Dear Ministry Family,

Words fail me in describing my own feelings at the arrival of, and ceremony for receiving the First family and coffin of President, Patrick Levy Mwanawassa back home to Zambian soil after he died in France on Tuesday. The president was reported as having died in Egypt in June where he was attending a session to try to help resolve the struggles in Zimbabwe. That report was in error. It was later learned that he was transported to France where he remained in ICU on life support. I admired this president for his stand against corruption and saw growth and development during his 7 years in office. He was a strong man of Christian faith.

Throughout the proceedings the name of Jesus Christ was lifted up in word and song. The first president, Kenneth Kaunda reminded the nation that we are Christians and need to behave as Christ would want us to as we mourn, and then move on with electing our next president.

When the procession left the airport, I walked outside to watch as it passed by the House of Moses where thousands of people were waiting.

He will lie in state until next week when the First family and the body will travel to each of the 9 Provinces allowing the rest of the nation to mourn and pay its last respects. He will be buried in his home village on September 3rd, the date of his 60th birthday.

The Zambian Constitution is very clear about the process of electing a new President; however, there are 12 political parties each vying for the chance to put forth a candidate within the stipulated 90 day period. The next president will serve for 3 years, completing the term of office of the late president. Thankfully, everything is as it should be; orderly and peaceful.

This is a very critical time for Zambia. The most important role for those of us that love this nation is to join with our friends in prayer for a competent, righteous and just, next president.

Sandra – An Adopted Zambia

Posted by ACE Staff at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Ministry Family,

The excitement, joy and pride at Monday’s official opening of the Helen DeVos Christian School is hard to describe. From early in the morning (around 7 AM) the students and teachers and guardians of the children were getting the school grounds and refreshments ready. Every wall was scrubbed clean, and every one of the 500 chairs were set in place on the open grounds in front of the classrooms. White chalk lines were drawn in the sand outside of the main gate for the vehicles to park. In the compounds there are not even street signs, let alone vehicles! The school library had new maroon window blinds, and the science lab showed off its beakers and flasks.

One young boy held a banner to lead us to the property. (I knew where I was going, but we were not sure the Vice President could find his way through the maze!) When we walked through the main gate, each of the 200+ pupils were dressed in shirts donated by a visiting team member, whose colors were as the Zambian flag. RED for the blood of the martyrs….ORANGE for the mineral wealth….BLACK for the African people…and GREEN for the verdant land.

SINGING!!! Uncle G. had the Helen DeVos Choir (in orange shirts) sing a round of songs as the guests were arriving. Then the sad message came…the Vice President, Rupiah Banda, lost his mother at 93 years of age the day before and was not able to attend. He would instead send his Deputy… however the Deputy, was to be 2 hours late!! So what to do? We went ahead and said if he came we would re-group and listen to his speech (which we wrote) that honored Mrs. DeVos as a woman in her later years who believes that all children everywhere should get an education, and toward that end, she was willing to help the most vulnerable orphan get that education.

When the new school flag was raised, a hundred balloons (same Zambian colors) were released into the howling wind. The pupils went wild with singing and cheering and applause. The school plaque was set into a pillar of red brick and said “The Helen DeVos Christian School was officially opened by His Honor Rupiah Banda, (MP) the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia, June 23rd. 2008. James 1:27.”

It was a great day, and a blessing to have had a part in making the prayers, hopes and dreams of so many children come true.

Blesssings,
Sandra

Posted by ACE Staff at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Apr. 15, 2008

Dear Family and Friends:

I first want to thank everyone for their prayers and support in the time leading up to my departure, through my travels and during my stay in Zambia. I arrived in Zambia Thursday, April 3 and other than being extremely tired I was excited that I had finally returned. Ever since I left in the middle of January I have felt called to come back, not only to help the people of Zambia but also to reunite with the friends that I had made during my short stay. Although there are some similarities to this time and my trip in January, the trip as a whole feels completely different. The place where I spend my evenings is actually an orphanage called House of Moses, for kids aged anywhere from 1 day to 3 years. I could not have asked for a more amazing place to stay because everyday I am reminded of why I am here. Although I spend my days helping out with construction of the new House of Martha orphanage, I try to spend as much time as possible in the nursery at House of Moses with the children. The kids are just amazing and everyday I am becoming more and more attached to them.

The construction that is taking place right now is the renovation of a house into an orphanage so that the children in the current House of Martha will have a larger and safer place to stay. This past rainy season the current House of Martha was in serious danger of being completely flooded. So that threat, along with the lack of space is the reason for the new building. As of now construction has been slowed by a few problems. A major issue in Zambia right now is the lack of concrete. Most of the smaller companies that were able to get concrete are charging outrages prices because they know that the demand is so high. Although we are trying to find other companies who are still at cheaper prices we may have to resort to the increased prices because, as of this Thursday we will have run out of concrete completely. We are also currently having a difficult time obtaining the bricks that we had ordered. This is causing us to stop work at the orphanage for the time being and is forcing us to go to other properties doing minor repairs while we wait.

