north, south and a mandazi or two

I’m beginning to think that time and distance have some strange correlation. It’s just over two weeks since I last wrote, but it feels like ages and ages ago. Not that much time has gone by, but I’ve covered a lot of distance travelling from the middle of Zambia, to the very top, to the very bottom and back to the middle again. It seems that a lot has happened in a short time and roughly three thousand kilometres.

After getting back from Chingola and meeting with all the guys in Mkushi I was soon back on the road. This time Jon and I were heading up north to visit our friend Cornelius. We met Cornelius last year and he joined us for some of the work we were doing in Chingola. (Cornelius is a very clever man who amongst many other things is part of a team busy translating the Bible into modern Bemba! We met him as he translated the Rooted in Jesus course we are using into Bemba as well...) Since then he has begun to plant the seeds of the type of work we are doing in his home area of Nchelenge.

We had promised to visit him and meet those he has spoken with about starting small groups in and around Nchelenge. So, off we went at stupid o’clock in the morning (at least it felt like that!) to face the seven hundred kilometre journey. Having done some research, Jon thought most of the roads were going to be okay, with just one rough patch in the middle, but you never can tell with African roads. Setting off early is always wise, just in case it takes forever due to more pothole than tarmac in some places - you want to do as much of the journey in daylight and it goes dark here around 6.30pm. Anyway, turns out the information Jon had found was pretty good as were most of the roads. There was the occasional humongous pot hole which, as it was solitary, took you by surprise and there was little you could do to avoid it, but apart from the one stretch we were expecting to be bad it was generally okay.

We broke the journey for lunch in a place called Samphya, which was beautiful. We ate our lunch on the shore of Lake Bangweulu which was simply amazing. It’s a massive lake that feels more like the sea (you can’t see the other side), with white sandy shores and the sun belting down...a definite perk of the job! It felt more like I was in the Caribbean than in the middle of a landlocked country in Africa.

Anyway, onwards. We made it to Nchelenge just fine and stayed in a rather, umm, well, we stayed in a place that was a guest house. The scenery was again spectacular as we were right on the shores of Lake Mweru, a huge lake on the border of Zambia and the Congo. Watching the sun set over the lake in the evening and listening to the waves lap on the shore made you feel like you could be on an exotic holiday...but waiting two hours for your tea and then heading back to your slightly (ok, very) musty room, buzzing with mozzies and a bathroom equipped with no running water soon reminded you where you really were! But, it did the job and was home for a few days so I really shouldn’t complain...

We had a packed schedule while we were in Nchelenge as there was lots of people Cornelius wanted us to meet and share the vision of “Life!” with. It was really encouraging to arrive in an area and find that people are already interested and eager to hear about what we are up to (we normally start from the very beginning, selling the idea to people!) On the Sunday morning we spoke to about one hundred people from various church denominations and villages around Nchelenge. We spent the afternoon with a smaller group of people who Cornelius has been working more closely with and meeting with to pray about the work in their area. We spent Monday running example groups in a couple of villages to help give people an idea of how the small groups may work.

Overall the time was encouraging and it was great to see people, other than us, seeking to begin work in a different area. We are limited in the number of places we can be and the amount of time we can spend in a place and I think we have always acknowledged that we want the “Life!” project to be bigger than us. In order for this to happen, it has to not be about us. It has to be about the people who live and work in the villages where it is taking place. So far, in Chingola and Mkushi, we have kick started the work alongside a number of people however, in Nchelenge, a number of people have got the ball rolling and we came along to help give it a bit of a shove. There are of course a whole different set of issues to face and deal with when things get going in a different manner, but it’s really exciting that someone we have met has taken what we are doing seriously enough to decide to go and start it where he is from. May he be the first of many...

One attitude that we really came up against was that of “the rich man must give us money”. Money is always an issue here. Despite being fairly broke by English measures, I am actually very rich when compared to the average Zambian villager. Generally there is a definite divide with white people being richer than black people, although these boundaries are beginning to become more blurred, particularly in the big cities. I don’t see myself as a rich person, but I have to accept that when I turn up somewhere I am judged as someone with money - I drive a car, I have a camera, I have my own Bible, I have...well, you get the picture. As a “rich” person, people are drawn to you to ask you for money. One man demanded that I give him 10,000 Kwacha (about £1.50 or a days wages here) because I have “money like beans” (beans being very common!) Now, this is one of the ongoing struggles I have while I’m here - sometimes it is right to give money to somebody in need but this can then enforce the attitude that the white person has “money like beans” and all someone has to do is ask for it, not go out and find a way to earn it. Personally I prefer to give people food if they are asking for things (particularly with street kids as I know it can’t be spent on glue) but each time someone asks you have to make a choice. I don’t like to not help people but sometimes the repercussions of our actions are bigger than we understand...I’ll try to explain...

