Students for International Mission Service (SIMS)

Outlook 2002
zambia
.......Marlo Murray-Jackson
.......junior
.......School of Medicine

We were running later than usual on this particular day due to more operations in the surgical ward. We were only a half-mile into our journey, when we saw children from the Lufazi village walking toward us.

Once they spotted us, they began jumping up and down, yelling, “They’re coming, they’re coming!” telling everyone as they ran back toward the village.

This would be a good day; we had planned a special craft for them today. We were going to take Polaroid pictures of each of them and then help them make a frame for it out of construction paper. We decided to do this craft as soon as possible because we knew more and more kids would come as the weeks went by and we wanted to make sure we had enough film for everyone. Most of all we wanted to do it for the children at Lufazi, because they suffered more than anyone did in that part of the town.

Kyra set up a station to take pictures. My mother sat down all the kids on one side of the church and would make sure that those who had their picture taken would sit down on the other side of the church. Tescha and I would help those who had their picture taken make frames.

Everything started out great, the kids were cooperating and it seemed at first as if things were running quite smoothly. But after a while, we noticed that the side of the church with kids waiting to take their pictures was not getting any smaller. We then realized that news had spread fast throughout the village of what we were doing—so more and more kids came. Kyra turned and looked at us saying, “I need more film. We have 30 kids left who still need their picture taken.” Our hearts just dropped, how could we tell these kids that they would have to go home without a picture because we ran out of film?

Tescha and I emptied the backpack containing the supplies we brought. And when I say emptied, I mean literally emptied the backpack of its entirety. We searched that bag as if we were going to find more film, but to our disappointment it was to no avail. We all started praying, hoping for miracle. Kyra tried to take another picture, hoping that miraculously a picture would just pop out. My mom decided to look in the bag again, lo and behold, she pulled out five more packs of film equaling 50 snapshots. We just stood there astonished and when we came to our senses, we began praising the Lord!

We knew that a miracle had just taken place. All the children received a picture and there were 10 exposures leftover. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6

[Outlook 2002]

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