Big Tree Two Year Anniversary

We had quite a wonderful celebration on Sunday (Sept 28th). Yesterday marked the two year anniversary of the beginning of our efforts to reach the Malongwe village area with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am deeply touched as I think about the many lives changed as sins have been forgiven and purpose and peace given. Hallelujah! Big Tree Baptist Church is not a very large place. Maybe if a stranger came he would not think much of our grass roof and mud pews and walls. Yet, in this humble building deep transformation has been found as the truth of God's word continually is declared and people seek that path of righteousness. 

We invited a guest baptist preacher from town (Harrison Banda) to encourage and challenge our people. Wow! He did just that. He spoke from Deuteronomy discussing blessings and cursings then brought it together as it relates to the New Testament Christian and the temple within them. Truly blessed. At the close, we asked if anyone would like to re-dedicate their life to walking with Christ... in God-like manner, the Spirit moved, and more than 20 adults immediately responded.. My heart was overflowing. 

 As is traditional with Baptist heritage - we celebrated with a church wide meal including goat meat, nshima, cabbage, beans, and tomatoes. Perfect day. As we all sat around talking and enjoying fellowship the children had made kites from bamboo stick and discarded plastic bags which provided great entertainment!

Sunday school reciting verses

Pastor Banda exhorting the people from God's word

Kite flying

love that family!

It has been more than 3 weeks since the Pestke family has all been together. Savannah and the girls are in South Africa in preparation for our new baby girl and I stayed behind to continue teaching and preaching.
Although the time has gone by fast I am so ready to be back with my family! It truly has worked out well to finish up some teaching in September and be free in October to fully focus on our new born and the rest of the family... but, oh boy, it has been hard to be away from these girls.

So, thought I would share some of those family pics!

baby girl getting a nap before her arrival

Analiese Joy enjoying life!

Gabriella Hope showing off those sweet cheeks!

unstable times

Isaiah 33:6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure. 

It doesn't take more than a quick perusal of the different news stations to realize there is much tribulation in this world. There is unresolved military conflict in North Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, and Russia to name just a few. There is a deadly Ebola virus that threatens West Africa and could cause hundreds of thousands of deaths (says CDC). People are being abducted all around the world. Small school girls are being taken from their classrooms and never returned. Tribulation is upon us the world.

Yet, throughout the Scripture we see over and over again the peace and stability that is known to those near to the Lord. Imagine, wisdom and knowledge brings stability? So, if we are living in a world of instability it is likely because biblical wisdom and knowledge is not prevailing. 

The hope we bring as missionaries to Zambia is not financial, academic, or really developmental in almost any way --- but, we do bring stability. We bring stability because our focus is to bring that strength of salvation to the people and build that foundation of wisdom and knowledge in order to make straight that which is crooked. Oh, that our Lord would bring an excitement for wisdom and that Christ's salvation would take control of the hearts of all of us! 

Truly, all this stability and salvation is right there - we just need to open the Word of God and allow our Lord Jesus Christ to speak. That is my prayer for the people of Zambia and for my own family. 

my loud neighbors

We happen to live next to an Islamic mosque here in Zambia. Every day and multiple times throughout the day there is an Islamic call to prayer or an "adhan". According to what I understand this is an integral part of the Muslim faith and is often time the first sound a new born baby hears or the first sounds allowed into a new home. From my limited understanding of Islam, this very loud sound should almost entice the hearers to come and pray! 

I must admit - for the last couple years I almost got so good at tuning this sound out that I didn't even hear it most of the time. However, over the last few months I have found myself listening more and more to this "lyrical and inspiring" prayer. I don't have much to compare this 'prayer' with but it has crossed my mind more than once that the people on the other side of the loud speaker are out of tune. Now I don't want this to sound like much of a critique since, (if you know me) I am almost never able to carry a tune. Yet, this is my confusion. Nobody is asking me to join the church choir. Nobody is asking me to lead a chorus or hymn. However, in my little town here in Zambia, every day, we hear the droning of "Adhan" from some apparently uninspired men. 

Maybe a question for another day... if praying is so important, why the need for the constant reminder?

not much but at least...

This Sunday I taught on the "purpose of our salvation". The thought occurred that it is likely many Christians only see salvation as that way of escape from judgment. But, truly, Biblical salvation forged from the nails at Calvary is the focal point of all Christianity. 

It is not my intention to re-hash my message from Sunday. I came to church prepared to preach. I came having thought through the materials. I came knowing what the day was going to be. And, yet, I stood before the people with much more angst than usual. Although for many --- many months I have been working to learn the language of ChiChewa, I just have not felt comfortable doing anything more than basic conversations, etc. This Sunday, circumstances fell into place, and I realized it was time to move outside my comfort zone. 

The Lord gave me the strength and ability I needed to get through my 30 minute lesson in Chichewa! I was excited and praising the Lord shortly after it finished. It may not seem like much but to teach in a foreign language for this thick head is no easy task. I still have a long way to go and looking back I realize I made some mistakes in my speech... but it was a good start. 

2 Thessalonians 1:12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

I have been mistaken for who?

This last week we traveled a bit deeper into the rural area with the hopes of finding some new places to begin evangelizing, teaching, preaching, and eventually starting a new church. We met some fantastic people and a few of them even seemed interested in us coming! 

However, at one point I stopped on the side of the road to ask a few children the name of the village and if there were any churches in the area. The children froze. They refused to come near. They refused to speak. And, in complete rejection of their cultural values... they walked away from us. WOW! This was akin to a slap in the face. Quite disrespectful coming from a child. 

After speaking to some people about this incident we were told the children were afraid of us because they believed us to be "satanists". It is not every day someone describes me as a satanist. I have actually spent a great deal of time hoping to emulate Jesus Christ so that people would actually see His attributes in me and not actually see me in me. This is a new one even for me! 

Although we did see a couple churches in the area, the need for the radical life changing message of the Pure Gospel is still greatly needed. So many live in fear. So many live without hope. So many are bound by tradition. So many just do NOT know Jesus Christ. There is hope! 

Please pray with us as we seek the direction of our Lord. It is our desire to see these people receive the free salvation of Jesus Christ and experience the forgiveness of their sins. Jesus Christ is our hope!