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| The Breath of Heaven Children's Village sits on 10 acres outside of Zambia's capital, Lusaka. (Photo: Chad Lauterbach) |
Five years ago, I got the incredible opportunity to travel to Africa with a team of talented writers, photographers, a producer, filmmaker and teacher. Our assignment? Cover the AIDS/malaria crisis in Zambia and its affect on the staggering number of orphans and street children. We went in knowing it was a tough subject. I mean, how do write about, photograph and film poverty without being overly dramatic, condescending or highfalutin? What we didn't realize was just how much the kids we met would change us.
Everywhere we went-- schoolhouses, community centers, homes, churches, even on the streets-- we befriended the most beautiful of souls.
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| Sisters Ireen and Loveness. (Photo: Chad Lauterbach) |
During our trip, we met Ted Lawler, a pastor from Temecula, California. Ten years ago, while at a conference, Lawler listened to a man share about the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Though he had heard the statistics before, for some reason it bothered him even more this time. Lawler's heart was burdened. "I instantly saw that God had indeed birthed a vision," his wife, Judy, remembers. The result of that vision is the Breath of Heaven Children's Village. The Children's Village sits on 10 acres of African bush outside Zambia's capital, Lusaka. Once finished, it will include a school, clinic, church and 14 homes which will house more than 150 orphans. Back in 2007, our team had the privilege of visiting the Children's Village, where one house had been built. Today, there are five houses and about 50 children living there.
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| The bricks used to build the Children's Village are made from the red earth found on the land. (Photo: Chad Lauterbach) |
Check out this wonderful five-minute video about the Breath of Heaven Children's Village (produced by LA-based Empty City Films). It captures everyday life in this triumphant community of Zambian children. These beautiful souls prove that love conquers all.
