“Training the Next Generation of Servant Leaders:  Impacting Zambia Through Education”

As you all know from our pre-field presentations, there are many places in Zambia that are still unreached with the Gospel out in the rural villages.  It is our passion to see these unreached people receive the life-transforming message of salvation because of the great exchange: Jesus Christ’s righteousness for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).  Yet, one thing that has become increasingly apparent to us on the field is the need for the Zambian churches to take the lead in spreading the Gospel by sending out missionaries from the established churches in cities and towns to the unreached bush locations to plant more churches.  After all, the Gospel has been present in this country ever since David Livingstone discovered Victoria Falls in November 1855 (159 years ago).  

We live in an era of missions (especially in mission fields with a long history of Christian influence) where the best role of a foreign missionary is to be a facilitator working alongside of and underneath national leadership in order to help eliminate the dependency syndrome that has held Zambian churches with an iron grip since the colonial era.  Of course there is still a need for pioneer missions which is why we are involved so heavily with the unreached areas like Nambaaza.  However, we want to be pioneers alongside of Zambian partners with whom we have a relationship of mutual respect and equality.  We want to help break the grip of the dependency syndrome by providing a new model of how missionaries and local leaders work together.  In doing so, we want to empower the Zambian Christians to take the lead in reaching their own people with the Gospel.  One of the greatest methods of doing this is through education…not just transferring academic knowledge but training in practical application of that knowledge.  Increasingly this is becoming a major thrust of our ministry in Zambia.

Central Africa Baptist College & Seminary

Central Africa Baptist College exists to train the next generation of servant-leaders in Africa for Great Commission living.  That is a purpose statement that we can certainly get behind and join in fulfilling!  When we discovered that CABC had developed 1-week block classes to be used in remote locations such as Congo and South Sudan we started thinking that these materials could be very useful in Nambaaza.  After asking about the possibility of using these materials and having them translated into Tonga, we were given the wonderful response that not only could we use them, but that they would like to have Jamie join CABC as adjunct faculty.  This was a wonderful opportunity to offer great quality classes that would be offered through an institution that is recognized in Zambia as licensed to offer degrees.  So, last year Jamie joined the faculty of CABC as an adjunct professor.

So far Jamie has only had the opportunity to teach two classes.  Last June he and Pastor Arthur taught the Hermeneutics class in Nambaaza where ten students attended.  Hermeneutics is the technical name given to the rules of interpretation.  This class equips the students to properly interpret the Bible on their own, which is something every Christian should know how to do.   The believers in Choma heard about this and asked that we offer it there as well.  To ensure that many people could attend we waited until the school break time in December/January.  So, on January 6-10 Jamie and Pastor Arthur taught it again (in both English and Tonga.  This time we had twenty-two students (many of them are teachers in their local churches).  We were so proud of the effort that they put into learning.  They had six practical assignments in those five days and surprised us with how well they did.  What blessings to see people not only gain new knowledge, but put it into practice right away.  

Thankfully, we are also able to be part of the ministry on the main campus of CABC at least once a year.  The academic year in Zambia starts in January and ends in December, which is very unlike the system we are used to in America, but we really like it.  The last class of every year is a block class that coincides with the Leadership Conference that we have written about before. The conference and block class always ends on a Friday and then on Saturday is the Graduation ceremony for the students who are earning either a three-year diploma or a four-year degree.  We have been privileged to attend the Graduation for the past two years.  It is so humbling to see these students stand before their families, all of whom have sacrificed so much so these young students could get a high quality education for ministry. This is a ministry that has already started to shake up the continent of Africa, and it is just the beginning. 