Christian Alliance for Children in Zambia currently operates 3 orphanages and has set up many schools which they continue to monitor. It is a nonprofit organization which relies solely on donations for the day to day running costs of the orphanages as well as construction costs. Please consider helping this organization in showing children God's amazing love. Your prayers as well as your financial support will go a long way in building up the future of Zambia. Thank you from all of us in Zambia.

If you wish to contribute to this worthwhile cause, donations can be forwarded to my home church for a tax receipt. Please make cheques payable to Fleetwood Christian Reformed Church (9165 160 Street, Surrey, BC V4N 2X7 or passed on through my parents, Nick and Joyce Van Ravenstein) and mark on the memo line—Zambia project—Kevin Van Ravenstein. They will then wire the funds to us here in Zambia. Thank you for your amazing support.
God bless!
Kevin Van Ravenstein

Posted by ACE Staff at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Mrs. De Vos,

My name is Daria Charlesworth and I am the Director of Guidance and
College Counseling at the Purnell School, an all-girls boarding school for
grades 9 through 12 in Pottersville, NJ. I have had the good fortune to be
a chaperone on a community service trip our school has sponsored to
Zambia, and so I helped supervise nine junior and senior students while
they stayed at the House of Moses in Lusaka. We visited the Helen De Vos
Christian School in the Kanyama section on March 11, 2008. I wanted to let
you know how impressed we have been by the school building, by the faculty
and students, and by the incredible progress that has been made there.

We arrived at the school in two four-wheel drive vehicles, carrying a
total of 15 people- nine students, my colleague William Warlick and me,
and administrators from CACZ. It is difficult to describe how rugged the
trip to the school was. Once we entered the Kanyama compound the road
became a dirt path strewn with jagged rocks, which made the trip very slow
and bumpy. Pools of standing water from recent rains were also part of the
roadway. We stopped in front of the cement wall that encloses the school
and we were greeted by many children in dark blue uniforms with “Helen De
Vos Christian School” on the backs of the sweaters. We entered the school
and it was like being in a different world- fresh concrete walls, new
windows, an open courtyard, and beautiful wooden doors were evident as we
walked into the compound. In the Library we were surrounded by cartons of
books and cardboard boxes containing brand-new desks as well as food
supplies for the children. The physical plant is unlike anything we have
seen in Zambia, and we toured at least four community schools in the two
weeks we spent in Lusaka and Siavonga. But more important is the
excitement and brightness we saw in the eyes of the students as they
settled into their beautiful new classrooms. They are so eager to learn!

One of the requirements for our nine students from Purnell was for them to
plan a lesson to be taught to Zambian 5th and 6th graders. Our students
split into two groups and taught two classes at he the Helen De Vos
School, one for 5th grade and one for 6th grade. Our students expected
the Zambian students to be disinterested and blasé, as American students
might be. Nothing could be further from the truth. The students were
polite, engaged, and so excited to be learning something new. We were
impressed by the high level of attention from the Helen De Vos students,
as well as the enthusiasm and interest of their teachers. In fact, one of
the teachers said to me, “I wish you were here for three weeks, I could
learn so much from your students!” The Purnell students had prepared
posters, worksheets, art projects, and songs related to the lesson on the
water cycle, in an effort to use all sensory modalities- visual, auditory,
experiential- to explain the concepts. The students and faculty at Helen
De Vos were so welcoming and eager to learn from us.

Your gift of this school is extraordinary, and I wanted to let you know
how important it is in the overall context of education in Zambia. In our
travels we have met so many wonderful children who are motivated to learn,
yet have such poor facilities that we wonder how they can possibly
concentrate on their lessons. At the Helen De Vos School they are safe,
well fed, have desks and materials, and have a peerless opportunity to
succeed. It is an experiment in Zambian education that must continue,
because it has so much potential to change the lives of Zambia’s future
leaders. Though I am not affiliated with a church denomination (Purnell
School is non-sectarian) I am so impressed with the work of the Christian
Alliance for Children in Zambia as well as your magnificent high school. I
see this school as an enormous contribution to the future of Zambia, and I
hope you will continue to support it.

Sincerely,
Daria Charlesworth, RN, MS
Director of Guidance and College Counseling
Purnell School

Posted by ACE Staff at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The following is a letter we received from a young lady who came with a team to Zambia in 2004. We'll let her speak for herself:

Hello Sandra,
It's been such a long time but i am hoping with everything in me that you remember me. My name is Lindsay, I was the 18 year old that stayed there in the summer of 2004. I must say that summer changed my life. I remember the last words that Uncle G said to me before i left for the plane back to America he said, "I just know that some day by the time you are 35 you will be a missionary somewhere in Africa." And sure enough that's where God is taking me! I have always hoped and waited for the opportunity to return. And lately God has really been putting the house of Moses on my heart. A little bit of an update on my life. I am married now. I got married last summer actually to an amazing christian man that has the same hopes of being a missionary as well. Right now we want to travel around to different places and see where God takes us. I am hoping and continually praying that you will have the room for us to come and visit this summer for a few weeks. Along with us will be my best friend who is also wanting to be a missionary wants to come. Her name is Christy. So there would be three of us wanting to come. And we are completely flexible. I would love to stay in the house of Moses again, but i am open to staying with natives as well. My husband and i do not have to room together. We are fine with sleeping separately. We are extremely flexible in terms of accommodations. I just wish you could understand how excited i am. I have been waiting for almost four years now for God to call me back to Zambia and i am so excited that he finally is! Please pray your hardest about us coming because we want to be there more than anything. Hurray!!!! God is finally calling me back to AFRICA!
I know you are busy, but if you wouldn't mind please contact me as soon as possible as i will be awaiting your response extremely anxious. In case I never got the chance to thank you, thank you for helping me grow and seeing our world in a different way. The gifts and blessings that you and Africa and more importantly God gave me that summer I will never be able to forget!
Blessing,
Lindsay

Posted by ACE Staff at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Earlier this year forty people, most of them women, were chosen to participate in a micro-enterprise program designed to help them start a small, but sustainable business. Many of the participants are guardians of children at House of Moses or our other Crisis Nurseries. With the help of this program, called Heaven's Blessing, these guardians will be able to provide a home and food for the children of relatives who have died.

Heaven's Blessing is a two and a half pound plastic package of ground corn, or "mealie meal", the staple food for Zambian families. Maize is ground and packaged at our hammer mill in the center of Kanyama, a Lusaka shantytown. Participants are grouped into cells, with five in each group. Ten packages of meal, each called a pamela, are given to each participant each day for six weeks. As they sell, they pay back the "loan" at the wholesale price of the mealie meal. In six weeks the new business people can have their loan paid and own enough mealie meal to keep the business moving at a level that will give them support for their families. We are extremely proud of all the participants, and we pray for their success as they work to care for their own children.

The Saturday before the first pamelas were to be distributed, students from our 8th grade showed up to volunteer with the packing and weighing. Having been helped themselves, they were quick to offer their help to others.

Posted by ACE Staff at 3:35 PM | Permalink

"My name is Anne Warfield and I am a pre-school teacher at Webster Groves Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri. This past December (2006), I attended a concert performed by the African Children's Choir... "That's how zambiakids.org begins and it's well worth exploring this outstanding website in depth.

Anne has spent a lot of time building the site documenting her visit to Zambia and we here at ACE are truly blessed by her effort. We highly recommend visiting zambiakids.org and spending the time to explore the photos and read Anne's comments and impressions of Zambia, Zambian kids, and the work that Alliance for Children Everywhere does in Zambia and in the U.S. Kudos to you Anne for a fine job!

Posted by ACE Staff at 9:58 AM | Permalink

Hello USA!

Sandy, Machelle and Jennie are leaving in the morning. Please pray for strength, good connections and a safe journey home.

Thanks for praying for our visit (Machelle and I) with Dr. Kaunda. What a great story this will be in the years to come. :-)

Just as we were leaving KK's office, (we met for about 15 minutes with his aide, His Excellency was quite late), KK just happened to bump into us in the car park. Having recognized me, he gave us another full 30 minutes! KK, an educator himself, was so taken with Machelle's dissertation topic and her understanding of the teaching culture and challenges being faced, he not only agreed to write the preface, but also allow her to publish their photo along with it. Attached

Then little bold me, :-) asked if he were planning a trip to the USA, and he said "as a matter of fact we are." I turned to his Excellency and the man who I have known as his aide (Godwin Mfula) and asked if it were at all possible while he was in the USA could he possibly come to some of our USA cities of support?

He said, "Sandra, I am in my last years, I would be honored to help you with the education of our children in your schools even as I helped with House of Moses." I nearly fainted, but instead took both of his hands and prayed that his strength would not falter, his mind not fail, and his eye not dim until he realized the promise of the education of the children. He then said, "As you were praying I asked God to hear and honor your prayer." I believe God did.

KK has also said if he were in Zambia in January, he would be honored to be at the opening of the DeVos School. (Hutzpah!)

Sandra

#######################################
For those of you who don't know who Dr. Kaunda is, the following story from May, 2006 will fill you in:

Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda is the most revered and respected man in Zambia.

During the same decade that Rosa Parks refused to relinquish her seat on the bus, Kenneth Kaunda (affectionately called KK), refused to buy meat through a window at the back of the store, while white colonialists entered through the front door.

When imprisoned for advocating independence for the country that was then Northern Rhodesia, he would reach up to the tiny, barred window of his jail cell and wave his white handkerchief to admirers standing below.

On October 24, 1964, he became the first president of the newly independent Zambia, the position he held until October 31, 1991.

KK has always been a pioneer. In the late 1980s, while the medical community in Zambia refused to acknowledge the existence of HIV/AIDS for shame of sexuality, KK broke the silence by confessing that the death of his son, David, was caused by AIDS.

KK is a natural father, with seven sons (one adopted), and two daughters. He is a national father, who prevailed in the birthing of Zambia. He is a spiritual father, continuing to urge Zambian men not to forsake their God-given responsibility as fathers.

