Working Below the Surface

We have once again returned to Isoka, in many ways this is where we feel most comfortable; however our living conditions continue to be challenging and therefore very draining. We spent a week in Lusaka catching our breath, reporting our progress, and purchasing additional materials. One interesting aspect about our role that we seem to be experiencing so far is the desire to get back to the places we have left. That may be difficult to understand, but the time comes when we are anxious to return to the city for a bit of normalcy and rest and that is soon followed by the desire to return to the remote area where we meet with our new friends and are greeted by almost everyone we encounter.

The work here continues. The house is progressing but will slow some now as Cyndi and I find ourselves the only ones here as of today. The last two workers we had here from Lusaka left this morning to return to their families. They have been a great help to what we are trying to accomplish, I pray God will bless them for their efforts. They helped us in many ways other than the task of sawing and hammering. They helped Cyndi and I better understand the people and culture of Zambia, they served as translators, they reminded us that for most here life centers around things we take for granted. They would go to the market at least twice sometimes three times a day to get what they need for the next meal. They have very little concept of tomorrow and making any provision to plan for it. As I would pay them for their work they would burn through their money almost immediately, with little or no regard to the future, that is just life here, there is not a concept of the future.

We continue to spend time with the children in our neighborhood; it seems as though they just continue to multiply. Every day there are kids we’ve not seen before. We tried to teach them to play Frisbee one afternoon and now they wait in utter anticipation to play again; there must be 40 of them. They love to walk with us and hold our hands. Interesting it began with one little boy, Shita, and one little girl, Patricia, but now the older kids will work their way in and we have them 3 deep on each side. As we walk through town we have an entourage as we go. We believe they may lack affection in their lives. Most families are very large with 10-12 children ranging wildly in age. Almost every woman you meet has a child strapped to her back with a chitenge. We have also observed a tremendous amount of hitting from children and adults, often with sticks. As in all places there are exceptions and please do not perceive that children are not loved, somehow though, value seems to elevate with age.

We are still praying the bore-hole will be completed before we have to return to Lusaka. After almost a month of delays they finally began yesterday. They have hit a small problem at about 100 feet but hope to resolve that today (Saturday the 26th). Water here is a tremendous challenge for all. We have written before about acquiring our water from a ditch, which is what you see here. We have witnessed the water drying in the areas we collect it and it will be almost two months before the rains come. We had asked some to pray about the bore-hole, I realize now that was selfish. We need the hole for this family to survive here, but there are thousands of Zambians already living here who spend much of their day waiting their turn to get some water. There is a cooperative project with the Japanese government to sink about 10 bore-holes here this fall. Please consider praying for safe water for all living here.

Many of you will know the story of the woman at the well who encountered Jesus. Obviously acquiring water was a challenge in her day, consuming much of the people’s time and energy. Jesus told her He was the living water and He could satisfy her thirst for all time.

John 4:13-14
Jesus replied, "People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. 14But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life."

While safe water is certainly a matter worthy of our prayers we also ask you continue to pray that our new friends will experience the living water that comes only from Jesus. We are recognizing more clearly each day our role in the process. In many ways we are cultivating the soil. I have been told several times, right now we are the face of Baptist in this part of Zambia. We have had the opportunity to love the people and build relationships, but soon we will move on to Kaputa and others will follow in our place to begin the work God has planned. We will have a continual challenge of leaving our heart in each place as we move to the next.

We will have some visitors from home this week as Jeff Wallace and Kevin Traughber come for a vision trip of about two weeks. We will give them a whirl-wind tour of Zambia and expose them to various ministries taking place here. We ask that you pray for safe travel, good health, and that God will reveal His will for their continued involvement as they bring other s back with them and together we build beyond the horizon.

Spiritual Arobics

After reading our last update you may be wondering if many days are like that. Actually most of them are. I was reading thru my journal to spark my old mind so I could remember some things I needed to share, I had to laugh. I will share a quick peak into the few weeks following that trip to Tanzania.

