Heading Home

Well, it’s hard to believe that my time in Zambia has come to an end. I left Kaombe yesterday, and I’m now in Lusaka (the capital city) as I am flying home tomorrow. It was a great last week at the Mango Tree. We had two programs during the week.

The first was a workshop on sustainable farming techniques, led by Mr. Jonas Sampa from a local NGO. I randomly met him when I was hitchhiking home from the Mango Tree one day, and I was so excited when he explained that he worked with an NGO that focuses on teaching agricultural techniques to communities to help them improve their livelihoods. He specifically focuses on teaching the communities to use natural types of fertilizer (an answer to prayer because most of the community is saving their pennies to buy the chemical fertilizer which is commonly sold here, but it is terrible for the environment and ultimately makes the soil entirely dependent on the fertilizer so that without it, it produces nothing). Mr. Sampa also teaches communities about crop rotation, and how to cultivate the many wetlands (“dambos”) in the area to produce food during the rainy season (also known as “the hungry season”). God really blessed us with having Mr. Sampa come to teach this workshop. Twenty-two farmers showed up, and Mr. Sampa is making plans to come back on a monthly basis to continue his teaching. Not only that, he was so impressed with the Mango Tree facilities (as well as the lunch he had at the Mango Tree café) that he wants to rent the Mango Tree classroom on a regular basis to hold workshops! This is such an answer to prayer, as the project is still struggling to reach the goal of becoming self-sustaining.


We also had an “HIV/AIDS Awareness Day”, in anticipation of World AIDS Day (which is today). A local theater group performed music, drama and dance regarding HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and the problem of stigma and discrimination against those who are infected. In order to draw the crowds to The Mango Tree for this event, we borrowed a volleyball net from the hospital. It was a great success – we played volleyball for hours!


Later that day, the staff at the Mango Tree surprised me with a small going-away party, complete with a “we will miss you” cake :) It was so hard to say my goodbyes to everyone. I have grown especially close to the staff of the Mango Tree, and I will miss them so much. I am confident that they will continue a great work of helping to bring transformational development to the community of Kaombe. Please pray for them as they continue to do this.


Pray for Frances, as he will most likely be the official “director” of the Mango Tree after Katie leaves in February. He has such a humble, loving spirit, and a servant-leader attitude that I have witnessed over the last three months as he interacts with the rest of the staff and the community.







Pray for Annie, our other administrative staff member. She is such an intelligent girl with a great sense of humor, and an ability to influence people. Pray that she will continue to mature in her relationship with Jesus and will use her influence to bring unity within the Mango Tree as well as the community!





Pray for Noreen, such a dear woman with a gentle spirit. She works so hard in the Mango Tree kitchen, and she always does so with a big smile on her face. Pray for her, as she is widow with three young children to raise.







Pray for Agness. She also works hard making her famous buns for the Mango Tree cafe. She loves her new job and loves working with the community. Pray also for her as she supports her family without the help of her husband.


Pray for the community! Even though I am coming home, I ask you to please remember the village of Kaombe, and pray that the Mango Tree would continue to be a light to the community, helping to bring people into a love relationship with Jesus Christ, and a love relationship with each other. As this happens, pray that the people’s identity would be restored so that they would recognize their worth as valuable human beings created in God’s image. Pray that the Lord would raise up godly leaders from within the community to organize and empower the people to confront oppression and evil that keeps the community in a cycle of poverty and begin to transform the community systems to work for the growth and development of the people. Also, pray for the Christian community within Kaombe. There is currently such division and competition among the various Christian church denominations. The Mango Tree is working alongside the pastor of the Pentacostal Church (Pastor Joseph Chileshe) to bring Christians from all denominations together in Bible studies and mentorship relationships so that they would become unified and work together as one body.
Well, as I close this last posting, I want to thank everyone who has regularly read my blog, taken time to email me, financially supported me, and kept me in your prayers! Throughout the last three months I have truly been blessed and encouraged by this experience, and I know this is because of your prayers! The Lord has protected me against everything from sickness to poisonous snakes :) He has increased my faith. And He has given me the privilege of witnessing his redemptive and transforming hand at work in one small village in Africa. I will never forget it as long as I live.

“Oh that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” Hosea 6:3