Kevin & Savannah Pestke

Deaf Ministry of Chipata

2012-02-16T02:08:00.000-05:00

We have our friend Jimmy Tsoukalas staying with us. We received him from the airport a few days back and have been busy ever since. Jimmy is a missionary to the deaf and wanted to visit Chipata with the idea of possibly coming to minister to the deaf community of the Eastern Province. It has been a great learning experience for me as I get to see first hand the needs of the Deaf community.

Sunday we visited a small Deaf Church of about 25 - Jimmy had the opportunity of preaching and although there were some differences in signs, the people really enjoyed. The next day we met with the pastor. The pastor told us he was HIV positive. I was thankful that this pastor in spite of his sickness was continuing to minister. It can be easy to make excuses when we are sick but this man is continuing to run his race no matter the obstacles before him. Praise the LORD!

On Tuesday, we went to Magwero School of the Deaf. This is another opportunity as the school is one of the oldest schools for the deaf in Zambia. There are over 150+ kids that attend the school and one teacher said there were about 30 late for reporting likely because of lack of school fees.

Please pray for Jimmy as he seeks to know God's will in all of this!

Deaf Church of Chipata

Jimmy Teaching

Road Risks

2012-02-06T10:47:00.000-05:00

En route to Lusaka this afternoon we came across a major road accident roughly 10 km from the Luangwa bridge. I am not sure there is a time in recent memory we didnt see a wreck over this 550 km stretch. Today we came around a corner and noticed a line of vehicles which quickly indicated a recent accident had occurred. When we finally inched up near to the site of the collision, one large truck was standing erect while others were bent around it. We noticed an SUV inching its way under the erect truck trying to pass by... although it finally made it, it seemed a bit too risky for my liking.

I surveyed our surroundings and decided it was safer to engage 4-wheel drive and bypass the whole thing off road than to go under a teetering truck. Thankfully we made it through unscratched. It again highlights the very real dangers of simply driving in Zambia. Please continue praying for us.

my neighbor

2012-02-02T08:32:00.000-05:00

This is what my neighbor does for a living. All day... everyday. From around 7 am until up to around 6 pm.

running

2012-02-01T10:21:00.001-05:00

I recently preached a message from Hebrews 12:1-2 on "running the race". Although the service was not very well attended, those at Church did seem to be encouraged. I gave testimony about a 5k that I ran years ago and when I finished the race I realized I really was not all that tired. At first I just assumed it was because I was in top shape but when I really stopped to think about it, I realized I was not all that tired because I didnt run all that hard. My time was good. I placed well. But I knew I could have done better.

For many of us, the same is true spiritually. We are doing ok. We are moving forward. But, for many of us, we really could do better. I hope I dont get to the end of my spiritual run and know I could have done more...no more walking, I want to RUN!

Taxi Driver "Accident"

2012-01-24T09:56:00.000-05:00

This morning around 7 am a taxi driver lost control of his vehicle as he was trying to overtake another vehicle. The result was him hitting head on into the corner of our wall fence. I was told by one person that someone on a bicycle was hit and taken to the hospital. The police said no one was hurt only damages to the vehicles and wall fence. There are many people that bring their goods to market using the side of the road by our house each morning around this time. We truly thank the Lord more hurt wasnt caused by such foolish driving. I am not really sure if someone got hurt or if only damage was done. Please pray. Unfortunately, this type of event is too much of a norm.

Chadiza bush church

2012-01-23T03:34:00.000-05:00

We went to visit a new church plant near Chadiza. Chadiza is roughly 65 km from Chipata and requires a trip down a bumpy dirt road. I had been told the church was located in one of the town schools. I was wrong. We went another 15 km past Chadiza into some pretty remote bush areas.

The time was profitable as we preached God's word and saw almost the entire church respond in some way. There were 17 in attendance but the pastor said he has almost 45 members. During the rainy season, it is common for people to stay home fearing they will get stuck in the heavy rains. We were thankful the rains didnt come while at church but wished more could have made it. We are planning a trip back after the rains subside and we are able to move around with a bit more freedom.

Rain

2012-01-15T18:40:00.000-05:00

The rain is considered a blessing because it is obviously quite necessary for the large amount of people that count on it for a successful farming season. For the last 2 days we have had some pretty heavy rains making most dirt roads quite soggy.
We were planning to visit a church roughly 75 km outside of Chipata. Unfortunately, the road we were using deteriorated and only allowed us to get about 65 km leaving us a bit short. We met some people that told us the bridge had been washed away earlier in the year. Just wasn't meant to be...
We did pass out some tracts in a couple different village areas. We also spent some time with Chief Mazyopa. He has invited us to come back and hold a crusade even saying he would organize it for us!!

1 Peter 3

2012-01-09T09:50:00.000-05:00

Today I had a man knock on my gate. I didnt recognize the man but he told me he was from an area where I had recently done some teaching. This area is roughly 20-25 km out of town. Turns out his wife attended my most recent teaching and had gone home and told her husband about the teaching.

The man began to tell me his story. He had made a profession of faith back in 1978 but since then had been given to beer, smoking, and other women. He realized his heart was far from the Lord. He didnt really know what to do but felt he needed to do something. We spent almost 2 hours together talking about Scripture, salvation, forgiveness, repentance, maturity and growth, etc. He admitted that his wife is the spiritually strong one in the family.

It was wonderful to see the testimony of this man's wife bring this man under conviction. Just as we are told in 1 Peter 3, that the husband would "be won by the conversation of the wife" this woman's conversation was having a large impact in this man wanting to come to Christ. I gave the man a Bible and showed him some areas I would like him to read. We prayed together and then I challenged him to make a commitment to truly follow the Lord.

I asked him to come with me this Sunday as I go out and preach again in a rural area. I am hopeful as more of God's word works within him, he will truly be transformed and set on course to seek the will of God for his life. The place where I have been teaching is called "chanjala" which means "place of hunger". It is my hope that this place truly becomes a place where the people hunger and thirst after righteousness! Please be praying for this man (Mr. Phiri).

Being a Servant

2011-12-31T17:35:00.000-05:00

It was a nice way to finish out 2011 by teaching a small group of Christians. We spent about 3 hours this morning discussing being "a servant of the Lord". Of course Moses is the key figure in this study and presents so many examples of how to live our life as a true servant!

The heavy rains kept more from coming but it looks like we will make this a weekly teaching with the hopes of really deepening the spiritual roots of these leaders/Christians. Hopefully more will be able to attend in the future but for now we are content with those God is allowing us to minister too.

Christmas lunch

2011-12-26T20:32:00.000-05:00

Savannah's mother came to Zambia to be with us for Christmas. On Sunday we were invited to a small church meeting in a school room. The service went very well and afterward the church provided us a wonderful Christmas meal including Nsima, rape, and bush chicken!
Although not what most of us expect for a Christmas meal, we had a great day celebrating the true purpose of the day!

