When you die, what do you want to be remembered for?
Many will be remembered as a devoted spouse, parent and friend. But is simply being remembered enough? We all aspire to leave a footprint on the world that will be remembered, but our very work is intertwined in generations upon generations of people after us, carrying on where we left off. This is the impact that as humans, we all aspire to.
But how can you start to build a legacy and create a lasting one that will live beyond you?
Beyond Your Borders
Traveling the world, experiencing and delving into different cultures can be life’s best teacher. As Christians, we are commissioned to go into the world and make disciples of all nations, and this can be accomplished in your neighborhood, city or country, or internationally.
Mission trips are one of the many ways we can live out the gospel actively. (Link to Ways to live out the gospel post) Getting out of your comfort zone and serving overseas can drastically expand your worldview and create lifelong memories for yourself and your family. Mission trips all have a singular mission to serve others, but how can you maximize your service to a nation? At Family Legacy, Camp Life is the cornerstone of our ministry and the entry point for all children who are able to enter our schools and programs. As an ambassador at Camp, your life and the lives of 10 vulnerable or orphaned children are radically transformed for years to come. What better way to begin laying the foundation for leaving a legacy than impacting a child’s life in Zambia so they can reach their full God-given potential?
Within Your Borders
Have you noticed that your local public library or university building is named after someone? Quite possibly one of the more concrete ways to leave your legacy is to be honored by having a building named after you.
Typically if you are honored by having a building named after you, you probably gave a generous donation or had a significant impact on others in the world. Large donations are needed; however, there is also power in numbers. No matter how much you are able to contribute, every gift counts towards furthering the mission.
Participating in generous giving days such as North Texas Giving Day or Giving Tuesday in any amount can be a way to show special support to an organization where normally a matching grant is involved, meaning more money where it’s needed most.
Specifically for Family Legacy, that is precisely how we get much-needed funds throughout the year to help stabilize our sponsorship program, support the overall ministry and mission, and continue our development initiatives in Zambia.
Any amount you give goes directly to our programs and infrastructures that help support the students in our programs, so you are making a difference in a different continent from the comfort of your own home.
Being there when needed most
At Family Legacy, you have the unique opportunity to sponsor a child in Lusaka, Zambia, who has been identified by our staff as vulnerable or orphaned. This could simply mean that a child is living in poverty or adverse conditions, or it could mean that a child has only one living parent – or none.
Whatever the case may be, the odds are stacked against these children when it comes to getting an education and seeing it through to the end. For many children in these circumstances, going to school is out of the question, whether it is that they simply can’t afford it or their family needs them to work to help out financially.
As a sponsor, you play an immediate and crucial role in helping a child be able to see education as a real opportunity in their life. Not only do you bridge a financial barrier, but you come alongside this extensive network of people that are speaking into, molding and helping these children reach their God-given potential physically, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually.
You guessed it; sponsorship and stepping into the role of a sponsor is yet another way you can leave a lasting legacy, this time in the life of a child half a world away. Sponsorships can be long-lasting relationships starting at the very beginning of a child’s time in our program, communicating with them from their very first day in school, to graduation from high school and beyond.
For older students who need sponsors because they lost their sponsor at some point, it can be a refreshing reminder that someone is thinking of them and wants them to achieve greatness. Your participation in their life is valuable and will stay with them forever, and your generosity in their life will carry on through generations they will create.
So, what footprint do you want to leave on the earth?
Let us know by messaging us on Instagram @Familylegacy! We’ll be awaiting your reply.
