Merry Christmas from Extending Hands!

A couple of years ago my husband and I were asked to share at church about surrender in our lives and what that looked like. It was the word that God had given me for that season. At the time we were surrendering a lot and didn't know where that would take us. Well, it took us to a place of much pain, hardship and struggle. We had the opportunity to praise God during this time or to blame Him and walk away and be bitter. We chose to stand firm and bless the name of the Lord despite what He gave or took away.

During this Christmas Season another word represents this month for me – contentment. “Reality minus expectations equals contentment.” I remember this quote from a pastor a long time ago! I will never forget it. It seems that as we have surrendered, we have been wrought with hardship, probably as training and stretching for our future full-time missionary work. So, I have felt that contentment needs to be a word I claim this season. I must choose to be content with all that I have and all that has been stripped from me. I must be content despite testing and trials because that is my reality. If I have expectations different from my path or the journey that God has laid out for me, I am envying others’ journeys and am being jealous of the "nicer" path it appears they are on. If I do not accept what God is doing in my life, keeping my eyes on Him, but instead am looking at other people’s paved walkways as I compare, I will miss out on what God is growing and stretching in me.

What if Jesus had wanted to go His own way when he came to earth? What if He was not content with how God allowed Him to come into existence here on earth? What if Jesus went around saying that He was better than being born in a manger or that He wanted disciples with master’s degrees instead of fishermen and a horse and chariot instead of a donkey. Jesus walked His path with the acceptance of divine and eternal contentment with His life here on earth. He knew the path would get very rocky, yet His eyes were kept on His Father's will until the very end.

That I might so live. Let it be that the rocky terrain and mountains and valleys and obstacles would be the journey I can't help but follow and that the word contentment would be the reality I choose to live out.

What are you contented with this season? How peaceful are you in your reality? God will meet you where you are and give you contentment this year. Just ask Him! Let us rest in Him!

Have a Wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season from all of us at Extending Hands!

Thanksforgiving!

This week is Thanksgiving, and I thought it appropriate to write about this wonderful holiday we are so graciously allowed to celebrate here in the good ole US of A. It is an honor to set aside a day to give thanks for all that we have. We are praying about how our family will celebrate this holiday in light of the needs of people in Third World countries. I think of the precious women we work with in Zambia, how little they have, and how thankful they are to be alive for another day.




So how do you prepare for Thanksgiving? Of course, there is much cleaning and cooking in advance of the big day. Are you stressed out and filled with anxiety? Do you realize the luxury we possess in having homes to clean and food to prepare? Please do consider the tasks at hand as an opportunity to pray for those less fortunate than ourselves. Could we dust and lift up those who are living in garbage dumps or roll out pie crust praising God for a full pantry? Let us be ever mindful of what we have been blessed with and of those who have been blessed with less.



In humbly accepting this day as a reminder of our blessings, some of us are actually living in a place of need ourselves and are wondering what we are going to be thankful for. For some the neediness is financial, for some relational, and for others spiritual or emotional. I would challenge all of us to receive whatever struggles God has allowed in our lives, especially in this economy and in light of all that is going on in our country, to draw us closer to Him. Let’s remember that despite our earthly needs, we always have God. If you were sitting at your dining room table with nothing more than mac and cheese – or maybe you don't have your dining room anymore – would God be enough for you to gather with family and be thankful? I would venture to say that perhaps we will understand more as a country about God in our years of want than in our years of plenty.



I believe this is the time, this is the year to take seriously the day of Thanksgiving, being thankful for trials and for struggles, that we might think more about the needs of those who don't have – don’t have food, don't have clothing, those who don’t yet have God. He alone is worthy of all our Thanksgiving.



We thank all of you who have given to Extending Hands over the years to help us minister to the women in Zambia. We are so grateful for the partnership with all of you and all that you have given so we may show the love of Jesus in a country far away that doesn't have a day set aside to give thanks, though many hearts are thankful each day for another day of life. Let's celebrate extravagantly our thanksgiving to God who is our everything no matter how much or how little we have in this present world.

