“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12
Amanda Eckelkamp Batten was just 15 years old in the fall of 2001 when she walked into her pastor’s office to announce her intent to spend the following summer working with AIDS orphans in Africa. Neither Amanda nor her pastor, the Rev. Greg Jenks, had any idea of the chain of events that Amanda’s witness set in motion and resulted in the establishing of ZOE Ministry.
You were just 15 when you responded to God’s call to go to Africa. How did that call come about?
I had previously been on mission trips with my youth group to the Bahamas and Tennessee and discovered that I had a passion for working with children. But even before that, I always had a strong desire and love for Africa. So, my sophomore year when I was told about a mission organization and saw that there was a mission trip to Africa to work with AIDS orphans, I knew that God was calling me to join that specific team. There was never a doubt from the beginning that I was doing what God had called me to do at that particular time in my life. I was determined to overcome any obstacle that was put in my way because I felt so strongly that God had a purpose for me through that opportunity.
What kind of reaction did you get from your parents when you announced to them your desire to go to Africa?
The initial reaction was an absolute NO! They feared the possible dangers that I would encounter while over there, and as a 15 year old they were not comfortable with letting their child head off to the other side of the world for two months with people they had never met.
How did Rev. Jenks respond when you told him that you wanted to spend the summer in Africa?
Rev. Jenks understood my reasons for wanting to go, but he was hesitant at the same time since he understood as a father himself what my parents would have been feeling. However, once I got the permission from my parents to go, Rev. Jenks was thrilled and in the months leading up to the trip supported me through prayer and bible study.
How did you manage to convince your parents to allow you to go?
I persistently approached my parents about the opportunity every day, particularly around the dinner table. After dinner every night my father and I would have debates about the pros (my arguments) and cons (my father’s arguments) of going to Africa and every night the answer would still be no. This went on every day for months until one night at the dinner table I finally broke my father down when I told him that he may be my earthly father, but my heavenly father was telling me to go. At this my father told me that if I could convince my mother to let me go then I could go. However, only saying that because he thought my mother would never give in, he was flabbergasted when my mother said yes! So, with both a yes from my father and a yes from my mother, I was off to Africa!
What do you remember most from your time in Africa?
The thing I remember the most from my time in Africa is when we got to fit the orphans for shoes so that they could go to school. Because a child has to have a uniform, shoes, school dues, and school supplies in order to attend school in many villages, the children were ecstatic that they would be able to attend school again since many of them could not afford a new pair when their feet grew. The excitement was comparable to a child waking up on Christmas to open their new toys under the tree. However, the children in Africa were ecstatic over receiving a pair of shoes to go to school in rather than a new toy that would quickly be replaced with a bigger and better one soon after. The joy on their faces meant the world to me and changed me forever. It is still one of the happiest moments of my life. It was a lesson on what truly is important in life.
How did your time in Africa shape you as a follower of Christ?
Africa forever changed me as a person and as a follower of Christ. I felt God’s presence every step on my journey and was strengthened by his continual support through the highs and lows of the trip. While attending church services with the local people, I became aware of God’s power, might, and overflowing love for all of his children. Worshipping in a crowded little building with no air circulation or the ability to understand what was being preached or sung, I encountered God in the most powerful way that I ever had.
ZOE Ministry is feeding nearly 20,000 children daily and has ministered to well over 10,000 through the Giving Hope Empowerment Ministry. How does it feel to know that you played a major role in inspiring the launching of this work?
It feels amazing that I have been a part of such an awesome, inspiring, and effective ministry. Although it was solely Rev. Jenks who spearheaded this ministry and helped change the world for good in the name of God, I am humbled and honored that I helped play a role in the initiation of such an amazing ministry which lives out what it means to be a Christian.
ZOE partners often ask, “whatever happened to that 15 year old girl?” Update us on what is happening in your life nearly 8 years after spending that summer in Zambia.
Since my summer in Africa I have graduated from Campbell University in North Carolina where I studied Religion and Philosophy as well as from Emory University in Georgia where I received my Master of Theological Studies from Candler School of Theology. I married my high school sweetheart, Mark, who currently is attending Candler for his Master of Divinity degree and working in higher education student services. I hope to eventually receive a PhD and teach Old Testament at the undergraduate level while also staying active in mission work. I have also served as a Youth Coordinator at a church in North Carolina and I am currently teaching online religion courses at Campbell University. I currently live in Atlanta, Georgia while my husband finishes his degree, and I am learning what it feels like to not be in school for the first time since I was five.
