Heavenly Benefits

Taken from: "I Never Made a Sacrifice" published on Desiring God Ministries website.

"Today is David Livingstone’s birthday. He was born March 19, 1813. He gave his life to serve Christ in the exploration of Africa for the sake of the access of the gospel.

On December 4, 1857, he spoke the sentence that has made the greatest impact on me. It is one of the clearest applications I have seen of Jesus’ words in Mark 10:29-30.

Jesus said,

Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

Here is what Livingstone said to the Cambridge students about his “leaving” the benefits of England:

For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. . . . Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view, and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice."

(Cited in Samuel Zwemer, "The Glory of the Impossible" in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, Ralph Winter and Stephen Hawthorne, eds. [Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1981], p. 259. Emphasis added.)

A Cooking First

Since this entry is about cooking, I have to start by letting you know this is Brent and not Kerri. We've probably mentioned it before, but in Zambia, the staple food is Nshima. Zambians take a type of corn meal known as mealie and mix it into boiling water to make Nshima. Just to give you perspective, Nshima is like grits, just much thicker. When it is fully cooked, you then, using a large spoon, divide it into smaller portions as seen above. These portions are then used to eat with other things like chicken, cabbage, greens, etc...

Well, we've been here over two years now. So, I thought I would give it a shot! Kerri was out one evening and I couldn't find anything else to cook for myself and the kids. So, I made chicken, tomato sauce for dipping and Nshima. Much to my, the kids & Kerri's surprise, everything turned out well. Yeah Brent : )

We Love Our Furniture : )

So, a couple of weeks ago, I was in the living room playing games with Caleb when I heard a loud crash and several screams. I immediately jumped up and ran into the bedroom to see what the fuss was all about. Well, we no longer have a desk. We knew it was on its "last legs," because it had been wobbling for weeks. But it finally gave way to the weight of the books and one small child trying to climb up into mommy's lap as she sat at the computer. Fun stuff at the Roberts household.

Happiness Depends On

This was posted by our director, Tim Hilty. I thought I would share it with the rest of you:

Last week a pastor in our mission’s pastors training classes passed through what most American’s would consider a tragedy. His wife gave birth to a baby boy via an emergency C-section operation. During the operation doctors and nurses told him to go home and wait for the outcome. They told him that the procedure was 50/50 survival for wife and child.

The next morning he returned to the hospital and found wonderful news waiting. His wife and child were okay… His boy was born with birth defects but the prognosis for future procedures seemed good. A week passed and all seemed well… He and his wife were exhausted from taking care of a newborn and recovering from the invasive surgery. Friday night they went to sleep and in the morning they found the baby struggling to breath.

They rushed to the government hospital but their son died on the way. The doctors pronounced the child BID (Brought In Dead). What started out as just another morning turned into a visit to the police, mortuary and hasty funeral service. In Zambia, children who are days / weeks old are not given the typical funeral. The pastor and his wife had not yet given the boy a name so the government documents indicated “son of…” Within hours, the death had been processed by the authorities and burial plot was given to the family in crisis. By 13 hrs. that afternoon, everything was finalized. The pastor and his wife returned to their home, stunned and exhausted.

I visited them the following day and sat with them in their home, me being mostly quiet. Lots of family members were packed into every room of the small house. Mothers, sisters, nieces, uncles sat on the floor and we all sat in silence. Communication was evident, soul to soul, spirit to spirit. Being surrounded by community like that would have been uncomfortable to me if I were the one loosing a child. I would probably want to be left alone. Not so in Zambia, the community shows profound solidarity and draws close to the grieving.

Looking around the room I saw the faces… and wondered how the happenings of the day before could possibly be true. The pastor was warm and appreciative of me passing through his place. He shared with me his deep conviction of the “supremacy of Christ” even in the midst of loss. He shared how he felt the tangible comfort of his Savior. As he talked I glanced over at his front door… A paper had been posted there at eye-level – no doubt put there deliberately. I’ll never forget what it read:

“Happiness depends on happennings, joy depends on Jesus.”

Already, the pastor had begun his fight for joy… in the midst of everything he had decided to soldier on.

Our Loss is His Gain

When Kerri and I first arrived in Zambia, we started visiting Capital Assembly church of Kingsway Christian Ministries. The pastor, Gilbert Masonde, trained at Columbia International University in the States and was a friend of two of the elders in our home church. While attending this church, we have made some new friends, including the Honorable Mishek Bonshe. The title is in reference to his position in the Zambian government. He was a deputy minister and appointed to Parliment by the previous president of Zambia.

About two months ago, Mr. Bonshe (Ba Bonshe, in Nyanja), was diagnosed and operated on for some type of intestinal cancer. The surgery at the time seemed to be successful, but as the past few months passed by, he seemed to get weaker. Saturday, a week ago, while on a trip to Nigeria, he passed away. Aside from being a leader in government, this man was a pillar in the church. He always seemed to have a kind word and had a very warm personality. He loved the Lord and wanted to see more of his Zambian brothers and sisters come to know Christ personally.

