Journal
Updates from the Zambia Team
Doug, Libby, Dave, Lisa, Phil and
Josh at commissioning prayer - 1/6/08
Lisa, Phil, Dave, Josh, Libby and
Doug in Zambia - 1/27/08
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| The team returned from Zambia on schedule at 11:15 AM Wednesday, February 6 and enjoyed an American lunch together near SeaTac Airport. |
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| Tuesday,
February 5, 2008 - by Doug Easton Final Daily Journal Updates for 1st to 5th |
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| Friday,
February 1, 2008 No sooner had I sent the email last night saying that we would be moving back to the farm today than plans changed. Phil had technical difficulties with the video of Michael Kendela. So, as I was emailing, the team decided that it would be best if Michael and Monica were invited to have dinner with us at the Gull tonight and the interview retaken. And therefore, we will be staying at least one more night at the Gull. The morning got off to a hectic start. Stephanie Allen had a fainting spell so Libby and Dave went over to the Allen’s to watch their kids. Phil and Lisa were planning to take Wisdom to his exam via the Allen’s vehicle. However, that means was now in use, so they had to make hasty arrangements with Luke Whitfield. But in the end, all worked out. Stephanie is doing fine and Wisdom was taken off antibiotics. At noon, we all headed to Ng’Ombe in a light rain, stopping along the way at small Mom & Pop grocery to get bags of rice. We plan to hand out the two kilogram bags to the pastors at the end of class today. We also got enough for the Banda’s and the staff at the Gull. So, backpacks stuffed and bags in hand we continued on to the Alpha Destination School. The pastors were very appreciative of the rice and two of them offered prayers of blessings and thanks. Once again, I’m humbled. And it is obvious that both the Bible and English classes are enthusiastically received with great gratitude. From there, Josh, Phil, and I headed to the Melville’s for a men’s Bible study. Josh led us in song and Phil led the Bible study. Back to the Gull at 5:00, we met with Michael, his wife Monica, and their two young children. And the lights were out but Goatsa still managed to prepare a delicious Serbian meat dish for our candlelight dinner. Afterward, we taped an interview with Michael, which was also done by candlelight so the lighting may not be the best. But I felt that it ‘flowed’ better than the previous interview. After the Kendela’s left, we played Goatsa, her friend Sofia, and their two husbands in games of pool. The pool table is set up in a converted garage and is quite the layout complete with overhead lighting. It seems to be their sole source of entertainment. Finally, it was Goatsa’s birthday so we sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and gave her a card before turning in for the day. Saturday, February 2, 2008 We were up later than usual and breakfast was leisurely. I think we’re all feeling a little bit of a let down now. Or maybe we’re just plain tired. However, throughout the morning, there was a steady stream of kids coming to say their goodbyes. Mary LaPoint has called to inform that the team’s bank account has been frozen – too much VISA activity at the ATM’s. This is somewhat problematic as we need to check out of the Gull and there are still a number of charitable gifts that we would like to make. So we spent most of the morning packing. At 11:00, we borrowed the Allen’s vehicle and proceeded to an Americanized mall where Phil and I withdrew cash from our personal accounts. However, we were soon maxed out – a million kwacha here and million there adds up. But we did get enough to check out of the Gull. On our way back, we stopped at a Zambian market place and before long, Phil had once again engaged a shopkeeper in conversation about a statue. This wooden statue in the form of a 3-foot high man is impaled with hundreds of nails. We’re told that each nail represents the death of a member of that tribe. And that the statue is used to remind current tribal members of their ancestors so that they can pray to their spirits. This gives a perfect opening for Phil to witness to the shopkeeper. And I must say he is gifted. He is able to draw out responses, disagree without being quarrelsome or belittling, share his testimony in a powerful way, offer salvation, and leave the fellow feeling encouraged, yet challenged. Back at the Gull, we spent the rest of the afternoon packing our remaining things - but mostly lounging around. Just before leaving, we gave each Gull staff member a bag of rice. The smallest token gifts of love and respect go such a long way. The staff was teary eyed and I think I even detected some moisture in Goatsa’s eyes as we said goodbye. Glen picked us up at 6:00, and we headed back to the farm. The sun setting was beautiful. Lisa Ripley had prepared chicken noodle soup and I confess to having three bowls. I crave the tastes of home. A McDonald’s Big Mac, chocolate cake, and nachos are on my priority list when we get back. Sunday, February 3, 2008 I slept really well last night. The bed here at the farm is much more comfortable than the one I had at the Gull. Yet, I feel very emotional this morning. When we were at N’Dola, Marcy Hoover had said that she thought God had put a callus on her heart so that she could feel compassion for the plight here in Zambia yet not be crushed by it. And while here, I have wondered if God hasn’t done the same for me. Maybe this morning, God is starting to remove that callus. I don’t know. This morning, Libby is going with Megan to a church in Lusaka. The rest of us are headed to Victor M’tungo’s church - a small Pentecostal church a short walk down the road. The building itself was similar to the churches we had previously visited. But, unlike our previous Sunday morning experiences, we were not singled out or given special honors – a welcome relief. Victor preached on tithing. I imagine that to be a tough subject for any pastor. But frankly, his interpretation of ‘storing up treasures in heaven’ seemed too literal and narrowly defined. As we walked back to the farm, I am once again struck with the peaceful calm of the countryside. The pace is slower here, albeit very hard. Phil had us meet for most of the afternoon. We reflected on the past month, voiced our hopes for the future, and began preparations for our return home. A very meaningful time to decompress. Monday, February 4, 2008 There is not much to report today. The bulk of the day was spent meeting together, making final budget plans for charitable contributions, and reviewing everyone’s photos. In the late afternoon we did do an interview with the Ripley’s. As I write this at 8:30 PM we’re all doing various packing tasks. We plan to get up early tomorrow and head into Lusaka using Megan’s Land Rover. We’ll make a stop at Ng’Ombe to say goodbye to the Sakala’s and Banda’s. Then meet up with Glen so that he can take us to the airport. Our flight leaves at 1:50 PM Lusaka time. We’re all looking forward (major understatement) to coming home but we’re all dreading the flight from Johannesburg to Dulles. Tuesday, February 5, 2008 – Final thoughts. In one of our first Zambia Team meetings, Phil asked each of us "What do you hope to accomplish in going to Zambia?" When it came my turn to answer, I stammered out something to the effect, "ah…I really have no idea what I could possibly do on this team, much less Zambia. I just feel led by the Spirit to go." And Phil, always the encourager, said "This team needs many different parts of the body, just like the church. Maybe you can be our eyes and ears." I thought about that statement many times during our months of preparation for the trip but I didn’t know exactly what that looked like. Then on our first day in Zambia, I was writing an email to Jamie about my experiences that day and I thought folks in the church might be interested in that day’s events as well. And so I began journaling my observations, feelings, and thoughts on the church's website. I hope I’ve served as your eyes and ears for this trip. And I should probably stop right there. Because what I write next comes from my mind and my heart, not the eyes and ears. The Zambia I’ve experienced is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Culture, religion, economics, politics, tradition, ecology, nutrition, sociology, biology, education, theology, medicine, and much more intermingle and fuse into a huge, tangled problem. These problems are evident not only at a macro, societal level but deep in the eyes of every Zambian I met as they confronted unimaginable conditions day in and day out. Zambia is broken. I have come to believe that the core of all these problems is the spiritual. In fact, I believe that a spiritual battle is raging in Zambia. Yes, the war is worldwide. However, as with man-made wars, the tactics vary from battle to battle and the strategy is constantly evolving. Satan has chosen subtle, subversive tactics such as materialism and self-dependence in America. While in Zambia, the tactics might correlate closer to a direct, frontal assault – Satanism, tradition, and false teachings. There are principalities battling mightily, right now, for the hearts, minds, and very souls of Zambians and perhaps all of Africa. And I believe that it is no accident that our church has been called here. What form does that calling take? I don’t know. However, I have come to realize that there is much that churches on both continents can learn from each other in their respective battles. I trust that God will reveal at least the next step to our church leadership in the not too distant future. And that they in turn will guide us. I will be watching with great interest in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, I will simply be praying for the church in Zambia plus wisdom and discernment for our church leaders. I hope you will join me. Much prayer is needed. But the battle belongs to the Lord. Doug ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Tuesday,
January 29, 2008 8:20 PM -
by Dave Stevenson A Few Lines from Dave |
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It’s 2020 hrs
and I have a few minutes to dash off a few
lines. Right now
it is 10:30 a.m. Tuesday for you, as you are 10
hours behind us. Just one week from now we will be
about 2 hours – if all goes well – into
that looonnng flight from South Africa to
D.C. Then home again. Yay!! That doesn’t mean I am not enjoying my time here. It has been – and continues to be – great. I have been very impressed, and know I will always have a heart for Zambia. I bought an ebony pen holder that I will use daily to remind me of this place and these people. Sunday we all attended a church in Ng’ombe compound. Patson Sakala is the pastor. Phil and I were given opportunity for a few words, but Patson did the preaching. He did so in English with an interpreter into Nyanja, the local dialect. It was a bold sermon, warning against the use of tribal traditions, which have a very strong grip here. Every Zambian knows what tribe he is from, and there are something like 72 tribes that form this nation, each – as I understand it – with its own language. We interviewed Patson on video Monday and visited the Midget Community School, housed in his church. This afternoon we interviewed another pastor, Michael Kendele. I was struck with how much, as a student pastor with a wife and 2 kids, their experiences parallel ours. He is a very impressive person. Yesterday P & L met with pastors and wives in a class on marriage. They gave away the remaining ladies’ packets. Some had been given away earlier, and there was just the right number remaining. I understand all the wives were very appreciative. The children’s packets were all given away at one school out near the farm. They were also appreciated, as was the chalk and other teachers’ supplies, given away at various locations. Tomorrow and Friday Lib and I will do the two final pastors’ classes. My lessons, by popular demand, will be on church history and world religions. Libby has been concentrating on things that will help them to increase their ability to understand English as it is spoken rapidly, as opposed to very carefully, as we tend to do when speaking to Zambians. We have some additional interviews with pastors scheduled in our remaining time, which will give us added insight for recommendations. By the way, I gave away my ¾ length air mattress and white blanket to the family of Wisdom, the boy we helped with surgery. I’ve never used that mattress since going to Thailand, and we’ll have to shop for another blanket. I wish you could see the miserable conditions in which that family is living – seven of them crowded into two tiny rooms with electricity, but no water. And they, of course, are not alone in that. It’s pretty much par for the course for many in the compounds. Well, I think I must close. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Thursday,
