What's in a name?

We thought we would add a little humor to the blog today and let you in on some of the interesting names we have heard since being in Zambia.  So we hope they are as entertaining to you as they have been to us.  This is not intended to be disrespectful to any Zambians.  We just thought it would give those who are not from here, more insight into the culture we live in.

10) Happy (Not to be confused with Gilmore)

9) Blessing

8) Purity

7) Sunday

6) Six  (Our safari guide in Botswana; he was the 6th born)

5) Shadreck, Mishack or Abendigo

4) Grandson

3) Progress

2) Limited

and last but not least...

1) Measurement

Prayer Request

This was posted by our friends and co-workers the Whitfields.  Please be in prayer for this family that they have been ministering to:

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Dear Friends

It saddens us to have to inform you that our house helper, Pauline Sakala, lost her youngest daughter Lizzy this past Sunday. Lizzy was born a couple days before we arrived back in Zambia in May. At only two months old, she died, per the official report, due to an infection of malarial and bronchitis. Although our time with Lizzy was brief, she had already attached herself to our hearts. Emma, was especially fond of her and would capture any opportunity she could to hold her for a few moments during the day.

Over the past few days our family has been exposed to an aspect of Zambian culture that is unfortunately all too familiar to most of our Zambian friends.  The funeral in the African culture may just be the most significant way to honor and pay respect to someone or a particular family. You can be excused from missing a wedding but everyone shows up for the funeral, even if you’re not invited.

Yesterday was spent making arrangements for the burial today.  Pauline’s husband Norman, and Luke spent the morning collecting the infant casket and burial permit. Transportation for around sixty relatives from the village and surrounding areas had to be arranged as well.  Most importantly was the need to purchase two fifty pound bags of corn meal, cabbages, cooking oil, two live chickens and two fifty pound bags of charcoal all used to feed those relatives and friends who came to mourn alongside the family.

Today there was the need for flowers and a wreath to be placed at the burial site(in the picture you will notice the flowers are broken at the stem….this is done so people attending later funerals will not steal the flowers from the grave of your loved one).  And lastly, the grave diggers (who dig while you watch and wait) needed to be compensated for their efforts.

Earlier this morning we joined Norman and Pauline in laying their two month old child to rest. Pictures could not describe what it is like to be surrounded, literally, by thousands of burial mounds, some large and some no bigger than a loaf of bread (all the mounds you see in the pictures are actual grave sites).  As we were waiting for the grave to be completed we noticed a family nearby digging a small grave and watched as they laid a small towel wrapped corpse in the ground. And of course we wept, as we listened to our dear sister Pauline cry out the name of her dead baby and watched on as she and Norman lay a wreath on the fresh grave.

Why are we sharing all this detail with you? We wanted to share this because all of you, directly or indirectly, were used by God to bless this couple today as they mourned the death of their little baby girl.

Paul reminds us in Galatians 6 that we are to “carry each other’s burdens” and “as we have the opportunity, to be good to all people, especially to those that belong to Body of Christ”. You were a part of living Galatians 6 out in the lives of Norman and Pauline and we just thought you would like to know that because of your prayers and support we were able to cover all of the funeral cost for the Sakalas. To them it was a monumental act of kindness, but you may be surprise to know the total cost for the funeral was $220.

Many of you may never get a chance to meet Norman and Pauline until we get to Heaven, but we know if they could, they would thank each one of you with a hug and smile.

If you are interested in helping out Pauline and her family or simply would like to write them a word of encouragement (we can print your responses and give them to Pauline) during this time please let us know. They will continue life with their three other girls and we ask your prayers for this grieving family.

God is good all the time and we thank Him for what He accomplished through His body today.  We love and miss each of you. Thanks again for being obedient to His voice; we could do none of this without your involvement.

His Servants

The Whitfields <>< 

Encounter with a Cobra

A couple of weeks ago, we had a team in from California. They came to do some work at the ministry center. One afternoon, while spending some time with them, we decided to play some basketball. As I was standing in front of the hoop, I took a few steps back into the grass. That's when I heard something moving behind me. When I turned around, about 5 feet away, a 3 foot cobra was raised up with its hood spread wide open ready to bite. It's not every day that you encounter something that can kill you.  I immediately backed away and warned everyone to move out of the way. Then the snake settled back down and crawled into a hole underneath a nearby tree.

These are not the kind of snakes you can leave to wander around the property.  For safety sake, we had to get the snake out of the hole and kill it.  So, for the next 30 minutes, several of us poked and prodded the hole with poles and rakes until we were able to get him out.  Above is a video of the slaying.  If you're receiving this post via email, you can go to this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niQf_GS8sTE.

I still can't believe I almost stepped on this snake!  Only in Africa!

A Little Fun

One of the adjustments that our family has had to make in living in Zambia is the fact that we (Kerri and kids) stay home a lot more than we did in the States.   We only have one car and there's really nowhere to go - no parks, no playgrounds, no library, no Chick-fil-A :-).  So, when we came back to Zambia this time, we decided to look for a few ways to make our home a more fun place to be for our kids.  They spend a lot of time outside and to this point all we've had to play on is a tire swing.  

This week we found a used trampoline that was being sold by a missionary family that is relocating to the UAE.  We made the decision to buy it and I think it is already proving to be a great investment.  The kids LOVE it!  Since we got it and set it up, they've been on it non-stop - waking up early to jump before breakfast, jumping during every break from school, and even asking to eat lunch on it!  We've all taken our turns jumping and having fun together and the kids even got Charles and Dailes (our guard and house helper) in on the action.  Enjoy this little snippet of their trampoline fun!  It's hilarious!

What Not To Do

So, for some reason, our water has been going out daily for the last week or so.  Apparently, while it was out the other day, one of us (probably Maddie) forgot that the cold water tap in our bathroom had been left on and the drain had been plugged.  Needless to say, when the water came back on last night, it overflowed for nearly an hour before we discovered it.  Here's a picture of Kerri mopping up the damage with all of the towels in our house!  Oh, the joys of living in Africa. : )

Short Lived Experiment

Chickens are a huge source of income & livlihood for many families here in Zambia.  Many families have a few just running around the house for eggs and such.  So, I decided that I would get some for the kids.  I was interested in finding out more about what it takes to keep them, feed them, etc... in hopes that I might be able to use that knowledge to help some pastors, church leaders & or churches in starting viable chicken businesses.  Well, let's just say that it didn't go quite as I expected.  Both chicks, which I purchased for the equivalent of $1 (50 cents a piece) died within the first 48 hours.  What I found out, after the fact, is that you're not supposed to hold them too often whey they are very young.  Considering the kids were holding them all day, I don't think their chances for survival were all that great.

