1st Snow Ever!!

In Zambia, it doesn't, hasn't and will never snow. So, needless to say, this was the first time Thomas has ever seen the cold white powder. On Christmas day, we traveled to visit Kerri's brother and sister-in-law (Matt & April) in Knoxville. As we drove up, it started snowing in Spartanburg, but started sticking to the ground and roads in Ashville.

By the time we got to Knoxville, a few inches were already on the ground. And by the next morning, the children were raring to go outside and play. Aside from Thomas, it was also the first time Ellie and Maddie had an opportunity to play in the snow as well.

It was a good visit and we had a great time spending time with the Grimsley family. The only downside to the visit is that we had to cut it a little bit short because Matt got a stomach virus and we decided to "run for the hills" and hope that we were not exposed to the virus.

It's good to be home

It's good to be home. Here's a quick snippet of our children singing with the Brocks and Ballentines during church on Sunday. We sure have missed our friends and family and are so thankful to be home to see them again. We'll enjoy it even if it is only for a short time.

God sure is good!

If you are receiving this post via email, you can view the video at www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com or CLICK HERE.

The Cat is Out of the Bag

Well, the cat is officially out of the bag! The last post about missing family during the holidays was a hoax. A few months ago, Kerri and I decided that we would come home for a surprise visit in December. The primary reason was to finish Thomas's adoption stateside, but it was an added benefit to get to see our family and friends over Christmas. Please forgive us for all of the lies. We've been telling everyone, including our families that we would be home in May, but we knew all along that we were flying home in early December.

Above is a video that we put together from all of the surprise visits we have made over the past few days. It started with showing up at my parents front door and ended at Kerri's mom's church Sunday evening. That surprise was by far the best. We had the music minister play a video from us in front of the whole church. She thought it was just a video wishing her a Merry Christmas from Zambia, but near the end of the video, we told her that we had one more surprise. At that point, the video started showing pictures from our trip home with Thomas looking at our plane. Finally, we all walked into the church and stood behind her until she realized that we were there!

It's been a blast seeing our friends and family again and we're so thankful to be home for the holidays. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

Many Blessings!

P.S. If you are receiving this post via email, you can view the video by CLICKING HERE.

It's Beginning to Look a Little Like Christmas

Well, Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is on the way. And in the Roberts house, it's beginning to look a little like Christmas. So far we have hung the stockings, not over the chimney, because we don't have one, but over the window facing the back yard. When our children were born, Mimi (Kerri's Mom) made each of them a stocking for Christmas. Thanks to the postal service, Thomas just received his and boy was he excited.

Now on to putting up our 3 foot tree and celebrating Christmas in 100 degree weather. No white Christmas here. Christmas just isn't the same without being around those you love : (. But we are happy knowing that we are here serving the One for whom we celebrate this special holiday. Blessings to you all this Christmas season.

A Zambian Worship Set

Sunday, two weeks ago, we had a great time of worship. So, we thought we would share some of it with you. This video is a condensed version of the worship service (about 7 minutes). Kerri is singing with the worship team on one of the songs. CLICK HERE to view the video.

Oops!

Thomas had his first big breakage playing football. He was in the back yard trying to kick the football over the house into the front yard. Needless to say, he missed! He put a whole straight through the girls window. This is the second window I have had to replace in the past 3 months. Caleb broke the other one.

I guess these boys are trying to give their daddy practice at being a window repair man. I must say that this is one of the easier fixes here in Zambia. You measure the window, drive to the glass shop in town, they cut it to the size you specify, you take it back home, you chip out the old glass and window putty and then put the new one in. Voila! Just like new.

Put that on my list of things I never knew a missionary did while serving on the field in another country.

Year-End Giving???

Are you planning on a project or ministry to give a one-time gift to this holiday season? Are you looking to do some year-end tax deductible giving? Well, please consider your favorite missionaries in Zambia, Africa. : ) Year-end gifts are a very helpful way to support missionaries and the work that they are doing overseas and we are no exception. We welcome your love & encouragment through financial gifts.

If you would be interested in making a donation, you can do so by sending a check to Action International Ministries at P.O. Box 398, Mountlake Terrace , WA, 98043-0398. Please specify that the donation is for Brent & Kerri Roberts.

You can also make a donation online. Simply CLICK HERE and you will be routed to our online donation page at www.Actionintl.org.

Learning About Home from Afar

"Sometimes you have to immerse yourself in an unfamiliar world before you can understand your own."

I heard this quote recently and it really got me thinking about all we have learned about ourselves since coming to Zambia. While we have learned a lot, here is just a snippet:

• Before coming here, I had ideas about the importance of family, but it wasn't until I saw the way Zambians value family (not just nuclear, but aunts, uncles, cousins, etc...) that I learned what many of us in the States are missing out on and what we seemed to have forgotten. Family matters!

• I thought I understood how well off we were in the States materially, but then I saw poverty first-hand. And I realized that I didn't have a clue. I didn't nearly understand the plight that most of the world struggles with on a daily basis and I didn't feel the responsibility that comes with such blessing ("To whom much has been given, much will be required").

• I thought I understood many portions of Scripture, but then I have been able to see these same Scriptures in a whole new light - through the eyes of another culture. It has really given me a more holistic view of God's word. I'm not saying that I understand it all, but I am saying that the Lord has used our time and experiences here to reveal more of Himself to us through His scriptures.

• Before coming here, I thought I understood sacrifice. But having to leave close friends and family for the sake of the gospel has made sacrifice a reality. While holidays are still celebrated and enjoyed, they just are not the same when you are away from those you love most.

• I thought I understood what it meant to trust Christ. But then I met pastors who go without food for days just so their families have something to eat. These same pastors are not walking away from their faith, but are praising God for his faithfulness. I'm beginning to see that I have very little understanding as to what it means to trust in the Lord, but I am learning p'ongono p'ongono (bit by bit).

