Friends,
Family Legacy started nearly 20 years ago as a camp for kids who came from some of the most difficult circumstances in Lusaka, Zambia. What we quickly found out was that the needs of these beautiful children were great. As we took missionaries there, they developed relationships with the Zambian children and impacted their hearts to do more.
The hard work displayed by the Family Legacy team in Zambia and in the United States has now led to an organization that is able to meet the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs of over 14,000 children. We have come to realize that despite their circumstances, the kids we serve have a joy that is contagious. Even though they struggle with the hardship of poverty, they are still the epitome of joy, love and potential.
AMAZEMENT OF THE SPIRIT
I am continually amazed that over 4,000 people have traveled from the United States to Zambia to join our program. The cornerstone of connection between our children and their sponsors is Camp Life. In my case, I have been able to see groups of children long for someone to offer them encouraging words, a smile or a hug. It is in these small moments that we tend to make the most profound impact.
I recall moments at my first Camp Life where I saw mothers and fathers from the United States watching their children minister to other children. Watching dads care for Zambian youth with reckless abandon. Moms disconnect from the hectic schedules back home. Instead, each of them was giving their life away to these amazing kids from Zambia.
You may never choose to travel to Zambia, but when you choose to join our efforts you will be struck by the simple things that make your heart sing. Perhaps it’s a letter from your sponsored child or a Family Legacy Facebook post talking about happenings in Zambia. Whatever the small touchpoint, we believe it will bring you a profound connection to a child in great need 9,000 miles away.
As for me, there are few days that go by where I do not think about Elijah, the young man that I sponsor. In two short years, I have watched him blossom from being a boy into a young man. His English is better; his writing skills have improved dramatically; his heart for Jesus is growing; and before too long, he will see me eye to eye! I do not have to sponsor him, rather, I get to sponsor him.
Thank you for your interest in the work that Family Legacy does with vulnerable and orphaned children in Lusaka, Zambia. It is for God’s glory and lifting up the name of Jesus Christ that we push ourselves and are fueled by His grace, thus we make an impact on the lives of these children and young adults, as well as ourselves.
If you haven’t already, please join us in this effort to transform lives.
Sincerely in Christ,
Mario Zandstra
P/CEO
Family Legacy