Street Kids Outreach

Last Friday, several of us went out with another ministry here in Zambia on a street kids outreach.  Our friends, the Moraleses and the Carrs, head up a ministry that reaches out to these vulnerable children.  We really didn't know what to expect.  We all met at a coffee house in downtown Lusaka and then walked through town to Saweto (a district of shops behind city market).  Once we got back in Saweto, we had to make our way through these small alleys between the shops to the back of Saweto.  As we arrived, it seemed like the children came from out of nowhere.  

As they came, the leaders of the group we were with, started gathering them towards the back of Saweto along a fence that borders the area.  Charles, a once street boy and known criminal in Lusaka, shared with them how Jesus Christ had changed his life.  Charles used to be one of the leaders on the streets.  He spent a lot of time in prison and was even used by prison guards to "thin out" populations when they got too full.  It was amazing to me to see how God had invaded such a hopeless situation and changed what many of us would deem a lost cause.

Most (probably all) of the boys were sniffing Stika the whole time we were there.  Stika is a cheap inhalant drug peddled to these children by local drug dealers.  The children put a little of the glue in a clear plastic bottle and inhale the fumes.  It has a deadening effect on all of their senses.  During the winter (which is now), it is the primary way that they endure the cold.  So, I don't know how much of what Charles shared was received by these children, but I do know that God's word never returns void!

After that afternoon, I couldn't get these children and this experience out of my mind.  So, when the Carrs invited us back out the following week, I was more than happy to go.  This outing was a little different though.  Instead of going out during the day, we went out at night.  Let me just say that many Zambians will not go into Saweto during the day, but most would never go at night.  And I think that it spoke volumes to these kids that we would be willing to meet them where they were.

Our charge from the Pastor this time, "Just touch the children.  Show them that you care for them and that God cares for them."  And that's about all we did.  We went and parked the car at a police post inside city market and walked back to the same place we had been the previous Friday.  This time, in addition to our just being there, we brought hot tea and bread for the boys.  The evening started with singing around a small fire the boys had already made (see the video above).  As we sang, many of them would come up and hug us and greet us in Nyanja.  After singing and a testimony by one of the teammates, we broke into smaller groups and fed the children.  The leaders wanted us out of there before the kids got too rowdy.  So, shortly after the feeding, we prayed and left.

I think the one thing that God impressed upon me during these outreaches is how little it takes to show God's love to another person.  Sometimes, something as simple as taking bread and tea to a boy in a hopeless situation is all He desires from me to show someone else His love!

Safari Monday

Today was a Zambian holiday. So, we decided to take Kerri's father to a safari lodge just outside of town for the day. This was his first African safari!  Yesterday also marked 2 months since we've been back in Zambia. It seems like we've been going full speed since we arrived. So, it was nice to getaway, even if only for a day. Anyways, here are some pictures from our day at Chaminuka. If you are receiving this post via email, you will need to go to our site (www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com) to view the slideshow.

Grace for the Poor

During our weekly discipleship meeting for Navigators 2:7, Luke posed the following question:  "How do you pastors minister to people in your community when many times you can't even provide for yourselves?" 

Pastor Martin Phiri (pictured above), gave an honest answer which was humbling, a blessing, convicting, and challenging to me all at once.  He said, that us Azungu (Westerners) don't understand grace.  We have to depend on His grace for our daily provisions and it helps us in ministry to those we serve.  Here I was, teaching about grace, and it hadn't even dawned on me how many Zambian believers experience His grace in practical ways on a daily basis.  While saving grace is a topic that many Zambians have a hard time grasping, I'm learning that practical grace in our daily provisions is something I will be learning from these dear brothers in the Lord.

Health Issues

For the past month, Gracyn has been waking up with a rash.  At first we thought it might be an allergic reaction from the juice she was drinking.  So, we started giving her water.  When that didn't work, we thought it might be the soap she was using during bath time.  So, we switched to baby bath and shampoo.  That didn't work.  Then we were told to be on the lookout for bedbugs.  So, just the other night, Kerri went into her room at night with a flashlight.  We were told that if there were bedbugs, you could see them this way.  No bedbugs!  We were really racking our brains.  Benadryl wasn't working and the bumps kept coming back.

Well, yesterday, we found our answer.  Kerri took Gracyn to see one of our doctor friends who diagnosed it rather quickly.  Here in Zambia, we are supposed to take de-worming medicine every three to six months.  We've only been back for 2 months.  So, naturally we didn't think about it.  Kerri gave Gracyn her first dose last night and Gracyn was bump free this morning for the first time in a month.  Praise the Lord!

While on the subject of health, we do have a prayer request.  Kerri has been experiencing headaches for the past week.  We contacted her neurologist, via email, and he said that because of the stroke back in January, she could have symptoms like this from time to time.  Would you please pray that these symptoms would subside?

Thank you so much for your continued prayers.

Get Me Out of Here

Here in Zambia, our homes are surrounded by brick walls and electric wires (mostly to protect against petty theft).  Because of this, there is only one way into the property and one way out.  This has its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages.  The other night when we went to pick Elise up for bible study, we saw her face through the gate hole.  Luke was at the ministry center supervising some construction work (he had one set of keys) and Movety, their guard, had left for the day (he had the other set).  So, Elise and the children were locked inside.  Kerri and I got a good laugh.

Progress

(Grading of the Soccer Field)

Ciyanjano (Nyanja word for fellowship), is the name of our ministry center located just outside of town.  About 8 months ago, we temporarily closed the property up in an attempt to control some of the monthly costs until we were in a position to start developing the property.  Well, the time has come.  This week, we have had a team from California visiting.  Their project while they are here - start phase 1 development of Ciyanjano.

