Dorcas

Twirling.   Spinning around in circles until you can’t see straight.  So fast that when you stop, the world spins upside down.  Dresses were the best to twirl in.  The bigger the skirt, the better the effect.  I think when little girls twirl, it means that they are the happiest they have ever been.  I know when I was little and I spun around to watch my dress flow like a lady dancing or a bride, I had no worries in the world.   I was blessed to watch a little girl, for one of the first times in her life, twirl in a brand new dress on the front porch of her new house, without fear or concern for a thing.   I saw the face of God today through Dorcas. 

            The Tree of Life Children’s Village houses 14 new brothers and sisters from various homes and schools within Lusaka.  This has been a LONGGG time in the making. . . and seeing 14 BEAUTIFUL faces smiling with disbelief at their new way of life was top 2 moments of my life.  The staff (American side) lined both sides of the dirt road weeeeping and waving, welcoming the kids to the edge of the village. The coolest part was this was a TOTAL surprise to all of the children.  Most all of the kids are single or double orphans, and those who had guardians were accompanied by them.  Each of these kids, (INCLUDING BABY JOE!!!!! HES SOOOOOOO BIGGGG!!) live in very vulnerable and/or abusive situations, so the Tree of Life was the best way of giving them a safe place to live and learn.  It was very chaotic, about 29 americans running around and over 60 zambian staff and workers standing everywhere.  I assumed many of the kids would be very confused and not understand they actually were living in the new place they were visiting until later, but 2 older girls, Beauty and Emma COMPLETLEY understood what was going on.  As soon as Uncle Greer told them they would be living in the BEAUTIFUL house they were standing in front of, they both just WEPT.  It. Was. Amazing.  I couldn’t do anything but cry.   We were able to pick out clothes for all of them and as they ran into their rooms with bunk-beds with their names on them, they changed their old clothes for new ones and honestly, was the closet example of grace I’ve ever witnessed.  “God is good! God is SOOO good!”   Dorcas, a little girl who lost both of her parents, comes up to me and my friend Kara if we were sisters, of course (they think all of the americans that come are all sisters and brothers! Its soo funny!) and then just throws her arms around me.   She then proceeds inside to show me her new room and bed.  She picks out a beautiful dress, one of many new pairs of clothes in her new closet and changes into it.  We go outside on the porch and she twirls and twirls and twirls, looking up to the sky while giggling uncontrollably.  I can’t stop giggling too.  I guess you could say we had the giggles?  Haha. She was the epitome of beauty at that very moment.   We played on the see-saw (hahahhahha the uneven weight distrobution upon the see-saw was hilarious. . . ) I pushed her on the swings, then she pushed me on the swings. . . we just lived, ya know?  She was a kid, FINALLY.  As we were about to leave I walked her back to the house and sat on the ground in front with her.  As I told her I was leaving, she asked, “No you are not staying with us?”  I told her this was her home now, and she would be able to come play outside anytime, drink water out of their kitchen faucet (she hadn’t seen running water before so that was fun just playing with that!), and sleep in her bed until she grew up.  She understood at that moment what God had blessed her and the other 13 with.  She hugged me so tight, I thought I was going to throw up.  “Aunty Kasey God has blessed us and at Camp 2009 I will tell all of the kids that the Lord IS their Shepherd!”  God is good.  I don’t even know what else to say except God is SOOOO amazingly good.  

Zambia is wonderful.  It’s home. You know you’re home when people call you by your name, and they havnt seen you in a year.   I CANT WAIT until ML gets here. . . this Saturday(29^th), and that will be amazing.  No internet.  Ha like EVER, so I’m just typing all of this stuff on Word and then when I have like 2 minutes to go into town, I rapid-fire cut/paste for as long as my battery will last ha.  TIA man TIA. 

On another note, TIA has been seriously what I’ve lived by for the past week.  We did villa inventory over the past few days, and its been funny to see what “just goes” here.  Villa 33A has a washer instauled in it. Strange, you say? That’s not strange?   Well it has been instauled inside the stand up shower, I repeat, shower of the master bathroom. Complete with electrical outlet placed directly below the shower head J LOVELY!  Hahah its soooo great man. 

 My boys might not be able to come to camp.  The school they are from, Restoration in Matero isn’t allowing the kids to come to camp for some reason.  I am praying they will be attending because TINY TIM, an organization that tests for HIV/AIDS and other illnesses will be there helping test all the children, with guardian or parental approval.  I love them so much and I know God LOVES them SOOOOO much more so maybe there is another group of kids that needs me to mediate for them or just listen to their stories and aid in helping, and maybe im being selfish, but I just want them back L  If They don’t come to camp, I WILL see them in Matero when I go.   I will make time, despite it seeming like there is none to spare. . . I WILL go.  Gift Sichinga. . . my partner/friend from last year has seen them almost every Saturday since camp, and they wanted me to come last week!  I couldn’t, but just hearing them ask makes me want to see them more. . . my name, in Nyanjah is Mapolo. . . which means blessing, and the last request I received from my kids was

 “Where is Aunty Mapolo, Gift?  She is here I know it and she needs to come see us. . . and she better be fit so she can pick all of us up at the same time!”  hahahha rigghhhhhtttttt boys. . . . they are silly J