Changing Worlds
The last time I wrote was the end of January. In many ways it seems an eternity ago. We have however been traveling since then and I have struggled to find the time and even the words to write. Much has transpired since then but I won’t bore you with a play by play. There are two primary things I will focus on to share with you.
You may remember we had mentioned an area called Luwingu. That is where the Bowman family lives and the base for their ministry. With three small children and the fourth on the way they were in dire need of a larger home, they were in 950 sq. feet. We spent several weeks looking at possibilities and ultimately reach an agreement on a new home being constructed just next door to their current house. We took possession and began completion of the house on March 5th. Amazingly by April 14 we had it completed except for the kitchen cabinets which are being constructed. We will return the first part of May to complete the kitchen when the cabinets are ready. The Bowman’s actually have moved in and are enjoying their “Dream Home in Luwingu”.
While we have learned a great deal about how to build here, we continue to find our living conditions in the rural areas a challenge. Our guest house seemed to breed small creatures; Cyndi didn’t seem to appreciate their visits. We even had a small friend I will refer to as Jerry. Several nights as we tried to relax and enjoy a DVD our little friend scurried under the door to join us. I told Cyndi she would have to hold the door open as I tried to find him and chase him back out. Reluctantly she held the door open but failed to hold her mouth shut. She really isn’t a screamer but that night she let one fly. The guest house manager came running to see what had happened. Our little guest finally made his exit, only to return several times over the next few days. Once again we never had running water so we used rain water in buckets for bathing most nights. On occasion we got a hot shower at the Bowman’s.
We returned to Lusaka the 16th of April to make final preparations to greet a team of 12 from Lone Oak First Baptist and Friendship Baptist in Paducah. They got off to a rough start with a canceled flight arriving a day late, missing 18 pieces of luggage, and a water heater bursting in the ceiling of Friendships room at 1am; but God had prepared their hearts to take it all in stride. We traveled 9 hours to the bush to teach a men’s and woman’s conference to a group of 6 churches, also encouraging them to form an association of churches to work together in their area. The team did an incredible job and saw God work in not only the Zambian lives but their own.
Something amazing happens when we step out of our world and into another. We all reason and make decisions based on our own circumstances, our limited understanding, even our desires for a particular outcome. Sometimes we refer to it as our world view. When you make that step into another world and allow yourself to walk intimately with the Lord, I believe He often broadens and changes your world view. Interesting we begin to think less about our own needs and desires and more about those we meet. I bore witness to that very thing this past week as 12 Rednecks stepped into another world; one quite different from the one they know and feel comfortable in, one of poverty, of illness, and of spiritual darkness, but one of love. Where people of different color skin live on dirt floors with no electricity or running water and wonder where their next meal might come from; one where as many as 25% are HIV infected, where death from TB is a common occurrence, where almost 100% have experienced the disease of Malaria; one where the concept of spirituality is often that of the witch doctor or even the fear of your ancestors spirits haunting you. Even in all of this they know love. They love one another, they loved us, and those that know God love Him. It became evident that even though we never understood their language we understood their worship. I suspect those on the team will never view the world from quite the same perspective.
We would ask you to seek God in your life, to ask some tough questions about who He is and who He desires you to become, maybe even to broaden your world view. God seems to take pleasure when we come to a place in our lives that we realize it is not about us.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest command. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22: 37-38
Thank you for continuing to remember us in prayer, thanks for all the goodies that were delivered by the team, and thanks to the team and their families; may God pour out rich blessings on you all.
You may remember we had mentioned an area called Luwingu. That is where the Bowman family lives and the base for their ministry. With three small children and the fourth on the way they were in dire need of a larger home, they were in 950 sq. feet. We spent several weeks looking at possibilities and ultimately reach an agreement on a new home being constructed just next door to their current house. We took possession and began completion of the house on March 5th. Amazingly by April 14 we had it completed except for the kitchen cabinets which are being constructed. We will return the first part of May to complete the kitchen when the cabinets are ready. The Bowman’s actually have moved in and are enjoying their “Dream Home in Luwingu”.
While we have learned a great deal about how to build here, we continue to find our living conditions in the rural areas a challenge. Our guest house seemed to breed small creatures; Cyndi didn’t seem to appreciate their visits. We even had a small friend I will refer to as Jerry. Several nights as we tried to relax and enjoy a DVD our little friend scurried under the door to join us. I told Cyndi she would have to hold the door open as I tried to find him and chase him back out. Reluctantly she held the door open but failed to hold her mouth shut. She really isn’t a screamer but that night she let one fly. The guest house manager came running to see what had happened. Our little guest finally made his exit, only to return several times over the next few days. Once again we never had running water so we used rain water in buckets for bathing most nights. On occasion we got a hot shower at the Bowman’s.
We returned to Lusaka the 16th of April to make final preparations to greet a team of 12 from Lone Oak First Baptist and Friendship Baptist in Paducah. They got off to a rough start with a canceled flight arriving a day late, missing 18 pieces of luggage, and a water heater bursting in the ceiling of Friendships room at 1am; but God had prepared their hearts to take it all in stride. We traveled 9 hours to the bush to teach a men’s and woman’s conference to a group of 6 churches, also encouraging them to form an association of churches to work together in their area. The team did an incredible job and saw God work in not only the Zambian lives but their own.
Something amazing happens when we step out of our world and into another. We all reason and make decisions based on our own circumstances, our limited understanding, even our desires for a particular outcome. Sometimes we refer to it as our world view. When you make that step into another world and allow yourself to walk intimately with the Lord, I believe He often broadens and changes your world view. Interesting we begin to think less about our own needs and desires and more about those we meet. I bore witness to that very thing this past week as 12 Rednecks stepped into another world; one quite different from the one they know and feel comfortable in, one of poverty, of illness, and of spiritual darkness, but one of love. Where people of different color skin live on dirt floors with no electricity or running water and wonder where their next meal might come from; one where as many as 25% are HIV infected, where death from TB is a common occurrence, where almost 100% have experienced the disease of Malaria; one where the concept of spirituality is often that of the witch doctor or even the fear of your ancestors spirits haunting you. Even in all of this they know love. They love one another, they loved us, and those that know God love Him. It became evident that even though we never understood their language we understood their worship. I suspect those on the team will never view the world from quite the same perspective.
We would ask you to seek God in your life, to ask some tough questions about who He is and who He desires you to become, maybe even to broaden your world view. God seems to take pleasure when we come to a place in our lives that we realize it is not about us.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest command. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22: 37-38
Thank you for continuing to remember us in prayer, thanks for all the goodies that were delivered by the team, and thanks to the team and their families; may God pour out rich blessings on you all.
posted by Tommy and Cyndi at 4:27 PM
1 Comments:
jerry... what a nice name. it was very thoughtful of him to come and visit you a few times. he knew you were lonely and needed a friend. God sends blessings in the strangest of ways. Haha. love you guys. safari njema! (Safe travels!)
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