One of the things that seems to hold people back here is a spirit of dependancy - the amount of times I’ve heard “well, we would have done something but we had no money” or “I can’t do anything about it, I have no money”. True, things can be much harder when there is no money but that shouldn’t be the be all and end all of the matter. If I had waited until I had what I saw as “enough” money for this trip, I’d still be at home working now. As it is, I made a choice to set of with what I had and trust God to provide for all the shortcomings as and when they arose. (So far, I have to say, He’s coming up trumps and it’s quite a lesson for me that I have to learn step by step every day!) We are so used to seeing things in one way and sometimes we have to look outside of our normal way and try trusting God...there are things people here can do with little or no money that will begin to make a real difference in their lives and the lives of their neighbours. The point I am trying to get to (and not doing very well) is that many people seem to wait until an outside organisation, such as us, turns up, then ask them for money to enable them to do something. Now I can understand why this happens and may well do exactly the same if I was in their situation, but if you are always waiting for an outsider to come and give money before you even think about doing anything, you are saying you can’t do it on your own and you can end up waiting for ever. Now, being me, I like to get things done! I also think that the people in the villages are actually really capable of getting things done...without me or money. The biggest challenge is helping people see that they can do it. If people can see past “waiting for money” and start to do things on a small scale they will begin to see change, they will see that they are capable of making a difference and then bigger things will change...and so on. Do you see what I’m getting at? I feel like I’ve waffled a bit and not really explained myself very well!

Anyway, I digress! Back to Nchelenge...this whole attitude that “we need you to give us money” was really prevalent. (When I spoke to Cornelius about this he attributed it to the large number of refugees escaping across Lake Mweru from the Congo bringing with them different attitudes and ways of doing things). This made it quite a challenging weekend as we really had to tackle the issue head on...difficult to do but good. One of the sessions we ran on the Monday was about prayer and we asked whether anyone had ever prayed for something and God hadn’t given it to them. One man ventured “money” and the whole room agreed that they too had asked God to give them money but nobody had become rich! Nobody could give us a reason why God hasn’t answered these prayers for money when it says in the Bible “ask and you will receive”. I was quite impressed that people were still willing to give God the time of day if they had no idea why he hadn’t answered these prayers! Alongside the verse that says “ask and you will receive” there are also verses that talk about us asking with wrong motives, or harbouring sin in our hearts while asking...these are stated as reasons why God may not listen to our prayers. (Sometimes, I do think there are prayers that God doesn’t answer, or answers in a way we don’t understand and I have to confess I have no idea why this is. It’s prayers like these that really test my faith.) It seems to me that if we are asking for money simply so we can be better off when actually we are doing okay as we are, then we need to ask ourselves what our motives are. In my own experience, while I have been away this time, the money that God has provided for me has always followed my giving something away to someone else in almost equal measure. It’s like God is saying, yeah of course I can provide, but not just so that you can have a comfortable life where you don’t have to trust me for money, but so that you can bless others around you with what I give you. Again, I digress. Point was, that it was a challenging weekend but also really good.

Amidst all the money talk, Jon made me do something that I’m actually really scared of doing. I am terrified of standing up in front of a group of people (of any size) and being expected to say something sensible and useful! I can waffle on about rubbish for hours, but to come out with words of wisdom is a whole different kettle of fish, especially when there’s loads of people staring at you. As there was only Jon and I to lead the sessions, it was either him or me that had to stand up and do the talking bit. So he asked me to do it a couple of times, which is fair enough but promptly turned my tummy into somersaulting butterflies. Knowing me well enough to understand that I’d worry about doing it, Jon gave me minimal notice which was both good and bad - no time to worry, no time to prepare! Each session I did was from the Rooted in Jesus notes so it wasn’t like I had to write anything, just go through the material. I think it went okay and it was good for me to be pushed to do something new, but I was definitely relieved when it was over!