On the way home from Isoka we needed to stop in another town which we had never been to in hopes of finding a guard who works for the mission at the home of a former missionary. I was to pay him and terminate his contract. We found the house fairly easily but no guard. On our way out of town I stopped to get our lunch from the back seat, wouldn’t you know it, the truck wouldn’t start. We happen to be pulling the trailer loaded with wheel barrels and scaffolding from our project. Fortunately God had mercy on us and provided a hill under us; we took off rolling, popped the clutch and were off again. About a hundred Kilometers down the road I looked in the rearview mirror and noticed the back glass of our truck top was completely shattered with all the glass covering our luggage in the back. We managed to spend the night on the way in and the next morning I ask the workers to help push me so I could once again pop the clutch. I went to unhook the trailer and noticed we had a flat. We finally got the flat changed and the truck started and were on our way to Lusaka.

We had only a day and a half to unpack and clean everything up, repack and head to our Annual Meeting. As usual we were late getting away and try not to travel at night. We were going to an area of the country we had never been to and were warned the roads are bad so be sure to arrive before dark. About 45 minutes out of town we came upon a railroad track which a truck had stopped at before crossing. He was just beginning to roll with a steep hill in front. Cyndi said can I pass this guy. I responded I would, so she did. Well at the top of the hill there sat 5 police in the back of a truck pulling people over for doing exactly what we did. We were escorted to the police station for our first “Driving Award”.

We had an enriching time at our meeting and were able to meet all the “Ms” in the country for the first time. We had the opportunity to share our testimony one morning in worship (that always makes Cyndi so excided since she hates public speaking). Our few days there were good until in our team building sports challenge I sprained my ankle rather severely. Cyndi drove us back to Lusaka for another quick pack, leaving in a day for Isoka.

We arrived in Isoka to find our reservation at the guest house wasn’t really a reservation. The people who were there had decided not to leave yet so we had to stay at another guest house supposedly in a new room, just completed. Their idea of complete and mine differ a bit, but outside the swarming mosquitoes we made out. We moved for two nights before finally being able to move into the room we normally have.

The next day I was paid a visit by a pastor whom we had met, after a customary greeting of about 5 minutes he asked if we would be around on Sunday. I explained we would and hoped to visit his church. He explained he was suppose to go to another preaching point about 45 kilometers away but if we were coming he would cancel and by the way would I preach? Furthermore would we join them in their home on Saturday for dinner? I agreed to both. I must admit I was more nervous about what I might need to eat than preaching. We had a great time in their home, they were very gracious.

On our way to church Sunday morning we stopped to see if some of our neighborhood friends wanted to travel with us. Most declined but one young man, Timothy, wanted to go; after church when we were going home Cyndi asked him if he knew Jesus and he said “I love Jesus”. We believe he does.

We are finding, particularly in Isoka, that many claim to be Christian and have a knowledge of God but their lives tell a different story.

Polygamy is rampant even in the leadership of many churches. Promiscuity is everywhere hence the Aids pandemic. We were invited to watch some of the young girls we have befriended in the neighbor practice dance. They took us to their teacher’s home where they are learning a cultural session dance. From what has been explained to us when a young girl crosses into womanhood they perform these dances which are not what you might call “G’ rated. They will compete with other schools in their dance. There is a time approaching when they will have a period of ceremony and dance to appeal for rains. These are sweet, loving people who we have grown to love. Join us in praying that we don’t attempt to influence their culture with ours but that we boldly share the Word of God and they have the opportunity to choose His will for their lives.

As you read our updates I pray you can read them in the spirit we intend. Sure living here can be a challenge, which is true wherever one lives. God is showing me life is not that much different, circumstances may be, but life is not. I still stay too busy and struggle with the same kinds of things I always have. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our Lord.

Ephes. 3:7-9 (NLT)
By God's special favor and mighty power, I have been given the wonderful privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
8Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling the 'Zambians' about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9I was chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

We will be returning to Isoka in a few days. As we build relations with the people of Isoka we spend evenings around a fire at one of their homes. Sometimes they sing for us, sometimes I tell stories from the Bible. We ask you to lift this time to the Father, that He would be glorified, and that the Holy Spirit would prick the hearts that they would seek Jesus.