On Thursday, Kerri and I attended his funeral. I have visited a funeral home, but we've never been to an actual funeral in Zambia. And I have to say that this was not a typical Zambian funeral. There were over 200 government officials in attendance, including the Vice President of Zambia. There were police all over the place and I found out afterwards that all government flags were flown at half mass the whole day.

Ba Bonshe leaves behind a wife and 8 children and a church that dearly loved him. Please pray for this family. The government has had a tendency in the past to forget the family members of those who have served this country once they are no longer in government. Ba Bonshe has a few children that are in school (one in the UK getting her law degree) that will need the government to help if they are to finish. Pray that they would honor the commitment that he made to them by providing for his children. Pray also for the family. Pastor Masonde, encouraged them at the funeral from Romans 8:28 - that God works everything for the good of those who love Him. Pray that they would see His hand in this and rest in the peace & love that only He can provide.

An Unexpected Move

For the past couple of weeks, the rains have been pretty consistent. Just about every day, it has rained for at least a few hours. Because of this, flooding is pretty widespread across Lusaka. There are compounds where people have had to leave their homes because the water has reached levels where it is getting into the homes. And this morning, the flooding claimed yet another victim.

At 6:30 am Luke called me. He told me that our director (Tim Hilty) and his wife and family were having to evacuate their home. The flooding had gotten so bad that they had a foot of standing water surrounding their home and the septic tank filled up and began to overflow into their yard. They called some city officials to come and look at the extent of the flooding and the city declared their home to be unsafe for living.

So, our team had a move day. In just over 5 hours, we were able to completely clean out the Hilty's home. They have temporarily moved into a one bedroom flat in the same complex and are in the process of trying to look for other housing. Please be in prayer for them. Houses are very hard to find in Lusaka (especially ones at the budgets we try to maintain). Pray that one would become available soon. Pray also for Andrea. On top of expecting their third child and having to move out of her home, she also learned that her Grandmother passed away yesterday. Pray that God would give her and Tim a peace that surpasses all understanding!

Welcome to Our Home!!! (Must Read!!!)

We are so happy to introduce you to our newest addition! God has blessed us with a new son - a special, chosen son - and He has worked out all the details so that this dear one could be part of our family!

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Mwila was brought to the Department of Social Welfare about 2 years ago by a good samaritan. All we know of his past is that he was kept for some time by this "good samaritan" who found him abandoned. After placing him at House of Martha orphanage, Social Welfare tried to locate any and all existing family through news and television. No one ever came forward. Back in the early fall we started visiting orphanages to see if God stirred our hearts toward any children. Most of you know that we have had the desire to adopt for several years. When we visited House of Martha we told the house mother that we were looking for a boy under 8 years old who had no known family. She told us that Mwila was the only child they had that fit that description. It so happened that he was the first child both Brent and I had noticed as the kids were playing. Caleb had also connected with him. So from there we began to pursue him with Social Welfare.

Since the first weekend of December Mwila has been coming to spend the weekends with us and we have visited him at the orphanage on Wednesdays as we've waited for all the red tape to be cut and the paper work to be properly filed. During this time, he has really connected with our family and always cried when we took him back to the orphanage. Finally this week, the Committal Order was approved, committing Mwila into our care as his foster parents. We are required to foster him for 3 months before we can legally adopt him. As far as we are concerned, he is now an official part our family. We are so thankful.

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Today we brought him home and we decided to make it his birthday (since he has no birthday). We received a document from Social Welfare this morning estimating his age to be 5. So, today we celebrated his 5th birthday. He will also be starting at the kindergarten level in school (some time soon!).

We have decided that his new name will be Thomas Mwila Roberts. Thomas is a special name to us. First, it is biblical and all of our kids have a biblical name. Next, it is a family name on both sides. But most especially, it is after my Dad (Wayne Thomas Roberts). We always wanted to use that name if we ever had another son, but, God chose to bless us with 3 girls in a row! However, now we feel like it's perfect for our adopted son to carry his grandfather's name - the name of a man who loves his family so constantly and unconditionally (blood related or not). A few weeks ago, Kerri talked to Mwila about changing his name and he was very excited. He says that he wants to be called Thomas. So, we'll start trying out his new name and see how it goes. It may take Maddie a while to stop calling him "Weeeeelah".

A special bonus is that Kerri's Mom is here with us right now, so she's getting to welcome her new grandson into the family as well! Welcome Thomas Mwila!

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Funnies from the week

So, life on the mission field is not all serious business. Sometimes funny stuff happens to us. These past few days have been no exception. Three funnies come to mind:

Missionary Twins

So, Luke, Myself and Steve Allen all showed up at the office this afternoon and were quite surprised to see how each other was dressed. The picture says it all. I promise we didn't coordinate.

Need a Ride?

Our car is in the shop. The engine overheated warping the engine block and damaging the head cylinder. So, transportation has been either by minibus or taxi. This really made church very interesting this past Sunday. Because Kerri's mom is visiting and having one extra child from spending the night, we were taking 8 people to church. We all piled into a compact car. Caleb held his spend the night company in his lap, Mom held Ellie, Kerri held Maddie (all in the back seat) and I held Gracyn in my lap in the front seat. Can't say it was the safest way to travel, but we got there.

