PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO WATCH BRANDON'S VIDEO ABOUT ZAMBIA...
(click on the bottom right corner of the video to enlarge it so you can read the cards)
to make a donation towards our trip you can click the donate button near the top left of this screen. Thank you so much!
ZAMBIA BOUND 2013!
(click on the bottom right corner of the video to enlarge it so you can read the cards)
to make a donation towards our trip you can click the donate button near the top left of this screen. Thank you so much!
ZAMBIA BOUND 2013!
My husband is headed to Zambia, Africa on a mission trip in just a few days. I am so proud of him and the work he does both here in the States and back home in Zambia! Next year, the kids and I will be joining him on the annual Zambian Vocal Group mission trip. We have lots of planning to do and lots of money to raise so I'm starting NOW and I need your help....
Let me tell you a little bit about how I met my husband...
He and the Zambian Vocal Group (formerly known as the Zambian Acapella)
sang at my church when I was a kid back in the mid 1990's. I can still
remember them marching up and down the isles of Kirkwood Baptist Church
and that amazing sound that just seemed to hit you right in the soul.
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| Sylvester is on the far right in the back |
 | 5 of the original Zambian Acapella members are still singing in the Zambian Vocal Group today. They have been touring the United States singing in churches, schools, festivals, and just about anywhere in order to raise money for their mission. | |
| The Zambian Vocal Group |
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| Students of the Zambian Vocal Group Academy |
Zambian Vocal Group Academy offers some 289 students a basic primary education (first through seventh grade). The ZVG built the school, they pay the teachers, provide a free education as well as all of the shoes and uniforms plus school supplies to all of their students. A lot of these children are orphans and all of them come from disadvantaged families that would not otherwise be able to afford to send them to school. The school is 100% supported by the group with the money they raise from their concerts. This is a full time job for my husband and the other members of the Zambian Vocal Group.
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| in 2006 when we started dating |
My family and I had always somewhat kept in contact with the group over the years. In May of 2006 I heard that the group was going to be performing in the Dollywood Theme park at the Festival of nations. I was living in South Carolina working as a bar manager at the time so I decided to drive 3 hours and visit my old friends. While I was there, Sylvester and I started chatting. 3 months later I became the wife of a Zambian Missionary. When you know, you just know. :) We have been married nearly 6 years now and I couldn't be happier. We have a 3 1/2 year old son named Brandon and a 7 month old daughter named Madison. As Brandon has grown up, he has always known that Daddy sings with the "Uncles" which means that he travels a lot. He would get pretty sad when Sly would leave town but would tell me that his daddy was working to help "the kids". He has known from a very young age about the ZVG Academy. We show him pictures and try to explain to him that not every child is as lucky as he is. This year, he seemed to really grasp what Sly and the guys are working for and understands why they travel around the US doing concerts.
This July is the 4th Annual mission to Zambia to visit with the teachers and students as well as to work on the school building. I have wanted to go to Zambia on a mission trip since the first time I ever heard the Zambian Vocal Group sing. Each year I have wanted to go but have decided to wait until the time is right. Of course I want my children to meet their family in Zambia. I want them to understand where their father came from and to learn to speak the language. I want them to really know their Uncles, Aunts, cousins, and all of their family. But the biggest reason I want to take them to Zambia is to show them how other people live. I want them to appreciate everything they have and feel blessed that they live somewhere that will provide a free education and provide so many opportunities to learn. I want them to grow up being involved in missions and understanding how important it is to help others. My mother was a missionary in Ecuador every summer when I was growing up. When I turned 14, she took me on my first Mission trip to Belize. She instilled so many important lessons in me as a teenager. I would not be the same person with out those experiences. Sly and I did a lot of thinking, praying, and planning as we decided that we would take the kids to Zambia as part of the 2014 mission trip. We talked about how to start fundraising the money to pay for the trip. I felt very comfortable in asking people to support our trip but felt as though it wouldn't be right to use any of the money towards Brandon's plane ticket... that is until a month ago. 
We spent 5 weeks in TN while the group was again performing in Dollywood at the festival of nations. I am super lucky to have a boss who would allow me to take the time off of work to be able to take the trip. I was able to volunteer my time and work in their sales booth. They sell the most beautiful handmade authentic Zambian jewelry, purses, and figurines. (click here to see some of the items)
100% of the profit of the sales from this merchandise go directly to the school.
While I was working in the booth, both of our children were with me to help. Maddie was often napping in her moby wrap on the front of me or smiling at all of the customers. Brandon was so well behaved the entire time. He spend several hours a day either amusing his sister, sitting quietly next to the booth, sitting and listening to the ZVG concerts, or helping me in the booth. He is a little bit shy but was always happy to help make change, help bag the merchandise, or to explain to the shoppers that they money he collected was going to help the kids at the school. He has been talking a lot about wanting to go with Daddy and help the kids at the school. By the time we take him to Zambia next year, he will be 4 1/2 and will hopefully really be able to understand what an impact he is making in the lives of those kids.
While I was working in the booth, both of our children were with me to help. Maddie was often napping in her moby wrap on the front of me or smiling at all of the customers. Brandon was so well behaved the entire time. He spend several hours a day either amusing his sister, sitting quietly next to the booth, sitting and listening to the ZVG concerts, or helping me in the booth. He is a little bit shy but was always happy to help make change, help bag the merchandise, or to explain to the shoppers that they money he collected was going to help the kids at the school. He has been talking a lot about wanting to go with Daddy and help the kids at the school. By the time we take him to Zambia next year, he will be 4 1/2 and will hopefully really be able to understand what an impact he is making in the lives of those kids.
Each missionary who will be going on the trip is in charge of raising their own money to pay for the flight, travel expenses, food, supplies, and everything else that might come up. I'm going to start our fundraising efforts early in hopes that we can make our goal in time for next year. Our goal is to raise $4,000 per individual missionary. This will be enough to cover the flight, our travel and lodging expenses once in Zambia, our meals, and the supplies that we will purchase both here in preparation for the activities with the students as well as the supplies we will need for the children once we arrive. We will be raising money for Sylvester, Myself, and Brandon. Like I mentioned before, at first I was apprehensive to raise money for his plane ticket but I feel like he is going to genuinely be working while he is there. He knows the mission and what we are working towards. He is working on making a video to be able to explain why he wants to go and what he intends to do while he is in Zambia. I will post it as soon as he finishes.