Action Zambia is a ministry that focuses on equipping local churches for the work to which God has called them to do here in Zambia.  We see the ministry center as a key to reaching this vision.  After development is completed, the property will be used for a variety of activities such as kids camps, pastor conferences, marriage seminars and possibly even some livlihood projects to help pastors and churches generate income.

Pit Latrine # 1

The team here has been wonderful.  They've been hard at work planting trees, digging a pit latrine, tearing down an old insaka, etc...  It's neat seeing a team from half way around the world catching onto and supporting the vision that God has given our team here in Zambia.

God's Goodness

Cool story about God's goodness here in Zambia from our friends and teammates the Whitfields.  See below:

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Dear Friends

Just wanted to share a huge opportunity for us to corportately praise God for His goodness. 

Last Sunday as we were going to home church with our missionary friends for father's day Luke saw a man utilizing a crutch outside our friend's gate. He felt that God was telling him to go and ask what had happened to this man and to pray for him. As he inquired he found out that Daniel had a bad infection in his leg that made it almost impossible for him to walk without the aid of a crutch. Luke prayed for him and then sent Daniel on his way. 

This weekend Daniel showed up at our friend's gate and asked for the big Muzungu (Luke has put on some weight if you have not seen him lately). Our friends the Allens directed Daniel to our gate and he informed us that his leg had been completely healed. Luke was gone the first time that Daniel stopped by and so was a little skeptical at the report. Today, Daniel stopped by again and Luke was amazed to see that this man's leg,that had been bandaged and extrememlely swollen, showed no sign of infection at all. 

We are writing this to encourage you all that if God can work through sinners like us, then He can work through anyone. Praise God with us as we rejoice at His goodness and mercy. What a great God we serve and may all glory and honor be unto Him. It is amazing what He is doing through our partnership here in Zambia. 

We love you all and so appreciate your love and support.

(We have included a picture of Daniel, his wife, and their child Emmanuel)


His Servants

The Whitfields <><

Welcome Bubba

Kerri's dad arrived late Wednesday night for the beginning of an almost month long visit.  He had been waiting in Atlanta after getting bumped from more than one flight and finally got a flight out on Tuesday.  The kids were ecstatic to see him.  I took Caleb and Gracyn to the airport to pick him up at 9:00 pm.  And we spared no expense in rolling out the Zambian welcome carpet.  Upon arrival he realized that his bags didn't make it and then this evening sat down for dinner without electricity.  Tomorrow, we'll see if we can have the water go out before he takes a shower : ).

Happy Birthday Charles

Our guard/gardener Charles Mutale celebrated his 30th birthday yesterday.  They have a tradition in Zambia for birthdays - a tradition that I have grown to love.  In Zambia, if someone celebrates a birthday, it is the responsibility of family and friends to splash the birthday boy/girl with water.  Well, yesterday morning was no exception.  I filled a 3 gallon bucket of water to the brim and waited just inside the yard out of sight.  Caleb had a water gun and hid in the guard shack.  And Gracyn hid behind a tree with two water balloons.

When Charles arrived, with Dailes, at 8:00 am he reached through the gate to unlock it.  Now, Dailes knew we were planning something.  So, she kept her distance.  As his hands were through the holes on the gate tinkering with the lock, I snuck up and dumped the bucket of water over the top of the gate right onto Charles.  He definitely wasn't expecting it.  Then, after getting the gate opened, Caleb and Gracyn chimed in with their water weapons.  Kerri stood across the yard and tried to video tape the whole thing, but the batteries on the recorder were dead.  Oh well!

After he dried off, we headed out for yet another surprise.  While we were in the States, Charles wrecked his bike on the way to work and broke it beyond repair.  So, we thought his birthday would be as good a time as any to get him a new one.  There is a ministry here called ZamBike which provides discounted mountain bikes for pastors.  We were able to find one just his size for a good price.  All in all, I think he enjoyed his birthday surprise (at least one of them)!

Please Pray

 Please be in prayer for our teammates, the Allens.  Their second born, Bradyn, has been very sick for the past couple of days and is now in one of the private hospitals here in Lusaka.  She's been running a very high fever and has been diagnosed with pneumonia.  The doctors are expecting to keep her in for the next several days for observation and antibiotic treatments.  Could you join us in praying for this family?

Happy Father's Day (Late)

Father's day is a day of mixed emotions for me.  On the one hand, it is a celebration of the precious gifts that God has given me in my four children.  On the other hand, it is a reminder of the huge responsibility that God has given me to grow them up in His nurture and admonition.  I pray daily that He would help & encourage me in this task and daily that He would forgive me for the many times that I fail.  I guess you could say that parenting, God glorifying parenting, would be impossible except for the grace of God!  So, my goal for this Father's day is to rely much more on His grace than my ability to parent for the next year.

Yesterday, we went to the Allens for Father's day.  Us, the Allens & the Whitfields herded our 12 children over to have some time for worship and reflection.  We listened to a sermon on YouTube from Louie Giglio called "Indescribable."   If you haven't had the opportunity to listen to this sermon, I highly recommend it.  There are 5 clips, each about 9 minutes in duration, which make up the whole sermon.  To view the first clip, (click here).  After the time of worship, we had a cookout and a time of games for the children in the front yard (led by Steve).  I couldn't think of a better way to have spent this Father's day in Zambia.

Nationwide Outage and a Bum Fridge

So, last night the power went out at around 8:30 pm.  It's a little unusual for it to go out at that time, but we didn't think much of it.  Then at 12:30 am, it came back on, only to go back off 15 minutes later.  This pattern of on again, off again persisted until the early hours of the morning until it went out for good.

I thought it might be just our neighborhood, but when I got to the office at around 7:30 am, it was out there as well.  It turns out that there was a nationwide power outage.  I remember being in the States a few years ago when New York city lost power to one of its grids and it was a major news story.  Imagine if that would have been the whole east coast or better yet the entire country.  Anyways, just thought this was an interesting tidbit about our day here in Zambia.  The power ended up coming back on at around 1:00 pm today.  So, we're back online.

