This is my favorite time of year for multiple reasons. For some people, they love that the weather warms up and they can go to the pool, or in Frisco, Texas, the Snow Cone Lady opening becomes a constant talk. But for me, it's more than that. There's a buzz of Zambia that permeates our home.

For the last 4 years, it has focused first around Camp Hope and although Peter and I will miss this year's Camp Hope, it is not far from our home. For the last two weeks, our house was filled with 500 craft supplies that will be used to share the gospel to these orphans in the next few weeks. Short-term missionaries will begin arriving in Lusaka, Zambia, and will serve throughout Chongwe Village with this outreach program and it is always fun to see the preparation that takes place here stateside.

Then there are interns that will live in Zambia for the next 60 days. They departed this week and although mine and Peter's role with them this year was limited compared to the last two, it was still a blessing to get to sit with Rebecca and Molly and hear their stories and see the excitement they were experiencing as they prepared to depart for Zambia this past Thursday. That was a little more difficult as I almost took the minimal amount of savings we had and put the girls and I on a plane to go with them to serve as mentors for them. It is a constant reminder that we need to wait on God's timing and not our own.

Even though each of these buzzes are transitioning in and out of our home, there is one that has been dear to my heart for the last 3 summers and it will begin its 4th summer starting Monday. As silly as it may sound, it is our VBS at our home church, Preston Ridge Baptist. Now if you've ever participated at a VBS, you may understand, but others may just see this as a time for crafts and games. Not at ours! Yes, we have the crafts and games but more importantly, our church has partnered beyond their already present commitment to Every Orphan's Hope and they have graciously allowed us to use their VBS as a platform to make known the HIV/AIDS orphan crisis in Zambia.

In the last 3 years, we have raised money for our chicken farms in Chongwe Village, sent children to Camp Hope and helped build a My Father's House home. I have always been amazed at how our children have donated change, gone out and sold lemonade or just requested donations from family and friends and made them aware of the work Every Orphan's Hope is doing. My numbers are an estimate but based on my memory over the last 3 years, these children have raised somewhere between $5,000-$6000 for the various facets of the ministry. Amazing!

I can't wait for this week. Our new project is always something close to my heart which is the sponsorship of the children in My Father's House homes. We will be raising money to help provide the support that these children only receive from sponsors who are everyday people like you and I. They will focus on a specific house in Chongwe Village of Hope and learn about each of the 8 children in this house. God has given me such a great opportunity to teach these lessons to these children and I just love this one. Knowing that young children will be able to connect with kids their same age and do something that will directly impact their lives. They inspire me each year.

I always walk away from this week saying how AWESOME God is! He can speak to the heart of children and inspire them to move in a way that we never expect. As adults, we are always looking at our bottom line. What do I benefit from this? How will this really make a difference? Not the kids, they know it will make a difference. Helping provide a home, food, clothing, education and love from a family creates an eternal impact on a child's life. They see it! On top of that, these children live in a home that has Jesus Christ as the foundation. What better investment is there than that, and eternal investment into the heart of a child that is raised to know who Jesus is and have the opportunity to accept them as their Savior. That's the difference.

This week will help fulfill that eternal impact and I am just overjoyed by our home church that will host such an opportunity to allow children locally to hear the gospel and also they are helping orphans all the way in Zambia to be raised in a home filled with the love of Christ. All I can say is God is AWESOME!