Zambia-Final Update and link to pictures (at bottom)

Zambia-Final Update (Until next time)

Purpose of Trip (Reminder)-The purpose of this trip was to design and build a 16 element  low-ropes course and camp ground, train the missionaries and nationals how to run and facilitate the course, and run camps.  By using the experiential learning opportunities of a camp-style of ministry, participants were able to learn about the Bible, working as a team, and problem solving while interacting as part of a team and with the counselors during the activities.

What we did (review):  For the first month of the trip, I was joined by my brother , Caleb.  We were also joined by three other short-term missionaries.   During the first two months, I/we spent our time between Choma (a small town) and Nambaaza (the bush).  In Choma, God allowed us to do a lot of maintenance at the church, host day camps for children and teens, host a women’s conference, run a volleyball camp, take turns preaching and teaching in the church, and work with the members of Salvation Baptist Church.  In the bush, God allowed us to build a 16 element low-ropes course, train the nationals how to run and facilitate camps, run many camps (for kids, teens, and adults), teach in the village school, work with the medical ministries, host a men’s conference, and hosta soccer tournament.

God then gave me the opportunity to change locations/missionaries and stay another 3 months.  There God allowed me to work with the Bible Institute, prepare for the possibility of a future camp, write a camp manual and programing guide, work on the building of two church buildings and missionary housing (gathering rock and sand, digging the foundation by hand, digging a well, and making 18,000+ brick), preach/teach within the churches, run leadership and team building camps, work with two soccer teams, and help start a youth group and train the nationals in working with youth. 

Much more was done over the 5 months.  Check out the blog for more details.

God was faithful (just a few of the many ways…remember to check the blog for much more):

·         We were able to leave at 100% support, even though we didn’t organize this trip until later on

·         We knew we could leave and our mom and sister would be well taken care of by the Body.

·         We were well protected:  from the animals, from potentially dangerous situations, and ourselves.  Whenever we were in the bush, we’d have families come stay by us for added protection.

·         Many kids, teens, and adults would flock to us and the activities we held.  Many were able to hear about Christ for the very first time.

·         Many tools, equipment, and funds were given/raised for the building projects and we were always able to keep going.

·         Many men volunteered days and weeks to help us (out in the bush and in Chipata)

·         At one point I was illegally in the country (although we were told all the papers were filed properly).  Most people would have been kicked out, but I was given a permit to stay within a few minutes.

Things I learned:  I’m truly grateful for being able to spend time under two different missionary couples (the Chambers and the Bandas), getting to work in 4 unique settings (in the bush, a small village, a small town, and a soon to be city), and getting to share my savior with people who have never heard his name.  I’m thankful for getting to work with missionaries who have a true desire to be on the field (some it seems, have no desire to be there).  But being there for five months, I got to see the good, the bad, and the ugly about mission work and living in a third world.  And for that, I’m thankful as well.  Most of the time, when you hear a missionary speak, they present a glamorized version of missions.  They’re afraid if they present missions for what it truly is, people won’t want to follow into missions or they won’t be willing to support them. 

I’m not here to do that.  At times, being on the mission field is hard:  working with other missions/missionaries, missing out on the comforts of home, loneliness, struggling with corrupt governments, and working in a fallen world.  These are just a few of the things I’ve learned that I’ve seen within the global church body (whether it be stateside, in Mexico, Haiti, or Zambia).  My prayer is that having a better grasp of some on the bad will better allow the Body to pray and support their missionaries, pastors, or ministry leaders all around the world.  Obviously, I saw much good being done in the name of Christ.  This isn’t to say that there are no Christians or missionaries who are going above and beyond their call to serve their Savior, but that these are areas (as a whole) that the global church is lacking.

1.       $1 a day is not enough to support a family on. 

When I got back, I saw a blog where Christians were arguing about how $1 a day is more than enough to support a family with in the third world.  Even though we ‘need’ 20k, 40k, or 100k it’s okay because they (the third-world members) only ‘need’ $365 days a year.  We think their needs are basic food (Shima and cabbage with an occasional serving of beans for protein), a jug for water, an outfit, and a blanket.  At times, it’s as if we don’t view them as human.  Maybe it’s because we justify it to ourselves so we don’t have to feel bad.  While we want to better our lives and our families lives, we think they are happy just to survive for another day.  But they want to better their lives and the lives of the family just like we do.  $1 a day is not enough.  It provides a basic meal.  It doesn’t provide milk for babies, meat, vegetables, heat (for when it drops well below freezing), beds, running water, electricity, clothes, soap, medical care, rent/housing, or school bills and books.  A dollar a day keeps a family from starving to death, but not much more.