January 31, 2008 - by Doug Easton Daily Journal Updates for 30th and 31st |
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| Wednesday,
January 30, 2008 The first thing that crossed my mind this morning was that a week from today we will be home. This trip has been fascinating on so many levels for me. But I must say that home sounds awfully good right now. I am very thankful for the Lord’s goodness to all of us –here and at home. This morning, Glen Ripley has set up a meeting with a Brethren church located across town in the George compound. He arrives at 9:00 AM sharp – quite a feat considering Lusaka roads and traffic. We all pile into the Land Rover. However, Josh is headed to the Banda’s garden plots to spread the fertilizer, so we drop him off up near Ng’Ombe. As we drive off, Josh walks in the opposite direction, a bag of fertilizer in each hand. I’m reminded of Matthew 23:11. The George compound is one of the older compounds in Lusaka with 25,000 to 30,000 people. And as we get closer to our destination, it is clear that the rains are taking a great toll. Along the way, many a maze field sits in standing water, huge puddles over the roadways, and ditches running in torrents. Cholera and other water born diseases are almost a certainty. We’re told that this is worst rainy season in many years, if not decades. Glen works up his courage and maneuvers the Land Rover across a surging ditch and we’ve arrived at the George Christian Missionaries in Many Lands Church. As usual, the first ones to greet us are the kids, but within minutes, four elders arrive one by one. Introductions are made and we all go ‘inside’. There is no roof on the church, just cinder block walls. But at the far end of the structure, blue and white tarps have been strung across rickety rafters supported by rough hewn poles. This is where we sit while discussing the issues pertinent to the CMML church. I feel that we did not connect with this group as well as we have some others we have met. After we’re done, Glen drives us back to the Gull, stopping along the way at an ATM so that we can get some kwacha. It is still a shock to me to withdraw two million kwacha – about five hundred dollars. About 12:30, Dave and Libby trek off to Ng’Ombe to teach their pastors classes. Phil and Lisa leave minutes later hoping to pay tuition for some needy students. At 5:30, Phil and Lisa returned looking very tired. They had spent most of the afternoon hiking across Ng’Ombe. And as they arrived, Phil’s backpack was stuffed with bags of rice – gifts for the staff here at the Gull. A few minutes later, Josh, Libby, and Dave showed up. Josh tells us that after spreading the fertilizer, he had gone to the Scripture Union, a youth group, with Sachuma. And upon arrival, he was immediately consigned to lead in worship and songs. Phil and Lisa were invited to go out to dinner with the Allen’s, so Libby went over to child-sit their three girls and I went briefly to email. Back at the Gull, the Africa Cup was on the television, and I actually managed to split a pair of cribbage games with Dave. Thursday, January 31, 2008 There is much to do today and time is getting short. We have quite a list of things that we would like to do from a financial perspective. Every time we turn around there is another need. But the logistics of getting money, not to mention then getting the money into the right hands is a challenge. This is very much a cash-based economy and the convenience of ‘credit cards’ is another Americanism that I will not soon take for granted. I digress. It will be interesting to see what doors the Lord opens and which are closed. This morning, Phil is borrowing the Allen’s vehicle in order to take James Sakala and Wisdom for a follow-up exam. On the way, Phil dropped Josh at the ‘American’ shopping mall and then Lisa and Libby at a very Zambian open air market to do some shopping. The Coptic clinic is a gated courtyard of one story, white washed buildings. The waiting rooms are crowded, yet we are met immediately by a receptionist and told that the physician seeing Wisdom today is currently performing a surgery. So, Phil makes an appointment for tomorrow and we head back to the market. As we make our way through the nearly claustrophobic isles between the poorly lit stalls in search of Libby and Lisa, we come across a fellow selling traditional native masks. I count 35 different masks being displayed on the table and wall. Phil engages the shopkeeper in conversation and after a number of probing questions we learn that each mask is used for a different festival or ceremony - harvest, male circumcism, and female circumcism are mentioned specifically. After a number of further questions, we learn that the masks are effectual by invoking the ‘ancestral spirits’ to act on behalf of the wearer of the mask. Some masks work by invoking the ‘ancestral spirits’ to counteract the curse of a witch. Many masks are used by the witchdoctor. I found the conversation with the shopkeeper to be typical of the non-pastor conversations I’ve heard regarding tradition, witchcraft, and Satanism, i.e. the specifics are difficult to pin down and once they are, the participants are a different tribe or individual. I wonder. Everyone gets loaded up again and we’re heading back to Ng’Ombe. We drop Josh and Libby off at the Nonkas Project. They continue to try and firm up the logistics of putting a lock for Mrs. Bonda’s door and paying Mrs. Bonda’s back property taxes. Also, the widows weave discarded shopping bags (Think ‘paper or plastic?’) into large hand bags. The women twist the plastic bags until they become a ‘thread’ and then weave the bags together into a much larger, sturdier, and longer lasting hand bag. Josh hopes to purchase some of the bags and then resell them to his customers back home. At noon, a local Pastor named Francis came to the Gull to talk with Phil. And at 2:00, everyone took a taxi to the Living Waters School to observe their classes. I stayed behind at the Gull to do some writing. I wanted to be as current as possible because tonight may be my last opportunity to use the Allen’s internet and therefore, this may be my last entry for a while. Tomorrow afternoon, we are checking out of the Gull and going back to the farm for the remainder of our time here. At the farm, Phil hopes to do some debriefing, brain storming, and planning among other things. I hope to continue journaling but I may not be able to post anything until we get back home next Wednesday. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Wednesday,
January 30, 2008 - by Doug Easton Daily Journal Updates for the 29th |
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| Tuesday,
January 29, 2008 The team seems well rested this morning. I attribute much of that to our pre-bedtime, insect elimination routine. Even with mosquito netting draped over the windows (the screens on the windows are more hole than screen) a number of insects still manage to get into the room each day. So before turning in, we turn all the lights on, and we all fan out on a search and destroy mission. We have it down to a fine art. But still this morning I see I have two nice mosquito bites planted right in the middle of my forehead. There is much planned today, with the team scattered hither and yon. It is hard to keep track of who is doing what, but I will try to hit the highlights. Lisa, Libby, Dave, and Josh are spreading out over Ng’Ombe to get together with various individuals we’ve met over the past three weeks. They will be distributing books, school supplies, and sewing kits. They plan to eventually meet up at the Nonkas Project to see if some of the folks there could help us understand the logistics required to accomplish some projects that we would like to see done, i.e. putting a lock for Mrs. Bonda’s door and paying Mrs. Bonda’s back property taxes. How to move money and make sure it is spent on the items for which it is earmarked is quite problematic. Phil and I stayed behind at the Gull to meet with a local pastor. Unfortunately, that meeting fell through, as the pastor’s car would not start. At 1:00 PM, Phil and I took a taxi to the Baptist Seminary in order to meet Michael Kendela. We plan to meet him there and then bring him back to the Gull by taxi for an interview. Michael meets us as we get out of the taxi and proceeds to give us a tour of the campus grounds. It is very peaceful and quiet. One of the last stops on the ‘tour’ is the administration office and Phil offers to pay Michael and Monica’s (Michael’s wife) tuitions for their coming term. Michael is somewhat speechless but a short time later we meet up with Monica and it is more than obvious that they are both thrilled. Based on our prior two meetings with Michael, the team has decided to use WEFC’s Zambian Assistance Fund monies to cover this tuition. A short taxi ride later, we are back at the Gull, where the rest of the team has returned. Phil sets up the video recorder under a veranda and all of us begin our conversation with Michael. Three things have struck me about Michael: 1) There is ‘fire’ in his eyes when he talks of Godly things. 2) He seems to surround himself with Godly and capable people. 3) This is a very humble man. This meeting only confirms those points to me. Once again, the time flies by and before long we are saying good-bye as the taxi waits. The electricity was sporadic throughout the evening but Lisa managed to cook up some scrambled eggs between outages. Afterward, Phil, Libby, and I headed to the Allen’s to send emails. The stars were out on our walk over but it was ‘dry’ lightning as we returned. As we hit the sheets, the rain was pounding down, punctuated by flashes of light and loud thunderclaps. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Tuesday,
January 29, 2008 - by Doug Easton Daily Journal Updates for 27th to 28th |
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| Sunday,
January 27, 2008 The electricity was off as we woke so I decided to take a walk around the grounds before breakfast. But I soon realized that the Gull was in total lock down. San Quentin could take some pointers from Goatsa. Bars are permanently welded on all the windows and Goatsa, as she left the previous evening, had pad-locked all the doors behind thick, iron gates constructed of 5/8 inch rebar. A trade off between security and fire safety - not to mention personal freedom that we Americans really do take for granted. The lights were still out at 9:00 when we headed out to the ‘Church of God’ pastored by Patson Sakala. It was a warm walk but thankfully dry. Patson met us on the
sung by a 25 voice
congregational choir. Various movements and
motions went hand in hand with the singing.
The prayer time was noteworthy. A
‘leader’ voiced a prayer concern and
then each person began their own prayer out
loud. A crescendo of voices ensued.
This practice was somewhat out of my comfort zone
yet very powerful in its own right. Pastor
Sakala’s message focused on the pitfalls of
traditionalism – a recurring theme that
we’ve heard from the missionaries on our
visits. I’m struck by the courage that
it must take to address this subject in this
culture. Towards the end of the service,
the six of us were called to the front and
presented with two live chickens. Again, a
sign of great honor and I suspect a very real
sacrifice for this congregation.
Humbling. After the service, Dave and Phil
were asked to join the elders for a question and
answer time. Then Patson and a deacon,
Elliot, accompanied us out of the compound,
chickens in hand. We stopped along the way
to check on Wisdom Sakala. He is recovering
nicely but James was feeling ill, so we all had a
time of prayer with him. It was after 3:00
before we got back to the Gull. Phil, Josh,
and I went over to the Allen’s to send
emails and do some laundry while the rest of the
group caught up on some much needed down
time. When we returned, we had asked one of
the staff, Faleci (female), to prepare the
chickens for dinner. The chickens were
boiled in a tomato and onion broth and served
with boiled potatoes and cabbage. We asked
Feleci and another staff member, Joy (male), to
join us for supper. They hesitantly agreed
and I think they felt somewhat self conscious at
the table but they seemed to enjoy the food, as
did we. After dinner we gave each of them
20,000 kwacha (about $5.00) as a gift/tip.
Both seemed stunned. We had learned that
they both will have to work every day for a month
before they will be paid 240,000 kwacha (about
$60.00). After dinner we all watched a
movie on DVD from my laptop; ‘Amazing
Grace’, the story of one man’s fight to
abolish the slave trade in England in the early
1800’s.
marriage class and
then walking across Ng’Ombe to pay tuition
at a school for a child of one of the pastors.