So that was our time in Nchelenge, sort of. I’m aware that I’ve gone off an a tangent a bit but it was one of the main themes of the weekend that I guess I’ve unpacked here as I’ve been telling you about the weekend. I think we met with people from 20 or 30 villages who were all interested in possibly starting a group in due course. We have asked a few guys to try to start it in their village and see how they get on and then, when the time is right, help others to get it going in their villages as well.

We travelled safely back home from Nchelenge - the only thing worth noting about the journey was that after about two hours there was an almighty squawk from behind my seat which made me jump out of my skin. Turns out, a friend we were giving a lift too, had been given a chicken so brought it along in a plastic bag, as you do!! Oh and that the first few hours of the journey were characterised by emergency stops to avoid want-to-be-kamikaze goats and chickens that kept dashing in front of the car.

After getting back to Mkushi I had one day at home to get a load of washing done and repack my bags before setting off again, but this time for a little holiday! Yey! A friend Lisa has also been working out in Zambia for a month so we had decided to meet up for a couple of days before she flew back home to Manchester. Our destination...Livingstone “the tourist capital” according to the happiest taxi driver ever, Webster! Webster’s not wrong either...Livingstone is the place to go if you want to bungee jump, white water raft, go on safari, ride an elephant or simply see Victoria Falls. As both Lisa and I were on a budget, and far too sensible/boring to bungee jump, we opted for seeing the falls. Even though I visited them last year there were spectacular all over again. Having walked around the park lots we decided to treat ourselves on our second day to a walk right across the top of the falls. I went part way across last year, but never made it to Livingstone Island. You can only walk across the top of the falls during the dry season and the island only becomes an island during the rainy season! Anyway, having been chuffed to get residents price for entry to the falls (about 25p rather than US $10!) thanks to having a temporary permit (that I needed to stay and volunteer here and cost me £120) I was even more delighted to find that I could also get residents price to the island...about £7.50 rather than US $40! Yey!

Anyway, the adventure was well worth it! As we walked along the top of the falls our guide stopped to show us some amazing views, sit us right on the edge of the falls at one point and help us through the parts where the water was flowing avoiding all the really slippy rocks so we didn’t fall over! From Livingstone Island the main falls can be seen much better than anywhere else on the Zambian side (you have to go to the Zimbabwean side to see them otherwise) so it was all new for me. The power of the falls was, well, it shut me up! There is a pool, known as Devil’s Pool, where you can go for a swim right next to the very top of the main falls - our guide did say before letting us get in “stay to the left, it you go to the right you’ll get caught in the current and you’ll be over the edge!” Hmm, now that did sound worrying, but having looked at where the water was flowing and the bank of rocks visible under the water at the edge of Devil’s Pool I figured it’d be ok (and I know people who have done it before and lived to tell to tale) so hopped right in! It was incredible!! The water was surprisingly warm, I’d expected it to be freezing, and you could feel the rush of the water over the edge but it was nowhere near strong enough to push you over. Our guide promptly walked right along the edge in order to take photos of us from every side (making me feel really safe simply sitting in the pool - at least I wasn’t balancing on rocks where one slip would see me falling over 100m!) Watching the water rushing over the edge of the falls about 5 meters away did make you sure that you definitely didn’t want to venture too close to the current.
We finished the day by eating a lot of cake! There's a really posh hotel nearby where you can go for afternoon tea and there is a cake buffet...it's like heaven!! We ate far too much cake and then laughed for the rest of the evening due to sugar overload!

We spent what was left of our time in Livingstone relaxing by the pool at the hostel where we were staying. As I was sat there I was trying to think of the last time I really stopped for a break. It occurred to me, that the last time I properly stopped and relaxed was when I had been sat by the very same pool a year ago when I was last in Livingstone - no wonder I’ve been feeling tired! As soon as I got home last year I started working, then worked pretty much solidly until I left again, was pretty much flat out for 4 months in Kenya and before I know it, I’m back to work in Zambia and in desperate need of a lazy day by a pool wondering why I feel so tired!

Since getting back from Livingstone on Monday I have had our house to myself. The Witts are having a break too so are away at the moment. Although the house has felt very quiet without them, it’s been really good for me to have some time and space to take things at a slightly slower pace and catch up on some work I needed to do. It’s also given me a good opportunity to get to know our neighbours/landlords better as they’ve been looking out for me a bit while I’ve been home alone, inviting me over for tea! Oh, and I’ve been practising my Kenyan cooking skills making mandazis (the nearest thing we have is probably doughnuts) while I’ve had more time...yummy!