On October 1, 2005, KK, this spry, healthy 82-year-old statesman who speaks all over the world, spoke to a large crowd of Zambians, Americans and the national media from House of Moses. His theme was, “The Significance of Fathers.” His message was that a man cannot condemn a woman for abandoning her baby when men all over the country are abandoning women – and their babies.

After his speech, a large donated cake, shaped like the nation of Zambia, was brought out. With hands joined KK, an African patriot, and Sandra, an American Jew, cut the first slice.

While guests enjoyed their cake, KK toured the House of Moses nurseries. With eyes filled with tears, he reached into his coat pocket and brought out the famous white handkerchief and blessed each baby, one by one. “I had no idea such a wonderful work existed in Zambia until I saw it for myself,” he said to the reporters.

Sandra was asked to give the closing prayer. She prayed that the hearts of fathers would truly be turned to their children, families would return to their Godly heritage, and every good thing God has planned for Zambia and her people would be accomplished.

Posted by ACE Staff at 4:46 PM | Permalink

All I saw of Mrs. Bush was the motorcade that I got caught up in. The biggest I have ever seen. Too bad...

Sandra

Posted by ACE Staff at 7:43 AM | Permalink

Dear Ministry Family,
I never knew four months could pass by so quickly. The Lord has been so good to me, and to the ministry here in Zambia. Knowing that all of you are very busy, even as we are, I at least wanted to highlight some of the wonderful news from this side of the world before traveling home on July 26th. Jennie has been with us since May 22nd (my 61st Birthday). She leaves on July 12th.

Child Rescue

We are working hard to keep up with the numbers of children in our three homes. Each is at capacity. The poor are getting poorer and children are dying in the compounds at a faster rate than in previous years. House of Moses is caring for 21 infants, House of Martha has 17 children and the Bill and Bette Bryant Nursery has 16. Several, especially the older ones, are ready for adoption so pass the word along. We are also continuing to work toward, and pray for, good adoption laws and procedures.

House of Martha will have a new location! The Goad Family, an internationally known evangelistic and singing family (been around as a family since the 1960's) raised the funds to buy a wonderful property just 5 minutes from House of Moses. Much has changed since the Outreach Foundation purchased the House of Martha property in 1998. The roads have deteriorated, the utilities became very unreliable and the area is cholera prone. The Goad's lost their mother many years ago and wanted a place to care for orphans and vulnerable children in her honor and memory. Her name? MARTHA!! The family was in Zambia last week and had several mission outreaches and also did a ribbon cutting and dedication of the new home. We will have to do work on the property before the children are moved, but they were with us for the dedication and everyone was smiling, singing and even climbing the trees in the big front yard. When the children move we will sell the Kanyama property and use the assets to continue to upgrade the new location. We rejoice as God brings many new partners together for children.

Education

Faith Works Schools continue to get better and better each year. There are over 2,500 pupils in Grades 1-7 and 58 in Grade 8 which opened in January. Grades 9 and 10, 11 and 12 also have our children who are now in Government schools with scholarships we are providing. We broke ground for the new Helen DeVos Christian School and the plan is to open in January 2008 for Grades 7, 8, and 9. The school will be one of the first in Zambia to offer a first rate education to orphans and children with no financial means. We are grateful to Helen DeVos for her faith in us and the $428,000 matching grant (we are about 25% along to matching that goal) that she gave Alliance for Children Everywhere which allows us to continue to raise the support needed to provide this kind of an education to eager children with hungry minds.

Empowerment of Guardians and Women

With a grant from a German organization, we have trained 40 guardians of orphans (men and women) in our community projects. We are providing them with a means of supporting themselves and their families. We are using our hammer mill to grind maize (corn) and package it in sealed bags with a consistent 1Kg. weight. Ground maize is eaten by every Zambian. The maize when ground is called mealie meal and this is boiled in water to make the staple food, nshima. The program is called a "Commodity Lending Scheme" This strategy is radically different from the existing way mealie meal is sold. The weights are typically not consistent, the bags are not sealed and the prices are not the same for the weight of the bag. People know they are being cheated, but that is how the market was—until now. We are being deluged by folks wanting to get in on the sales side of Heaven's Blessing Mealie Meal, but we are in a pilot mode and so are limiting ourselves to the first 40. If all goes as planned we may expand the operation to include more of the needy people we are here to serve.

Summer Teams

With 9 visitors left to come to Zambia during this next month, we have had over 30 visitors that have blessed us and been blessed in return. The teams were very well prepared by their respective team leaders, and each person had a chance to teach and to learn at the same time. We are already talking about 2008!

With love and thanks for making the lives of little children matter,
Sandra

Posted by ACE Staff at 9:03 AM | Permalink

We have purchased a large plot with a house that needs work just five minutes from House of Moses on the way into town. The asking price started at 600 million kwacha ($153,000), but the owner agreed to sell it to us for 370,800,000 kwacha. This comes to approximately $95,000, depending on the exchange rate on the day of the bank transfer.

