In June, we had the privilege of visiting Mercy House and to meet with the new class of mentors as well as the current group of Life Learners. My friend Tedi and I sat in on a class being taught to the mentors on integrity. It meant so much to experience the depth of the curriculum and to soak in the enthusiasm of the mentors being trained to lead the next teams. Agness gave impassioned examples of why living out your faith in all areas of your life makes a difference to the world. Many shared their own experiences in the workplace of how integrity in the big and little things made a difference in how their superiors trusted them, but it wasn’t an easy choice to make. I was very encouraged that this group of mentors would be influencing our next class as they create business plans and begin their projects together. Tedi and I got to encourage them all, letting them know there is a large group of supporters in the United States cheering them on as we underwrite the costs of the program. It is a global effort, where we assist them in changing their country by training those who have been left behind by the system. We got to pray for them and let them know they are not alone!
 
Next, we met with the Life Learners. It was not a day for class, and yet they made the special effort to attend in order to meet us. We had the privilege of encouraging them in their faith, letting them know how much our Heavenly Father adores each of them and has an important plan for their lives. We prayed over them prayers of hope. The pain in the room is evident in their eyes, and the struggles each brings to Mercy House reveals the deep need being met by Doreen and her team. Yet the girls also have great joy just from being in the building. They helped each other study for an upcoming exam. They laughed together over lunch and took lots of selfies with us as a reminder of our time together. When they sang for us, it was like a picture of heaven, where we will all gather around the Throne Room of God and sing praises together from our hearts. The girls love to sing together, and it seems like healing occurs in their hearts with each worship song they belt out.
 
Mercy House is still in its infant stages, but the impact is already underway. Getting to experience the joy of Mercy House and the hope it is instilling in these young women was very encouraging for us. I walked away asking God to bless the work there and to help us in the United States understand how important Mercy House is to the women of Zambia. We heard some difficult stories of abuse and abandonment, yet we saw the power of coming together and casting vision in order to transform the trajectory for these women. It was a privilege to be there, and it is such an honor to be part of these women’s stories of change by participating in Mercy House.