The Best Kind of Ministry

Chieftainess Mwenda of Chikankata

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take Caleb with me on an outreach trip. In a continued relationship with a chieftainess in Chikankata, we were invited down to show the Jesus Film (In Tonga) at a local market. Chieftainess Mwenda has a vision to see her entire kingdom (approximately 20,000 families / 100,000 people) reached with the gospel of Christ.

After visiting with the Chieftainess, we headed to the local market to setup for the film. Before sunset, we were really unsure as to whether or not people would show up. Just before it started getting dark, there were only a handful of people congregating around the movie screen. But after it got dark and we started the film, people started pouring out of the local village. By the midway point of the film, we probably had close to 350 people hearing the story of Jesus in their own language.

After the movie, we invited people up to the front, some to receive Jesus for the first time and some to pray for physical healing and release from spiritual torment. During the prayer time, I told Caleb to float between me and Luke and just be available to pray with people. At one point during the evening, Caleb ran up to me and said "Dad, we just prayed for this woman who was having leg and chest pains and when we finished praying, she was healed!!! Dad, she was healed the first time that we prayed for her."

As I reflected on this evening of ministry, I came away most encouraged not by the response to the gospel (which was great) nor to those who were healed and/or received deliverance through prayer (which were many), but I came away most encouraged about being able to participate in this wonderful ministry with my son Caleb. I came away with great joy after seeing just how excited my son had become while sharing the love of Jesus with these Tonga speaking people of Chikankata!

We Struck..... Water??

Construction is still underway at Ciyanjano. This past week, we drilled the 2nd borehole for our water project that is just starting. We have plans to run irrigation to the campsites and income generation side of the property. Above is a picture of the machine that drilled the 50 meter hole. Needless to say, they found water!

Lanton Zimbia

Below is a final update on Lanton from Steve and a thank you to the many of you who prayed for this dear boy:

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Just want to let you know that Lanton is doing very well. He is home, eating and becoming himself, again. I have never seen Mirriam so beside herself with worry, sorrow and desperation as I did at the hospital that night. She couldn’t even focus. It was as if she had seen this before and now it was her own son, and she was so afraid that she was going to lose her son. (This is such an awful reality here. I just can’t even begin to describe how often we hear about another child who just died because of some disease or illness.) And, then to have him miraculously recovered like that was an almost too incredible to believe...

So tonight she sent me this text that I wanted to share with you: "Thank you so much again for your help both spiritually and financially. I don’t know what I would have done without you. I know that there were a lot of people you asked to help pray for me. I didn’t have strength to talk to my God but you guys did it for me. What a miracle. I have no words that I can use to explain what has happened to my son. Thank you again."

Thanks again for partnering with us overhere in Zambia.

Steve

Njoka Maningi (Many Snakes)

Click Here to View the Video on You Tube

Mom, don't read this one : )

So, this week has been the week of many snakes. On Sunday, a lady who is staying on the Allen's property was walking out of her cottage in flip flops. When she stepped off the porch, she stepped either on or near a snake. The snake immediately turned and bit her flip flop an wrapped itself around her ankle. She quickly kicked her flip-flop and the snake with it into the yard. They weren't quite sure what kind of snake it was (they were guessing either a boomslang or black mamba both deadly snakes) so she was rushed to the clinic. Needless to say, she was undone!

Then yesterday, while I was at Luke's house, we got a call from Steve. He had a snake cornered in some bushes and needed help killing it. When we got there, we found a 4-5 foot mamba. Instead of trying to explain what happened next, I'll just let you watch the video above. But let me say, this is one of the fastest snakes that I've ever seen in person!

Then today, we got a call from some of our other friends, the Carrs, who live just down the road from us and the Allens. Their gardener found a cobra in their yard. I don't know why so many snakes are showing up at one time, but I'm glad that they have found a way to stay away from our home.

Thank you for praying

Wow, what a difference a day makes with lots of prayer. Lanton was discharged yesterday at 4:30 pm. Nothing short of a miracle. Lest there be any doubters out there, the symptoms were really bad. But today is a new day and he is in his right mind, eating and feeling o.k. Amazing. Thank you also for the prayers offered up on his mother's behalf. They were very much needed. In the midst of not knowing what was happening, she had to sit for her grade 12 exams. She's now 30 and decided to go back to finish up school. If she didn't sit for the exams, she would have had to wait another year to sit. So, know that your prayers also got her through this tough day.

As for Lanton, the tests showed no cerebral malaria, and they don’t think it was meningitis. But, they do think it may have been a type of malaria that stayed in his system from a previous bout. Anyways, we are praising God today for His faithfulness in watching over this dear boy and his family.

Please Pray

Please be in prayer for Lanton Zimba. He is the nephew of Dailes (Our worker) and son of her sister Mirriam (The Allen's worker). He is currently at a local clinic with what appears to be either Cerebral Malaria or Meningitis. Either of these are very serious and potentially deadly. Pray that God would heal this dear boy either by His power or through the wisdom of the medical staff attending to him. Pray also for his mother and family to be surrounded by God's peace during this time.

Thank you

You'll Love This One

Inswa! This is a word that means Termite. In Zambia, just after the first rains of rainy season, these bugs come out in droves. And they don't go to waste. Inswa is a seasonal delicacy here. The people love to eat them. So, this morning, while I was at our ministry center, I noticed a ton of Inswa crawling all over the place. Since I had never tried them before, I asked one of the workers if they had a container that I could use to take some of them home for lunch. He not only gave me a container, but he went around and filled it up with about 500 of these termites.

Needless to say, Kerri was surprised when I got home and the kids thought it was great. I asked Charles how to best cook them and then I went to work. Just a teaspoon of oil, some salt, cook them on high heat for about 5 minutes and voila! A delicious little afternoon snack. For what it's worth, they might look gross, but they actually tasted a lot like bacon bits. Anyways, here is a short video showing the bugs before, during and after being cooked. Enjoy!