The plot is 33.55 meters by 70.25 meters (larger than the House of Moses property). We will need to do quite a bit of work to the house, but the potential is enormous. The house is on a paved road and sets back from the street with a beautiful area of trees and bushes in front. Behind the house is a yard and then a large block chicken house that, if the foundation is deep enough, we can add rows of block to make it taller and use it for our classrooms for the children in the home. Behind that is a house that is the servant's quarters. To the side is a good sized garden plot. There is room for two more houses on the plot.

Posted by ACE Staff at 8:51 AM | Permalink

Hello Friends! I wanted to send you a picture I received yesterday of Daizy and her baby Daniel. For those of you who have not been to Zambia, I put the names of the others in the picture as well so you will know everyone.

Thank you for your prayers for Daizy and her baby. She is doing well and will be off for the next few months. Gertrude, who is in the center of the picture, works closely with Daizy and will be sending the updates and pictures on our children.

Posted by ACE Staff at 3:52 PM | Permalink

We are getting ready to depart for Tucson on Tuesday morning. Sandra and I have been working on different projects and so we have accomplished much in five weeks. We know your prayers have smoothed the way. Thanks to all of you.

At the request of the Minister of Community Development, Frank Block, the director of Love Basket, and I laid out a national policy for international adoption. We have given it to the new CACZ board chair, Barbara who will take it into the Minister next week.

Yesterday we went with the CACZ board to visit some of our projects. Fred Mbango (he is the man who provides our vehicles at a discount) provided a bus, all expenses paid. We first went to the Kanyama school property and the hammer-mill. There was a line of women with corn to grind and the new operator was busy. Fackson has gutted the house which will serve as Grade 8 and he put in new trusses for roof reinforcement. The facility will be ready for 80 students the end of January. There is still a lot of work to be done between now and the opening of school for next year, but we are on target. The men have also dug the trenches for the toilet (ablution) block and the grant from Rotary should be in Zambia in time for the major building activity on that project. Right now we have over 5,000 blocks on site and continue to make ~250 a day.

Then we moved on to the House of Martha. The 13 children sang for us and gave us pictures and cards they had made. The new teacher is wonderful. Nellie shared some of their stories. All of the children are wonderful and the quality care they are receiving shines in their eyes. We were especially moved for one little girl about 12 years old who was found 6 years ago in the bush, alone. Since she was found she had lived in an orphanage, but she still made only guttural sounds and rarely uttered a word. That home was closed recently because of the poor care the children were receiving and this child was sent to us. Yesterday she clearly spoke her name for the first time in front of people and sang confidently with the other children.

Then we headed for Garden Compound where we visited the Garden Hill school and then the Bryant Nursery. We arrived back at House of Moses very hot and very tired. It was well above100 degrees. Over a traditional meal, there was a high level of enthusiasm for the growth and development of CACZ.

Thanks for your continued prayers,
Virginia Woods

Posted by ACE Staff at 10:05 AM | Permalink

Dear all,

Well, finally I got a chance to write. Jennie and I arrived on Tuesday, quite tired, but OK. Then...(Wally will relate to this) NO BAGS. Of 4, there was nothing!

So we had to wear what we had on and wait till Thursday hoping and praying for the best. Back to the airport.....and the good news was there were three bags, but not the one with our clothes, personal items or computer gear.. So now we had to wait again till Saturday the day the next BA flight comes into Zambia.

Saturday we are off again to the airport. Uncle G. was late so he borrowed Pastor Flemings truck that Tom Ravensberg and Ben Day helped him buy last August. He parked the truck at H of M and we drove to the airport together in my Pajero. Finally..the BAG!!!

As we were leaving the airport, I looked at the gas gauge and saw we needed fuel. (Nothing new there!) So, we took a short detour and stopped at the filling station. As we parked at the pump I noticed a lady with an infant and a small boy sitting on big white bags. I immediately knew what was in the bags. CORN!

I asked Uncle G. to go over to the lady and inquire. She told him she had come from the village and wanted to go to the Soweto market to sell it. Now Soweto from the airport is a very long bus ride away and busses do not come along very often. So, taking a risk, I asked Uncle G to see if she would sell us the corn saving her the trip and the cost of the transport to the marketplace. We calculated her savings and we agreed that 34,000/50KG was fair. The current market price is 38,000 and so it was a good deal for both of us. :-)

Not wanting to move on the deal before asking Evaristo, I called him and he said DO IT! So, we drove back to the House of Moses where we just happened to have Flemings truck with a lift gate and two strong young men waiting for Uncle G and I to return from the airport.

Evaristo, not wanting to miss the action, decided to drive over to the House of Moses to see the corn for himself. Just a moment after he pulled into the driveway, Uncle G. and the truck are right behind. And there in the front seat is the lady and her children. Although I had given Uncle G the money to pay for the corn, she came back to say that she was sure that some of the bags weighed more than 50KG. (the village has no scale) and she wanted us to weight them. OOPS! No scale. Seeing we were perplexed, Elizabeth (Evaristo's wife) talked to her in the vernacular language and she agreed to take the money as agreed.

