July 18, 2023 • 31 mins
Join me, Andy Howard, in a heartfelt journey that changed my life and will surely touch yours too. In this podcast, meet the extraordinary team behind Family Legacy that has been pivotal in changing the lives of kids in Zambia. They don't just provide meals; they provide safety from the dangerous world outside the school gates and a promise of hope for a better future.
Picture this: kids with radiant smiles, brimming with joy and resilience, despite the hardships faced in their everyday life in Zambia. We didn't just get to experience this palpable joy when they received their new camp t-shirts. We also got to experience a true work of God when six out of ten kids we ministered to, found solace in Christ for the first time. A moment that was nothing short of miraculous.
We managed to sponsor 40 kids to attend school and camp, but there are many more who need our help. What if you could bring about a significant difference in the lives of these children? For as low as $48 a month, you can sponsor an elementary-age child, and $72 a month can sponsor a high school-age child. Imagine a world where every child gets to go to school. That's exactly what Family Legacy aims to achieve. They also have their own medical staff and farm to cater to the well-being of these kids.
Let's join hands in this noble cause, be it through sponsorship, or by participating in the upcoming shoe and food drives. If you can help us reach our goal of sponsoring 100 kids, I would love to send you a signed copy of my book as a thank you for your generous donation!
Volunteer: https://familylegacy.com/getinvolved/go-to-zambia/camp-life/
Sponsor a Child: https://give.familylegacy.com/sponsorachild/legacy-academy
Once you have sponsored a child and to receive your free book, or to receive more information about Family Legacy, please email me at: info@andyhoward.com
Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @AndyBHoward
Buy the book on Amazon: www.amazon.com/When-Words-Dont-Come-Easy/dp/1955362084
Listen to the first chapter: soundcloud.com/andy-howard-788712319
Learn more at AndyHoward.com!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, what's up everybody?
Hey, today's episode is gonnabe fun.
I say fun, I get your Kleenexis ready.
I'm gonna try to pull on yourheartstrings, but I just share a
little bit of the story of someof the kiddos I met in Africa
in Zambia, africa, and someamazing kids.
(00:20):
But stick around to the end,because you have an opportunity
to change some lives today.
I mean, talk about reallymaking a difference and I want
you to, want you to stick aroundand I want you to see how you
can even get a signed copy ofthe book itself For you, just as
(00:43):
a gift For your donation, ifyou're willing to help some of
these kiddos.
It's something that God has.
God has stirred up in me andmoved me to do and Tiffany are
Helping 40 ourself, but he'sgive us a number of a hundred
kids that he wants us to helpand I'm gonna explain why Over
the next few minutes.
(01:03):
All that more after this.
Hey, welcome back to the way.
Words don't come easy podcast.
I am Andy Howard.
If this is your first timejoining, welcome.
This is a podcast about hopeand it's just a very casual
conversation, just like the book.
If you had a chance to comment,I'm perché.
I would really appreciate it ifyou could tell you that.
If so, thank you, randy, forKnock On my Bad Bang.
(01:31):
If not, thank you so much forwatching, just like the book.
If you had a chance, maybe youfound the podcast from the book.
Maybe you've never heard of thebook, but the book when Words
Don't Come Easy came out thispast September and it's just a
conversation between me and youand I hope my story will help
(01:53):
you.
This podcast, I hope, will helpyou.
It's a podcast about hope, andwe live in a world where hope is
hard to find.
Just being real, being honest,it's very easy to get distracted
and to lose focus, and I hopehere, with this podcast, that I
(02:15):
can point you to Christ.
He is my hope.
And I also want to point you tosome inspiring stories of
others who have overcome thingsLike myself, overcoming
depression, or others who haveovercame various things.
(02:36):
But this is just a podcast tobring point out the beauty in
the broken.
The beauty of the broken simplymeans there is positives in
every negative that we face.
There will be hard times.
That's part of life, right,there will be hard times, but
(02:56):
there's always somethingbeautiful through every hard,
hard trial that we face andsometimes we lose sight of that.
So that's what this podcast isabout, and welcome, welcome here
.
So, with that said, I do wantto jump in here and bring you
some hope.
Today from our latest trip.
I wanted to kind of take youbehind the scenes.
This has just been on my heartand, please forgive me, I'm just
(03:21):
recovering from the flu.
My voice is still shaky.
I think I picked it up on thistrip from probably from one of
these beautiful kids and justeven breaks my heart even more,
knowing what they have tocontend with with their
conditions there and their lackof everything.
(03:41):
It was just amazing.
We got to go to Africa, and morespecifically, the country of
Zambia in Africa, in the area ofLusaka and many of the
communities there.
In Lusaka for those who know itWell, some of you, just hearing
Africa is big enough, wideenough lens for you, and then a
(04:08):
really detailed one to knowexactly where, and so that's why
you would right now in thecountry of Zambia and then
Lusaka within Zambia.
So such a beautiful area andI'm talking about the people,
just talking about the peoplethe country was beautiful as
well.
It really was just somebeautiful scenery out there.
(04:30):
But Tiff and I were overwhelmedby the beautiful people of
Zambia and what I noticed bythese beautiful people, it
wasn't because they had, youknow, the best clothes, because
these were some of the poorestof the people that I will
(04:52):
probably ever meet in my life,literally people who had nothing
sweet kiddos.
I had absolutely nothing.
And we went through their,their towns and their homes and
and most of them didn't evenhave running water, and so they
(05:14):
would either have to buy abucket of water from their
friends who did have runningwater, because if they tried to
get it from the government theycouldn't even afford to buy it
from them.
It was, it's just very sad, verysad area, but ironically, some
(05:35):
of the happiest people I've evermet in my life, smiles that
would just light up a room andtheir eyes and their, their
smiles were just so beautifuland I kept telling Tiff, these
are just.
