CUMC in Zambia, Final Edition July 13, 2009

We are home but our hearts remain in Zambia.  Here’s a final recap.

Following the completion of repairs to the Pediatric Ward roof and ceiling as well as public toilets for the hospital patients, Chuck and Will Carter headed back to Memphis while David May, Taylor May, Bob Whitsitt and Janet Sisco headed to Lusaka. 

Sunday morning  the team attended Dr. Kalembo’s church in Kanyama, a 5 square mile area on the outskirts of Lusaka where 300,000+ people live with minimal shelter, electricity, public toilets and a few shared bore holes for fresh water.  Following the service Dr. Kalembo took us on a brief walking tour where we met Raphael,  an older gentleman who lives in a small 15 foot x 20 foot two-room home he shares with 12 other family members and a grandmother who cares for four orphans and has no regular income.  When asked about the most pressing needs, Dr. Kalembo said, sponsorship of orphans, schools for the children, general education (environmental and hygene for all) and ways for the community to generate income.  

That afternoon the team made our way to Dr. Kalembo’s home for lunch and a bit of education about raising banana’s in Zambia.  Dr. Kalembo is a visionary with a passion to help his fellow Zambians by meeting both their spiritual and physical needs.   He has drawn up a master plan that includes primary & secondary schools for children, a workshop used to teach the children practical skills and maintenance, as well as a poultry house and banana farm that will provide a source of income and the opportunity to teach agricultural and business skills.

On Monday we met with Bishop Sitalli at the Pilgrim Weslyian Church office in Lusaka. On a broader scale Bishop Sitalli outlined plans that included a bannana farm (to  provide a source of income for ministry and missions),  plans to gain accredidation at the Bible College which includes the need to run electricity to the school,  missional outreach into Milawi for training leadership, the need for christian education/discipleship materials, and finally the desire to start a PWC microfinance bank.

After a day of rest at Kafue National Park, we met with Dorothy at Chainda School.  This dear sister in Christ  and her husband gave up a comfortable lifestyle to follow God’s call in 1995.  They have followed faithfully as God has lead, leaving the copper belt region to live in the impoverished area of Lusaka known as Chainda.  The land they acquired has a school with six classrooms, a garden for growing cabbage, a bit of playground equipment and a field for playing futball (soccer).   Their heart is for educating and feeding the orphans and special needs children in the area.  Are you ready for this?  They care for, educate and feed 370+ orphans and special needs children each day.  But is costs money!

To say the least the needs are great, almost overwhelming.  Focus, focus, focus is the key to effective ministry and life transformation.  God’s word tells us that “Without vision, the people perish.”  We are finding  there is vision but the resources to realize these visions are sorely missing. 

Richard Stearns, CEO of World Vision, writes in his book The Hole in Our Gospel, “ If every American churchgoer tithed, the $168 billion generated could literally change the world.  $65 billion could eliminate the most extreme poverty, $6 billion could provide universal primary education, $9 billion would provide clean drinking water, and $13 billion would provide basic health and nutrition for everyone in the world.”   These are big numbers so let’s put them in perspective.  As Americans we spend $705 billion each year on entertainment and recreation.  Call me a meddler but I have to ask, “Do we really believe we are blessed in order to be a blessing?  Do our checkbooks support it?”

So what can you do?  Let me remind us all that our purpose in going to Lusaka was to see what God was doing and to discern what He would have us do to join Him in that work.  Well He has shown us.  As Jesus  asked the disciples so He now asks each of us, “Will you follow me?”

Pray…listen…and step in faith!

Until He comes again.