Excited in the little things...to make something for themselves, a name tag that reflects them! Wow!

A Light of Hope by Sandy Woznicki

Thirteen years ago, I remember standing on the square of my hometown, Woodstock, Il and partaking in a candle lighting ceremony amongst a group of women who had, in some capacity, been affected by Domestic Violence. It was October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and I was an intern in my Master’s Program at a Domestic Violence shelter.  Little did I know at the time, how my heart and eyes would be opened and changed with regards to the impact of abuse in our society.


The statistics of Domestic Violence in America are alarming: 1/ 4 women and 1/6 men suffer abuse in a relationship (this only reflects those cases reported). Approximately every 9 seconds, a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, an aunt, a friend, a partner are being assaulted or beaten. Compounded to that are the verbal, emotional, financial, and spiritual abuse that is pervasive and ongoing. If these travesties are cultivated in a country that stands on a foundation of freedom and equal rights for all, imagine then, a culture where a woman is still considered property, where she is part of a population where 78 % live in poverty, and chances of her receiving an education beyond 6th grade are marginal, at best.

This past summer, I was exposed once again to the tragic costs of this societal epidemic traveling to Lusaka, Zambia in Africa with an incredible a team from ExtendingHands, a nonprofit organization of which I am proud to be a board member. One of our main goals was to create and carry out a conference to educate women on abuse: what abuse is, the types of abuse, and its impact on their minds, bodies, and souls. Many of the women have been abused since they were young girls--they grew into womanhood way before their time. Most have had to ignore their own needs, let alone their hopes and dreams for a better future, in order to care not only for their own children, but for other family members who became orphans as a result of their parents succumbing to HIV/AIDS.

The costs of DV are great and are not limited by economic, racial, religious or even regional boundaries—this truly is a global problem. It results in many losses: loss of lives, loss of a sense of self, loss of a healthy family system, loss of a healthy and flourishing community at large. The impact of abuse not only affects these systems at an emotional and physical level, but also creates financial, medical, and legal burdens that most of the time, are beyond the ability of the victims to resolve for themselves.



'The Gathering' Conference in Lusaka, Zambia
June2012



It was important for our team to bring to these beautiful women in Zambia, some hope---the Truth about who they are, not what they have come to believe from the lies and abuse of others, not through the cultural laws under which they have been oppressed, but the Truth of who they were created to be. And once again, I had the privilege of participating in a candlelight ceremony, amongst a group of very strong and resilient women who had a contagious faith of Hope. And in that Spirit, we stood together, holding a light to the truth that we were created out of love, to be loved, and to live out our potential in love. And that Truth has no geographic, no cultural, and no legal limits!

What Still Overwhelms

First off, I need to say a public bloggy, "Thank You!" to the people who put countless hours, money and energy into our annual fundraiser Sept. 1st! This blog is WAY overdue (I know!!) and I apologize SO much for being away from the blog for a while! Life has been a little crazy:)  God did do some great things that night and we are again humbled to just be a part of what God is doing!  All of you on the fundraising committee and those that helped the day of, either setting up, playing drums, greeting our guests or helping with a myriad of other jobs, we appreciate you all very much!  From the bottom of my heart I lift you all up so God may bless you greatly for sacrificing much for the people of Zambia.  We are looking forward now to what God is calling us to next. 

We have allocated much of the money made that night and are praying that God multiplies all the dollars to further His will and His plan in Zambia.  We are committed to providing more training and help to the women who are learning how to sew and knit.  We are also coming alongside of our partner on the ground, Community for Human Development.  Much needed financial help is following  hours of prayer as they struggle to do what God has called them to, despite the  many mountains they have to overcome.  Putting aside money for getting the products here to the states is also crucial along with keeping the women busy making products, which requires continued search for new markets and ways to sell (need online store, praying for that).  Networking, travel, booth set-up and  training on abuse and other issues the women face, takes some of the beautiful offerings so many of you have given!  Thank you!