A Shocking Experience

Sunday after church, we had the taxi drop Kerri and Mom at Arcades (a local shopping center) and I took the kids home for lunch. The problem was that I didn't bother to get the keys to the gate and house from Kerri. As we sat outside trying to figure out what to do, I decided to try and hoist Caleb over the fence. Our electric fence has been out for over a month (or at least that is what I thought). Unbeknownst to me, a few weeks ago, Kerri paid to get the electric fence repaired. So, to my surprise, but more to Caleb's, we heard a loud pop from the electric current hitting his knee! Can you say Father of the Year award!

Need a Ride2?

The other day, I was out jogging. I was near the end of my run heading toward the house when I heard a car horn. This man pulled up beside me and asked if I needed a taxi. I was dumbfounded. I was wearing running shoes, running shorts, and sweating profusely. I think he wins the Mister Observant of the Week award.

Need a ride?

The roof is underway! Today, Luke and I went out to supervise the installation of the roof for our new and improved Nsaka (or meeting place). We hope to have both sides finished by the end of next week.



But that's not why I am writing this post. I wanted to give a little insight into rural culture in Zambia. Whereas in the States, you would have to be brave to hitch a ride, here it is a different story. Many times, as we are traveling up and down the road to our ministry center (which is about 6 miles long), we pass children and adults who are looking for rides. And here, they don't hitch rides by sticking out their thumbs. Instead, they hold out one arm and wave it up and down.

Today, as school was let out, 8 children were standing on the side of the road trying to catch a ride. Most of these children were staying at a group orphanage for street kids called Kakabalika and needed to get back. Luke only had 2 open seats. So, when he pulled over, my thought was how are we going to decide which ones to take. But as you can see in the picture, we didn't have to choose. We squeezed and twisted them and managed to get all 8 piled into the vehicle.

There was really nothing special about the moment. But I just thought it would give insight into a part of the culture here in Zambia that you normally wouldn't hear about.

A Missionary is a Builder???

The month of December is supposed to be a down month for Action Zambia missionaries. Usually, we are breaking from our normal everyday ministries, trying to get some rest and trying to plan for the new year. Well, this past December was no down month. Central to all of our ministries is Ciyanjano - Action Zambia's ministry centre. It is used for Church & Pastor Conferences, Spiritual Retreats and Kids Camps.



Well, in order to have retreats and camps, you have to have a shelter to meet under. This past summer, due to damage to the existing roof and some other issues, a team from California came and tore down the old grass roof structure. The plan was to, at a later time, put up another structure in its place - that's where Luke, Brent & a few of our Zambian workers come in. As you can see from the pictures, this shelter (or Nsaka) was no small structure and the only one with experience building was Luke. So far, we've been working on it for about 3 weeks off and on. And I do have to say that I was surprised with the job we have done thus far. Tomorrow, we head back out there to begin putting the iron sheets on and hopefully, we'll be done in the next week or so. I sure never thought that part of my job description would be associated with construction.

Since our ministry focuses primarily on equipping churches in Lusaka's compounds (the poorer communities in Zambia), a facility like this can be such a blessing. We have already begun hosting church retreats and have scheduled some kids camps, but there is still more work to be done before the Center is fully operational. Please pray for its development and that it would be used to build up the body of Christ here in Zambia.

We're Home

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We made it home safely after a two week vacation in Zanzibar. We want to say thank you again to the grandparents for making this trip possible. It was such a wonderful Christmas present.

It was a marathon of a vacation. To get there, we drove 3 hours north to Kaphiri Mposhi to catch the train to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. After the 46 hour train ride, we hailed a taxi big enough to carry our 12 passengers and all of the luggage and tried to make a mad dash to the port to catch the last ferry to Zanzibar Island, but arrived 10 minutes too late. So, after a bit of discussion, we chartered a small plane over to the island. After arriving on the island, we boarded a taxi and drove the final hour of the trip to the east coast where our lodging was located.

This trip was full of adventures and we made many family memories that will last a life time. It was also a great time for rest from ministry and a chance to recharge our "batteries." I won't bore you with all of the details, but here were some of the highlights:

Beautiful Beaches:
We spent 10 days on the eastern side of Zanzibar Island and then the last 2 days back in Stone Town. The beaches were amazing! The water was clear and it had a very long shelf, which meant that the kids could go as far as they wanted out into the water and it never got over their heads. This worked out great for the little ones.

Village Rental:
The home we rented was on the edge of one of the larger villiages in Zanzibar, Jambiani. As you can see from some of the pictures, many of the children from the villiage would come to the beach in the afternoons and most of them were interested in the Mzungu (White people) children. Most of the time when it was time to come in for dinner, we would have children peeking through doors and windows. Only in Africa.