2.       People die because of a lack of medical care…more people need to go.

Working with the medical mission, I had a patient of mine named Junior.  Junior was a four year old who had 2^nd degree burns on 70+ percent of his body (face, neck, chest, back, stomach, and upper arms).  He had a pot of boiling water fall on him the night before.  A bush remedy is to soak a burn victim in diesel fuel and then cover him or her in egg yolk.  We saw him the next day were we had to work on him outside in the cold winter weather.   After spend much time keeping him from going into shock and treating his burns, we had to leave a few days later.  After 10 days of fighting for his life, Junior died.  He died because there was no one to care for him and no way for him to get the medical help he needed.  I’m convinced his life could have/would have been saved had he had someone been there to provide medical care.

3.       Don’t say things these things to missionaries.  While meant for good, they’re very discouraging:

I’m glad you’re going because I could never go myself.

It’s cool that you do that, but I enjoy it too much here to leave this behind.

I’m just trying to get to heaven, once I got that, I live how I want…God wants ME to be happy, someone else can go.

4.       Nationals (just like people stateside) are terribly confused when it comes to knowing who to believe in regards to faith.

As a whole, I felt like missionaries on the field (just like some here) spent more time teaching people how other missionaries and denominations are wrong in minuet theology rather than preaching the love of Christ.  I heard Zambian nationals arguing about how American hymns are the only way one can worship God (I’m sorry, but God was around before American hymns were written).  I heard nationals (just like people here) explain how you have to be Baptist.  There was an adage on the mission field that said ‘Your biggest enemy is your fellow missionary and your fellow Christian.’  There is another saying, ‘When the elephants fight, the grass is destroyed.’  When the missionaries and Christians fight, they destroy the nationals.  It’s to the point where nationals are going to the Zambian government asking that missionaries be kicked out of Zambia (even though Zambia is considered a Christian nation).  There’s so much hate, bitterness, and fighting between fellow missionaries, between denominations, between mission agencies, and between fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that Christ’s love is not being displayed, even though the love of Christ is being preached.  How can you teach Christ’s love to others if you can’t love those who are also teaching Christ’s love?

5.       Forgiving is not waiting for the person to ask for forgiveness before you move on.

During my time in Zambia, I worked and interacted with many different missionaries and worked for two mission boards that had some tough times in the past.  Being in the middle, I heard all the stories and all the ways the other side had hurt the opposing side.  Each side would tell me they were ready to move on, forgive, and reconcile relationships.  However, both sides would say they had been hurt and were waiting for the other side to apologize because they were the ones in the wrong.  Forgiving is not waiting for the one side to ask for forgiveness before you’re willing to move on.

6.       Pray each other is more like Christ.

One day I saw a prayer card on how some of the missionaries had been praying for me.  They were praying that I would be more grounded biblically.  While I agree that everyone can be grounded better biblically, I feel as if they were really praying I would be more like them.  After I found this out, I started praying that God wouldn’t answer there prayer.  I came to the conclusion that instead of them praying I’m more like them and me praying God doesn’t answer their prayer, why don’t we start praying that we all become more like Jesus.  Then our small differences won’t seem as big and we’ll get a much better taste of what it’ll be like in heaven when the global church Body worships together despite any differences!

Unfortunately, because of these things, you can make an argument, that there has been more evil done in the name of Christ than good throughout the history of the world.  Many people have been hurt by the Church, Christians, or people proclaiming Christ.  It’s as true on the mission field as it is the states. I felt as if most my time (just as here) was spent doing damage control.  As Christians, and a global body, we have to be willing to stand up and admit our imperfections.  We should go into every conversation with the mentality of “I’m sorry.”  I’m sorry for the wrong that’s been done in the name of Christ, I’m sorry for the wrong I’ve done, I’m sorry for the ways you have been wrong.  Please forgive me.  While much wrong has been done in the name of Christ by humans, Christ has done no wrong.  We’re not perfect, but our Saviour is.  We’re not trying to get them to follow us, we’re trying to lead them to Him.

On behalf of my brother, the Chamber’s, the Banda’s, and myself, thank you for all the support throughout the years and specifically throughout this trip.  It couldn’t have been done without many, many people taking the time to invest greatly into our lives.