On a similar note, the power was not the only thing to go today.  It seems as if our refrigerator is ionongeka (broken).  We called the store we purchased it from and they sent a repair man out to look at it.  Luckily, it was still under warranty.  They will come back tomorrow with a "loaner" so that they can take ours back to the shop to work on it.  So, if you think about it, say a prayer for our fridge.

A Challenge

So, this past week we met to go over the 1st session of book three for Navigators 2:7 discipleship.  As part of the program, the participants and leader must memorize certain passages of scripture.  As we were sitting there reciting the verses, a thought came to mind.  Here these pastors are memorizing these passages in English, when their own heart language is Nyanja.  So, I told them that as part of memorizing the verses, I would memorize in Nyanja what they were memorizing in English.

I had never looked at the verses we would be memorizing before making this commitment.  Mistake!!  A lot of times, it takes more words to express something in Nyanja than it does in English.  As I have been typing these verses up to make memory cards, I am seeing that this is going to be more difficult than I thought.  Anyways, I thought I would share the first verse with you and challenge you to do the same.  You know that one day multitudes will stand before the throne of God giving praise to him in their own languages.  Might as well learn a little before we get there : )

Here is a list of pronunciations for vowels in Nyanja:

A - Sounds like "A" in "Ball."  It doesn't ever have a long "A" sound as in English

E - Sounds like a long "A" like in the word "Base"

I - Sounds like a long "E" like in the word "Bee"

O - Sounds like a long "O" like in the word "So"

U - Sounds like "OO" in "Boo"

Other pronunciations:

C - Is pronounced "CH" like in Chair

R - R's are rolled like they are in Spanish

Th - Sounds like an aspirated T.  It is never pronounced like the "TH" in "The"

When pronouncing a word, you break the word down by the vowels.  For instance,

Dalitsa is pronounced Da-li-tsa

So, using these examples, try pronouncing and memorizing the following verse:

AROMA 3:23

"Pakuti onse anacimwa, naperewera pa ulemerero wa Mulungu"

Romans 3:23

"For all have sinned and fallen short of God's Glory."

The Zambian Norm

So, this afternoon, I walked home from Manda Hill.  Nothing unusual about the day.  The streets were busy with cars, there were taxis and minibuses tooting their horns trying to find customers.  Vendors were selling produce along the roadside.  Everything was normal (well, at least Zambian normal).

As I turned the corner to my street, there was a young man (probably 18 or so) sitting in the grass.  Again, this is normal.  As I progressed up the street and came to our gate, I realized that I was being followed.  The young man from the corner was standing behind me.  Being followed is not the norm, but the reason for this young man's visit was.

As he shared his story, I just listened.  He was a refugee from Rwanda.  His parents had been killed in 1994 from civil war and what he labeled as genocide.  He escaped to Zambia as a refugee, and is living here, but cannot find work and therefore struggles daily to find food.

It's not an exaggeration that almost daily we have to struggle with poverty.  It's the norm.  Whether it be this young man needing food, the daily visitors who stop by our gate looking for work, the pastors we work with struggling to feed their families, we can't avoid poverty, because it's the norm.  We're surrounded by it.

I know we have written about this same topic in the past, but it bares repeating, because we still struggle to comprehend what God is trying to teach us in this area.  As Kerri and I returned to Zambia, we thought we had it figured out.  We would help those we have relationships with and pray about helping those who crossed our path that we didn't know.  But even though this sounds easy, it is quite the opposite.  Every time a new person comes into our lives, verses from the bible on caring for the poor flood our hearts and minds.  We realize we can't help everyone, but living in a country where almost everyone needs help makes it difficult in figuring out who to help.  And for those we choose not to help, it is agonizingly painful when they leave and we try to figure out if we made the right decision.

Today, I honestly don't know if I made the right decision.  I pray that I was sensitive to the Holy Spirit and did what He was calling me to do in this situation, but I just don't know.  I guess that's part of what He's trying to teach me.  As I have tried to create a framework in which to make decisions on who to help, when to help and how to help them, He's been in the process of tearing that framework down.  He's showing me that it's a lot more complicated than A + B = C.  If I am going to make the right decisions on who and how to help others here, decisions that honor Him, it will only be through prayer, petition and a complete and total dependence on Him for guidance.

Happy Birthday

Great Commission Leadership Team

This past Sunday, was the 2 year anniversary of Great Commission Baptist Church.  The leadership invited us along with the Whitfields to be a part of the service.  It was great to see the growth that has occurred in this young church.  There were probably over 75 in attendance, some of which were from other churches.  In fact, there was a couple from Rwanda who shared their testimony during the service.  They joined the church shortly after an outreach event we had last year.

Great Commission Congregation

After the service, the women of the church had prepared a traditional Zambian lunch with Nshima, Rice, Chicken and various vegetables.  We got the kids something to eat and then just wondered around visiting with different people.  It was so nice to be able to see and take part in such a special event in the life of this church.

Please pray for this church.  Within the next few years, they will most likely outgrow their current facilities (the currently meet in a local school).  Their prayer is that they would find a plot of land in which to build a church so that they can continue to minister in this same community.  Pray also that the pastor will be able to find housing in the area once he finishes Seminary (this will happen in a little over a year).  Pray for Luke and myself as well.  Pray that we would be able to equip the leaders of this congregation to effectively make disciples.

Please Be In Prayer

Our director, Tim Hilty, and his family are currently in the States on furlough.  They desire to return soon, but are trying to sort out things with U.S. immigration concerning the adoption and citizenship of their daughter Ireen.  We thought it was important to request your prayers for their family.  Please pray for them.  Pray that the process with immigration would go smoothly and that Ireen would be granted U.S. citizenship soon so that they can return to Zambia and continue to serve this field and the people of Zambia.

Lydia Update

Our friends, the Melvilles, visited Lydia just before they left for the States.  For those of you who are unaware of Lydia's situation, she had severe swelling in her brain which led to paralysis & blindness.  Over the past several months, she has been on the road to recovery.  During the Melvilles visit, she had a message for all of you who have been praying for her and supporting her financially with all of the doctors bills.  To view the video, please visit the link below:

http://www.melvillesworld.com/blog/

Farewell

Our friends, the Melvilles, left for the States yesterday and our team truly will not be the same without them.  Our families have grown close over the past year.  Graham and I have worked a lot together in the office and in leading Navigators 2:7 discipleship.  I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him.  I told Kerri that he reminds me a lot of my dad.  He's just one of those guys that seems to always be on top of things, a man of integrity and someone you can count on when you're in a pinch.  