I'm just fascinated by howbeautiful these people are and I
met that literally andfiguratively, like from their
(05:58):
spirits, but literally they werehappy people and when you see
happy people they're beautiful,right?
You see someone walking downthe street and you see them down
excuse me, downcast or sad.
They just lose a little bit ofthat joy.
You don't see that true beauty.
And then you see someone justtruly happy, for sincere, right
(06:20):
reasons.
Their beauty just shinesthrough them and these people
had nothing, man, nothing.
It was heartbreaking, like onthe very first day of this camp.
We were at this summer camp thevery first day.
It's a small thing, but I'mputting on this sticker on this
(06:44):
kid because it was one of thegifts we're giving out.
Like each day they get likelittle things, like we had
stickers and I'd put a stickeron his shirt and then the next
day is the same thing and that'swhat I realized, because he
wanted me to put it on the shirtthat had like an O in it and it
was a circle sticker and it fitright inside the O and it was
(07:05):
all perfect.
And then the next day Irealized that was the same shirt
with the same sticker and hehad the same clothes on and I
realized throughout the week hewore the same outfit and many of
the kids did, and it's justwhat they did.
It was their clothes.
And even throughout the week,like for for one of the last
days of Camp, they got a brandnew camp t-shirt and oh my
(07:32):
goodness, just the exuberationthat they're so excited for, and
for many of them, maybe that'sthe first time they've ever had
a brand new shirt.
Because I got a brand new campt-shirt and I remember going to
camp as a kid and even here as ayouth pastor, and we used to
(07:53):
get our camp t-shirt and veryfirst thing we do rip the
sleeves out.
You know where Bandanas makebandanas out of over, cut the
sides out and you're making likeyou weren't planning on keeping
the camp shirt.
It was just a I don't know howto explain it, not that you're
(08:14):
not grateful, but it wassomething you could do without
because it was just a camp shirt.
It was never meant to be akeepsake, but the value of these
T-shirts for these kids and ittouched me, touched me so much
and so just to go full circlewith it, I wanted to explain how
(08:36):
cool God is.
There's this one kid I met,named white son, and and I don't
know the meaning of his name,but it's it is how it sounds
white son, white SON.
But I I did ask him Well, Ilike your name, you know just
(08:56):
said that's all the kids andwhat's your?
What's it mean?
He said it was my dad's nameand he says, yeah, my, my mom
and dad, or no longer alive.
He didn't say how they died.
He said they're no longer aliveand I lost.
I lost my mom About seven yearsago and I lost my dad when I
was about a year old and come tofind out that's the story for
(09:21):
so many of these kids that theyhave nothing.
There's a huge gap Because ofthe HIV Problem that happened.
There's a huge gap betweengrandparents and kids.
So many kids with no, noparents and just for the other
(09:43):
medical diseases.
There are so many issues.
But he, by the end of the weekI really built a good
relationship with this kid andby the end of the week he told
me he wants to be a pastor whenhe grows up.
And what was cool is, as I waspraying over him and our
one-on-one time with one of thesponsors there and the kids with
(10:06):
with our team in each group, wewe got to do one-on-one time
with each of them and I waspraying over him and and he
asked if he could pray over me.
And as this kid is praying overme, I Just have this vision of
and this don't happen a lot.
This doesn't happen a lot forme, but he's praying over me and
(10:28):
All I could see was him on thestage.
It was so sincere as thisearnest prayer, as he was
praying, crying out to God, andI could see him on the stage
with his huge lights and all youcould see was see a see of
people Surrounding the stage andI.
(10:50):
It was very unclear, I didn'tknow if this is all the people
he would affect in his lifetimeor If he will one day be
speaking to this multitude ofpeople you know, in one setting
like that, but I just shared itwith him and and as I'm sharing
it with the translator, youcould see tears in his eyes.
It was so special, just such aspecial moment, and Through each
(11:16):
of the kids I got to ministerto.
Six of the ten accepted Christfor the first time.
There was some that were reallyyoung and I don't know that
they fully comprehended it, butthey all said they knew Jesus,
it had a relationship with Jesusand wanted to go to heaven.
So I'm gonna accept that.
I don't know if it's the firsttime they ever heard it, but I
know that, that I will see themagain.
If, if not next year at camp, Iwill see them again at heaven.
(11:40):
But it was just special, such aspecial week.
What my challenge was in Tiffand I did Each of these kids
that come to these particularcamps, this, the school there,
it's like camp legacy.
It's a program that I'm gonnagive you some more info on, but
(12:06):
they're the guys that areputting this together and it's
family legacy sorry, camp lifefamily legacy and they have been
doing this for 20 years.
I mean, a lot of these kidsdon't eat if they don't go to
school.
A lot of these kids are introuble, literally if they don't
(12:30):
go to school because of theirfamily, because of the streets.
So by going to school for eighthours a day, they're safe at
least for eight hours a day.
I can tell you story afterstory, and I'm gonna have Tiff
come on and share some of hergirl's stories on another
episode, but it washeartbreaking.
(12:53):
So we have an opportunity tohelp these kids get into school.
And so what Tiff and I did?
We sponsored every single oneof our groups.
So our two girls got a group aswell.
We didn't know they'd beleading a group, but they loved
it.
They loved every minute of it,but they loved it.
(13:13):
They loved every minute of it.
They didn't expect that goinginto it, we thought we had one
group as a family and so ourgirls ended up getting a group
and they loved every minute ofit and in fact they were crying.
They didn't want to say goodbye.
In fact, friday one of the kidshad pulled one of the workers
(13:34):
there from family legacy asideand he said you know what Friday
is?
And he said no, what he saidFriday is the day the Americans
cry.
And I guess they had been tocamp before and they knew that.
And it is true, you build sucha bond with these kids it's just
so hard to say goodbye, but ourgirls absolutely loved it.