Special thanks to (and I’m sure I’ll leave many out…please don’t be offended)-

·         Heather Hills Baptist Church-the youth leaders (Matt and Jamie, Greg and Laura, Michael and Amber, Tom and Becky, Steve and Sandi, Tim and Lora), Sunday school/AWANA leaders (Mattick’s, Williams, Russell’s, Shulse’s, Sander’s, Lander’s, Gallagher’s, Spencer’s,  Horan’s, Cutshaw’s, Kinney’s), family friends (Scott’s, Evans’,Wilson’s, McCarty’s), the leadership team, the current pastoral staff, Pastor Nathan and family, the deacons, Missions committee, and Oertel’s for working with us throughout the trip, and everyone else: for 14+ years of ministering to Caleb and I.

·         Calvary Christian Fellowship-Pastor Toby and the whole congregation:  for taking care of our family and giving Caleb and I the confidence to leave for Africa, for supporting us even though you barely knew us.

·         Southeastern Baptist Church-The Hufford’s, Cooper’s, Youth Group, and the rest.  Thank you for giving me a second church home while away at school.

·         Southeastern Baptist Tabernacle- Pastor John and rest of the congregation: for all the support from the times we spent with you in our youth and sporadically throughout the years.

·         Twin Lakes Camp and Conference Center –full time staff (Jon and Donna, Lyle and Sue, Dwayne and April, Nathan and Michelle, Jon and Krista, Walter and Linda) and all my friends and fellow campers, counselors, CIT’s, interns, and my CIT’s:  for taking the time to provide first class training and investing so much in me, being willing to work through the great and bad, for all the friendships that will last into eternity, and for supporting me throughout the past 8 years.

·         Athletes in Action-Debbie, Ed, Mike, Brian, and the rest of the low/high ropes people:  for the great training and being able to use the AIA manual as a reference.

·         Blackbaud-We don’t know most of you, but thank you.  So many of you have supported us without ever meeting either Caleb or I.

·         Cedarville University-

o   All of my profs and faculty, but specifically Dr. Cook (for teaching me how to serve Christ as a man), Dr. Hutch (for being really about all sides of ministry), and Dr. Parrott (for listening to all my crazy ideas), and Eddie (for helping me learn all the rules of racquetball)

o   Lawlor Ra’s, members of 30/32, all my boys, and the sisters: so much support…so much love…so many conversations about Jesus, missions, and what it means to serve.  I couldn’t have gone without all you.

o   Anthony-for always having my back no matter what

o   Ragle’s-for always giving the unit and me a home away from home

o   All my boy’s parents-always showing  your support and encouragement, even though most of you I only ever got to meet once or twice, helping with the unit activities and mission trips.  You have all raised some magnificent boys.

·         All of our family:  from ’88 through ’11 and beyond, you’ve all been faithful.

·         Second families, friends,  WC teachers and coaches, and anyone else I forgot…no matter how long you’ve known us, you’ve always made sure we’ve been taken care of and have pushed us to become the best

·         For all those who help me better understand life, ministry, and missions pre and post trip:  Nathan, Ginny, Jimmy, Bri, and Ashley

To everyone, thank you for your time…for all the love, prayer, and support.  Without each and everyone one of you, this trip wouldn’t have been possible or seen the success that it did.  And last but not least, thanks to our Savior…for loving us more than we could ever love Him…and for giving us the opportunity to share what He did for us, to people around the world.

Josh

here is a link to 140 pictures (you don't have to be a member of facebook to view these)

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2027911415141.2094594.1164720304&type=1&l=f55da503ce

last update from Zambia...10/21

Last update from Zambia…Oct. 21^st

It’s hard to believe 5 months have already passed since I arrived here.  I’ll send out a recap/conclusion in a couple weeks when I get some videos and pictures posted, but this will be my last (planned) update from Africa since I fly out on Tuesday at 9 AM EST (which means I will be enjoying my mom/aunts cooking on Wednesday at 6 PM EST!)

On September 20^th, the Zambian presidential elections were held.  The current president was voted out of office and a new president took over immediately.  There was some small rioting around town and around the country, but things cooled off much sooner than Harrison expected them too.  Unfortunately, the elections and the changeover in government limited what we were able to accomplish with the building projects.  After the elections, we weren’t allowed to get the prisoners until this past Friday.  We stayed busy with working on the projects ourselves (digging the dirt for the brick, working on the well, collecting rock, doing visitations, trying to get the vehicles running, spending some time at the farm (a piece of land Harrison got to start an orphanage; he has a lady moving out there to live to start farming the land so the orphanage can be self-supporting), and taking a day off to get away and tent camp out in the bush. 

