From the HIZ Director

September 6, 2012

Dear friends and family,

As always, thank you for your interest in our group's activities and well-being. Thank you for thinking about us and praying for us. You'll notice that the first couple student posts are up on HIZambia.tumblr.com. They've each been assigned two blog posts to complete throughout the semester, and the blog will be our forum for telling the story of Harding in Zambia and how we see ourselves, cross-cultural learning, and the humanities, fitting into a bigger picture. I hope you'll enjoy those posts and interact with the material.

I'd like to share a specific prayer request on behalf of our group and those who work day in and day out at the Haven (orphanages). 

This morning one of the babies from the Haven died at a nearby hospital in Zimba. We think it may have been cerebral malaria but are not sure. The baby boy had been having seizures and lost consciousness. He had been at the Haven for quite some time so the aunties and those who work there are very sad. 

Our group has to grapple pretty early with the paradox of life and death and the question of human, especially baby, suffering. I know that for many this isn't their first time to deal with death, but for this specific group at this time in Zambia it's our first time to deal with it as a group. My prayer is that God is honored by our group, both in praise and lament, as we recognize His presence here in the midst of pain and suffering. 

I ask that you would pray for the individuals that make up our group, and the group as a whole, as we wrestle with these questions. I'm sure you'll see some of it on blogs and in emails. Pray for the aunties at the Haven and for Meagan Hawley and others at Namwianga who make it their mission to take care of these babies. I don't believe in the power of prayer, but rather, the power of God to whom we pray. The God we pray to is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to His power which is at work within us. To him be the honor in the church, in praise and lament, joy and sorrow, peace and suffering (Eph 3:20). 

More soon. Grace and peace,

Jeremy Daggett

HIZ 2012 Field Director