To ensure that the classes we are offering in Nambaaza are of the same quality and that the philosophy of CABC shines through everything we do Jamie traveled to Kitwe again January 18-23 to attend the faculty In-service.  It was a wonderful time of getting to know the other faculty better and to sharpen up on teaching techniques.  The training sessions consisted of three major emphases:  team building, CABC Distinctives (vision, mission, and philosophy of ministry), and teaching techniques.  Team building is always of great importance, but even more so when you have a team from various cultural backgrounds.  Not only was the team building aspect profitable for Jamie joining this team, but also gave us some useful ideas for how to develop a harmonious and mutually respectful multi-cultural team in Choma and Nambaaza.  The sessions on CABC Distinctives helped clarify why this school has been extremely effective so far and gave great tools to use in building effective ministries in the Southern Province of Zambia as well.  Lastly, the sessions for teaching skills were filled with excellent reminders on teaching techniques, but gave Jamie many new tools and skills for teaching cross-culturally.  Jamie has been working on revising lesson plans and developing effective assignments and evaluations of learning for the classes. Now he can’t wait to put them into practice in the future classes.  A new component of this plan is the formation of a new translation ministry with a team of three highly qualified translators who can take the English material and produce Tonga class notes!  This year we plan to offer three new classes in Nambaaza (and possibly Choma as well.).  In short, the CABC in-service was time incredibly well spent (even if it did mean Jamie was away from the family for a week).

To find out more about Central Africa Baptist College visit:  http://www.cabcseminary.org

Baptist Bible College and Institute of Choma

Over this past year Jamie has also been involved in discussions with the director and professors of a local Christian school closer to home.  In fact, it is only about 3 miles down the road from our house.  This year Pastor Arthur, whom we work so closely with, was able to earn his third year diploma through BBCIC.  What a joy it was to attend this graduation and celebrate the achievements of so many of the local church leaders of Choma that we have grown to love and respect. 

The director of the school, Dr. Gary Barker, is a missionary with Baptist-Mid Missions.  He and his wife plan to retire in January 2015 and have recently moved the school to its next phase of maturity – Governance through a Board of Directors.  Pastor Milford Mulimba has been one of the professors at the school and the plan is for him to become the first President of this college next January.  There are certainly bright days ahead for the Baptist Bible College and Institute of Choma.  This is something we are excited for and happy to be part of.  Jamie has been asked to be on the Board of Directors alongside of the Barkers and three of the local Zambian church leaders.  What a privilege to serve alongside of these Godly people. 

Non-Formal Training

Truly, the training of leaders is one of the greatest ways that foreign missionaries can invest in a truly indigenous church planting movement. There are actually five levels of training as illustrated in the chart below that we first saw at the Center for Intercultural Training in 2012.   

As you can see, every Christian should be receiving training in their local church to be used for their local church ministries because every Christian should be serving the Lord as a member of the Body of Christ.  Local church equipping is foundational for all other training.  Out of each church God will call some members to be Pastors and church planting missionaries.  Yet, in addition to their calling they will need further equipping.  The next level of training should be non-formal church planter or pastoral training, yet this is often a missing component of training.  Instead potential pastors and missionaries move on to Bible Schools that offer three year diploma's and bachelor's degrees.  Out of those who get that level of education some will then go on for theological training at a Seminary where they will earn a Master's degree.  From there a few will even go further to earn a doctorate degree in ministry.

Obviously we are very involved in the Bible School and seminary training.  Yet, one of the things we want to make sure not to neglect is the non-formal and highly practical training that is often missing.  Such training is always valuable, but is especially useful in the rural settings like Nambaaza where the leaders cannot just leave their ministry location to attend a school like CABC where they create a campus atmosphere that devotes equal time to character development, skill training, and Biblical knowledge. Therefore, we are devoting a significant amount of our Nambaaza ministry to this Non-formal training.

When it comes to discipleship the saying is true, “More is caught then is taught.”  So, serving alongside of a ministry mentor is an invaluable experience.  It was the method that Jesus chose to transform “uneducated, common men” (Acts 4:13) into the ministry team that “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Life-on-life discipleship is always more impacting than simple attendance to an academic class, especially a one-week block course that by its very nature limits the attention to primarily knowledge acquisition.  Both academic training and practical training are important.  They complement one another.  The academic side emphasizes the Biblical content and uses a grading system to evaluate progress while the "non-formal" training emphasizes the character of the servant and provides the ministry setting as its true evaluation of progress.

