Hello everyone! First of all, I want to say thank you for being here- reading these words. I know that you are reading this because you are likely either curious or invested in God’s story in Zambia through us- we don’t take something like that for granted. God has truly brought us to such an incredible place of feeling totally at peace because we know that we are right in the middle of His will and presence. I also want to extend a special and genuine thank you to all of the people that support us financially. You are making a sacrifice that matters, with your dollars, and we know that you are extending yourself to us because you believe and agree with the mission of making disciples across the world from you. I believe there is so much blessing from your giving, and know that you are a part of this story. We invite you to take ownership in the fruit from what you hear and see God doing here!

Without further ado, here is an update about our first month here in Zambia!

We left on the first day of August, and felt so thankful for the way that we were able to leave the U.S. We had a whole weekend filled with family and friends, celebrating the day we had been waiting to arrive for so long, and grieving the time that we’d be away from so many people we love and hold dear. We had some really wonderful people that let us stay in their house our last month as well, which allowed us to spend time really transitioning. We were able to sell almost all of our belongings, move out of our rented apartment earlier, and tie up all the loose ends before becoming an expat. I (Savannah) never realized how many things you are connected to until you try to disconnect (haha). It felt like a full-time job to settle with doctors/dentists appointments, selling everything, spending quality time with our people, and moving our whole life into two suitcases. When the first of August finally came, it was almost a relief, because we felt an end in sight to all of the preparation. What I didn’t anticipate was how much peace and grief you could feel all at once in the span of 24 hours, not because we were truly sad or afraid, but because we were welcoming in a new season that didn’t include so many people we love being close to us. But we were really ready for Zambia, with not an ounce of fear or doubt. It felt like a rush of peace and anticipation.

Our total travel time was about 40 hours. We had some smaller connecting flights, a 14-hour flight, and then went right onto a 9-hour flight. I don’t love airplanes (but love going somewhere with God!) so after a long time of not sleeping or moving a lot, we were relieved to touch down in Zambia on August 3rd. We were greeted by our Zambian family, a group of people from different parts of my life in Zambia that I feel close to and truly feel like family. It was such a sweet moment to finally be reunited! We hadn’t been together since 2019 (except for with pastor Bitwell in 2020). We arrived mid-morning, so spent time checking into our hotel, getting our luggage settled, taking a quick nap, and then heading to visit the rest of our Zambian family, the Njovus. These are people that have been in my life for a long time, and truly are so supportive, kind, and welcoming.

The next few days were acclimating to all of our new surroundings- seeing our new school building in person (ahhh!!!), eating new food, meeting new people, etc. After our first introductions, we used the rest of the week searching for our new home.

As we visited a few homes, we had a few ideas of what we want home to feel like- a place that is safe and guarded, feels peaceful, able to find rest there, the ability to host visitors and guests, and bonus if we could have a yard. After only looking at three houses, God provided all that we needed with a rented house right outside of the city, with an incredible view and almost every box checked.

In the midst of our search for our house, we went to a Zambian wedding (totally different in so many ways than U.S. weddings!) and attended our first service at our new home church, Patmost Baptist Church. Something we love about church at Patmos is that they really commit to authenticity- allowing the church to share in sorrow and joy with one another, having conversations about the Bible, singing and dancing to God together, proclaiming all He’s done, and welcoming the Holy Spirit into the service in powerful ways. We love hearing Pastor Bitwell preach, as he is a truly annointed speaker, who still makes sure to have a translator so we can receive the word as well.

The following day, we has food distribution day! This is the day every month that our sponsored children and their families collect their food supplement for the month. We took the Hands of Hope truck and went all around town, collecting and negotiating prices for all the food items the families receive- cooking oil, rice, beans, mealie meal (their staple food), and sugar.

*In the Hands of Hope truck, collecting food for food distribution*

One thing to note, as something we are really learning, is that you can really accomplish a lot at once in the U.S. Here in Zambia, things move at a completely different pace, so even collecting just this food meant going to a different place and taking a lot of time for each food item. Culture and timing here is so different, so we are really learning to be happy if just one thing gets done each day. It is completely different from our normal pace, but God is really teaching us to be present and ‘accept that what will be, will be’.