Your support and prayer has allowed us to do much for the people of Zambia.  From the conference on abuse we put on in Lusaka and the skills training to allowing Ben to finally come and ask the question, "what about the men?".  We are already looking forward to next year and the team trip that will go and do something to answer that question.  There are many things on the horizon for us as we stand firm in our calling and stay still long enough to hear the heart of God. Ben and I were at International Teams this past week hearing the vision and mission of I-Teams and getting a handle on what it is going to take to get us to Zambia as full time workers for God there!  I am hoping to see clearly how God wants us to live here and what He wants us to focus on as we prepare to go full time to Zambia in 2014.

As I sit and think about all that God has already laid out in front of us, this one thing still overwhelms my soul, that God has allowed us to be a part of it all.  To be the hands and feet of Jesus to broken and hurting people.  Wow....

I am continually overcome by the fact that God can use me (us) and that He has entrusted us to this mission in Zambia.  God is at work folks!  It was so exciting to meet all the people this past week at I-Teams who are going to all different places around the globe! What an awesome representation of what God has done in the lives of those who are willing to take that deep breath and jump off the cliff with God so the WHOLE GOSPEL can be presented to the world! It was an honor to sit in the same room with everyone! 

Thank you again to all of you who have  been a part of this journey so far...much more to come!  Stay tuned!




 

The 99 and the 1

Once again, Zambia has challenged my soul to dig deep within my spiritual understanding on the subjects of poverty, abuse, need and outright evil.  Only my God could give me the strength, the peace, and the hope I need to rummage through the vast, overwhelming plague of endless agony while not getting stuck along the way.  Doing ministry with women is my passion, but there is one young woman who calls my soul off the beaten path every year.

Many of you have heard the story of Agness, our old sponsored child from 2008.  As hundreds of the sponsored children were taken into the care of the local church, Agness fell through the cracks. Not anyone’s fault other than Satan himself trying to destroy another girl’s life through rape, poverty, and abuse.  The intersection of her life and mine is now in the history books…actually His-story.  She was the one who was lost and somehow God allowed me to be involved in snatching her from the gates of hell.  For what purpose is remained to be seen.  Though, I know God has big plans for her! 

Her life has been “typical’ of girls in Third World countries, though, I would argue that it doesn’t have to be.  Abandoned as a toddler with mother dying and father taking off (I am sure, dead now) she was taken from her home to the big city of Lusaka to stay with endless extended family members, some of whom sexually abused her as a young girl.  In and out of school because she never stayed anywhere long enough, she has not been able to pass the 8^th grade even though she is almost 17.  Every time I see her when I am in Zambia, it has broken my heart to have to say, “Goodbye.”  2009 and 2010 held precious moments together as we went for lunch, I let her enjoy a hot bath or warm shower, and a “girls sleepover,” with the quiet sounds of peaceful breathing that only comes from a deep sense of feeling safe. 

The first year held very little difficulty in finding her.  Though, in 2010, it became a little harder.  Then came 2011.  I was in Zambia by myself last year and was limited in not only time but resources.  Being unable to find her old OVCC worker (Orphans and Vulnerable Children Coordinator) and not feeling optimistic about her knowing where she was anyway, I had to leave the country without seeing her in 2011.  Imagine the most gut-wrenching feeling of failure and sorrow as I got on the plane knowing that she was somewhere in the city (I was hoping) waiting for me to show up, unannounced, to surprise her in our “summer get together.”  I vowed it would not happen again.