With this in mind, we have been using the rainy season to provide such non-formal training to the young men of Salvation Baptist in training for evangelism and discipleship of new believers.  We have also used this time to develop a non-formal training approach for the leaders in Nambaaza that helps the potential pastors and deacons, as well as their wives, prepare for ministry.  In addition to the Biblical education they will get from the CABC block classes, we are developing a program that will address their need for their own spiritual formation, family life, understanding of the doctrines of the church to organize their congregations Biblically, and develop the practical skills of evangelism, teaching, preaching, and counseling in an on-the-job training program.  Jamie will disciple the men.  Mandy will disciple the women.  However, we will be doing a session for the men and women combined every week to develop their own unity in marriage to help them avoid the common problem of these men neglecting their families for the sake of the ministry. 

Well, as you can see, we’ve had an exciting rainy season so far and it is just a little more than halfway over.  So, please be praying for us as we continue to fine-tune these plans for Nambaaza that we hope to start implementing in May!  There is still much to do.  Thanks for your prayers and support.

- Jamie & Mandy

*** We would like to close with a list of recommended reading regarding the concepts of eliminating dependency in missions and facilitating a truly indigenous church planting movement as described in the opening paragraphs of this article:

Missionary Methods:  St Paul's or Ours?  by Roland Allen.  The Lutterworth Press, Cambridge. 1912, 2006.

When Charity Destroys Dignity:  Overcoming Unhealthy Dependency in the Christian Movement.  by Glenn Schwartz.  World Mission Associates, Lancaster, PA. 2007.

CABC Leadership Conference 2013: A Call to Biblical Discernment

Each year on the first week of December church leaders from all over southern Africa converge on the campus of Central Africa Baptist College in Kitwe, Zambia.  What would cause men and women from countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, as well as some of the most remote parts of Zambia to travel so far?  It is the annual Leadership Conference that CABC hosts to come alongside churches to equip the Saints for the work of the ministry by offering continued education for their leaders.

This conference has become the highlight of the year for many of the pastors who labor diligently in difficult circumstances.  It is an event that offers them a time of personal spiritual refreshment, much needed fellowship with their comrades in arms, and an opportunity to expand their own understanding of God's Word on much needed theological topics and practical applications to their ministries.  In short, this conference is a major catalyst for effective ministry.  Just about the time the pastors need an infusion of energy, encouragement, and equipment the conference takes place again.

It is no wonder that each year the attendance increases.  This year a new conference pavilion was assembled that was intended to have room for growth over the next few years.  However, each night at the general session each chair was filled!  What a wonderful "problem" to experience.  One of the reasons for such high attendance this particular year was the urgency of the topic in the cultural context of southern Africa.  The conference theme was, "A Call to Biblical Discernment."

The  dominant reality of Christianity in modern Africa is the fulfillment of what Peter said would happen, "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." - 2 Peter 2:1-3

The most rapidly spreading movement within Christianity in Africa is the "Name it and Claim It" theology spread within Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Movement.  This theology is sometimes referred to as the "Prosperity Gospel" or "Positive Confession."  It is exactly the kind of heresy Peter warned the church to be looking out for and avoiding.  It is a sensual theology that feeds off of the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.  It is a theology that embraces the love of this world (1 John 2:15-17) and rejects the love of the Father.  It exalts materially successful people as spiritually mature people when usually those people achieved their material success through dishonest gain (1 Timothy 3:8).  This is not the image of Christ, but sadly, it has become the image of His church today.  Therefore, the theme for this conference could not have been more timely!