Portugese Man-O-War:
This time of year turned out to be the Blue Bottle or Portugese Man-O-War Jelly Fish season. These organisms are clear on top with blue tenticles and they hurt like the dickens when they sting you! Half of our group was stung at least once. For the Roberts, it was me, Gracyn and Maddie. For the Whitfields, it was Luke and two of his children - Payton and Macy. The good thing about these jelly fish is they tended to come during the afternoon high tide. So, if we stayed out of the water during that time, we were ok.

The Naked Swimmer:
Another interesting tidbit from our trip was the Naked Swimmer. Every morning at sunrise, about 50 yards down the beach, one of the men from the village would walk out, take all of his clothes off, walk into the water, dip himself several times in each direction, walk back to the shore, pee (sometimes poo), go back into the water, do another 7 to 8 dips, walk back to the shore, then put on his clothes and leave. We asked several of the villagers about him and they told us that he was Falla (crazy).

Midnight with Ali:
Zanzibar is prodominantly Muslim. Someone told us that it is approximately 98% Muslim. So, needless to say, we didn't meet many followers of Christ. The last night before leaving, Luke built a fire on the beach and we just sat out and talked. As we were talking, two locals joined us. One of them was named Ali. During our conversation, we got to talking about the Koran and the Bible. We talked about how Islam is about works and how Christianity is about grace. And we had the opportunity to share the gospel with him while leaving him with a New Testament. We encouraged him to search the scriptures to see who Christ really claimed to be. So, if you think about it, please pray for him. Pray that God would use that brief encounter to bring him into His kingdom.

Being in Zanzibar was refreshing in many ways, but I'm glad to be back home in Zambia. Our time there really helped us to refocus and appreciate Zambia in ways we haven't in the past. And it was great just to spend some quality time with the family without any interferences. Thank you to all of you who prayed for us as we traveled. Blessings!

On Holiday

Just wanted to let everyone know that we will be on vacation for the next few weeks. So, posts to the website will be sporatic. Our family and the Whitfields will be taking a 40 hour train ride to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. I think the kids will think it is an adventure, but the adults will be trying to endure. After the train ride, we will catch a taxi to the port and then embark on a 3-4 hour ferry to Zanzibar island. We're taking the kids to the beach!

The funny thing is that we learned just this week that the island lost power on December 4th and it has yet to be restored. So, we're probably going to be spending our vacation on the beach during the day and in a dark house at night. But we're going expecting to have a good time.

Please pray for us as we travel. There is always the chance for thieves (especially on the trains) and when traveling with 4 adults and 8 kids, anything can happen. Pray for our health. Right now, Caleb has been battling pink eye. So, we're hoping it doesn't spread to any of the other children. Pray that we will enjoy some time connecting as a family and that we will be refreshed both spiritually and physically before returning to our ministry here in Zambia.

One Year Later

Yesterday marked one year since I was rushed to the emergency room and diagnosed with a stroke resulting from a blood clot that had formed in my brain. It's hard to believe a year has already passed, but I am SO grateful to have made it to this day. There's been a lot of healing along with some minor stuggles as I've adjusted to a new standard of normalcy. God willing, things will continue to improve and with time I will be totally back to normal. However, the majority of what I have been going through over this last year has been less physical and more spiritual and emotional. Recently I was sharing with Brent a journal entry I wrote back in October and he suggested that I share it with all of you.

We both truly believe that God has us here, not only for the work He is doing through us, but also for the work that He is doing in us. And in addition to that, we believe that what He is teaching us should be used as a means to encourage others in their pursuit of Him. So, I hope some of my personal reflections will be of some encouragement to you and will bring glory to the One who has been and continues to sustain me.

Journal Entry Dated October 6th, 2009

This morning I was listening to a song by Christy Nockels and these lyrics really struck me: “I may live and I may die; either way You’re glorified…”

These are words that I would have said or sung without hesitation before I actually had to deal with the thought of dying. Now, if I say those words, I'm not so sure if I mean them. If I get down to the core of my heart, I have been living in fear of death! Even though I’ve been dealing with this now for ten months, and constantly preaching the truth to myself and rehearsing God's promises, I still feel like I’m gripping my life. I’m saying to God, “Yes, I give You my life - I trust You with it and I KNOW that You know what is best,” but in my heart I’m feeling like, “BUT DON’T LET ME DIE!"

I remember right after the stroke, when I was so fearful, Brent and I were talking about what we really believe. I DO believe that God’s purposes are greater than I can know; I DO believe that His purposes are greater than my life; I KNOW that He loves my children and my husband more than I ever could and He already knows what every moment of their lives holds. I really have NO control! I had a moment where I felt the Holy Spirit asking me, “If it required you to lay down your life for your children to come to salvation, would you do it?” And of course, I have to say, “Yes Lord, I would.” His kingdom and their eternity is SO much more important than my life, which God’s word says is like a blade of grass.

But, the truth is, I LIKE my blade of grass and I’m SCARED of death! I think it comes down to a problem of unbelief! I always hear that voice of unbelief saying, “Do you really believe that you will be with God for eternity? Do you really believe in Heaven?” And I think I have to combat those doubts and lies with what I know to be true. I can only come to the Lord with a broken heart and say like the father of the demon possessed child, “I believe. Lord, help my unbelief!”