This week everyone has been going at it hard.  We’ve been able to hire the prisoners again.  In total, the wells deeper (but we still haven’t hit water), we’ve made 18,000+ bricks, the mountain side is graded, and the rock piles (for the concrete) are larger.  I was able to finish the Standard Operating Procedures and Camp Manual and go through the hundreds of videos and thousands of pictures that the Banda’s and the Chamber’s will be using for promotional videos.  We had the baptism service a couple of weekends ago (which one of my close friends was one of the ones baptized) and the youth group was started this past Sunday.  Lastly, I was asked to teach some classes on running a youth group and teaching, so that has been going on as well.

A couple of praises:

·         I received a care-package from home.  Included were some episodes of Home Improvement (one of Harrison and my favorite shows).  We’ll have to teach the nationals how to grunt before I go.

·         Harrison was given a lot of used piping and hosing that we’ll be able to use at the house and have already been using at the worksite. 

·         When Harrison took in one of the buses to the shop, the shop owner allowed him to borrow another vehicle (a truck) that has been a wonderful help in transporting all of our tools to the church plot every day.

·         There were some lions and elephants in the area we went camping.  Though the elephants did come to the camp ground, nothing was damaged and no one was hurt.

·         The other short termer who left two weeks ago arrived home safe.

Prayer Requests:

·         The rains have moved in ahead of when they normally do.  The bricks must be burnt fast or they will be ruined (and weeks of work will be washed away).  The plan is to burn 20,000 this coming week.

·         We’ll leave Tuesday early morning for the 8 hour drivel to the capital for me to fly out.  When I go back, Harrison has to take the truck he borrowed back.  When he does so, he will have no reliable vehicle.  Right now, they have 2 buses (one’s in the shop and the other’s not running) that they’d like to use for bus ministries and a Landcrusier (which has made more trips since I’ve been here to the shop than I have made to the refrigerator looking for a late night snack and is currently not running either).  It’d be nice for them to be able to get (at least one) running properly.

·         Travel  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for all of us.

·         While I won’t be here to see the outside of the house complete, once the brick is burnt, Lord willing, everything should go quick.  Starting next week, they’ll look to dig the foundation, put in the footers, mix the concrete, and pour the slab. After that the walls and roof can go up.  Within a month, the exterior of the house should be up. 

Thank you for all the prayers throughout the summer and support (although we’re not done yet).  I look forward to seeing you all in person very soon.  I’m planning on being at HHBC, CCF, and PRCC on Sunday (Oct. 30^th) and will be making some trips to TLC and CU soon.

Still Trucking...Sept. 12th

The past couple of weeks have gone by fast and crazy.  I was told my grandma had been checking the blog a couple times a day, so I knew it must be time to repost.  I was trying to get this out earlier, but several of us have been sick in the house.  I was sick enough (and I’m ashamed to say it) that for the first time in my life, I turned down a homemade chocolate chip cookie.  Fortunately, a few hours later, I was able to dig deep and persevere through a couple (even though they came back up later).

First off, I want to say for those of you who were worried, I did not forget my sister’s, mom’s, or aunt’s birthday.   Secondly, as much as my English teachers demanded writing in paragraph form, I work much more efficiently out of the bullet-point format.  I’m sure I’ll miss a few things that have happened, but I’ll do my best to explain how good God has been blessing us and how He’s been working.  Enjoy…

Construction Projects

·         The Banda’s and I have been overwhelmed by the support that has come in for the building project over the past couple of weeks.  The Lord has provided an additional $3,325 to give us a good jump on this project.  We were able to get a good pump, 15 picks & shovels, and four wheel-barrels to get us started.

·         The last weeks of August were spent making brick.  We decided not to waste any time, so we made brick where we could get the water to (about half the distance from where we need them).  The great news is we have 7,000 bricks ready to be burned.  The bad news is we have to carry each one from one side of the ravine to the other that’s about 1o meters deep.    

·         We found out we are able to have prisoners come and work for us.  Instead of renting a bulldozer for $1,000, we’re able to have 15 prisoners come out and help us hand-grade the property and dig the foundation. We can get 15 prisoners and a guard for 8 hours a day for $35 USD total.  We chose this route for several reasons.  First, it should save us $500 or so when we’re done.  Second, it gets the prisoners out working so they can send money home to their families.  Third, it has given us great opportunities to build relationships with the prisoners and share Christ with them. 

·         Hopefully, we’ll be done with the grading/digging the foundation by next week.  That will give us time to get up the foundation walls so we can pour the concrete.  If we pour the concrete the last week of September, we’ll be right on schedule.

·         We’ll also be using the prisoners to help us finish the bricks.  They told us they could make 16,000 bricks in four days (which is much better than us making 7,000 in two weeks).