Josh and Sachuma arrived a short time later each
lugging a sack of fertilizer. At 5:00, Luke
Whitfield (AZ missionary) picked us up and drove
us to their place for barbequed hamburgers,
potato salad, and coleslaw. It was great to
share time with Luke, his wife Alise, and their
three children. The stories about Zambia
are fascinating. And the taste and smells
of America were more than welcome |
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| Sunday,
January 27, 2008 - by Josh Wenzek Josh's Sunday Report |
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| God
is doing such great things over here. It's very
exciting to be part of it. All are healthy for
the most part. Doug got the Putzy fly, it was
absolutely abominable! We went to Patson's church
today, the singing was amazing! They gave us two
chickens. The weather has been cooling off, which
is nice. It is a little easier to sleep. We put
up mosquito nets on our windows so they aren't so
bad. We drove to the Hoover's last week, it was
a great trip. We helped them lay tile in a
room, 101 tiles we layed. It was good to use the
experience I gained with my dad. It came in
handy. They also showed us around Ndola and the
people they are ministering to. The bus ride
there and back was very "exciting". Tomorrow I am going into town to buy fertilizer for Mrs .Banda and help her apply it. Also pray that if God wants us to go to that farm and orphanage North of the city that He would let us know where it is. Also that God would give us wisdom as we decide what to do with the money. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Saturday,
January 26, 2008 - by Doug Easton Daily Journal Updates for 23rd to 26th |
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| Wednesday,
January 23, 2008 I had my best sleep of the trip last night. I must be getting acclimated to Zambia. This morning Josh, Dave and I are off to the Hoover’s house for more tile laying. Libby and Marcy are going to the market to buy some chickens (50) which they will distribute to some needy families in the area. The tile laying has gone well. With Josh and Dave doing the lion’s share of the work, we were able to accomplish the majority of the one room we targeted. And it looked pretty good if I do say so myself. After lunch we went to the Christian World Outreach building where we met with the ‘little nephews’ – street kids and orphans, ages 5 to 15, that the Hoover’s are ministering to. The program today included a time for games, bible study, some impromptu drama performed by the kids themselves, soccer, and a N’Sima meal. I must say that the kids really impress me here. They are respectful and courteous. During the 3 hours that we spent with this group today, I did not see one instance of ‘cutting up’ or goofing off. The games they played were competitive and hard fought but no sign of poor sportsmanship by either the winners or losers in the end. I talked to Shadraq, a committed young man of 31 and the ‘administrator’ at CWO. Actually, Shadraq seems to be a jack of all trades performing activities ranging from translator to cook to song leader; all performed with a huge smile. I asked him what he thought was the one thing Zambia needed most. His response was simply ‘the essence of the gospel’. Further discussion revealed that this meant the teaching of a Christ centered gospel supplemented with programs of humanitarian care – education, nutrition, medication, etc. I find the problems here to be incredibly complex. Humor me while I vector for a minute. But consider TV. While here, I’ve been in a couple of very poor homes in the middle of some very poor compounds and yet there was a small TV hooked up to an antenna. And there are pictures of a very different outside world being displayed. It makes me wonder how long it will be before the kids that I see playing outside with huge smiles are inside watching TV and becoming more discontent and bitter with each passing image. End of vector. The rest of the evening was spent eating and swapping tales of the Zambian experience with the Hoovers. And I might add that Dave has been infested by the diabolical Putsi fly as well me. However, his brood all seemed to die before they turned to larvae. So his are acting much like mosquito bites. Marcy attributes that to his malaria medicine, doxycycline, which is an antibiotic. I’m taking mefloquine which is not. Just one of the many tidbits we’re learning about African travel. And a final note for the day - the electricity has been on all day but the city water supply has been turned off. Seems somewhat ironic. Thursday, January 24, 2008 We were all up early to head into town this morning. We needed money from the ATM so that we could buy bus tickets. We’re headed back to Lusaka this afternoon. We have decided to take a Post Bus. The U.S. Post Office may have something to learn here. Why send a truck across the country with a few letters when a bus can do that job plus carry 75 or so paying passengers? So we got our tickets for the 1:00 PM departure at a post office that would rival any on Whidbey Island. From there we headed to an open air market to look for gifts and souvenirs to bring back home. American consumerism is alive and well although we could all use some bartering lessons. I tend to bid up instead of down. Back to the Hoover’s at 9:30 for a quick breakfast and final packing before heading to the CWO building to meet with the nephews. Today, the Hoover’s are planning a Bible study. As we arrive, the nephews are playing soccer. This is just a pickup game but you can hear the intensity. It sounds more like American football than soccer. Soon we’re all inside, exchanging handshakes, and being seated in a circle. Gymnasium air. I’m amazed at how courteous and respectful these guys are. I have no sense of threat or intimidation. Remember, this is basically a street gang. Marcy tells us that they only want to feel loved, accepted, and that they need a sense of belonging. Bill begins teaching and Shadraq interprets. The nephews dig into the Bibles that have been provided. To be sure, this is not a ministry without frustration. As the Hoover’s point out, there are many a back slide: with a nephew getting drunk, fighting, and ending up in jail. Or worse. But they can also count a number of young men who have meaningfully turned their lives around. After some refreshments, the nephews shake hands with us and filter out in groups of two and three. We say our good byes to the Hoover’s and head to the Post Office. The bus is almost full when we arrive. On the trip to N’Dola we had front row seats. Now Dave and I are in the back row with Josh and Libby one row ahead. It is very hot and very crowded. The bus pulled out at 1:00 PM sharp. On the first trip I was able to look forward, now I must look out to the side. And one thing that I notice right away is that we are passing tiny, round huts out on the savanna made of stick walls and thatched grass roofs. A couple of times I see oxen pulling carts and people hoeing their small gardens by hand. There is definitely no electricity, no running water, and no sign of machinery. A snapshot of this life image is very much what one would have seen here thousands of years ago. And I realize that I am on this very large machine hurtling down the highway at breakneck speed passing by some of these huts by no more than 100 yards. The contrast is profound. And then there is the Post Bus’s entertainment. Within the bus there are two small TV monitors mounted on the ceiling and connected to a DVD machine. The first DVD that the conductor plays is of an African rock group complete with gyrating bodies in very skimpy clothes. Glitzy and secular even by Hollywood standards. The second DVD is the Sinai Choir singing hymns in African dialects plus English. The third DVD is a Kung Foo style movie. The movie was spoken in the Vietnamese language with English closed captions. Scene after scene of violence. The final frame is held on the screen with a very anti American caption. The fourth DVD is the One Baptist choir singing hymns again. On one hand, I say ‘this is cool’ to hear a gospel message on a bus of all places. You don’t see that in Seattle. But on the other hand, with the images coming so close together, the signals get mixed, the lines blurred, and the gospel seems to get diluted at best. Four hours after getting on the bus, I get off feeling troubled. Back at the Gull in time for dinner, it seemed a little bit like home - at least it was familiar. Phil and Lisa will be staying the night at the Allen’s again. They will be getting up early to take Wisdom to the doctor. It will be good to meet up and all get back together tomorrow. Friday, January 25, 2008 It was a restful morning at the Gull. The four of us had our continental breakfast which again consisted of one hard boiled egg, toast, and coffee. Afterward, Dave and Libby prepared for their upcoming classes in the afternoon while Josh and I did some writing. About 11:00 AM, Phil and Lisa arrived with Wisdom. Wisdom is up and walking and appears to be doing well. He is going home today. We all got together for a much too quick ‘catch up’ meeting before heading to Ng’Ombe and the Alpha Destination School. Another good, solid rain had settled in so we took a taxi. The group of pastors that Dave is teaching arrived sporadically due to the rain and I can’t blame them – the rain was really coming down. One by one the pastors arrived, each soaked. And one of them is Wisdom’s father, James Sakala. As we shake hands, his grip firms and his eyes tear while looking deep inside of me, and says ‘God bless you greatly for all that you have done for me and my family.’ And I want to say ‘No, no. It wasn’t me. It was others.’ But he has already stepped away to take his seat. I relate that encounter simply because I know that James would want to personally thank each of you who have contributed to WEFC’s Zambian Assistance Fund and in so many other ways to this ‘mission’. About 2:30, Josh and I walked through a light rain down to the Allen’s for a prayer and praise meeting with the AZ missionaries. Another short term team is visiting as well so the meeting was quite large. What strikes as I look around the room is the stressed look on most of the long term missionaries faces. Zambia is a very hard place. Josh uses the term harsh. Things are constantly breaking or working improperly. In fact, it is said that the whole country is broken. Roads which seemed bemusing in their disrepair on first encounter become just plain frustrating if not irritating over time. The rain is really wet – one second and you’re drenched. The sun is really hot – 10 seconds and you’re sweating uncomfortably. And while the vast majority of the people are extremely friendly, there is a segment of the population (not to mention Putsi flies J) that find the Mzungo to be a tempting target. You always have to be somewhat on guard. It all takes a toll. We had planned to have dinner at the Gull but some of the missionaries invited us to come with them to an Indian cuisine restaurant. The food was excellent but extremely slow service. ‘Island time’ is alive and well in Zambia. After dinner, most of our group relaxed at the Gull while Libby and I went over to the Allen’s to send emails. Saturday, January 26, 2008 I was awake about 5:00 AM. For the first time on this trip I was awakened by a chill in the air. So I decided I might as well get up to read and to try and catch up with my journal. At 7:30, our continental breakfast was served - corn flakes, a pita bread, and coffee. As we ate, Phil led us through a planning, budget, and brainstorming session which continued on after the plates had been cleared. Somewhat surprisingly, at 9:30 Keith Strandburg came by and announced the he was ready take two of us to The Dutch Bizarre – a collection of open air shops selling an assortment of hand-crafted curios (read tourist trap J). And that the Allen’s were on their way to take the rest of us. While this outing had been discussed the night before, I think we were all caught off guard that it was actually happening. Nonetheless, we put our meeting on hold and everyone headed out. Except me - I opted for some quiet time by myself. Everyone returned at 1:00, treasures in hand and soon thereafter, we resumed our meeting. I’ll spare you the details but I will say that a very meaningful time of prayer was included. At 5:30, we broke for dinner – tuna fish sandwiches. The highlight of the evening was the Africa Cup soccer match, Zambia vs. Cameroon. One final note, some sort of threshold was reached today. For the first time that I can remember, I heard comments anticipating going home. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Wednesday,