After collecting all the food, we dropped food off at the distribution points. We have 3 main zones that the sponsored children live close to, so we have some students that pick up food from Hands of Hope board members here in Zambia (who are also in church leadership at Patmos). The majority of children pick up food from our school (and go to our school), so this is where we spent time distributing to families. All families gathered in one of our classrooms, and we spent time worshipping and introducing ourselves to all of them. Then, our zone leader, Jack, and Pastor Bitwell, spent time encouraging them in their situation and reminding them of how God is providing for them through the sacrificial giving of others. They are truly so thankful for all of the support they are receiving. They brought wheelbarrows and shtenges (cloth they wrap around themselves) and family members to carry the heavy food back to home. It was amazing to see so many familiar faces and new faces having their needs met, and they truly recognized God as their provider during food collection. It really showed me that small sacrifices really matter to the kingdom of God.

*Families in line for food distribution*

Over the following week, we spent most of our time looking for furniture and filling our house. I’ve never began completely brand-new like we have here- no hand-me-down furniture or dishes no one is using, because everyone is using what they have. We found a pot to cook with and plates to eat on, and then slowly filled our house with the rest. We ran into so many obstacles in that process, because quality is so different here, and it felt like half the things we bought were broken and we would have to go back and get something that worked (some examples were our kettle, stove, and vacuum). We had two weeks where there was truly nothing to sit on except our bed (haha) and so we just stood as we ate. Even cooking seemed so foreign to me, because there is no aldi’s or trader joes- no quick and easy meals, just full-on homemade meals, of which is very intimidating to someone who normally has cans and frozen things to begin a meal with. Not to mention there are so many unfamiliar vegetables and food staples- even rice here is totally different to me. Through all of the unsettling feelings, we still felt like God had given us such a sweet place to call home.

*Finally got a couch! Bought off the side of the road.*

*Papa brought pasta from the USA and it felt like the biggest blessing.*

*Actual seats in our house! Another huge blessing!*

During the weekend, Patmost Baptist church hosted an ‘overnight prayer meeting’ at the school. It was one of the most powerful things I have been a part of here in Zambia. Here, witchcraft is very real and prevalent. Leadership had noticed certain things happening around the school, and decided to take a complete stand against it in the name of Jesus. We met on Friday night from 9 pm to 5 am, praising God, praying, hearing from multiple pastors, all speaking on one main theme- the authority of the believer. We had prophesy and encouragement and empowerment over believers from multiple churches who attended. At the end of the night, we sleepily walked through the streets of the compound, watching everyone wake up while we processed what God had done through the fellowship and commitment from His children. I have complete confidence, more than ever before, that our school is a special place in God’s eyes- a place of refuge, empowerment, and it is completely covered in the blood of Jesus. There is nothing that can take that away- “no power of hell or scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand” comes to mind when I think about this place. It is a place of feeding the hungry, counseling the weary, helping children learn who they are in Christ, and that night made it clear that it is a place of true worship of our king, who empowers us to stand against any schemes of the enemy.

The next week, we picked up my Papa (my grandfather). He was coming to help us with receving our car, which was shipped from Japan, as well as construction in the school and our land in Mumbwa. With his help, we spent the next week looking at and dreaming about ideas for “Phase 2” renovations to the school. Our current school building was acquired after years of renting out a small house, and now we own the land and renovated what was once small, crumbling apartments into large classrooms. We thought and planned and worked a lot on drainage, since there is a rainy season here that makes flooding a big problem. We also began working on a teacher’s bathroom facility, which in turn would make more toilets available to our almost 300 learners. We had rubble throughout the ‘plaza’ part of our school that needed tampered down and covered in gravel. Water pipes needed to be rerouted and lots of other construction things that Luke and Papa could tell you way more about. We were so thankful for his ideas and expertise as our building committee member at Hands of Hope.

In the midst of all the construction happening, Luke had his 27th birthday! We celebrated with a nice lunch at a lodge on the edge of the city, surrounded by wildlife like antelope and wildebeests. We then finished his day surrounded by our friends-turned-family with pizza and he was even gifted with a cake, a suit jacket, and sandals from friends! It reminded us how thankful we were for community here.