And that’s about it really. The next couple of weeks will be fairly full on as we have a team joining us from home to help out with a conference we are running in Chingola. I’ll be heading to Lusaka on Wednesday to meet up with them and then I’ll spend the next couple of weeks with them organising their time and the conference. Should be fun!!

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Thank God for:
- all the people who He is bringing into contact with the “Life!” initiative.
- a lovely holiday and a friend to go with!
- continued safety on the many long journeys.
Please pray for:
- no hiccups with the plans for the short-term team and the conference.
- wisdom in responding to requests for money.
- God to make the next step clear to me as the time to come home is getting nearer!

the old and the new

(So, I wrote this a week ago but have only now got chance to upload it...sorry it's now a little out of date!)

This place is dusty! Within a few minutes of leaving the house you can guarantee you’re feet will feel filthy, your clothes will look filthy and you’ll want a shower all over again. The local roads are very sandy (so fun to drive along) and as it’s the dry and windy season, the dust does not settle. It’s also beginning to get hotter although our house remains lovely and cool under the thick thatched roof.

It’s a Wednesday afternoon and I’m having a midweek day off after an exhausting weekend. In fact, it’s been a pretty crazy couple of weeks again. We’re getting stuck into the work here properly now and it’s great to be doing so. It feels like ages since I last wrote, although for once, it actually is only two weeks. I think it feels like such a long time because a lot has happened...

So, what’s happened since we got settled in Mkushi...well, we have met with a group of pastors from the local area who are interested in the “Life!” initiative that we are proposing to get underway here. We spent an afternoon talking with them and sharing our vision and finding out what they are up to. Following on from that we have been out to their villages and spent the afternoons running a session before showing the Jesus film (in their local language, Bemba) in the evenings.

It’s just occurred to me that not all of you will know what the “Life!” project entails - if you followed my blog last year you probably do, but if you didn’t you’ll be at a loss. So, let me take a few minutes here to try and give you an overview. It’s a fairly simple idea really but it’s quite different to the way things happen in the rural church in Zambia and a foreign concept to many. Therefore it has to be slowly introduced and explained to help people buy into the vision and understand the impact we believe it could have. Basically, the idea is to begin a number of small Bible study groups, like a home or cell group in England, who meet regularly to learn together.

The majority of the resources that the church in Zambia does have are focused on city and town churches where there is more money. Those who have qualified as pastors tend to seek work in these areas rather than out in the villages where pay would be much lower. This means that many rural churches have leaders who have not had the opportunity to train. In fact, I have met church leaders who don’t even have a Bible. This isn’t to say that rural church leaders are not sincere or hard working, rather that they have very little support or resources available to them.

We have found a year long study course, written specifically for rural africa and translated into Bemba, that works through the basic foundations of the Christian faith and helps people to begin to study the Bible together as a group. The idea is not that these groups should become their own church, rather that those who attend the groups can become stronger in their faith and in turn more active in the own churches. The groups are open to people from all denominations and it is hoped that through them relationships between different churches will be strengthened and unity will increase. As the people and churches become stronger and less divided I believe that they will be able to make a greater impact in their communities both spiritually and practically.

So, our work entails meeting folks and deciding who it is right to work with, helping them understand the benefit of meeting together, particularly in cross-denominational groups, introducing them to the study materials, encouraging them to begin to work together for the good of their community and generally helping them through any hiccups they may encounter as they get going. That’s a very condensed version of it all as each time we meet with people we never quite know what we will find!

This year we are at the very beginning of the process here in Mkushi where we are based. We have met with a number of people and have begun to introduce our idea to them while getting to know them and their current work as well. One way of doing this is to actually go and do it in the villages which is what I was telling you about before taking a slight detour to explain the “Life!” initiative. So, last week we were out in a number of villages (my favourite village name so far being Milangalanga!) where we spent the afternoon running a short bible study which was looking at prayer. About 20 or 30 people were invited to the sessions but of course extras joined in as they wandered by so we ended up with nearer 40 people joining the fun. We finished by praying together for the village and then called it quits for the afternoon.