(13:54):
So, with that said, we ended upsponsoring 40 kids and I had on
my heart to find a hundredsponsors.
I don't know why that was thenumber that came to mind because
many of these kids won't get togo to school and gosh, I think
(14:17):
there's 14,000 kids right nowcurrently over their 22 or 23
schools, and we'll get moredetail on that one.
We had this CEO of familylegacy on with us, super great
guy, and he said he'd come onand share on the podcast and
he's going to be coming on in afew weeks, but just a phenomenal
(14:41):
dude, phenomenal man and I lovehis heart.
But these kids were making ahuge difference.
So when these kids get intoschool, they get a meal every
day, so they're guaranteed ameal every day.
You're like, oh wow, what's thebig deal about school food?
What you don't understand iseven the poorest of the poor
(15:06):
here we have it so good here inthe States, the majority of us I
know there's still problemshere as well, don't get me wrong
while aware of them, but somany of these kids literally do
not eat at all.
Do not eat if they don't haveschool.
(15:27):
So that brings on so manydifferent problems, so many
different nutritional problemsand infection and disease and so
many challenges.
And then the safety.
They have no safety.
They're different things Ifthey're not at school.
(15:47):
The more they're not at school,the more often they're left at
home in a chance for who knowswhat to happen.
So it's just very, very huge.
It's hard to explain.
It's almost like taking apicture of a beautiful sunset or
(16:08):
mountain range and trying toshow you and you're seeing it,
but you weren't there.
It's hard to explain.
I just want to express how goodGod is man this whole time we
were there.
I just think it's wild.
But I said in the beginningthat I was going to go all in,
(16:32):
right, I got there on Sunday andour orientation found out.
We were getting separated as afamily, right?
I'm a very introverted guy.
I know a lot of you guys maysee the podcast or make it to
see me speak on stage and I comeacross different, but
(16:53):
one-on-one if you were to meetme on the street or meet me
somewhere.
I am very introverted.
It's hard for me.
It's just I don't know why Godwired me this way, but it's
something I contend with and I'mworking on to get better.
And here's another challenge.
Right, we show up at this camp.
I'm thinking it's easy, I'll beTiff's sidekick.
She's so extroverted that she'sgot plenty to go around for all
(17:17):
of us Another three.
We can just sit back and kindof relax and do whatever's
needed.
And now we show up and theypass, they split us up and say
here's your group, here's yourgroup, andy.
Excuse me, sorry about my voicetoday, but here's your group,
andy.
And here's your group, tiff.
Here's your group.
Sorry, peyton.
(17:39):
Then go Parker and Presley.
Here's your groups.
All four of us are like deer inthe headlights, like what is
happening, but it ended up beingthe coolest thing ever.
And so, as I just began to prayover these kids and I was
praying, man, god, give mesomething I can help them with.
Can I knew?
(18:00):
On Sunday I'm meeting these two.
They're called partners andthey're local as Ampians and
they helped translate for thekids, who some spoke English,
some didn't, so they would helptranslate so we could reach them
.
And I'm meeting two new guysthat I've never met before.
(18:25):
So once again I'm being testedright off the bat.
I'm uncomfortable, but I had tomake a decision right there to
go all in right.
So we're learning these dancesfor songs, the camp songs, doing
the hand motions, all the stufffor a six foot three white man
who has been diagnosed with WRD,which is white man rhythm
(18:49):
deficiency.
It's true, I do not dance.
I'm in an uncomfortablesituation, meeting two new guys
for the first time, learning newdances for the first time,
feeling very awkward, and mychoice was do I, do I fold or do
(19:11):
I go all in for these kids whoI may be?
The only Jesus they ever see,the only representative of Jesus
they ever see, who knows?
So I decided to go all in.
I went all in and I may looklike a fool, but I danced my
(19:32):
hardest and we had so much funtogether and it broke down walls
because they said, it easilytakes days for the boys at least
to break down their walls andfrom the get go they just, they
love me and I love them.
It was just amazing.
And with that said, I startedpraying over them.
(19:55):
And I was praying this onescripture came to mind and I
even shared it with them early.
And I have five days to showyou as much love as I can.
But I know Friday is coming andI talked about the woman at the
well, the Samaritan woman, andhow Jesus said if you drink from
the living water, you'll neverthirst again.
(20:17):
Just share that and then I'mgoing to do my best to love on
you with all my heart.
But I know that I can't giveyou everything in five days.
But if you just get Jesus, man,that's all you'll ever need.
It's all you'll ever need.
Here's the irony.
I prayed over each kid.
I would pray.
It's a simple prayer that Ipray over a lot of people as I
(20:42):
minister and as I speak and as Itravel.
I'll pray this prayer to Lordjust reveal yourself to them,
wrap your loving arms aroundthem like a warm blanket, just
around them with your presence.
I pray that prayer all the timeover hundreds of people, and
I'm praying this over these kids.
And so here's what's wild,where I'm going with this.
(21:05):
The very last day, the verylast day, the Bible study is
this exact portion of scripture.
Talk about irony.
And then each day, they receiveda gift.
The last day was their biggestgift, their most prized gift.
(21:27):
They were so excited to get andit was winter time over there,
which is so bizarre as we werehaving our hundred degree streak
here in Texas.
It was winter there.
They received a blanket.
They received a nice or blanketin that coal.
I mean telling God didn't havethis lined up.
(21:48):
So, anyways, it was just thecoolest week.
Man, there's story after storythat I could tell you, but I'm
just gonna wrap it up there.
I am gonna spend a few episodesover the next upcoming week.
So, on this, because it is sopowerful for me and I know
there's people that arelistening that could, that could
(22:09):
help a lot of these kids.
So, briefly, if you want moreinfo, I want you to To reach out
at info at Andy Howard comm.
