Belinda Siame, the Club Coordinator at Pentecostal Holiness Church in Mkipa, recruited women from five churches in her region, and in 2009 they spent hours on a bus in order to attend training. Equipped and inspired, the women returned to their home churches to start new clubs. Combined, they have over 450 girls participating in GEMS each week.  When Belinda handed out the personal care bags (supplied by girls across North America), the mothers celebrated with dancing. The women then prayed for the GEMS staff in North America, their Zambian leaders, and girls everywhere participating in GEMS.

One of the hurdles some women face as GEMS counselors in Zambia is a lack of proficiency in English. The GEMS club at Word of Faith church in Lusaka struggled their first year, and counselors had trouble understanding the curriculum. But in 2010, they had five counselors attend training and were anxious for a fresh start! They have been in contact with their Area Coordinator, they are seeking answers to their questions, and have had a great season!

The girls at Oasis of Love Assembly of God Church meet on Sundays following worship.  They have lunch together and then gather under a canopy outside. They begin with singing, dancing, and reciting Bible verses. After this large group gathering, the youngest GEMS form a circle and hear a Bible story using the story scarf.  They answer questions and talk about the story before coloring a picture page and playing games. This year, the older girls at Oasis of Love are learning about how to become a child of God, what it means to be a daughter of the King, and how to grow in grace while they learn about jewelry making, careers, and horticulture.