Lost treasures: FOUND

It is cold and windy here this week. Our home doesn't have heat but we just add another layer of clothes. As the Zambians would say," we are used". So each day I go to the hospital and begin organizing supplies for the medical mission that goes way up to ithe northern part of Zambia. This is the second year for its work in Mumena. Some of you may have had a chance to meet the Chief Mumena when he visited America last year. Although Don and I participated in that short medical mission last year, we won't be able to do so this year. The team for the ZMM medical mission have begun to arrive and we are quite busy. So we couldn't be gone for almost 10 days right now. I have been digging through much of the boxed supplies sent on the containers from Abilene in Dec and Jan trying to sort out what will be needed for the mission trip and what is for the hospital. Each day I find new treasures. The people here are so used to doing without things that they don't understand the American's determination to find what we need, no matter what.
This makes me think of our culture which says never do without, always get what you need. Of course our definition of what is a need and what is a want should be examined. Here the needs are real and urgent. Food, water, clothes and if you are lucky, education. We support two basic school(grade school) students. One is 16 and in grade 7 and the other is 18 and is in grade 9. One has parents but they have been too poor to send him to school on a regular basis and the other is an orphan. Education is often hit or miss, mostly miss. But they are eager to go to school and each week Chimulka, the 7th grader, brings us his work to see how he is doing. Basic students also have to do all their own buying and cooking of meals. This means walking into town, 7 kilometers away, buy their foods and then cook their own meals. No fast foods here. Their food is basic and limited in choices. They board here at the school but that just means a place to sleep. But they are happy, gracious polite young men. Each week they walk to our house and help do chores. This is expected by all supported students. It gives them a sense of participating in their own educational independence. They speak some English and often laugh at our attempts at Tonga. What really strikes me is the realization that these young men and the other students we have come to know, are really the lost treasures of Zambia. This country has a real treasure in its young people. As Don and I participate in providing the means for them to get an education, and most important, share the ongoing spiritual formation found in letting the Holy Spirit work in all our lives, we pray God will secure the future of these young people to be God seekers.

Potholes of Love and Mercy

The fallen world often intrudes in our lives right in the midst of what we hope is a mountain top experience. As someone said,"How wude". Well on our last note to you we shared one such intrusion in our life here on the mission field. But two weeks have passed and God has blessed us with so many prayers and reassurances from our neighbors that we are overwhelmed in a good way. Besides these moments of love and caring by them, we have been able to go with the students here at Namwianga on outreach. These outreaches are meant to encourage and strengthen the church in villages around here. One of these was quite unique. We took some of the secondary (high school) students from Namwianga to a another high school in a town called Zimba. All students in Zambia board at school. So these Zimba high school students are on campus all the time, Sundays also. No one has a car or truck to pick them up for church anywhere. They organize their own service each week. So we took our students and went to Zimba to join them in worship . Our students actually did the lead in the service. The led the singing and it was awesome. Anyone who has ever been to Africa will tell you the people here are born singing in four part harmony. They are good. One of the students did the communion talk, a mini sermon. That is the custom here. Then one of our other students did the preaching. He was passionate and knowledgable. Another custom here is that both the guests and hosts have some time after services to sing. We were the ones greatly encouraged.

Then today we went on a two hour drive over potholes, crevases, and impossible bycicle paths to a small church. They started about 30 minutes after we arrived. It was a thatched roof, tree branched pew church. There was about 20 people besides our group of students and us and the Gregersen's. Again the students, college this time, did all the worship leading and were good. The faces of the people are lined with laughter and are full of joy. They celebrated our arrival with heartfelt welcomes and punctuated the services with Amens and Hallelujahs.

Yesterday we were the speakers for a marriage seminar. It was a gathering of several congregations and there were around 150 people. As we shared the words of God concerning our treatment of each other during 38 years of marriage we again received affirmation from God that this was his work, not ours. It was a positive note to us that God was in charge of His work here and Satan would not be successful in chasing us away. Don and I are still busy each week with the hospital and the business office. Don has been working to simplify and clarify the financial spreadsheets for the college and secondary charges and expenses. I have been seeing patients and now will take the national nursing test on Thursday June 7. Please pray that I will remember what I know and what I have studied. We began a weekly bible study at our home with some of the Zambians here at Nawianga. It is on spiritual formation. They are eager for the word and it is a pleasure to be in their presence. We learn so much from their courage in living the hard life they have here. Well I have to go study. May God bless you in your work in His Kingdom, wherever you are.


In Him we still move and live and our being.

Don and Laura