Click Here to view the Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvd-CyX6j4I

The Rains Have Come

Well another 6 months without any rains has ended! The picture above is from the beginning of last rainy season, but you get the point. Usually, you wouldn't be excited about rain, but when you go so long without it, it's kind of exciting. Kerri and I enjoyed watching our youngest, Ellie, experience her first Lusaka rainy season as a toddler. The expressions she made were priceless.

The only problem now, with rainy season being upon us, is that, I have to fix the broken window in the girls room. This past Sunday before church, Thomas had his first accident with a football and put a big hole in it. If it would have been during dry season, I could have procrastinated a little bit longer, but if I don't fix it soon, the girls might drown ; )

In other news, please be in prayer for our vehicle. It has been sitting in our yard now for about 3 weeks unable to run. There is a part that has gone bad that we are having trouble finding in Zambia. We may have to ship it in from S. Africa or have a friend bring it from the States. I am going to a parts store this morning to see if I can find it, but things do not look promising. Other than that, the Roberts are doing well!

Death by the Preventable

This week, tragedy struck one of our friend's workers family. Their son, who was 4, had been diagnosed with a combination of Chicken Pox and Measles, but seemed to be be fighting the sickness with success. He was running a fever, but still had an appetite and was drinking plenty of fluids. Then on Thursday morning, he told his mom that he needed to vomit. Shortly after vomiting, he passed away.

I can't overemphasize just how often people die here from the preventable. On a daily basis, I pass people in wheelchairs who have been rendered crippled because of polio. It's common to hear of infants of HIV infected mothers who die from severe diarrhea because of being exposed to unclean drinking water in their formula. As we've wrote about in the past, children and elderly die often here because of Malaria. And yes, children die here every day from chicken pox and measles and other preventable diseases. Sometimes, it's just hard to swallow.

So what's the reason or cause? And yes, I know I keep coming back to this subject, but a lot of times it is poverty. Zambia is one of the poorest populations in the world. A majority of the population lives on less than $1 per day. Look at these statistics from the World Health Organization:

+ Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available.

+ In 2008, there were 164 000 measles deaths globally – nearly 450 deaths every day or 18 deaths every hour.

+ More than 95% of measles deaths occur in low-income countries with weak health infrastructures.

+ Measles vaccination resulted in a 78% drop in measles deaths between 2000 and 2008 worldwide.

+ In 2008, about 83% of the world's children received one dose of measles vaccine by their first birthday through routine health services – up from 72% in 2000.

Many Zambians just cannot afford simple medicines and vaccines that would prevent a lot of the diseases that are killing people each day.

We have visitors who come from the West all of the time and their reaction is to say "being here shows you just how blessed we are to live in the West. We are very fortunate." While this is very true and a commendable observation, I think it stops a little short of where God wants us to take it. He wants us to be the "Good Samaritans," to go the extra mile, to make the sacrifices necessary to help these who are suffering. I believe he desires for us to say, "Lord bless me so that I may bless others or Thank You for blessing me, how may I use what you have given me (both materially and spiritually) to show your love to those who are hurting." He's calling us all to more than thankfulness.

One way that you can be a blessing to this family, today, would be to lift them up in prayer. The funeral is at 8:00 am this morning. Pray for peace and comfort for the parents and siblings as they mourn the loss of their dear child & brother. Pray also for Warren and Vicki as they mourn and minister alongside this family.

Testimonies from Action's Hospital Ministry

I've been meaning to write this post for a week, but haven't had the opportunity to sit down and gather my thoughts. Please take the time to read it as it details some encouraging ways that God has been moving by His Spirit through Action Zambia's hospital ministry:

A Teenager's Ear Ache:

Last Wednesday, Luke, Patson Sakala (a Zambian Pastor and friend of Action Zambia Ministries) and I went to do ministry at the local clinics here in Lusaka. I have been a few times before, but, honestly, a lot has changed since my last visit. When we arrived at the clinic in Ngombe, there was a crowd of people. Usually, there are about 10 - 15 people waiting to be seen, but this day there were around 60 - 70. Luke addressed the crowd and let them all know that we were there to offer prayers and that we would be coming by to each of them during our time there. So, Patson and I went together to one end of the line and Luke, along with another Zambian that he recruited, went to the other end.

As we progressed down the line, Patson, would introduce us both in vernacular and then ask why they were visiting the clinic and whether or not we could pray for them. Zambia is a little different from the States, in that when you ask if anyone is interested in prayer, most usually respond favorably. As we progressed down the line, we found that many different people were there for many different ailments. About halfway down the line, we came to a teenage boy who had problems hearing from his right ear. He said that he had been slapped in the ear and since then couldn't hear very well and was in pain. As we began to pray for him, I placed my hand over the hurt ear and prayed that God would provide healing to this boy's body. After a short time of prayer, we asked him if anything had changed. At this point he said that when I put my hand over his ear, he felt something different than he had been feeling, but the pain was still present. So, we asked him if we could pray again for his ear. This time, Patson prayed over him and as he ended the prayer and we opened our eyes. The look on the boy's face was completely different. Instead of looking sullen, he began to smile. He said that the pain was gone and that he could hear fine! We told him that God had healed him because he wanted to show His love for him. I can't tell you what an encouragement it was to see God heal someone right before my eyes.

A Muslim Woman:

A little later, there was a Muslim woman who was there with her child. She told Luke that her baby had been having diarrhea and wasn't generally feeling well. So, Luke asked if she would mind if he prayed for her baby, to which she accepted. After he prayed for the baby, he asked her if there was anything bothering her. Apparently, she had been suffering for weeks with eye pain. She said that both of her eyes were hurting. He again asked her if he could pray for her. As he prayed, he said a simple but bold prayer that through Jesus and Him only would God heal this woman so that she could know that Jesus was the reason for the healing. As soon as he finished praying, we all looked up. Again, the look on the woman's face was one of astonishment! She said that the pain was completely gone. It was an amazing opportunity to show this woman, who believed in a different god, the love that the God of the bible has for her through His son Jesus Christ.