Thank you for your interest in what God is doing in this part of His world. Thank you for praying we will remain faithful.

A Visit to Tanzania

First let me apologize that it has been so long since I have written you. I know many are anxious to hear all that transpires. We have been out of the city for almost a month and had little access to the internet, please forgive me. I will break this into more than one update for those who don’t have the time to read the entire thing.

We traveled back to Isoka the first of July spending most of our time trying to secure materials for our work. There isn’t much to be found in Isoka so it is necessary to travel about an hour to Tanzania to shop just across the border. I am not a real fan of that experience so I asked a local if I could pay him to escort us, he kindly obliged and said he would not charge that we are brothers. In Tanzania they speak Swahili not English, their currency is Schilling not Kwacha, and there must be 100,000 people on this 3 block area. As you near the border the masses begin along with semi trucks and passenger buses waiting to cross the border. The closer we get to security we become surrounded by men attempting to change our Kwacha into Schilling. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out they are con men. We wait our turn and finally get thru the first gate, which is where the real challenge begins. You enter an area of parked vehicles waiting to be cleared, some have been here weeks, the area is lined with more semis and buses and there is no clear path of travel. Our situation is complicated by the fact we are pulling a trailer which makes the necessary maneuvering next to impossible, along with the fact you are never quite sure what the guy in front is doing or what the guy behind wants to do. How is my blood pressure you ask?

After a bit we finally make it thru the second gate and are approaching our final gate when I hear a knock at the window and this official looking gentleman asked if I had my papers checked? No! What papers, I was told I didn’t need to check any papers. I asked if I could pass thru the next gate, park, and walk back to have them checked, he agreed. In the mean time our escort was telling me not to pay attention to this guy, that wasn’t necessary. In this environment there is so much corruption you are never quite sure what to believe; so at the insistence of our escort I proceeded without checking in. Did I hear you ask about my blood pressure?

As we began our necessary shopping our man, Brown, was taking us to various shops, naturally he was doing all the talking. It didn’t take long to realize he was getting a kick back at each of these shops, but remember we are brothers. There is something about someone thinking I am an idiot that really frustrates me and man was I frustrated. So much so that I decided to abandon our trip and return to Isoka. We had one final stop for fuel. I pulled into the station and he said no go to the next one, so I did. You don’t want to hear the whole story but he conned me out of another 85,000 Kwacha (about $20).
What’s that about blood pressure?

We begin our journey back across the border; about mid way once again we were stopped and asked did I get my papers cleared. I said no but ok. Again Brown said to go on; not being sure what might happen since I didn’t stop on the way over I decided to take my chances. We made it back across.

Since we had missed lunch we decided to stop for a drink and some crackers. I decided to buy four cans of Fanta; I drank one and put three in a small cooler. I was so aggravated at this guy I didn’t talk to him the whole way back to Isoka. Can you believe the guy drank two of my Fantas! Oh the blood pressure.

I am trying to pray for the guy but am not quite there yet.

The really funny thing is since we didn’t get all we needed; Cyndi and I had to return the next day. We hoped we could find what we needed on this side at a small hardware store. They didn’t have any toilets, which I am pretty sure the family coming would enjoy. So back across we go. This time I hired a young man, whose family owns the small store, to escort us. He was most helpful. When we returned with him he actually took us around the back of the secured area thru a field right up to his back door.

So you don’t think of me as criminal we really were told we didn’t need to have any papers to cross. I suspect because we were pulling a trailer they thought we may have been making a big haul.

I would ask you to consider praying for Lowe’s or Home Depot to consider a location in Zambia.

Seriously we ask that you pray for the people of Zambia. Their culture has taught them we are white Americans, Muzunguos, therefore rich and the answer to their problems. It is just natural to them to try to take advantage of us. Our prayer is they would have the opportunity to hear truth; that hope is found in God alone through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith. Phil. 3:9