Body of Christ

Don and I were very blessed to attend a missionary retreat recently in South Africa. Our expenses for airfare to George, South Africa was unexpectedly provided by God through the body of Christ that meets in Westover Church in Austin. It came at a time when we were struggling with our work and needed this very much. We met with about 40 other missionaries from all over Africa. The organizers were a group of experienced mssionary couples who had been in the field for many years. It was held in a Christian Conference Center which in itself was a blessing. Imagine, being put down in a corner of extrreme beauty, mountains and ocean with God's created beauty all around us. It was awesome. We spent the hours in sessions about interacting with others, strengthening marriages, raising children on the mission field, ways to survive when we return home and more. There was time set aside for quiet meditation and prayer. We had games and a small field trip to local wonders. The leaders were John and Beth Reese, Kent and Nancy Hartman, and Fielden and Janet Allison. Isn't it amazing how God provides exactly what you need before you realize you will need it. This retreat was planned months before we knew we would really need to be there. God does delight in us and gives us good things. Now we have returned and face many important decisions for our work for God here at Namwianga. He was here before us and always goes before us. We only have to be still and know He still is God and we are not.

Friday the 13th

it is Friday the thirteenth here in Zambia, but no Zambian has any fearful superstitions about the date. No one worries about something bad that could happen because of the date and day. Isnt it funny how we westerners, the educated ones do have that superstition. some more than others. it mostly is a joke now among us, but once it was regarded as a real thing. We have learned and grown intellectually and so it doesn't affect us. Here though, some superstions still exist. More of them are alive in the villages than with the more educated Zambians. Really? Even a Zambian who has gone to school maybe up to grade 12 and is a Christian still can revert back to fear of the spirits in their culture. There is a saying that Christianity is skin deep here but spirits and curses and witching are much deeper. They go muscle and bone deep. So what is the difference among us. Is it just education? Is it a lack of knowledge of what the word teaches? Yes to both of those .... but it is more. I think it is that Zambians feel little control of their life. So if they can blame this lack of control and direction on spirits and being witched by someone, then it explains to them that there was nothing they could do. But we , westerners ,don't feel that way. Is it because we can make choices about our future, choices that the Zambians don't have.We have so many more options than the Zambians. So my question is have our independence and reliance on our choices for our future become our "spirits"? Do we rely on ourselves, our education, our intellegence, to the extent that we do not rely on God? If this is true then is there any difference between the Zambians and us? Do we just call our reliance on self , self actualization or some other term of the moment , as a substitute for reliance on God? Maybe there is little or no difference between the Zambians and us? I don't know the answer, just asking.

Excuses for being late to Church

How about this one the next time you are late for Church? There was an elephant in my cornfield. No kidding. Last Sunday one of the elders at Kisibee Church, made an apology for being late for service. It seems he had sent his daughter out to pick some maize and she came running back yelling that there was an elephant in the field. He grabbed a metal pot and spoon and ran out to scare it off. The good thing is that the elephant left without destroying much of his crop. The elephants can destroy a whole year's income for a family. So the next time you are running late try this story.

Musings from my mind:

Driving over impossible roads to attend a funeral. Out in the middle of nowhere a large hole is dug and waiting, mourners are piercing the air with loud cries and we sit in the village on the ground waiting for the service to begin. I am used to the whaling of the women now. It reminds me of the descriptions in the Bible of the mourners for Lazarus. Because this is Africa, the funeral has a written program of events and we are asked to place flowers on the grave to represent the different areas at Namwianga Mission. I think that the loud whaling is healthy for us. It allows the mourners to express their feelings because death is so common here. They know it is all around them and none of them have been missed by the mark of its grasp. I have attended several funerals since we moved here two years ago. This funeral was the only one where the deceased person was even remotely old. She was 62. The other funerals were for an 18month old, a 2 year old and a man who was about 30. So here the Zambian must come to terms with their mortality early in life. I think Americans feel entitled to a long life, healthy and productive. Then at an appropriate age we slip into that drug induced mist of death. For Christians we believe that our life will continue with God. The Zambians who are Christians believe that but they are so much more realistic about the life here before death. They are grateful for each day they have and don't take anything for granted. They expect pain with their passing. They expect pain with the daily life and are grateful when that can be relieved by hospitals here. But despite all this realism they are some of the most joyful people I have been around. They do not let their circumstances determine their outlook. I give Thanks to God daily for that lesson laid out before me. He is our joy and not things around us . We do more than just exist , we live. If I have learned nothing else while living here I am learning to live abundantly. In the laughter and love of God's people.

