Zambia

Dear family and friends,

Greetings!  I pray that this letter finds you and your family well.  I am now in my final year at Harding University, and the Lord has blessed me in so many ways over the past four years as I work toward my degree in communication sciences and disorders with the goal of eventually becoming a speech pathologist.  This upcoming summer, as I finish my undergraduate education, I have been given the wonderful opportunity of going to Namwianga, Zambia, in order to gain some hands-on experience in my field while helping the people there physically and spiritually. 

The program I am traveling with, HIZ Path (Harding in Zambia Speech Pathology) allows me to obtain college credit hours for my medical missions minor at Harding, as well as jumpstarting my experience in speech pathology needed for graduate school.  I leave for Zambia on May 15th, and my trip will last for five weeks.  During this time, I will work mainly with orphaned children ages 3 and younger at two shelters called The Havens.  Due to the high ratio of children to caregivers at The Havens, many of these children go days without human interaction and crave things as simple as a human touch or a hug.  Because of this, their language developmental skills have suffered greatly, and many of them also have difficulties with their sucking and swallowing reflexes due to HIV/AIDS.  My job while in Nawianga will be to fulfill both of these needs, caring for the children as well as working with them on their speech and swallowing development.  In addition, I will be instructing the caregivers on how to better provide for the children.  I pray that the Lord will use me as His instrument and work through me in order to help these children as much as possible.

The trip is being funded entirely through donations and by those of us going on the mission trip.  I am excited about this rare opportunity I have been given to minister to children so far from home and broaden my worldview.  I know that the Lord will teach me so many things over the course of the trip, and I am seeking your prayers and support as well.  If you are able to assist financially with this trip, I have included an envelope addressed to myself in this letter, which you can use to send donations.  If you are unable to give in this way, I ask that you continue to keep me and the others in my mission group in your prayers, that we may have a safe trip and touch as many lives as possible.

I thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support.  May God bless you richly!

In His love,

Ben