A Girl and Her Mother:

I tried to save the best for last. A few weeks ago, Luke and a few of the pastors were at the clinic when they came across a young woman who was bed ridden. She had not been able to get up for several weeks because of severe pain in her back. They asked if they could pray for her to which she was very happy. As they began to pray, they prayed that God would release his healing power into her body and that the pain would go away. After praying for her they asked her to try and sit up. And she did! They then asked her to get out of the bed and try to stand. And she was able to do this too. She was so thankful for what the Lord had done through the prayers of these men. But this is just where the story gets interesting.

Luke and these pastors try to make it a point to visit the same clinics the same day of the week just to be available if anyone that they previously prayed for decided to come back to find them. Well, two weeks after this particular visit, the mother of this young girl came to the clinic looking for the men who had prayed for her daughter. She went straight to Luke and said "I saw my daughter before you prayed for her and I saw her afterwards. She is completely different than the time before you prayed for her. I wouldn't have believed it if I wouldn't have seen her with my own eyes. God healed my daughter! Now, I am HIV positive and I believe that the Lord who healed my daughter can heal me of my HIV. Would you pray for me as well?"

So, without hesitating, Luke prayed for her and told her to let him know what the results were when she got tested again. Well, this woman's eagerness to see what the Lord had done showed in how quickly she setup a time for her next testing. A few days before she came to visit Luke she had been tested and her CD4 count at that time was around 100 (typical of someone with full blown AIDS). Two days after being prayed for, her CD4 count had risen to over 800 (typical of a healthy adult). The lady, needless to say, was ecstatic about what the Lord had done!

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I hope these few testimonies will serve as an encouragement that we have a God who cares for each one of us deeply and is still in the business of performing the miraculous! My intent is not to point to the miraculous, but to glorify the One who is behind the miracles - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. May it never be that we seek God for His miracles, but that we simply seek Him for Him. And may we rejoice not in the miracles, but rejoice that our names are written in Heaven (Luke 10:20)!

The Past, The Present & The Future

We recently finished putting together a ministry video for our home church. They were doing a dinner for the members of our church to get more acquainted with their missionaries that are serving the church across the world.

After putting it together, we thought it would be good to share it with you as well. It gives an update on our family and ministry life here in Zambia and our future plans as we continue to serve here in Zambia. If you would like to view the video, please go to the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRueuKrJONU

We also had our children put together a video for the youth at the church. You can see this one at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogm--oibWiQ

Thank you to all of you who support us through your prayers and finances to serve here in Zambia. Blessings!

A Zambian Doxology

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to preach at Great Commission. I asked the pastor beforehand if the church could sing a specific song which both Kerri and I like a lot. It is a doxology that they sing in such a beautiful way. If you would be interested in listening and seeing the church members singing, click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL_XW7IBLrA

The sermon this Sunday went pretty well. I used the text from Genesis 22 to talk about Resting in God's promises & trusting Him with everything. Our deputy director gave a devotion recently about our highest calling as Christians not being trying to please God, but rather trusting Him. This seems to be an area that God has been working on with me over the past few months. So, I decided to share with this small congregation what God has been teaching me concerning trusting Him with everything.

The Blind See

Our friend Luke Whitfield was sharing this story with us the other night and I thought it would encourage you. God still works in wonderful ways to bring His children into His kingdom!

Last week, Luke and one of the pastors in our pastor's college were going to a local clinic for ministry. This is a weekly ministry where Luke is helping local churches here reach out to those who are sick and hurting. At the clinic, there was a woman who was there because she was having severe problems with her vision. She could only see a few feet in front of her face.

Luke and Patson prayed for her to have healing and then Luke stood at a distance and held up fingers for her to count. She was unable. Luke still sensed that God was at work in the situation and asked to pray for her again. She welcomed the prayer and so they prayed again. After praying, he stood again at a distance and held up fingers for her to count. Again, she was unable. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Luke noticed a young gentleman who was a Rasta, a follower of the Rastafarian movement. He was looking on with what Luke thought was skepticism.

And at this time, the Lord impressed something else upon Luke's heart. He felt as if the Lord wanted Luke to have this young man come over and pray for the woman. So, he went and asked

him if he would agree to pray for the woman. Surprisingly, the man agreed and came over to pray for this woman with partial blindness. Luke led the man in a prayer for this woman and then did as he had done before. He stood at a distance and held up fingers for this woman to count. This time, she counted them perfectly! She had been instantly healed! He then asked the young man if he had ever seen anything like this happen, to which he replied "No." In fact, the young man then turned to Patson (the Zambian pastor) and asked him where his church was, because he planned on attending that coming Sunday.

As Luke reflected on the events from this day in hospital ministry, he made one observation which I think was right on. He said that although this woman's healing was a direct benefit to her and revealed to her God's love, he thought the real reason why God performed this miracle was to reach a young Zambia Rasta for His glory!

Farming God's Way

This past Thursday & Friday, I had the opportunity to visit a veteran Zambian missionary (Theuns Inglebrect) in Southern Zambia. He and his wife have served the Tonga people for over 14 years.

For the past 4 years, Theuns has been working with local farmers doing a discipleship & farming program called "Farming God's Way." That was the reason for my visit. I went to observe and train for two days so we could implement the same discipleship program here in Lusaka next year.

While I was down there, I took a short 15 second clip of local villagers working under Theuns tutelage. To view the video, click the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwHaRl0GUUM

If you want to learn more about the program, you can visit http://www.farming-gods-way.org.

Sidewalk Robbery

This afternoon, (Tuesday) I was walking down Cairo Road (like Main Street in downtown Columbia). I had just left the passport office and was swinging by the local grocery store to buy a bottled water before going back to work. As I approached the store on the sidewalk, a boy stepped out in front of me saying "Hey Mzungu!"