2012….planning the team trip to go and minister to the widows and vulnerable women we work with through our partner on the ground CHD ( Community for Human Development) took up much time as we planned, and trained our team of 4 WONDERFUL ladies.  Never far behind, though, were thoughts of Agness.  Where was she?  Was she thinking I had forgotten about her?  Was she safe?  I pleaded with God to speak to her heart and let her know I was praying for her and thinking of her. How completely abandoned she must have felt as summer came to a close the year before.

Focusing on the task at hand -- the women’s conference in Lusaka, ministry in the bush, training on the new sewing machines and the many other things we were there to do -- consumed me.  Trying to connect with the staff of EOH was critical in trying to find out anything on her.  As I waited for a response as to whether ANYONE had seen or heard from Agness, I became increasingly worried she had fallen off the face of the earth.  How then would I grapple with the absolute pain of losing her to an evil world?  And more so, what would I say to God?   

My husband had just come in to join the team, and we found a day to go and look for her.  My heart sank when we got to the EOH office and heard that they didn’t know where to look first.  Heading out to one of the many places she could have been, we set off through the urban poverty of Lusaka….garbage heaps, markets,  and the mass sea of people and vehicles trying to all fit in the tiny alleys of the uneven, rutted roads of the compounds.  After looking for her all day we found where she was living and discovered she was not around.  After asking the neighborhood kids, we got two girls to tell us where she was working (yes, working 6 days of week, 12-13 hours a day) and they guided us through the maze of streets. 

 I had left, figuratively, the 99 other women who I knew had the connection with us and CHD, the 99 others who I knew had access to help and hope, some of which we had just provided them.  I left the 99 to search for a girl in Africa that needed me to extend my hand to her. To reach and grab her as if she was dangling from a cliff, risking my own life in a way.  I am willing, really. I would not have given up, even if those around me had.  It was getting bleak for a while.  I argued that if it had been my daughter and I had died when she was a baby, I would have prayed someone out there in the world would have cared enough to search, to sacrifice and save my daughter.  Then God made it very clear that she is His daughter and how much more He loves her.   I was being the chosen vessel to be the hands and feet of Jesus to one of millions of girls in Africa who need to see Him.  I am just lucky enough to be a part of this with God.

It was then, that my husband saw the feet of a now young woman, (the same age as our daughter back home!)  running  from behind a house, as if trying to cling to any last glimpse of her childhood,  out to the truck where she jumped into my arms as she called to me “ma, ma!” Of course, tears ensued….I so enjoy being the hands and feet of Jesus when I get to use those hands to hug my “other” daughter half way around the world in a place called Africa.   And in the words of Agness….”I guess God does really give you want you want!”

Let us be the answer to the prayers of someone who needs to be found and not miss the chance to change history, if for only one young women.  Let us set out of our safe pasture and not look back as we engage the world in the gospel of Christ.  To seek that which is lost.

Good (Very Early) Morning,
     It is 3:30 am, one of those mornings I lost the battle to fall back to sleep. Sleep is overrated anyway right?  Just kidding around, but I can make good use of the time.  I so often find it is a good time to journal & spend time with God.   It is so peaceful & quiet & my mind is clear of daily activities that lay ahead. 
     One thing that is almost always on my mind is our trip to Zambia June 15th.  Sometime recently I have taken control of this journey & need to give the control back to God.  The lines of my roles and responsibilities & what I need to turn over to Him are getting blurred.  I take control & turn over, take control & turn over on & on.  It is a constant battle isn't it?
     When I started this awesome, exciting, wonderful opportunity, scary, anxiety based, faith stretching journey my 1st mountain was raising $4500.  In this economy, I thought it might as well of been a million dollars!  How are we going to do this?  Forget the we, how am I going to do this?  Ask people for money?!  Oh no, I can not ask people for money.  After finding out I could not get the time off of work I said to myself oh, I guess I thought I heard God's call, but I must be mistaken.  About a week of going back & forth: maybe God did call me, no, He wouldn't ask me to do this at this time.    You know how that is right?  You go back and forth with your decision and don't find inner peace again until you make the right decision.  After about a week of no peace and no sleep I said, "Okay Lord I will be your vessel." 
     During this time our small group was studying John Ortberg's When The Game Is Over It All Goes Back In The BOX.  In one of the chapters John talks about God calling us: he says, "You may have noticed that very rarely in the Bible does God bother to interrupt someone's life and ask him or her to do an easy task.  Hebrews 11, is devoted to a series of encounters where God asks people to embrace high-risk assignments."  He goes on to say, "How high a value would you say God places on making sure people who follow him lead comfortable lives? It seems that God wants to use us, wants to grow us up, wants us to be strong and wise and courageous.  He doesn't appear to be terribly interested in making sure we're comfortable.  He would not make a good flight attendant." LOL.
     Now, you might ask, "What happened to your mountain?" Well, I can tell you with tears of joy there is no mountain for God has removed it.  I just checked my account and I have a credit of $6.34. :)
Sincerely,
Joyce Murphy
Zambia Missions Team Member 2012
    