When I focus on what is true I know that God does not work in fear. He does not give us a spirit of fear. In fact He tells us constantly throughout His word that we should not fear. I really believe that if He were going to take me from this world, He would lavish His peace on me. But I DO feel like He is calling me to lay my life down. To stop gripping and fearing and to lay it all in His hands. I need to have that hope and that peace. I need to have that eternal perspective and that longing to be with my Father. (Lord, please help me to lay down my life without picking it back up and running away!)

A couple of years ago the Lord used this scripture to confirm His call to Africa and to give up my plans for my life, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever lays down his life for my sake will find true life (Matthew 16:25, paraphrased).” I think now God us using this to challenge me to pray:

Lord, I lay down my life - not just my plans for my life and what I do with my life, by my very life itself. I want You to have complete control over my life. I know that You already have the control but I want to release my grip on my life! I believe Your word is true. I believe that Your purposes are greater than my understanding and that they WILL be accomplished. I believe that it is not Your desire for me to be fearful. So, I ask You to take my fear away as I cast my anxieties on You. Give me hope for eternity. Help me to love You so deeply that I desire Your presence over all other things. Give me a desire for Heaven. Give me peace!

I pray as I have prayed and journaled before that You would give me long life, that I might declare your goodness to the next generation, that I may see my children and even their children come to salvation - that our family’s legacy will be one of submitting ourselves to You and being changed by Your Spirit - raising up a generation that will glorify Your name and advance Your kingdom. Thank You, my Father for the comfort I find in Your word and for ministering to my heart even as I write. Let me not hold onto anything! Let me trust You with everything. Let Your will be done and help me keep my heart and mind stayed on You! For You have promised to keep me in perfect peace. I love you, my Lord!

Merry Christmas

Our first Christmas in Zambia has come and gone and while we missed spending time with family and friends back in the States, it was a good Christmas. A few days before, we visited a local orphanage and had a party with the children there. It was the first time in a long while that these children were able to have pizza and cokes! And since Ellie was turning 1, we combined the christmas party & her birthday party. She enjoyed her first cake.



Christmas eve, we went to the Allens and had a small church service. It was very nice, a few of our Zambian friends came, Kerri sang, Stephanie led the music and Steve preached. After the service, we came back home and put the kids in bed.



Christmas morning, our children were ready to start the festivities at 6:30 am. The grandparents sent some presents via mail and had us buy others here. We also had a visitor for the weekend of Christmas. You'll see him in a few of the pictures. We'll let you know more about him when we are permitted. All in all, I think the children and the parents had a very merry Christmas.



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When It Rains It Pours

Rainy season still hasn't hit full swing yet, but when it has rained, it has been quite impressive. There are a lot of areas in town that do not have proper drainage and therefore, flood. Case-in-point, Manda Hill. This is one of the two shopping centers near our home. I passed it on my way home from the office.

Normally, this trip (which is about 3 miles) takes anywhere from 10 - 15 minutes depending on traffic. But when it rains, it is a completely different story. This night, it took me 2 hours.

Passport Photos Anyone???

I just had to post these pictures. In January, we're taking the train up to Tanzania for vacation, but in order to go, we must get visas. To get Tanzanian visas, you have to have passport photos. Well, here in Zambia, things don't work quite like they do in the States. While they do have westernized photography stores, they tend to be much more expensive.

So, in order to avoid these costs, you get creative. On Thursday, our family and the Whitfields packed all of our children into the car and headed to town. On Cairo Road, the equivalent of Lusaka's main street, there are shops that advertise passport photo taking. We found such a store and had them prepare our photos.

As you can see in the picture, all it took was a white sheet and an old digital camera. Priceless!

Suffering

I received this from Doug Nichols, the founder and international director emeritus of Action International. They are statistics on a lot of the stuff we see on a daily basis here in Zambia.

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The following are statistics of suffering from the new book, "The Poor Will Be Glad" by Peter Greer and Phil Smith:

1. Hunger: Approximately 850 million people go to bed hungry every night and search for creative ways to ignore their discomfort. [page 25]

2. Child Mortality: Worldwide, eleven million children die every year before reaching their fifth birthday. That translates to thirty thousand children who die each day from hunger and preventable disease -- one child every three seconds. [page 25]

3. Drinking Water: Twenty percent of the world has no access to clean water. Millions more walk long distances to carry every drop of water to their homes. (Geography IQ, "Infant Mortality Rate," www.geographyiq.com/ranking/ranking_Infant_Mortality_Rate_aall.htm (August 19, 2008). [page 25]

4. Diarrhea: In the developing world, diarrhea wracks the thin bodies of tens of millions of children who have no access to diapers or plumbing -- and it kills between 1.6 and 2.5 million children every year. (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, "Novel Compound May Treat Acute Diarrhea," Science Daily, June 21, 2008, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616170801.htm (August 19, 2008). [page 25]

