Stockpiling Food
Megan Bloemker is responsible for coordinating our ACTION Zambia short-term teams. With an eye for detail and a gift for administration, she has devised all sorts of schedules and documents to aid in our preparation for visiting short term teams. Crossroads Christian Church will be our second team to come in 2010. Women on our team have volunteered to cook meals in advance. We then freeze them so that they are ready to go whenever the team is ready for them. Megan has a master meal plan and knows just how much food is needed. She makes sure that a fresh assortment of fruits, vegetables and ingredients are on hand at all times. Before a team arrives, she goes on a shopping spree and buys around three carts full of food. I snapped a pic of Megan and Jailos showing off the food purchased for the upcoming team.
Widman Departure
Michelle Widman has been serving on the Zambia field for the past 10 months as an intern. On Monday 21 June, Andrea and I and the kids trekked out to the airport to see Michelle off. I miscalculated the time that Michelle’s flight was leaving, so we got to the airport at 0600 hrs rather than 0700. We ended up taking the kids to a small eatery at the airport that’s just opened up called the Copper Chimney. We ordered tea for four – since our entire family is addicted to it in the mornings. Ian is an up-and-coming consumer of it and requires it in the mornings. We were able to to watch the last little bit of the Brazil match until Michelle arrived. We were amazed when watched the Brazilian football star Kaka get the red card.
We are sad to see Michelle go and will miss her greatly. Her work focused primarily on ACTION Zambia’s HIV/AIDS ministry called the CROSS Project. Along with her ministry colleagues John Chitambo and Eta Imasiku, she made her way into Lusaka’s urban compounds by minibus – on a daily basis to teach. Near the end of her assignment in Zambia, Michelle joined a women’s basketball team at UNZA (University of Zambia) as a means of relationship evangelism and discipleship.
To ask God for $120,000
To pray and ask God for $120,000 seems crazy but in the morning I find myself on my knees asking the Lord for this very thing. The infusion of capital funds that are needed to get the ministry center related projects towards completion isoverwhelming. I begin to wonder how I’ve found myself immersed in the middle of such an initiative. It’s not hard to imagine how a person, given my tendencies, gets preoccupied with the next phase of development and other mission matters. Will God make these funds available for missions in Zambia? Will He provide the necessary personnel to make it all happen? To be honest, I’m not sure… After all, I’ve pretty much exhausted all my resources. How will the vision be fulfilled?
Evidently, God doesn’t think it’s important for me to know the answers to those questions… at least not right now. One thing I do know is that He has countless purposes in giving me any one dilemma. This afternoon, I was meditating on the love of God and how it is often displayed in the lives of the saints; and how, when the people of God pray and no immediate solution is found, they feel as if they are in a desert.
One author I was reading said that God takes everyone whom He loves through a desert and that it is His cure for a wandering heart. Jack Miller writes further, “The first thing that happens is that we slowly give up the fight. Our wills are broken by the reality of our circumstances. The things that brought us life gradually die. Our idols die for lack of food.” And I suppose that it is true. It is the dry air of the desert places in our life that brings the sense of helplessness that is so crucial to the spirit of prayer.
Like I said, sometimes I wonder how God has purposed for us to complete the vision for our rural ministry center. I haven’t thought as much about why God has purposed for me to be involved in that work. Perhaps its because it’s a herculean task that can’t be accomplished by human endeavoring. Perhaps He knows that people like me will try solutions by their own endeavoring and will fall short. Perhaps He’s fostering a sense of urgency and soul-filled thirst that brings me back to Him.
David wrote, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1
Our deserts lead us to the heart of God, and as Miller puts it, “He finally gets your attention because he’s the only game in town”. As I continue to pray for that $120,000, I can see that this has nothing to do with money but that it has everything to do with my helpless, needy self that has a longing for God. It’s a $120,000 lesson that I hope will have a grand conclusion, but even if the struggle for funds continue, God will be at the center of it.
Coming Together
I thought it would be nice to share other perspectives on the work happening at our ministry center. Each person is connected to that work in various ways. There’s no doubt that Ciyanjano has become a special place for each member of our mission team and Luke & Elise Whitfield are no exception. Here’s a video they created recently, put in their own words and presented in their own way. Thanks Luke for sharing with us! If it’s not apparent, things are slowly coming together…
Brick Prep for Vacaville
We’ve been working hard to prepare for construction teams which are coming from the States. For the next work project, Crossroads Christian Church in Vacaville, CA is sending a short-term team of four men to come and help Action Zambia with chalet construction.
