Each home at the Tree of Life Children’s Village is a physical representation of new life for 12 children coming from the worst circumstances imaginable. What makes this reality even more special is the rich and powerful stories of how each home came to be. Each home is named by the generous supporters who have given of their time and treasure to ensure the house is built. To commemorate and honor their gift, the finishing touch of each home is a bronze plaque recognizing the house opening and a verse. All of the children that move into their new home at the Tree of Life see the home name and the scripture each and every day as they leave and enter their home.

Today, we want to thank Impact Signs for helping us create the perfect plaques for all of our homes at the Tree of Life.  Year after year, they work with us to ensure the efforts of these generous givers and the lives of these newly rescued children are forever knit together through the reminder of God’s faithfulness to provide the truth of His word to sustain us each day.  To Shabbir and everyone else at Impact — thank you for playing a part in giving a wonderful home to hundreds of orphans halfway around the world!

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What happens when an orphan child who was viewed by society as unwanted, worthless, and stigmatized receives a BRAND NEW SCHOOL UNIFORM ?

Well, in short, EVERYTHING CHANGES !!  At Family Legacy we talk all the time about “transforming Zambia one child at a time”, but how do you actually measure that?  How do you quantify what that looks like?  Certainly one could attempt to use statistical numbers and charts and graphs, but real transformation is fundamentally about changing someone from the INSIDE OUT.  It’s about altering the way they think and how the view themselves.  A child who is told he is worthless views himself that way.

In Zambia, wearing a SCHOOL UNIFORM is a full-scale badge of honor.  It signifies that YOU ARE SOMEONE!  That you are valued and wanted.  It instantly removes all stigmatization from you and sets you apart as someone who is worth the investment of education.

Over the last 2 months, Family Legacy Missions International through our Father’s Heart Child Sponsorship Program has distributed BRAND NEW UNIFORMS to over 3,000 orphans attending one of our 17 LIFEWAY Christian Academies throughout the slum compounds of Lusaka.  By the reactions of the children, you would have thought we passing out pure gold!  And in reality, we were passing out SPIRITUAL GOLD to the very least and last among us.  We were giving them a reason to believe that they mattered…that God loves them…that they indeed have a future.

In fact, on the first day we passed out the uniforms, the kids were SO EXCITED to be wearing them, that they left school early to go running around their compound showing off to everyone their “official badge” of being a “someone”.   Changing the way a child views themselves…YES, Zambia IS BEING TRANSFORMED one child at a time.

Thank you to ALL of our Father’s Heart sponsors for partnering with us to make this a reality for these kids.  Let the smiles in the pictures below be the God-style statistics to illustrate Romans 12:2, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”.

Photos of our kids in their new uniforms >>

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Family Legacy welcomes 48 more orphan children into their new homes and their NEW LIFE !

From the beginning, our vision for the Tree of Life Children’s Village in Lusaka has been very clear – to establish a HAVEN of HOPE and LIGHT for the abandoned and unwanted orphans of Zambia.  The vision was birthed in the heart in 2001.  It was conceptualized on paper in 2003.  It was given a physical location when we bought the land in 2005.  It was architecturally master planned in 2007.  The first house, Lahema’s House, was opened in May of 2009, named after a double orphan, HIV positive girl who died in the summer of 2005 because no one would take her in.  Twelve orphan girls and boys just like Lahema moved in and began to experience what true LIFE really looked like…what the “tree of life” truly meant for them – a place where their Heavenly Father would provide for them, protect them, and grow them into being mighty servants in His Kingdom.

Well since that first home opened and those first 12 kids moved in, the God of the Universe has just continued to open up the gates and doors for even more children – orphaned and abandoned by this world, but never lost or forgotten by their Father – to come into this place called “Heaven on earth”.

Last month, Family Legacy opened 4 more homes at the Tree of Life bringing the total number of homes to now 26, providing LIFE, LOVE, FOOD, SHELTER, HOPE and HEALING to over 300  absolutely beautiful and now happily “former” orphans. Psalm 68:5-6 says, “Father to the Fatherless…this is God.  He places the lonely in families and gives them joy.” Giving a child his very own bed in a home he can call his own…YES, Zambia IS BEING TRANSFORMED one child at a time.

We are SO grateful to the many people over the last 3½ years who have partnered with us in God’s heart of providing for these 26 havens of joy and safety for so many children.  Each one of these homes has been lovingly funded by generous supporters of our ministry who love the children of Zambia. They each represent a special story or truth in scripture that they hope to pass along to a generation of Zambian children. Keep reading for stories representing three of our newest homes at the Tree of Life:

Promise House
After coming to Camp LIFE 2011 with his daughter, Mark Fuerst felt God radically changing his life. In reflecting on his experience working with the orphans of Zambia, Mark wrote a testimony sharing the new passion God had given him for caring for the orphans as we are called to do in James 1:27.

