July 2023 - Traveling Back to Zambia
We’re traveling back to Zambia!
Since being back in the U.S., God has created amazing opportunities and used us in so many ways that have prepared us to go into Zambia with a new perspective and vision. We are thankful! Here’s what we’ve been up to this year:
In February, Luke went with board members and church members of True North Church in North Augusta, SC on our first vision trip. God did amazing things through planning our transformation center in the bush, experiencing life in Zambia and hosting a crusade. Here’s his take on the trip:
The February vision trip with our friends at True North was such a fruitful time. It is also one of the most beautiful times of year for Zambia. Everything is green and the temperature is in the upper 70’s with a light misting that comes down most afternoons. I started the trip arriving a few days before our board members and Gene, from True North, arrived. I had the task of buying an extra bed and getting our Zambian house ready to host a small team. It was my first time navigating Zambia completely by myself while driving our 20 year old truck with loose steering and a worn transmission. GPS doesn’t always work in Zambia so I have to navigate like its the 1900’s.
Our very old and worn down truck that we are incredibly thankful for!
Once the team arrived we hit the ground running. We spent 4 days in Mumbwa measuring our land preparing to break ground on the Transformation Center. We also held a service for the community at one of our church plants in Mutanya Village. As soon as the service started it rained as hard as I have ever seen. And it rained like that all service until the closing prayer 3 hours later. The Lord had kept the rain off so villagers would come and then he stopped the rain just as service ended so everyone could travel back to their home safely without the rain and worry of black mambas. The next day we traveled back to the capital city, Lusaka, to spend the next few days at our school where we planned and dreamed for future expansion with the school as we keep onward with our goal of having a 12th grade. We finished the trip with hosting our monthly food distribution service at the school. 68 sponsored kids and their families arrived with wheelbarrows and anything else they can find to help them carry back a months supply of food.. We worshipped and prayed together before being able to bless every sponsored family. We returned the next day on the 24+ hour trip to the states with our pastor and friend, Bitwell Njovu. It was a successful trip, and we are thrilled to begin hosting teams on a regular basis.
Here’s some photos from the trip:
A black mamba that a villager stomped to death. A lot of people wear tall boots this time a year because if one of these bites you, it can very easily lead to death.
In March, we hosted our second annual Hands of Hope event! We had a gala hosted at True North Church and were so blown away by God’s grace and people’s generosity. We had 91 people in attendance and raised a little over $70,000 for our nonprofit! This money is going to sponsoring kids, buying materials and equipment for our school, sponsoring teachers/classrooms, and funding our Mumbwa Transformation Center. The Transformation Center is fully-funded now (thank you God!) and we are going to be in the beginnings of building when we arrive back.
Gala Pictures:
Marlow Louise Black
In April, a baby came. Marlow Louise Black arrived on April 11, 2023 at 11:03 am. She was 6 lbs 8 oz and 19 ¼ inches long. The birth was an amazing, fast experience that was incredibly spirit-filled. I’m not sure how people have babies without knowing God as provider, helper, and friend, but I’m so thankful that I did. God continues to reveal Himself in new ways to me as I think back on how sweet our time and first few days with our girl was. I spent all of April preparing for Marlow, meeting her, and getting accustomed to life with her. We thank God for the incredible gift it is to get to be her parents. She is the sweetest, smiley-est baby, who eats great, sleeps great, and is a true joy. Just this week, she started rolling and laughing! She is relatively flexible in traveling in the car so far, so we are praying that that continues, as her life is going to be full of adventure when we head back to Zambia!
In May, I continued in maternity leave while Luke continued to work and run Hands of Hope, filling in on my role as well (as much as possible). He worked a lot on USA and Zambia accounting, taking meetings with people who run successful nonprofits/churches/people in Zambia, managing possible means to expand and renovate, and filling out and praying over our “completed vision”. We asked a lot of hard questions during this time, like “Okay we have a school in a poor neighborhood in Lusaka, Zambia. How does that really help provide transformation? Where is God taking Hands of Hope? Where is he leading us? What does it look like to partner with churches and organizations to be a part of God’s transformation of a life? Is our help enabling or inspiring change?” and so many more questions. God has been using our time in the USA to really flesh out answers to these important questions.
In June, we both were back to work! I am more part-time as I work during nap-times and when Luke can switch with me. We are preparing and looking at expanding our school into 12th grade, starting our Transformation Center, changing some structure within our organization, and hosting our *first* visitor trip!!! We are currently in the very beginning stages of a lot of these things, but it has been so great to begin being in the swing of things again and fleshing out all of the amazing vision and ideas God has given us! Our first trip will be this October, and will be hosted by True North and Cedar Creek Church. Please connect with us if you are interested in coming!
Once Marlow was born, we almost immediately applied for her passport so that we could fly back to Zambia. (For those wondering, everyone who travels internationally from the U.S. needs a passport. Domestic flights don’t require anyone under 2 to have one.) Please enjoy her passport photo, in which she balded on the top of her head the day before the photo and looks like a tiny grandpa!
We just received her passport last week and immediately booked tickets. We’ll be leaving Monday morning, July 31st. This exact time last year, July 30th to be exact, we found out I was pregnant and now we are going back within just a few days of that time, a year apart.
We truly cannot wait to return, as we are going to hit the ground running! We have a lot that God has set before us, and will accomplish it in God’s power and timing. We are still trying to figure out what working with a baby looks like, but we are believing that He will create the perfect schedule that will fill our family’s needs and the needs of the nonprofit. She is our biggest earthly blessing, and we are so thankful that we get to bring our new family member to the place that not only we are called, but she is called to as well! We cannot wait for the memories she’ll have in Zambia and for her to speak her first Nyanja word alongside her english words. We have such a special community of believers that cannot wait to meet her too!
Looking back at the past year:
If you want to see more of what it is like in Zambia, we provide a video for the annual Gala showing a lot of what happened in Zambia throughout the year. It showcases what it’s like to be at school with the fun atmosphere and Christ centered learning, what Zambian church is like in the city and the bush, what the Mumbwa soccer league is like, and what it’s like to bless 68 families with a month’s supply of food.
Praises:
God has given us a beautiful, healthy baby girl!
God has provided for our every need and will continue to do so.
We have had many opportunities to speak to churches, small groups, sunday school classes, and individuals about Hands of Hope. We even got to be on the cover of a magazine and write an article about Hands of Hope! Click here to read it!
Prayer Requests:
We have great plane ride experiences with Marlow. We pray and believe that God will keep us safe and be our helper as we travel with a baby.
We have had some that have needed to drop funding for us. We will be okay and are totally understanding of the different situations, but we ask that you pray for us that funding comes through so that we can continue being in Zambia!
We are really in need of board members/committee members in the USA that believe in God’s mission in Zambia and can give of their time to help us with things on the USA-side! There are lots of different teams to be on, and it is a voluntary position that could really help us continue to grow, as well as let us focus on things in Zambia! If this sounds like something you'd like to be a part of, please contact connect@handsofhopeus.com or send Luke or Savannah a message!
