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