Go and Love...

Yesterday I was watching a DVD by Jill Briscoe.  The first point she made was that ministry Jesus' way, is first and foremost done in person or through the ministry of presence. Jesus did not have to come down from Heaven and be here to save us but He did.  He came....

This was such an overwhelming reminder to me as I thought back (and do a lot!) on the first words God spoke to me about Extending Hands...go and love, go and love.  Don't I have to have more than that, Lord??  Don't I have to have a plan?  A list of goals and ways to measure success to satisfy the Western minds that want answers to all the questions?  Spread sheets? Tables and graphs to asses where all time and money have gone and to what extent of return?  Well, while all those things are good, I don't know that Jesus cared about the number of people that would come to Him after His conversation with the one women at the well.  His focus was her.  He was present to talk to her, care about her and know her. Everyone else is bonus! As Jill Briscoe quoted, "Crowds are made up of individuals".  Do we see the one?  The lone widow who needs a hug and a little help, the prostitute who needs to know she is beautifully created by God, the single mother who needs a hand with her kids and a listening ear?  There is always one women who I notice needs a little extra attention or words of affirmation when I go to Zambia.  Let us always be looking for the one or few who, while in the crowd, are longing for someone to see them for the person they are, a person who has a name and a story.  An individual.  This is my goal, to always see the individual faces of the women I work with, to hear each story, to see a women just like me, but on the other side of the world. A women who might just need to know that I cared enough to come.

Are we willing to go when God calls, without a safety net or a specified agenda?  Jill talked about how she took a group of women to a war torn area once and the women were all asking Jill about what they were going to be doing, and what should they know before they go, and what were they to say when they got there.  Jill just kept saying, "I don't know".  They were shocked!  They couldn't believe there was no plan! But when they got there, the conversations that were being had went something like this..."We are just glad you came, you just came, we can't believe you came!"

This speaks to my soul as I know God has spoken these words to my heart. The idea that being present is enough.  That God can and will do the "rest" if we just show up.  Loving as Christ loved IS enough of a reason to go, to be, and to sacrifice for.  Wherever that may be!  We might just need to show up in our families, or neighborhoods or beyond that!  And you don't have to have all the answers and know exactly what you are going to say or do once you decide to go and be. 

Sometimes I get caught up or worried that we aren't doing enough, or we arent' showing "rapid" growth (whatever that means!) or selling enough products to help the women we work with in Zambia.  Good thing I had lunch with a friend who works in other African countries with widows who reminded me of a good point. That WHATEVER we are doing to help women in Africa is more than when we weren't doing ANYTHING to help women in Africa.  That we can care about long term sustainability of "projects" (while important..) or know that the woman that we give help and a hug to today could die tomorrow and we gave her hope when no one else would.  She is not a casualty to the cause or project but a real person who we touched, physically with our hands and spiritually to her soul. 

Ministry Jesus' way....freeing...