5. Health Care: More than half of all Africans do not have access to modern health facilities. The result is ten million annual deaths from the four most common preventable diseases: diarrhea, acute respiratory illness, malaria, and measles. In many cases, one simple shot could save a life. (Mark Kinver, "Water Policy 'Fails World's Poor,'" BBC News on the Web, March 9, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4787758.stm (August 19, 2008). [page 26]

6. Women's Rights: An Afghan man was told that his sick daughter's life could be saved if he took her across a dangerous mountain pass to medical care in a city two hours away. "No, I don't want to do that," he responded. "Girls are free, but donkeys cost money." (Kirk Magelby, "MicroFranchises as a Solution to Global Poverty," December 2005, www.microfranchises.org/file.php?id=35 (August 19, 2008). [page 27]

7. Employment: In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, only 10 percent of the entire population is formally employed. There simply are no formal employment options, no "Help Wanted" signs, and no employers who are legally mandated to provide a minimum wage and other rights. [page 27]

8. Poverty: As of July 2007, there were approximately 6.6 billion people living on earth. Approximately four billion live on less than $4 per day, nearly all of whom live in developing countries. Their incomes are distributed in the following way:
a. One billion live on less than $1 per day.
b. Two billion live on $1 to $2 per day.
c. One billion live on $2 to $4 per day.

(For a more complete analysis of the breakdown of poverty and the difference between the countries moving out of poverty and those stuck in a poverty trap, we recommend The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It by Paul Collier (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007). [page 29]

Peter Greer and Phil Smith, The Poor Will Be Glad (Joining the revolution to lift the world out of poverty), Daniel Literary Group, LLC, Nashville, 2009

Village Video

Steve Allen put together a short video of the trip to Chikankata this past weekend. They went to several different villages with the Chiefteness accompanying them. Take a look if you get a chance.

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Thanksgiving

I know this post is late, but because of our computer problems, I haven't been able to get access to our pictures or the Internet on a regular basis. This Thanksgiving was our first away from home. If you remember last year, we came home for the delivery of Ellie. So, it was a little sad celebrating a holiday that we normally spend with our families.

Any who... We did have a good time over the holiday. Luke and I took our kids (minus the little ones) out to Ciyanjano (our ministry center) for a pig roast. Luke downloaded the instructions on how to do a Hawaiian Pig Luau and we spent a better part of 7 hours trying to follow those instructions.

To prepare a pig this way, you dig a pit and burn wood for several hours. When you have a nice base of coals, you put in some large rocks and heat those as well. Then you put several layers of banana trees over the rocks, wrap the pig in banana leaves and chicken wire, cover with some more banana trees and a wet tarp and voila! 12 hours later a delicious pig picking - at least that was what we hoped.

Well, to my surprise and Luke's joy, it did work and for Thanksgiving day, our team enjoyed some good barbeque!

If you are viewing this post via email, you can click the following link to view the pictures: Click Here.

Chikankata

Well, today, two of our teammates along with about 6 Zambian pastors, are headed down to Chikankata for a weekend of outreach. They are eating dinner with the chiefteness this evening and spending the night in some traditional african huts. The chiefteness has been busy publicizing the weekend. She has had announcements in the local radio station and has sent word through her headmen that a group is coming. So, the schedule for the weekend should be very busy.

If you remember, I was supposed to be going on this trip, but we just found out yesterday that we will be hosting a very important visitor this weekend here in Lusaka. So, I had to back out.

Please be in prayer for this team of men this weekend. They will be visiting 3 separate villiages which have little to no exposure to the gospel and have no active evangelical churches present in their communities. They will be showing the Jesus Film, courtesy of Campus Crusade and will be speaking to several groups. Pray for their safety, for a good reception from those who they are going to see and for a successful weekend of ministry. Pray against the attacks of the enemy as spiritual warfare seems to be so prevelant in rural Zambia. Pray for the Zambian pastors, that this weekend would give them a vision for rural and cross-cultural missions. Pray that God would begin to call some of these men out in service to Him.

Living Without

It's official. Our computer has died. We would love to get it fixed here, but there aren't any Apple dealers anywhere in Lusaka. So, tomorrow morning it will be boarding a plane with some friends for a long trip back to the U.S. and will hopefully be repaired on that side of the ocean.

Therefore, for the next little while, we will be updating our site on a less frequent basis. We hope to have our computer fixed and returned as soon as possible, but will be relying on finding a visitor to the ministry with space to carry it back. Please be patient with us in the meantime.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today marks a milestone for our family. It is our very first Thanksgiving spent in Zambia. We were home last year for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, so our first American holiday here was July 4th. But this is the first "big one" - one where we are usually spending the day with our family enjoying delicious turkey and "fixins", sharing stories, laughing at kids, and relaxing together. So, our hearts are a little sad today knowing that our families will be celebrating without us. Y'all eat some extra turkey, dressing, and strawberry stuff for us, OK?