Because they will undetake a brick-laying project, we have been working ahead at shifting the bricks to the chalet foundations. Lord willing, the team will begin laying 8 courses of our own kiln-baked bricks. The bricks were made over a year ago and were stacked and covered with plastic covering – but the rains were successful last season in leaking in. Inevitably, as the mud brick dampened they began to crack. 25% of them cracked in fact, making them unusable for the lower walls. Even still, we should have just enough to complete the 5 chalets.
The 8 courses should reach a little over one meter high all the way round the chalet slab. Then the brick walls will be finished off with a concrete shell for added protection from the rain. From the top of the brick wall to the ceiling header board, we plan on framing out with timber wood pieces. The idea is to create framing so that mosquito screens can be fastened. It’s kind of difficult to communicate my ideas to others, so I tried sketching the concept.
Koinonia Village
Years
ago, our mission was given property outside of the small town of Chikankata by the local cheiftainess. Over time, several structures were built that include 4 huts, 1 storage shed, 1 pit latrine and 1 meeting place. ACTION Zambia refers to this congregations of structures as “Koinonia Village”. Besides making day-trips to the property, and conducting outreach events, we haven’t used the premises much. But that could be changing soon. We believe that God is leading us to further explore the need for Christian witness in further outlying areas. Kalolo Mulenga from Lusaka began praying about this rural missions opportunity a year ago after AZ approached him about it. He now believes God is leading him to move on site and start building relationships with the chieftainess and the community. Plans have been proposed 
for him to begin making attempts at identifying and surveying some of the most remote villages in the Sichoma Hills. Koinonia Village could perhaps be used as a “base camp” for the next year as Kalolo makes plans to undertake that work. With approval from his home church, he will begin raising his own financial support while AZ will facilitate strategy, placement and infrastructure. Chieftainess Mwenda seems keen about the proposal and has welcomed ACTION Zambia’s presence, but much prayer is still needed. Buildings need to be spruced up and repaired because of termite damage and the pit latrine has completely caved in. Nevertheless, the entire AZ team is excited about the possibilities for outreach and evangelism south of the Chikankata area (below).
Singletons Leave on HMA
ACTION Zambia bids farewell to Tracy and Karen Singleton who are heading back to the US for their HMA (Home Ministry Assignment, a.k.a. furlough). They are very much looking forward to seeing supporters, family and friends in a very full 3 month schedule. They will be flying first to Seattle, Washington where ACTION USA has their base headquarters. From there, they will head to northern Illinois which they consider their home base. Please pray for them as they speak and seek to be refreshed. Pray also for Tracy’s pastor leadership development colleague Steve Allen who remains on the field, as he carries an increased work load now with Tracy’s absence.
Departure
The Evangelical Free Church of Mt. Morris short-term team departed this morning. They will start off on their long journey home with a mandatory overnight stay in London before catching their next flight to Chicago. Please be in prayer for them, that they will be able to get on that next flight. Due to the volcano plume from Iceland affecting travellers all over Europe, there may be delays.
Before sending them off, we went to the Mumbai Cafe and ate Indian food. The team got a primer course on cricket from the owner of the restaurant since a cricket tournament was showing on the flatscreen tv. It was a wonderful way to relax with the festive atmosphere. Enthusiastic supporters of the Indian cricket team were screaming and yelling while the rest of us looked on.
Action Zambia was truly blessed to have them serve alongside of us. We will miss them and are praying that they and/or others will come next year.
Chalet & Nsaka Roofing Complete!
The Mt. Morris team has accomplished what they set out to do. The last 10 days have been jam-packed full of hard labor, cultural experiences and Christian fellowship. Last night, the Action Zambia team put together an all-team braai (cookout) where the finished work project was celebrated. Good food, fellowship and a time of worship were a great way to end the work week. With the team set to depart in less than 24 hours, I’ve put together a special video recapping what God has done in our midst. Check it out!
Animism & Kasupe Outreach
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Lots of progress was made throughout the week on the building project. In between work, we fit in various orientation sessions about life and ministry with Action Zambia. One such session was devoted to the reality of animism and witchraft in Zambia. Even though many locals might be open to elements of Christianity, many still look to ancestral spirits and even witchcraft for help in solving life’s problems. Kalolo Mulenga briefed them about this reality before they helped a local church conduct outreach in some of the rural parts around Ciyanjano. Below are a few pictures from that time of outreach. The Mt. Morris team split up with local church members leading the way and visited village settlements where they: shared about the person and work of Jesus Christ, handed out hygeine kits, and extended a personal invitation to each family to come to church to hear a special Gospel presentation message. Twelve to fifteen homes were visited before sundown and the team is prayerfully expecting many to come church on Sunday to hear Pastor Bruce preach. Jailos and Boniface (members of the church) were ecstatic at the response the team received.