2018 Report
Another packed year flew by so fast! It’s been a good one and God has blessed us so much! Here is a report of all He has done through AFSIA in 2018…..
In January, we sponsored 127 students in the cities of Ndola and Kapiri Mposhi, and the remote villages of Mitenge and Mukonchi. The cost for those students had doubled from the previous year, and we’re so grateful that the Lord provided for all the school fees and school supplies like shoes, books, uniforms, pens, and paper. In February, we began work to launch a website for AFSIA .... www.AdvocatesForSuccessInAfrica.com By the end of the year we were finally able to announce that is was ready to view (you are looking at it now!) It includes many stories about what AFSIA is doing in Zambia. You are able to view photos, read blogs, view our promo video, and donate to the ministry online through Paypal
In May, we were thankful for Calvary Chapel Eastside to allow us to use their chapel to hold our first ever fundraising dinner, where we released our new AFSIA promo film and were able to raise over $17,000 to help fund the building of the school building in the village of Mitenge. With that support we were able to build on top of the foundation we had laid in 2017, and the walls will be finished soon, leaving the roof and the desks and chairs to be the major projects for 2019. Many families are really looking forward to having a secondary school in their village so that their children do not have to leave home to continue their education. Once the school building is completed, we will also be sending a pastor to teach regularly and hold a church service every Sunday in the building.
In September, our ministry director, Richard Zwau’s wife, Cara, graduated from college with a teaching degree, after AFSIA sponsored her for 3 years at a local university. We also continued our university sponsorship for Smart Kamalungu and he will be graduating later this year with a Master’s Degree in Education as well. AFSIA has been sponsoring his education for three years. He was the choir director for our Insansa CD and wrote a couple of the songs on the CD. A very talented young man that grew up as an orphan in a remote village under the sponsorship of Teen Missions.
In June, AFSIA shipped another 500 Bibles to Teen Missions to use in their Zambian Boot Camps. We have shipped over 10,000 Bibles over the past 10 years, and each year the hundreds of youth who attend Boot Camp are able to take the Bibles home with them to their villages where few people own any books. The Word of God is life changing and Teen Missions says that the kids LOVE being able to have a Bible of their own so that they can study it every day, as they are taught to do at camp. We sent 89 of our AFSIA students to Boot Camp in December 2018 for one month of Bible training and Christian service in remote areas of Zambia. The AFSIA Garage Sale sponsored most of the Boot Camp fees.
In July, we added a staff member to assist our pastor that serves in the village of Mukonchi. So now that there are 2 young men serving there, the church is beginning to grow from 4 to about 14-17 each Sunday. It is exciting to see the growth after many years of trying to establish a ministry there. Beginning an AWANA program in this village is helping the church to grow as many children are interested in attending. For the first time, we will also sent 10 village youth to Bible camp in December this year too! We only sponsored about 8 students in school there in 2018, and now there are 30 kids on the school list that are requesting help with school fees for 2019.
In September, we held the second annual AFSIA Garage Sale at Calvary Chapel Eastside and were able to raise about $7500!! We're so grateful for the help from the CCE members who made so many donations and helped to set up, man, and clean up after the garage sale. For all the students to go to camp, we needed to supply them with shoes, blankets, dishes, medical supplies, some basic toiletries, and also transport them there and back. So, the total cost of sending them to camp was around $9000. The garage sale was able to raise most of that cost, and I appreciate the church allowing AFSIA to hold this event each year and use the garage for it. Teen Missions Bible Camp really is a very effective means to disciple youth for Christ. And we pray especially for those who came from the village of Mukonchi, that they might be able to bring back their newfound faith to the village.
In November, we sent a team of 50 of our students to reach out with the gospel to the village of Mitenge. It is our third annual mission team to this village where we want to begin a church in the school building. The Jesus Film was shown many nights in various locations around the village area, and many prayed to receive Christ. This year a man came to Christ who lived about a 45 minute walk from our base location where AFSIA owns lfarm land to grow crops for the ministry. The man was so happy to hear the Gospel and to receive Christ. Richard gave him a Bible which he said he will read/teach to the people that live in his area. He looks forward to the church building being completed.
AFSIA was involved in several humanitarian efforts this year. Richard’s students reach out and help the orphaned elderly in their community with yard work, house repairs, and food, and AFSIA also helped with the rent for a blind grandmother (can you imagine not being able to afford $6 per month!). And we sent two wheelchairs to Zambia for two little girls that were lame. One was received by Elizabeth in the city of Kapiri Mposhi and one went to Florence in the village of Mukonchi. Both are thrilled with the wheelchairs and it will allow them to attend school. There is already another request for a wheelchair for an elderly man in the village of Mukonchi. Without wheelchairs, these people are literally confined to the ground. We also helped a young boy named Holyfield with a serious leg infection. He has HIV and stopped taking his antivirals because he didn’t think he needed them. Fluids began collecting around his ankles and soon he had enormous infected sores on the backs of both ankles and couldn’t walk. He could have lost his life to this serious infection, but with some medical attention and prayer he was able to recover and return to school. He was also one of the students who didn’t have sufficient warmth at night during the cold months of the year (July-Sept) when temperatures can reach 40’s or 50’s at night. We bought blankets for 30 students this year during that time so that they could sleep in warmth.
We are so grateful for all the financial support that made these projects and activities possible to help the children of Zambia and the communities they live in. And we thank God for all He has done to answer the prayers of many and bring them the Good News of His love.
Student Education
AFSIA began sponsoring children even before the organization was established in 2013. There are many children which come from impoverished families that can barely feed and clothe themselves. Each year our student sponsorship grows, as we are helping the vulnerable children who have lost parents or whose parents are ill, elderly, or unemployed. As our school in Mitenge village grows, we will also have the opportunity to educate even more students in that remote place who normally cannot afford to go to school.
2019 Report
AWANA Leaders
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