Purpose, Passion and Pot-Holes

Psalms 37: 4-7 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes."

I had coffee last night with a wonderful young women in our church.  I wanted to encourage her and felt God prompting me to give her these words...PURPOSE, PASSION AND POT-HOLES.  As I shared them with her I realized they were for me as well.  These words, these ideas, can change your life forever  What is the purpose of your life?  What is your God given passion?  AND what are the pot-holes that could keep you from living these out?

I know for me it began with seeking God and His will for my life early on.  In the times when we question where God has put us, or where He has allowed us to be, we sit and wait on Him.  I was sharing that I knew God was calling me to SOMETHING back in the days of early motherhood. When I would sit at the feet of Jesus and think-I see glimpses of what I think You are calling me to, but I know it is not yet and I WILL NOT run ahead of You and I will not step out of where You have placed me right now, in the midst of diapers, dishes, and dog hair.  For many reasons, that is exactly where God wanted me.  In finding our eternal purpose, it is most important to follow God today.  Not to step ahead of what He is doing in the present.  It is very easy to push forward with seemingly good, spiritual, even eternal plans we think we are being called to, when God really wants us to wait with Him while He works in our hearts, our souls, to do what we cannot fathom.  The work  done in silence, the growth that happens when pain takes us to our faces in our bedrooms, the time spent in The Word in the early morning hours, is not wasted.  Precious are the things that God does in the quietness of our hearts  without the applause of men distracting us.  Being in the background with God is better than being in the spotlight without Him.  God is so good that He would want to prepare us, to prepare our hearts to receive the purpose He has for us.  If we trust Him and surrender with complete abandon.  Ephesians 1:18-"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."

The passion that comes from that stirring in our souls during the preparation and in the revealing of our purpose is fueled by one thing...time spent with Him.  Time spent worshiping a God that would include us in His will, in His plan, here on this earth for things that are anything but earthly, is an honor.  The passion for not only what God has called you to but the passion for what is more important....following the ONE who has called you.  We follow Him and Him alone, not a mission, not a project, not an organization, not a feeling, we follow Him.  That kind of passion will never fizzle, never go flat!  We will always be in His will if our passion is for Him first!  Then, we can go and do all that He has called us to do!  Philippians 4:13-"I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Then we are on the road, right?  We have our purpose, our passion, let's go! Well,  the pot-holes that Satan will put in our way will fill the road we walk.  We need to be aware of the traps, the pot-holes that will be dug in front of us.  Things to distract us, pull us away, bring us down.  These holes are filled with things we want in life, or things that give us fulfillment or fill voids, things that while are not all bad (though some are!) are not included in the plan God has for us.  Voices from the past, urges that desire to be fulfilled, emptiness that asks for a cure.  And the sneaky thing about Satan is that some of these pot-holes will even be filled with Christians or church things, or enticing answers to needs we want met.   But we walk with One who is greater than he who is in the world! By knowing Him, knowing the One who is victorious, we can also be victorious!  We can claim the promises of God and lean hard on Him who gives us the strength and courage! For we fight not against flesh and blood!

That is what I claim today, as I have climbed out of a pot-hole myself,  pulled up by the hand that walks with me, the hand of my Father in Heaven.  For He is mighty to save.  We are still on this earth because our work here is not done.  My purpose-to do God's will for my life. My passion-to love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my mind, and all my soul. Those pot-holes-well, they might slow me down, but they WILL NOT hold me back!

Happy New Year!

2012...it could be the end of the world or just the beginning for change in the lives of women in Zambia!  Since we are not so worried that 2012 is it, we are charging forward with what God is calling us to do at  Extending Hands!  No fear here people:) 

A quick review...After the end of our first "official" year we ended on a great note...looking back to see all that God did this past year was amazing and when it was all said and done we pulled in over $23,000.00!  That enabled us to get our 501c(3) done, a website up and running, do a trip to Zambia, a fundraiser put on, marketing materials designed, buy a computer, buy product and have it shipped from the women, and all the other non-fun stuff of running a organization (paper, printing, stamps, bags, tags, P.O. box, web hosting, annual filings, etc, etc.).  God is so faithful!  This past year went beyond our expectations and we are waiting to see what God is going to do this year!