It's normal for Zambians to call us white Americans "Mzungu", but it is not normal for them to get in your way as you try to walk down the street. As soon as I realized that he was trying to slow me down, I reached for my back pocket to make sure my wallet was still there. (Usually, I walk with my wallet in my front pocket when I'm in town because of all the thieves, but today I forgot.) When my hand reached my pocket, I felt something...unusual. Someone else's hand!

It's a common scam here in Zambia and I'm not the first ACTION missionary who's fallen victim to it. One guy distracts and another swoops in to make a quick steal. I'm not quite sure I did what Jesus would have done, but when I felt the guy's hand on my pocket, I quickly shoved him and then turned back and shoved his partner in crime. I told them that if they tried that again that I would beat them! Again, not sure that's what a missionary's response should be, but it was my gut reaction. I did pray for these guys after leaving the scene though. :-)

There is no moral to this story, I just thought I would share one of the trivial things that we have to deal with here every once in a while. The desperately poor sometimes go to desperate extremes. It seems that crime is on the increase lately in Lusaka as we've heard more and more stories of people being car jacked or robbed. Generally, people do not get hurt, as violent crime isn't all that common, but it has been happening more lately. As you pray for us, please pray for our protection and for us to be on alert!

AZ Lowdown

Do you ever wonder what's going on in the rest of Action Zambia's ministry? Members of our team contribute quarterly to a document called the AZ Lowdown. It gives updates on the various ministries that missionaries with Action Zambia are a part of. Please take the time to check it out!

Please CLICK HERE to view the 3rd Quarter AZ Newsletter.

It's Official!!!!

Thomas Mwila Roberts is now officially part of our family. The week leading up to the appointment was rather hectic, but the Lord defended the cause of the orphan and moved in many ways on our behalf.

If I can take a moment to tell you some of the many prayers that He answered:

1. After last Friday, we were told that a police report didn't exist for when Thomas was first placed into the orphanage. On Tuesday, a police report surfaced.
2. That same Tuesday, we turned in the police report to Social Welfare and asked people to pray that the documents would be filed by this Friday's court date. The documents were on file!
3. We asked people to pray that our Social Worker would be present in court. Not only was she present, but she was there before our attorney.
4. This morning, when we arrived in court the judge's marshall was not present. They told us that we would need to reschedule again. We asked our attorney to contest and we began to pray. An hour later, we were sitting before the judge with a new marshall.
5. We asked for people to pray that the judge would process the adoption quickly and without any more questions. She didn't even ask us a question. We were in and out in 20 minutes!

Thank you soooo much for lifting us up in your prayers. The Bible says that God desires to give good gifts to those who ask and He has done oh so much more. Thank you.

Not done yet!

Dear Friends & Family,

We just wanted to request your prayers over our current adoption of Thomas. Today, we showed up for court and met with the judge. Things didn't quite work out like we had hoped. In Thomas's situation there needed to be more documentation proving that he was in fact an abandoned child. The judge ordered that we file any reports available (i.e. Police Report) that were created when Thomas was first placed in the orphanage.

So, they have rescheduled our court date for next Friday. Please pray for us during this time. Pray that we would get the appropriate documentation to satisfy the Judge's inquiry into his abandonment. Pray that those involved in the process would have soft hearts and be helpful as we try to finalize this adoption. And pray for Thomas. He was really looking forward to this being completed.

Thanks

Prayers Answered

This was Thomas' prayer last night: "Lord, thank you for bringing me into this home and giving me a family. Thank you for giving me a mommy and daddy. Please let the adoption happen soon. Amen!"

So, in yesterday's post, we asked you to be praying with us for Thomas' adoption. Specifically, we asked you to be praying that we would get a court date this week to finalize the adoption. Well, the Lord has heard our prayers and answered! This Friday at 8:30 am, we will be going to court. Yaayyyyy!!!!

Please continue to pray for us. Pray that everything would go as planned and that we will leave court this Friday with the final signed documents for his adoption. Thank you for your prayers!

You Don't Tell A Child About God

There is a well known African Proverb that says "You don't tell a child about God." When I first heard it, I didn't quite understand the meaning. My first thought was why would you not want to tell children about God. But the answer to the proverb was quite simple. You don't tell a child about God because it's obvious that He exists.

In the States, there are people who declare themselves Atheist. They argue until their blue in the face that God is made up, a way that people have created to cope with a purposeless existence. Not only do they adhere to these beliefs, but they push their agenda so that others will follow their path.

Here in Zambia, though, we live in a culture where belief in God is a given. To suggest that God doesn't exist is so crazy in the eyes of Africans that it wouldn't even register. Listen to what God's word says about His existence in Romans 1:18-25:

"¹⁸The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

²¹For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²²Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen."

As I thought about this proverb, I thought about the mandate that God has given both Kerri and I to speak of Him to our children, to tell of His goodness and faithfulness, to share with them daily about how He has set us free from the power of sin and created us anew so that we can have fellowship with Him. I also thought about our new son, who has grown up for 6 years now without consistently hearing about God and without experiencing His love through a family that follows His son Jesus.

Would you pray for us as we try to raise children who love God? Would you pray for their young hearts? Would you pray that they would all choose to follow Him? Would you also pray for our adoption of Thomas? We have been waiting on a court date now for 3 months. Our lawyer is telling us that we should get a court date very soon, but could you please pray that we would get a court date this week? That was Thomas' prayer this evening. Would you join him and us in this prayer?

We Finished

To view the slideshow, go to our website: www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.Com

Well, we all raced and we all finished. I'm sorry it has taken this long to write this post, but I needed to collect the pictures from the Allens and Whitfields cameras before I could put the slideshow together.

The trip was great! We took the bus from Lusaka to Livingstone and then crossed the border into Victoria, Zimbabwe. We stayed at a little camping lodge called Rest Camp. It was a rather expensive place to stay, just kidding (only $11 per person per night). The girls stayed in a 6 person dorm and the guys stayed in a 12 person dorm.

