A boy named Talent

I'm meeting so many wonderful children here in Zimbabwe. A few weeks ago I went with Auntie Feli to an impoverished area on the outskirts of Bulawayo. Auntie Feli helps sponsor a little girl there and she wanted me to come and meet these precious children. A special lady named Auntie Jane has really helped these kids by helping them to stay in their community even though they are all orphans. The grandparents and widows of the community have taken these kids under their wings to provide for them so they don't have to be separated from their friends and neighbors. We arrived in the afternoon to 30 expectant children excited about their Christmas party! It's very customary for the children to sing songs once you arrive and that's what they did :)

Something about this particular area and kids party really tugged on my heart. The majority of these children have HIV Aids. They have hardly anything, not even clean clothes. This party was a MAJOR blessing for them. It would be the only Christmas meal they would get (chicken and rice) and the only Christmas gifts they would get. Thinking about it breaks my heart. The kids even prepared a drama skit for us. This skit really informed me of the reality of their lives. The skit was about a young couple with a young teenage daughter. They dramatized about the young daughter being sold by her parents to a man that ended up abusing her and having HIV Aids. I was crying by the end of it because it hit me that THIS is what so many of the children here deal with.

I also met an 11 yr old boy named Talent. Something about this young boy just really spoke to my spirit. His smile was contagious and I could tell that there was something different about him. I asked Auntie Jane to tell me more about him and I found out that he was born with polio, that he's an only child that lives with his elderly grandparents, and that he also has some mental handicap issues. In my heart I knew I was meant to help sponsor Talent. At first Talent was a bit unsure about the attention I was giving him. I'm sure he was thinking "Who is this strange American woman that keeps taking pictures of me?" lol!! He warmed up to me and by the end when I was leaving he gave me a huge hug goodbye, he was SO happy! He couldn't wait to go home and show his grandparents all the goodies he got at the party.

All of the kids were very excited and happy and blessed that day. But I left even more blessed because I went and I met these wonderful children who had so much love to offer. I can't wait to go back again and again to visit with these kids and to see Talent again.

Praying you have a blessed New Year!

-Shannon

Donation Details:

Online Donations: http://www.worldoutreach.org/ Click Donate and Select my Name, International and USA cards accepted

Or Mail Checks to: World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 (Designate for Routzahn Fund Code #91)

Michelle

Salibonani! (Hello in Ndebele)

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas from Zimbabwe!!

It's been a great few weeks here full of Kids Christmas parties, Kids Christmas Carols, and church services. After visiting our church campus Masvingo, we also held Kids Christmas parties at 3 other locations: Simbomvu, How Mine, and Newmansford. Between all of those, we reached close to 1000 children! It was such a joy for everyone involved. I personally loved being able to teach the children many kids songs with dance motions :) And I can't wait to share more with them in Celebration Kids. I also heard that Pastor Dixon brought a powerful word in Jacksonville and over 600 kids from Zimbabwe are now sponsored through Mission of Mercy. Go God!!!

I wanted to share with you also about a girl named Michelle that really touched my heart. On Saturday evenings we always have church service at our How Mine campus. How Mine is a gold mining community we minister to. How Mine is an impoverished area where there is much oppression. The kids there crave love every chance they can get. This past Saturday I arrived early to help set-up and in walks this precious little girl who I later discovered is named Michelle. You see, she was very shy. But she immediately clung to me throughout the whole night. She came straight for me, stood beside me and held my hand. She looked at me from time to time and just smiled. I would ask her questions but she was either too shy to answer or didn't speak good English. I taught her how to play patty cake with her hands, she loved that! The littlest of things made her smile. When we did worship, she looked at me and followed my every dance move. Then after the service she came to find me straight away. You see, I didn't do much, all I did was show her attention and love and told her that Jesus loves her. But this meant the world to her.

There are so many "Michelles" out there that just need love. They need the love of Jesus. They need to feel valued and appreciated. If I can simply hold the hand of a child in need and tell them they are loved and that Jesus loves them then I feel I am doing what God has called me to do.

Will you pray about making a difference in the life of an African child? Your prayers and financial giving allow me to minister to children daily.

I am very blessed by my family, friends, and support team. I love you all!

Blessings in Christ,

Shannon

Donation Details:

Online Donations: http://worldoutreach.org/ Click Donate and Select My Name, USA and International Cards Accepted

Or Mail Checks to: World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 (designate for Routzahn, Fund Code #91)

Masvingo!!!

I'm SO in love with Africa! It's so beautiful here, the countryside is beautiful, the people are beautiful, I feel at home here. I'm settling in well so far here in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. My Celebration Zimbabwe family is taking good care of me. On Wednesday we welcomed a team from Life Church of Omaha, Nebraska that traveled here with Dan Ohlerking of Children's Cup. The team of 15 is an awesome bunch and so super excited to be working with the kids! And we are so happy to have them here!