The speakers were predominantly Zambian Pastors who have served with distinction and excellence. These men included Conrad Mbewe, Saidi Chishimba, Kabwe Kabwe, Grave Singogo, Isaac Makashinyi, and Ken Banda.  If you have never heard of these men I strongly urge you to look them up.  You will find most of them by doing a quick Google search.  These men did a stellar job at  at presenting the accurate Biblical teachings on all of these sensitive and often confusing topics with both clarity and cultural appropriateness.  After all, as Zambians they can speak with far more understanding of how these false teachings impact their own society, and they can also speak with more authority when proposing proper applications within the African context.  With this in mind, the 2013 Leadership Conference was perhaps the greatest conference yet and could not have been any more effective.

President Phil Hunt Welcoming Everyone

Q &A  Forum with Speakers on Monday

Pastor Ken Banda Teaching with Sign Language Interpreting by Anderson Chimfumpa

It was a privilege for our family to attend this conference and hear such wonderful teaching.  It is always a blessing to go to an event where you can learn so much.  We also enjoy it for the fellowship! We get to know many Pastors from all over the continent with the same passion for the Gospel that we have.  We get to fellowship with missionaries from our board, IBM Global, that we rarely get to see.  our children get to be around other missionary kids who know the blessings and challenges of being "Third Culture Kids."

Jamie, in particular, has been able to establish good friendships with the pastors who were doing the presentations both in 2012 and this year.  These men have proven to be excellent encouragers and wise counselors as we endeavor to get established in an effective ministry in this country.  We deeply desire that God would use us to facilitate a church planting movement of healthy churches that plant more healthy churches.  There are many mistakes that we can make along the way that would cripple our efforts and make us ineffective.  These men have seen many others make these mistakes and can help us avoid them if we come with teachable spirits ready to learn how to apply what we know to the ministry context of their country.

So obviously, this conference has become a highlight of the ministry year for us personally as well.  Yet, this report would not be complete without telling you how this conference impacts the people we personally work alongside of in Nambaaza and Choma.  After all, they are the reason that we attended the conference in 2012 and they got us hooked as well.

First of all, there are four churches in Choma that each send their leaders to attend this conference.  In fact, it was by attending the 2012 Conference that I was introduced to the Pastors and leaders of each church.  This conference was the common ground that was used to birth a Pastor's Fellowship in Choma this past year.  These churches include Salvation Baptist Church pastored by Arthur Munkombwe, Grace Baptist Church pastored by Milford Mulimba, Central Baptist Church pastored by Kwenda Kwenda, and Calvary Baptist Church pastored by Harrison Banda.  Attending this conference is a major commitment because it is a 650 km (404 mile) journey which is both time consuming and expensive.  Yet, each person and each church considers it a bargain because of the impact these 5 days have on the quality of ministry the other 360 days of each year.

Second, there were three village churches represented in our group as well.  Several years ago Calvary Baptist Church planted a church 45 minutes outside of Choma in a village called Siankope.  This year several of the leaders from Siankope were able to attend the Leadership Conference.  Also for the first time ever, we had men from Nambaaza attend with us.  There were three men from Kauka Baptist and one man from Kakuse Baptist.  It was such a humbling experience to see Mr. Kabanda make the effort to attend.  He is the primary teacher/leader at Kauka Baptist, but he is also a farmer.  He had to wait until the last minute to travel in to Choma so he could get his maize fields planted.  By the time he was ready he found the roads were impassible.  No trucks were going to Nambaaza any longer, yet he was determined to attend the conference.  So, he walked for 50 km (31 miles) through mud, deep water, and areas inhabited by dangerous wildlife to get to the nearest village where trucks were still traveling in to Choma.  Now that is commitment!  We wish we could say his journey was easy at that point, but to transport all these people we took both Land Rovers and a car.  Even then some still had to ride a bus.  As we drove the Land Rovers we found that roadside repairs are a yearly tradition for the Leadership Conference.  This is a tradition we hope to break next time.  Yet, this year it happened again.  Our rear differential housing cracked and we had to drain the oil, take the housing cover to the nearest town to get it welded, then make our own gasket with gasket sealer before we could get back on the road.  Guess who was right there alongside of Pastor Arthur and Jamie during this repair?  That' right.  Mr. Kabanda.  He had come too far to let a little car problem keep him from making it to this conference.  His dedication is such an encouragement!