·         We’re continuing to dig the well.  We dug for one day before we hit another sheet of rock.  We had to wait for the jack-hammer to come back to town, but we have had access to it again.  We’re well past 10 meters down (probably 12-13).  Last time, the dirt was moist enough to form it into shapes.  We hope we’re getting close.

·         Sometime this week, we will start the grading of the church site as well.  We hope to at least get some posts and a roof up before the rains start as well.  Currently, the church is meeting at the local school grounds.  It rents one of the classrooms, along with several other churches.  Not only do we get run out quickly, but having so many churches meeting in open-aired classrooms causes a lot of distractions and makes teaching difficult.

Ministries

·         The attendance at church has been picking up the past few weeks.  Both of the churches have had several families/people getting sick.  Out here, it seems like everyone gets sick at once, so it’s nice getting everyone back together again.

·         As the church grows and matures, Harrison felt it was time to have the first communion service at Bethlehem.  It was exciting to be a part of the church having that experience for the first time.

·         I’ll be teaching a baptism class at both churches over the next couple of weeks and there will be a baptismal service October 2^nd.

·         Somewhere in our downtime, the other intern and I will be working with a couple of the national young adults to train them how to run a youth ministry.  We’ll also incorporate some camp counselor training since Harrison is looking at adding a camp/ropes course on the church grounds after the other projects are done.

·         As we’ve gotten to know the prisoners, we’ve had many opportunities to talk to them and share with them.  The prisoners have already asked us to go spend Sunday afternoons hanging out with them (their one visitation day) and they’ve asked us to schedule a game between our soccer team and their soccer team.  We have also had a chance to build relationships with some of the guards and officers.  They’ve also invited us over to start ministering inside the prison. 

·         We’ve been invited to speak in the chapel services of the local college.

·         We’ve been working with two different soccer teams.  The church has a soccer club and there is a team made up of street vendors that we also play on.  As best I can understand it, we’re in a semi-pro type league.  They have me playing keeper, and I received the first yellow card of my young career last game (I think my sister would be proud).

·         We’ve had a few national missionaries come and work with us the past couple weeks.  A couple came from the capital to do some literacy clinics out in the village church.  We had another guy, Kenny, come and help assist in the everyday ministries of the church as well.

·         Harrison and I will be going out to the village for a couple of days/night(s) to fellowship with the congregation out there this week and to burn the 10,000+ bricks out there for their church building.

Blessings

·         Two of the young adults here decided to give up their entire school break (about the month of August) to volunteer working with us.  It’s such a huge encouragement to see the young guys grabbing ahold of their faith and putting everything they have into it.  They’d be at our house by 6 ready to work and work until sunset.

·         Last week, I went into the immigrations office to re-stamp my passport (like you have to every 30 days) and was told I was illegal.  When I added onto my stay, we went into immigrations, talked to two different officers, and they assured me I did everything necessary to legally stay through October.  We met with the officer who is second-in-command and he gave me a temporary permit within a few minutes.  This was a miracle for a couple reasons.  First, permits normally have to go through the capital and can take months to get.  Second, missionaries have come in with bad attitudes in the past when working with the government officers that make these things even harder.  And third, after the fact, we talked with some other officers who couldn’t believe that the officer we meet with didn’t deport me or even give me any hassle.  I know have 2 years before the government would force me out.

·         Harrison was supposed to travel to the capital this past week in our vehicle.  When Hadassah got sick, he ended up staying home.  A couple days later the tire blew on it.  It’s so much better the tire blew 1 km from home when someone was backing up rather than him going 60-70 mph through some very dangerous mountain roads.

·         Truthfully, there have been too many blessings to count.  I try to keep track, but they happen faster than I can write them down. 

Prayer Requests

·         If you believe in God and believe in the Bible, then you have to believe in demons as well.  There has been a lot of demonic activity/witchcraft/possession going on around us in town and out in the village.  Being stateside, you often don’t think much about it.  Out here, it’s a part of life.  There are several situations we will have to deal with this week and in the future, both in town and when we travel out into the village.  We’ll need a lot of wisdom.

·         September 20^th is the presidential elections for Zambia.  Campaigning is picking up.  There’s a decent chance the current president gets voted out.  Like with any election, it’s a possibility some people go crazy.

·         Obviously, we have a lot on our plate as far as the building projects and ministries.  We’re pushing hard, but still trying to get the proper rest as well.

·         Some of us are getting over being sick, while the others are showing signs of what we had.  It’d be great if we all got healthy, and stopped passing it back and forth.

·         Hadassah, the Banda’s two-year old has been sick for some time and the doctors can’t figure out why.  She’ll be okay for a few days and then get sick.  This has been going on for some time and if it doesn’t get better, Michelle might have to take her to South Africa or back to the states.

