We’ve just finished running two four day conferences pretty much back to back. The first was about 800km away in Nchelenge (you remember Jon and I went there about a month ago) and the second was much closer to home being in Mkushi. Both were based on the same material and helped walk people through how they could start a small group in their village as well as the reasons for doing so, some of the issues that may arise and some of the things we have already seen God doing through groups. Of course, both also included lots of proper african food....enshima, beans, fish, cabbage and the occasional chicken!
Up in Nchelenge our friend Cornelius has been heading up the work and getting people involved so we didn’t really know the people there although there were of course a few familiar faces from our previous visit. The church it was held in was in town so there was lots of passing people and many kids hanging around...lots of fun was had of course with a few rounds of the hokey kokey and duck...duck...goose amongst other games! The conference itself seemed to go well, although, as with last time we were there, many people were asking for money and things more than in other places I have been. I also met with a few other interesting attitudes that made me wonder. One lady asked me how we can be christians when we don’t always hold our hands out in front of us when we pray...and another man asked how the guy at the conference who had dreadlocks could possibly be a christian? It reminded me again how much Christianity here is a set of rules rather than a living relationship and learning process with our great God. I think living life by a set of rules and calling it Christianity is missing the point really. Yes, it’s helpful to have guidelines that can keep us on the straight and narrow so to speak, but that’s not really what I think being a Christian is about. Conversely, I think it’s actually about being set free from a load of rules. For me, the more I walk with God the more I seem to find myself breaking the normal rules of life to do the things he is asking of me. Even if we don’t chose to live life by “religious rules” there are so many things back home that, although unspoken, govern our lives and easily railroad us in a direction and become the “rules” that we live by - things like pushing forward with your career or striving to have the best that money can buy or having a beautiful house. All good things, but not necessarily the set of rules I want to live life by. (Although I would love a beautiful house!) Jesus lived a life that went in the opposite direction to the social rules of his time and didn’t do the expected things...and I’m beginning to understand a little more about what that might mean for us, although I’m far from getting a full understanding! I guess I’m beginning to ask myself the question of where I find my security - is it in money, planning for the future and what not, or is it really and fully in God?! Hmm...Well, I went of on one there...oops! I often wonder whether or not to delete my random side-tracks when I’ve written them without realising. I normally chose to leave them in so you can read between the lines and figure out what’s going on in my head and how I’m really doing (if you know me well enough) and so I don’t just write a blog that is entirely a list of I did this, I did that and that....blah, blah, blah!!
Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Nchelenge...an incredibly hot place! I thought I was going to melt at points, but I’m happy to say, I didn’t. The week was good and I think people left the conference feeling inspired to have a go at starting a group. Some people already had - in fact, one lady called Prescilla has started a group and has an amazing story already. Her group is made up of people who are christians and some who aren’t but have come along because Prescilla invited them and they were interested. Already, people in the group are trying to find ways of working together to help others in their village, maybe growing some food or raising some money between them to help those who have a funeral in the family. (Funerals here are very different to at home - if someone in your family dies, the family and friends congregate at your house and the burial cannot take place until all the family is present. While you are waiting for all the family to arrive, it is your responsibility to house and feed the many mourners, sometimes for up to a week. This is a huge financial burden that many people really cannot afford and an added stress when you are mourning the loss of a close relative, particularly if it is the main bread winner in your house who has passed away.) One of the most encouraging things Prescilla said was that previously people in different churches in her village didn’t know one another, but as a few members from each church is attending her group, people are beginning to get to know each other and greet each other - where jealousy used to creep in between churches when people tried to do something good for their village, churches are now seeking to work together. Instead of being divided, they are beginning to unite!So that was Nchelenge...following a 12 hour journey home with a slight technical hitch on route (we thought is was going to be serious but thankfully it was something that was easily sorted) we arrived home safely but shattered.
I was up and about the next day sorting out the food for the next conference. This meant spending the morning at the market - now don’t get me wrong, I love African markets, they’re amazing, but it was incredibly hot and sunny, the dried fish proper ponged and I was exhausted! Thankfully our friend Laston was with me and doing all the hard work while I just followed along really and got everything in the car...I don’t think I had the energy for haggling over prices and what not.
So, after a quiet Sunday, we were off again on day one of the conference. It was much less tiring this time as we were staying at home so weren’t living out of a suitcase and had our normal beds to sleep in! About 90 people had been invited and although you never expect everyone to come, we were a little disappointed when we got there to find only 16 people in attendance. By the end of the first day we had grown to about 20... My initial reaction was disappointment, followed by frustration - why hadn’t people been invited in enough time to get here, or why had the word not got our, or why had nobody told us they weren’t coming and what not...but as the week went by our numbers increased bit by bit (reaching about 35 by the last day) and actually I saw that those who were there had a real sense of excitement and readiness to act. As we were finishing on the last day and praying with all the people there it felt like a really special moment - it may seem only a few people, but that doesn’t mean things won’t happen! One of the things I had talked about was living life by faith and God making the impossible possible...like when Gideon attacked the Middianites with just 300 men!