Since this time, he has worked tirelessly to raise the funds needed to build Promise House. Through dinners, speaking engagements, and even the “Polar Bear Plunge”, Mark made it his mission to bring hope to 12 children in desperate need of a home and a family. He and his wife Lee were blessed to be in Zambia to prepare the house and celebrate with the 12 new girls who call Promise House their home.

Anna’s House
Anna’s House is also a testament to the faithfulness of a body of believers. Kirk and Carol Townsend traveled to Zambia with their daughter Anna this past summer in 2012. Amazed by the great work happening there, the Townsends used their voices to be a voice for the voiceless as they rallied their friends around a common goal of funding a new house at the Tree of Life! Kirk and Carol were deeply honored as ten of their closest family friends joined with them in the funding of Anna’s House. The Townsends are anxiously anticipating their trip to Camp LIFE this summer so they can meet the children face to face who are now experiencing life more abundantly at Anna’s House today!

Sarah’s House
Sarah’s House (also known as Sarah’s I Love You More House) is named for Sarah Beddingfield, a fourteen year-old here in America who struggles with significant health problems. Despite her difficulties, Sarah would always tell her mother “I love you more!” Currently, Sarah’s sickness has taken away her ability to speak.  Now, twelve girls from the other side of the world are praying every day for Sarah, because they have had their lives changed and their futures altered forever because of Sarah’s legacy. On move-in day they recorded their own “I love you more” message for Sarah, which you can view by clicking here. Sarah’s sister Savannah and her aunt and cousins have twice traveled to Zambia and felt led by God to honor Sarah in such a profound way. Sarah and her family are in our prayers, and we ask you to join in with us and pray for her complete healing!

We would like to say a special word of thanks to Janis Smith, a super volunteer of the highest order, who flew to Zambia and helped our American staff in Zambia open these four homes. Additionally, our Texas super volunteer Kathy Stephens coordinated the furnishing of each of these homes, and as always did a flawless job. We are so thankful for both of these extraordinary ladies!

Photos of the new homes >>

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Family Legacy announces MAJOR NEW PARTNERSHIP with The Halftime Organization

The Halftime Organization, founded in 1998 by Bob Buford, is a ministry based in Dallas whose mission is to “guide marketplace leaders to transform first half success into second half significance on a journey of impact and adventure”.  Until the sale of his company in July 1999, Bob Buford served as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Buford Television, Inc., a family-owned business that started with a single ABC affiliate in Tyler, Texas, and grew to a network of cable systems across the country.

In 1994, Buford wrote Halftime, a book that came out of his mind and heart on how to find meaning and fulfillment in the second half of our lives. Those who read Halftime and Game Plan (published in 1997) often want to know more about the endeavors in which Bob Buford is involved as a result of his own “halftime” experience.

In 1998, Bob launched the Halftime organization, an initiative of Leadership Network to help successful people convert their faith into action and effective results. The mission of Halftime is to develop strategy and resources to equip business/professional leaders to achieve maximum leverage and return on the investment of their time and resources measured in changed lives and healthier communities.

By God’s design and through the great work of Anthony Bruster, Family Legacy’s Vice President of Corporate Development, the Halftime Organization has officially selected Camp LIFE 2013 as their the sole promoted destination for Halftime’s 2013 “Vacation With a Purpose.”

We are very excited about this new partnership as it perfectly aligns with our passion to engage American families in the call of the great commission to create great unity and purpose. Halftime has already begun promoting Camp LIFE 2013 on its website, www.halftime.org. We are honored to be a conduit to help Halftime’s constituents find meaning and significance through serving the orphans of Zambia with us this summer.

Learn more about joining us for a mission trip to Zambia >>

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The first weekend of March was a time of celebration, fellowship and anticipation as the first of the Camp LIFE 2013 team meetings took place in Austin, Houston and Dallas.

Team meetings are an opportunity for us to prepare our Camp LIFE participants for their experience working with the orphaned and vulnerable children of Zambia. In addition to gathering important travel and packing details for their upcoming trip, our participants were inspired by our Family Legacy team for the work they will be doing to bring the Good News of Jesus to the “least of these.” This year’s theme, “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” was introduced to all participants as we began to build excitement for this important teaching that we know will bring tremendous hope to children who have for so long been hopeless.

Almost 500 participants joined us for our meetings in Austin, Houston, and Dallas with the remaining participants joining in via conference call later in the week.

Even with over 700 people signed up to join us this summer, there is still room for YOU! If you are interested in going to Camp LIFE this summer, it is not too late to sign up! Don’t miss this great opportunity to develop life-changing relationships with 10 orphaned and vulnerable Zambian children.

Learn more about Camp LIFE 2013 >>

Photos from Camp LIFE 2012 >>

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After adding over 2,600 children to the Father’s Heart program in 2012 alone, we are now serving over 5,000 Zambian orphans and vulnerable children throughout the capital city of Lusaka. These children attend our Lifeway Christian Academies where they are receiving high-quality education and gaining spiritual guidance from our pastors and chaplains.

