But I've begun, and it's wonderful.
I've begun the ministry I ultimately wish to achieve in Zambia: my dream of building an orphanage, to the glory of God.
Of course, this isn't only my dream. A project of such magnitude requires more than one founder. The originators of this vision are the graduate pastor from IBCZ (see the "Zambia" page), Enoch, and his sister Mildred. These two and their family are the ones I'm staying with during most of my visit to Zambia this time. When I came, I didn't have a particularly solid plan, only expecting to spend time with the family and learn Zambian life skills. However, after I arrived, I learned that their family already owned a plot of land in Kasempa (the town where we want to build the orphanage), and they were ready to get something started.
I was ready too.
Looking at my budget for the trip, I decided I could spare such-and-such an amount to start building, and we traveled out to Kasempa to check out the land. Kasempa is an absolutely beautiful place, surrounded by low, rounded mountains that are green with acacia and pine forests. In itself, it's a very large area with many people, but it has a very rural feel to it, consisting of villages and scattered towns. It would be a wonderful place to grow up, if only we could provide orphaned children with food, shelter, education, and love.
Boy, was I naive three weeks ago. I distinctly remember walking into the bank in Kitwe with Enoch and asking what it would take to open a bank account for an organization.
The secretary was like, "Who do you partner with?"
We looked at each other. "Uh...no one."
"Where are your registration papers?"
"Registration papers?"
"Yes, and how many people are working with you? Who's funding the organization? Where is the building located?"
Et cetera.
We were forced to admit that the "organization" was just three people with a dream and left the bank feeling very naive indeed. Once in Kasempa, we encountered many similar examples of how little we actually knew about what's involved in starting an orphanage. However, through all the people we talked to and all the questions we asked, our naivete turned into something a little more solid. Our minds were expanded, and we began to see the way forward.
Perhaps you've heard the Chinese proverb, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Well, now we've taken the first step, and we're well on our way to taking the second.
Actually, depending on how you define a "step", you could say we've taken our first ten steps and are in the process of taking the next five. In any case, things are moving along steadily. God is opening doors along the way, and He's amazing us with how much He's blessing this project.
So first of all, the name of the orphanage is "House in the Wilderness". It sounds lovely, doesn't it? It's perfect for Kasempa, invoking images of a warm and welcoming home in a dry and dusty land. That's what people will think of when they hear it.
However, at the risk of embarrassing myself, I think I'll admit one thing. The origin of this name is connected with--you guessed it--Joab.
I think if you understand the background behind the phrase "House in the Wilderness", it will have even more meaning than just the immediate impression it creates. In 1 Kings 2:34, the Bible says that Joab was buried at his own "house in the wilderness". At first I just assumed this meant that he didn't receive the honor of being buried with his fathers, but in my extra-Biblical studies about Joab, I found an interpretation of that phrase in the Talmud. There, "house in the wilderness" is interpreted to mean a place that is open and generous to all, free of robbery and licentiousness. A safe, pure, and generous home is just what I want "House in the Wilderness" to be.
And if the Rabbis in the Talmud were correct, then as "House in the Wilderness" will be, so was the house of Joab. It's an extra little blessing to encourage me even more.
So after we decided on a name, we started talking to people. The main consultation we got was from the government Office of Social Welfare in Kasempa. To open a bank account and receive support for the orphanage, we need to be registered with the government, so the officials at Social Welfare told us what we needed to begin registering.
The main requirements are:
1. Show that the work is moving.
2. If no building is in place, present the building plan.
3. Write an orphanage "constitution" and submit it with an application to the Registrar of Societies in Lusaka (the capital city).
Fortunately, we had come prepared to begin building, so we got started on the first step right away. First, we had the plot of land cleared. That was a very interesting step in and of itself, because in Zambia, you can actually "hire" prisoners from the local jail to do heavy work. Since Enoch and Mildred's uncle in Kasempa is a police officer, it was easy for us to hire out the prisoners. For just about $45, we got the whole 50m x 50m plot cleared in about three hours. This meant cutting down all the 7-foot-high African grass and clearing out all the brush. Before, the land was impenetrable. After, we could walk around on it. I was very impressed.
Once that was done, we hired a big, yellow JCB dumptruck and went around buying the materials we would need to build the foundation: bricks, crushed stones, sand, and cement. Unfortunately, I couldn't be present for any of the actual price negotiations, because in Zambia, if they see a "Munzungu" (white person) they'll charge twice, thrice, or even five times as much. (Case in point, I tried to buy some 3-kwacha cookies on the bus once, and the guy selling them told me they were 15 kwacha.)
In the meantime, we also cleared the land a little more thoroughly, digging up tree stumps and gathering up the grass into piles to burn it.
By the time we were finished, we had a nice, open area surrounded with building materials and enough money leftover to pay a bricklayer to build the foundation.
With our role in the physical labor completed for the moment, we turned to the intellectual work of writing up an orphanage constitution. This turned out to be a very fun and interesting learning experience. The constitution basically describes how the orphanage will be run, specifying the duties of the board and the management, as well as what the goal will be. What do we want to provide these children? Who should we admit? Just children whose parents have died, or also children whose parents can't care for them? Who will be involved in this project? What things will the director decide directly, and what things will the board vote on? There were many questions to think about and decide.
Fortunately, I had the advice of my parents as well, who have experience with this kind of thing. We also had a model orphanage constitution to go by.
So where are we now? Physically, we're in Kitwe, which is where Enoch's family stays, between Kasempa and Lusaka. We have the constitution and application almost finalized. We have the building plan, and the work is ready to start. This Friday, Enoch and I will travel to Lusaka, where we'll submit the application, building plan, and constitution. At the same time, Mildred will travel to Kasempa with the bricklayer, who will build the foundation for the orphanage.
Of course, now that we've started work moving, we have to keep it moving. As a result, I've decided to cut my time in Zambia in half and return to work in the United States so I can fund the project. You see, we can't receive donations from churches and other organizations until we actually have something established, so until the building is up and children are being admitted, we're kind of on our own for finances. Because of this, I'll be back in the States by July, and I'll be working to personally support the project. Maybe we'll find other ways to fund it too. God has blessed it so far, and I trust Him to continue blessing it.
However, He will only continue to bless it if we keep our focus on Him. This orphanage isn't to glorify ourselves and say, "look how good we are, taking care of needy children." If it was about us, it would fail. No, it's to glorify God, and to be obedient to His command to care for orphans. God has a special love for orphans, and you'll find that they're mentioned in the Bible many times. He is the Father to the fatherless, and Jesus is the brother to those who have no family. In "House in the Wilderness", we will teach the children the Gospel of Christ, and we won't be ashamed to tell them of the hope Jesus offers. We can provide food, shelter, clothing, and education, but we can only offer so much in the way of family. However, if these children know Christ, they'll have a true Father, and a true Christian family. Romans 8:15-16 says to Christians, "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God." And again, in verse 29 it says, "For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn within a large family."
A large family...In Christ, even orphans can have a Father and a large family.
So when you pray for "House in the Wilderness", pray first and foremost that we will keep our focus on Christ. Nothing is more important. When we put God first, He will continue the bless the project, as He has so much already.