Feel email info at Andy Howardcomm.
Oh, I will.
I get you more information.
(22:31):
But the jest of it for 48 bucksfor the for the kids who are who
are in elementary, it's asimpler, it's cheaper, but it's
$48 a month Gets them intoschool.
Many of them will never go toschool because even the public
schools are free but they cannotafford the uniforms.
(22:52):
Even more importantly, they canafford to get them to the
school because many of theschools they have to travel and
Many of the parents Would assumeuse them as a babysitter for
their other kids so that theycan work or do whatever they can
to find money.
So school is not a priority.
So many of them won't go.
(23:12):
But if for $48, for $48 Forelementary school kid, it
guarantees that they will getsponsored For school there at
legacy.
Legacy schools, which areprivate schools where they'll
learn about Jesus and they'llget fed and Even it's a very
(23:37):
cool thing and that's why I wantthe CEO to come on explain.
But it's like a they.
They have built this massivecommunity there.
They have their own doctor.
A lot of these kids can't evengo to the doctor, right?
So they have a doctor on boardwith I don't know how many of
the nurses and staff Maybe 30 orso and they do everything there
(23:58):
, from Anything major thingsthere like he can even run pick
lines there for those who Knowthat how deep in the medical
field or whatever, that's notjust your normal IV, it's, I
believe it's an artery.
Anyways, I know it's veryimportant that they run very,
(24:18):
very big things there.
They had their own farm sothey're having, they're
producing their own meat,chickens, vegetables, eggs, all
the things.
They're producing it rightthere.
So it's just very, very cool.
(24:39):
So they're providing for thesekiddos and then they're
providing education and so $48 amonth would sponsor a kid,
change a life forever, and so Iwant you to pray about that.
And that's elementary age kidsas they get into high school.
I believe it's 72 bucks a monthand that's it gets a little
more expensive because they'regetting more teachers involved,
(25:03):
more classes, and I just hopeyou'll pray about it and I can
give you more info at info atAndy Howard calm, and my goal is
a hundred.
We've already done 40 ourself.
I Need 60 more.
That's just what my heart is.
But at the same time, why stopat a hundred.
(25:23):
So we're gonna be doing someshoe drives coming up, we're
gonna be doing food drives.
We have a lot of stuff playingfor the future just to help and
I pray that you'll, you'll jumpon board with me.
I promise I would never.
I would never Push anorganization I haven't Spent
(25:47):
time with and these, this isgood soil, these are good people
and they're doing it right.
So I would recommend them.
I Would highly recommend thisgroup.
So again, info at Andy Howardcalm, and I Would love to help
you with that.
I there's so many miracleshappen this week and it's just
(26:12):
touched my heart and it'schanged my family's life forever
and I pray it will Will changeyours.
Something special about doingthis for others.
You know, in scripture talksabout that.
When I was thirsty, you gave medrink.
When I was hungry, you gave mefood.
When I was naked, you called meAll those and you're like well,
when?
When did you do that?
(26:32):
He said when you done that forthe least of these, you've done
it for me.
That's Christ's heart.
It's hard as for us reachingout to others with help and
others as hard as for the forthe children.
You have an opportunity here tobe moved and to do something
(26:55):
and to do something, and I think, as we do for others, god sees
that, man, you want yourbusiness to be blessed.
Bless others.
You want your family to beblessed.
Bless others.
I've seen it firsthand.
He's.
He's done it for us and so Ipray.
This, will I Pray this will bea blessing to you.
(27:19):
And before we go and I can, Iapologize so much for my voice
today and Pre-fighting throughthis.
I know it's got to be annoying,especially if you're wearing
earbuds, but I just thanks forbearing with me in here in my
heart, but I want to pray foryou as a as we wrap this thing
up.
Lord, I love, I love thesepeople, I love these kids so
(27:45):
much.
Thank you for the opportunitythat you gave to Fina and the
family to go, for the impactthey had on my life and for the
impact that they're having onall these listeners lives and
God.
I pray right now that whoever'seven considering it maybe they
(28:06):
don't even have a way andthey're like man, I want to do
this, but that God, they don'teven have the way to provide.
You see their hearts.
It's totally cool.
You don't expect anyone to doanything that they can't, but if
it is their desire to help,lord, I pray that you provide a
way for them to do the 48 or 72dollars a month, whatever they
(28:31):
choose.
You would provide, away fromfather and those who have Lord,
that you would just earn theirhearts to have a compassion to
help some of these kiddos out.
God, I know for some reason youlaid on my heart a hundred.
I pray that you will put anumber inside each of their
(28:51):
hearts for what they can do,because we all can do more.
Father, and thank you for yourgoodness and as they give and as
they are so moved to give foryou, father, I pray that you
open doors and you, you blessthem mightily for their
faithfulness to you and Lord,you provide a way for these
kiddos.
Could you care for them whenyou provide a way for for all of
(29:14):
us as well?
Thank you for your goodness andfor your faithfulness for what
you continue to do in Jesus name.
Amen.
Guys, thank you so much for yourtime today.
Appreciate you so much.
Wow.
Thank you guys who have alreadydecided hey, I want to sponsor,
I want to be a part of the kids, I want to change the kids
history, his future.
(29:35):
I want to change his life and Ithank you for that because I
know God's already starting onsome of your hearts.
For those who decide to sponsora kid, I would love to send a
signed copy of my book to you.
Is it worth the 48 bucks?
No, I'm sure God's gonna blessyou in ways beyond your measure,
(29:58):
but I pray that this will justbe a little token for anyone who
decides to sponsor a kid andI'll send it to you.
Even if you already have thebook, you can bless someone else
with it.
My story is about helpingpeople and giving hope, and and
so, if you know, if someone inneed of hope today, whether it's
through depression like myself,or there's so much more in the
(30:21):
book about overcoming andfinding beauty in the broken,
and I pray that that, as I sendthat to you, whoever it's for,
that it will bless somebody.