Youth Meeting

2011-12-24T03:26:00.000-05:00

I was asked to preach to a youth group on the subject of purity/temptation. We had a wonderful time as we opened God's word and learned from some failures made by others. We spoke on the decision to keep ourselves undefiled from the world and its expectations. I really believe the Lord spoke to some hearts with these teens! It is my prayer this group of young people would refuse the offer of the world and truly present their bodies a living sacrifice, Holy unto God!

Chanjala Baptist

2011-12-20T13:57:00.000-05:00

We wanted to visit a "bush" church while my mother-in-law was in Zambia. It worked out great that bro Morgan invited me to his church just at the right time!

It took us around 45 minutes to arrive at the small church but most of the time was spent slowly navigating a muddy road.

Because of the rains, church was delayed by about an hour. Once it started we had roughly 30 in attendance. The pastor did a teaching from Deuteronomy concerning the 'fear of God'. Just so happened that I had prepared a message from 2 Timothy 1:7, "God has not given is the spirit of fear". Worked out wonderful. We had a handful respond to God's leading and even my wife was able to counsel a woman to be saved!! Praise the Lord. We left the church moments before the rains came and thankfully we missed out on a church wide bath ;-)

Missions Teaching

2011-12-16T23:57:00.000-05:00

This last week I spent 4 days teaching a group of 15 pastors on the subject of "Missions". Many pastors in Zambia see Americans as missionaries but they dont see their churches as needing to or able to be a part of the Great Commission. We walked through many Scripture discussing the relevance for today and how God expects the church to truly function... every member a minister!

We had some great discussions concerning the point, the people, the purpose, and the plan of God's Mission. As always, it is hard to know if these men will own this teaching for themselves and really seek to move forward in this area. We continue to pray and equip as the Lord leads through all of this!

One interesting discussion through all of this was on the subject of deliverance. Many churches in Zambia, whether Baptist or Pentecostal have "deliverance" services. The perception is that people hear the message and then come for counseling - once they come, the pastor "delivers" them from some demon or overbearing sin. Along with that discussion comes the talk about "Christians" being possessed and controlled by demons. Quite a passionate discussion by those involved.

Nazareth Baptist

2011-12-13T02:15:00.000-05:00

We visited a small church on the way out of town this last Sunday... Not really a town church and not really a bush church but somewhere in between.

We showed up "on time" which of course means no one else was there except the Pastor. It didn't take long for people to start trickling in but again re-emphasized how "starting time" really is more of a flexible value rather than a specific moment!

Eventually the church house was full. I taught the Sunday school as well as preached the main service. The Lord seemed to communicate His message to the people. The pastor felt the messages were right what the people needed! Praise the Lord.

Refreshing

2011-11-15T08:43:00.001-05:00

We visited Gonda Baptist Church this last Sunday. The church is currently meeting in a school classroom. This is a pretty common way for churches to have a room without the major expense of building right away. Well, this little church feels ready to move out of the classroom (there is a rent they pay) and ready to stand on their own.

After church in the classroom, the pastor took us over to the "new" church building. So far it is just a shell of burnt bricks along with the wood work for the roof. The church has raised the funds for 20 of the needed roofing sheets. They were changing their clothes and starting to put on the 20 sheets right then wanting to protect the church from the rains as best as possible.

A few hours later I met a man that is a Christian working for the peace corps in Zambia. We were talking about giving tithes and how to do that while he was working for Peace Corps. So, he said why not give some money to the roof project to help this little upstart church - reached in his pocket and gave the little that he had.

I am not saying we all need to live this way but it was quite refreshing to meet a person that heard of a need and immediately responded. The roof will still not be complete but every little amount does help. Ultimately, I would like to see the members of the church reach deep, sacrifice, and give to the cause the Lord has put in front of them!

Bob

2011-11-14T06:03:00.001-05:00

We are having a Bible study twice a month with a group of ex-pats here in Chipata. The group is quite diverse including people from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mali, Malawi, Italy, France, and the USA. We have a few that are Catholics, some that are Pentecostal, some Baptist, some Lutherans, and some Presbyterian... even one that is a Catholic priest!

I have the pleasure of leading the Bible study as we go through the book of James. We have had some very interesting discussions and continue to see the Lord work in the hearts of us all. One of the more exciting subjects has been on the subject of "saving faith". I came up with a hypothetical situation in which one of the Bible study members hits the fictitious man named Bob with their vehicle. It is apparent to Bob that he is severely injured and will pass from life to death very soon. With this new knowledge he is quite concerned about what will happen. He has no history of religion and has put God out of his mind all of his life. However, with the realization that he will soon be dead, he is scared and wanting answers.

So, what would you say to Bob knowing he has only a few moments to live before crossing over into eternity?

Divine Nature

2011-11-10T12:11:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday I preached a message from 2 Peter 1:14 on the passage, "that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature". Quite a strong text to meditate upon thinking that we were once the natural man and now we are able to take on the divine nature through God's exceeding great and precious promises. The more I studied for the message the more I became impressed with our great God!

The people seemed to receive the message well. It is always hard to judge if I am properly communicating God's word to a people in a different culture. I believe God's word is Truth and therefore has the great ability of crossing borders and cultures with ease. At the end, we saw more than 30 people respond to the invitation! We believe four people came and put their trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ while the others wanted to know and experience more of that divine nature.

We continue to praise the Lord for the work He is doing in our lives and the people we are sent to minster. Please continue to pray for our opportunities and the large work of ministering to these people.

Munga Baptist Church

2011-10-24T09:18:00.003-05:00

Confusion is something that irritates me. This last Sunday I visited a new church that is meeting in a school room...along side 4 other "churches". As the service moved forward the other churches were beating their drums, singing, dancing, and preaching as loud as they possibly could. All of this is quite distracting and I feel brings a bit of confusion to a place that is suppose to bring peace.

I preached a simple message from Colossians 2:10 - "ye are complete in him". It was one of those messages that "I felt" was just not reaching the ears of the listeners. I hated the competition and in my heart just wanted to keep preaching until these people understood the depth of this crucial text. At the end, I sat down and felt somewhat defeated. Glad I had a chance to open God's word but disappointed that I was competing with other "preachers".

church in classroom

school room "pulpit"

attitude of prayer

Of course, oh me of little faith, the Lord blessed in spite of my poor attitude and many responded to the altar call. Over 10 came forward to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ truly wanting to be "complete in him" and another 7 or 8 came to ask God to help them with their daily walk of faith. In all, it was wonderful to see the Lord work. When will I learn to simply trust God to do great things!?

First chiChewa Message

2011-10-18T09:00:00.004-05:00

This last Sunday I preached my first message in ChiChewa! Wow - what an experience. The message was only 15 or so minutes long but took me 2 weeks to get prepared. Even after 2 weeks I was still struggling! I have put a short clip of the message on the blog for your viewing pleasure. Please continue praying for us as we learn the language and attempt to communicate God's word in the heart language of these people!

Opportunity

2011-10-04T03:11:00.002-05:00

I was invited by a friend to preach at his church - I didn't really know much about the church which sometimes makes it difficult to know what to expect. In my personal reading I continue to see the Lord trying to get His people to grow and take steps of faith but in many instances it is like the people just refuse.