*Luke’s birthday celebration. Enjoying one of the Zambian birthday traditions to put icing all over your face on your birthday!*

By the end of the week, we were finally ready to receive the long-awaited car on Saturday before we left for Mumbwa (about 2 hours away from Lusaka) to visit our family friends and the land Hands of Hope owns in the village. Sadly, Luke woke up very sick with stomach pain that day, likely from a bacterial infection from something he ate/drank, and had to stay in bed most of the day. We prayed for his healing and found some medicine, and waited for the car all day (which was supposed to come at 10 am but we are now on “Zambian time” so it ended up being 5 pm haha!). We decided to go to Mumbwa early Sunday morning if Luke was okay by then, and he woke up Sunday completely renewed and healed!

We made our way to Mumbwa and began visiting the two planted churches that were started and supported on the Hands of Hope land. The first church began from people wanting a church, and wanting to know the word of God, so Hands of Hope stepped in to pay a pastor and buy him a bicycle to come and preach in the village from the town center where he lives. They used to meet under the mango trees, and have amazing testimonies of it NEVER raining during their services (only before or after). They also started another church, that the pastor’s wife now runs from an old bar, and she walks muliutple hours to and from that church several days a week. They are a dedicated family, committed to preaching the word of God in these communities. It was inspiring to be with them in their hand-made-brick building, sitting on bricks as seating, and then in the renovated bar. The pastor of the church on our land (the brick building) asked Luke to give a message to the congregation on the spot- to which Luke agreed and fully shared the true gospel and spoke on trusting God with your life. He had an alter-call for anyone who needed prayers and six people responded! The local pastor and Luke prayed over them for their dreams, healing, and truly trusting God. It was amazing to watch Luke fully step into something that God has clearly created his life for, and it came so naturally to him. To God be all of the glory!

*Luke preaching with Preacher Joseph translating in the first church plant in Mumbwa. The community hand-made this church!*

*Luke addressing the second church plant in Mumbwa (in what used to be a bar)*

*Village near Hands of Hope land in Mumbwa*

*With members of the second church plant in Mumbwa*

We spent the rest of our time in Mumbwa with Abraham and Agness, our long-time family-friends, and exploring and dreaming over the land in Mumbwa, making plans for our next-steps in terms of starting buildings (headed up by Papa), meeting familiar and new faces within the village, and hearing about community needs.

Our last day of August was back at school, working on the plaza before school started back on September 5- we spent the day using the tamper and shoveling gravel until long after the sun went down, all with our friends by our side.

August was so special- our first month in Zambia. So much happened, and we know God is still going to do so much more! We are thankful for what God is teaching us about life here, and anticipating learning even more.

*Welcoming Papa at the airport with the crew*

*Tampering the new gravel at the school*

*Neighborhood kids who love to shout our names and sneak in the school to say hey*

*Kelvin, a great friend and hard worker who has helped our school immensely!*

As we move into a more home feeling more permanent here, here are ways to agree with and pray for us:

Pray that we would hear and obey God’s voice as we move throughout our day.

Please pray for us to find a teacher to teach us Town Nyanja (the dominant local language here in Lusaka). We’ve had a really hard time finding a tutor that knows how to teach us. We are trying to pick up as much as possible on our own, but a tutor would really help us with communicating to the people in the community we’re serving.

Pray that we would find an excellent teacher for one of our classes. We had an unexpected situation and have had a hard time finding someone who can fill the spot. In the mean time, some of our teachers have been really spread thin due to this.

Pray that we would have wisdom and find the right people in terms of funding. We will begin working on some grants, but since being here, we have realized some huge needs for the school that require significant funding. We are confident that God will place those needs on the right people’s hearts as we communicate those needs in the coming weeks.

I can’t begin to express our gratitude for the people that made it to the end of this (I know it was long but God did so much!!) and are invested in our lives here in Zambia. We are thankful for the way you pray for us and care for us. Please reach out any time! We truly love you and pray for God to bless you.

In God’s kindness,

Savannah and Luke

August 2022

September 2022