First, we went to Ngombe Compound and visited a school that was meeting inside a church. There are about 450 students that attend this non-government school. The reason they are not going to a govt. school is because most are orpahns and cannot afford to buy a school uniform, or their parents are sick and can't provide the needed school fees and other things required for public school in Zambia. ECR provides the notebooks, pencils, chalk boards, and desks for this school. Then World Vision provides one hot meal for each of the students every day. Esther is the woman above who showed us around and talked to us about how the school was started. 
At this time of day there are 5 different grades meeting in this one large room. Earlier in the morning two other grades meet and then leave in time for the others to come. In the pic. above Kevin, Troy, and I went to greet each class. They all stood at one time and said, "good morning."
Before we left all the children wanted to sing for us. So they sang several songs and then showed us two team building activities. In one activity they had about 5 kids become a human bicycle. They made two teams and then raced. It was incredible. Then pictured above and below they were showing how we are to carry each others burdens. They layed on the ground and carried a little girl across the group over their heads. 
As we were saying bye to the group they sang a little chorus and then jumped and threw an imaginary blessing to us. We had to jump and pretend to catch it. Esther would shout, "did they catch it?" Then the students would all shout, "NO!" Then we would do it again. I think we had to do it about 4 times before we got it right. It was so much fun!
Above we are saying bye to Esther. Let me just say that it is very uncommon for me to hug a Zambian like this on a first meeting... cuturally people usually just shake hands. Even though we had only been there about 1 hour I felt like I had made a real friend. This woman is like an angel. She volunteers all of her time to this school and then she also is a home based care giver in her community. Not to mention her family of 6 plus being involved in her church. Knowing how hard it is to just survive in Zambia on a little income I asked her how she could just volunteer her time. Her husband does work and probably gets by, but supporting that big of a family has got to be tough. She does all of this volunteering because she knows she is helping so many families in her community. She is a believer and it shows! I cried most of the time that I was at the school. I was just so overwhelmed at all that was being done in this one community to help and build up the people whether they went to her church or not. Before we left, Esther brought a little boy to me and he was carrying a bowl of porridge covered with a bag. She opened it up and showed me a bowl of about 2 cups of porridge minus about 2 Tblsp. of what he had all ready eaten. He had come to Esther earlier and asked if he could take the rest home to his brothers and sisters. Doesn't that just break your heart??
After going to the school we went to another compound and visited a hospice clinic that ECR helps. We met the doctors and toured the small building. Then we met up with an area pastor and some home based care givers and went to visit a couple of patients. The first patient we went to visit had TB and AIDS. Above is the second patient we went to visit. She had been sick for over a year. Recently she had received one of the BGR(Baptist Global Response-see sidebar for their website) buckets which she was very thankful for. It was so sad, though, because all day long she layed in this dark, damp, cold, small room(light was from the flash of the camera) on a 3 inch mattress. There was only room for one more single mattress in the room with about 1 foot between the two. It just wasn't acceptable in my book but unfortunately this is how so many live. We talked to these two women for a bit and then prayed for them. I was so impressed with these volunteer home based care givers. In this one compound they have over 200 patients who are this sick and need help. One care giver that I talked to said she had 8 patients that she goes to visit 3 times a week. When I asked her what she did to help them she gave me this answer. "I do whatever needs to be done. I wash clothes, wash sheets, sweep, clean, give medicine, wash the patients, and pray with them." Keep in mind they don't have washing machines. Everything is washed by hand. So all this work takes a long time.
As we were leaving a group of kids got brave enough to come greet me. They then followed us out of the compound.
I was so touched by the whole experience of the day and even now I cry as I write this all down. I know there are many people who volunteer many hours to help those in need. I think today I was just blown away with these people's servant hearts. They give all and gain nothing except the thought of knowing they have helped someone that day. So often as we go out people beg us for things or want things without having to work for it or pay for it. I guess today my faith was strengthened as I saw firsthand that there are those who desire to give so freely of their time without getting paid. I'm so thankful for the opportunity we had today to go out with Troy Lewis and see some of these things that ECR is doing. For more information on ECR go to: http://www.ecr.ecrtrust.org
After going to the school we went to another compound and visited a hospice clinic that ECR helps. We met the doctors and toured the small building. Then we met up with an area pastor and some home based care givers and went to visit a couple of patients. The first patient we went to visit had TB and AIDS. Above is the second patient we went to visit. She had been sick for over a year. Recently she had received one of the BGR(Baptist Global Response-see sidebar for their website) buckets which she was very thankful for. It was so sad, though, because all day long she layed in this dark, damp, cold, small room(light was from the flash of the camera) on a 3 inch mattress. There was only room for one more single mattress in the room with about 1 foot between the two. It just wasn't acceptable in my book but unfortunately this is how so many live. We talked to these two women for a bit and then prayed for them. I was so impressed with these volunteer home based care givers. In this one compound they have over 200 patients who are this sick and need help. One care giver that I talked to said she had 8 patients that she goes to visit 3 times a week. When I asked her what she did to help them she gave me this answer. "I do whatever needs to be done. I wash clothes, wash sheets, sweep, clean, give medicine, wash the patients, and pray with them." Keep in mind they don't have washing machines. Everything is washed by hand. So all this work takes a long time. 
As we were leaving a group of kids got brave enough to come greet me. They then followed us out of the compound.
I was so touched by the whole experience of the day and even now I cry as I write this all down. I know there are many people who volunteer many hours to help those in need. I think today I was just blown away with these people's servant hearts. They give all and gain nothing except the thought of knowing they have helped someone that day. So often as we go out people beg us for things or want things without having to work for it or pay for it. I guess today my faith was strengthened as I saw firsthand that there are those who desire to give so freely of their time without getting paid. I'm so thankful for the opportunity we had today to go out with Troy Lewis and see some of these things that ECR is doing. For more information on ECR go to: http://www.ecr.ecrtrust.org
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