On Thursday we traveled to our Masvingo church campus (about 4 hours away by bus) to kick off the Kids Christmas parties. I love Masvingo! It's been 2-3 years since I was last there and it was so great to be back there with Ps Samson and the children. We held 2 Christmas parties for the children at 2 different schools, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Wow, what fun!!!! At the 2 parties we had about 675 children! Go God!! The parties were divided into different stations of the kids to rotate to. We has face-painting station (Linda, you would have been awesome here doing that!!), sack-race station, soccer station, water-slide station, dance station (that's where I was all day!), Nativity drama station, memory-verse station, and bouncy house station. These African children were SO happy and seeing there smiles was just priceless. All the kids want to give you high-fives and get their picture taken. It just brings me such joy. I feel extremely blessed to be here with the children. They mean SO much to me.

Like I said I was at the dance station all day. I must have danced for 6 hrs straight! Everyone kept saying "Where do you get the energy Shannon?", and I say it's all from God! These kids can seriously dance, I mean seriously dance! I learned some African dances and then I got the opportunity to teach the kids 2 songs with dance motions that I know. I taught them Hillsong's "Take it All" and "Mighty to Save". They are such good learners. They have such excitement for dancing and singing, I love it! Hearing them shout "Take Take Take it All" at the top of their lungs I know just makes God smile so much. And it makes my heart smile everytime I think about it. It's their new favorite song now. I even heard some of the children afterwards walking around saying "Take Take Take it All!".

It's all about Jesus. That's why we do this. The kids have fun at all the different game stations but teaching them the love of Jesus is the most important thing. After the game stations we brought all the kids together for a lesson about the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. Then all the children got presents (jumpropes and bracelets for the girls, and bouncy balls and balloons for the boys), and they then got to eat a wonderful meal of chicken, rice, and cabbage. This means so much to them. The children here will be talking about this for days!

When the day was over my feet hurt, my body was exhausted but it didn't matter. It was all worth it for the children and for Jesus! It brings me such joy! I spent the 4 hr ride home happy in my heart and ready to go back again and again.

Tonite is Ignite youth rally and tomorrow is another 2 Christmas parties for the children at Sibomvu and How Mine. So excited!!

Be Blessed!

Shannon

Donation Details:

Online Donations: http://www.worldoutreach.org/ Click Donate and Select My Name, USA & International Cards Accepted

Or Mail Checks to: World Outreach Ministries, P.O. Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 (designate for Routzahn, Fund Code #91)

I made it to Africa!!

It's Sunday December 4th, 2011 and I'm sitting here at Auntie K's house (Kaluba, one of our Celebration Zimbabwe ladies that I love so much!) in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It's kind of surreal that I'm actually here in Africa, that just 2 days ago I was in the USA and now I'm here. Amazing what air travel can do, take you half way across the world!

God is good and He really was protecting and blessing me on my journey here. Got to JAX airport early Friday morning and first person I meet is a girl traveling on the same flight as me to Johannesburg. Go God! I know God put me in her path for a reason since it was her first time to Africa and I helped her along the way. All flights were very smooth, and on the long flight to Africa I got seats open next to me, double score!!! Awesome! And a flight that was supposed to stop and refuel halfway thru (or so I thought) didn't even stop so it made it seem like the flight wasn't as long. Now that's God! The connection thru Johannesburg went super smooth and on my flight to Zimbabwe I met some missionaries from Charlotte, NC and got connected with them as they work with children in Zimbabwe often. Best news of all, ALL my luggage got here safely and on time! Nothing damaged, nothing stolen!! That is unbelievable. All my prayers along with friends and family's prayers really paid off. God keeps giving me peace through this whole journey.

I was greeted at the airport by many of my Celebration Zimbabwe family. Was so good to see so many familiar faces. I've gotten settled in with where I'm staying also. I'm staying with Auntie Feli (Felicity) and she just moved into this great apartment flat that is so spacious and comfortable (pics to come soon). The Zim ladies welcomed me Saturday evening with a wonderful feast of food (barbeque chicken, rice, pasta with beef and cheese, salad, butternut squash (Lizzie, I know how much you love that!!) and banana bread with ice cream (so much for losing some weight here, lol!) and I just keep feeling very blessed! God even brought rains to cool off Bulawayo on my first few days (it's very hot here these days). I slept like a rock my first night and resting as much as I can because this coming week we will be busy with many Kids Christmas parties.

Today (Sunday Dec 4th) I went to Celebration's Central Campus and got to see so many of my Celebration Zim friends. And I got to see some of the kids and I can't wait to spend more time in CK Kids and teaching them some of what we do in the USA with CK Kids. I especially can't wait to teach them the CK good news! Pastor Albert preached an amazing sermon to kick off the Season of Hope and it really spoke to me. He talked about what hope is and what it isn't and what we need to have hope. Our anchor needs to be Christ. Without that anchor when storms come they will blow us down and that anchor won't stick. My prayer is always that I can have such a strong trust and faith that when the struggles and storms come (and they will) my anchor in Christ will hold me firm and strong.

When Pastor Albert and so many saw me today they said "Welcome Home." And it does feel like home and I know even over more time I will start to settle into the groove of things.

More blogs and pictures also to come soon.

I'm so thankful for everyone in my life, my friends, my family, my financial and prayer partners, and most of all JESUS.

Until next time.

Love to all- Shannon


Donation Details:

Online Donations: http://www.worldoutreach.org Click Donate and Select My Name, USA & International Cards Accepted

Or Mail Checks to: World Outreach Ministries, P.O. Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 (designate for Routzahn, Fund Code #91)