So, please, same email info atAndy hour calm if you sponsor a
kid, or yes for more info.
Once you get that taken care of, I will ship you a book to you
(30:45):
signed if you'd like it signed.
So thank you, guys for joiningit if you're interested in
finding out more about me orwhere I speak, or even booking
me to come speak at a church ora camp.
I would be honored to come onceI'm better and not coughing up
a lung every five seconds.
But you can do that, andyHoward, calm.
(31:05):
Also.
The book is available there aswell, or Amazon or audible, or
even, for you candle people,it's available there as well.
Thank you guys, so much forjoining.
God bless you.
Thanks so much for tuning in.
If this episode helped you inany way, it would mean the world
to me if you would leave areview and share it with
somebody else.
Thanks so much.
(31:26):
I'll catch you next time.
Hey, what's up everybody?
Hey, today's episode is gonnabe fun.
I say fun, I get your Kleenexis ready.
I'm gonna try to pull on yourheartstrings, but I just share a
little bit of the story of someof the kiddos I met in Africa
in Zambia, africa, and someamazing kids.
(00:20):
But stick around to the end,because you have an opportunity
to change some lives today.
I mean, talk about reallymaking a difference and I want
you to, want you to stick aroundand I want you to see how you
can even get a signed copy ofthe book itself For you, just as
(00:43):
a gift For your donation, ifyou're willing to help some of
these kiddos.
It's something that God has.
God has stirred up in me andmoved me to do and Tiffany are
Helping 40 ourself, but he'sgive us a number of a hundred
kids that he wants us to helpand I'm gonna explain why Over
the next few minutes.
(01:03):
All that more after this.
Hey, welcome back to the way.
Words don't come easy podcast.
I am Andy Howard.
If this is your first timejoining, welcome.
This is a podcast about hopeand it's just a very casual
conversation, just like the book.
If you had a chance to comment,I'm perché.
I would really appreciate it ifyou could tell you that.
If so, thank you, randy, forKnock On my Bad Bang.
(01:31):
If not, thank you so much forwatching, just like the book.
If you had a chance, maybe youfound the podcast from the book.
Maybe you've never heard of thebook, but the book when Words
Don't Come Easy came out thispast September and it's just a
conversation between me and youand I hope my story will help
(01:53):
you.
This podcast, I hope, will helpyou.
It's a podcast about hope, andwe live in a world where hope is
hard to find.
Just being real, being honest,it's very easy to get distracted
and to lose focus, and I hopehere, with this podcast, that I
(02:15):
can point you to Christ.
He is my hope.
And I also want to point you tosome inspiring stories of
others who have overcome thingsLike myself, overcoming
depression, or others who haveovercame various things.
(02:36):
But this is just a podcast tobring point out the beauty in
the broken.
The beauty of the broken simplymeans there is positives in
every negative that we face.
There will be hard times.
That's part of life, right,there will be hard times, but
(02:56):
there's always somethingbeautiful through every hard,
hard trial that we face andsometimes we lose sight of that.
So that's what this podcast isabout, and welcome, welcome here
.
So, with that said, I do wantto jump in here and bring you
some hope.
Today from our latest trip.
I wanted to kind of take youbehind the scenes.
This has just been on my heartand, please forgive me, I'm just
(03:21):
recovering from the flu.
My voice is still shaky.
I think I picked it up on thistrip from probably from one of
these beautiful kids and justeven breaks my heart even more,
knowing what they have tocontend with with their
conditions there and their lackof everything.
(03:41):
It was just amazing.
We got to go to Africa, and morespecifically, the country of
Zambia in Africa, in the area ofLusaka and many of the
communities there.
In Lusaka for those who know itWell, some of you, just hearing
Africa is big enough, wideenough lens for you, and then a
(04:08):
really detailed one to knowexactly where, and so that's why
you would right now in thecountry of Zambia and then
Lusaka within Zambia.
So such a beautiful area andI'm talking about the people,
just talking about the peoplethe country was beautiful as
well.
It really was just somebeautiful scenery out there.
(04:30):
But Tiff and I were overwhelmedby the beautiful people of
Zambia and what I noticed bythese beautiful people, it
wasn't because they had, youknow, the best clothes, because
these were some of the poorestof the people that I will
(04:52):
probably ever meet in my life,literally people who had nothing
sweet kiddos.
I had absolutely nothing.
And we went through their,their towns and their homes and
and most of them didn't evenhave running water, and so they
(05:14):
would either have to buy abucket of water from their
friends who did have runningwater, because if they tried to
get it from the government theycouldn't even afford to buy it
from them.
It was, it's just very sad, verysad area, but ironically, some
(05:35):
of the happiest people I've evermet in my life, smiles that
would just light up a room andtheir eyes and their, their
smiles were just so beautifuland I kept telling Tiff, these
are just.
I'm just fascinated by howbeautiful these people are and I
met that literally andfiguratively, like from their
(05:58):
spirits, but literally they werehappy people and when you see
happy people they're beautiful,right?
You see someone walking downthe street and you see them down
excuse me, downcast or sad.
They just lose a little bit ofthat joy.
You don't see that true beauty.
And then you see someone justtruly happy, for sincere, right
(06:20):
reasons.
Their beauty just shinesthrough them and these people
had nothing, man, nothing.
It was heartbreaking, like onthe very first day of this camp.
We were at this summer camp thevery first day.
It's a small thing, but I'mputting on this sticker on this
(06:44):
kid because it was one of thegifts we're giving out.
Like each day they get likelittle things, like we had
stickers and I'd put a stickeron his shirt and then the next
day is the same thing and that'swhat I realized, because he
wanted me to put it on the shirtthat had like an O in it and it
was a circle sticker and it fitright inside the O and it was
(07:05):
all perfect.