I decided to preach a message that hopefully would encourage the church people to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ using the text from Luke 9:23. The Lord really seemed to speak to our hearts and many tears were shed during the service.

It is always wonderful to see God speak to the hearts of people. It is our prayer these people will truly grow and take those steps of faith that will make them true followers of Christ! What about you - are you a faithful follower or a fake follower? This was not a church we would normally go to but the Lord gave opportunity and I believe was glorified through it!

Christian Maturity

2011-09-29T07:14:00.002-05:00

I preached this last week on Christian Maturity. The message seemed well received and many came forward for counseling. However, upon examination of those coming foward I was a bit shocked. Many came not having any knowledge of the Gospel. I dont mean they were not saved but rather I mean they had no understanding of the purpose of Christ, the death, burial, resurrection, etc.

I reeled a bit from this realization that in today's churches many are members of church but certainly not part of the true body of Christ. Many pastors speak week after week supposedly opening the Scirpture and yet few are actually receiving it.

I happen to be reading from Jeremiah in my personal daily reading. Of course, Jeremiah rebukes pastors on multiple occassions for the lack of understanding and for leading the people incorrectly. We have many churches today without a pastor that is truly hearing from God and equipping the people for Chrisitian Maturity and Ministry. My hope as a missionary is to somehow help these leaders to bring the Truth back to their people and feed them sufficiently.

Make the cut

2011-09-21T04:10:00.003-05:00

Sunday we went to preach and minster to Jericho Baptist. The church invited us and seemed quite excited we were there. I was surprised at the size of the church building compared to the number that showed up. It is not common for Zambians to build for more than they need. We later found out the local Nyau would sometimes come during church service beating their drums to scare off the people. Currently only around 30-40 of the churches total membership of 110 is making it to church.

Anyway, we preached and saw more than 20 come for counseling and eventually make professions of faith in Christ. It certainly was an exciting time. During the preaching I noticed many of the little children were wearing charms around their necks. After the service I asked the Pastor if I could speak with all the women of the church... I then began a discussion of why Christian women were putting charms around the necks of their children. Finally a couple decided to speak up and said it was because they were afraid... afraid that their children would get sick. Apparently they have been deceived into believing that if a mother doesnt get a charm for the child from the witchdoctor the child would likely get sick and die. So, even the Christian women were doing it. I then quoted some Scriptures trying to encourage them to trust in God and no longer fear the power of darkness.

By the end of our conversation I was thinking they were ready to take that next step of faith. I asked them to come and we would cut the charms off the children's neck. Immediately all the women began shaking their heads and talking among themselves. It was apparent this was too big of a step. We left the church wondering what would happen to a people that make professions of faith in Christ but still willingly bring witchcraft into their homes and churches??? It breaks our hearts to see these people trapped in the power of darkness - please pray our Lord would truly set them free!

This prayer may change everything...

2011-09-13T14:01:00.004-05:00

A fews years back it occured to me that every group of believers that assembles together is and has the responsibility of being a true Church. Some would make the argument that the Great Commission is the primary goal of every local church. However, so many churches in Zambia still see themselves as the mission field and have very little desire to "go" and plant new churches.

So, this last Sunday I preached and tried to encourage the people to get involved in the Great Command to "Go"! I used the text from Matthew 9:36-38 where Jesus speaks of seeing the multitudes, having compassion because they wander with no hope, a harvest field, too few laborers, and the need to pray. The response was good as more than 20 came forward to pray and ask the Lord to make them workers in the harvest fields of this world! If only the church was truly "the house of prayer" and the people were truly "ambassadors for Christ"...maybe, just maybe, we could get that harvest in!

New Jim Baptist Church

2011-09-05T09:41:00.005-05:00

Normally we travel into the "bush" to preach and teach...however, this Sunday we went to a church in a nearby compound within Chipata. The church is less than 2 years old but has attendance of over 100 on a regular basis. The pastor is one of my students at the Bible school and seems to be really applying a lot of what he is learning. It was great to have the whole family with me this week! Often I am unable to bring the whole family because of distance and conditions (some places are just not conducive to an 18 month old).

In preparing for the message I came across Mark 11:22 where Jesus simply says, "Have faith in God". So - that became the theme of the message. I pulled out some things from Hebrews 11 and other various texts and preached on:

Saving Faith
Living Faith
Mature Faith

The message seemed to be well received! As soon as the hymn began people started coming forward for counsel and prayer. In all, more than 15 from this small church were meeting with God!

The Church is situated on the hillside overlooking Chipata. There was a wonderful breeze making the temps very nice and the view was just mesmerizing - praise the Lord!

New Jerusalem Baptist

2011-08-29T02:35:00.006-05:00

I was asked to preach on what the Bible says about idols/traditions for a bush church of about 120 people. Interestingly, as one of the major Chewa ceremonies were taking place where Nyau dance and ancestral worship is promoted, I was preaching from 2 Corinthians 6 explaining to the people that Christians are suppose to come out from among these practices. At one point I asked the church about Nyau - nobody would even acknowledge they know about it because it is taboo to even talk about them. Again, we see the power of darkness and the fear that grips the hearts and minds of these people - even some Christian people! Oh that God would remove that spirit of fear and truly replace it with power, love, and a sound mind!

At the end of the service we saw 8 or 9 come forward to be counseled. After some time, three wanted to know more about becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ, one had demons, and others were just looking for counsel. We rejoice that God is still working in the hearts of people here in Zambia!

Before lunch, I was asked to pray for 9 infants/children that were brought by their mothers to be dedicated. We spent about 30 minutes as I went from person to person praying for God's hand of wisdom and protection upon the child as well as the parents to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Please pray for one little girl (Sarah) that is 6 months old but only weighing 8 or 9 lbs. Not sure why she is not developing properly but I know her mother would love for you to be praying.

Kulamba Ceremony

2011-08-26T01:51:00.002-05:00

This weekend will bring a traditional Chewa celebration of sorts to the Eastern Province of Zambia. The Chewa people are spread out over 3 countries including Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia. Together they will unite this weekend to pay homage to their paramount chief and carry on many traditions of the Chewa people. Since I am fairly new to this area I dont know what to personally expect from this ceremony. There are many rich traditions the Zambian people have that should continue to be celebrated. However, there are also some traditions that should be eliminated. I am praying this ceremony will be filled with only God honoring traditions.

On a side note, a pastor asked me to come and preach this weekend to his bush church on the subject of "idolatry"...?

Masupe Baptist

2011-08-22T01:55:00.003-05:00

Spent the day at Masupe Baptist Church. This is a small bush church with no pastor - which seems to be a reoccurring theme. It again highlighted the need for real pastoral training in areas where churches are already established but no legitimate training is available.

I taught from Luke 6 about the theme of giving and Damon taught from Matthew 13 about the sower and the seed. There were 8 professions of faith and a few more that came forward for counseling.

