Returning home

There are some places that feel like home and some people who are more precious than words.

Back in the African Bush

Im writing from the bush in Zambia.

Forgive me for keeping it quiet but with some delicacies in how i left last time, I wanted to take extra care in getting into the country.
The flight was good, via Kenya and DR Congo.  Getting through customs was smooth and eventless and my good friend Cherie Chapman was waiting for me the other side.
I'm here on a little holiday with John and Carol Prosser, dear friends and significant people in my life, who have supported me both times I lived here and who I can finally show around the villages I love.

There have been many whoops and hollers, traditional greetings, much hand clapping and bowing and even a few tears as i met dear friends who, when i left last time, didn't get to say goodbye. 
The smell of the red dust in the air and the noise of crickets and incredibly coloured birds is comforting and familiar and Im happy.

We've visited with Mrs Chomba, who I'm pretty sure has no idea she is a bit of a superstar, loved by many who have never met her.

I feel so blessed to have her as a trusted friend, a woman of much influence and whose 'Village Mother/chief' status has changed the lives of many, many hundreds of people, embracing medical clinics and access to education.
A cheeky, playful and sometimes, downright 'norty', 72 year old woman who speaks limited english, she came to the village 30+ years ago and opened a small shack type shop selling anything she could get that people needed. Her husband went to work in town as the shop wasn't extremely profitable. In her mud built home with no electricity, no running water and a long drop toilet, she has housed many, many 'daughters and grand-daughter', girls who literally have nowhere to go but down if someone didn't reach out to them.  Every year she pushes for, "just one more" child to be put into the orphans programme, "just one more" sponsorship for school, "just one more" family helped.
She is one amazing forward thinking woman and I'm really honoured to call her a friend.

So today I'm asking you to raise a glass to Mrs Alice Chomba, a world changer, lover of Jesus, hero and all round beautiful woman.

Grace Space

This morning I felt full....

• things to achieve 
• things to think about achieving 
• things to do for others 
• things that I was worried about
• things that hurt

I came to my time with God and felt lost.
Where do I start?
How do I connect and engage with all this stuff?

"Be a space"
What?

 I don't have anything to bring to this space,
 I cant do anything more,
be anything more,
produce anything else.
Im not enough,
Im empty,
Ive given everything,
there are gaping holes in me,
shallow and hollow places.



Be a space


"when you come and let me be with you,
put those things down, outside the door,
and
just come and be with me.
Breathe me in today.
You are not enough,
I am."

As I lay on the sofa,
simply being with God,
I gave up,
inhaled His love,
drew a fresh breath,
sucked up His Grace again
and remembered I dont have what it takes,

He does.


How can it be this simple.

Molly Miller-I'm a big fan

Another video out today from the Kings Arms Ep.
Freedom Comes written and sung by Molly Miller, who by the way wrote this song when she was  13 and is now only 14!!
The girl has a gift and I'm a big fan.

Enjoy.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMTx0bYDaYk

itunes

Freedom Comes is now available on itunes.
Get your copy today.



https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/freedom-comes/id830715694

Freedom comes Video

The CD is selling like crazy, we have had to re-order
they are selling so well.
We have even released a video for the first track off the
CD, Mighty One.
Here is the link,
Enjoy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2zKU2erFAw
(you get a sneak peak of me at 4:45)

ZJ

Sleeping rough

Last night I slept in a car park doing a sponsored sleep out to raise money for a homeless charity.
It was mostly cold and definitely uncomfortable.


In the grand scheme of things it wasn't that traumatic or difficult,
I didn't expect to sleep much, laying on cardboard for a few hours was not ideal and my legs and back ached, but i was able to go in the warm hall for a hot drink, luxury bathrooms and a sit in a comfortable chair whilst I passed a few minutes surfing the web on my smart phone.
I had the mentality of, I just need to wait it out until bacon sandwiches were served at 7am, I go home to bed and life goes on.

Two weeks ago I went with my friends Sarah and Hannah to some places people really sleep rough in Bedford.  It wasn't quite the same picture.

One place we went was a room with dirty blankets on the floor, 4 polish guys sleep there, there were beer cans and fag butts everywhere, it felt a bit like we had gone back in time, it was literally a dirty, smelly, windowless, heating-less room that they had made home with a few christmas decorations.  Outside I stood in a puddle of very strong smelling urine in what we discovered must be their bathroom area (I managed to avoid other dangers on the floor).
We also visited a place Id been before when one of our guys had died at the end of last year. A disused garage, again, beer cans, human waste, dirty bedding, a derelict and dangerous place hidden away in the centre of Bedford town.


As I lay in my steaming hot bath this afternoon I was humbled and grateful again.

The most common cause of homelessness in the UK is breakdown in relationship of family and friends, not job loss, not addiction, not physical or mental health illnessess, although these are problems that add to it.

Some of the homeless people I have met over the years used to be Bank Managers, Accountants, public school boys and girls, only 30% of the UK's homeless population were brought up in care, only 37% have no qualifications on leaving school. 

The problem is that there isn't enough love.

Last year I came home from Zambia with a suitcase and my friends and church made sure i was ok with somewhere safe and warm to live, space to talk, not talk, cry and process the trauma of leaving.

Why did I sleep rough last night?

Because everyone should be loved like this, everyone should have someone who cares, no-one should be forgotten or left behind, sleeping in a derelict room with no windows or toilet, frightened, living off soup run food and begging money, its no wonder people drink and use drugs really.



That people feel alone and unloved, that they are unseen and feel like they don't matter to anyone just isn't right.  

The King's Arms Project seeks to help homeless people back into finding their worth and place in society. KAP believe in loving people back to life both practically and in how they treat people to bring self worth and self belief.

If you'd like to sponsor me please do.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=ZoeJoy