And then the next day Irealized that was the same shirt
with the same sticker and hehad the same clothes on and I
realized throughout the week hewore the same outfit and many of
the kids did, and it's justwhat they did.
It was their clothes.
And even throughout the week,like for for one of the last
days of Camp, they got a brandnew camp t-shirt and oh my
(07:32):
goodness, just the exuberationthat they're so excited for, and
for many of them, maybe that'sthe first time they've ever had
a brand new shirt.
Because I got a brand new campt-shirt and I remember going to
camp as a kid and even here as ayouth pastor, and we used to
(07:53):
get our camp t-shirt and veryfirst thing we do rip the
sleeves out.
You know where Bandanas makebandanas out of over, cut the
sides out and you're making likeyou weren't planning on keeping
the camp shirt.
It was just a I don't know howto explain it, not that you're
(08:14):
not grateful, but it wassomething you could do without
because it was just a camp shirt.
It was never meant to be akeepsake, but the value of these
T-shirts for these kids and ittouched me, touched me so much
and so just to go full circlewith it, I wanted to explain how
(08:36):
cool God is.
There's this one kid I met,named white son, and and I don't
know the meaning of his name,but it's it is how it sounds
white son, white SON.
But I I did ask him Well, Ilike your name, you know just
(08:56):
said that's all the kids andwhat's your?
What's it mean?
He said it was my dad's nameand he says, yeah, my, my mom
and dad, or no longer alive.
He didn't say how they died.
He said they're no longer aliveand I lost.
I lost my mom About seven yearsago and I lost my dad when I
was about a year old and come tofind out that's the story for
(09:21):
so many of these kids that theyhave nothing.
There's a huge gap Because ofthe HIV Problem that happened.
There's a huge gap betweengrandparents and kids.
So many kids with no, noparents and just for the other
(09:43):
medical diseases.
There are so many issues.
But he, by the end of the weekI really built a good
relationship with this kid andby the end of the week he told
me he wants to be a pastor whenhe grows up.
And what was cool is, as I waspraying over him and our
one-on-one time with one of thesponsors there and the kids with
(10:06):
with our team in each group, wewe got to do one-on-one time
with each of them and I waspraying over him and and he
asked if he could pray over me.
And as this kid is praying overme, I Just have this vision of
and this don't happen a lot.
This doesn't happen a lot forme, but he's praying over me and
(10:28):
All I could see was him on thestage.
It was so sincere as thisearnest prayer, as he was
praying, crying out to God, andI could see him on the stage
with his huge lights and all youcould see was see a see of
people Surrounding the stage andI.
(10:50):
It was very unclear, I didn'tknow if this is all the people
he would affect in his lifetimeor If he will one day be
speaking to this multitude ofpeople you know, in one setting
like that, but I just shared itwith him and and as I'm sharing
it with the translator, youcould see tears in his eyes.
It was so special, just such aspecial moment, and Through each
(11:16):
of the kids I got to ministerto.
Six of the ten accepted Christfor the first time.
There was some that were reallyyoung and I don't know that
they fully comprehended it, butthey all said they knew Jesus,
it had a relationship with Jesusand wanted to go to heaven.
So I'm gonna accept that.
I don't know if it's the firsttime they ever heard it, but I
know that, that I will see themagain.
If, if not next year at camp, Iwill see them again at heaven.
(11:40):
But it was just special, such aspecial week.
What my challenge was in Tiffand I did Each of these kids
that come to these particularcamps, this, the school there,
it's like camp legacy.
It's a program that I'm gonnagive you some more info on, but
(12:06):
they're the guys that areputting this together and it's
family legacy sorry, camp lifefamily legacy and they have been
doing this for 20 years.
I mean, a lot of these kidsdon't eat if they don't go to
school.
A lot of these kids are introuble, literally if they don't
(12:30):
go to school because of theirfamily, because of the streets.
So by going to school for eighthours a day, they're safe at
least for eight hours a day.
I can tell you story afterstory, and I'm gonna have Tiff
come on and share some of hergirl's stories on another
episode, but it washeartbreaking.
(12:53):
So we have an opportunity tohelp these kids get into school.
And so what Tiff and I did?
We sponsored every single oneof our groups.
So our two girls got a group aswell.
We didn't know they'd beleading a group, but they loved
it.
They loved every minute of it,but they loved it.
(13:13):
They loved every minute of it.
They didn't expect that goinginto it, we thought we had one
group as a family and so ourgirls ended up getting a group
and they loved every minute ofit and in fact they were crying.
They didn't want to say goodbye.
In fact, friday one of the kidshad pulled one of the workers
(13:34):
there from family legacy asideand he said you know what Friday
is?
And he said no, what he saidFriday is the day the Americans
cry.
And I guess they had been tocamp before and they knew that.
And it is true, you build sucha bond with these kids it's just
so hard to say goodbye, but ourgirls absolutely loved it.
(13:54):
So, with that said, we ended upsponsoring 40 kids and I had on
my heart to find a hundredsponsors.
I don't know why that was thenumber that came to mind because
many of these kids won't get togo to school and gosh, I think
(14:17):
there's 14,000 kids right nowcurrently over their 22 or 23
schools, and we'll get moredetail on that one.
We had this CEO of familylegacy on with us, super great
guy, and he said he'd come onand share on the podcast and
he's going to be coming on in afew weeks, but just a phenomenal
(14:41):
dude, phenomenal man and I lovehis heart.
But these kids were making ahuge difference.
So when these kids get intoschool, they get a meal every
day, so they're guaranteed ameal every day.
You're like, oh wow, what's thebig deal about school food?
What you don't understand iseven the poorest of the poor
(15:06):
here we have it so good here inthe States, the majority of us I
know there's still problemshere as well, don't get me wrong
while aware of them, but somany of these kids literally do
not eat at all.