After some refreshments in the sitting room she told us that she had 40 more bags in the village and that the other farmers had corn as well to sell. The issue was getting transport to go to town to sell it and she was one of the first to manage to scrap together the funds to come to Lusaka. Where is your village we asked? Only about 10 kilometers from the airport, or as we say, a stone's throw from House of Moses.

The lady will return to House of Moses on Monday and we will hire our CACZ truck (at a profit) to go to the village and buy corn. We will buy a scale and bring it with us.

Bruce, Larry, Erich, Claud thanks for all of the effort in helping to present the vision with such clarity, and thank you Lord for directing us to corn at a good price. Wally.....go girl!

With love from Zambia,
Sandra and the team

Posted by ACE Staff at 12:27 PM | Permalink

The mission team at the Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta has just returned from Zambia and they shot a 16-minute film that gives a good overview of much of what ACE does in Zambia.

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR6GCcJZky4

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaVvmQYQpoU

Posted by ACE Staff at 2:30 PM | Permalink

Adoptions in Zambia have multiplied since House of Moses and our other two homes opened. Our other two nurseries, the Kanyama House of Martha and the Bill and Bette Bryant home opened in 1999 and 2001 respectively. House of Moses in 2000. The age ranges of our children are from birth to age 10. (We do stretch the rule sometimes and have a few 12 year old children). Our homes are intended to be "safety nets" whereby we have the time to locate and empower extended family, or place children into foster/adoptive homes. There does come a point though where children have had to be moved into an orphanage type home, but we think we can find families for many of them.

As a side note: House of Moses was selected by UNICEF and the United Nations in 2003 as a "Best Practice Model in sub-Saharan Africa" and was presented to the Global Fund as an example of work being done in Africa. (The bad news is that NONE of the money flowed to the program!) Graca Machel Mandela who visited with us at that time said, "I have never before seen anything like House of Moses in Africa."

House of Moses has sparked much interest both domestically and internationally because it is a unique model providing 24/7 nursing care for pre-mature and high risk infants. Before House of Moses came on the scene, infants died for lack of milk and basic care. Most of our babies have lost their mothers, many in childbirth. Some are abandoned in the maternity ward, and others are found in places too gruesome to mention. They are brought to us by the police, the Department of Social Welfare or "Good Samaritans." Some children admitted to the home are under 2 pounds, and although we have no specialized medical equipment, the babies do survive and thrive! Although many of the mothers are HIV+, her infant has a 7 in 10 chance of NOT acquiring the virus. Another 1 in 10 will become infected through breast feeding, but we still have more infants that are HIV negative than HIV positive.

In just the year prior to our opening our first home in Kanyama, there were only two formal adoptions in Zambia for the entire year. Since that time our adoptions have been steadily increasing. In all, 76 of the babies and children in our homes have been placed for adoption, most of them into Zambian families. One went to Namibia, one to Holland, twins to Australia and less than a dozen have come to the USA, but most of the USA adoptions have been just this past year as regulations have been loosened.

Our vision for the future, and as funding permits, is to open homes like House of Moses in other areas of Zambia and possibly in other sub-Saharan African nations. We have had visits from Government representatives from Mozambique and Rwanda who have invited us to come to help them start a similar program. We, for the time being, have had to decline. We know there are many couples who would adopt children from Africa and why stop in Zambia? But in God's time, not our own.

House of Moses has a physical capacity for 40 children, but at the moment funding for only 25 (and that is stretching it!). Older children and children with special needs are also in our homes and we believe there are families waiting for them as well.

We are now seeing some of the other child care facilities in Zambia beginning to look at adoption as an option and ACE is planning to further advocate in that direction from our well recognized platform. UNICEF has said they would be open to having ACE be involved in drafting the national adoption policy which is now in motion and of which UNICEF is integral.

We look forward to seeing what God will do!

Posted by ACE Staff at 11:33 AM | Permalink

Dear family and dear friends,

What I love most about Africa are the people. For instance, I loved
greeting Irene today, (the House of Moses Head Nurse) who just
returned from a one month all expense paid trip to Canada to visit
her son and Canadian daughter-in-law. Irene is now a new
grandmother....a boy named Dan. She was cheered during Monday
morning devotions this morning by the over 30 staff who missed her
too!!! Everyone missed her...not just me.

This evening I had a chance to drive Daisey, our Social Worker to her
home. She worked late to admit a new pre-mature girl (just 2 pounds)
and the sun was going down. I offered her a ride which she glady
accepted. I was rewarded with a glorious sun-set the likes of which
can not possibly be described in words over e-mail. I love Africa!

On the drive back I was counting....that is counting people walking
on the dusty roads going to their homes in the shanty compounds. This
reminded me of the streets of New York where I grew up. Most of the
people have no cars or other means of getting from place to
place. They walk everywhere. I had my window rolled down. Then
there were shouts. Sandra... there is Sandra. What in the world I
asked myself? Suddenly I remembered....I had appeared on national
TV the day before giving thanks on the only TV news channel for the
gifts brought to House of Moses by the Women of the Anti-Corruption
Defense League. One elderly man thanked me for what we were doing
for the children of his country. I had to watch my pride, but in an
instant remembered all of you who faithfully pray and give of
yourselves so that tiny children may have a chance to live and grow
in a Christian family.

