here now because of the relationships I formed with these kids that summer. They are special. They are loved. They are the NEXT 50 years of Zambia.
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Why Anything?"Anything is a prayer of surrender that will spark something. A prayer that will move us to stop chasing things that just make us feel happy and start living a life that matters. A life that is surrendered, reckless, and courageous." ~Jennie Allen, Anything. In November of 2013 I moved to Zambia as a full-time missionary with Family Legacy Missions International. Everyone within the organization raises their own support to keep overhead costs at a minimum so donations to the ministry can go directly to the needs and programs for the orphans and vulnerable children we serve. I trust in God's faithfulness to provide monthly and one-time financial supporters for the work I do here for the education of thousands of children from the slum compounds of Lusaka. If you would like to support me, donations are tax deductible and can be made at www.familylegacy.com/alicia
"God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before Him. When I cleaned up my act, He gave me a fresh start. Indeed, I've kept alert to God's ways; I haven't taken God for granted. Every day I review the way He works, I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes." 2 Samuel 22:25
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