We then spent the time advising the church on finding a pastor and what the necessary qualifications are. By the end, the church had selected and voted on a faithful man and I was privileged to pray for his new ministry and responsibility.

Foundations

2011-08-18T07:29:00.002-05:00

I have spent the last 4 days teaching a group of men on the subject of Biblical Hermeneutics. Proper interpretation of Scripture is something so many of us lack. It was good to review some basic principles with these men to help them better come to the right Biblical conclusions.

We discussed many different Scriptures over the 4 days of teaching. Of course, we all come to the Scripture with our own pre-conceived ideas that sometimes can hamper our true understanding. We had some intense discussions but using some basic guidelines we were able to make proper conclusions.

Because so many have rushed to evangelize but have poorly discipled and trained - many Zambian pastors are ill-equipped to lead their sheep. I pray for these men to truly "study to shew themselves approved unto God". If we can all become men of God's Word and put to practice the things that are important to God - I believe it wont take long to reach the whole of Zambia! May the foundations be strong and the church move forward for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Kasenga "Baptist Church"

2011-08-09T05:19:00.003-05:00

I was asked to come and preach at a "church" in the bush this last week. The church has been without a pastor for 5 years and as far as I could tell they were not very interested in following God's direction for churches. This church is situated in an area where the village head man does not favor Christianity and the local Nyau has a lot of control over the people. In all - the culture/world has impacted the church more than the church has impacted the culture/world.

We preached straight knowing the only solution or true help we could provide is for the Spirit of God to take His Word and really work in the hearts and minds of the people. We had more than 10 people saved that afternoon and even a couple came forward to pray that recognized they have strayed from God's original path for their life.

After the service we met with some of the main people from the church about them having no pastor. I gave them some advice and told them what the Scripture says about the qualifications of a pastor. They seem to want a pastor but many of the men in that area follow culture and Nyau more than the ways of Christ. We really need to see God defeat their fears and bring forth spiritual victory!

An intersting note about this gathering was the amount of people that seem to regularly attend. For a church with no teaching pastor, no clear direction, no presence of God, and no separation from the world - between 100-150 regularly come?? But... why?

Nyau

2011-08-05T04:59:00.007-05:00

A couple weeks ago we were preaching in the bush. After we finished at the church, we were driving down a trail and came across two Nyau. This was a first time for me. One was close to 9 or 10 ft tall and the other more like 5 to 6 ft in height. They both had masks over their faces and rags that covered all their body so there was nothing visible. (the picture to the right is an image from Wikipedia and not the exact image I saw).

After speaking to some people about this I found out they are part of a "secret" group that communicates with the dead and prays to the spirits. Only men are allowed to be a part of this group and most villagers flee when they see the Nyau coming. Much of what is said about this group is associated with witchcraft, charms, fear, and evil works. They often are able to control whole villages through fear and intimidation and even though so much progress has been made in Zambia - this group is still a very real force in the spiritual realm.

In my opinion, many of us dont consider spiritual warfare much. We dont think of a real battle that is taking place. Therefore, many of us dont fight a spiritual fight. This following verse tells us that we dont "wrestle" against flesh and blood (things seen) BUT that we do wrestle (among other things) against spiritual wickedness.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Sonrise Baptist Church

2011-07-25T02:03:00.003-05:00

I was invited to preach the closing day of a 4 day conference. A new church had just been planted and some of the surrounding churches got together to give this new church a boost. The new church (Sonrise Baptist) is small but starting strong. The new pastor has a real zeal for God's word and for teaching his people the right way!

It was a glorious day - although the church doesnt have a proper building, we made the best of things and God brought forth fruit. At the invitation, we had more than 30 adults come asking Jesus Christ to be Lord and Saviour. Praise the LORD! On top of that, we had another 40-50 adults come and grab hold the altar of God asking Him for an increase of faith, unity, and protection!

After the service, I was again called upon to pray for some new babies from these churches. It was like a child dedication service - although this was not something I had planned out, it was still an amazing privilege to individually pray for each of the 34 children and mother's that came.

We returned home exhausted from preaching in the sun all day but thrilled at what God continues to do here in Zambia! Please pray for this new church and these new Christians.

Church

2011-07-19T07:42:00.000-05:00

Preached again at Danny Bweupe's church on the subject of "Church". Seems like sometimes Christians just do church but don't really know what church is suppose to be according to the Scripture. The message was more like a teaching than a preaching but I felt the people just needed to understand their responsibility and commitment they have made. Going through different Scripture we talked about:

The power of the church
The people of the church
The purpose of the church
The priorities of the church

It is always my goal for these New Testament churches to be established on the foundation of God's word. The more opportunities we have to teach and preach I believe the more opportunity God has to work in the hearts and minds of His people!Please continue praying for these people to take their responsibility as the "church" even more seriously that we will all make a greater impact on this world for the glory of the Son of God! (as you can see, our daughter enjoys meeting everyone at church!)

Chadiza Survey

2011-07-13T02:21:00.003-05:00

Last week we took a survey trip to Chadiza district. Chadiza is a small town roughly 60 kilometers from Chipata. There are already some churches established in this area. Our purpose for going was to go beyond the town into the outlying bush areas surrounding Chadiza and see the spiritual situation.

We began to drive out of Chadiza town and spent the next many hours going over some very rough terrain. In all, we traveled almost 200 kilometers stopping to pass out tracts in markets, talking to locals about the spiritual needs and seeing the likelihood of starting our church planting efforts in this area. This area is likely inaccessible during the rainy season since many bridges were broken and we were forced to cross dry river beds. It was no problem this time of year but come December or January - I am pretty sure our vehicle couldn't make the trip. It again showcased the need to reach these difficult areas with the gospel while there is still time.

Please be praying for God's specific direction as we continue to seek His face in our church planting efforts. As you can imagine, planting churches in these type of areas is no easy task but certainly one that is very worthwhile!

House Church

2011-06-30T04:45:00.001-05:00

Spent some time trying to encourage a small house church here in Chipata this last Sunday. The leader has a real zeal to reach the people in his neighborhood and grow them in Christian maturity.

We dont spend a lot of time working with men in the town area but we did want to try and help this young work to get established. We rejoice in what God is doing!!

Lead me down a plain path

2011-06-24T10:22:00.003-05:00

Today we drove 65 kilometers out of town then headed down a dirt road for another 45 kilometers. The dirt road had recently been graded and was in decent shape for about 65% of it - after that, things slowed down and got a bit rougher!

I was able to see an area in which there are very few churches and no Independent Baptist churches. I did speak with 1 pastor that had a small church next to a local basic school. He was pleading with me to come back to train him further and plant more churches in the area. From his perspective, the people there were not faithful and didn't follow the ways of Christ. Because this is the time of harvest many people have money - of course, when people have money you will find out what is important to them. This Pastor felt beer drinking was of high importance for many living in the bush area and unfortunately for many members of the church.

