What About The Children

“What about the children, to ignore is so easy…”

The crowd stood around the lifeless body wondering what to do, speechless that the vehicle didn’t take the time to check and see or take the victim to the hospital.  In an area of town where the gangsters rule by night and emergency assistance is few and far in between, calling on the holy name of Jesus was the only option.  As the internal organs became visible, no one dared touch the child until out of nowhere came a hand that reach out and touched the form and began to say the name of Jesus and right before all the on-lookers, the form moved, turned and groaned in pain.

The emergency personnel arrived took the child and our tour through Nanga and Guguletu continued.  These two townships of Capetown, South Africa and the episode just described are one in and of the same.  The people in them have been hit by a moving vehicle and left for dead, but God in His mercy is reaching out in love and hope.  Our driver was visibly shaken by the episode, because his children was about the same age and in the car we began to ask God to have mercy and cause the child to live and tell the story of how she met Jesus that day.  The hand God chose to use that day was the hand of my wife.  She didn’t know the language or the people, but she knew God and that was all that mattered.  There are times in church when parts of messages become real and even songs we sing that seem impossible; that afternoon we could hear our pastor’s voice singing “…love through me holy spirit love through me.  Let my hand reach out to others love through me…”  Our children were about 3,000 km away and the instinct that only a mother could have was rush to the aid of her child.  I tell you, on that day it was as if it was one of ours lying there on the street.

The experience was the highlight of a much needed time of rest for Vicky and me and a time God used to speak to us about our future and what He had in store for our family.  Since our return, day and night the children have taken on the burden of praying for this child.  We took a picture as keep sake because one day we will meet again.

“…and if not for those who loved us and who cared enough to shows us…where would we be today?”

 

My wife children and I have been profoundly impacted by what we’ve experienced in Zambia over the past six years.  We felt the Lord tug at our hearts to come and help in the areas of need and therefore set out on this wonderful journey that really has only just begun.  Our return to Zambia in March of 2012 was the beginning of a new chapter for the Carr family and little did we know that it was also another tugging of the Lord for us to move on.  That last statement sounds very strange because we thought we had come to what the call was for us, but the Lord through the messages at church was pointing out that ROJF and KCF was just a vehicle He used to get us onto the continent.  Slowly over the months we realize that the doors were closing on our tenure at KCF and had no other recourse than to submit and declare that God is God and we are not.

 

Making the decision includes resigning from Kakabalika Trust School as Administrator and Kakabalika Child Foundation.  We have learned tremendously from our colleagues and more so from the students and KCF boys who have solidified for us a love and passion for teaching and caring.  The difficulties experienced were like a file; they sharpened our characters and taught us wonderful truths about ourselves and our interaction to and with people.  Invaluable, we will never be the same and this experience will always be remembered with fondness.

 

We want to publicly thank Rev. Sambo for the confidence and opportunity to serve under his leadership and to our colleagues at the School and the Residential program for covering our many mistakes, pouring their support and assistance upon us like a cold cup of water on a hot summer day.  We are eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve and do hopes that a foundation was laid so that leaders trained will have an equally rewarding time.

“…so many innocent children will choose the wrong way…”

In the short time that we have been in Zambia many changes have taken place among the people.  The HIV/AIDS rates have fallen from 1 in 4 to 1 in 7.  Prayer, death, medication, information and abstinence campaign played a critical part in driving the high numbers down.  One statistic that is constantly increasing is children; in Zambia alone 46% of the total population of 13 million people is children under 16 years.  Around the world 22% of the people trafficked for slavery, labor and sex trade are children.

There are many homes in Zambia where a child is heading that household.  We have spent the last six years dealing with the ones that end up on the streets, but there is a greater number in the compounds needing just someone to care.  The burdens is enormous and very overwhelming for the governmental institutions, but God who is father to the fatherless, hope for the hopeless knows their names, bottles their tears and hears their every call.  His answer is you and me and to that end our family is praying and discussing what God would have for us to do next in assisting the plight and needs of children.

In the meantime we are continuing our work at KCF through June and we hope to have something concrete for you to partner with us on in your prayer and support.  We do look forward to hearing from you before then, hoping that you will let us know what is going on in your life and how we can labor in prayer with and for you.  Do know that we love and miss you dearly and cannot wait for that someday when we can be together.

Matters for Prayer:

·         Grace to endure the separation pain

·         Smooth transition and adjustment for the new head of school

·         Time to reflect, pray and process after the change

·         Continued encouragement, support, love and prayer from family and friends

·         Discernment and clarity for the Carr family’s next God venture