The race was well organized. We registered the Saturday before and raced the next day. The course was a different story. It was racked with hills and with temperatures getting into the 80's, it made for a difficult race. But no complaints. We had a blast!

Thank you for everyone who supported us in this race for Zambia's children. So far, as a team, we have raised over $8,000 towards kids camps at Ciyanjano. If you are one of those who supported this cause, thank you, thank you, thank you. If you were someone who was interested in supporting the event, but still haven't donated. It's still not too late. You can do so by going to the following link: CLICK HERE

We really had a good time running for a good cause. We're already planning for next year's 2nd annual Kilometers For Kids / Victoria Falls Marathon. Thank you again!

We're Off

Thank you to many of you who have supported us in our race for the underprivileged children of Zambia. This morning Kerri and I are leaving for a 6 hour bus ride to Zimbabwe, Africa. On Sunday, we will be running in the Victoria Falls Marathon/Half Marathon. We are currently a little over halfway to our goal of raising $3,000. If you haven't done so already, would you please consider helping us get the rest of the way there? You can donate by going to the following link (Click Here). All donations are 100% tax deductible.

For more information on the race, you can visit our race site: Kilometers for Kids

Thank you again,

Brent & Kerri Roberts

Action Zambia Ministries

Hammer Mill Construction Underway

(Trench for Electric Lines for Hammer Mill - 200 Meters of cable)

(Aiesha - Hired to dig the trench for the electric cables)

(Concrete pillars which will support the shipping container that holds the machinery)

The first of our income generation projects, Ciyanjano Hammer Mill, is now under construction. In the rural area surrounding the ministry centre, we have many small and large scale farming operations which grow maize. A hammer mill is a machine which shells and grinds the maize into "Mealie," which is a staple food in the Zambian diet. Our hope is that this hammer mill will provide revenues which will make the ministry centre more sustainable and also provide local villagers with a closer place to process their maize.

We have actually developed a three year plan for the income generation & livelihood training ministry. The hammer mill is only the beginning. We also hope to provide a place where Zambians can come to receive discipleship & hands-on training in farming (crops, livestock & fish). Please continue to pray for this ministry as it is in its infancy.

A Prophet Among Us

Tonight, Kerri and I went on a date with some of our new missionaries, The Huckabys. As we were leaving, Gracyn told Kerri that she didn't want us to go because she was afraid that we would get in a car accident and be hurt. Well, part of her fears were realized. As we were turning into the restaurant, a car was trying to pass us and the car in front of us in the oncoming lane. If we had turned just a few seconds later, it could have been a very bad collision. Fortunately, though, the Lord was watching over us.

No one, including the driver of the other vehicle were injured. The only damages were to our vehicles. As you can see from the pictures, his vehicle side swiped us and ripped the bumper off of our car. The other bad news, was that, even though he was passing us in the oncoming lane, I couldn't remember if my turn signal was on. So, I was charged with being at fault in the accident.

The next time Gracyn tells us that she doesn't want us to go somewhere, I think I might give it a little more consideration!

Kids!

Last week our kids had the opportunity to attend vacation bible school at a church near our home here in Lusaka. They had a fantastic time and it was a welcome change of pace! Here Caleb, Thomas and Gracyn are sporting their SonRock shirt and hats with our friend and neighbor, Esther.

Sometimes when I'm preparing dinner I just can't believe I'm fixing this many plates! We have 5 children!!! Sometimes the reality still shocks us!

"Summer" Break

Just a few pictures of our kids enjoying their time off from school!

God has blessed us with lots of friends with big families. We had the Allen and Guffey families over for dinner last night, which adds up to 19 people!

The littlest wild monkeys

The biggest ones playing some wii

The middle girls having some girlie time

Gracyn's play date with a new friend!

Maddie's princess dress du jour

Caleb's awesome new hat! He's worn it 24/7 since he got it

Thomas getting in a brotherly tackle!

Kilometers for Kids

This past Saturday marked the last of our long runs (22 Miles!) in preparation for the Victoria Falls Marathon. Kerri, myself and some of our teammates will be headed down to Zimbabwe to take part in this marathon in an effort to raise funds for kids camps in Zambia. Specifically, we are trying to raise money to develop our Ministry Centre, Ciyanjano, for the purpose of providing a place for the underprivileged children of Zambia to participate in camps! We would love your help with this project.

For more information, go to our race website: Kilometers for Kids

If you would like to assist us in this effort, you can Donate Now by clicking this link!

Home School Graduation

(To view the slideshow, go to: www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com)

Well, they did it! Caleb and Gracyn have finished 3rd and 1st grades with flying colors! Our school schedule runs year-round with 3 months on and 1 month off. So, as our school year just ended, several of our homeschooling friends got together to honor our kids and their accomplishments this year with a casual ceremony and some banana splits! We presented the kids with certificates and took a moment to praise each one individually. Then each child made a presentation to the crowd of proud parents and little siblings. Caleb and Gracyn both chose to play the piano.

Caleb received an award for his hard work and determination. He has worked hard to accomplish his tasks with school and is a super smart kid! He has also excelled in sports and recreation and has done great with his first semester of piano lessons. In our minds, however, his greatest achievement this year has been in welcoming and mentoring his new brother. I've actually been amazed at his patience (most of the time :-) ) and how he has adjusted to having Thomas be his constant shadow. We are so proud of Caleb!

Gracyn's award was for her willing spirit and eagerness to learn. She is a joy to teach and loves her work. She has developed a love for reading this year and can often be found curled up in a corner somewhere exploring a book. She is also taking piano lessons, and the ability seems to come naturally to her. Her favorite activity, which borders on obsession, is horseback riding. It's actually really inexpensive to take riding lessons here in Zambia. Gracyn started last fall and is in love with riding! She has also been a great friend and big sister to her new brother and and huge help to her Mommy with the little sisters!

Thomas received an encouragement award for all that he has learned and adjusted to over the last 5 months. A whole new life! This fall he will dive head-first into 1st grade and more organized sports. Thomas was the star player on each of the two soccer teams he played on this semester!

