Mrs. M’Robert’s £12

When David Livingstone established a mission station at Mabotsa in 1843 among the Bakatla
people, he had only been in Africa for 3 years. He had not yet discovered Victoria Falls, nor
Lake Ngami, nor Lake Nyassa. In fact, he had yet to make any discoveries at all. He had not
yet walked across Africa, from Luanda on the west coast in present day Angola, to Quelimane
on the east coast in present day Mozambique. He had not yet been inspired to penetrate deep
into the “unknown parts” of the African continent to blaze a trail for future missionaries to follow
with the gospel.
When David Livingstone joined the Bakatla villagers one day in 1843 on a hunt for the lions that
had been raiding their herds and attacking some of their people, he had not yet become a
national hero in England and Scotland for his great explorations and his tales of discovery and
adventure. He had not yet made known to the world the horrors of the slave trade in the African
interior that provoked international action to bring it to an end. He had not yet inspired the
generation of missionaries that followed him to Africa with the gospel after his death.
On this day in 1843, Livingstone was unknown to the world.
As the hunt progressed, Livingstone spied one of the lions 30 yards away and “fired both barrels
into it.” The lion was hit and mortally wounded, and disappeared momentarily into the bush.
Then it attacked. Livingstone wrote:
“[L]ooking half round, I saw the lion just in the act of springing upon me…he caught
my shoulder as he sprang, and we both came to the ground below together.
Growling horribly close to my ear, he shook me as a terrier dog does a rat. “
Livingstone’s assistant, Mebalwe, “a most excellent man,” was nearby and came to his aid,
firing both barrels at the lion as it stood with its great paw on Livingstone’s head. The lion
turned from Livingstone and attacked Mebalwe, biting him on the thigh. Before the lion could do
more damage to Mebalwe, the beast succumbed to his wounds and died. Mebalwe had saved
Livingstone.

Mebalwe was a teacher who worked alongside Livingstone at the Mabotsa mission station.
Livingstone had asked the London Missionary Society for permission to hire Mebalwe at an
annual salary of £12. Thousands of miles away in London, a faithful woman, Mrs. M’Robert,
paid the £12 salary, and probably never knew the impact of her small gift.
Somewhere thousands of miles and a world away in a Lusaka slum, there is a young Zambian
boy or girl who has not yet become the doctor the country so dearly needs. Another has not yet
become the teacher that will inspire the next generation of Zambians. There are other children
who have not yet become the Christian leaders that will change the course of their country. All
they need is someone to faithfully provide for their education, a Christian education provided by
Family Legacy’s Legacy Academies.
Like Mrs. M’Robert, we may never know the impact that our work and our gifts have for His
kingdom. Even David Livingstone himself died without ever seeing how God used his labors to
transform the continent of Africa. The monthly costs to sponsor a Zambian orphan at Family
Legacy may seem like a small amount. What difference could sponsoring one orphan child
possibly make? God used Mrs. M’Robert’s £12 to change the course of history. Yours could
make all the difference in the world.

by J.P.Whitney

References
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa, David Livingstone, London, 1857.
Personal Life of David Livingstone, William Garden Blaikie, Harper and Brothers, New York,
1880.

I HAVE NO ONE TO HELP ME

The story that produced that famous quote goes something like this. Long time ago a crippled man was lying near a pool, the Bible says that when the waters of the pool was stirred whomever would step into the pool at that time would be healed of their infirmity. This man had lain there for upwards of 38 years, he had seen people go into and out of the pool when it was stirred and walk away healed. There was so much hope that would rise up in him because he had seen it first hand. Year one goes by, then five, then twenty and now thirty-eight; many people over the years saw this man, saw his predicament, saw his inability to raise himself up and go into the pool. They would even from time to time bring their guests over and share the story about the pool and in sharing they would include this man lying at the pool side.

The question on that particular day to this man was, "Do you want to get well?" Other than those who would bring him to that poolside and leave him on a daily basis, I would assume of all the passer by no one took the time to have a conversation with him. All of a sudden he is in the focused lens of someone who is asking in his mind the most ridiculous question. His answer reveals a lot about him: I am all alone; No one accepts me; No one comforts me; No one supports me; No one encourages me; no one appreciates me and the list goes on and on.

As I read this story, I am reminded of the over 3000 children who came to camp this summer for the first time who will have an opportunity to be sponsored and join one of our 22 school campuses throughout Lusaka. Like this paralyzed man, children who need parents and family to live, thrive and survive and are from an early age left paralyzed by the abject poverty all around them. And with no hope of seeing a way out of this vicious cycle they bare the pains of having to repeat the same. Absolutely paralyzed!

Their 5 day CampLife experience is like the day someone stopped and had a conversation with the man. All of a sudden new life comes into him, hope became renewed and there is now the possibility someone would take time out of their busy schedule and notice them. The time together creates such memories for not only the children but those who take the time to hold them, talk to them, listen to them, cry with them and celebrate this new life and love that has entered their hearts. More importantly, our volunteers do more than just meet with the children, they take the time in touching their souls by going to their homes. This gesture is inexpressible for the children because as poor as they are, these people visit their community. Priceless!