Roads from Nambaaza in November

This section was impassible in Dec.

Mr. Kabanda (yellow) and Mr. Kantolo

Repairing the Differential Cover Plate

Welding the Cover plate
 

Mr. Kabanda refilling the oil

Each of these men from Nambaaza received great spiritual blessings by attending this conference.  Each day I would sit in the sessions with them.  Afterward we would discuss how the topic affected ministry in Nambaaza and would think over proper applications.  They couldn't wait to get back home and start teaching the others in their churches all that they had learned!  This is the principle of 2 Timothy 2:2 being lived out in Zambia.  We are teaching faithful men who will go and teach others also!  Now it is time to use all that has been learned and look forward to the refreshment that awaits us all next December.

All the People from Choma and Nambaaza who attended the Conference

So, as we conclude this report we just want to thank you for your investment in this ministry.  Without your support we could not be a part of such life changing events (for us and those we minister alongside of) such as the CABC leadership conference.  Without your prayers we would probably never make it safely from one destination to another.  Please rest assured that we thank God in every remembrance of you and we cannot overstate that you are a crucial part of the ministry here in Zambia even though we are separated by thousands of miles.

Rejoicing in God's Provision, Protection, and Presence

"In you, O Lord, do I take refuse; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me!  For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me." - Psalm 33:1, 3

Missionary life in Zambia has been the adventure we had always hoped it would be.  In a world where few things seem to live up to your expectations, you can always rest assured that serving the Lord will always surpass them.  How great is our God!

Since our last major prayer letter entitled, "Showers of Blessings...Storms of Destruction" God has again taken us on an amazing journey of faith that keeps our eyes on Him as the great guide.  Here is a run-down of all that has transpired since then.

Four days after our return to Choma we had a much-anticipated visit from Phil Hunt, our field director with IBM Global who lives in Kitwe, Zambia which is an approximate eleven hour drive north of us.  During his visit we were able to share with him all the things that we have been experiencing in ministry in Choma and Nambaaza and seek his advice regarding the strategic changes we have been praying about and of which we have asked for your prayers as well for the last few months.  What a blessing it was to get a fresh, outside perspective from someone whom God has used to establish the kind of ministry that we desire for him to use us to establish as well.  Hopefully in the next few months we will have more certainty about the direction we believe God is leading us in and can share those details with you at that time.  Until then, please keep praying for wisdom and guidance.

One of the joys of Phil's trip was to take him on a tour of Choma which is absolutely booming with growth.  There are buildings going up everywhere, but only four churches faithfully preaching the truth of the Bible.  What a task they have before them of reaching this city that is now Zambia's Southern provincial capitol.  Jamie has had the privilege of developing close friendships with each of these pastors so he and Phil went out to visit each of them at their churches.  Each pastor has attended the Leadership Conference at Central Africa Baptist College in Kitwe (Phil is the President of the school) and so they also have a relationship with Phil. It was so fun and insightful to see Phil interacting with each of these men in an encouraging way that comes with two decades of pouring your life into others.

After two brief, but action packed days Phil was back on the road to Kitwe and we were back to the rigors of ministry.  Mandy and the kids had a lot to catch up on with homeschooling after all our adventures while Jamie had meeting after meeting.  

·      We hosted a Pastor's Fellowship meeting at our house on Monday, November 11.  

·      Jamie met with Temah who at our last report had wandered from the Lord, but who seems to be repenting and attempting to make things right.  

