I was fortunate to visit the ministry with our two oldest children, Nathan and Kaelyn this past May. It was an amazing opportunity to witness and be a part of every aspect of our ministry, Divine Hope Orphan Advocates. I will be sharing a blog post highlighting each area of our ministry and what we experienced when we were in Zambia.
An elderly woman crippled by arthritis rises from her mat to greet us. She wasn't expecting our visit, and once she sees the large bag of mealie meal, we hear her cry out praises to the Lord. In tears, she tells us that she had nothing left to eat except a quarter of a sausage left from the Saturday feeding. This mealie meal will allow her to have nshima for about 3 weeks. (Nshima is a rich carbohydrate that is a main staple to the Zambian diet)
One of aspects of Divine Hope Orphan Advocates is not just helping orphaned children. Often the elderly are forgotten and left to remain vulnerable to extreme poverty and starvation. We believe God’s Word when it says, “Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:32
Most of the elderly we serve are the primary caregivers for grandchildren or orphans. Many do “piece works” in order to survive. This means they walk to nearby farms seeking work for a little food or money. Unfortunately, due to the drought, it is difficult to find odd jobs. These grandmothers not only need to worry about themselves, but the precious children they care for.
One family we visited the grandmother had caught a large mouse that morning that they were intending to eat for that day’s meal. Mice are a common source of protein for those living in this area.
When DHOA has a little extra in the account, we purposely bless the aged with a 50lb bag of corn meal, 2 small bags of sugar, a bag of salt, some cooking oil and some detergent. It isn’t much but it is something and it is extremely appreciated.
This past May, DHOA was able to also bless this dear man with a brand new wheelchair. When we went to visit him at his home, he was pulling himself along in a wheelchair that had a broken seat and two broken front wheels.
This sweet man visits our weekly feeding and encourages our team, but in order to get there he has to borrow a wheelchair. This wheelchair pictured below has 2 broken front wheels so when his grandson brings him to the feeding, he has to tilt him back on the two wheels. Very difficult for a 10 year old child!
Praise the Lord, not any longer! The new wheelchair will support his neck, shoulders, and back, areas that have been hurting him for a long time. We praise the Lord for His faithful provision.
The elderly are just as vulnerable as orphaned children. They are overlooked and often forgotten. If the Lord has a heart for the aged, then so must DHOA. We are looking for generous donors willing to provide for an aged widow or widower for only $28 a month. This will pay for a large bag of mealie meal (to make nshima), 30 eggs, cooking oil, sugar, salt, and washing detergent. Would you be willing to help?
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