This past Sunday we had a farewell party at our home.  Many of the pastors and other Zambians that Graham and Sarah have built relationships with over the past two years came to say their goodbyes.  I've included this video of part of our time.  If there's a party in Zambia, there is singing!

On a personal note, Graham and Sarah, we already miss you guys.  When we make it back to the States, we'll have to come over for another "Potato Night."

Random Updates

I couldn't resist.  Yesterday afternoon, I was doing some grocery shopping for a going away celebration (The Melvilles are headed back to the States) and I came across this character - a Zambian clown.  The expression he was making said it all.  No real story behind it, just thought I would share the picture. 

Sorry for not posting much lately.  The Zambian flu (what we would call a really bad cold in the States) is running its course through our family.  It started with me and has now spread to Kerri and the kids.  Please pray for our health.  Everyone seems to have a lot of congestion and is coughing.

This morning marked the first real power outage since we've arrived back in Zambia.  Apparently, some river weeds got into the generator at one of the plants at the Kafue gorge.  The generator was damaged enough for them to shut it down for repairs.  We have been told that this process could take quite a while.  Until it is fixed, we will be periodically without power.  Today it was from 6:00 am until after lunch.

The week before last, we finished an audit of our ministry finances.  One of my responsibilities for the next little while will be to manage this part of the ministry.  I'm comfortable with the things I will be doing, but there will be a learning curve as there is a lot to remember.  I do have help (from teammates and a Zambian accountant on staff), but please pray for me as this transition unfolds.

We are starting the 3rd book of Navigators 2:7 discipleship this week with the same group of pastors and church leaders we've been working with since last year.  It will continue for the next 12 weeks.   Pray for the class, that we would finish well.

Our good friends and teammates are headed back to America.  Graham, Sarah, Phillip & Rachel Melville will be leaving tomorrow morning at 6:50 am.  Graham has been a good friend and mentor to me and I will miss him dearly.  I'll post more on them very soon.

Well, I'm sure there is probably other stuff I could write, but I'll end it for now.  

Bedtime Nettings

Our bedtime routine is probably very similar to a lot of people back in the States.  Starting just after dinner, we bathe the kids, put on their jammies, tuck in the little ones (Maddie & Ellie), have the older two brush their teeth and finally climb into bed for a story and prayers.  The difference, though, is that every night as the kids climb into bed, we have one more routine - pulling down the mosquito nets.

I knew that malaria was one of the major diseases affecting Africa, but as I watched Kerri read to the children, this evening, I decided to go and find out more about the disease and just how helpful these nets were at preventing it.  Here's what I found out...

In 2006 the World Health Organization estimated that there were over 200 million malaria cases and nearly 1 million deaths related to those cases.  What's more astonishing is that 90% of all malaria deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa.  That means that one person in Sub-Saharan Africa dies from Malaria every 35 seconds and most of the victims are 5 years of age and younger.

But mosquito nets can and do help.  There have been studies that have shown that treated mosquito nets can reduce the chance of malaria transmission in high-risk areas by nearly 50%.  These same nets, which cost roughly 10 U.S. dollars, can protect an entire family for up to 4 years without being retreated.  

As I researched, I was blown away by the numbers.  I didn't realize the widespread effects of this particular disease.  I didn't realize how many people, mostly children, died each year.  I also didn't realize how something as simple as a net could have saved many of these lives.  I was in the dark.

But our God is a God who likes to bring things into the light and He as certainly done this for us.  One of the things that God has been teaching both Kerri and me during our time here in Zambia is that we have been blessed to be a blessing.  We should be thankful for every blessing, both spiritual and physical, that the Lord provides, but we should also go a step further and look for ways to bless those around us with the same blessings He has given us.  

I think that, on this evening, He was showing me a blessing that I hadn't really considered a blessing before.  He was showing me the blessing of mosquito nets.  I know this may sound stupid, but He was!  So, now, I'm eagerly waiting.  I know he has shown me this blessing so that I can bless someone else in a similar way.  I'm just wonder who it will be.

May the lesson He is teaching me encourage you to look for the different ways that God is blessing you and then find ways to use that blessing to bless others for the glory of Christ!

1 John 3:17

Smelly Post

Here is a post you truly cannot appreciate because we have no way for you to smell the odors originating from underneath our bathroom floor and also from the ceiling in Caleb's closet.  Shortly after we returned from the States, we realized that we had a problem with rats.  So, we did the normal thing and put out some poison.  

Well, the poison worked, but the little boogers didn't figure a way out of the house before kicking the bucket.  And they died in two different places that we do not have access to: underneath the house and in the ceilings.  So, the only solution is to wait for Mother Nature to take her course and for the smells to dissipate.  So, until then, we're left with a stinky situation!

No, complaints.  It is something we've grown accustomed to living in Zambia, but just thought you would like to share in our experiences... and be thankful for Terminex : )

Saturday Morning Time of Sharing

This morning I had the opportunity to attend an annual AWANA day camp for some of the local churches.  Alex, from Great Commission, invited me to come and share the gospel with the children.  This was my first exposure to AWANA, both here in Zambia and in the U.S..  It's encouraging to see their vision for evangelizing & discipling young children.  Above is a video clip with sights and sounds from this morning's meeting.

If you are receiving this post via e-mail, you can click on the following link and view the video on Youtube (Click Here).  Or you can visit our site and watch it from there (www.robertsinzambia.blogspot.com).

Hope you enjoy!

A 1st for Her 21st

This past Monday, Kerri and I went over to the Allens to celebrate a 1st for someone's 21st.  Our friend Elizabeth was the guest of honor along with her family and some friends.  We met Elizabeth when we first came to Zambia after she was recommended to do some babysitting for our team.  Since then she has become a very familiar face around our house.  Monday was Elizabeth's 21st birthday.  What was special about this celebration was that it was the first birthday party she had ever had!  Can you take a moment and try to imagine that?  Each year, another birthday, and each year, instead of deciding where you want to go to celebrate, having to worry about whether or not your family will even be able to eat.  