·      Jamie also met with two potential Zambian ministry partners for Choma and Nambaaza

·      Jamie met with a man named Collins Kapata who is passionate about starting a completely Zambian led and funded camp ministry about 45 minutes outside of Choma.  He is asking Jamie to help think through the organizational aspects of such a meeting.  They are now meeting once a week to work through these ideas.  Please pray for Collins as he has much to do and in these early stages it does not take much to derail some wonderful ministry aspirations.

While all of these things were happening, we were also preparing for our final trip to Nambaaza for this year.  As you have heard before, the rains have come earlier this year and the roads are getting quite bad already.  So, we were buying up all the supplies needed to put the roof structure in place on the boma in Nambaaza so we have a more permanent place to stay when we are out there next year.  Everyday we were up at 5am and staying up until around midnight trying to squeeze everything in.  Then, on Thursday, November 14, we had a Zambian experience that put everything on hold.  

While working on things in the house that morning Jamie heard the dogs getting worked up, but didn't know why and didn't go to investigate.  A couple hours later our worker, Chester, came to the door saying that we needed to see the good thing that the dogs had done.  Just 3 feet from the door to our back porch was a spitting cobra that the dogs had recently killed.  It was 46" long.  Our dogs are amazing!  None of them got bit, but two of them did get spit in the eye.  We got some eye treatment from the vet and they were as good as new.  For Jamie, who has wanted a good snakeskin, this was a welcome interruption to the plans for the day.  The kids got to have a special science class for homeschooling that day.  You guessed it...we dissected and skinned a spitting cobra!  How's that for education.  Now we have a great centerpiece for our display table on furlough.  

 

With this adventure behind us, we were back to our breakneck speed in order to get ready for our trip to Nambaaza.

This trip was an adventure!  Our family of five arrived on Saturday, November 16, and set up camp.  We enjoyed a quiet night in the bush by ourselves, but in the morning we jumped right into ministry.  Jamie combined two lessons into one for the New Believer's class.  We spoke about all the new things that a believer has in Christ and how the old things have passed away and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17) and then spoke about the new confidence that a believer has from John 10:27-30 because so many of them had the wrong impression that a person could lose their salvation if they committed a big sin after being saved.  This lesson was very lively and eye opening.  The entire trip would have been worth it if this were the only thing accomplished.  

On Monday, November 25, the rest of our work crew arrived by 10:30am.  Pastor Arthur brought five men from Choma to help put the gum poles in place for the roof of our boma.  His wife, Beatrice, came to help Mandy with cooking.  Jim Chambers came to install all the plumbing from the well to the water tower and then from the water tower to the two buildings.  Rachel and Teresa came to work with people in the schools and follow-up on the literacy training that Joseph Mwambazi has been leading.  So, our quite camp turned into a bustling workstation rather quickly.  

When they arrived, they were surprised to find Jamie and a crew of four from Nambaaza already working on the boma.  Jamie's crew installed the heavy horizontal beams on the posts while Pastor Arthur's team started building trusses.  Well, God provided three days of absolutely perfect weather for building.  By Wednesday at 3pm the structure was complete, the plumbing was done, and Rachel had been able to finish her teaching at the school.  That meant that the Choma crew was heading home.  However, as they loaded the cars the weather changed and they found themselves driving into a severe storm.  

 

Within 20 minutes they found themselves blocked by downed trees.  Neither vehicle was pulling a trailer so they decided to drive around the trees.  Well, our second Land Rover, driven by Pastor Arthur, did great at trudging through the thick black cotton soil that usually swallows vehicles that attempt to cross it.  The Chambers found themselves in a different situation.  Their 4-wheel drive would not engage and they sank deep.  Thankfully, Pastor Arthur was able to use the winch of the Land Rover to pull them out.  Yet, even that was not so simple.  The road had become a river and at first the winch pulled the Land Rover to the stuck Land Cruiser.  So, Pastor Arthur put it into reverse and sent mud flying as the Land Rover zigzagged across the muck.  Now, they thought they were free to continue.  However, that was just the beginning.  In total they encountered four downed trees and lots of deep mud.  Pastor Arthur got to use the winch a second time to free the Chambers.  It was quite the adventure, but they made it home to Choma by 8:30 that night.

