Hi, everyone! I’m headed out to spend Christmas break serving orphans on a new continent for me—Africa! Please read this page for a little more info on the team I’m traveling with, why I’m going, how you can pray for me during this trip, and how you can support me if you want! Thank you.
Zimbabwe is one of the most economically depressed countries in the world and AIDS has ravaged the adult population, leaving many orphans without training, parenting, or provision. The Global Encounters team is flying to Africa this Christmas to love the kids of Zimbabwe and show them Jesus through camp-style ministry. Our 2020-2021 trip will run December 26th-January 6th!
Why does Zimbabwe need missions?
Zimbabwe was once the “breadbasket of Africa,” the most prosperous sub-saharan African country. Now it is deeply mired in poverty, since their economic collapse in 2007. Hyperinflation and corruption cripple the economy. In addition, Zimbabwe has one of the highest AIDS infection rates in the world and very little medical care, which has resulted in millions of orphans and tens of thousands of child-led households. These children desperately need practical help to meet their basic needs and people who will love them and show them the love of their Heavenly Father.
Global Encounters partners with Hands of Hope, a ministry that has established feeding stations for orphans all over Zimbabwe. These feeding stations keep the kids alive physically, but also provide community, mentoring, and discipleship. Each feeding station is run in connection with a local church that helps take on the responsibility for caring for the orphaned kids.
Hands of Hope also owns a camp facility. Global Encounters teams have been going each year to run summer camps for the kids at the feeding station. We bring them to camp in groups of fifty at a time to be loved, trained, and fed (physically and spiritually). Because the kids at each camp come from the same feeding station and village, we get to see the real life relationships. We help the older ones learn to be protectors rather than bullies and teach all the kids to work together rather than fighting.
This is our first year to bring the kids Christmas and present the Gospel through the Christmas story!
Why am I going?
Starting the year of 2020 brought quite a few changes. I moved to a new city, and started a new job. I knew I wanted to plug into a good church community and get more involved in ministry in this new season of my life. I began praying that God would enable me to participate in more local and global ministry, and that He would reveal to me the church and organizations He wanted me to participate with in bringing the Gospel to others. God reminded me of Global Encounters, the organization I went to Ecuador with in 2016, and soon after I began to look for missions trips to apply for. I was really excited when I found out about the Christmas trip to Ecuador, but was almost more excited to find out that this year we would be going to Zimbabwe! Zimbabwe was an answer to prayer since I have been asking God for an open door to participate in ministry in Africa for a long time. I am excited to be able to serve the people of Zimbabwe through this missions trip, and hope that you will prayerfully partner with me in bringing the gospel to Zimbabwe for Christmas!!
Please pray for me!
I am praying that God would use me to be a blessing while I am there, to show His love to these kids who need Him so much. I am also praying that God would stretch and grow me, push me outside of my comfort zone; that I would learn to ever more lean and depend on Him and Him alone.
Here’s how you can help!
For those of you who may be interested in contributing financially, you can do so through the donation portal below (which is 501(c)3, tax deductible). My expenses are about $3600 with flights. I can cover 50% of that, but I would like to raise support to cover the other half. Thank you all for your love, prayers, and support!
Love, Lauren
