Say what?

The time has come... I am putting forth a real effort to learn iciBemba. I have hired a tutor at the local Kafulafuta High School to tutor me 3 times each week. Bemba is a local tribal language that is very popular in Zambia. Although this tribal language is found mainly in the Northern Province, many Zambians in the Copperbelt Province are fluent in the Bemba language. I am hoping to see real progress within 4-6 months. Although my main goal is to speak and hear, I do see a real value in being able to read and write as well.

Please pray the Lord would open my ears to this language and loosen my tongue that I might speak the gospel to the Zambian people in their heart tongue.

A mouth full

This Sunday I preached at Kalalangabo Bible Baptist Church... as much as I tried to remember the name of this church - it seemed to come out garbled every time an attempt was made. The last time I visited this church, the walls were made of mud and the roof was grass. Today, the walls were made from burnt brick and the roof from aluminum roofing sheets. A church in the States had a program to give a roof to churches that would do the rest - praise the LORD, this church stepped up to the task and has almost finished the work.

There are still some areas that need to be finished - pews, doors, paint. For the most part, this church is in great shape. It is a thrill to see these people trust the Lord and move forward - they now have a wonderful place to meet for church service, bible study, choir, etc... hallelujah!

I preached a message from Colossians 3: the Risen Saviour, the Right path, the Real Christian. It seemed like the people understood the message - some responded to the message and re-dedicated their lives. Always an exciting time to see the Lord work in the hearts of His people!

A little help...?

The rains have been unusually heavy this year - because of the rains, many of the roads are washed out or in terrible condition and nearly impassable. The road that leads to the mission is no exception - there are areas of the road that require four-wheel drive. During a lull in the rain, we made an attempt at repairing the road - we have a large 8 ton truck that we use to collect rocks to help fill the holes and mend the road... well, our 8 ton 10 wheel drive truck got stuck in the mud. The fun part - this is the vehicle that we use to pull everything else out of the mud - now what???

We were unable to dislodge the truck in our first 5 hour effort. The next day, I came back to attempt again. As I was digging out the truck (by myself) the headmaster of the local school came by - he was shocked to see me trying by myself to dislodge this massive truck. He immediately called a friend in town and asked him to bring his truck out... and also called the school and had 75 boys come to the sight and help dig and eventually push the vehicle out of this deep hole.

Although this may not sound like a big deal - it really is. The headmaster was willing to help us with more than just words, but with his own resources - this was a great day of rejoicing. It thrilled all of us to feel like we are actually a part of the community. Praise the LORD! Appreciate Mr. George Chanda giving "a little help"!

Not a good idea

Yesterday, reports came in of a man that had died down by Kafulafuta River. The rains are very heavy this year and many of the rivers are quite bloated and overflowing. The Kafulafuta has a steel boat that goes back and forth but it does take a long time to make the trip. From what I was told, the man got tired of waiting and decided to swim the river - about half way across, the current became very strong and pulled this man under.

Southern Province Update

As many of you know - the Southern and Western Province of Zambia has been hit especially hard with flooding from the heavy rainy season. The following is an update from a missionary friend in the Southern Province trying to minister to these people as best he can..

"...The situation in Zambia continues to be desperate. Many roads are washed out and large areas cut off from help due to the floods. Weather forecasts are calling for 2 more months of heavy rain. If this happens, all of the crops will be lost. Thousands of mud homes have been destroyed and multitudes of believers are homeless and facing death. Starvation, malaria, exposure, and disease are taking their toll on the Zambian people. The old and young are the first to succumb but all are at risk..."

Please continue to pray for our Lord to open doors of opportunity and reach many during this time of crisis!