January 23, 2008 - by Doug Easton Daily Journal Updates for 20th to 22nd |
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| Sunday,
January 20, 2008 The electricity came back on in the wee hours of the morning. We were told that this outage affected all of Zambia – a rarity. None of us slept very well. It’s been over 24 hours now since the last deluge and the air is really getting sticky. What’s worse, the bugs seemingly love this humidity and are out looking for fresh meat. This morning Phil and Lisa are off to the Living Waters Church. Living Waters is where monies from the WEFC 30 hour fasts have gone to help their feeding program. Josh, Libby, David and I are headed to the Emmasdale Church pastored by Mark M’Wale. Steve Allen picked us up at the Gull and drove us through a couple of compounds to the church. The compounds amaze me. I can’t describe them in words and the pictures I take are too one-dimensional. Steve dropped us off on a road running parallel to a small creek with the church on the other side of the creek. Pastor Mark met us out on the road with a huge smile and warm hugs as we got out of the Land Rover. Crossing the creek on a bridge that appeared to be constructed of the discarded flatbed of an old truck, I noticed that there was garbage being carried downstream and in fact, the banks of the stream looked to be nearly solid refuse. Mark took us directly to his home somewhat adjacent to the church. The house was very similar to the homes I’ve described previously. Once inside, Mark introduced us to his wife and offered us bottles of coke taken straight from a refrigerator chest there in the living area. After chatting for a while, Mark led us down to the church where he ushered us to front, honored guests while rhythmic and responsive singing proceeded. The power had been off when we arrived. Shortly thereafter, the power came on and they proceeded to accompany the singing with a keyboard on a PA system. That was a major disappointment for me as the keyboard only served to drown out the beautiful singing in my opinion. Our own Pastor David S. gave the message, which was well received by the congregation. Then the four of us were brought up and presented gifts of ceramic rabbits and chickens. The gift of a chicken is a sign of great honor. At the conclusion of the service, everyone filed out with each person stopping at the end and shaking hands with those coming later in line. And finally, Mark and the elders ushered us back across the creek to our waiting vehicle. Again, the hospitality and generosity of our hosts leaves me humbled. We spent most of the afternoon at the Allen’s catching up on emails and laundry. Back at the Gull at 6:00 PM, the chef, Willie, prepared a wonderful beef N’Sima that we ate the traditional way - with our hands. I find N’Sima to be extremely good. I will miss it when we get back home. We spent most of the evening preparing for Monday. Dave, Josh, Libby, and I will be taking a four-hour bus ride to the city of Ndola in the northern part of the country. We’ll be staying there for three nights with the Hoover’s - missionary friends of Libby’s. Phil and Lisa will be staying in Lusaka with the Allen’s so that they can help with the logistics of Wisdom’s surgery and recovery. They also hope to minister to some missionaries in the area among other things. Monday, January 21, 2008 Dave, Josh, Libby, and I were up at 4:00 AM. Keith Strandburg picked us up at 5:00 and drove us to the bus station. At this hour the streets were nearly deserted and as we approached the station, everything looked quite peaceful. But as soon as we turned off the road into the bus parking lot, we were immediately surrounded by what seemed to be dozens of young men, some gesturing wildly, most yelling at us, and others coming to the windows of the Land Rover and knocking frantically. Adrenalin does wonders at waking a body. It turns out that each was trying to direct us to a particular bus that they worked for. Thankfully, Keith seemed to know right where to go and got us on the right bus in no time. We were maybe the third party on the bus so we waited as the ‘mob’ worked at getting more patrons on the buses, ours included. While we sat there, a well-dressed young man got on and started preaching from the front of the bus. And I thought his theology was pretty good until his last couple of sentences when he told us that all believers were required to give and that now would be a good time. He then proceeded to pass a plastic bag for an ‘offering’. As our bus started to make its way through the crowd, the preacher jumped off, and soon we were back in the relative calm of the Lusaka streets. Our bus turned on to the Great North Highway – a well maintained, paved, two-lane highway. Light traffic but an exodus of humanity on both shoulders. Our tour bus ‘flew’ up the narrow corridor of pedestrians, many not more than two or three feet out of the traffic lane. As we proceeded north to Ndola, the walkers gave way to merchants, some set up in little lean-to’s, many simply sitting on the edge of the concrete shoulders with chickens, produce, charcoal, and other essentials by their side. The countryside turned to savanna woodland – tall grass, ten feet tall in places, punctuated with trees. And farms - many small family plots but some covering vast expanses of land. I was surprised not to see any African mammals of any kind. I’m told that most everything has been hunted out in Zambia. As we neared Ndola, spires of red clay 20 to 30 feet tall occasionally rose out of the grass – termite mounds. Marcy and Bill Hoover (Christian World Outreach missionaries) picked us up at the Bus station. Bill and Marcy are involved with AIDS ministries and what they call ‘the nephews’ program, among other things. The ‘nephews’ all work as ‘call boys’ – an occupation whereby the men work at any given bus stop in an effort to get the patrons to take their ‘employers’ particular bus. They are considered the lowest of the low in Zambian society because they are uneducated and often function as gangs in various forms of illegal activity. Prostitutes are held in higher esteem. But this is the Hoover’s target population and they are making great inroads. As we drive, it is not uncommon for a ragged dressed, tough looking young man to yell out ’Aunt Marcy’ and wave as we pass. That afternoon, Marcy drove us to a hospice to visit one of her ‘nephews’ with tuberculosis who is housed there. The building is clean and orderly. This is the same hospice where Libby first met ‘Little’ John. The staff was thrilled to see Libby and pictures of ‘Little’ John. As with U.S. hospices, I am struck by the stoic calm in the eyes of those waiting to die. The Hoover’s served us a wonderful barbequed, teriyaki steak dinner and soon thereafter the lights went out. We were told this outage was countrywide once again and that it was caused by a generator failure at a major dam. We swapped tales and theology by candlelight before heading off to bed. Tuesday, January 22, 2008 We had a leisurely morning before heading out at 9:00 AM. The Hoover’s are currently house sitting a beautiful home owned by a doctor. Upper middle class by American standards. They have purchased a house which needs some fixing up before they move in come April. So this morning we’re off to help Bill lay tile flooring in his house – a vintage 1950’s rambler constructed of mostly concrete. It will feel good to do the American thing and actually build something today. As we drive, Ndola feels cleaner and wealthier than Lusaka although I’m sure that impression is influenced by the fact that we haven’t been through any compounds here. Bill tells us that copper was a very big industry in Zambia before the market bottomed in the 1980’s. Now, the world economy is expanding and the Chinese are here in a big way. They import most of the copper that Zambia produces and new mines are opening up. In fact, Zambia owns the mines but the Chinese operate most of the smelters and is importing its own workers. Part of the reason for the importation of workers is because of the AIDS epidemic. The mines need a reliable labor source and many times Zambians will die before they can be fully trained. So prices are rising. Middle class housing is an example. But the average Zambian is not experiencing the economic benefits. We spent most of the morning doing prep work for the tile before returning to the Hoover’s for an N’Sima lunch. The N’Sima was served with boiled sausage, beans, and steamed Rape – the leaves of the plant that canola seeds come from. As I’ve said before, N’Sima with the dishes that we’ve had it with, is delicious and filling. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Zambians cannot afford to eat it the way we have. And by itself, it is totally lacking in nutrition. After lunch Bill drove us to one of three Ndola cemeteries. It was sobering to see row upon row of fresh graves, a testament to the AIDS epidemic. Hundreds of red clay mounds, each with a hand painted tin marker bearing witness to each person’s name and age. I walked among the graves for quite a while and only saw one indicating that the person was over 50 years old. Statistics on AIDS related deaths in Africa are very conservative. One reason for that in Zambia is the social taboo associated with AIDS felt by the family. Another reason is that when an employee of a company dies of AIDS, a company is required by law to compensate families monetarily as well as report the death to the government. Therefore, the employer has an economic incentive not to report the death. Then back to the tiling project. We were able to cement down 33 tiles this afternoon before heading back to the Hoover’s. The electricity failed just as dinner was being served, so we had a candlelight dinner. After dinner, I provided the entertainment for the evening. Have you ever heard of the infamous Putsi fly? No? Well let me tell you. Believe me; no African adventure would be complete without the Putsi fly. These little beauties lay their eggs on damp laundry among other places. If the laundry is dried on an outdoor line, the eggs will survive for a few days. Ironing or machine drying will kill the eggs. Anyway, picture yours truly (maybe you would rather not) snuggling in between the sheets and various body parts (I know you don’t want to picture that - sorry) coming in contact with these little microscopic bundles of joy. Upon contact, they somehow begin to burrow under one’s flesh, feeling much like a mosquito bite. After a day or two, the larvae have grown to maybe the size of a pinhead, creating a very hot, red welt. And they’re getting hungrier by the second. Every time they take a bite, it feels like a bee sting. Thankfully, Marcy is a nurse and aware of the dreaded Putsi fly. She extracted 19 of these writhing little blessings from my feet and legs while my teammates watched in total fascination. Truly, how many times have you seen a living creature removed from under human flesh? Never? You’re in luck – Josh has it on video tape. And so another day on the African Continent comes to an end. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Sunday,
January 20, 2008 - by Josh Wenzek Moka Bwanji, Good Morning |
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| Hello!
I am at the Allen's right now a young missionary
couple here. They are letting us do our laundry
and e-mail. Steve drove us to church today, it
was great! The singing was incredible. Pastor
Dave preached, he did a great job. Living
here is like living another life. Things are so
different. Each day is like a week. It's
exciting, though. We are getting along great as a
team. The power went out last night, the whole
country! so we sat in our room, prayed and sang.
We got fertilizer for Anna Bonda yesterday, a
widow who has a couple good plots of land in
corn, squash, beans, peanuts, cassava, and
Tomatoes. I, along with her daughter and her,
applied fertilizer, weeded, and planted tomatoes.
I have spent a lot of time with that family in
their field. We are trying to help them out, they
are in great need. Amongst the
poverty people are doing
what they can to
help with schools and orphanages and
churches. But the corruption and injustice is
sickening. It has been so hot. The nights are
also hot and the mosquitoes are veracious.
The icy hot seemed to be
working but not last night and there are no nets.