However, we are indeed thankful that the Lord has provided surrogate family for us here and that we are still able to celebrate! We are thankful that Shoprite stocked frozen turkeys (which they don't normally have), and that we have the flexibility to spend the afternoon and evening celebrating with dear friends. Brent will still be conducting his 2:7 discipleship class this afternoon since, after all, Zambia does not have a reason to acknowledge the last Thursday in November. But we will all be together tonight to eat and fellowship, and I'm sure there'll be a whole lot of laughing and relaxing! We will also have a big team celebration on Saturday at Ciyanjano, ACTION Zambia's ministry center.

We're mindful and thankful today for God's graciousness to us each and every day. We're thankful for healthy and thriving children. We're thankful for Zambia and what God teaches us as we live life here. We're thankful for our extended families, our fantastic team and our dear friends on both sides of the ocean. We're extremely thankful for all of you who support and pray for us so diligently. What would we do without you? Most of all, we are thankful to be loved by our God - the Creator, the Redeemer, the Sanctifier Who is over all, through all and in all. May He receive all the glory for every blessing we have! Happy Thanksgiving!

Rainy Days are Here!

We are finally experiencing our first Zambian rainy season! And they weren't kidding, it rains a lot! Just though you would enjoy seeing the kids all dressed up in their rain gear! Our family has really been enjoying the rain. It has brought a very welcome relief from the heat and is turning the world very green! We also get to enjoy crazy thunderstorms without having to worry about tornadoes!

However, the rains also bring suffering to the poorest of the poor in Zambia and that is never far from our hearts and minds. In the compound areas, where the water gathers and there is certainly no proper drainage, people die every year from disease. Children also commonly drown by falling into deep potholes that have filled with water. Please remember these dear brothers and sisters as the rains continue until at least February!

Please also bear with us as we are experiencing some issues with our computer. Gasp! Our ability to get on the internet has been really hit or miss. So, if you don't hear from us very regularly, this is why! Please pray that we can figure out how to get our computer serviced and have our means of communication back again!

KiliClimb For Kids

This December, two of our teammates will be traveling to Kenya and Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro as a fund raiser for children in our community schools programs here in Zambia.  Below is a link to their brochure.  Take a look if you get a chance.

Click Here for Brochure

A Bible for All...

A posting from Steve Allen:

A few months ago, we were alerted to an opportunity by Tyndale Publishers of a container that they were sending over to Zambia full of NLT Life Application Study Bibles for only $9 dollars each.   When Brent and Luke were back in the states, they put the word out, and a few of us put out a few emails later, Owen when he came to do an internship, raised a bunch of money, and through all these gifts,  God raised through his people enough for us to buy over 200 bibles to give away here in Zambia.  We started out by giving them first to our pastors. They were giddier than a kid at Christmas.  It was great fun. I thought I would show you a picture of us giving the bibles away to the pastors. THANK YOU all for your gift to make this possible. 

A Visit with the Chief

A couple of weeks ago, we had the privilege of visiting with Chieftainess Mwenda.  She is the chief over Chikankata, an area located about 2 hours south of Lusaka.  Chikankata consists of many different villages accounting for approximately 20,000 families (approximately 100,000 people).  A majority of these families are unreached and have no active evangelical churches.  The Chieftainess is a vibrant believer who has a heart to see her kingdom evangelized and churches planted.

During our meeting, she expressed a desire for Action Zambia to help her in this effort.  We don't know exactly what God has in store, but we are stepping out in faith and seeing how He will respond.  During the first week of December, we are taking a group of pastors from our Pastors College and Discipleship programs for an outreach event that should last 3-4 days.  The plan is to go down there and camp on a piece of property that was donated to Action Zambia.  During the days, we will be visiting many remote villiages (some that have never even seen white people).  In the evenings, we will be trying to show The Jesus Film.

Please join us as we begin to pray for this outreach event.  Pray for the missionaries who will be leading the trip.  Pray for the pastors who will be accompanying us.  And pray for these people we will be sharing with during our time down there.  Pray that God would open the eyes and ears of many to come to a saving knowledge of His Son Jesus Christ!  Pray also for the Chieftainess.  It is very difficult being a believer and a chief here in Zambia.  She faces many challenges in ruling her kingdom.

Family Pics from October

Just some random family pics from this month. Kerri put these together for her facebook page.  So, I thought I would post them here as well.  If you are receiving this post via email, you will need to go to our website to view:  www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com

Funny story about a couple of the pictures... (the pictures of Maddie and Ellie in Ellie's bed).  One morning, Kerri put Ellie in the bed while she went to the bathroom.  When she came out, she found Maddie in bed with Ellie.  Maddie had gone into the pantry, gotten a box of Rice Krispies, climbed into the bed with Ellie and then proceeded to dump the box of cereal out into the bed.  Kerri found the two with fist-fulls of cereal once she got out.

Lost in Translation (Hint: Funny, Hint: Must Read)

As many of you know, I spent this past Saturday night in a local clinic battling a fever, cough and stomach problems.  And because of this, I had to cancel a preaching engagement with Great Commission.  As part of keeping their leadership in the loop with what was happening with me, Kerri sent a text message to the Pastor.  It read: "Please pray for Brent, he's been admitted to Mina Clinic for IV Fluids and antibiotics.  He has a bad case of pharyngitis and possible food poisoning."