One other thing that made this conference less tiring was the significant lack of children hanging around. I don’t really know why that was, but there just wasn’t the normal crowd of kids coming to see what was going on. Nobody asks me to play with the kids and I don’t have to do it if they’re there, but I always do as I just love it! They’re always so excited when you start games with them and I’ve got so many happy memories of random times spent laughing with them all...but it is really hard work. You have to explain games without using words as very few of the village kids speak English and my Bemba is really bad, you have to be constantly lively and on the go and you have to be full of ideas they always want another game! Anyway, this time there wasn’t any children to entertain so I was forced to take it a little easier when I wasn’t involved in a session of the conference...probably a good thing.And now, my mind is thinking about coming home...it seems so close. (Ok, in case you’re wondering, I know I shouldn’t start a sentence with “And” but it just works that way!) In 3 weeks and 1 day I will be on the plane home. I actually can’t believe it. I only have 1 week left here in Mkushi which will be spent finishing things off, packing up and saying goodbye and will include a whistle-stop trip to Chingola to see the guys there. Then I’m heading to Lusaka for a couple of days where I will say goodbye to Jon, Jude, Ethan, Josh and Jacob as they fly home and I will travel to to Falconer Home for 2 weeks.
I’m really looking forward to my time at the Falconer Home. I was beginning to be unsure as to whether I’d be able to go as I have been trying to contact them for two weeks to no avail. The phone network is poor here and has been really bad for the last few weeks so I have been unable to get through to Simon at the home. I was beginning to think I’d have to change me plans and just travel home early. Anyway, on Monday I prayed about it and asked God to make it possible for me to talk to Simon the next day if it was right for me to go otherwise I would have to make a decision and change me flight. Having tried to phone about 15 times during the day and failing to get through I had sort of given up. In the evening I thought I’d give it one last go really not expecting the phone to work...but it did! Hurray!! So I was able to make some arrangements and talk a bit about what I would be doing while I was there. One of the things that was worrying me about the trip was the journey there and back as it’s 2 days on a bus each way with an overnight stay in a town I really don’t know. I am now not worried about that as, without me even asking, Simon said they would get someone to meet me in Ndola on the way and someone would also accompany as least that far on the way home as well - Ndola is a big town I can easily get to from Lusaka and that I also know a little bit. So now I’m not really worried about it...just excited, particularly as Simon has asked if I could do some drawing or art lessons with the kids...yey - messy painting, papier mache and all sorts of fun to be had! I just need to get some supplies while I’m in Lusaka!! It will be totally different to what I have been doing since I’ve been in Zambia, but a really fun way to finish my time here.
After that, it’s 2 days on a bus back to Lusaka and then on to a plane on the Saturday morning and back in Manchester later that day. Bizarre! I’m so excited about getting home and seeing everyone...it feels like ages since I saw you all and I’ve really missed you. While I’ve been here it’s been a bit lonely as well, there’s been loads of people around and what not, but I’ve not had any close friends to share the ups and downs with, so I’m really really looking forward to catching up with many over you over a cup of tea...and some cake of course!
On the flip side to that though, it’s beginning to dawn on me that I have to leave Africa behind...for now at least. I love it here. I’ve met so many great people, had so many happy days, learnt so much and seen so many beautiful places that it will be really hard to leave. There are so many things that I’ll miss - the way ladies and girls carry babies around on their backs and buckets of water on their heads, the huge smiles you are always met with, the beautiful sunshine, the amazing singing, the dirt roads that are actually really fun to drive, the crazy markets, the colourful fabrics even when ladies wear two that really don’t match, the view from our verandah, the big truck I get to drive (now named Derek), the random way things happen and never make sense, the jacaranda trees, my rubbish attempts at learning Bemba (always ends in laughter), the rain storms that are beginning every now and then and will soon set in every afternoon, the fresh smell that follows them, the beautiful birds and amazing animals (not the big spiders though), the way little girls are always wearing really pretty party dresses even if they are old, dirty and ripped, the way everyone greets you with a special handshake that varies from place to place, the way everyone laughs properly and totally unreservedly and so many other things that I can’t even think what they are now.
I wish I could be in England and Africa all at once!
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Thank God for:
- Africa - it really is amazing!
- two encouraging and exciting conferences with people being willing to get involved.
- a weekend to relax and rest.
Please pray for:
- those who are beginning groups in their villages as they invite people and get underway.
- safety as we continue travel around, enough fuel to get everywhere (there’s currently a shortage in the whole country) and enough time to finish off all the things we need to do before we leave here.
- my time at the Falconer Home to be full of laughter with all the children and a chance to help them have fun with art and stuff as well as to learn some more of our God!