Elizabeth is the oldest of the surviving children in her family.  Her father and several siblings have passed away leaving her widowed mother to make ends meet.  Elizabeth has taken on the responsibility of helping provide for the family and put her younger siblings through school.  The great thing about Elizabeth is that you would never know she carries that kind of burden.  Regardless of the pressures of life, she always seems to have a smile and is truly one of the happiest people we've ever met.  On this evening, her smile was a little bigger.

It started off with dinner (complements of Stephanie Allen) - rice with gravy, broccoli, scalloped potatoes and meatballs.  Elizabeth loves the opportunity to eat meat.  So, she was particularly appreciative of the meatballs!  After dinner we all took the time to tell Elizabeth one thing that we enjoyed about her.  As we went around the table, there was one common theme - her joyful spirit.  Finally came the cake & presents!  I wish you could have seen the excitement on her face as she blew out the candles on her cake and opened her presents.  Before blowing out the candles, she must have taken 5 minutes deciding what to wish for.  All she got for presents was a small curling iron and a devotional book, but you would have thought she'd won the lottery.  She and her sister literally screamed for joy as she opened each present.

The evening was overwhelming and maybe more for me than it was for her.  As I sat there watching the excitement in her face, the smiles around the table from her family, and the deep appreciation for the evening, I was blown away.  I  came over just to celebrate another birthday, something I've done a thousand times, but I left feeling like I had just celebrated one again for the very first time.

I Am Just Like the Israelites

As I have read the Old Testament over the years, I have always been amazed at the forgetfulness of the Israelites.  Especially during the Exodus when God did all these miraculous things right before their eyes and five minutes later they were making idols to worship.  I've never understood how they could forget that God parted the Red Sea, for crying out loud!  He was there with them in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  How could they doubt He was able to feed them or give them water to drink?  Well, as it turns out, I'm not so different from them and God has brought that reality to my attention over the last few weeks.  

The Sunday before we left, I had the opportunity to share with our home church about the miraculous way God had healed my brain.  I also shared how Satan had still been attacking me with anxiety because I still suffer from headaches and some weak sensations in my left side.  Then we had a time of prayer and someone in one of the services prayed, "God, let us not forget this miracle that You have done in Kerri's life."  That one little prayer stuck with me.  That day I realized that by being anxious, I was being just like the Israelites.  God has done exceedingly, abundantly more than we could have expected and we have an MRI to prove it.  How can I now be worried that He is not able to protect and preserve me, that something could still be wrong, that He is not able to take away my headaches?  It's that sneaky sin nature!  That tendency toward unbelief and self-reliance.  

So, I was sharing about my headaches with my best friend, just yesterday.  This is part of the email she sent back to me.  See if you notice a theme!  I think that God is definitely teaching me, yet again.  I hope that you will be encouraged to search your hearts along with me. 

I prayed for you this morning and specifically addressed the issue of your fear.  In praying, I was reminded of a Scripture that someone just pointed out to me a few days ago.  From Exodus 14:13.  It's when the Israelites are standing in front of the red sea wondering how they will get over it and the Egyptians and their chariots are behind them.  Even after all God had done to free them, they still doubted His care and provision for their lives.  So they are scared to death complaining to Moses saying, "Why did you bring us here to die?"  So Moses says to them, 

"Do not fear!  Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; ...The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent (also translated "while you are still.")." 

Remember that God has done a mighty work in you ... he has healed you and done exceedingly more than you could hope or think.  Through your physical issues, Satan is desperately trying to make you fear and doubt what God has done in and through you over the past few months.  But, God will fight for you while you are still before Him ... therefore, there is no need for you to fear.  He has gone before you and is upholding you.  He has ordained this time in your life and will protect and keep you.  I will be fervant in praying for you about all of this!  I'm specifically going to pray that God will just take the headaches away!!!  

So, I will choose to be still before the Lord and thank Him for all that He has already accomplished on my behalf.  I will thank Him also for using others to speak Truth into my life!

15 Years of Fruit

Our director, Tim Hilty and his family, are in the states for a well-deserved furlough. But, he has been watching and praying and leading us from afar. He just sent the team a note the other day that captures some of the things we are doing here in Zambia and how the irony of our philosophy of long term training is actually producing some short term gain. I hope you are encouraged.   Thanks for your partnership with us!


Action Zambia,

I just wanted to respond to the encouraging reports that I've been getting from those of you on the field. Testimonies about the type of fruit we are beginning to see in our ministries are very good and it's important that we celebrate it when we see it. I'll mention but a few things. It was very heartening for me to hear the report from Brent about GCB and their decision to start another cell group within their ministry area. In this, we can praise the Lord how we see the church latching on to the importance of discipleship as well as multiplying (through the training they received). And in an email I received from Tracy recently - he shared how he was able to officiate at the graduation of ten pastors at Anderson Jere's church. The Veritas curriculm that ABI is using to teach pastors biblical exegesis requires that pastors also teach to others the same material that they have received. So when Anderson Jere takes what he has learned in ABI and in turn teaches it within his church we praise God for multiplying our labors and efforts. Please pray that God would bless the men and women we invest in - that they might apply the Word to their lives and be stewards of the training they are receiving. Of course there are many other examples we can point to as well.

I think it's appropriate to point out is that these things are coming about in part due to our long term focus in ministry. Multiplication, equipping, discipleship, relationship all have one thing in common - they take time and they require a "15 year focus" rather than an "15 month focus". Never give up in the work that you are doing and never abandon some of these principles because the great irony is that when we operate with the long-term in mind we will actually begin to see some dividends that last rather shortly...quicker than we would see if we operated with the short-term in mind. In other words, when we build for the long haul, we should also expect to see fruit from that - and some of that fruit will be evidenced quite early. We do not have to wait 15 years for fruit. The temptation is out there to make short-investments but what we need is long term investments. May we pray diligently that God would help us persevere and stay the course. Be encouraged, we are involved in a good work. May the glory of God be displayed in each of our lives.