As the number of children has continued to grow, so has God’s provision of leadership and staff in Zambia. The most recent testimony of His faithfulness is the addition of two incredible women of faith to provide leadership to our growing program. Lynn Chinene and Ngosa Zulu are joining Family Legacy with previous experience in service organizations and a readiness to further the goals of the Father’s Heart program.

Lynn Chinene is a graduate of the University of Zambia with a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies, and a graduate of Idaho State University with a Master of Arts in Health Education. She has served professionally in Zambia with organizations such as the Center for Trade Policy and Development as well as in the Zambia Country Office for the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. Her experience with program development and research on the needs of orphans and vulnerable children will bring added levels of excellence to our sponsorship ministry.

Ngosa Zulu is also a graduate of the University of Zambia with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. Since 2004, she has served in several roles at Children International Zambia in Lusaka. Ngosa began her work as a Field Officer , and over the past eight years she worked her way up to roles as a Sponsorship Relations Manager and Operations Manager for Children International’s sponsorship program, overseeing more than 16,000 sponsored children. Through her work experience, Ngosa has developed a deep understanding of sponsorship ministries and the complexities of working with orphaned and vulnerable children in Lusaka. Her supervisory and management skills will also play a key role as we continue to develop our Family Legacy staff members who execute the day-to-day operations of the Father’s Heart program.

We are grateful for the addition of these leaders and look forward to sharing how God is using them to impact thousands of children in Lusaka, Zambia.

The post The Family Legacy Team in Zambia is Growing! appeared first on Family Legacy Missions International.

Time and space are running out for you to be a part of Camp Life 2013! Apply today and become a part of what the Lord is doing in Zambia, Africa!

Camp LIFE is a week-long camp held throughout the summer for orphaned and vulnerable children in Zambia, Africa. For a week, these kids get to sing songs, receive hugs, and most importantly hear of God’s grace. It is held in Lusaka, the capitol city, where over one million children are orphans. This past summer 640 ambassadors brought the truth and love about Jesus Christ to over 7,000 children.

See photos of Camp LIFE 2012 >>

The Lord is working fervently in the hearts of these children. We are excited about what He has planned this year, do not miss your chance to be a part of it! Here are the dates for Camp LIFE 2013:

Learn more >>

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Give just ONE day and you can feed ONE child for ONE year!

On Saturday, October 27^th you can bring that reality to ONE child in Zambia. For each volunteer present that day, one child will receive nutrient-rich meals for a full year. Bring your friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers and help us pack a total of 300,000 meals for the orphans of Zambia!

Working in teams of 10 – 12, you will help us mix ingredients for food packs, complete with 21 vitamins and minerals that will be sent to Zambia to provide hunger relief for orphan and vulnerable children in need served through the ministries of Family Legacy Missions International.

VOLUNTEER!
Join us as a volunteer on Saturday, October 27^th by going online to register for one or more 2-hour shifts from 9-11 a.m., 11-1 p.m., 1-3 p.m., or 3-5 p.m. Then, help us spread the word by inviting friends and family to join you and sign-up for a shift!

NOTE: Children 15 years and younger must be accompanied by a parent/chaperone.

LOCATION!                                                                     
StoneBridge Church
1 StoneBridge Church Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77382

SIGN-UP ONLINE!

Need more information? Email: tia@familylegacy.com

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In the summer of 2011, all five members of the Ward Family boarded a plane to Zambia for the very first time. The stories of the children they met had gripped their hearts and moved them to action. Together on the long plane ride home they set a goal to build a house at the Tree of Life Children’s Village. A home that would provide 12 orphans with a place to live, complete with loving caregivers, nutritious meals, access to school and a childhood filled with joy.

As soon as they returned home fundraising began. The Wards welcomed donations but rather than just ask people to donate, they felt led to find ways to “work” for this cause. This is one creative family who used their “gifts” to inspire others to give. Kim, who loves to cook, began to sell home-cooked meals, breads and desserts. The whole family shared their desire to build Mercy House with others through presentations held in their home in Ruston, LA. It was exciting for them to watch those who listened be moved to find ways that they could also be part of building Mercy House. A community wide effort unfolded as many people jumped on board to help. Bake sales, garage sales and estates sales were held. Christmas Camps for children started. Personalized day-planners were made.  Guided fishing trips were taken and ALL proceeds went to the construction of Mercy House. Many people were generous with their talents, time and resources and soon all the funds were raised and construction began. Happily on July 21, 2012 Mercy House opened at the Tree of Life. Twelve children have a new place to live where they are welcomed, cared for and loved.

The Ward’s know that their work in Zambia is far from over.  Many more orphans still need homes. Children living at the Tree of Life need additional classrooms and a medical clinic. Through Mercy House and More their goal is to raise money through donations and fundraisers. Visit their website to find out how “have mercy” t-shirts and car decals are beginning to raise awareness across the United States.

We are grateful for ambassador families like Kim, John, Anna, Maggie and Evan Ward who continue to bring HOPE and LOVE to the children of Zambia.

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