Day 29 - Holy Home Visits

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. – James 1:27

At the core of a Holy Home Visit is what Christ has done for us. We visit because Christ visited us first, and in our state of brokenness and pain accepted us as His children. Pray for each Holy Home Visit to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ask God to give each person the spiritual eyes to see what is happening beneath the surface. Through these visits, pray that each child and their family will see Christ at work in their lives. Pray for our Care Workers to be bold in sharing the hope of the gospel.

Holy Home Visits are an opportunity for Care Workers to connect and build strong and loving relationships with whole families, as can be seen with Elizabeth’s family.

Having been identified as one of the most vulnerable families in the community of Mwaiseni, Zambia, Elizabeth’s children now attend the Care Point there.

One of Elizabeth's children, Ezra*, was in poor health, but since receiving a hot and nutritious meal daily, his health has started to improve. Ezra still requires regular medical attention, something the Care Workers are committed to providing.

The family are visited in their home by Care Worker Rebecca, who brings support and encouragement. Elizabeth shares, “Rebecca is like a little sister to me in how she cares for Ezra”.

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Day 27 – African Leadership Development

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ – Matthew 25:40

We are committed to continually investing into and raising up African leaders who love Jesus and long to be a part of His calling to serve the most vulnerable. This is done through intentional discipleship, regular exchange visits, skills development and the addition of new team members. Pray for each person who will be joining Hands at Work; that they will have a heart of grace and compassion, and a desire to see God at work in the lives of the most vulnerable. Pray for each of our African leaders, that they will continually grow in humility and servanthood as they serve the children in the communities.

Earlier this year, there was a two-day Young Leaders’ training session facilitated by Hands at Work leaders at Kachele Village in Zambia. It was a time of going deep into God’s word and learning what it means to live by the Spirit and have Godly character.

Luwis Lengwe, (Young Leader, Zambia) reflects on the impact of this training and discipleship on his life: “Thank you to everyone who organised the meetings that we had. It was a huge encouragement to hear how people were praying for us, and sending us messages saying that they were praying for us. We had a good time. One of the things that touched me was when we spoke about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit Himself that is in us. We live in this body but we need to be in charge of our bodies. We need our body to know that we are in charge. Whenever the body feels like it wants to get tired of doing the things of God, we need to stand firm and say that our body needs to submit. It is a choice each day that comes. A seed was being planted in our lives. It was a time of weeding but also of fertilising and application in our lives.”

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Day 22 – Supporting Our Primary Caregivers

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:1-2

Across Africa the most vulnerable children are being cared for by their Primary Caregivers. These can be their parents, but in most situations it is their grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, older siblings or sometimes neighbours who take on this responsibility – often with families of their own to provide for. Pray that they will feel supported by the Care Workers and know that they are not alone in raising the children who they care for. Pray that as they experience God’s love, they will be set free from the brokenness in their lives.

“The Care Workers started helping me care for my grandchildren when no one else in the community would. Through the Holy Home Visits that the Care Workers have done, I have come to know and accept the Lord Jesus. Through their constant encouragement, I have hope and trust in God.” - A testimony from one of the Primary Caregivers living in Susu Community, Zambia

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Day 6 - Childhood Marriage

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” - Deuteronomy 31:8

In the poorest of the poor communities, it is not uncommon for girls as young as 12 years old to be given in marriage. In some situations, this occurs when families are financially desperate and in others it’s because of a cultural expectation that girls should get married young. Pray for our African leaders to be courageous in running towards the problem and speaking on behalf of our girls. Pray that they will be bold in sharing the gospel. Pray for each young girl who has been and still is a victim to childhood marriage. Pray that they will experience the love of Christ and the freedom that only He can bring.

Rebecca is pictured back left

Across Africa, there are men and women committed to speaking into the cultural practice and dangers of girls marrying at a young age. Kupa Kwashe, Hands at Work Leader from Zimbabwe, shares a story of Rebecca*, a girl in Mozambique and how the Care Workers and the local Hands at Work team in Chimoio, Mozambique, fought to ensure that she didn’t enter into childhood marriage.

“Rebecca grew up living in Matsinho Community with her grandmother and three siblings. She was one of our children coming to the Care Point. As Rebecca got older, the Care Workers started hearing that she was entering into unhealthy lifestyles and were concerned for her wellbeing. They heard that she had entered into an early marriage with another young man from the community. Understanding the dangers of early marriage, the Care Workers and the Chimoio team went to talk with Rebecca and her grandmother. Speaking out of love and concern, they shared how Rebecca was too young to be married and needed to go back to school. Rebecca understood the message and what was being shared. She went back to school and even started coming back to the Care Point. We are grateful because she took our advice and waited until she was 18 to get married.”

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