A Busy Week

Just a quick post to update you on our week-

Our housekeeper's* house was broken into over the weekend, and most of her belongings were stolen. She is a widow, HIV positive, and working incredibly hard to survive on her own. She lives in a nearby compound with her children, and was so devastated by this great loss. We are so sad for her, as she is such a sweet and gentle woman, and so helpful to us around our house. Please pray that the Lord would continue to allow us to help her in tangible ways, and show us how to best minister to her broken heart.
*A bit of explanation so that you understand we are not necessarily living a life of luxury over here...since we are Americans living in Lusaka, it would be culturally unacceptable for us not to hire a household staff. We would be seen as selfish if we were not willing to provide jobs in this way, and since we could certainly use some help- we are more than happy to have them work for us.

We have had several meetings this week, establishing connections, and doing the "networking" part of Special Hope. We have met with the director of a local teaching hospital, a lawyer from International Justice Mission, and a couple of realtors (we need a more permanent place to live as of August). So far, people have been welcoming and helpful- though most of them have directed us elsewhere to learn more specifically about children with intellectual disabilities in Zambia.

We have visited some great churches- one in particular this past Sunday. We had met with the pastor earlier that week, and he was very encouraged by the prospect of the work we hope to do here. During the service, he introduced us to the congregation, and had Eric speak about our mission. Not only that, but he, himself endorsed our ministry and and explained to his church how important it was that they partner with us in our caring for children with disabilities. It was really cool...

More to come soon...thanks for reading.