·         Some have you asked if the shutdown of Evangelical Baptist Missions would be effecting the remainder of my trip.  The answer is no.  While I was working with EBM missionaries the first half of my trip, I chose not to come through EBM.  When I transitioned halfway through the trip, I started working with missionaries under a different mission board.  However, the shutting down of EBM will greatly influence the Chambers and their ministry I worked with.  Please keep them in your prayers as they do have to deal with that (as well as the other missionaries worldwide).

With Love,

Josh

And finally, I’ve posted a few pictures on my facebook page.  It should be open to the public.  You can find them at this link:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2027911415141.2094594.1164720304&l=f55da503ce&type=1

Dreaming Big...Aug. 17th update

Dreaming Big...Aug. 17^th update

We’ve decided to dream big… Originally, we were going to work on building the two church buildings over the next 3 months and do what we could.  But the churches got together and told Harrison that he needed to build his house first (which will be on the same plot as the church/school/Bible college here in Chipata).  The Banda’s have had to move a couple of different times already and our currently house sitting (free rent) for another missionary couple.  In February, they will have to find someplace else to go.  By the end of October, we hope to have the exterior of their house built (foundation, walls, and roof), before the rainy season sets in (making it impossible to build until February).  The reasoning behind this madness is cost.  It costs a white person a bare minimum of $500 for rent out here (and that’s not for a very nice house).  For a couple of years’ worth of rent, a property can be obtained and a house be built.  But many things will need to fall into place for this to happen.

1.       We have to hit water in the well.  We’re at 10 meters and haven’t hit water so far.  Fortunately, we have gotten through the hard rock.  The dirt we have been pulling out is damp with moisture.  We were told we should hit within the next two meters.

2.       We have to get a pump and something that will increase the output of the generator we have.  We were able to find water about 1 meter down in a dried up stream somewhere off our plot, but that means having to shoot the water 10 meters up a ravine and another 100 laterally, to where we need to make brick.  The location of this water source makes it next to impossible to carry.

3.       We have to make brick…and lots of it.  Our goal is 20,000 bricks in 20 days.  When we’ve been making brick in the village, it takes 6-8 men (and women helping get the water) 6 hours or so to make 1,000 brick.  We have 3 guys, no women, and a water source that is currently much more difficult to reach.

4.       We have to get the plot graded.  The only land the Banda’s were able to get was land on the side of a mountain (it’s a beautiful setting, but extremely difficult to build on out here with limited resources and funds).

5.       If all this goes well, we’ll have dig our own rock to mix with cement (by hand) to make our foundation, dig our own sand, make mortar, build the walls, and slap on a roof by October 25^th.

While these projects go on, we will continue to carry on the other ministries already established by the Banda’s as well.  We’re grateful we have had a couple of men volunteer this next month to work with us.  Two of the young adults will be working with me making brick while one of the elderly men from the church will be focusing on hitting water in the well.

This project has surfaced over the past couple of days, so we’ll be trusting God provides the necessary funds, as well as the energy, for us to get this done.  For those of you who don’t know the Banda’s, they are an incredible couple with a desire to serve the people here, no matter the cost to themselves.  Many missionaries live very comfortable lives here and worldwide (nice tv’s and satellite packages, the best cars, living in nice missionary compounds, shipping large containers of furniture/goods from the states, eat well, and have nice tool workshops).  Right now, though they consider themselves blessed, the Banda’s are living and working off 80% support.  Even though their 100% is much lower than most missionaries 100% to start with, much of this still goes into their ministry.  We eat staple foods off plastic plates and are very grateful when the truck will start.  I’ve lost count of how many times Harrison has said he’s not hungry so someone else can eat (when I have been around him the whole day and I know he’s not eaten).  There is one (broken) knife in the kitchen.  The gas tank is filled up $10 at a time (which if I did my math right gets you about a 1 ½ gallons here).  When they go back for furlough, they go back for 6 months instead of a year (and even then Harrison still tries to come back at least once).

I don’t write these things because I want you to feel sorry, because the Banda’s (or myself) wouldn’t change the conditions.  You learn what you truly need and what you don’t, and you learn to trust more fully in God to provide day to day.  I write these things for two purposes.  First, for those of you who know and support the Banda’s, know that they are doing exactly what they promised you they would. Churches are being planted, people are coming to know Christ, and believers are being discipled.   Secondly, I know there are different methodologies on how to do missions (I guess each missionary has to follow his or her own convictions, knowing he or she will be held responsible for how they used the Lord’s resources).  Know that Harrison and Michelle are pouring their lives out like a drink offering to this field every day.  They understand every dollar they spend on themselves is a dollar they can’t spend on someone else.  They have a heart for serving the people here, no matter what that means.  And God is blessing their ministries in big ways…it’s incredible just to witness it. 

