Today I got to camp around 9am, just minutes before my girls arrived on the bus. I had been hoping that they would open up more to me today, as they were so incredibly quiet on Monday. My wish came true, because my shy group was no longer quiet, but chatty, and they wanted to play! I laughed, danced, and sang with my girls- they loved involving me in their favorite Zambian games. I did my best to be goofy with them, as I know it's not often that they are able to have a caring adult spend quality time with them. 
One of their favorite games is called "Do Like I Do," where the girls are standing in a circle, clapping their hands, and singing those words. One girl goes in the middle and does a few poses, and all the girls have to mock her. When she finishes her dance, she chooses a new girl to come in the middle. They get so silly, and of course I got called into the middle often, where I did some of my most ridiculous dance moves, sending the girls into fits of laughter. (No, my spectacular part is not in the video below- it was for my girls, only- I know, you're disappointed).
When it came time to speak to two of the girls I prayed for the night before, both of them said they prayed as well, and they had NO DREAMS!!! They were free from headaches and stomach pains, and were able to sleep peacefully through the night. A true miracle! I was elated and jumped up and down hugging them- their smiles were huge and I could see the faith in their eyes, as they understood the incredible power of prayer.
As the day went on, and I continued my blessing times with each of my girls, two of them told me that this was their very first time to hear about his man named Jesus. We talked about Him- what they had learned so far, and what they wanted to know more about. I explained His amazing life and sacrifice, and told the story of Jesus saving Mary Magdalene from being stoned, even though she was a prostitute. It was by the grace of God that I was able to speak that story, and I know it was Him telling me it was one my girls needed to hear. As Felidah translated, the emotion I saw on their faces was just indescribable, as they could related to Mary, and they never felt worthy of being saved. For them to hear that Jesus saved her, even though she was selling her body to others, spoke volumes to their hearts. Both of those precious girls told me that they wanted to accept Christ into their hearts. I listened to Felidah lead them in Nyanga through the Sinner's Prayer, and it was so hard not to break down and cry. I made sure they understood that they are now new creatures- Jesus will never abandon them, hurt them, lie to them, nor ever be angry with them. He treasures them, and will do so forever and ever.
In the GO Center today, Uncle Greer and Pastor Raphael spoke to the children about salvation and what that means for their lives. I watched the many faces around me, my girls and the groups around us, and they were earnestly listening, turning over all the words in their heads. We read 2 Corinthians, which says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" and Galations 4: 5-7, "to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."
Just those two scriptures spoken aloud was amazing to witness as the children absorbed their meaning. Many of the kids at camp are orphans- and quite a few were double orphans, meaning they had been abandoned more than once in their little lives- so for them to hear that they were adopted by God, that was just earth shaking for them. You could hear the audible, "oh!" in the massive room, and several kids had tears running down their faces. It was what Uncle Greer and Pastor Raphael explained from the Galations verse that really sent a message:
"Children, you are a member of God's royal family! You are an HEIR to His throne! YOU are PRINCES and PRINCESSES"
Now that was kind of funny to witness, as most of the kids pointed back to themselves, saying, "Who? Me?? Not me . . . " It was here where the two men on stage made the children scream it- one group at a time- to the girls, holding their shoulders and swinging back and forth, "I am a PRINCESS!" in their sweet high voices. and to the boys throwing their arms up in the air to show their muscles, "I am a PRINCE!" in as gruff a voice as they could muster. What an adorable sight- one we saw allllllllll day, because once they understood that it was true, they wanted to say it as much as possible.
Going back outside for lunch, I noticed that many of my girls were still quiet. It worried me that maybe they aren't sharing everything. I wondered if they were scared to confess their fears. I was also having difficulty getting my evangelist and apostle to help me talk to my group. This was my first year, and I wasn't sure what their roles were supposed to be, but I had a feeling that they weren't doing enough. My evangelist, Felidah, was simply translating my words, and I was beginning to feel all the weight of leading the conversations. My apostle, Florence, was also very quiet with my group, and I kept looking to her for help and guidance to get the girls to talk. It was becoming increasingly difficult and frustrating- something I knew the devil was planning on using to disrupt the miracles God was sending down. I silently prayed with my two Zambian helpers at then end of the day, asking for patience and guidance. I needed His words to talk with them, and I planned on having the discussion with both of them tomorrow. I was not a fan of confrontation, and have always had difficulty giving criticism; I needed His words to deliver a message in a positive and loving way. I hoped and prayed that these ladies would help me get more out of these girls, because tomorrow would be a very serious day. Tomorrow, I give my testimony. Tomorrow, I tell my girls about my sexual abuse, my depression, and my daily struggle to feel worthy of love. I will need my Zambian helpers to support me in that discussion, as it will be the hardest thing I will do thus far with my girls.
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