We gathered again at dusk (about 6.30) to watch the Jesus film, dubbed in Bemba! It’s very frustrating to watch a film dubbed into a language you don’t understand then watch the actor’s lips moving and think...hmm...I could understand it before they dubbed it...if only I could lip read! We have to take all the equipment along with us of course, including a generator we’ve managed to borrow as there’s no electricity in the villages. We’ve got a projector and a big speaker that means we can rig up a make-shift cinema pretty much anywhere...we’ve used various walls as screens! There is something quite amazing about being sat somewhere that feels a long way from anywhere (apologies to all those for whom these villages are home!), in the half-light turning to dark with about 100 people all transfixed by what they are watching. Sadly, the first night we watched the film the projector wouldn’t work so we had to make do with a laptop screen...it was quite the sight...about 100 people huddled round the computer, all still absorbed by what they were watching. It amazes me how still everyone sits, especially when you consider that they are sitting on sacks on the floor, or bits of rock or a tree stump! As the light fades, the crowd begins to disappear into the darkness (obviously everyone is black so there is only us that glow in the dark, everyone else merges into it) and you are only really aware that they are still there when something happens in the film that makes them all gasp or laugh together. I feel a bit like I’m short changing you as I really can’t describe the atmosphere adequately. As work goes, I really can’t complain...it sure does beat sitting at a desk in an office!

It’s been a great opportunity to meet people and help explain what we are hoping to get up and running here - the mobile cinema being an added extra! We had a meeting the other day with about 20 people who are interested in what we have been saying and doing. We talked them through our vision in more detail and began to put in place a few plans to help look towards getting some small groups up and running. One of the hardest (but also best) things about working in Zambia is that everything happens very slowly. People are all about relationships rather than targets, something that I think we have lost back home. To do anything, you have to spend time with people, you have to walk alongside them and learn about their life and their way of doing things. This means that nothing can happen fast, but it also means that when things do get underway you have a better understanding of each other.

I spent last weekend in Chingola meeting with the five pastors we were working with last year; Joel, Vincent, Ponde, Capsa and Ranger. Caspa and Ranger came back to Mkushi with me so they could join us in the meeting with the Mkushi gang and it was great to hear them talking about the work they have been doing in their own villages and the impact it is beginning to have. I think it was also really great for the people in Mkushi to hear about the work from fellow Zambians whose circumstances are much closer to their own than ours are! I also think it was an encouragement to Capsa and Ranger to see another group of people who are interested in what they are doing.

I’ve sort of told you that bit back to front as it fitted in with what I was saying about the work in Mkushi...so now I’ll jump back a few days and tell you about my time in Chingola. Generally, it was a pretty tiring weekend...mainly because the place I was staying was over the road to a night club that plays music till 4am. I felt like quite the old lady lying in bed wishing these young folks would stop partying and go home for the night! (Sound proofing of buildings in Zambia is pretty much non-existent!) I was promised that Sunday night would be quiet as the club was shut but the hotel staff forgot to mention the kitchen party that was taking place in the hotel garden on Sunday. I’m not quite sure what a kitchen party is, but I think it’s like a tupperware party on a grand scale and a good excuse to get dressed up (everyone looked fantastic in bright coloured outfits) and catch up with old friends. Obviously you had to shout to be heard above the ridiculously loud music and the overall effect was that I was wishing for the night club again which was quiet in comparison!

Apart from the lack of sleep, it was a really encouraging weekend. We are starting from the beginning again in Mkushi so it was fab to have a chance to meet with the guys in Chingola who have been carrying on with the work for a year and see how things have progressed since we were last here. The first wonderful thing is that the work has actually continued without us. This may seem like a strange thing to say, but so many projects and initiatives seem to get started here by NGOs and outsiders only to grind to a halt when the founders leave. The fact that the work has continued without us is in itself a great encouragement.

On Monday I spent the day with the guys catching up with the highs and lows of the last year, finding out where they are up to and discussing where they see the work going over the next year or so. It was a mix of encouragement and challenges but I left definitely felt like there was reason to rejoice and thank God for all he has been doing in the lives of those involved in the small groups. All the same issues arose as last year, a lack of Bibles, difficulties with transport, no resources to support the work and what not. However, alongside this was the news that new groups are beginning in different villages, one group is wanting to start a joint kitchen garden that they can use to help their community, unity is beginning to grow amongst different churches who previously would not work together in any way, people are loving learning memory verses each week and now they know them God is helping them apply these verses to their everyday lives.