I feel this is an area that is still very new ground and hardly touched by Biblical Christianity. Although the drive is long it seems worth it to bring God's word to these people. Please be praying for God's clear direction as we continue to seek to see through His eyes!

survey west of chipata

2011-06-20T07:14:00.005-05:00

Went out today again surveying different areas that are in need of churches, training, etc. We spent the entire day on the western side of Chipata... just a point of clarity, although only 45 minutes from home, we were very much in the "deep bush" as pointed out by the man that led me.

We visited 3 different places that supposedly had a church presence. In all cases, there was no actual pastor for the church. Maybe even more disturbing is finding out the men running the churches have no Bibles, no discipleship, and no training. How can these churches really be making an impact when the Scripture is not the center of everything?

The picture below shows a "preaching point". This is a spot where people gather every week to hear a message, pray, sing, etc. It is not officially a church yet but from what I was told there are already 25 people gathering there. Notice there are no walls, no roof, no anything but a few bricks for people to sit on in the open air with the sun beating down on them the whole time.

Please be praying for us - each time I go on one of these survey trips I see a need for sound Biblical teaching at a local church level more and more. We can plant a church in every village but if those churches aren't really focused on Christ and have the Scripture as their authority - we have accomplished very little.

June Survey

2011-06-16T04:37:00.004-05:00

Wednesday morning I spent a few hours with a Baptist friend touring areas in the bush. The purpose of the trip was to meet some of the pastors of the local rural churches as well as see the need in areas that are still without a church... It was an interesting day!

We went to one area where there was a church but the building was destroyed and the effect seemed to scatter the sheep as well. Another area we found a pastor of 12 years with more than 120 members but very little spiritual growth/maturity. Another area found us a zealous preacher that has been faithful over the last 8 years. During our travels, we met a group of school children that thought we were 'satanists' and ran from us. Obviously this goes to show there is still a strong believe in witchcraft and the power of Satan in these rural areas.

Our desire to reach the rural (bush) areas of Zambia was highlighted during this brief trip. Although there are some churches spattered in the rural landscape, many have very little knowledge of the True and Living God. Animistic beliefs, Satanism, and confusion continues to hold many of these people in fear. Although considered a Christian nation, there are still so many living in complete darkness.

Please PRAY!

Graduating Class Chipata

2011-06-05T08:53:00.000-05:00

I was asked to be the guest of honor and guest preacher for the 2nd graduating class from a Baptist bible school. The school teaches 9 module courses over a 3 year span. Many of the students are mature and already involved in a local ministry. I was invited to teach one of their modules this last year and got to better know the desire of these people to serve the Lord!

The graduation went well as I preached on the theme, "carrying the torch". I used the text from 1 Peter 4 to encourage the graduates to glorify God through our Lord Jesus Christ in all that they do... Not just talking about faith but truly walking by faith!

2 Timothy 1

2011-05-25T02:41:00.004-05:00

Recently preached a message from 2 Timothy 1:7 - we are told not to have the "spirit of fear". I spoke on how so many fear things like death, poverty, famine, witchcraft, etc. After the service we discussed with the pastor and he revealed even more how the average Zambian Christian has deep rooted fears in all areas discussed.

God has not give us the spirit of fear but He has given us the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Praise the LORD we can trade in our "fear spirit" for the spirit of God's presence that truly allows us to glorify His Son, overcome our own self, and make an everlasting impact in this world. Please pray for the Lord's work here in Zambia - it seems difficult for many in Zambia (and around the world) to truly put traditional/cultural fears behind them and wholly embrace the ways and words of Christ. It is quite difficult for the average person living in an animistic culture to simply come out of it and find completeness in Christ.

Some of us are still working on the "sound mind" piece... but hey, one day at a time! ;-)

Big Cats

2011-05-17T02:49:00.003-05:00

We recently visited the South Luangwa Valley to see some great wildlife. We got to see a male lion and his ladies just kind of taking it easy and enjoying the afternoon. Sure is wonderful to see God's creation!

Night Time Leopard

2011-05-17T02:13:00.004-05:00

I really enjoy viewing wild Game in their natural surrounding. We recently were able to capture some good video of a Leopard at night! This is actually a very rare find. Although not on this video, a hyena came up to challenge the leopard. Exciting stuff!

Ephesians 5:1

2011-05-16T02:45:00.000-05:00

This last Sunday I preached from the first few verses of Ephesians 5. The message was about "walking with God". So many say they are Christians but so few actually walk with God. The pastor felt the message was very appropriate and just what his people needed. Praise the Lord for those that make that decision to truly walk with our Lord.

(The above photo doesn't have anything to do with the message. Just thought it was a great photo from after church.)

Our BIG airport

2011-05-11T05:19:00.000-05:00

Although Chipata is the provincial capital of the Eastern Province it is still not a real big place. The above is a picture of the only plane (twin engine 12 person) that flies into our city!!

Great Service

2011-05-08T17:11:00.000-05:00

Today the message was quite simple. We talked about the harvest fields and the need to go out and bring the harvest in. Before a person is able to see the need for the (spiritual) harvest we talked about their personal need to know the Savior. We combined with a second church today - even though the message was simple, God did a great work. We had 15 come to Christ and commit their lives to His will!! Praise the Lord!

End

2011-04-29T07:56:00.000-05:00

We finished our pastor teaching on Thursday. Of course, I felt the need to give a short quiz to reinforce the teaching and challenge the men. After a short review, I feel they did mostly well! The men want me to come back and really seem hungry to learn more of God's word!!

Pastor teaching

2011-04-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

This week I am teaching 14 pastors from around Chipata on the subject of personal spiritual development. We have spent much time discussing the role of the Scriptures and now have begun discussing the role of prayer in the life of the believer. Each morning I am teaching these men for 2 hours! I am so thankful for the time as we open God's word and discuss relevant issues.

He is Risen

2011-04-25T08:29:00.003-05:00

Resurrection Sunday found the Pestke house with the flu bug making its way around. Thankfully it does not seem to be a bad case but it did mean I was going solo to church Sunday morning.

After not getting much sleep the night before, I didnt feel all to adequate when it came time to preach. Of course, the Lord reminded me that the preaching of His Word is not a work of man but a work of God. It was apparent the Spirit was moving in all the hearts of the people in attendance. After the service, people were still a buzz about the message.

I did something different this year - I went through each of the gospels and gave a brief synopsis of the resurrection story and told the major emphasis to each account. By the time we finished with John, we all were over powered by the realization that the resurrection of Christ is not just a doctrine to understand, but a message that transforms us and that should propel us to action. Praise the LORD!

language

2011-04-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, we are studying the tribal Bantu language called ChiChewa. We are only a couple months into our study. We are amazed at how much of the culture we are learning just through studying the language. In some areas of the language there are abstract thoughts instead of distinct details but in other areas it almost appears to be a redundant amount of detail to emphasize the point. Very interesting.

Our tongue has been twisted many times as some words are actually full English sentences. A recent word measured a full 18 letters....ugh! This is becoming a real challenge.