Oh well. Tomorrow morning we travel to Ndola. We
leave very early. it's a four hour ride. We will
be spending about three days there. Helping them
with their tile floor and seeing what they do up
there. Then we will come back to the Seagull's
Lodge where we are now. Well I think my wash is done. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Tuesday,
January 22, 2008 6:14 AM-
by Phil Stevenson Phil's Journal Updates for 21st and 22nd |
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| Monday,
January 21, 2008 By now you have probably figured out that Doug has become our team's keeper of the daily journal. He's doing a marvelous job of giving you a picture of how our days are progressing. I hope you all are able to capture the demonstrations of God's grace that we are experiencing. When in doubt read between the lines that God is being so faithful, so kind, so gracious, so protective in so many ways. Now our team is in two locations so I will try and fill you all in on what Lisa and I have experienced the last 2 days. Monday, January 21 was an awesome day. While Libby, P. Dave, Doug, and Josh have proceeded on to Ndola, Lisa and I have decided to stay in Lusaka and see the operation on Wisdom Sakala through. It was scheduled for Monday morning. Lisa and I got up from the guest house and walked up to Ng'ombe. It's about a 25 minute walk away, all familiar ground to us since this is where we minstered much of the time when we were her in '05. At that time we had met a pastor by the name of James Sakala, his wife Nya (Nee-Uh), and their 5 children (Purity, James, Wisdom, Bliss, and Joshua). In 2005 we had told them we wanted to help with a surgical procedure that would correct a very critical problem that Wisdom had acquired when a neighbor "accidentally" spilled boiling water on the area of Wisdom's abdomen. The result of the burn had left Wisdom incapable of having children in the future. It was a very distressing situation for Wisdom and for his parents who considered all the implications of this burn. The story is amazing to hear how they forgave the woman who did this and have chosen to wait on God to rectify the situation. What a privilege that we have the opportunity to be the answer to their long and patient prayers for their son. At 9:00 am we met them at their house. James, Wisdom, Lisa, and I then took a taxi (the taxi driver attended my classes back in '05 so we are using him exclusively now--isn't God good?!) to the Coptic Hosptital. It's an orthodox mission and hospital sponsored by the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church. Wisdom was admitted to a room and we then waited about 1 hour for him to go to have his surgery. From the time he left to the time he returned it took about 3 hours. During that time Lisa and I had the great privilege of sitting with James Sakala talking, praying, reading scriptures that encourged us. What a great honor to walk through all this with this family. We also visited with other patients and their families, praying and sharing the gospel with them. The surgery went well and the doctor showed us some pretty graphic pictures of what took place. But everything was as it should be and the doctor was very positive about his prospects for the future. Our prayer has been that from this surgery Wisdom will have a normal family life and be able to have children in the future. Who knows, from this young boy could come a great African evangelist who could be used of God to preach to thousands and turn them to Jesus? And once again, we would have had the awesome privilege of being a part of His great plan. Just the thought of this makes this trip all worth it. There is great value in what we are able to do together as a church family. Investing what God has entrusted to us for an eternal reward and for purposes that we may never understand the fullness of and yet all go for His Glory. Amazingly, each day of our lives holds these kinds of prospects. We all can be a part of changing the course of history. We left James with his son and took a taxi back to Ng'ombe and were able to tell Nya that all went well. She was waiting for us and we were all happy together. Then we shifted to the Allens house where we are staying of the next 3 days. Steve let us borrow his car and we went back to visit James and Wisdom again so that we could bring him a sandwich and Wisdom some books, a coloring book, and crayons and markers. He was trying to lay in a comfortable position, and as soon as we brought out the coloring books he perked right up. It was so fun to see him have something to do. Tuesday, January 22, 2008 We returned again this morning, (Tues. Jan. 22) this time bringing Nya and her friend, Margaret with us. When we came into the room. he was coloring again. We stayed just for a short time and then proceeded on to the next mission. Our next mission was to meet up with a boy named Charles and his father, Charles, to see if we could help the younger Charles get into school as an 8th grader. It took us a bit of work but we finally got him signed up for 8th grade even though his scores were not above the cut-off point. Once again God gave us favor. The Head-Mistress of the school was willing to allow him at the second school that we approached. It's a school that is in an area adjacent to Ng'ombe. We ended up walking all the way across the Ng'ombe Compound to get back to the Allen's. It was again a wonderful opportunity to impact a young man's life. The father is unemployed right now and our sense is that he spends too much time drinking at the bars. Please pray for him. We spoke frankly of his need for Jesus and his need to be an encourager and good example to his son. We have invited him to go to church with us to Patson Sakala's church on Sunday. Please pray that he and his wife will go and that God would work a miracle in this man's life. In all of this we are learning so much about life in Zambia, the pressures and fears that these dear people wrestle with. The poverty is so great. Both of these boys have such great potential and the faith of James and his wife is so instructive and the grip of temptation that seems to have such a hold on Charles' father reminds us of the power of God that is needed to meet these needs. We really have nothing else to offer them. We may help with a surgery or school fees but if there is no hope in Jesus these are but momentary fixes. It is the gospel that will really bring lasting change. The faith that James displays and the difference that it makes in his life as a father is quite remarkable. This is what we have to offer. Please pray that James Sakala will be able to testify to this grace, even to Charles and the so many who are like him. Thanks so much for your prayers throughout our days here. We are so grateful and can testify to the way God has manifested himself, opening up so much for us as we learn and serve every day. God bless you all as you do the same in your days. We are praying for you all, our church, as well. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Sunday,
January 20, 2008 - by Doug Easton Daily Journal Updates for 18th to 19th |
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| Friday,
January 18, 2008 I was up early this morning for some quiet time and was able to view the sunrise through a window. ‘Sunshine’ Dunaway J would have been thrilled, as was I. As I reflected on yesterday’s conversation with Victor, it seemed that Satan is trying to attack the church on at least two fronts. From outside with culture and tradition. From inside with false teaching like the prosperity doctrine. And it occurred to me that what I’m observing here in Zambia is not the chaos of a man made war but of a spiritual war. A war that manifests itself physically in the form of human suffering and deplorable conditions. I’ve heard the term ‘spiritual battle’ many times and thought of it much as a metaphor. Maybe even a cliché. But Zambia is a spiritual battlefield. It is real. It is here. Much prayer is needed. But I’m reminded that the battle belongs to the Lord. At 9:00 AM we loaded up the Land Rover in a torrential rain. Eleven suitcases strapped to the top with the seven of us crammed inside. Think Beverly Hillbillies. Glen took us to our new home in the city – The Seagull Guest House and Restaurant. It is run by a Serbian National by the name of Goatsa and we are the hostels first guests. Very clean and quiet with a European feel situated in a neighborhood that could be mistaken for any American middle class neighborhood except for the fact that each lot has a walled perimeter. While the rest of us got settled in, Glen took Phil to pay for Wisdom’s hospital stay. Everything is paid up and ready to go on Monday. Once Phil returned we all walked into the Ng’Ombe compound, a walk of 25 minutes. Dave continued his Bible Instruction classes to the local pastors (I counted 24 today) and Libby taught the English class. Phil, Lisa, Josh and I visited with Mrs. Anna Banda (Kenson’s mother) and her daughter Elizabeth before heading back out of the compound to visit with a number of other families that the Stevenson’s had befriended on their last visit to Zambia. As we walked, Josh mentioned that he was troubled and Lisa said the same. In our conversation with Mrs. Banda, she had confided that after our last visit to her home on Wednesday, the tax collector had come and asked for 8 years of back taxes. We believe that he saw us come to her home on Wednesday, assumed that we had given her money, and saw this as a chance to make some kwacha. That is part of the dynamics here but very troubling to all of us nonetheless. We boiled up some Top Raman for supper here at The Gull and ate it out on the terrace before the mosquitoes chased us inside. After dinner, Phil and I went over to Steve Allen’s (AZ Missionary) home, who lives just a block away from The Gull, connected to his internet, and sent emails. I read each email that Jamie sends me at least a half a dozen times. Saturday, January 19, 2008 A busy day is scheduled. In fact, as I write this at 8:00 AM, Josh has already left. He contacted Keith Strandburg (AZ missionary) and arranged to have Keith pick him up in order to buy fertilizer for Mrs. Banda. The rest of us had the Gull’s continental breakfast which consisted of a hard boiled egg, toast with jam and a Serbian cream cheese, and coffee or tea. At about 9:30 we all headed for Ng’Ombe. Dave and Libby split off to meet with Pastor Davis Banda who runs a nonprofit organization for orphans. Phil, Lisa, and I proceeded to meet with Patson Sakala, pastor of a 150 member church in Ng’Ombe, for a video interview at Patson’s house. Unfortunately, the battery on the video recorder died (the recorder accidentally got turned on in our walk to Patson’s). So the four of us walked back to the Gull where we simply talked with Patson on the terrace. He gave us his testimony and once again, two hours flew by. The men that we’ve met with to date have all been genuine and I truly feel a brotherly bond with them. And I have been humbled by them all. About 1:00 PM, Phil and I walked with Patson back to Ng’Ombe and continued our conversation about faith, the church, politics, and much more. As we were about part ways with Patson, we met Josh on his trek back to Mrs. Banda’s home from the fields where he had spent the day spreading fertilizer. He was returning with Elizabeth and Mariam, Mrs. Banda’s daughters. The first thing out of Elizabeth’s mouth was that Josh had bought the family a chicken for which both girls were more than thrilled. Phil and I tagged along to Mrs. Banda’s where the subject of the back taxes came up again. We were relieved to learn in this conversation that the taxes had been assessed last November, long before our arrival last week. So the troubled feelings that I wrote about yesterday were probably overdone. Nevertheless, we still feel that we need to be very sensitive in how we do things so as not to leave the widows and orphans that we visit in a greater state of vulnerability after we leave. Leaving Mrs. Banda’s, we headed to the Ng’Ombe Baptist Church. Here we found about 20 men putting rafters on a new sanctuary which I would guess to be about 30 feet by 60 feet – a very big building by Ng’Ombe standards. We were told that all but one of the men was a member and that they all get together almost every Saturday for the construction. The sight confirmed to me that our “mission” here is on the right path. Zambians really don’t need short termers to come and build stuff for them. From there we headed back to the Gull. Lisa had left to visit children in the neighborhood. Dave and Libby returned a short time later and reported that their interview had gone well. In their words, paraphrased slightly J, Pastor Banda was a true man of God with a heart for street orphans. He currently houses 23 orphans in his own home and teaches them carpentry and plumbing. After our dinner of oatmeal, the electricity went out again. Josh led us in prayer and praise hymns by head lamp. As the six of us sat huddled there in the dark, singing, I felt vulnerable and very far from home. Yet, at the same time, I could imagine God looking down upon us from heaven and smiling. And then we sang ‘It is well with my soul”. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Sunday,
