Seeking fertile soil

by James Platz

Later this evening (Feb. 22), the best and brightest of the 2025 campaign will be recognized in ceremonies held at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, FL. Among the honorees on the program is yours truly. I have to admit that when I take the stage to accept the January Davies Humanitarian Award, I’ll be completely out of my element. As I have shared with others, I’m more accustomed to reporting the news and working behind the scenes than I am taking center stage.

Tonight, those in attendance will hear an abridged version of my connection to Faith Children’s Village (FCV) and my desire to support its ministry. Harness Racing Update editor Dave Briggs has been gracious enough to allow me to give a more detailed account of my work with the orphanage in Zambia. As humbling as it is to receive tonight’s award, I’m more excited for the chance to shine a light on FCV.

In 2012, I found myself at a personal crossroads. I was between jobs and working to not only provide for my family each month, but also determine the next steps in my career. For 14 months that struggle played out daily, with promising leads that fizzled and nothing of substance that materialized. It was during that time that I learned of a mission trip to Zambia being planned by a member of our church. In hindsight, I believe the timing was of God, as the idea fell on fertile soil and began to take root. Had I been employed full-time, I would not have justified taking the time away to get involved in a project like this. But this felt different. So, I pursued it even though money was tight, and I was fortunate that several stepped up to assist in raising the funds needed to travel.

The focus of the trip was not Faith Children’s Village, but instead a construction project at Central Africa Baptist University. However, on our first Sunday in the country we attended church outside of town in the morning before arriving at FCV. Our group of six ate lunch on the grounds and then we played games with the children for a few hours. We were introduced to Pastor Mukuka Chilando, director for the orphanage. He spoke of the purpose of FCV, how it served as a home for children, many of whom had lost their parents to HIV. While the entire trip was a life-changing event, that day was one of the highlights.

Fast forward four years, and planning for another trip to Zambia is underway. This time it is through another church, with the focus on assisting a different missionary in the area. I requested that we carve out time to visit FCV during our trip, as none of the group traveling had experienced the orphanage. Going back to the village, it was encouraging to see the progress that had taken place since my first visit. During the short time we stayed, I managed to strike up a conversation with Pastor Mukuka, and I left that day with his business card.

Shortly after returning to the Midwest, I reached out to Mukuka. I was burdened for FCV and the children there, and I set about determining how we in the U.S. could help. When at the orphanage, Mukuka had noted the well there was underperforming. We began to exchange emails where he detailed the exact need and the cost. I took that information back to our church’s missions committee, and the need was met to drill not just one well, but two. It was an incredible blessing, and those two wells continue to meet the water demands of the orphanage today.

Beginning with those exchanges in 2016, Mukuka and I would catch up several times each year. I made it a point to consistently ask about the needs at FCV, focusing more on the infrastructure challenges. Through my employer, Salesforce, I was blessed to receive multiple grants which I in turn donated to the orphanage. Those funds were used to help seed capital projects critical to the village.

Mukuka made his first trip to the United States in 2021. During his time stateside, he visited supporting groups in multiple states with the purpose of raising awareness and funding for the village. Our family had the good fortune to host him for a week, a tradition that has continued each year since. It gives us a chance to learn about the differences in our respective cultures and ways of life. I have also shared my interest in breeding and harness racing. During one annual visit, Mukuka and I traveled to a farm near Ft. Wayne, IN, so that he could see mares and foals in person. We finished the evening by attending a pony sale.

Each time Mukuka visits we have in-depth conversations about the ministry. I pepper him with one question after another. I am always anxious to know more about the challenges of operating the orphanage. What are the needs, and how can we support their efforts?

In our first conversations back in 2021 I learned of the shipping service AmeZam. The company has a network of collection points across several states, where packages were gathered and transported to Maryland. There, they are placed in a container and shipped by boat to Africa. AmeZam’s closest collection point, I realized, is 20 minutes from our home. Within a month of Mukuka’s visit, our church family and friends graciously stepped up and helped to pack two 55-gallon food grade plastic barrels. The barrels contained over 40 sets of bed linens for the children, as well as various other needs.

Armed with that information, we now have a way to directly impact the children of the village by meeting some of their most basic needs. Beginning with that first shipment, our growing group of supporters has worked to collect enough items to send multiple barrels each year. The shipments fill needs both great and small. On one occasion, our group purchased and collected enough backpacks and stainless-steel water bottles for each child in the orphanage (nearly 100 today) for Christmas. I’ll admit that a few leftover backpacks from a previous Dan Patch Awards dinner have made their way into barrels, and were happily received by the children.

In Zambia, the challenge is in acquiring goods in both the quantity and quality needed. The goods we send by barrel are more durable than the cheaper Chinese products that flood the marketplace, and often the prices are better by comparison. And in the local marketplace it is difficult to walk into a store and buy anything in bulk. Our current objective for 2026 is to collect and ship shoes for all the children.

When I signed on 14 years ago to make that first trek overseas, I did so not fully knowing what to expect. But the message of Faith Children’s Village landed on fertile soil, and today the goal is to continually support the orphanage in its mission and serve as a blessing to the children.

I would like to close with a call to action. Perhaps my story will resonate with you, the reader, to find fertile soil. I would encourage you to learn more about FCV by visiting faithinzambia.com. If you are interested in participating in the barrel ministry, I would enjoy nothing more than to speak with you. Above all other things, Faith Children’s Village needs prayer warriors. Would you commit to praying for the ministry, the children and its leaders?

My hope is that readers and those in attendance at tonight’s awards dinner will be spurred on to take action. If you are not comfortable supporting a ministry like FCV, find something that speaks to you and pulls at your heartstrings. Perhaps there is an organization or group within your community, your county or your state. And let us not forget our industry. There are several worthwhile organizations that could benefit from your time, your talents, or your resources. A little bit goes a long way.

Thank you for allowing me to share what God has laid upon my heart.

With gratitude,

James.