During this pandemic, we have had regular reports from Faith related to the spread of Covid-19 in Zambia. The country’s latest figures show there have been a total 1051 cases, with 743 recoveries and 7 deaths.
Faith and her team reacted very quickly to the threat by providing the necessary guidance to the Centres for protecting the children and adults from contracting the virus. As a result, we can be very grateful to God that at this time, the FOF Centres have been spared from this infectious disease.
We will keep a close eye on further developments as many students in Zambia are scheduled to restart classes on June 1.
Teen Mission is an important part of the FOF program for our youth as it imparts valuable life skills, develops their sense of responsibility and presents ways to examine the Word of God so they can grow in the Lord and communicate their faith to their community.
This year’s program started on 24th November, 2019 and went through to 9th of January 2020. FOF sent 125 youths and of these, 87 gave their life to the Lord and 6 re-dedicated themselves to the Lord.
Before proceeding to Teen Missions, all the youths gathered at the STC to receive groceries, blankets, clothes and other supplies before going to Ndola. Upon arrival at the camp, Teens were arranged in groups of thirty and given specific tasks to perform such as;
Planting maize and other crops,
Building churches/Construction;
Planting bananas.
Bible reading and memorising (a pack of 40)
Evangelisation
After the camp, the youths came back to S.T.C to receive new pairs of shoes to use for school and other school supplies, as well as provide reports on their time at the camp. Here are some of the reports from four of our youth that attended this recent event.
BLESSINGS MUKOTAMI
Blessings wrote, “I gave my life to the Lord when I was at Teen Missions Camp. I would like to be a Pastor when I finish school in order to serve in God’s kingdom and to help people in the community. I would like to help sick people with the encouragement of the word of God that through him, many could be healed and be saved. Teen Missions has done the following for me:
Shaped me to teach the Word of God and how to interact with others (social interaction).
Enabled me understand how to study the Word of God every day, and I have learnt various skills such as reading, bricklaying and farming.
Taught me how to use time responsibly and meaningfully.
Encouraged me to grow in my Christian life.” And the things of the Lord, always.
PAULINE KATONGO
Pauline says she accepted the Lord as her personal Saviour during Teen Missions Camp after the Word of God was explained to her. She learned a lot of things at Teen Missions that have helped her in her Christian life. Teen Mission program helped Pauline to know the importance of time keeping, concentrating, working hard and understanding missionary work. She promised to continue preaching and sharing the Word of God to her family and friends when she goes back to her village.
BRIGHT MWABANYA.
Bright is a twenty-two year old young man from the Inakamwale FOF Center on the Solwezi Road. He gave his life to the Lord last year at Teen Missions and went back again this year. He likes the Camp because it brings youths together to work and learn things like how to manage finances, how to sing, how to do farm work, learn to know God and how to behave towards one another. He appreciated the care he received at Teen Missions. He also said he enjoyed sleeping in tents and hearing birds in the trees singing all night during camp.
The debrief time also was another exciting time for him, when teams were competing in forty memory verses and singing. Lastly, he would advise youths to attend Teen Missions because it’s really a good place to know the Lord.
ABRAHAM JIKATA
“I went to Teen Missions already a Christian and I was able to grow in the things of the Lord. I truly appreciate having attended Teen Missions camp.” Teen missions taught me how to live with others, i.e. eating together, playing together and having fun together. Teen Missions promotes unity and more importantly, to be prayerful all the time. Prayers are very important at Teen Missions. In the morning there is personal devotion time and I have personally dedicated to God to continue personal devotion which is a good way of communicating to the Almighty God. Teen Missions taught me agriculture, poultry and crop management. Teen Missions help youths to be punctual at all activities and to be dedicated to duty all the time. It helps one to be disciplined all the time in life.”
Note:
Five of our youths have since decided to remain at Teen Mission to train as Pastors.
What began in October of 2015 with three Canadians arriving in Zambia has been completed and is now in full use. The generous support of Canadian donors has enabled Faith’s Orphans Fund to build a school at the Lungwa Centre where the children there can now receive the education to change their futures and impact their community.
The nearest school for the children of Lungwa had been more than 16 km away, too far for children to walk at anytime let alone during the rainy season when paths and the road would be awash. Education previously consisted of brief lessons by non-teachers in a tiny hut.
The construction plans for Lungwa consisted of a school building with three large classrooms and supply storage room, a small four-room building to house the teachers, two separate latrines for the students plus all the required desks and chairs. Before construction of the school could begin however, a well had to be drilled to provide the water to mix with cement to make concrete.
The well that provided the water required for construction also gave the entire community a sustained source for safe clean water and it has become the central meeting place for the community. The well was made possible by a generous group of people in memory of a special teenager from Frankford Ontario and a plaque embedded in a concrete memorial now stands by the well as a permanent tribute.
The work on the school was carried out in three phases with the assistance of four students from our Skills Training Centre and the entire Lungwa community, including the children who contributed by carrying materials like heavy concrete blocks to the building site. Before the school was finished and before the desks and chairs arrived, the children were being taught in the classrooms…and today, 176 children attend the classes held in this new school.
Thank you for your continued support of Faith’s Orphans Fund. Together we are making a difference in the lives of these children and giving them a brighter tomorrow.