Living at the Tree of Life Children's Village we get a first hand experience of doing life with many of the least of these. The relational reward we get happens from time to time when the children who hurt the most start to appropriate the truth that help has come to walk alongside, encourage, support, and comfort the pain away.

This pass week, I was in conference with one of our grade 11 boys who became orphaned by age 12; who suffered mercilessly at the hands of a drunken step father; who has no living relative that he knows of. Our conversation was a bit different that day in the sense that I had determined to listen to him, grieve with him and to support him. I began our conversation with an apology for missing the many cues he was sending that was reaching out for help from me. He was a bit taken a back, a look surprise was all over his face. He did not know what to say, he just sat looking at the floor. Then I said, "I see that you are hurting and it is as if you have no one to talk to about this pain." As I was talking tears began welling up into his eyes and began rolling down his cheeks. He had not said anything and I did not think I was saying anything unfamiliar. I then said to him "you seem so all alone and I don't want you to carry this burden anymore." Then I said, "tell me what is causing this great pain?"


He began to cry and when he said the word stepfather, it was as if we were reliving the abusive situation. He went deep into that situation, years and years of carrying this burden compounded by not having earthly parents started emptying from his soul. It was too much to do all at once, but now he knows with a certainty that he can come and share and cry if he wants and will not feel condemned because he is fully accepted.

What do you do when you are the one reciting that ancient quote? For me, Warren, it was simple. I had to realize that like the paralyzed man, I had to confess that I was in need of help, I had to acknowledge that I had experienced some wounds I had not quite healed from and based on my closest relationships I needed course correction. My marriage was suffering as a result of many wounds and so many unmet spiritual and relational needs. My parenting was lacking life, love and affection and my leadership became words without action. I had some older men I respect speak into my life and my situation. More than that, they loved, listened and accepted me.

Today, just like that man on that day I am experiencing a renewed love for my God and for my neighbor. It's so funny, a guy in a wheelchair with pronounced mental retardation came up to me and asked for money. Normally, I would put my window down and offer help, but this time I got out of the car, touched him, looked him in the eye and chatted for a few minutes before giving him some money.

Our ministry is being touched with renewed vigor and hope for this amazing work God has ordained for us. Countless thousands of children's lives are being touched through the love and care of God's people. I am being touched as well as our family and for this we are profoundly grateful. Truly our cup overflows with the goodness of the Lord.

I don't know where you are in this brief update, but would you consider being the man/woman to the many around who are wounded and alone. If you are need of someone, there has to be one person in your life with whom you feel safe, please talk to them.
You can also call us, we will listen.

Grade 12 Graduation Trip!!

We forgot to post this blog from a few months back!

A few weeks back, I had the honor and privilege of being chaperone on the grade 12 Geography/History field trip.


There were 22 students on the trip and I had a group of 5 boys, Gift, John, Gift, George and Mwinda. Watching them seeing the Victoria Falls for the first time and taking in the views for the first time were priceless. They were like children being allowed to enter a candy store and get whatever they wanted. They giggled, frolicked, gawked in wonder and awe at the immensity of the falls and the power of the spray. They took time to take in the beauty in small things like a solitary vine that had a bouquet of purple flowers at its end; watched a very ornate grasshopper open its very colorful wings; and because of the angles at which the sprays from the sun fell, the sun cast any number of single and double circular rainbows. To cap off the trip, nothing was more memorable that our times together of learning, eating food and fellowship.

I think for all that went, the time will be remembered for the rest of our lives. I am already feeling the parenting feeling when your child nears their end of the journey for you at home. But who are we kidding, they never end their times with us at home.

New Year Greetings!!

WOW!! Words do not describe the past few weeks. It was an amazing end of the year and beginning of 2016!! From, a Christmas miracle to Dream Camp to Graduation, God has been glorified. Our Christmas miracle was given to us on Christmas Eve. 5 children were found abandoned in one of the communities. The oldest girl had been taking care of her younger siblings for several months until they were evicted; a good Samaritan ound them and called our offices. They moved into the Tree of Life Children's Village on December 24!! What a Christmas gift to us and them!!



We also graduated 10 children from Tree of Life Legacy Academy. The majority are the first in their family to ever make it past the 7th grade! There was an even bigger graduation a week later for the kids attending Legacy Academies in 17 communities; 96 students received their Grade 12 certificates, most of whom were also the first to make it to High School let alone graduate. What an awesome God we serve! These graduations were a small glimpse of lives being transformed in Zambia. It allows us to hold God's promises close to heart, that He is indeed above all knowledge and wisdom.

So many more exciting things are happening this month. We also had the privilege to open three more houses. These homes were opened for our high school kids that are living at the TOL. One of the sponsors was a university young man. He had a burden from God to raise funds to open a boys home and God did just that.

Happy New Year everyone!!