It would be a huge blessing to their family if we are able to get this house done for them.  It would allow them not to have to pay rent or a water bill, which means the more money they will be able to put into their ministry.  The work itself, and much of the materials we will be able to get naturally.  For $5,000, much of this project can be completed (plot graded, cement, wood for the roof, and the necessary tools).

God has continued to astound us as He’s answered prayer after prayer this summer.  Please continue to be praying for us as we take on this next challenge.

Pray that…

1.       God will burden the hearts of the people He wishes to use to help this project be accomplished (financially and with physical laborers*)

2.       We have wisdom and use good discernment as we build (things aren’t done the same way they are in the states)…things often have to be adjusted on the spot.

3.       We get the equipment we need…a good water pump, hose, something to increase the power of the generator (or a bigger generator), some hoes and shovels, and some masonry tools.

4.       We have the energy to accomplish this, but to also not allow the other ministries to slack off.

5.       We’ll be running some children/teen camps coming up soon in the village.

Feel free to pass this on to anyone you wish.

Trusting in Him,
Josh

*We are hoping more people will be burdened to help us from this side, but we would also love it if more people came from stateside as well.  If you know of anyone who would like to come out and help, send them our way and we’ll pick them up from the airport when they arrive.  Any skill set can be put to good use.   For those interested,  we can promise working long hours out in the sun for no pay, nshima and a relish for meals (sometimes just a piece of bread), with knowledge that safety cannot be guaranteed nor will there be any earthly rewards received.

**If God has burdened your heart to give, support can be sent to:

Heather Hills Baptist Church-Zambia Fund

1421 N. German Church Rd.

Indianapolis, IN 46229

update from Chipata...I"m still here...

 A few days ago, Harrison was joking with me about staying around for awhile longer.  We played around with the idea, but then we started really considering it.  Because of the missionary travel agent I used, there were restrictions on my ticket.  Yesterday, we drove into the capital of Malawi to speak directly with Ethiopian Airlines.  The lady we worked with was a huge blessing and helped us out in ways she wouldn’t have had to.  Eventually, we were able to get my ticket extended until October 25^th (I’ll be landing in the states the 26^th).  We were also able to get everything worked out with immigrations as well, so they extended my visa for 90 more days.

There are a few things I will have to miss, but I’m sure you understand.  Lance and Shelby:  I love you guys…best wishes on your wedding.  Camp friends:  I won’t be able to attend the closing meeting like I said…you are in the final sprint of the marathon now…push through til the end.  Lawlor RA’s:  You’ll have to do Lawlorpalooza without me L

Harrison and Michelle’s Ministry: For those of you who don’t know, Harrison is a national pastor/missionary, who has been a part of ministry for over half his life.  Michelle first came to Zambia in 2001.  They were married in 2008 and now have two children.  Since coming back from deputation, they have planted two churches (Bethlehem Baptist Church) in the Chipata area (one in town and one in a village).  We had a meeting tonight about starting a third church plant.  Two nights a week, he has men over for Bible Institute.  Harrison also has a soccer ministry.  The unique thing about the Banda’s ministry is that nationals are always welcome at their house, so people are always coming in and out of the house.

Past two weeks:  Right now, Harrison has several things going on at once.  He’s working on building two different churches. Every Saturday, the men from the church and us get together to make bricks.  The church plot Harrison got in town is beautiful.  It’s on the side of a mountain, where you will be able to see the church from all over the city.  We spent two days clearing all the trees from the property.  Soon we will be grading it.  We’re also digging a borehole well on church plot here in town.  Currently, we’re approaching 10 meters down and have been in solid rock the past couple of meters.  We have also had to spend a great deal of time at the mechanics so some work could be done on Harrison’s truck.  Lastly, we have spent some time scouting out locations for two different camps (that we hope to build in the future)

On Sundays, we preach at both churches.  There is also a Bible study on Wednesday nights in the homes of nationals.  Last week, we were allowed to have it in the house of a Muslim.  Monday and Friday nights we have Bible Institute classes.  We have also been running some leadership/teambuilding camps for the members of the two churches

Things to come/prayer requests:

-Beth, Jake, and Mary (the three interns I worked with this summer are currently making their way back to the states.

-We will be going to Lusaka tomorrow and Thursday for the Baptist Mid-Missions annual Zambia Conference.  There’s been discussion that Harrison will at least be nominated for president of the missions.  Be praying for the elections and the meetings that take place there.

