Zambia Medical Mission Trip

I am so very excited to be blessed with the opportunity to be part of the Zambia Medical Mission Trip May 2013 and can’t remember the last time I was so excited about doing anything in my life! Part of my time in Africa will be spent working with the people of Zambia at an orphanage in Ndola. We will be staying with host families as to really build relationships and get to know the people of Ndola. The orphanage, which houses around 20 beautiful children, was founded by an organization called Hope Ministries, which was created through North Park and Spark Ventures, with the people in Ndola (More information at www.sparkventures.org). Students from North Park go to this same village in Ndola, Zambia twice a year, once in the winter and once in the summer. We go to the same place each year with the purpose of building relationships with the people so they can continually learn from us as we learn from them. The community is growing in that an affordable school has been added that serves over 300 kids who would not normally be able to attend school if it wasn’t for Hope. I am already counting down the days until I can spend my time learning more from the children at Hope Ministries Orphanage than I could ever teach them. Let’s just say I’m getting my heart ready for a whole lot of loving.

We will also be conducting a medical clinic for the children at the school and the orphanage. The two most common illnesses are Ringworm and Malaria, hurting over two thirds of the children. We will be able to diagnose both of these and provide medication that the children would otherwise not be able to receive. This is the only medical opportunity these children get all year so it is a privilege to be part of this.