In Christ,
Tim

You've Gained

There are many interesting and sometimes funny things that happen when you enter a culture that is different from your own.  In the USA, if someone you know has put on some weight, you wouldn't dare say anything about it to them.  You might comment to your spouse or another friend (and if you're from the South, you'll say she's looking a little "fuller than usual" and follow it with a "bless her heart"), but you would never want to embarrass the person by mentioning his or her weight.  

Well, this is most definitely not the case here in Zambia.  Most Zambians consider it a good thing to be gaining weight - it's a sign that you are healthy and happy.  So, if you've put on a few pounds (or kg's here), people are quick to point it out.  Having been in the States, being spoiled by living with Brent's parents, and, let's face it, indulging in everything we love to eat for 6 months, Brent and I have both put on extra weight.  So now that we're back in Zambia, the first thing people say to us when they see us is, "Oh, you've gained!"   I told Brent after church yesterday that it really cracks me up that I'm constantly being told how chubby I am.  I'm not exaggerating either.  EVERY Zambian friend I have seen has commented that I've gained weight.  The funny part is that they in no way see it as an insult.  They are just stating the obvious and letting you know that you look healthy and happy!  I guess it's a good incentive to get back to working out and eating healthily!  Hopefully soon they'll be asking me if my husband is treating me well because I'm looking too skinny!  :-)  

A Furniture Puzzle

Shopping for furniture in Zambia is a lot different than shopping for furniture in the States.  First of all, we buy our furniture off the side of the street in a carpentry district known as Kalingalinga.  There are several small shops that specialize in furniture.  Today, Kerri went to pick up our new bunk bed.  She had a few of the guys at the shop load the bed on top and inside of the car.  Yet another difference.  No delivery service here.

Now, in the States, the furniture stores usually sell stuff that fits in your home, or can at least be assembled once you get it in the house.  And most homes have more than one way of getting furniture into a specific room in the house.  Well, we were out of luck on both fronts.  The bed (which was very well made, by the way) was a quarter of an inch too long.  You might not think that is a big deal, but it is.  You see our house has one hallway that leads to all of the bedrooms.  All of the bed rooms have bars on the windows.  So, there is one way in and one way out.  We had planned on putting the bed in Maddie's room and moving Gracyn in there with her.  But, because of that quarter of an inch, there was no way we could get the bed in the room.  We spent over 2 hours flipping it over, turning it this way and that, and trying to determine if there was any way to take the bed apart, until we finally gave up.

So, the new bed that was going to go in Maddie's room, got put in Caleb's room.  We then decided to take his bed, which was small enough to fit through the hallway, into Maddie's room. We'll just paint it white and make it into a girly bed!   The kids didn't mind too much, but after all was said and done, the adults were worn out!

2:7 Reunion

This afternoon, was the first time since leaving Zambia that I was able to meet with the pastors & church leaders we have been working with on discipleship training.  Two days a week, we meet and run Navigators 2:7 discipleship with these pastors.  The series features three books all geared towards deepening one's relationship with God.  As part of signing up for this training, each pastor / church leader agreed that they would, after learning from the group, go and train other leaders in their churches on discipleship.

It was fun catching up with these men.  All of them have, in fact, started their own groups within their churches.  While some of the groups have struggled with regular attendance, many were thriving.  As they went around and shared how their groups were going, it was encouraging to see that the training we have offered to these 12 men is now being extended to over 60 men and women within their respective churches.  Praise God for the work He is doing in His church here in Zambia!

Oh, sorry for the fuzzy pic.  I forgot my camera and snapped a quick picture with my phone.  The lighting wasn't good, hence the fuzziness.

Frogger

Do you remember that old Atari game "Frogger?"  Where you try to navigate a frog across busy streets & croc infested rivers to get to the other side of the screen.  Well, this guy apparently didn't make it.

This picture was taken at our office.  I don't know how, but this rather large frog found his way into the men's toilet.  Rule 1 in Zambia:  Always look before you squat!

What are your neighbors doing

Kerri, the kids and I were having dinner the other night and heard something that you just don't get to hear in America.  A family cookout next door.  The difference is that in Zambia, you don't have a gathering without singing.  This culture is so based in music that everyone sings and it is so beautiful.  As we heard the singing, I snuck out the front door of our house and headed over to the fence that separates our yards.  I just sat there secretly enjoying as this group of family and friends sang.  The audio on the camera I was using is not that great, but I just wanted to give you an idea of what we heard as we sat down for dinner.  You might want to turn the volume up on your computer before listening.

Reminder:  If you are receiving this via email, you will need to go to our website to view this video: www.RobertsInZambia.Blogspot.Com.

Reunion Sunday

Yesterday, we visited Great Commission Baptist church to see our Zambian friends and worship together.  We didn't tell anyone we were coming and just showed up that morning.  We arrived just after opening prayer (late as usual).  As soon as we entered and sat down, Pastor Kandella had us stand back up and then the congregation sang a song as they came by one-by-one and greeted us.  They called it a Zambian welcome, which we enjoyed very much.

As the service progressed, one of my best Zambian Friends Alex, a deacon at this church, stood up to preach.  He taught on tithing.  He used the verse from Mark 12 about the poor widow who gave what she had as an offering.  Where in the States, a few might identify with this verse, I'm willing to bet most, if not all, of the congregation could identify.

After the service, I had a few minutes to catch up with some of the guys.  When we left in November, Luke and I had started a small discipleship group that met on Tuesday nights.  When we left, we didn't know whether it would continue or not.  Well, it didn't.  Instead, they have two discipleship groups that meet weekly, one on Monday and one on Thursday.  That's right, they multiplied!!  Isn't God good!  I'm going on Thursday night to attend their weekly meeting and am looking forward to it with great anticipation.

They have also started to reach out to the youth in their community on Saturday mornings through AWANA.  Right now, about 30 kids attend on a regular basis.  Alex, who also heads up this ministry, has just been appointed district coordinator for about 50 churches.  It's a pretty special thing that a deacon from a small church of 30 people is overseeing such a large ministry.

Anyways, it was great catching up with our Zambian friends.  Please continue to pray for this young church as they seek to reach out to their community with the Gospel of Christ.

P.S.

I also recorded a song from their service.  It's in CiNyanja, but it's a classic hymn.   See if you can guess what it is...