Given that all the challenges that arose are not new and were cited last year it seems to me that things can be achieved despite these. It is often that we need to think round things in a different manner to the one we are used to - last year we spent a lot of time discussing the difficulties with transport and helped the guys see that if there were people who lived in each village running the groups then they themselves would not have to travel there each week. In a similar manner they are now finding it difficult to travel to all the groups to support them as necessary as they groups are becoming more spread out. Again, I spent time asking whether the answer is not that each one of them should travel more miles, but rather that another one of two people should join them in the team to share the workload. I don’t think that they will ever be rid of the challenges they face and I don’t wish to make light of them in anyway - I know the guys work hard to achieve what they do and I’m not sure I would have to same determination as them if I were in their shoes. I have the utmost respect for them and the efforts they make, but sometimes we all need challenging on the way we see things and assume things must happen.

As well as meeting with the guys I joined one of the small groups for their weekly gathering. It was so good to see them all - a year ago everyone sat silently while the leader would talk to them, nobody would dare give an answer to a question or raise one of their own. It was totally different this time...everyone was joining in, the leader struggled to move on at points when people were discussing what one thing may mean , one lady had brought a verse that she had read and wanted help to understand and the whole meeting was punctuated with lots of laughter! The course they are following may not have all the answers (who does?!) but it has helped them begin to wrestle with things and ask questions about what bits of the bible may mean and what impact that may have on their day to day life. To me, this is such a vital part of being a Christian. I don’t know that I have the right understanding of all the bits of the bible, in fact, I reckon it’s safe to say I don’t! I don’t know whether my doctrines are right. I don’t know that I apply what I believe to my daily life very well. What I do know is that when I talk to friends about it and am challenged on what I believe, say and do, that’s when I learn and grow. In the same way, if the people in these small groups have a place where they can simply ask questions and challenge one another and spend time studying the bible together then there is opportunity for increased growth and learning together. When we are open to learning from God, often through his word in the bible, then we are letting him work in us and bring about amazing things in our hearts and also in the way we live our lives, the actions we take and the manner we relate to our friends, neighbours and even those we don’t like so much!

Oh, I mentioned last time I wrote that the cabbage growing, although self-sustaining, had not created enough revenue to be feasible as an on going support for the work the guys are doing. It is necessary to find a way of generating some income to help cover costs involved in the work such as photocopying materials, food for people at conferences, some travel and any support people may want to be able to give to their communities. Last year we spoke a lot about bee keeping as this is not highly labour intensive and once up and running can produce lots of yummy honey to sell to folks around and to larger companies if production is high enough. This idea has been simmering away on the back burner as we try to find out more and so we discussed it further while I was over in Chingola. After a few attempts to contact a possible lead haven’t seemed to yeild any fruit I think the guys were feeling a little disheartened. When Caspa and Ranger came to Mkushi with me though we met a guy called Liberty who works at the bible college we stayed at the first night we came to Mkushi. He is an electrician by training, but while he’s waiting for electricty to be brought out as far as the bible college he’s been busy setting up a training course for bee keeping and learning lots about bees himself! Caspa and he were very pleased to meet each other and we had a long discussion about it all before Caspa set off home. Who knows what possibilities may open up as they carry on talking to each other...I love the way God can bring people together...call it chance if you will, but I reckon its divine timing!!

On a random note, while in Chingola I was surprised by the number of people in shops, petrol stations and just wandering around town who stopped me and said “I haven’t seen you for a while madam”. It was lovely that people remembered me and I felt quite at home, although it also made me feel a little bad as I only recognised about half of them! I hate being called “Madam” though...it reminds me of being a stroppy five year old when my Dad used to call me a little madam!

Oh, one final even more random thought...at the moment the CYFA camp I normally help out on is taking place in Criccieth and it’s making me so sad I can’t be there. I love being here, but I wish I could be in two places at once! It’s definitely one of the down sides to working away from home...but I hear it’s going well and God is moving on the little field in Wales as well as in rural villages in Zambia. Yey Him!!
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Thank God for:
- the way he’s bringing things together in Chingola and Mkushi (and Criccieth!)
- safety as I’ve been driving around lots.
- that he’s giving me endurance and encouragement each day so that I can work to his glory (Romans 15 v 5 - 6).
Please pray for:
- continued safety on the roads - September and October are going to involve a LOT of travelling to the very top and bottom of Zambia and lots of places in between.
- wisdom as I take the lead on organsing a short-term team from home who are joining us here for a couple of weeks.
- God to reveal the next step for me as the time to come home is drawing nearer!