January 20, 2008 6:43 AM -
by Libby Stevenson Plans for Monday |
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| Things are going well
here. Everyone remains healthy and we are
learning much. Tomorrow (Monday) 4 of us
will go to Ndola in the north to visit missionary
friends there and learn more about their work
with street boys and AIDS and orphans. Will
also visit John Mpundu's twin brother,
Martin. Dad and I are teaching a group of
pastors in Lusaka. We'll have five sessions
with them, dad teaching BIC materials and me
teaching English. Seems to be going
well. Phil and Lisa will stay in Lusaka
while we're in Ndola. They will be with the
Sakala family while their son, Wisdom, has
surgery on his abdomen, which was badly burned
about 3 years ago. Phil will cover one
class with the pastors during that time. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Friday,
January 18, 2008 - by Doug Easton Daily Journal Updates for 15th to 17th |
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| Tuesday,
January 15, 2008 I awoke to the sounds of a rooster crowing in the distance, the chirping of what must be thousands of acacia, and a variety of songbirds singing. A beautiful chorus of praise to our Lord. And Glen had the hot water in the shower working. It helped work out some the kinks from being bounced about in the back of the Land Rover. I have a few bruises and a beautiful collection of bug bites. First off, Phil, Lisa, and Libby visited a small school just up the road from the farm. They dropped off some of the books, sowing kits, and other donations from WEFC. While they did that, Dave and I stayed at the farm. Dave did some minor repairs on door and cabinet hinges. I tried to pull some things together for an expected stop at an internet café later in the day. Josh has befriended Jailos, a local who works here on the farm. They are going to spend the day planting sweet potatoes on Jailos’s family plot. By 10:30 Phil, Lisa, and Libby had returned and I could tell that they felt that their morning ‘mission’ was a success. Then Glen drove Phil, Dave, and me into Lusaka. Megan and Libby left at the same time in the other Land Rover headed for the Kanimyana school to distribute school supplies and books. We all felt that it was best for both vehicles to leave at the same time because the roads are getting almost impassable at some spots now. We all made it to the paved highway without incident and Glen dropped Phil, Dave, and me off at an Americanized shopping mall. While Phil and I went to the internet café to send emails, Dave went to the bank to exchange some dollars for kwacha. About 4000 kwacha for 1 dollar. Finishing up these tasks, we had lunch at a Subway shop. We then took a taxi to Michael Kendele’s. He is living with his family in a small but nice home on the campus of the Baptist seminary. The campus is about ten treed acres - a peaceful oasis on the north outskirts of town. We met with Michael and another seminary student named Henry. Both men were passionate about their love for Christ and their desire to preach the gospel. The two hours flew by. We’ll try to meet with them again. Then the taxi ride back to meet Glen and on to the farm. Need I say it rained all afternoon? Lisa had prepared rice and beans for us tonight and dinner conversation with the Ripley’s consisted of everything from the observance of the Sabbath to the Tribulation and many subjects in between. An interesting point about the Sabbath was made by Phil and Glen that I had never heard before. I’ll paraphrase here a little. ‘The purpose of the Sabbath under Old Testament law was to recover from the previous six days of work. The purpose of the Sabbath under New Testament grace is to prepare for the coming six days of work.’ My takeaway to ponder for the evening. Wednesday, January 16, 2008 As I opened my bible this morning the pages fell open to Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd.” Boy, do those five little words have a whole new meaning for me. We will be leaving at 9:00 with Glen and many things are on the agenda. But the logistics are a bit up in the air so the Lord will need to shepherd us along. Glen dropped all of us a couple blocks away from the Ng’Ombe compound and we walked in to the Alpha Destination School. Dave and Libby proceeded to Nonkas Project – a school for orphans teaching tailoring, designing and carpentry plus a widows club. Josh and I met up with Mrs. Anna Banda (Kenson’s mother) and her daughter Elizabeth. The four of us walked out a couple miles with them to their family plot of maize to help them weed. Phil and Lisa met up with James Sakala and his son Wisdom. Wisdom was scalded by boiling water about 3 years ago and his abdomen and pelvic region are badly deformed. He needs surgery to repair much of the scarring and give him a chance at a normal life. The Stevensons had met Wisdom on their first trip to Zambia, were touched, and have been hoping to somehow help him for 2 years now. I stand amazed at how God has worked. Upon arriving in Lusaka, we weren’t sure if we could even find the Sakala’s and Wisdom. Yet within two hours of our arrival, plans were laid with Glen to help Wisdom. So this morning, Phil and Lisa are taking Wisdom to be examined by a Urologist. During the afternoon we all made our way back to the Alpha Destination school. Dave taught a Bible Instruction class to local pastors (I was impressed that 16 showed up on less than 48 hours notice) and Libby taught them English. Phil and Lisa were the last to arrive having stopped to visit Steve and Stephanie Allen (AZ missionaries). We are coming to the realization that there is a very real need to minister to missionaries here. In addition, Phil and Lisa reported that not only had the prognosis for Wisdom been positive, they had already been able to schedule the surgery for next Monday. To which I said, ‘That’s good. But how is this going to be paid for?’ thinking many thousands of dollars. But God was way ahead of me. Total cost of the surgery and a two day hospital stay - $1000.00. The team has decided to use WEFC’s Zambian Assistance Fund monies to cover everything. The lord shepherded us back to the farm in the late evening and the ladies prepared a delicious ham omelet that really tasted good. Almost every time I turn around here I find myself challenged and amazed. I could write about a number of small ‘incidents’ that truly touched me today. But time and lack of energy prevent it. Thursday, January 17, 2008 We are staying on the farm today. Yesterday was very hectic so Phil decided that we all needed a little ‘down’ time. I find the countryside (except the roads) to be almost idyllic - a complete contrast to the city. So, we all had a quiet, restful morning. However, Josh did get out and helped Jaibal plant some more sweet potatoes. But I think Josh would consider that more therapeutic than work so he seems well rested also. About noon Phil called all of us together. We went over our budget and put a few more events on the calendar. Last night we made reservations at a guest house near the Ng’Ombe compound. So tonight will be our last night here on the farm for a while. At about 1:30 we were served an authentic Zambian meal prepared by Anna, a local who works here on the farm. The centerpiece of almost any Zambian meal is N’sima (pronounced sheema). N’sima is ground maize that is boiled to the consistency of a very thick, sticky cream of wheat. Served with the N’sima was chicken, feet and all, that had been fried in oil. In addition, there was a steamed vegetable dish called Ifisash (unpronounceable for me). Ifisash consists of ground pumpkin leaves, ground peanuts, tomatoes and onions. The N’sima was tasteless but when used as a base for the other elements it all created a very good tasting meal. For a Zambian, this meal would be the equivalent of steak and lobster in the states. Everything is eaten with one’s fingers. At 4:30, Victor M’tungo, the pastor of a small Pentecostal church next to the farm dropped by for an interview that Phil had set up. In many conversations that we’ve had with other pastors and AZ missionaries there seem to be two huge barriers to spreading the true gospel in Zambia which Victor seemed to confirm. First, culture and tradition are stumbling blocks for many. As just one example, if someone becomes a believer, that person may be under tremendous pressure from relatives to participate in traditional ceremonies which are contrary to Christian belief. Imagine a new Christian with a newborn baby and now the grandparents want the new believer to perform some sort of traditional birthing ceremony. The new believer refuses to perform the ceremony. All well and good except now anything and everything that goes wrong in the entire extended family is blamed on the new believer’s failure to perform the ceremony. Tremendous ‘peer pressure’ builds to denounce the faith. Secondly, there is a great deal of ‘prosperity gospel’ being preached, i.e. if a person has a real, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then that person will be materially blessed (rich). Conversely, a poor ‘believer’ does not have enough faith or does not really know the Lord. I can’t imagine how much doubt that generates in a country with 60% unemployment. After dinner, the rest of the evening was spent in various modes of relaxation (reading and cribbage being the most popular) and packing in preparation for tomorrow’s departure. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Tuesday,
January 15, 2008 - by Doug Easton Daily Journal Updates for 9th to 14th |
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| Wednesday, January 9,
2008 The flight to Dulles was uneventful and seemed to go by fast. We had no time to waste at Dulles though. By the time we got to the international terminal our flight was already boarding. The flight from Washington D.C. to Johannesburg just never ended. Our pilot announced that it was the longest commercial flight anywhere. 17 hours and then on to the next flight. I really thought I might throw up on the descent into Johannesburg. Shuke Maugen from trying to sleep sitting up. Yuk. But after walking around in Johannesburg for a couple of hours I felt fine. Johannesburg airport was as modern as anything I’ve seen. Really cool design. Short flight to Lusaka. Glenn Ripley and another AZ [Action Zambia] missionary, Megan, met us at the airport. Our baggage was all there and no problem with customs. They drove us in two Land Rovers through Lusaka out to ‘the farm’, AZ’s complex on 20 acres of farmland about 8 miles out of town. We’re in the guest house this week. We need to find a place after that. Lusaka was nearly deserted as we drove through except for a little open air casino that was something right out of the movies. At the farm we discussed help for Wisdom Sakala (more on that later) and went off to bed. I’m sharing a room with Josh. The smells and ‘feel’ are much like Mexico except with an African motif - Gecko’s on the walls, acacia chirping, thunder and lightning, torrential rain. In bed about midnight only to hear the whine of an insect next to my head. Had to put the mosquito netting over the bed before going to sleep. Thursday, January 10, 2008 Woke at 8:30 AM. Breakfast of protein drink and my green gunk. Yum, Yum. Tried to plug in my computer this morning and found that the converter does not plug into these walls. Plus the three way plug on the computer does not plug into the converter. A really good “buy decision” on my part. J But between the Stevenson’s and the Ripley’s, I’m up and running. Megan drove us back into Lusaka to meet Glenn who had gone in earlier. The back roads are really bad. Much worse than anything we’ve experienced in Mexico. People walking everywhere. Not many cars on these back roads. The paved roads aren’t bad but really scary with the traffic during the day. Think Mexico while driving on the wrong side of the road. We met with James Sakala who the Stevenson’s had met on their last trip. We went to Ng’Ombe, one of 25-30 compounds in the city. About 70,000 live in this one compound. Visited James Sakala’s family, Kenson’s mother and family, Patson’s wife and kids. Buildings are mostly two room block houses. The buildings are packed together, seem to be randomly placed and go on forever. The rooms in the houses we entered were maybe 10 feet by 10 feet at best. Dirt and debris everywhere outside but very tidy inside. Where water has cut ruts down the lanes, you can see layer upon layer of plastic trash. Think Grand Canyon. Little open air produce stands. Women cooking various breads, maze, caterpillars, and termites over open fires to try and sell. Kids everywhere and they flock to us. Mulibwanja! (white foreigner). Kids seem happy. Older men (20 – 30 years old, my guess) seem to look at us with some suspicion. But everyone is friendly when approached. Seems like kids outnumber adults 10 to 1. I never saw any police or other “infrastructure” except a few power poles and community water spickets. On the way back to the farm we stopped and got money (the ATM worked fine!) and groceries for tonight’s