At the end of each lesson, there is a Chewa Proverb. This proverb also give great insight into the thinking of the Chewa mind... As an example:
Mau a akuli akoma akagonera (Elder's words become useful after you have slept on them)
Msonkha-msonkha unang'amba thumba (collecting too many things will tear the pocket)

PRAY for US!!

house church

2011-04-17T12:07:00.002-05:00

Today we had church at a small house church that recently has started up. Although there were not many in attendance, God's word was faithfully declared and I believe all that heard were encouraged and challenged! We continue to look to our Great God to move in the hearts of people as more and more of these works are started throughout the region.!

really?

2011-04-06T08:53:00.000-05:00

Recently had a conversation with an older man here in Chipata. He confessed to be a Roman Catholic and from all accounts seems to have his head on straight. He then went on to tell me "traditional" stories of people with the legs of men and the body of a crocodile or even a lion (literally).

We went on to talk about my wife and daughter being back in the States and how long the trip from Zambia to the State is. He then informed me of how he has heard of some Zambians that are able to transport from Zambia to South Africa in just a few moments.

This is common for many Zambians. A belief in Christian principles and a belief in Zambian tradition is often mixed together.

got milk?

2011-04-03T08:47:00.001-05:00

This Sunday I preached at a small Baptist Church on the subject of Christian maturity. I used the text from 1 Corinthians 3 in which Paul desicribes those that are immature as drinking milk and those that are mature as eating meat. Having a little baby in the house really helps make this illustration work out in my own mind. Babies will only drink milk and have to be weaned off the milk in order to mature and grow up normally. Even in the church, members must be weaned off the spiritual milk and learn to truly walk by faith pleasing the Lord. We dont expect a little baby to be a baby all of its life and nor should expect a Christian to behave like a child forever.

Pathetic

2011-03-09T14:31:00.000-05:00

We have a 4 month old puppy. She is growing quickly. Unfortunately today she got under the tire of my pick up. We thought she had a broken leg but turns out she is pretty tough and just needed some stitches. Always some sort of drama going on....

Central Baptist

2011-03-08T15:45:00.000-05:00

We are still in the process of finding out which Baptist churches in the Chipata area need our assistance and which ones are mature enough to stand without us.

The church we visited Sunday is doing well in some areas but seems a bit weak in solid biblical preaching. Many of the members don't have Bibles.

Please pray for wisdom as we seek to edify the current churches and reach deeper into the rural areas.

Enjoying Church

2011-02-27T09:04:00.000-05:00

We were at a bush church this Sunday with the whole family. Analiese really enjoys visiting with new families and especially other children. It thrills us to see her enjoy church even if she doesn't really get what is going on.

I was able to use some of the chewa we are learning during the service. Even though I must sound like a 1st grader, the people are really appreciating the effort we are making. We continue to study this language with the hope that someday we will be speaking God's word in the heart language of these people!

Our newest challenge

2011-02-21T12:44:00.000-05:00

We have officially started taking "formal" chichewa lessons. For the last many weeks we have tried to learn just using books and talking to some people. Although we did learn it was too easy to not learn. The Lord directed us to a German man that has lived in Zambia for 59 years. He agreed to teach us from a simple book but did caution us that his learning style is a bit "old fashioned". Of course that means we are in for a lot of memorization!!

We had lesson 1 (of 47) this morning. He gave us probably 15 words and 10 phrases to memorize plus 15 exercises to complete by tomorrow morning. At least he doesn't expect much from us :-)

they will come...

2011-02-20T10:16:00.004-05:00

We visited Nmoro Baptist Church this last Sunday. This church is located a good 20 kilometers out of town and with the bridge being out we made use of the 4 wheel drive to get there. Normally the church starts around 9:00am - however, when we arrived and waited we realized nobody was coming this morning. We were notified of a funeral in a nearby village. Zambian tradition pretty much requires that everyone attends the funeral...which can last 3 or 4 full days. We waited another hour just in cast someone decided to come and then I started to preach to the pastor and my wife. After a few minutes, some people started coming in and we probably ended with 15 or 20 in attendance. I am thankful we didnt just leave because of poor attendance. We had 4 come for prayer and counsel! We rejoice in being a part of what God is doing.

Acts 17

2011-02-07T03:45:00.000-05:00

We visited Pastor Danny's church again this week. I asked a recent bible school graduate to preach. It is always exciting to see Zambian men preach the Scripture to their fellow Zambians with power and might. We saw God do a work in at least 2 lives. Although the church is small we know God can do great things through them!

thanks for the shoe

2011-01-22T10:02:00.002-05:00

Today I had a meeting with my neighbors and the leadership of the Islamic school (Omar, Mohammed, & Rashad). It turns out some kids from the Muslim school / Mosque are jumping the wall fence into my yard and venturing out. I happened to catch a kid in the act just a couple days ago as he was climbing my mango tree to escape the dogs! He was running away in such a hurry his shoe fell off. I decided to be a good neighbor and return his shoe to the school principal :-)

The meeting went quite well. Again, I feel the Lord is giving opportunity as subtle as they may be. As I was standing in this vast Muslim compound waiting for my meeting, I took the opportunity to pray for the almost 200 students being taught there. Would you pray with me that God would transform the people of the Eastern Province through the working of the Holy Spirit?

(Eph 6:18-19) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; {19} And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Ready to go

2011-01-15T02:12:00.000-05:00

We have unloaded much of the container and loaded our trailer ready to make the trip back to Chipata. We are loaded down pretty heavy with bibles, tracts and a whole lot of other items. It is going to be a slow ride! We are very much looking forward to getting back and putting these items to use!!

Unloading

2011-01-13T15:05:00.000-05:00

We had a great crew that helped unload. Getting 40ft of items unloaded is no easy task!
So far, we items have been given to the ministry in Livingstone, the deaf orphanage in Lusaka, the deaf orphanage in Luanshya, the Bible school in Mpika and just about every where in between!!

Praise the Lord for our great God and all the people that made this possible!!

Arrived

2011-01-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

After many months and many delays, our container full of bibles, tracts, john/romans, orphanage supplies, medical supplies, and some athletic supplies has finally arrived! Praise the Lord... Now we just have the daunting task of unloading - box by box, item by item. The ground is too wet for us to use the forklift. This should be a long day!

Church service

2011-01-09T06:40:00.000-05:00

Although a humble small church in the bush, God has given them a sweet spirit and the heart of service.

Ending hymn

2011-01-09T06:39:00.000-05:00

We finished the service with a hymn.

Sunday bush service

2011-01-09T05:26:00.000-05:00

We are at a bush church this Sunday... Hope it doesn't rain as the roof doesn't appear to be in good condition. If it rains it will surely scatter the people. These type of conditions are "normal" for the Zambian church...

December Refresher Course

2010-12-26T12:12:00.002-05:00

For our December Pastor Refresher Course, Dr. Schindler (First Bible International) taught for 4 days on being filled with the Holy Spirit. Although attendance was poor, those that did attend were blessed and very encouraged to go back to their homes and churches seeking the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Praise the LORD and a big thank you to Dr. Fred Schindler for his walk with the Lord, shared experience, and willingness to continue passionately serving the Risen Saviour!

