LOVELAND, OHIO NEWS – Children of Zion Jamfest

Concert for orphanage in Namibia

LOVELAND, OHIO NEWS – On Saturday, April 26, the Epiphany United Methodist Church will premier the Children of Zion Jamfest.  The music festival will feature eight Christian contemporary artists and bands.  The festival will be held  from 6:30 - 11:30 PM at Loveland High School and is a fundraising effort with all the proceeds going towards a gift to the Children of Zion Village orphanage in Namibia.

The Children of Zion Village is a Christian home for orphans in the southern African nation of Namibia. It is located along the Zambezi River in the northeast corner of Namibia.

Our children come from several different tribal and language groups. The "village" opened in January, 2003 and is now home to 55 children. Most of the children have been placed in our care because they have lost their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to AIDS. (From the Children of Zion web site.)

The festival will feature five bands from Cincinnati to Toronto, Ohio. The festival is headlined by All the Day Holiday. Their first year together they won the 2006 Battle of the Bands at the The Underground in Cincinnati. Read this interview from Pause Magazine.

In addition, the following bands will be performing:

• Azimuth Dream  (Cleveland)
• A Lovers War (Dayton)
• The Kicking 20's (Cincinnati)
• An American Horror Story (Toronto,Ohio)

With appearances by:

• One Day Awaken
• Ben Hatfield
• Jon and James

“These children have been born into a life situation beyond their control,” said Epiphany Pastor Lisa Kerwin. “The Children of Zion Village is called to care for the widows and orphans in Namibia, provide hope, and change many children’s lives. Epiphany has partnered with them to continue this life saving work,”

A mission team from Epiphany is paying their own way to volunteer at the Children of Zion Village in June. Their fundraising efforts will result in a gift to the children.

Burt Huber, who is going on the mission trip said there are ten people from Epiphany going, including two “father-daughter teams." Their flight leaves Cincinnati on June 7, and takes them to Johannesburg, South Africa, then to Livingstone, Zambia. Huber said, “Finally, we will drive two to three hours to Katima Mulilo, Namibia.”

The team will volunteer at the orphanage) and help with normal chores, and if there are construction projects, they will work on those projects as well. Huber said they will also provide some activities such as music classes, computer training, sporting activities, "like soccer and basketball," and Christian education,"like a vacation bible school." The team will likely go out into the area and visit other "feeding centers" where children are invited to attend classes, activities, and are fed a meal. "For many children, this one meal is the best they will eat all day,” said Huber.

He described the Capriva Strip as having one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates, more than 40 per-cent, in all of Africa, This narrow  strip of land is a protrusion of Namibia eastwards about 450km (280 miles), between Botswana on the south, Angola and Zambia to the north. Huber said, “Many of the kids are living in a situation where they have to watch their parents die from this disease.” He said that this is where Children of Zion Village comes in, because when the children have no living relatives to care for them, the government turns them over to these villages. “Children of Zion Village is a special place that literally saves these children.”

The Epiphany team will evaluate what they can do in the future. “This team will be the “pilgrims” for Epiphany’s Serving Gladly mission in Namibia,” said Huber.

“I am going because these are children that have been born into this situation and have no where else to turn.  I have young daughters and know the joy of having them in my life every day.  I see the same joy in the eyes of these children – so personally, I can’t sit by and not help.  I asked my oldest daughter, Maggie, to come along for some great perspective.  My mission teammates and I are going to find out firsthand how we can make a difference.”

Anna Eltringham, a freshman at Loveland  High School, had the idea of a benefit concert to raise money.  The Children of Zion JamFest will raise money that we will be delivered as a gift for the children.  All the team members are paying their own way for this mission.  Their goal is to get enough sponsors to pay expenses for the concert, therefore every dollar that raised will go to the orphange. “We are asking everyone a very simple question, “If you could help, why wouldn’t you?” asked Huber

Children of Zion Jamfest tickets are $8.00 for students, $10.00 for adults. For more information call 513-677-9866.  Food, beverages, and merchandise will be sold.   

Comments

[david eltringham]

thanks david for all your help !
Hope to see you at Jamfest!!!
Wish you were on the trip with us!
David Eltringham