Do not eat if they don't haveschool.
(15:27):
So that brings on so manydifferent problems, so many
different nutritional problemsand infection and disease and so
many challenges.
And then the safety.
They have no safety.
They're different things Ifthey're not at school.
(15:47):
The more they're not at school,the more often they're left at
home in a chance for who knowswhat to happen.
So it's just very, very huge.
It's hard to explain.
It's almost like taking apicture of a beautiful sunset or
(16:08):
mountain range and trying toshow you and you're seeing it,
but you weren't there.
It's hard to explain.
I just want to express how goodGod is man this whole time we
were there.
I just think it's wild.
But I said in the beginningthat I was going to go all in,
(16:32):
right, I got there on Sunday andour orientation found out.
We were getting separated as afamily, right?
I'm a very introverted guy.
I know a lot of you guys maysee the podcast or make it to
see me speak on stage and I comeacross different, but
(16:53):
one-on-one if you were to meetme on the street or meet me
somewhere.
I am very introverted.
It's hard for me.
It's just I don't know why Godwired me this way, but it's
something I contend with and I'mworking on to get better.
And here's another challenge.
Right, we show up at this camp.
I'm thinking it's easy, I'll beTiff's sidekick.
She's so extroverted that she'sgot plenty to go around for all
(17:17):
of us Another three.
We can just sit back and kindof relax and do whatever's
needed.
And now we show up and theypass, they split us up and say
here's your group, here's yourgroup, andy.
Excuse me, sorry about my voicetoday, but here's your group,
andy.
And here's your group, tiff.
Here's your group.
Sorry, peyton.
(17:39):
Then go Parker and Presley.
Here's your groups.
All four of us are like deer inthe headlights, like what is
happening, but it ended up beingthe coolest thing ever.
And so, as I just began to prayover these kids and I was
praying, man, god, give mesomething I can help them with.
Can I knew?
(18:00):
On Sunday I'm meeting these two.
They're called partners andthey're local as Ampians and
they helped translate for thekids, who some spoke English,
some didn't, so they would helptranslate so we could reach them
.
And I'm meeting two new guysthat I've never met before.
(18:25):
So once again I'm being testedright off the bat.
I'm uncomfortable, but I had tomake a decision right there to
go all in right.
So we're learning these dancesfor songs, the camp songs, doing
the hand motions, all the stufffor a six foot three white man
who has been diagnosed with WRD,which is white man rhythm
(18:49):
deficiency.
It's true, I do not dance.
I'm in an uncomfortablesituation, meeting two new guys
for the first time, learning newdances for the first time,
feeling very awkward, and mychoice was do I, do I fold or do
(19:11):
I go all in for these kids whoI may be?
The only Jesus they ever see,the only representative of Jesus
they ever see, who knows?
So I decided to go all in.
I went all in and I may looklike a fool, but I danced my
(19:32):
hardest and we had so much funtogether and it broke down walls
because they said, it easilytakes days for the boys at least
to break down their walls andfrom the get go they just, they
love me and I love them.
It was just amazing.
And with that said, I startedpraying over them.
(19:55):
And I was praying this onescripture came to mind and I
even shared it with them early.
And I have five days to showyou as much love as I can.
But I know Friday is coming andI talked about the woman at the
well, the Samaritan woman, andhow Jesus said if you drink from
the living water, you'll neverthirst again.
(20:17):
Just share that and then I'mgoing to do my best to love on
you with all my heart.
But I know that I can't giveyou everything in five days.
But if you just get Jesus, man,that's all you'll ever need.
It's all you'll ever need.
Here's the irony.
I prayed over each kid.
I would pray.
It's a simple prayer that Ipray over a lot of people as I
(20:42):
minister and as I speak and as Itravel.
I'll pray this prayer to Lordjust reveal yourself to them,
wrap your loving arms aroundthem like a warm blanket, just
around them with your presence.
I pray that prayer all the timeover hundreds of people, and
I'm praying this over these kids.
And so here's what's wild,where I'm going with this.
(21:05):
The very last day, the verylast day, the Bible study is
this exact portion of scripture.
Talk about irony.
And then each day, they receiveda gift.
The last day was their biggestgift, their most prized gift.
(21:27):
They were so excited to get andit was winter time over there,
which is so bizarre as we werehaving our hundred degree streak
here in Texas.
It was winter there.
They received a blanket.
They received a nice or blanketin that coal.
I mean telling God didn't havethis lined up.
(21:48):
So, anyways, it was just thecoolest week.
Man, there's story after storythat I could tell you, but I'm
just gonna wrap it up there.
I am gonna spend a few episodesover the next upcoming week.
So, on this, because it is sopowerful for me and I know
there's people that arelistening that could, that could
(22:09):
help a lot of these kids.
So, briefly, if you want moreinfo, I want you to To reach out
at info at Andy Howard comm.
Feel email info at Andy Howardcomm.
Oh, I will.
I get you more information.
(22:31):
But the jest of it for 48 bucksfor the for the kids who are who
are in elementary, it's asimpler, it's cheaper, but it's
$48 a month Gets them intoschool.
Many of them will never go toschool because even the public
schools are free but they cannotafford the uniforms.
(22:52):
Even more importantly, they canafford to get them to the
school because many of theschools they have to travel and
Many of the parents Would assumeuse them as a babysitter for
their other kids so that theycan work or do whatever they can
to find money.
So school is not a priority.
So many of them won't go.
(23:12):
But if for $48, for $48 Forelementary school kid, it
guarantees that they will getsponsored For school there at
legacy.
Legacy schools, which areprivate schools where they'll
learn about Jesus and they'llget fed and Even it's a very
(23:37):
cool thing and that's why I wantthe CEO to come on explain.
But it's like a they.