Maddie and Ellie are the adoring little sisters who are cute all the time and just make our life funny and entertaining!

We are so thankful for this full quiver that God has blessed us with. We really don't deserve such great kids! Now we are looking forward to enjoying the month of August off from school and will start back in September!

Board Braii

(To view the slideshow, go to: www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com)

Last Saturday, the ACTION Zambia missionaries went out to our ministry centre for a cookout (or Braii) with our ACTION Zambia board. Being that our board members are spread out all over Zambia, some of them living as far as 5 hours away, it was a great opportunity just to spend time getting to know them and their families a little bit better. After the meal, we took the opportunity to show them around the property and see all of the new construction. They were very impressed with the property and how it is being used to benefit the local church here.

Sorry

I first want to apologize for not writing much on the blog lately. It seems like these past few months have been a haze as they have gone by incredibly fast! Going forward, I hope to be better at keeping you informed about what is happening here in Zambia. But I just wanted the opportunity to say sorry for my posts being few and far between.

That being said, let me update you on the most recent happening with ACTION Zambia the office move. I know what you're thinking: sounds boring. Well, I can't promise you it won't be, but I'll try to make it somewhat worth reading.

About a month ago, we found out that our Landlord for our current office space was raising the rent by 35%, an amount we could not afford. I won't get into the details, but let's just say we weren't happy. Real estate here is in very high demand. So, for the past few months, our director has been beating down doors trying to find suitable space for us to move to. Well, at the 11th hour, the Lord provided. Literally, the day we were moving out of the office space we were in, God provided another space and we were able to move our stuff straight in.

Anyways, the day we moved, we had everything out except for the office safe. It turned out that when we originally moved in to the previous space, we brought the safe through a door that was no longer available for use. And to our surprise, the safe was too big to fit through the front door. We tried everything we could to get it out, short of destroying the doorway, but we just couldn't make it work.

So, we were left with two options: leave the safe in the previous office space or alter the safe so we could get it through the door. We chose option two. One of our pastors is a metal fabricator. So, we contracted him and his business partner to cut the safe in half, move it to the new office space, and then weld it back together after moving it in. All that to say, it worked like a charm. But I can't promise that if we have to move again that it will go with us!

Chikankata Outreach

During my parents stay, our ministry took part in a pretty significant outreach in a village about 2 hours south of Lusaka. Below is a report from one of our missionaries, Luke Whitfield, about how it went. God did some pretty amazing things during their 4 day trip to the bush and many people came to know Christ as their Savior. Please take the time to read this update (a bit long, but very encouraging) and begin praying for the next outreach in November.

Dear Friends

Where do I begin, so much happened during our four days in the bush of Chikankata a short book could be written about our experiences. For those short on time I will give a brief overview of what happened during our time there and those wanting more detail can read on. Let me begin first by praising God for His faithfulness in answering our prayers and the prayers of the many that petitioned the Lord on our behalf…….God is so real and we all experienced His presence in a mighty way over the past few days.

The team we travelled with consisted of five local pastors from Action Zambia Pastoral Leadership Development program, a seasoned Zambian missionary as well as fellow missionary Steve Allen, his daughter Bradyn and my daughter Emma. In all we showed the Jesus Film six times over four days to an estimated 1600 individuals. We believe somewhere near 400 people had their spiritual eyes opened and received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. During our time in Chikankata the Lord used our group to deliver at least six individuals from demonic possession including breaking the strong hold of a well known wizard who had terrorized the local people for almost seventy years. There were also at least four testimonies that the group could confirm of physically healings including healings of chronic back pain, spinal cord damage, headaches, and urinary tract damage. Many of the people we ministered to also testified that the fear that had once bound them left after receiving prayers for deliverance. We were also blessed to watch the local Church in Chikankata grow as efforts were made to connect all those who professed Christ with the local pastors we were working hand in hand with. God’s power showed up in amazing ways over the course of the four days and the team left Chikankata confident that a shift in the spiritual realm had taken place………..all praise be to God!

………..below is a detailed account of some of the significant events that took place during our stay

Friday Night

During the second showing of our trip we experienced a mighty outpouring of God’s presence during and after the film was shown. This showing took place in an area known as Highlands and we use an old storage building as the venue. The building was literally packed full, so much that we had to ask those still coming to stand outside and listen to the story on the loudspeaker. At the point in the film where the crucifixion of Christ occurs we began to hear people wailing, similar to what you would hear at a typical African funeral. There are not words to describe how I felt in that moment as I listened to those cries of deep despair from individuals who most likely were experiencing the story of Jesus in its entirety for the very first time.

Following the film we asked everyone, probably close to 400 people, to come outside where we gave those desiring to respond to the Gospel a chance to do so. We also asked any who needed prayers for deliverance or for healing to come forward and receive prayer from our team.

It was at this point that we met Violet, a young girl that was probably no more than fifteen years of age. As we prayed for Violet she manifested demonically in ways I have never seen before. Her convulsions were so violent that it was almost impossible for five full grown men to restrain her.

After it became apparent that we were not making any progress with the demons the group decided to take her to her home which was about a mile and a half away. As we approached her small one room hut it became evident that the source of Violet’s torment was located there. Violet refused to go into the house and after talking for a while with her parents we found out that the house contained numerous witchcraft charms (articles such as pieces of roots and specials powders) which the family believed would protect them from evil spirits.

