Inward Renewal

I woke up at 4:30 Saturday morning to check the height of the water coming up our front steps.  To be honest, I thought the water would be receding.  Instead, I was alarmed to find that  the water had advanced during the night.  By 6:30 Andrea and I decided we weren’t going to wait any longer.  We had to move.  The stench from the open sewer was reason enough to empty our house but the thought of moving everything was so overwhelming.  We had nowhere to move to and the skies were threatening to unleash even more rain.  I called Luke and woke him up to inquire if he could organize the team to help us vacate the house.  Within an hour, the AZ team had a game plan and everyone started to make their way to our place on the outskirts of town.  Meanwhile I put on my gumboots (rubber boots) and started dismantling the house.  Because of the contaminated water, I had to put on and take off my boots every time I entered and exited.

The team were delayed due to the bad roads in Makeni.  Reports were that the traffic was backed up for kilometers due to vehicles being stuck in the several crater water-holes.  Eventually, the team made it to Makeni.  With help from the Roberts, Whitfields, Allens, Megan B., Charles M. and a crew of guys sent from our home fellowship group at LBC, Andrea and I were able to get the whole house dismantled and moved out by 4 pm.  For not having planned this move, we are simply amazed at the amount of help and support from all those around us.  We are so grateful to the Lord for this provision, though we are immensely tired and emotionally frazzled.  Ian is very distressed about the move and has fallen ill with a fever of some sort.  We’re just praying he has picked up something from the contamination.

Our stuff is spread out in three different locations, which will present a significant challenge to find things when we need it.  But it’s so much better than losing our posessions!  We were able to work out a deal with our landlady to move into a one-bedroom flat just down the lane for a few weeks until we know where we’re going.  Please pray that the Lord might provide a place for us to live… soon.  One thing that we feel great about is that the Lord has put us in a position where we’re completly dependent on him for provision.  Whatever the reason for God’s hand being worked out this way, we know that we will be built up.  In that sense, all this is a bit exciting.  It’s just like Him to do good to his children in such an unconventional way.  Also pray for Andrea, as she lost her grandmother two nights ago.  On top of being pregnant, having a sick son, moving out of a house and not knowing where to call home, she is also grieving.  All we can do is look to the Lord right now…

Last week our team celebrated Valentine’s Day by doing a progressive dinner.  We started at 4pm (or, around there) with appetizers at our home.  I’ve been craving big soft pretzels so…my very talented and creative sister gave me a recipe for homemade pretzels.  The only thing I can claim in the way of creativity is that I shaped them into hearts – astounding I know, especially on Valentine’s Day.  Anyway, I also made mini twice baked potatoes.  The power did go off a couple times while I was preparing, but thanks to the active prayer life of my neighbor it didn’t last long either time.  When you look through the pics, note Steve Allen.  He simply cracked us up as he enjoyed the pretzels…he said it had been almost 14years since he had a big soft pretzel…I think he ate about 5.

We then headed to the Singletons for soup.  Corn chowder and Pumpkin were both on the menu and both fabulous soups.  We enjoyed playing “battle of the sexes” and I’m pretty sure the women won.  After our soup we headed into town for salads.  Sorry, for some reason we didn’t get any pics of the salads.  Kerri fixed a delightful fresh green salad and a pasta salad.  Both scrumptious.  We had fun playing an impromtu game of “humdingers”.  Of course, all love songs.

Then it was off to the Allen’s and Megan’s for the main course.  Megan grilled incredible stakes for all of us and Stephanie accompanied with garlic green beans and potatoe wedges.  We topped it all off with dessert at the Whitfields.  We had german chocolate cake, caramel brownies and banana pudding.  It was a feast for sure!

Periodically, I call meetings to discuss missions items that need attending to.  Tracy Singleton is the Deputy Director of the AZ field (left), Bestone Chileya is the Chairman of the Zambia Board of Trustees (middle) and I am the Director of the AZ field.  When the three of us get together we have a good time.  Bestone’s laugh is very contagious and he’s always one to try American food (you’d be surprised to know that many Zambians don’t even want to try American food because they’re so in love with their staple food, nshima).  Andrea prepared a fantastic dinner for the evening – roast beef, gourmet carrots, twice-baked potatoes and rice.