2010 NSBI Graduation

2010-12-21T23:55:00.003-05:00

This year we had 9 students graduate from our 3 year diploma program. The coursework is intensive an includes a comprehensive study of theology. What sets are school apart is the commitment to the actual study of the Scripture and the opportunity each student has to put those skills to work! We rejoice with our new graduates and pray for them as the Holy Spirit leads them into the work of the ministry!

(I tried to include some pictures from the event but they would not load properly).

Power

2010-11-15T01:32:00.000-05:00

Today was one of those interesting days in which power was cut on 3 different occasions. Although we are accustomed to losing power it does present some issues when trying to make dinner. Last night we decided to fire up the grill and go with what we had. As we all enjoyed some cooler evening temps outside and the smell of barbecue, the Lord decided to show us some more of His handiwork! I realize a picture can't fully capture the awe of the moment...in the end, we were glad the power was off and we did not miss such a showing! Praise the Lord!

Emmaus Baptist

2010-11-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

We are still trying to get our bearing in Chipata. I was able to connect with a couple pastors from the area. This Sunday I was invited to come and preach the Word at Emmaus Baptist. Service went from 8:30 - 12:00! After, the pastor asked if we could partner together to do rural evangelism! Sounds like a great opportunity but we will continue to seek God's direction and wisdom before moving forward! Please be praying along with us....

bird's eye view

2010-11-05T23:50:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Google Earth I am able to give you a bird's eye perspective of
where we now live in Chipata. It is a bit outdated but gives you a general
idea. The area is certainly much different than our previous home!

13 39'17.7" S
32 39'09.9" E

John 4:10 living water

2010-11-02T10:12:00.005-05:00

In Zambia, finding clean water is always a priority. Our family has a water dispenser that uses those 20 litre bottles. Everywhere else in Zambia it is pretty easy to locate these bottles but in Chipata I needed to go on a bit of a search.

I was finally directed to a man that sells 20 litre bottles. He did a water test in front of us to show the quality of his water compared to the council water and compared to a leading brand of bottled water sold from Lusaka. Of course, we were impressed and went on to buy some of his water.

He was a well spoken man and seemed to be very friendly. I later found out he is a Muslim priest here in Chipata. We seemed to develop a good relationship and I look forward to developing our friendship and all the ensuing discussions that will come about. Please be praying! The Lord seems to be opening so many doors of opportunity. We look forward to seeing fruit that remains and hopefully this man will drink of the water that springs up into everlasting life!

Chance Encounter

2010-11-02T10:04:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I picked up a man that needed to come and do some work in our house. I happened to pick him at the exact time the Muslim loud speakers were blaring the call to prayer. When he entered the vehicle I asked if he was a Muslim - he responded that he had been for the last 8 years. Well, we were alone in the vehicle and I thought to discuss this more. We spent about 20 minutes or so discussing the differences between Islam and Christianity. He told me one of the draws to Islam was how much Muslims pray and how Christians only think of God on Sunday...ouch!

We had a good discussion and hopefully I gave him some things to think about. On the way out, I asked if he would read a New Testament if I gave him one. So, now my Muslim friend is in firm possession of the clear writings of the Lord Jesus Christ. We shall see now how God works! Please pray for this man.

Church in Chipata

2010-10-25T00:46:00.000-05:00

Had a great service in Chipata. Just starting to get a feel for things. The pastor has only been serving for 3 months. We are hoping to help get this church further established in grace and knowledge!

Please pray God would lead us to be training the right men.

Pastor Collins

2010-10-16T02:29:00.001-05:00

This last Sunday I preached at Mulowfwe Bible Baptist Church. The primary reason I visited this church is because the pastor is quite sick and is actually stepping down. I wanted to come and try to encourage the church as well as discuss the way forward with the pastor. Never an easy decision for a shepherd to walk away from his sheep - pastor Collins has done a fantastic job leading this people and he will be sorely missed. Please pray for his physical recovery and God's direction for his life in the coming months.

Going back

2010-10-09T06:22:00.000-05:00

Well today my mother is heading back to the States. It has been a wonderful time having her here with us... As CS Lewis once said, "Christians don't say goodbye, just see you later."

House Church

2010-10-04T06:43:00.000-05:00

Our first Sunday in Chipata we visited Victory Bible Baptist Church! The church itself is only 1 month old and currently meeting in one of the member's living room. We had about 18-20 in attendance! The church seemed to be excited and I rejoice with them as their future looks very bright.

I preached from Colossians a message about the power of darkness and the power of God. 1. We are to Continue; 2. We are to be Comforted; 3. We are to be Cautious. God's word did not return void as 3 men came to the place of repentance! Hallelujah!!

We continue to pray for God's wisdom and direction as the opportunities abound!!

Sent from my Blackberry® SmartPhone on MTN Zambia

Deacons

2010-09-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

We are busy packing and trying to figure out what we should take this trip, what can stay for a later trip, and what we need to purchase somewhere else.

However, on Friday I took time away from packing to teach a 6 hour segment during our deacon seminar. We had 22 men come to the mission for 3 days of teaching. Although it is getting quite hot in Zambia, we had a great time discussing God's word and the implications to our own lives! Always seems right to invest in the spiritual lives of others!

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Agape Baptist

2010-09-19T05:13:00.000-05:00

Before leaving for Chipata the pastor from Agape Baptist (pastor Chisenge) wanted to make sure we visited his place one last time. This Sunday could be the last message I preach in the Kafulafuta area for a long time! Church started on time and the pastor has things very well organized... This is all just confirmation that God is leading us to new fields.!

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Road to Chipata

2010-09-17T07:41:00.000-05:00

The road to Chipata goes through sort of a mountain range...lots of up and down with twists and turns. Not much room for error on these roads. Praise the Lord for the safety He gives us!!

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Kitchen under construction

2010-09-15T13:38:00.000-05:00

The landlord knocked out a wall to make the kitchen bigger for us... It is a bit messy now but think it will be nice at some point. The guy that does cabinets said should take between 3-5 months to be finished...

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Move Part 2

2010-09-13T09:46:00.000-05:00

We were blessed to have a christian businessman let us borrow his 5 ton truck. When the truck arrived it was not 5 but actually 10 ton!!! This of course meant we could fit much more - so we are rushing to pack even more!! Praise the Lord!!

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No Water

2010-09-13T04:24:00.000-05:00

If you are not familiar with this picture it is showing our pump house for the mission bore hole...which provides ALL of our water. This is never a good sign!!! We have had no water. Hoping today we get things resolved...

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Move Part 1

2010-09-10T10:41:00.000-05:00

We were blessed to be able to buy some basic household items that we will use to start our new home.... Still so much to do!!
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New home in Chipata

2010-09-09T08:44:00.001-05:00

We have some work to do before we actually move into our new home in the Eastern Province but things seem to be moving forward. I will be heading there again on Monday to make a delivery of items and try to push things forward...