With just one week left before leaving for the USA, I am pounding the
doors of heaven and the Zambia Embassy of the USA to complete the
final adoption paperwork for ********, two orphans (10 and 11
respectively) who are booked on my flight August 1st to travel with
me to their new home in Montana.

Guys....help us pray this rats nest of paperwork through. We need a
miracle to leave the country with the documents in place!

Giving Him all of the Glory and Praise,
Sandra

Posted by ACE Staff at 5:30 PM | Permalink

Dear Friends,

When planning this year's long summer trip, I had every intention of keeping in regular contact with those of you who care and pray for the children, and for me. But since the middle of May I managed to send only one update. :-( So much happens at the House of Moses every day, and at the end of the day there is no day left!Today was different because the house was quiet and so I treated myself to a can of salmon I have been keeping for a treat and I took time to write.

Let me share some good news about a new special learning classroom at the Kanyama House of Martha Crisis Nursery. As you may know, the children that we care for in Kanyama are among the most traumatized and abused. Many of them were just left somewhere by a relative. Others have been abused and almost without exception they have seen their parents die. Sometimes it is weeks before they even feel safe enough to begin to talk. Because of their emotional, and often physical state it is impossible for them to go to one of our Community schools. School is more than they are able to deal with, although some have been to school before coming to us. But, at the same time they need to be learning and certainly need to have all the extra one-on-one time we are able to give them. There is also quite an age span in the home with some of the children as young as three years and some as old as 12 (yes, the home is supposed to be for children up to 6 years, but when the need is there and we have the capacity to help we do stretch the rules!) To address the special needs of the children we are opening a classroom at the home. The children will have little desks and chairs, books and a trained teacher. This place of special learning is a memorial to our good friend and long-time supporter, Dr. Terry Wood. Joining us in the project are Jane Graham and Lori Strehler from Chosen Hope Ministries in Michigan. Nellie, the housemother at the nursery is overjoyed! So are we—and so are the children.

This week an artist from Phoenix, Kendra Lane, is here and has started painting the classroom (walls and ceiling) a bright, light blue. Kendra is a "space designer" and creates environments that reflect cultures and personalities. The children will be "helping" with their own small paint brushes. I can hardly wait to see the finished project on Saturday.

Another BIG job is underway. Flushing toilets and a potable water tank are being built at the Garden Hill school with a Hope for Children team from the UK working alongside our own maintenance manager. For the 636 children in this school this will be a huge blessing, to say nothing of a giant step forward in hygiene.

Finally, I am getting ready to host our last two teams. (We have had over 40 visitors already.) One of their contributions will be in the Faith Works Schools sports program. We will have an inter-school girl’s soccer competition. Even after the World Cup, soccer is still a passion here in Zambia.

I am planning to leave for home on August 1st with James and Lucy, two children from House of Martha who are being adopted by a couple in Montana. Pray that all of the paperwork and other details are in place. And pray for me as I have been entrusted with them over such a long journey. As soon as they are safe and secure with their new family we will be writing full stories about these two children and the miraculous way our heavenly Father is placing them into a new family.

There is much more to share, but this is getting long, and someone just knocked on my door!!

With love and thanks...

Sandra

Posted by ACE Staff at 11:15 AM | Permalink

Dear Friends and Ministry Family,

Most of you may know that I am good with older children but often have no idea what to do with the little ones! I do know how to return them to the nursery when they need a diaper change. Most of my time in Zambia is spent in administration, meetings and organizing. This year when I am hosting almost 50 visitors and volunteers I barely have time to get into the nurseries. But when I do pick up a tiny baby or hold an older child on my lap they move right into my heart. These are my children. They are the reason I am here. There’s no time to tell you about all of them, but here are just two, well actually three because the other story is about twins.

Natasha’s aunt and uncle resented having to care for her after her parents died. They made her work and when she didn’t please them, which was often, they beat her with a stick or burned her with hot coals. When neighbors alerted the authorities Natasha was brought to the Kanyama Crisis Nursery. When I met her last week she had been with us only two days. She was pitifully thin and had eyes full of sadness and fear. Her stomach was bloated and hard from malnutrition and she has to eat a simple diet of pre-digested food. We sang and played with all the children and Natasha slowly began to join in. Before we left she smiled and I was amazed at how beautiful she is. God is giving her beauty for ashes, replacing her sadness with singing.

The other two children are miracle twin girls. Three weeks ago we wre hoding a concert at Jesus Army Church. Pastor Mtonga took Tom Ravensberg (a third time visitor with us) aside to ask us to hurry to the hospital. A mother from his church was in the hospital, but because they had no money to pay for medical care she was in the charity ward (which is horrifying-- believe me). The doctor said one baby was dead and the other was in a breach position. They would do a C-section the next day and try to save the living baby. We prayed for the woman and her babies and I volunteered to pay for another doctor.

