A Student Reflection: Zambia 2022

A Student Reflection: Zambia 2022

by Michaela Soby, Class of 2023

Going on the trip to Zambia truly changed my life. My parents are missionaries, so I grew up overseas serving, but I wasn't expecting the experience to impact me this much. I wasn't planning on going on a Discovery trip my sophomore year (2021), but Mrs. Hamilton, my freshman academic advisor and mentor, came up to me and said she pictured me on the trip she was leading to Zambia. I lead worship at my church and at chapel but doing it across the world in a country I'd never been to seemed like a challenge that God was calling me to. I got on the trip very last minute but unfortunately, it got canceled because of Covid-19.

I decided that I would still try to go in 2022 because I knew God wanted me on the trip. June rolled around quicker than I thought and before I knew it an amazing team of 11 students and I were on our way to Zambia. We worked with an orphanage called "Every Orphans Hope," where orphans are raised from babies all the way through their college years. We worked with a group of their college students to serve at their main orphanage property called the "My Father Homes," their babies home called "Bethel Babies Home," and another orphanage not under the Every Orphan's Hope umbrella called "Home of Happiness" for orphaned children with disabilities.

Being to so many places with countless children whose parents have either abandoned them or passed away was so difficult, but seeing how the Lord had taken that parental role for them and how this organization has been blessed with the resources to make them feel loved beyond measure was so amazing. It was the perfect example of seeing the Kingdom in action. We also did door-to-door evangelism in a village followed by a public evangelism service, that a couple of other students and I led worship for. At the service, 12 people in the community gave their lives to Christ! As a singer, seeing a culture that loves to sing is such a powerful thing. In Zambia, they pray as well as sing before meals as well as any service project. It changed my perspective on worship and how I lead people in worship. There were too many moments that impacted me for me to count from this experience. The trip was a gift from God and I am so thankful to Discovery for providing this opportunity.