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We were very lucky to have some very talented people come to Camp LIFE with us this year.  One of those people, Cherie Strader, is a professional photographer and took some really great photos for us.  She said what stood out to her were the faces of each child in the photos and knowing that God is intimately familiar with each one.  The video below shows some of her work at Camp LIFE.

[youtube width="480" height="385"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=img1pWpYREg[/youtube]

Thanks so much Cherie for using your talents to show love to the children of Zambia.  You can visit Cherie’s site at www.cheriemarie.com

It is estimated that in Lusaka 22-25% of the population is HIV positive, although those statistics are very rough estimates because over 90% of the population has never been tested.  400 people die every day in Lusaka from HIV/AIDS, and as a result, it is estimated that 75% of Zambian households are caring for one or more orphans.  Many of the children in our programs are HIV positive and through the Father’s Heart program we are able to provide transportation to a doctor who can give them ARVs (Anti-Retro Virals) which, for lack of a better explanation, puts the virus to sleep.

This year at Camp LIFE, we want ALL of the children in our program to have the same opportunity to get tested for HIV/AIDS.  We are praising God for the most amazing partnership with an organization called Tiny Tim & Friends (TTAF), which is an organization that treats children for 6 – 8 months or even longer if necessary in order to stabilize the children and get them on the right path with ARVs.  The results that they have seen have been REMARKABLE.  Over the last number of months, Heather Ransom, our Father’s Heart Coordinator, has formed a partnership with Dr. Meade and his staff.  We are so pleased to announce that Dr. Meade and his staff will be at Camp LIFE every Tuesday testing our children.

Thanks to TTAF, we will be able to test over 10,000 kids and follow-up with those who test positive for HIV, TB and various other diseases.  Dr. Meade and his staff will meet with the families of children who test positive and counsel them through decisions that need to be made.  God has been working so many miracles in HIS ministry to these kids, and we know that this partnership with Tiny Tim & Friends is yet another huge testimony of God signing His Name on Camp LIFE 2009, and also another example of His Heart to bring FULL restoration of HIS Kids here in Zambia.

I always love to see how the Lord moves in people’s lives, especially after a mission trip to Zambia. One special friend of mine attended Camp LIFE in 2008 — Jean Storm. Jean surprised her children and grandchildren by announcing that she was going to go on a mission trip to Zambia, Africa. Even though initially some of Jean’s grandchildren thought she was crazy and tried to discourage her from traveling all the way to Africa, they realized that their “Gran’s” mind was made up. Her daughter, Cari Mercer, caught her mom’s excitement of living out James 1:27 and signed up to go to Camp LIFE with her. They both experienced an incredible week of ministering to the children in their small groups—just by being the hands and feet of Jesus.

While in Zambia, some of the Camp LIFE participants learned that Jean was a jewelry designer and approached her about designing a special commemorative necklace that would signify what the Lord is doing in Zambia. So, that’s exactly what Jean did. Yet she not only designed a uniquely crafted commemorative sterling silver necklace, she’s doing it all for the kids in Zambia. Each necklace sold sponsors a Zambian orphan for one entire month through the Father’s Heart program. Jean has already sold enough necklaces to sponsor several kids for an entire year–but she wants to get even more kids sponsored.

If you’ve been to Zambia, you know how special this necklace is. It has the country of Zambia in the background with the cross in the foreground. It’s a great conversation-starter as people are curious to understand the significance. Plus, just knowing that your purchase helped a child in Zambia should make you smile.

The necklace is available for both men (on a leather chain) and women (on a sterling silver chain) and comes in both 16” and 18” inch lengths and sells for only $46.

Check out Jean Storm Designs online.

Jean’s already making plans to return to Zambia in 2010 with her husband, Paul, and Cari, plus others!! You know, isn’t that what a Family Legacy is all about?

This is the time of year when many of us are packing (and repacking) our bags, planning our trip, and tending to a thousand other details as we prepare for our precious time in Zambia.  As the time draws near for us to depart, the excitement builds in anticipation of being at camp and spending time with the children.  But as excited as we are about going to Camp LIFE, we also love to see the excitement catch on with those individuals who are not even GOING on the trip and have not even HEARD of our work in Zambia.

A few weeks ago Holly and I had the opportunity to speak about sharing Jesus’ love for ALL the children of the world at the chapel service at Poetry Community Christian School (PCCS) in Poetry, Texas.  After the presentation, the students and teachers asked if THEY could do something to be a part of this mission.  Something tangible, something fun, something like . . . SOCKS!

The Knight Family and trashbags full of SOCKS!

New socks are a big need for our ministry this year as we plan to distribute tens of thousands of new shoes to orphans and vulnerable children both at our camp in Lusaka and throughout the rest of Zambia through our remote camps.  In order to give each child a new pair of socks along with their shoes, we are asking all of our 2009 Camp LIFE Ambassadors to bring at least one dozen pair of socks with them to camp.  Upon hearing about this project, the students at PCCS decided they would help too!

The school challenged the students to see how many pair they could collect.  The students had all week to bring them to school and at the end of the week, the socks were tallied and the students were able to SOCK IT to the principal.  Mrs. Anne J. Horan, Administrator, was a good sport while the students pummeled her with 979 pairs of socks.  It did not take long for her to be completely buried under the pile of donated items.  The students participating in the sock drive earned the privilege of wearing crazy socks in honor of the lives that will be touched this summer thanks to donations made by even the smallest of folks.  Through their efforts nearly 1000 orphans will receive a new pair of socks this year.  Way to go students!   Thank you for your contributions and support!