They have built this massivecommunity there.
They have their own doctor.
A lot of these kids can't evengo to the doctor, right?
So they have a doctor on boardwith I don't know how many of
the nurses and staff Maybe 30 orso and they do everything there
(23:58):
, from Anything major thingsthere like he can even run pick
lines there for those who Knowthat how deep in the medical
field or whatever, that's notjust your normal IV, it's, I
believe it's an artery.
Anyways, I know it's veryimportant that they run very,
(24:18):
very big things there.
They had their own farm sothey're having, they're
producing their own meat,chickens, vegetables, eggs, all
the things.
They're producing it rightthere.
So it's just very, very cool.
(24:39):
So they're providing for thesekiddos and then they're
providing education and so $48 amonth would sponsor a kid,
change a life forever, and so Iwant you to pray about that.
And that's elementary age kidsas they get into high school.
I believe it's 72 bucks a monthand that's it gets a little
more expensive because they'regetting more teachers involved,
(25:03):
more classes, and I just hopeyou'll pray about it and I can
give you more info at info atAndy Howard calm, and my goal is
a hundred.
We've already done 40 ourself.
I Need 60 more.
That's just what my heart is.
But at the same time, why stopat a hundred.
(25:23):
So we're gonna be doing someshoe drives coming up, we're
gonna be doing food drives.
We have a lot of stuff playingfor the future just to help and
I pray that you'll, you'll jumpon board with me.
I promise I would never.
I would never Push anorganization I haven't Spent
(25:47):
time with and these, this isgood soil, these are good people
and they're doing it right.
So I would recommend them.
I Would highly recommend thisgroup.
So again, info at Andy Howardcalm, and I Would love to help
you with that.
I there's so many miracleshappen this week and it's just
(26:12):
touched my heart and it'schanged my family's life forever
and I pray it will Will changeyours.
Something special about doingthis for others.
You know, in scripture talksabout that.
When I was thirsty, you gave medrink.
When I was hungry, you gave mefood.
When I was naked, you called meAll those and you're like well,
when?
When did you do that?
(26:32):
He said when you done that forthe least of these, you've done
it for me.
That's Christ's heart.
It's hard as for us reachingout to others with help and
others as hard as for the forthe children.
You have an opportunity here tobe moved and to do something
(26:55):
and to do something, and I think, as we do for others, god sees
that, man, you want yourbusiness to be blessed.
Bless others.
You want your family to beblessed.
Bless others.
I've seen it firsthand.
He's.
He's done it for us and so Ipray.
This, will I Pray this will bea blessing to you.
(27:19):
And before we go and I can, Iapologize so much for my voice
today and Pre-fighting throughthis.
I know it's got to be annoying,especially if you're wearing
earbuds, but I just thanks forbearing with me in here in my
heart, but I want to pray foryou as a as we wrap this thing
up.
Lord, I love, I love thesepeople, I love these kids so
(27:45):
much.
Thank you for the opportunitythat you gave to Fina and the
family to go, for the impactthey had on my life and for the
impact that they're having onall these listeners lives and
God.
I pray right now that whoever'seven considering it maybe they
(28:06):
don't even have a way andthey're like man, I want to do
this, but that God, they don'teven have the way to provide.
You see their hearts.
It's totally cool.
You don't expect anyone to doanything that they can't, but if
it is their desire to help,lord, I pray that you provide a
way for them to do the 48 or 72dollars a month, whatever they
(28:31):
choose.
You would provide, away fromfather and those who have Lord,
that you would just earn theirhearts to have a compassion to
help some of these kiddos out.
God, I know for some reason youlaid on my heart a hundred.
I pray that you will put anumber inside each of their
(28:51):
hearts for what they can do,because we all can do more.
Father, and thank you for yourgoodness and as they give and as
they are so moved to give foryou, father, I pray that you
open doors and you, you blessthem mightily for their
faithfulness to you and Lord,you provide a way for these
kiddos.
Could you care for them whenyou provide a way for for all of
(29:14):
us as well?
Thank you for your goodness andfor your faithfulness for what
you continue to do in Jesus name.
Amen.
Guys, thank you so much for yourtime today.
Appreciate you so much.
Wow.
Thank you guys who have alreadydecided hey, I want to sponsor,
I want to be a part of the kids, I want to change the kids
history, his future.
(29:35):
I want to change his life and Ithank you for that because I
know God's already starting onsome of your hearts.
For those who decide to sponsora kid, I would love to send a
signed copy of my book to you.
Is it worth the 48 bucks?
No, I'm sure God's gonna blessyou in ways beyond your measure,
(29:58):
but I pray that this will justbe a little token for anyone who
decides to sponsor a kid andI'll send it to you.
Even if you already have thebook, you can bless someone else
with it.
My story is about helpingpeople and giving hope, and and
so, if you know, if someone inneed of hope today, whether it's
through depression like myself,or there's so much more in the
(30:21):
book about overcoming andfinding beauty in the broken,
and I pray that that, as I sendthat to you, whoever it's for,
that it will bless somebody.
So, please, same email info atAndy hour calm if you sponsor a
kid, or yes for more info.
Once you get that taken care of, I will ship you a book to you
(30:45):
signed if you'd like it signed.
So thank you, guys for joiningit if you're interested in
finding out more about me orwhere I speak, or even booking
me to come speak at a church ora camp.
I would be honored to come onceI'm better and not coughing up
a lung every five seconds.
But you can do that, andyHoward, calm.
(31:05):
Also.
The book is available there aswell, or Amazon or audible, or
even, for you candle people,it's available there as well.
Thank you guys, so much forjoining.
God bless you.
Thanks so much for tuning in.
If this episode helped you inany way, it would mean the world
to me if you would leave areview and share it with
somebody else.
Thanks so much.
(31:26):
I'll catch you next time.
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