Bestone is a very principled person.  When he approaches an issue, he does so with wisdom.  Having a Zambia board that our missionaries can trust is very crucial.  The board consists of 8 members.  I’ve put together a powerpoint presentation for those who are interested in finding out more about the Action Zambia Board.  They give invaluable input into the future direction of the field as well as keep missionaries accountable.  I wouldn’t want our mission to be organized any other way.  After all, missionaries have been in Zambia for many years and it’s time for Zambians to lead and steer us in the right direction.

This year was our first year to have a year-end conference for the edification of our missionary staff.  Stan and Donna Armes (Andrea’s parents) graciously volunteered to put on a day-conference for the team.  Ciyanjano turned out to be a good location for us to hold the event, as it was close to Lusaka and cheap.  The topic covered was one that every missionary is familiar with: missionary stress.

It’s very interesting how many missionaries don’t even know that they live with unusually high levels of stress as overseas, cross-cultural workers.  Statistically speaking, most missionaries live with three times the stress that is normal.  So, it’s not surprising that over the long haul, missionaries make numerous changes to their assignment or end up leaving the mission field.  Of course there are many other reasons that contribute to attrition rate on the mission field, but its no secret that mitigating stress-filled lives and promoting healthy living is much needed.

Given that fact, Stan and Donna prepared for us a day seminar to help our team get thinking about the issue as well as point us in a God-centered direction as we look for assistance.  Steve Allen helped organize activities for the mission children.  We were particularly indebted to the Baptist Mission International Bible Study youth who volunteered to work with the kids.

As you may or may not know in recent years AZ has had quite the baby boom.  Ian was born 10 months after Maddie, Tazi was born 6 wks after Ian, Jojo was born 6 months after Tazi, and Elli was born 3 months after Jojo. Pheww! sounds like some old testament genealogy.  Anyway, at our recent team gathering we were able to get pics of all the little squirts.  Cute bunch!!

This last MDO (mom’s day out), the rest of the AZ moms came over to work on various sewing projects.  Elise and I are both making baby blankets as gifts and Stephanie wanted to make Chitenge Christmas stockings.  We had a blast trying to come up with a pattern for the stockings and then a technique for making the folded cuff.   Since we’re all amateur (at best) seamstresses it took a lot of time and laughs but the end result was worth it.  Stephanie will have beautiful and unique stockings for the Christmas season this year.

The Action Zambia missionary team opted to do a pig roast Hawaiian style for Thanksgiving.  That’s right, turkey got nixed in favor of Luke and Brent’s pork plans.  The results were absolutely fantastic!  We wish you were here to taste it.  True to style, Luke or Brent decided to throw a few parts into the serving pot.  Guess who got the surprise?  None other than Karen Singleton.  The picture above captures the look on her face.  She pulled out a hairy “protrusion”.  Most onlookers were shocked to see her holding up a hog’s tail.  But, Karen wasn’t so sure that it was the tail!  She thought it might be “something else”.  Hmmm… I guess we’ll never know.  Anyways, this got a lot of laughs from around the table.  Karen was so kind as to try to feed it to her husband Tracy (picture below).

A group of us from Action Zambia visited Chieftainess Mwenda who resides on the outskirts of Chikankata, Zambia.  Her people are the Tonga people.  There are approximately 98,000 people in her kingdom.  Over the course of our 4 hour plus meeting with the Chieftainess she expressed: her commitment to Christ, the challenges that she faces, the need for the headman in her chiefdom (approx 300) to come to Christ, the need for more missionaries who will learn about and live with her people, the complications surrounding ancestral shrines, the need for education.

For me it was my first time to see the Chieftainess’ chiefdom area on a map. Showing us a map of her kingdom, she pointed out the most remote and unreached areas.  She said that some in her land hadn’t seen a white man before while others rarely see a motor vehicle (every 4-5 years).  Some of the areas can only be reached on foot.  With an open invitation from the Chieftainess and what seems to be a still apparent need for Gospel proclamation, I feel like we have an unprecedented opportunity before us.

The above picture of me was taken with Her Royal Highness E. M. Kalichi Chieftainess Mwenda at the Bansanje Royal Establishment (a.k.a. her palace).  You can also view a video of her pointing out areas of her kingdom that are unreached for Christ.