Zach Long, a ninth-grader at Hidden Valley High School, visits Muwawa, Zambia. Photo courtesy of Tim Long

Tim Long shares this photo of his son, Zach Long, and writes:

I am the father of Zach Long, a ninth-grader at Hidden Valley High School. Zach and I traveled to the tiny village of Muwawa, Zambia from Aug. 6 -15 on a mission’s trip with 5 other members of Fellowship Community Church. He helped with a youth conference they were having for 75 children and teens from all over the region (some walked for over a day’s journey to get there). Zach had quite an impact on the kids (they followed him everywhere – when they couldn’t find him they were always asking for “Zachee”). He was busy the whole time, playing soccer with them, teaching them (or attempting to) softball, showing them some relay races, sharing his testimony, acting out the story of Jonah and the Great Fish and listened to sing beautiful songs around the campfire at night. When we left, the village chief specifically asked that Zach say a prayer for the children as we stood there saying goodbye. Zach gathered them around and prayed for them as all the adults stood around. It was a special moment, especially since the chief specifically requested it.

We also spent two separate nights in the middle of a huge game preserve in Zambia (Kafue) with lions roaring, elephants trumpeting, hippos bellowing and wild dogs howling all night long.