8832 miles to zambia

Hello all!

Thank you for visiting my booster page! While some of you may know my loveforthe country of Zambia, I'd like to take the opportunity toshare mystory with you.

It all started back in middle school. My church, Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene began a partnership with Zambia First Church of the Nazarene, and sent a team to finish the construction of their church building. As an eighth grade student, how would this personally affect me? Well, my dad was on that team. Ever since he traveled to Zambia that first time, I felt the urge to join him. I don't know if there has been a team since 2008 that my dad hasn't been a part of. Blessed with the support of my church, my family, and my friends I was able to join the 2010 team. This first experience of Zambia was absolute sensory overload. Physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion wore on me those two weeks in Africa. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.

So, naturally, as soon as I arrived home in Oklahoma, I wanted to re-pack my bags and go back. However, that wasn't quite realistic as I was about to begin my sophomore year in high school. As time went by, I fell into a routine, but was never quite the same. My second opportunity to travel to Zambia came in July 2013. Older, graduated from high school, and ready to dive back into the mission field, I signed up. Although I seemed more "prepared" for this second trip, Zambia successfully broke me down again. And again, I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.

There's nothing like traveling 8,832 miles to Africa, returning three years later, only to be greeted by your Zambian friends as if you'd seen themyesterday. Workers from the work site, pastors, and children show you love like you've never seen.

So, having been to Zambia twice already, I feel slightly selfish in asking you tosupport yet another $5,000 trip to Africa. It's cliche, but Africa really does change me more than I could ever hope tohelp the people there. But that's the thing about a partnership, you enter into a relationship with these people--not only to help them build a building or tobring them supplies--but also so that you mightreceive love, and truth, and life as well.

Zambia is a beautiful country filled with beautiful people, and I invite you to support my passion through this booster. Not only would I ask for you to order a shirt (or 2), (or 100), I would love to invite you to join this journey with me and OKC First in July 2015. Join the team and see what all of this hype is about! You might just get hooked and have to go back once or twice..or three times.

As always, prayers along the way are greatly appreciated.

Thank you so so much for taking the time to read my story!

Blessings,
Courtney Duke

You can check out more ways to support my trip on instagram, justsearch for "8832 miles to zambia"