-Last time I told you guys about a child named Junior who had 2^nd degree burns on 63% of his body that Mrs. Chambers and myself were asked to treat.  I found out that after suffering for 10 days, he passed away.  Be in prayer for Mrs. Chambers (as I’m sure she took it hard) and for the family.

-For the building projects coming up:  finishing up the blueprints and getting them back from the city council, bricks need to be burned, we only have two days left with the jackhammer (and we really need to hit water soon), that we can find a bulldozer to grade the church plot (for a reasonable cost).

-We are trying to schedule a meeting with the chief of Chipata (think governor of a state, except with the capabilities of military power...he considers his land to be his own little nation rather than a true part of Zambia). 

-Now that we have 3 more months, we’ll be making plans on running some youth camps and other types of programming.

Closing Remarks:  God’s truly been blessing us and taking great care of us.  A couple of us got malaria, but have gotten over it quickly.  Falls that have happened or accidents that have occurred that could have been bad, have amounted to know injuries. Even the smallest of prayers are being answered.   I was able to hook my computer up to a screen to get my sermons and the camp manual off of it.  This field here is ripe for the harvest.  People are coming to know Christ…disciples are being made…churches are growing.  It’s amazing to get to have a part in it.

When we were driving into Malawi to work on the tickets, I saw a sign on the back of a truck I wanted to encourage you with.  It read, “Let God be God.”   Sometimes we spend so much time trying to control everything (trying to stay safe…figuring out the loopholes in the clauses of the tickets), rather than giving up the driver’s seat and allowing God to work.  God is good…and is plans are far better than ours.  Dwelling in His plan and His safety are much fuller of peace and joy then we could provide on our own.

With Love,

Josh

prayer request...

God's been doing some great things...i'll send you an update in a day or two.  I was asked by Harrison and Michelle to stick around a bit longer...til October 25th or so.  Tomorrow, Harrison and I will be driving to Malawi, to work with Ethiopian Airlines and immigrations to get everything squared away for me and another intern (everything has to get done before my scheduled flight Aug 2).  We'll be getting there about 9 am this morning (3 am stateside).  Please pray everything will work out properly. 

Love you all,

Josh

back from the bush...

Back from the bush again…

Things have been crazy the past couple of weeks.  I was going to try to post some pics, but I dropped my laptop last night…so my pictures won’t be accessible til we get back to the states.  I don’t have much time til we have to leave the internet café, so this is a bit rushed.

We were able to get many more things accomplished in our second trip out into the bush.

1.                  Each day, half of our team was in the local school teaching Bible, English & literacy, and art.  They were very pleased with what they were able to accomplish in their time there.

2.                  The guys working with me and myself were able to resetup the ropes course and finished make the last few elements.  The course now offers 16 low ropes elements.

3.                  The first week, we had counselor training each day, training several nationals from Choma and from the bush to be able to run the activities and to be able to teach through them.

4.                  While there, Mr. Chambers had his men’s conference for the men of the church and the community.  We spent two days working with them.

5.                  After the men’s conference, we had a three day teen and young adult camp.  This time we were stressing our need for God and the hope we have in Christ.  At first, we were discouraged because we heard the local youth would be away at a sports day somewhere else during the three days we had scheduled for camp.  At one point we were thinking about leaving early if they wouldn’t be there.  But God works in great ways.  That game day at the other school was canceled.  Not only were our school children allowed to come after all, but the headmaster asked if he could invite the other schools that were going to be at the game day.  Instead of having one school, we had kids from three different schools and communities.    Overall, the response was tremendous.  We ran 50 or so kids each day.  Many of them had never heard about Christ before, so we were starting at the very beginning.  They were very eager to learn about what we had to say.

6.                  The last day, we hosted an all-day soccer tournament.  God has a sense of humor…I found myself playing striker for a team in an opening round game.  If you know me at all, you know I have never touched a soccer ball…or even pretend to know anything about it.  But it was fun.

Whats next:

Time is starting to run out on my time in Zambia.  I have about 15 days left in country.  We will be hosting Harrison and Michelle Banda at our house for the next to days.  They will then be taking me with them to the northern province for me to help them in their ministry and to lay the groundwork for starting a camp next year and to start training them. I’ll be with them for 12 days or so until I meet back up with rest of the team in the capital to fly back out. 

I’ll also be doing is finishing up the camp manual and programming guide to leave with the Chambers and the Bandas (although I’m not entirely sure how that will happen with my laptop no longer working.

Thank you for the encouraging messages and the continued support and prayers.  God's doing some wonderful things out here...