dinner. The Shoprite we were in was very American. Back at the farm, Glenn gave us a tour. They’ve done a lot in the 6 years that they’ve been here. You would have found the farming techniques and various plants fascinating. Too bad you can’t see the snails here though. BIG and very plentiful. You would never complain about our slugs again. Spaghetti dinner tasted wonderful as our one real meal of the day. I may lose some weight. Libby and Dave have gone off to bed as I write this at 9:00 PM. Phil is editing the day’s videos – semi interviews with Glenn and whoever else we meet with. Huge problems here but I don’t feel guilty, troubled, or too upset which somewhat surprises me. This first day has flown by and I find myself fascinated more than anything. Friday, January 11, 2008 I didn’t sleep well last night – too hot and muggy. Up this morning at 6:30 and had a cold shower – no hot water. Megan took us into town about 9:30. Went past and through a market unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Hollywood has yet to create anything like this. Cars and people intermingled by the thousands. Almost total gridlock. Everything seems dirty. Hundreds of blue mini vans – the public transportation. Honking horns. The Zambians love their ‘tooters’. Small stands selling everything imaginable. Then on to the Kanimyana school (AZ sponsored). Large and fairly modern compared to what I’ve seen here so far and a positive image. Then out through the Cyibwalya compound. The conditions are beyond deplorable. I would have to say hell on earth. Standing water over the ‘road’ and right up next to the shambles where people are living. Probably more sewage than water as I saw men urinating into the puddles (small ponds). Open garbage heaps. Everything here seems to be covered in black mud. Goats and chickens awaiting slaughter next to the carcasses of butchered animals. And still kids. This is something that one could never prepare for. Emotionally I feel like I’ve been hit in the gut. Then to the Misi school (also AZ sponsored) in the Misi compound. The Misi compound is not as bad as the Cyibalya compound but still incredibly bad conditions. The school of maybe 100 students sang to us Christian songs as we arrived. The eyes and smiles light up the gray, poorly lit room. We served them their lunch of rice and beans – probably their only meal of the day. My heart aches. Nevertheless, I commented to Megan that I was surprised that the human condition seemed to actually fare better than what the environmental conditions would dictate. For instance, I was surprised that I was not seeing children in a far worse state of malnutrition (a Time magazine cover seemed to stick in my mind). Megan said that the Zambians “hide” people that are really bad off. Come to think of it, I have not seen one elderly person in the compounds. Then Megan took us downtown for our lunch. Gridlock on the road but we finally got through. I am both relieved and amazed that we didn’t witness any pedestrian fatalities. Lunch was at a hole-in-wall Indian cuisine place in a quiet back alley. The food was excellent. As we ate at a table on the open air sidewalk just off the main thorough fare it would have been easy to imagine that we were in downtown Seattle. I would guess we were no further than a mile or two from Cyibwalya. Back to the farm at 3:00 for a prayer and praise meeting with the AZ missionaries. I took a much too short nap after that. I was awakened by Josh at my request - Megan and Lisa R. took Josh, Lisa and me for an hour long walk. Rolling, lush green countryside. Stunning sunset. I’ve glimpsed a bit of hell and a bit of heaven in the span of six hours. We had dinner at about 7:00. Rice and stir fry with an apple cobbler desert. It tasted great. Great fellowship around the table. Tomorrow, Phil has asked that we just huddle as a team here on the farm and try to help each other process our thoughts and emotions. I am left feeling helpless and more dependent than ever on our Lord. Saturday, January 12, 2008 I awoke at about 2:00 A.M. to images of Cyibwalya interspersed with memories of Jamie and my Dad. I wept silently for a while and then fell into problem solving mode. It’s the American thing to do. After awhile my brain began to seize up and I went into a time prayer. I got up about 5:00 after not being able to fall back to sleep. Phil and Lisa were already up not being able to sleep either. Phil and I have decided to go into town this morning and try to find an internet café. Lisa came along. The internet café was packed by people who seemed to be ex-pats. Not using the internet but drinking lattes. We were able to connect up and send some emails but many things seemed to time out. For instance, we were not able to send any pictures. On the way back to the farm, we stopped at an open air market. Muddy ground. Little stalls. The first stall was a one chair barber shop followed by a fellow selling used car tires, followed by a produce stand where we got some beautiful vegetables for dinner, followed by a lady selling jewelry, followed by almost anything you can imagine. Back at the farm we had lunch and then I took a three hour nap. Boy, did I need that. About 4:00 P.M. the team met. We had all been moved by the previous day’s experiences. But we all agreed that it is important to remember that we are fact finding and not problem solving. I think we were able to come up with some very good “interview” questions that would draw out Zambian needs without projecting our expected response. And that should help with our objective of finding a church to partner with. I feel confirmed that we are being directed by God according to His will. Our attention then turned to our upcoming schedule. Much to do in very little time. And communication/transportation hurdles that just don’t exist back home. There is a constant friction between following strategy and remaining flexible. Lisa and Libby are working on the calendar as I write this. Dinner was an excellent curie and chicken dish. Dinner was with the Ripley’s and Megan. I think they enjoy having us here. And we are definitely in their debt for so many things. The discussion turned to what was the most important thing for a long term missionary to do. The consensus was that a mindset of ‘long term’ was critical – learning the language, learning the customs and building relationships. Speaking of language, I journaled earlier that Mulibwanja meant (white foreigner). In fact, Mzunga means white foreigner. Mulibwanja means ‘how are you?’ We hear both a lot. Sunday, January 13, 2008 I was awakened at 5:00 AM by a man singing an African song while walking down the road that is adjacent to the farm. I had a good nights rest. It is raining a good, solid Pacific Northwest rain this morning. But it is hot and muggy. This morning we are headed to the Great Commission Baptist Church pastured by Michael Kendele. Before leaving, the team gathered for a prayer meeting and committed our day to the Lord. It was very emotional for me and I know other team members as well. At 9:00, Megan drove us into Lusaka and we picked up Michael on the way so that he could guide us to the church. The church was located in a compound comprised of newer, larger homes with a little bit of green space between the houses – a ‘low density’ community. I would guess that most of these newer homes were 1000 square feet in size constructed of cinder blocks. The church was located in a community school. Michael’s church was one of seven renting school rooms for their services. As we arrived, the rain had turned to a downpour and we scurried to the room while a couple of the Pentecostal churches blared out unfamiliar but rhythmic tunes over their PA systems. The church was in a very clean but well used school room. Again, cinder block construction and tin roofing. All the women and children were seated on the pastor’s right, men and boys on the left. I roughly counted 42 people in all. After the service, Michael commented to Libby that some of the regulars had stayed away because of the rain. I think all of the Zambians walked to the service. I take that back. There was one other car in the ‘parking area’ but then again it may have been there for one of the other six services. First, I’ll comment on the music. I don’t want to take anything away from my all time favorite song leader and choir director, Glen Hallam, but I must say these folks could SING. Without any instrumental accompaniment, we blew the Pentecostals out of the water. It was inspirational and worshipful. The sermon was preached in English and translated into an African dialect by a fellow named Alex (Associate Pastor?). Michael and Alex had worked together for seven years. The sermon was bible based, Christ centered, and as far as I’m concerned, spot on. We all commented afterwards, what a well prepared and well delivered sermon Michael (two years of seminary to go) had made. I also must comment on the offertory. While standing and singing a congregational song, one person at a time would bring their tithe to the front and place it in a covered basket. At first I thought that would make me uncomfortable both as an observer and participant. But as the process progressed it seemed that it might be less conspicuous than our tradition of passing the plate and in fact it was really quite moving. Mark 12:42 came to mind. After the service, we drove Alex home and Michael to his bus stop. We then headed to an American shopping mall for a late afternoon lunch and after that Megan drove us around to a number of places that might work as places for us to stay next. AZ needs the farm for another group soon. We found some possibilities but location and prices have yet to match up perfectly. No decision there yet. The rains had wreaked havoc on the roads for the ride home. We came across one mini bus stuck in the mud up to the floorboards. A number people were in up to their knees trying to dig it out with anything they had. We stopped to help but no one had a tow rope so we moved on. Then we came across a poor soul on a bike trying to fiord a puddle (small pond). He hit a hole and didn’t fall but I suspect water came over his knee high boots. The conditions that these people withstand day in and day out just leaves me amazed. As I write this, Phil, Glen, Lisa and Lisa are chatting, Megan and Dave are playing cribbage, Josh and Libby are reading. I think we’ll all be turning in soon. Monday, January 14, 2008 The pump to well went out last night so water is scarce this morning. No shower for me. Glen is working with a neighbor to get some parts. I am coming to realize that a missionary’s life involves a whole lot more than preaching. At 8:00 we were off with Megan into Lusaka. The roads are beginning to liquefy in spots and just huge potholes in others. We all commented on the incredible beating any equipment takes here. We dropped Megan off for an AZ meeting and Phil took over the driving duties. Our first stop was a small orphanage run by the Presbyterian Church. There were 16 children here, 8 boys and 8 girls, ages 1½ to 5. As we came through the gate all of them were crammed at the door, eager to see. Even at this age the boys wanted to shake hands. Fourteen of the children attached themselves to us immediately, craving touch. Two remained distant. The orphanage was very clean with two fulltime caregivers and a manager during the day. We handed out some of the books that the WEFC kids had given. They were big hits. After about an hour, each of us detached from the kids near us in order to leave and the smiles turned into a chorus of sobs. Heartbreaking. And I’m left once again pondering the pain and suffering in this world. Our next stop was the Ng’Ombe compound to meet up with Kenson’s family and James Sakala. After a brief logistics meeting with everyone, we decided to split up. Josh walked out to the family plot of maze to help till and weed. Phil, Lisa, and Libby took Marion (Kenson’s sister) to enroll her in school and pay for her tuition for the next semester. A prerequisite of the school was a pair of shoes which she didn’t have. So they drove her to the nearest shopping mall but couldn’t find any. The only place to get shoes was across town. She ended up with the pair of shoes Libby was wearing. As a side note: Marion is 16 and here sister Elizabeth, 20, also went. The mall was about two or 3 miles from their house and they had never been there. Dave and I headed off to James Sakala’s home to help him bake cream donuts – his livelihood. Actually, only Dave helped – placing three donuts (shaped like a thin maple bar) at a time in a pot of grease heated over a charcoal fire. This is inside the families 10 x 10 cinder block living room which has a metal roof and only the front door and a small window for ventilation. There is an attached 10 x 10 bedroom where all six family members sleep. While Dave was working the grease pot, I had the honor of simply talking to James (a slight, 39 year old man with a huge smile and heart) about God, faith, religion, family, and Zambia while he filled the donuts with cream. A number of times he mentioned that life was very hard in Zambia. And I could see it in his eyes. Two days a week, James and his wife get up at 1:00 AM to make the donuts - an all day process in some very warm conditions. The next day James delivers the donuts by bike to his retailers while his wife tries to sell the ‘rejects” herself. The third day, back on the bike to collect proceeds and buy supplies in order to start the cycle again. The seventh day of the week is spent as a pastor at a small church – non-gratis very much. Two hours with a brother in Christ that I will never forget. We all got back together and headed back to the farm. And it started to rain again. This downpour outdid any that I have mentioned previously. I have never seen anything like it. Everyone here is concerned that the maze crop will fail if they don’t get hot, dryer weather soon. As I write this it is 6:00 PM and the electricity has just gone off. There have been “brown outs” like this most every day that we’ve been here. Hopefully, it will come back on soon. The electricity came back on at about 7:30 and we were able to have dinner. A delicious tuna, noodle casserole prepared by Lisa. We finished off the day with Josh on his guitar leading us in some praise hymns and a time of prayer. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Tuesday,