We explained that instead of protection the charms were actually functioning as magnets that were attracting the very demonic forces that had overcome their daughter. As their eyes were open to the reality of the situation they agreed to go inside and turn over to us every single charm they had accumulated over the years. Immediately, we proclaimed the name of Jesus over Violet again and she became still for the first time that evening. This caused great amazement in Violet’s father and he, without hesitation, asked to be prayed for as well. As the team prayed over him he also manifested demonically, fell to the ground and then became still as the demons left him. Immediately after his deliverance Violet and her parents expressed their desire to turn from living under the bondage of darkness and accepted Christ. Shortly after, Violet ran to a neighbor’s house to tell him that she had watched the demons leave here home and flee to his. Full of fear and having just witness what had happened he ran into his house, gathered all his charms as well and asked us to pray with him to receive Christ. I think the most amazing thing about the evening was that despite it being almost ten p.m., a large crowd had gathered to see what was going on. These bystanders not only got to witness the power of God first hand but also had the opportunity to hear the life altering message that is the Gospel of Christ. What makes this story so much cooler is the fact that earlier that morning during our team’s devotions we as a team asked God not for large crowds but rather one individual whose conversion would transform the village……….Violet was His answer!

Saturday Night

With the previous night’s events still fresh on our minds a new expectancy seemed to grip the group as we eagerly awaited for what the Lord had for us next. During the showing of the film Saturday evening it came to our attention that villagers nearby, who had heard of what had happened in Violet’s village, wanted the team to come and deal with a situation they were facing. They explained about a young girl, probably fifteen years old, who was demonically possessed in their village. This girl had recently been married and they believed the demons had come upon her during the traditional ceremonies surround her wedding. As we arrived at the crowed one room home we found the girl lying on the couch clearly unaware of her surroundings. We began to pray for her, and similarly to Violet, she began to manifest demonically speaking in foreign languages her family said she did not know how to speak. The demons began to cause her to fit violently flailing her body about the room. As we prayed for her she would experience moments of release only to return back to her tantrums almost immediately. After some time the team finally felt as though the situation was under control and we left to rejoin the team at the showing of the film. We would not find out until Sunday morning that our assumptions had been wrong….

Sunday Morning

As we awoke on the last day of our trip Steve and I, along with our daughters, decided to climb a foot hill close to our camp site. It was on our way down the mountain that I heard a familiar sound that I recognized from the night before. What I heard was the low toned voice of the demonically possessed girl the team had prayed for on Saturday night still screaming and ranting in the nearby village. As a team we decided that half of us would go to conduct the last showing of the film while the rest of the team would go and deal with the situation we thought we had dealt with the night before. We arrived to a scene that can only be described as pure chaos. The young girl we had prayed for Saturday, whose name we later found out was Rocinet (rose knit) had gone to the house of another young girl in the village where the demons overcame this girl as well. The two of them, Rocinet and Esnat, had then travelled to the house of an old man that they accused of being the one who sent the demons to torment them.

A large group of villagers, probably around one hundred when we first arrived, had assembled at the man’s house and rumors were spreading that he was in fact a wizard. These two girls, empowered by the demons, had attacked the old man, beaten him and began to demolish everything within the house. It was obvious they were searching for something and as they did they took articles from inside and threw them out on the front porch where the crowd was watching in disbelief and gripped with fear. The team was unsure of where to begin so with the eyes of the bystanders anxiously watching us we stopped to pray and ask God for direction. We decided we needed to take the two girls back into the house in order to minister to them so we would be out of view from the crowd.

As we approached the girls we commanded them in the name of Jesus to return inside and they immediately obeyed. The team began again, to command (in the name of Jesus) the demons to release their control on the two young girls. After a while the Holy Spirit revealed to me that the problem was that the house was in fact full of demons and that we needed to get the girls out of the house for them to be delivered. We carried them from the house and took them to a small building away from the main house. As we began to pray again the demons immediately left the girls and their demeanor and countenance changed at once. Where there had previously been pain and torment their faces now regained color and reflected the peace that had come upon them. We shared the Gospel with them and without hesitation they both prayed to receive Christ.

One of our team members felt the Holy Spirit was telling him that we needed to bring the old man in with the girls to get a better understanding of what was happening. The first thing we asked him was if in fact there were any charms in the house…….without hesitation he said no. The girls immediately called him on it and began to describe the articles of witchcraft they had been seeking out. At this point the man confessed that all these articles were medicines he needed for his high blood pressure. Too weak to help us locate them the team began to search through the rubble ourselves….to our amazement we found hundreds of witchcraft charms including every article the girls had described to us. We decided to burn the articles so that the anger of the crowd might be appeased (at this point they wanted to burn everything in this man’s house).

The fear that gripped the crowd was amazing as they gasped as team members handled the charms without any harm coming to them. This provided a wonderful opportunity to explain that our immunity was not because of any personal powers but rather that…He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. We finished disposing of the articles and began to preach the Gospel to those watching what was going on. It was also at this time that we brought out the previously possessed girls as testimony to the crowd of what God had just accomplished. They all stepped back in fear at first glance but were overcome with awe as these two young girls began to smile and explain what had happened. When we gave an invitation for individuals to respond to the Message no one within the crowd blinked an eye. We ask again and a little old man stepped forward and raised his hand. This village elder was then followed by another of the village’s head men. As the crowd watched these two we began to hear them softly say we all want pray and receive Christ……what an overwhelming experience!

In all, we figure that two hundred people prayed Sunday morning to receive Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior…...hallelujah and amen! Later Sunday afternoon the team joined Chieftainess Mwenda (the traditional leader of the area) for lunch to debrief a bit about the trip. As we described the morning’s events she explained to us that the man the two girls had accused had been tormenting the people of that area with witchcraft since she was a little girl (the Chieftainess is in her late sixties) and that she felt a major stronghold had been broken that morning……praise God!

Friends, God is moving in Chikankata. Action Zambia has been given a huge open door to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven to the peoples of Chikankata. This is a unique opportunity and I would ask that you would pray for continued wisdom in how AZ should move forward. Lord willing we are planning another follow up trip at the end of November to go to some even more remote areas in the Chikankata area. Let me close by encouraging you that what God did and is doing in Chikankata, He is also able to do where you are right now. Anywhere the Spirit of God indwells believers there exists the opportunity to see the powers of darkness in the world we live in overcome and cast down. Remember the words of Jesus……..as the Father has sent me, so I also send you. Go light your world!

Luke