I am reading Peterson's book "Eat this book". One of the things he said really struck me..He says we have replaced the Trinity of God the Father , the SOn and the Spirit with our own Trinity. That of Holy wants, Holy Needs and Holy Feelings. We have taken our Soverign self to be the text of Spiritual formation of our life. This is pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps or American independence at its worst. We are taught from the cradle on to put ourselves and our choices first. We are entitled. So since we are spending so much energy upon our selves and our needs, wants and feelings we only allow God some space in our life. He becomes peripheral not central. In the Message, in Romans, it says not to become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. So here in Zambia I find that I have transfered my own Trinity of wants, needs and feelings into my work here. I struggle with their culture which places relationship over task completion. I struggle with overcoming years of doing without to get them to plan ahead. So what is my goal as I work to help open a hosptial. Is it a replica of an American hospital, shiny, organized and always on time. Or is it a good clean African hospital, not so organized yet offering their kind of care. Taking time for each person's needs and sharing all you have with whoever needs it. So today as I begin to meet with the staff at Namwianga clinic to offer suggestions Lord help me remember it is your work, and not mine and you are in charge. Help me to put You back in your rightful place as Soverign Lord of both my life and theirs, as I allow the real Trinity to transform me to be the living servant you desire.

Different, but same like me

Some things are so different here than in the U.S. Intermittent power, clean water, lots of bugs and big snakes. Deadly snakes. Fences made from elephant grass which grows taller than most people, laundry done by hand in a bucket on the back porch in cold water. But there is also so much we have in common that it reminds me of the Church today. I see mothers playing kissy face with their babies, reaching out eagerly for children vitamins for their toddlers. I see girls having their hair braided and combed by older sisters and mothers, boys kicking a soccer ball around the field and I know this isn't different from back home. Zambians have a different culture, but their innate sense of loving their children and wanting what is best for them is universal.

So it is with the Church. Here a church service is so different than back home. Different language, different seating arrangements with the women on the right and the men on the left. Communion bread is anything from baked hard flat bread bits, to store bought crackers. Communion wine is usually just that,wine, diluted with water that may or may not be from a clean bore hole. Sometimes we only have one cup for the whole church. Not because of some theological interpretation but rather because that is all they have. There is always a "program " that is announced at the beginning of the service including those who will be participating in the worship. Zambians love order and announced programs for any event,even church. So would you feel at home in this Church service as you do at home? Should you? Is the intent of worship to feel at home? Is the worship meant to make us feel comfortable ? I would rather suggest that it is to see how glorious is the variety of God. How we can be different in the manner of worship and still be brothers and sisters. In this 200th anniversary of Campbell's Declaration the one thing I remember reading is the statement" Christians only, but not the only Christians". He said that the test of fellowship was belief in Jesus as God's son and our savior. That we should embrace and accept each other as Jesus accepted and embraced us. So as we worship in village churches, school classrooms, and open fields let us model the similarities not the differences. This will allow God to have what he desired most of all.....one in Jesus.

In Him we still live
Don and Laura

God always goes before us

In Exodus Moses says to God: " If your presence will not go , do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us. In this way we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth"

Don and I are once again in Zambia at Namwianga Mission. Truly we are so blessed by God because He has gone before us through this entire last year. The last blog was my frantic voice to God to once again save us. He did that in more than one way. Yes, all of the biopsy was negative for cancer. It was scar tissue from the radiation. So we proceeded to really enjoy the Christmas holiday with our family and friends. Once again the body of Christ reached out to us and shared their homes with us. One of our daughters, Kierstyn, has a friend who was going to be out of town during the holiday, visiting family. She and her husband graciously offered their home for the week of Christmas. This wonderful gift allowed us to have all of our daughters and their families together in one place. This was the first time in 13 years that this has happened. It was great. Hectic, busy and wonderful. Thanks Lora and Dave Hutson. But we have been the recipient of so many of these gifts. Ronnie McQueen and Ellie Hamby in Abilene loaned us cars, and places to stay while Don was going through the tests. Isn't God great as he draws all the believers together to help each other.

So now we are here, right where God wants us to be. It is warm and rainy and there is much to do. The hospital proceeds toward becoming inpatient. Right now we are asking for prayers for God to raise up a doctor. We really need one to come, American, Zambian or whoever God will send. Please lift this up . We have opened the mother's shelter for all who live to far to come once they go into labor. I have had one almost delivery with the Mom arriving in an oxcart. That ended well, but we don't want any more of that. Just last month we had a mom deliver triplets on the side of the road on her way her. G0d protected them all, and they made it here. But that sort of thing would happen less and more babies and Mom's would have healthy, clean deliveries if they are staying in our shelter as they near the date of delivery and could then just walk across the yard to the labor and delivery ward.

Don is so busy with the business office as Namwianga school year begins. He is working with tow great Zambians, Peter and Davies. He is teaching them management skills and priority setting. We love the people here and look forward to interacting as we all serve Jesus. Please keep us in your prayers.
In Him
\ Don and Laura