January 15, 2008 2:13 AM -
by Phil Stevenson Reflections on Returning to Zambia |
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| Returning
to Zambia has been a sobering and significant
experience. Just before we left I was
driving along Highway 20 with Mitch and was
amazed at the amount of effort and probably money
that was being spent on the road improvements
between Oak Harbor and Anacortes. We both
contemplated what it must be costing to widen the
road by Deception Pass and to straighten the
curve in the road just beyond there. My comment
to Mitch was, "It's going to be good to go
back to Africa and get a reality
check." And oh what a reality check it
has been. When we came in 2005, we came in the dry season when it is hot and dusty. The temperatures were in the high 90's. The wind would swirl dust and dirt everywhere. It felt as if there were a coat of grit over everything including teeth. This time we are seeing the other side of the coin. It is raining almost everyday. Not rain like in WA but deluges of rain that cause flash floods and wash out roads. Before the issue was water shortages. This time the issues are flooding and the potential for cholera. At every turn, every season brings new hardship and challenges for the Zambians. Sobering and heartbreaking to see the dimensions of life. And this is only the weather-related issues. Every visit to the compound opens new opportunities to become involved in someone's need. Today we returned to Alpha Destination in the Ng'ombe Compound and spent some time with Kenson Banda's younger sisters. Josh went with Elizabeth to the plot where her mother is trying to grow some maize, squash, and nuts. Unfortunately the rains are stunting the growth of the plants and they lack the necessary fertilizer to help them grow and produce. We hope that we can provide them with some fertilizer for their plants. This is critical for them. It will be their food in April. Please pray for the rains to cease. If they don't get some dry hot sunny weather it could become a critical issue for many people who are dependent upon these plots for their food. While Josh was with Elizabeth, Lisa, Libby, and I were able to help Kenson's other sister get back into her school. She has just passed her grade 8 exams in December but was unable to return because of a lack of funds for school fees. One hundred and fifty dollars of the Zambian Assistance Fund will be giving Miriam Banda the chance to return for another year so that she can prepare for her grade 9 exams. While the four of us were involved in those activities, Pastor Dave and Doug were helping a pastor as he baked cream filled doughnuts. Mom you would have been proud of Dad. James Sakala is a pastor that makes his living making a Zambian pastry that he distributes to shops. For every doughnut he makes and sells he gets 25 cents. As Doug expressed, "It's a very hard life." You can see the deep pain in James' eyes. But he is so grateful and happy to see us again. Wednesday we have plans to take Wisdom, his 10 year old son who was badly burned as a younger boy, to a doctor so that we can provide whatever is needed to get the surgery needed to help this young boy. This is a tremendous answer to prayer. Needless to say we feel deeply privileged to come alongside our brothers and sisters in their suffering. Once again the words, "As you do it unto the least of these my brothers you do it unto me" have come alive to me. I close with a word of confirmation and encouragement that I came across in the autobiography of John Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides Islands in the mid 1800's. Paton writes this about the Scottish Free Church denomination that was supporting him in his missionary effort. "And beyond question, one feature in the Free Church that drew them and bound them to her heart was her noble zeal for and sacrifices in connection with the work of Missions, both at home and abroad. For it is a fixed point in the faith of every Missionary, that the more any Church or Congregation interests itself in the Heathen, the more will it be blessed and prospered at Home. 'One of the surest signs of life,' wrote the Victorian Christian Review, 'is the effort of a Church to spread the Gospel beyond its own bounds, and especially to send the knowledge of Jesus amongst the Heathen.'" I'm so thankful for a church that desires to grow in this principle. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Saturday,
January 12, 2008 - by Phil Stevenson Greetings |
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| Our
greetings to all. We're doing well even on
the little sleep and minor adjustments that we're
working through. Phil ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Tuesday,
January 8, 2008 - by Doug Easton Reflections at 33,000 Feet |
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| Good
Morning Everyone, As I begin to write this, we’re at about 33,000 feet somewhere over Montana. All is well with the team. There were a few minor snafu’s in getting off the ground but basically everything went smoothly. Josh, on my right, is trying to sleep. Dave and Libby are chatting across the aisle. Phil and Lisa are a few rows back, encamped (literally J). The sun is shining brightly – quite a contrast to the sleet that we left at Sea-Tac a little more than an hour ago. On behalf of the whole team, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your prayers and support. A number of conversations have revolved around WEFC and the amazing encouragement we have received in so many ways. From all of us, traveling and home team, THANK YOU! Personally, this is an amazing trip for me. Not simply from a location/distance perspective but more so in regards to my personal walk with our Lord. I consider it a major event in my life. As I have told some of you face to face, I find the process to be profound at many levels and in many aspects. But most of all I find my faith being stretched in ways I never imagined, much less desired. And I confess to stumbles, doubt, and an abundance of weakness. Where God is leading me, I have no idea. But I know that I am indebted to each of you for your love and support that have been demonstrated in so many different ways. Thank you. OK, enough about Doug. This trip is really about God and His glory. It will be fascinating to see where God takes our church body – individually and corporately. Whether that be to Zambia or the neighbor across the street, I believe that we are all interwoven in his Love by His Spirit and that His purpose will be accomplished. Wow! To God be the glory! To God be the glory! Please say with me, to God be the glory! Amen! God bless you all! More later. Doug ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Thursday,
January 10, 2008 5:52 AM -
by Libby Stevenson We Have Arrived! |
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| Greetings
to you all from Zambia! After 27 hours of travel,
we finally arrived in Lusaka shortly after 9 pm
local time last night. We were picked up by Glenn
Ripley and Megan Bloemker of Action Zambia and
are staying at the Action Zambia farm for the
first several days, maybe a week. We are looking
into other housing options, and there seem to be
some, so that's good news! We had a very
productive and exciting morning reconnecting with
the Alpha Destination School and Kenson's family,
as well as two other families of pastors - James
Sakala (whose son Wisdom is going to his first
medical appointment next week. Very exciting to
see how God has already coordinated opportunity
to meet this family's needs.) and the family of
Patson Sakala, one of the pastors who we are very
interested in meeting with. Must go for now as I'm running out of internet time. Will send more asap! Love to you all, Libby and Gang ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Monday,
January 7, 2008 10:35 AM - by Phil Stevenson Travel Itinerary |
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| Here's
what going and coming look like: Jan. 7 Depart from Whidbey Island at 6:45 pm. Arrive in Auburn and spend the night with friends of Doug and Jamie Easton. Jan. 8 Depart from SeaTac on United Flight 916 at 7:35 am. Arrive Dulles Airport in Wa. DC, at 3:20 pm. Depart from Dulles Airport on South African Air Flight 208 at 5:20 pm. Jan.9 Arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa at 3:45 pm. This is the longest leg of the trip lasting 15 hours and 25 minutes. Depart from Johannesburg on Flight 66 at 6:10 pm. Arrive in Lusaka, Zambia at 8:10 pm. Our plan is to be picked up by Glenn and Liese Ripley. They will take us to the farm where we will recover from jet lag and then puruse our accomodations. Housing, to the best of our knowledge still needs to be secured. Please pray for this specific need. We will begin our return trek on Feb. 5. Feb. 5 Depart from Lusaka on Flight 63 at 1:50 pm Arrive in Johannesburg at 3:55 pm. Depart from Johannesburg on Flight 207 at 6:15 pm. Feb. 6 Arrive in Wa DC at 6:00 am. Again this is the longest leg only this time we will be in the plane for 18 hours and 45 min. I guess we'll have the wind in our face on the return trip. Depart from Wa. DC, on flight 261 at 8:30 am. Arrive in Seattle at 11:12 am. See you then! ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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| Sunday,
December 4, 2007 - by Doug Easton Why Zambia? |
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| Why? Why me? Why this team?
Why WEFC? Why Zambia????? I've been asking myself and God those questions for the last few months now. And I know I should just act in faith and not ask 'why'. But I do. Zambia has unfathomable problems. Aids. Poverty. Orphans. Witchdoctors. Hunger. Huge problems indeed. And that just scratches the surface. In addition, Zambia is half a world away. There are not too many places on this planet that are farther from Whidbey Island than Zambia. And I suspect that the cultural differences are just as vast. Zambia, from my perspective, is a very huge, inhospitable place. And then there's me. Talents? Some. But.... And WEFC? A small church in a small community sending a small team of six. Insignificant resources in comparison to the problem(s) when taken from a human view. So why? Why me? Why this team? Why WEFC? Why Zambia? Last night I was awakened by our cat at 1:30 A.M. That irritated me at first. But as I lay in bed I was able to look out my window and witness a total lunar eclipse over the span of the next hour or two. Awe inspiring what our God has created. And as I lay there, it occurred to me that the sun is a very huge, inhospitable place. And that the earth, not to mention myself, is insignificant in comparison when taken from a human view. However, God, in His infinite wisdom, placed this huge, inhospitable ball of fusion a very great distance away. Not so close that we would burn up. Yet not so far that we would freeze. In fact, it is a perfect distance so that it doesn't just sustain us, it allows us to thrive. And so it seems with Zambia, a nation with huge problems. Yet God, in His infinite wisdom, has placed Zambia on our hearts. However, it not so close as to overwhelm us. And not so far that we would be numb to it. Our resources are so insignificant. But I am reminded of Matthew 14, verses 13-21. God often uses the 'insignificant' to magnify His power and majesty. I pray that God will bless Zambia through our actions. I believe He will in ways that I cannot begin to imagine. And I also believe that WEFC's relationship with Zambia will not only sustain us, but allow us to thrive. Specifically, I'll never be able to answer the 'why' questions. But this morning my faith is renewed that God has a wonderful plan in mind and I feel honored and humbled to be involved in it in some small way. Our God is great! And my ultimate prayer is that He would be glorified. Amen. God bless you all. Doug ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
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