Agape Village Foundation

Contact Information

Agape Village Foundation

P. O. Box 7175

Rocky Mount, NC 27804

(252) 903-1004

P. O. Box 7175 | Rocky Mount, NC 27804 | (252) 903-1004

God's Unconditional Love

June 2012

Dear Friends,

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” This phrase from Psalm 34 was continually in the air on our last trip to Zambia. God’s goodness has never been more obvious to us than while working on the Agape Village Orphanage in Africa. God has truly allowed us to see the awesomeness of His power there and to “taste” His goodness on a daily basis.

The physical foundation for the Agape Village Orphanage was poured in June 2010 and we are excited to report that the first 22 children, selected while we were in Zambia in May, will move into the orphanage on July 9, 2012. Only God could have orchestrated the project to be completed on this timetable in the African bush, with all work being done by villagers. Many people have tasted the Lord’s goodness along the way by being employed where they had not before had an opportunity for employment. We are thankful for having been able to provide jobs for so many villagers during the construction of the orphanage.

On one of the days that we were in Zambia in May, choirs from 4 of the local churches - more than 80 people - came to the orphanage and spent the morning cleaning the grounds around the orphanage building. These wonderful people walked for miles and worked for free just to help. The wives of two of our construction workers had cooked a local brew the day before and all were treated to a nice drink made from corn after the work was completed on the grounds. Following that time of fellowship, the choirs took turns singing in the orphanage dining hall where the acoustics are incredible. What a nice surprise, God!! …….. It was a wonderful time of worshiping and praising God with our Zambian brothers and sisters.

We hired workers to clear 2 acres of land behind the orphanage building for a garden and orchard while in Zambia. Seeds were purchased and planted, and we are excited to think of all of the wonderful vegetables that will be available soon for the Agape children. The orchard fruits will, of course, take longer to develop, but we plan to grow pineapples and bananas as well as many varieties of fruit trees in the Agape orchard. Bananas are grown by some villagers but other fruits are not available to them. We met a gentleman, Mr. Soko, who grows pineapples about 50 miles from Chitambo where the orphanage is located. He has agreed to travel to the orphanage with us and to plant our first row of pineapples. We are very excited about all of the possibilities for the Agape garden and orchard!

There are beautiful new curtains, sewn by several wonderful women from our home church, now hanging in the orphanage dormitories, and there are handsome, sturdy bunk beds in the dormitories made possible by donations from Agape Village Foundation friends. There is even a beautiful, colorful 9’x12’ banner now hanging in the dining hall that declares to all who enter, “Love comes from God.” (I John 4:7) We are truly tasting God’s goodness in Zambia as He makes all of this possible.

We hope that the 22 children selected in May for the orphanage sensed the love at the orphanage when they were there during the selection process. The eventual smiles on their faces seemed to indicate that they did. We believe that in time they will come to understand fully that God’s unconditional love for them is what has built Agape Village Orphanage and that it is the love of God that will provide for them “hope and a future.”

Thanks be to God for His unsearchable goodness and thanks to all of you for supporting us in this project.

Blessings and Shalom,

Mickey and Jackie Bailey

Mission Statement

The Agape Village Foundation is a Christian nonprofit organization with a mission to provide loving care in a Christ-centered environment for orphaned children in Zambia, enabling them to thrive and to eventually become self-supporting adults.

Our first 22 children