Meanwhile, back in Nambaaza we got about one more hour’s work done before the storm swallowed us.  We huddled in the tent the rest of the night attempting, but failing to stay dry.  Everything from clothes to mattresses to Jamie's papers and guns got wet.  It gave us a great opportunity to test out the new waterproof Bible that was sent to us by friends at Bethel Baptist Church in Parkersburg.  It passed the test!!!

On Thursday, while Jamie was doing more work on the boma he got a text message from Jim and Arthur telling of the horrible road conditions.  They suggested that we attempt to return to Choma early.  We had hoped to stay out until after church on Sunday so Jamie could teach one more lesson of the New Believer's material, but we knew that the rains were coming everyday now and were quite severe.  So, Jamie decided to go check out the roads and remove the trees with the help of Mr. Kabanda's son Chemunya.  It took three hours to remove all the trees.  When the last tree was removed rain descended yet again.  In just minutes, the road vanished and was replaced by a river about 8 inches deep. When he reached the camp an unwelcome sight greeted him.  Not only was there plenty of standing water, but the two E-Z up tents used for the cooking area had been destroyed.  While Jamie was away, the most severe storm so far hit the camp in Nambaaza.  Mandy and the kids were safe inside the tent, which amazingly had weathered the storm.  At that point we knew we better head back to Choma the next day.

Friday morning was a flurry of activity.  We were packing up soaking wet supplies, saying five-month good-byes to close friends and the village headman.  Jamie taught the next lesson of the New Believers' class to Mr. Kabanda so he could teach in Jamie's place on Sunday which is something Jamie had wanted to do all along, but the people in the church insisted that Jamie teach this series so Mr. Kabanda deferred and asked Jamie to teach.  However, it seems that God providentially sent these storms to remove us from the scene so that the people could not become overly dependent on missionary influence.   We hope they recognize that God is raising up men from among their midst who can teach them well.  

So, with Mr. Kabanda's training complete we packed up the trailer and finished tying the tarps just as yet another storm was moving in to Nambaaza.  God kept us ahead of the storm for three hours until we got to a gravel road where mud would not be a problem.  To get there though, we had driven through deep mud puddles including three sections that were worse than any mud bog at a county fair.  Each of them was 200 yards in length with thick, deep mud.  We were pulling a heavy trailer, which doesn't help much, but God brought us through without being stuck even once.  After each muddy adventure the kids would laugh and shout, "We love this car!"  It was a fun adventurous day.

So, now we find ourselves at home in Choma thoroughly exhausted, but thankful to be dry.  The words of Psalm 33:1,3 have certainly been true for us these last three weeks.  God has been our rock, our fortress, and our guide through some tricky journeys and dangerous adventures.  What a joy it is to have Jesus for a guide! 

We have one more big trip before we can get some much needed down time.  Next Sunday we take several leaders from Nambaaza and Choma all the way up to Kitwe for the Leadership Conference at Central Africa Baptist College.  Please be praying for our safety, energy, and vehicles as we make this trip. 

Power Out

Most of the time I actually enjoy when the power goes out.  It happens A LOT here.  But the first thing I always notice is how peaceful it is.  How quiet.  No humming of the fridge, no swishing of the fans.  Just peace and quiet.

It always makes me think of 

Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God..."

In many ways the lack of electricity forces us to acknowledge this verse and live it.  When our power goes out so does our internet.  It's amazing how much we rely on the internet.  Humbling and a bit embarrassing.  We can become so  frustrated sometimes, but it makes us have to stop.  No stove.  No water pump.  No distractions.  All our To Do lists set aside for the moment.  Peace... on the outside.  But how often we rage on the inside.  I have to get this stuff done.  Other people are depending on me.  It makes me look irresponsible.  And what does God tell us?