As I did last year, I  am going to share the prayer requests we have for 2012 and trust that as we and you all pray, God will hear and answer!

First off, I want to thank and praise God for my husband Ben and our board of directors!  They have been so wonderful in praying, giving advice, and knowing when to reel me in and let me go!  I sooooo appreciate them!  They have jumped of the cliff with me multiple times this past year when they probably thought I was nuts but followed me anyway!  God continues to show up and be the real AWESOME God that He is as we continue to step out in His will for us and the women of Zambia.  Pray for continued guidance, wisdom and faith as we plan and follow what God would have for us in 2012!

Now, for the things to pray about!

1. Please, pray for the widows and vulnerable women we work with in Zambia.  For their health (physically, emotionally, and spiritually), for provision for what is left of their families, for safety and for continued opportunity for them to grow in their talents and skills, their relationships and their walk with God.

2. Pray for our partner on the ground in Zambia, Community for Human Development.  Reberiah and her staff are dedicated to helping the women there and giving them the education and skills to pull themselves out of poverty and protect themselves against and deal with HIV/AIDS. Pray for them and their needs as an organization and for wisdom and eternal perspective as they work everyday with the impoverished women and children of Zambia.

3.  We are pushing forward with finding stores, conferences and events to showcase the wonderful products that the women make in Zambia. We would like to be in 10 stores and be at 10 events by the end of 2012.  To help us do that, you can pray and connect us with any store or coordinator for women's conferences, Fair Trade shows, world market type stores, etc.  We are already in 4 stores...so just 6 more to go! Events will pile up quickly, so pray for wisdom in attending the right ones for the best exposure.  This concept needs to expand quickly as we need to sell as much as we can here to keep the women in Zambia working so that they may be empowered by the opportunity to provide for their families.  That their talents and gifts may be used to create beautiful products that are marketable here and around the world!  That is the next step by the way, to expand our market to different places in the world as well!  That will be a goal for 2013;)

4. Pray for the team we are bringing this summer to Zambia. For what we will be doing and the relationships that will be made and the lives that will be changed.  We are looking to do a women's conference or "gathering" to address the issues women deal with in Zambia.  We will also  be doing more skills training with the jewelry and hopefully other products that we will market!  We are very excited about this trip and what God is going to do in us and through us!  Pray for safety, growth in our own lives, for the funding we will need, the wisdom in planning and the team's "oneness" and the grace and love to be all things to each other as we travel and stay in unfamiliar territory.

5.  Pray also for Ben and I as we will be in Zambia together for the first time.  This will be Ben's first trip and we will be tackling many things.  Continuing the research for a shelter and safe house in Zambia for widows and prostitutes.  Assessing other area's (other than Lusaka) for a shelter. The plight of the men in Zambia and their needs as that is one of the passions Ben has.  Immersing ourselves in the area's of Zambia and visiting multiple other NPO's to gain perspective and advice,  and praying and figuring out the finer details of what it would look like for us to be in Zambia full time in the future.  This is a lot to do in one trip so we will need prayer to have things go as planned and run smoothly while we are there.

6. Pray for our fundraiser we will be having at the end of summer!  After our first fundraiser this past Sept. 1st, and the success we had in that, we can't wait to plan our second annual fundraiser!  Even now, we need prayer for the date and theme of the fundraiser and most importantly, the team that will again pull this together! 

This is a start, a rough draft of what 2012 will hold for us.  We want to be open to all that God has for us not only as an organization but as individuals.  While we are doing our part in planning our year, we also have a blank slate waiting to be written on by God.  This is God's story and we are thrilled to be a part of it!