When the new doctor examined the mother both babies were in normal birthing position and there were distinctly TWO HEARTBEATS! Tomisina and Sandra, named after Tom Ravensberg and ME( ! ), were born last Thursday, healthy and strong.

I feel the strength of your prayers daily. Thank you so much for standing with me and with the children we serve. It is your faithfulness in prayer and giving that makes it possible for us to be here.

Sandra

Posted by ACE Staff at 10:18 AM | Permalink

The House of Martha Crisis Nursery, opened in September 1999, is a safe, loving home for children ages 4–8. Children come to House of Martha orphaned or abandoned, sick and scared. At the nursery children are surrounded with love, prayer and nurture while our social work staff works to locate extended family, or to secure adoptive or foster parents. Usually after staying with us for a few months the child is moving through the healing process and is able to be united with a family of his or her own.

One of our dreams has always been to have a classroom at House of Martha that was equipped and dedicated to meet the special needs of children who have been recently traumatized, whether because their parents have died, or because of abandonment.

Dr. Wood was a faithful friend and supporter of Alliance for Children Everywhere for more than 20 years. It is our great honor to remember him by establishing this education program. One of the rooms at House of Martha is being cheerfully furnished with desks and books. This special room for learning and healing is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Terry Wood, a loving and protective dad, an excellent physician, an avid musician and a man who did all he could to make everything beautiful.

Donations to the Dr. Terry Wood Memorial may be sent to Alliance for Children Everywhere, P O Box 12205, Tucson, AZ 85732, or by following the Support ACE link. Please designate your gift for the Dr. Terry Wood Memorial.

Posted by ACE Staff at 9:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Dear Family and Friends,

Today is a national holiday and the House of Moses where we are living for the next five months is quiet. This is one of the first times I have had any time to write. Life in Africa is challenging to say the least. Poverty and death are increasing, and so are the numbers of children who need loving Christian care and an education. We are blessed to have been called to serve the Lord here.

Last week I celebrated my 59th birthday by going to lunch at a Chinese restaurant and then buying petunias for the flower beds in front of the House of Moses. As the afternoon passed the clouds built up and just as the sun was going down it rained. It is extremely unusual for Zambia to have rain at this time of year, but it happened. Immediately after the rain ended swarms for flying ants came out of nowhere. Our friends here tell us they are from the anthills that are disturbed by the rain. In the rainy season these ants are large and after rain the people gather, roast and eat them--quite a treat, I understand. Last night's ants were too small to eat, but they still caused quite a stir, especially in our side of the house as Sandra frantically sprayed Doom, stomping from one foot to the other, squashing ants! After the ants settled down we barbecued chicken outside and the moon was full, dancing in and out of the clouds. It was a gorgeous African fall night. The whole day made for a most memorable birthday.

Bit by bit we are assessing our crisis homes and our schools. Getting around to visit everyone is a challenge as there are very few phones to make appointments, and often when you do arrive you find no one is around. However, we did manage to travel to the teacher training college where we have 40 of our volunteers training to sit for their government certification exams in November. The grant given to us by the Mustard Seed Foundation has made it possible for these young men and women to have a career. They are excited and proud. :-)

Last night around 5PM, we heard a thundering crash. The 1,000 gallon water tank that supplies water to the House of Moses came crashing down to the ground. Thank God no one was hurt, and thank God that some friends have stepped forward to have it replaced. The work crew is here at the moment trying to get water to the house before sun-down. We are able to get some water from a tap in the backyard that is supplied by city water, but it is on and off and must be carried into the house in buckets. With so many babies, it takes lots of water.

We are expecting Holly and Dee, our Change 4 Children staff members to arrive next week. Their first time to Africa, both are very excited to see first hand what they talk about in presenting the C4C program to churches. We are praying for safe travel, and a new anointing in their work.

Prayer needs:
1. We are up-grading our standards and are replacing two guards and ten care-givers at the homes. Pray that each new worker will be chosen and anointed for these important positions.

2. Robert, an active 3 year old at the Bill and Bette Bryant home has been abandoned and needs an adoptive family.

3. Increasing local church involvement in the Faith Works education program.

4.Pray that in this time of great need in Zambia our Lord may be lifted up and many will be drawn to Him.

Much Love and Many Blessings,
Sandra and Jennie

Posted by ACE Staff at 4:53 PM | Permalink

My involvement with ACE began after having watched the Change 4 Children DVD presentation at church. What moved me was that this was an opportunity to "do church" with an underdeveloped people group who also spoke English. Widows, orphans and the oppressed are singled out in Scripture for what God calls 'true religion.' Here they were, and God connected my family with them through ACE. The initial connection has now progressed to where we are now on the verge of building a schoolhouse/community center for the Losi people in Limulunga. What a perfect example of a mustard-seed-sized DVD presentation growing into something huge and wonderful for that community.

Steve Kozachik
Assistant Athletic Director
University of Arizona

[Staff note: On his last visit to Zambia, Steve gave Uncle G his guitar.]

Posted by ACE Staff at 10:45 PM | Permalink