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 I have had quite the experience this summer in Kenya, Africa working with the Zoe Ministry. My Zoe Mission Group consisted of 18 members from North Carolina and South Carolina from all different walks of life. We ranged in age from 17 to 72 and had an immediate bond that can only be God’s blessing in our lives.
The Zoe Mission Group believes in empowering young people that are either total orphans or children of a sick parent that inevitably will die, most often from AIDS. They call the program the “Giving Hope” mission of the Zoe Ministry. During the two weeks we were in Maua, Kenya we met one after another child-headed household. Some had been in the program for only 3 months while others had been a part of “Giving Hope” for 2 or more years. The children new to the program were often similar in these ways; they believed  they were the only ones that felt so alone and hopeless until “Giving Hope” came into their lives. They hang their heads low in shame, embarrassment, and fear. These children are acting as parents at very tender ages for many siblings. We found that most total orphans were taken advantage of in the work force, were victims of violence and theft, or literally hid in their homes for days without end crying and feeling helpless.
The common thread among the Orphan-headed households that are seasoned in the “Giving Hope” family is that they were beaming with pride at what they could accomplish, they felt like they belonged to a family again, and they not only shared their food, wealth, and homes with other orphans in need, but they praised God for the ability to do so. They praised God for “Giving Hope”, and they couldn’t wait to show us how they had succeeded.
We also built two homes while we were there. The community chooses which children who are a part of the program are in the most critical need to receive the home. The home I worked on was built for Faith and her siblings. They lived in a 5x5 stick and leaf built construction home with their school books stacked neatly on shelves before we arrived.
 The Zoe Ministry has an amazing organization and methodology that they developed in order to educate, guide, and support these children. They are not simply “given” anything because the goal is to empower the children to ultimately care for themselves and others through farming, vocational training, and cooperative working environments. They are given the opportunity to survive, to work hard, to learn how to take care of themselves and to believe in themselves. Education and counseling plays a very important role in the success of the Zoe Mission. What I learned from the experience was so great that it is impossible to put in one article, but I can tell you that most of us cannot imagine being thankful for only one meal a day, for shoes for both feet, for the ability to go in public without being ridiculed, or suffering the loss of both parents with no other adult there to take over the caretaker role in our life. The faith that these children exude is even more astonishing given the circumstances in which they live. They were all the most magnificent witnesses to us. They taught me the meaning of caring for your neighbor, sharing, and most importantly having faith in God to take careof you. Often we are under the mistaken impression that one man’s problems are his own and that we should “mind our own business.” We are taught from a young age and teach our children to keep things private whether it be job loss, money stress, or other embarrassing truths and that caring for our neighbor is being kind enough to take over a bundt cake at Christmas. Our Holy Father expects us to reach out to those in need and to give all that we can to show his love (Luke 10:25-37). These young people are living the scripture and were obeying God’s command. An example of this is in the heart of Davis, a young man working at the Blessed  Hope Bakery, making $3.00 in US dollars a week and giving $1.50 to his school mate so he too can eat and feed his sibling while he is learning a vocation. We were all impressed with the sacrifice and mercy he showed to a friend in need.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the Church Members, Staff, and the Vacation Bible Schoolers for all of your financial support for the Zoe Ministry and for the prayers that you offered on our behalf. You truly saved lives by your contributions, and I pray that God will bless you. The children there asked that we thank the people in our congregations on their behalf for what they are doing to help them. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to have a supportive church family, and I hope that I will make you all proud now that I am home by educating others about the Zoe Ministry and raising more funds for the Orphans of Africa. I hope to return! Facts about our Mission: * It cost $25.00 to build the house for Faith and her siblings.
* It cost $300.00 a year for two years to accept another Orphan family into Zoe’s “Giving Hope” program.
* AIDS is still a stigma in Africa that is kept quiet. People are shunned and ridiculed. * AIDS is often given to children through child birth or the mother’s milk.
* More than 50% of the population in Africa is children.
* Any contribution you give, large or small, makes a difference in their lives!
You or someone you know can make a one time donation or you can make a monthly contribution to the Zoe Ministry at the address below: Advance GCFA
P.O. Box 9068, GPO
New York, NY 10087-9068
Please make checks payable to Advance GCFA and note “Advance #982023- Zoe” in the memo line. You can also set up your bill pay online to automatically send a donation so you don’t have to remember each month, or simply drop a check in the church offering on Sunday.
To learn more about the Zoe Missionary please visit www.zoeministry.org.
I look forward to sharing more photos and videos soon. May God Bless You and Keep You,
Katie Brookshire |