Happy Mother's Day

Ever since Kerri and I had decided to go back to the States to have Ellison, we wondered why God brought us back there for that time.  When we first found out about the pregnancy, we were planning on staying in Zambia.  But as time passed, God began to change our hearts and convince us that it was His will for us to return for that time.  So, as we packed up here and headed for home, we were on the lookout.  We thought that there must be some reason why we were headed back, other than to have a baby, but we just didn't know why.  

Before the birth, there was a time we thought Ellie might be breach.  As we sat in the doctor's office getting an ultrasound, we both questioned each other that this might be the reason.  But it wasn't.  Ellie was facing the right way.  As we headed to the hospital for the delivery, we wondered if there would be any surprises (other than the obvious), but there weren't.  The delivery went better than expected.  Then two weeks after the delivery, Kerri had a stroke.  As we sat in the hospital and talked, it was very clear that this was the reason why God had called us home.

But I'm not writing about why God called us back to the States for that short time.  As we have moved back to Zambia, it has become clear that there was another reason/blessing that God had called us back home.  Mainly the blessing of time with family and the time we got to spend getting to know my mom all over again.  So, I figured that today, being mother's day, was as good a time as any to dote on my mom.

If there's one word to describe mom, it would be committed, and, no, I don't mean that in an institutional sense.  She's a woman of commitment.

She's committed to her husband:

In an age where divorce is rampant, even amongst the church, she has been lovingly committed to my dad for more than 35 years.  And they genuinely love each other.  They still enjoy spending time together and and laughing together.  They have their own interests, but they love being around each other.  It's not that I didn't know this already, but it was reassuring living with them and seeing it firsthand.

She's committed to her children:

Even though as her child, I made many mistakes growing up (and continue to do so), my mom has always stood behind me.  She has always been there to give loving advice and has only ever wanted what was best for my sisters and me.  There are many children who grow up in families where this is just not the case.  So, I consider myself very blessed.

She's committed to her Family & Friends:

My mom has always been someone who would bend over backwards to help someone out when they are in need or just when they need someone to talk to.  In just the past 6 months, she has managed to watch my sister's youngest daughter during the day, went out of the way to make sure that our kids were taken care of when Kerri was in the hospital, taken our kids to places, called her youngest (Jessie) just to see how she's doing, helped Kerri with home schooling, chatted with her sister and close friends regularly just to talk about life, etc...  In everything she does, it is evident that she genuinely cares for her family and friends and most often puts our needs ahead of her own.

She was committed to her profession:

My mom is retired from being a teacher and principal for the mentally impaired.  She worked for a long time and was very good at what she did.  She loved the children and the people she worked with and to this day has contact with some of her former students.

She is committed to her grand babies:

Yep, all 7 of them.  While she probably wouldn't want to have them over at the house full time, she takes every opportunity to love on her grandchildren.  The first morning after we arrived back in Zambia, Maddie asked "Where's Grammy?"  Our children miss their Grammy and my sister's children are lucky for the time that they have with her!

I could go on and expand this list even further, but for time sake and for your reading eyes, I'll stop here.  I just thought it was important to take some time out of the normal blogging routine and share with you a piece of the blessing that my mom has been and continues to be for me and my family.  

Happy Mothers Day Mom!  We love you!

May Showers in Zambia

There's not much to talk about in these first few days.  We've just been busy unpacking and reuniting with old friends.  So, I figured I would begin our Zambian posts with what everyone talks about on a daily basis just about anywhere in the world -- The Weather!

I don't know if you remember or not, but when we came in February 2008, we experienced one or two showers that month and then no more rain for 6 months.  Usually, the rainy season is tapering off around March and April, but this year seems a bit different.  This afternoon, we experienced a torrential downpour when heading over to the Allens for dinner.

Normally, rain wouldn't be an exciting topic of conversation, but when it happens in May in Zambia, it is rather unusual.  The kids loved it.  Afterwards, they went outside and got all muddy.  Anyways, it was just an interesting part of our Friday here in Zambia.

I shot a quick video of the rains if you want to see.  Just CLICK HERE.

We've Arrived Again!

We're still trying to recover from jet lag, but I wanted to put up a quick post to let everyone know that we have made it back to Zambia.  After boarding a plane at 2:30 pm on Monday, we traveled to Atlanta where we were to connect with our flight to South Africa.  What was supposed to be a 35 minute flight, turned into an hour flight and we arrived in Atlanta with 15 minutes to make it to our gate.  

Long story short, I sent Kerri with the baby and the big kids to try to hustle to the gate hoping that if she made it they would wait for me.  I grabbed Maddie, threw her and 6 carry-ons into and onto the stroller and then was off to the races.  As I arrived at the gate, Kerri and the kids were waiting on me and the plane was still there, but they had closed the gate and wouldn't reopen it.  Needless to say, we were stuck in Atlanta for the evening.

The next day, things went rather uneventful.  We arrived at the airport on time, boarded the plane and headed for South Africa.  We made the connector flight to Lusaka with no problems and arrived in Zambia at 9:00 pm.  I'm including this small video to show how lack of sleep can affect little children.  Maddie was about to bust when this video was taken (48 hours into our trip).  

What was supposed to be 26 hours of travel turned into 51, but no complaints, we arrived safely and were reunited with our wonderful team.

**Reminder, if you are receiving this post via email, you will need to go to www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com to view the video as it will not come through on the email.

Hiccup!

Delta's flight out of Columbia was delayed and we missed the flight to South Africa.  Delta was kind enough to put us up in a hotel.  So, we're in Atlanta on hold until tomorrow.  Please keep praying for us as we depart from Atlanta at 3:50 pm tomorrow.

Blessings!

Heading Back!

Kerri and I will be returning to Zambia today at 12:50 pm. We just wanted to send a quick note out to ask you to pray for us as we travel and begin to settle back into our lives there.

Just a reminder, our web site is the best way to keep up with us while we are in Zambia. We try to post something about our lives and ministry at least 3 – 4 times a week in an attempt to bring as much about Zambia and what God is doing there back to you. We’ll try to post something on our web site once we’ve arrived as well.

Thank you so much for your prayers over the past few months. You have been a tremendous encouragement to our family.

Blessings,
Brent & Kerri Roberts
http://www.robertsinzambia.blogspot.com/