Minkoyo Baptist Church

2010-08-30T00:39:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we were back into our normal routine of visiting different bush churches. The pastor had asked me to come months ago but when we started off for the church I didnt realize how far away it really was... He has us to be there by 11:00. We didnt actually arrive until about 11:45 --- now, in the States that would be a mortal sin but here in Zambia it is quite normal. In fact, when we arrived the Pastor himself was still not there... imagine!! What I thought was going to be a 30 minute drive turned out to be a 90 minute drive...

The church was low in attendance because of some sickness but things seemed to be going well according to the pastor and how the people have been working on the different projects and programs set forth. I preached a message from Romans 6 entitled, "Shall we continue in sin?" The people seemed to understand and hopefully God worked in all the hearts and minds of the people!

Crocodile in Baptismal waters...

2010-08-23T02:16:00.004-05:00

We always talk about Crocodiles being in the same river that we Baptize people in. Of course, we don't often see these creatures during the baptismal services. Just last week we had 47 people baptized in the Kafulafuta River - this week, a deacon from one of our churches killed a 14 foot crocodile!! Anyone want to be baptized????

2010 Baptism Service

2010-08-19T07:35:00.003-05:00

This year, in obedience to the Scripture, we had 47 baptized in the Kafulafuta River! Praise the LORD for their act of faith!

Night Preaching

2010-08-14T15:39:00.005-05:00

We have had 18 messages preached so far... I have not been able to keep up with the blog as much as I had hoped but I do hope you have had a good taste of things in Zambia. (because of poor internet, this post is a few days behind). Our key speaker was Elijah Pule - he did a wonderful job of communicating God's word to the people!

Conference Preaching

2010-08-13T01:12:00.002-05:00

We have had 8 full messages so far and another 11 to go! Please continue praying for the Lord to really move in hearts. After 6 messages, only 1 person had responded to the Spirit. However, last night we had over 50+ respond to the invitation! The temps have been very cold here but things seem to be warming up spiritually!

More Dental Work

2010-08-13T01:02:00.003-05:00

There was a bit of a lull in activity on Wednesday - but Thursday was pretty much non-stop action!

Time of Change

2010-08-12T00:44:00.003-05:00

Wednesday is pretty much a day of transition at the mission. The kids are leaving and the adults are coming in. It is hard to see the kids go - they are so fun to be around! According to the records for this year, there were 1,317 children in attendance with 75 Sunday school teachers supervising (imagine that!). There were 215 new professions of faith in Christ and 261 that came to a place of repentance. Praise the LORD! Thank you for all the prayers for this conference so far!We rejoice in all that God is doing in and through the work of bro. Larry Franklin! He has spent so many hours teaching and preaching and although the children have gone, he will be spending more time with the adults! Hallelujah!

Continue to pray for our adult portion of the conference as we kicked off last night with 2 great messages from Ephesians 5:8 - "walking as children of light"! As you can see from the pictures, we are literally bringing in people by the truck load!

toothbrush attack

2010-08-12T00:40:00.002-05:00

During a lull in the activity, some of the dental students decided to give out free toothbrushes to those hanging around the outside of the clinic. Although they were warned, a human stampede ensued! You ever see people knocking down their brother or sister to get a toothbrush???

Singing Competition

2010-08-10T08:56:00.002-05:00

I don't want to be a dentist

2010-08-10T08:43:00.004-05:00

I am quite thankful for the dental team that has come - they are doing a fantastic job and helping so many people. At the same time - I am so glad I am not a dentist. No idea how they can be pulling teeth, sticking their hands in the mouth's of people, and scraping a metal tool across bone all day and at all enjoying that... wow!

"bush" dental team 2010

2010-08-09T09:54:00.002-05:00

Dr. Elias and his team of 12 medical students and 1 assistant are at our mission to help minister to the physical needs of the people. The team has started working this afternoon and had a long line of people waiting for the free service. Praise the LORD for people like Jim Elias and his team willing to make the long and expensive trip to Zambia to help poor people get professional dental care! Thank you LORD!

2010 Life of Christ - VBS

2010-08-09T09:42:00.004-05:00

We have started our Vacation Bible School - here is a 45 second clip of our speaker and the crowd he is preaching at... we have 39 churches in attendance so far with a rough guess of 700+ kids.! Bro. Larry is doing a fantastic job of going through the "life of Christ"! Please be praying and we would love to see our Great God move in the hearts of these people!

2010 Vacation Bible School

2010-08-08T13:23:00.002-05:00

The start of our 2010 Vacation Bible School is upon us! We have 29 churches that have arrived with their children and a guess of around 300 children. More will arrive late tonight and many will arrive Monday morning...
Larry Franklin is with us to help reach these children with the gospel message. Bro. Larry will have 8 sessions of 2 hours each to present the "life of Christ". Please be praying with us as we expect our God to do great things.

Mifungu Baptist

2010-08-04T03:19:00.000-05:00

This last Sunday we went into a very rural area to visit a church. The pastor (Pethios Musonda) asked me to come and visit his people. Although it is getting very close to our August Bible conference it is still important to visit churches and try our best to encourage God's people to continue in the work of the Lord.

(had to add a cute picture of my beautiful wife and daughter!!)

City of Salvation

2010-08-02T03:07:00.004-05:00

About two weeks ago I was asked to come to a church in the city of Kabwe (3 hour drive). When entering Kabwe the town sign says, "welcome to Kabwe, the city of Salvation". Although I appreciate the city council wanting to be Christian in appearance, there is still much work that needs to be done spiritually.

Thomas Mwansa is the pastor of Faith/Victory Baptist Church. He is doing a fine job of discipling and teaching his members to live by the Scriptures. He does not have a large congregation as of yet but slowly they are growing. The church is in the midst of a building project and as Bro. Thomas said, many run away or wont join during building projects because they know there is a cost... shame! As you can see from the pictures - the church has done quite a job of completing the structure and making it very strong. Bro. Thomas has hopes of adding a Bible school and office at some point in the future as the Lord provides. The Lord used His Word that Sunday morning to bring forth a great harvest - the altar was full and I believe God was pleased!

Have you noticed - a lot of churches are good at the building part but not so good at the roof part...

Ibenga Central Church

2010-08-02T02:59:00.002-05:00

Still trying to catch up...

A few weeks back we visited Ibenga Central Baptist Church. The church is growing quite well with over 125 members! They are in the midst of a building project. As you can see from the pictures the building is complete but no roof as of yet. The church is currently meeting in a school room and is jammed in there tight. The Lord blessed and we saw many come forward!

July Refresh Course 2010

2010-08-02T02:44:00.003-05:00

Trying to catch up on my blogging...

After getting back from Chipata we moved straight into our July Refresh Course. The theme for this course was "being a faithful follower of Jesus Christ." We had roughly 60-65 men in attendance. I preached from the book of Luke 9:57-62 in which I highlighted 4 types of followers. We had different Zambian men teaching during the day to again help the national men take more responsibility and ownership for the work of the ministry.