"Be still and know that I am God..."

We have to force ourselves to stop.  Relax.  God knows exactly what is going on.  He knows how much we have to get done.  He knows what other people need and expect from us.  And he has chosen this moment in time to "inconvenience" us.  Now what are we going to do with it?  Spend it irritated and frustrated that things aren't going my way?  Strive to find some other things that "need" to be done that don't require electricity?  Or spend some extra, much needed time with the Lord, take a much needed nap, read a book to the kids, play a game as a family, go for a walk... 

Some of my favorite times are when the power is out.  I always have more to get done in a day than is humanly possible.  But when the power goes out it gets me off the hook.  It is out of my control and completely in God's.  And so I can take time for the Lord and for my family that normally gets so easily pushed aside because of all the things that "need" to get done.

It's a wonderful opportunity for us to

"Be still and know that I am God..."

Touchable, Lovable, and Changeable

Touchable

Psalm 136:23

It is He who remembered us in our low estate, 

for His steadfast love endures forever;

People came to Jesus.  When He was tired, hungry, hurting... People still came.  Always more people.  He didn't live in a "compound" where he could escape when he became overwhelmed.  He didn't have high walls with electric fence, razor wire, and broken glass on top.  He didn't sit in a special seat at church or eat apart from the rest.  He was with the people He loved.  What an example to us.  

Sometimes we have to take safety precautions, but it should not make us unreachable by those who need us.  The people we work with and love should know we are always available.  

"Jesus refused to be a statue in a cathedral or a priest in an elevated pulpit.  He chose instead to be a touchable, approachable, reachable Jesus."~ Max Lucado

As missionaries we need to be "touchable".  We need to let people see our lives.  We need to let people become a part of our lives and become a part of their lives.  As God lives through our words and deeds He becomes a part of their lives.  That can not happen if we're untouchable.  

Please pray that we would be "touchable".  Pray that we would not seclude ourselves for the sake of comfort, but that we would be open and available and live real lives in front of others.  Please pray that we would build relationships that are deep and life changing both for us and for them.  

Lovable

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love... bears all things, believes all things.

God loves us in all circumstances.  He rejoices in our rejoicing and he mourns in our sorrow. He loves us as we wallow in the mire of our sin and He loves us when we depend on the Spirit to overcome temptation.  He always loves us.  

We see conditionally.  We judge others against our own "righteousness".  We see through our own human, sinful filter.  And we choose not to love.  We would never admit that.  We say we love everyone, but then our actions say something else entirely.  

"Wouldn't it be great if love were like a cafeteria line?  It would be easier.  It would be neater. It would be painless and peaceful.  But you know what?  It wouldn't be love.  Love doesn't accept just a few things.  Love is willing to accept all things." ~ Max Lucado

God doesn't pick and choose what he wants to love about us and then act according to our behavior.  We can't do that either.  God has sent us as ambassadors of His love to a lost and hurting world.  We need to learn to love like God loves.  Allow His love to flow through our lives and into the lives of those around us.  

Please pray that we would be willing to love everyone.  Even the unlovable.  Even when we become frustrated and tired and hungry and grumpy.  Pray that we would do all things in love.  And that all those around us would see God's love in us. 

Changeable

Isaiah 64;8

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

God desires for me to become just like Jesus.  I am nothing more than clay in His master potter hands.  I can choose to be difficult, hard, dry clay, or I can choose to be moist, moldable, and easy to work with. Praise God I do not have to remain who I am today, but can be changed day by day, bit by bit into the image of Christ.  My bad habits are no excuse and neither are the disagreeable aspects of my character.  God can and will change all that!  If God is going to use us here for His glory we need to be changed.  It is not negotiable.  We can not stay who we are and be useful for God.  At least not to the fullest of His plans for us.  Please pray that we would be changeable.  Please pray that God would change us into His image for others to see Him in us.  And that as He is changing us He would be drawing others to Himself as they see His changes in us.