When she sent the text, she didn't think anything about it.  She was just giving a quick update so they would know how to pray.  Well, there were two words in that message that contain a significantly different meaning in Zambia then they do in the States - Food Poisoning.  The pastor stopped by Monday afternoon, because the church was greatly concerned for me.  He told me that when they made the announcement, that many people were shocked.  A few asked, "Who would do such a thing?"  They even speculated as to which Action Zambia workers might be involved in poisoning the boss.  It wasn't until this Monday afternoon appointment that I was able to clear things up.  I had to explain to Pastor Kandela that food poisoning, in our context, meant that we ate some food that had spoiled or wasn't properly cooked.  We both got a good laugh!  Sometimes, even though you think you are communicating one thing, your actually communicating something completely different.

Just thought you would enjoy that story.  Please continue to pray for my health.  I have been sick off and on over the past three weeks.  The most recent bout came just after I got over what Kerri and I though might be the swine flu.  My body is still tired and I have a cough that doesn't seem to want to go away.  Pray for recovery.  

Thank you for the love and encouragement from those of you who have sent notes and emails recently and for the many of you who have been praying on our behalf.  We appreciate you so much!

Some Video for You

My friend Steve Allen shot some video of the wedding reception we went to a couple of weeks ago. Below are two videos of the groomsmen and bridesmaids dancing to open up the reception.  Just thought you might want to see the video in addition to the pictures I posted:





If you are receiving this post via email, you can go to our website to view the videos: www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com

Parenting 101

So, last weekend, Kerri and the women of Action Zambia went on a retreat about 2 hours South of town.  That meant that all of the Action dads were on daddy duty.  Well, Caleb, Gracyn & I were busy cleaning the house for Mommy's return.  I put Ellie in the bouncy seat for a few minutes.  After several minutes of cleaning, I realized that Ellie was no longer making any noise.   I poked my head around the corner and this is what I found.  I think she was tired.

A First for Charles

Yesterday, I took Charles to the dentist.  He had a tooth ache that had been bothering him for several days so we went to see if we could figure out what was causing the pain.  As we drove to the office, I was struck by just how much I take for granted.  This was the first time Charles had ever been to the dentist.  He had a tooth pulled back in 2004 by a visiting short term dental mission team, but he had never stepped foot in a dentist office.

As we walked in, I figured that I should orient him to the process.  So, I shared with him how they would probably look at his teeth and take a few X-Rays (another first).  Charles did great, but the tooth didn't cooperate.  In the end, he had to have it pulled.  But I'm still taken aback at the fact that this was the first time in his 31 years of life that he ever had the opportunity to visit a dentist!

Brent the patient

Well, it finally happened...Brent is sick!  I've always been amazed at how healthy he is.  He rarely gets sick.  But he started getting sick yesterday and it was downhill all night.  When I woke up this morning he told me he was running fever and had been up and down with stomach issues (though I never heard him).  He has also had a lingering cough since having the flu 2 weeks ago, so I insisted he go to the clinic and get checked out.  

I dragged him to a small clinic that's near our house.  It's run by Egyptian doctors and they seem to do a good job.  It's the place we have always gone for basic check-ups, earaches, fevers, etc.  As you can see just from the picture, it's MUCH different from what we are used to in the States, but we're thankful to have it!  Anyway the doctor looked him over and said he definitely has an infection in his throat and gastroenteritis (possibly food poisoning).  Thankfully his lungs sounded fine and he tested negative for malaria.  He recommended that Brent be admitted for IV antibiotics and fluids as oral medicines may not be absorbed well because of his diarrhea.  Reluctantly, Brent agreed to be admitted.  I left him to go and get him some food and drinks and some more money (since clinics and hospitals don't provide food for their patients and you have to pay upfront for treatment), and when I came back he was feeling a bit better already.  The doctor said that if there's no more fever and diarrhea by tomorrow he can go home.  

Of course Brent insisted that I bring the camera, take his picture and post a blog about this experience, so here it is!  But in all seriousness, please do lift him up in prayer as you think about it.  We have plenty of "family" here offering to help in whatever ways we need it, but it's hard to be without our real family at times like this.  Brent is also not used to being down with illness so pray that as his body recovers, his spirit will also be refreshed in the Lord.  We appreciate your prayers and support more than you can imagine!

Fuel Shortage

There has been a fuel shortage here in Zambia.  It started about a week ago and currently there is no end in sight.  The in-country producer of petrol has shut down operations to do maintenance on its facilities.  So, companies like BP and Total are having to import more of their product.  The problem is that they are not getting the expected breaks from the Zambian government on import duties.  All of this means that there is not enough product to meet demand.

Above is a picture I took the other day at the gas station near our office.  What you cannot see from this picture is how far the line of cars is coming into the gas station.  It goes almost all the way into downtown Lusaka.  During this shortage, many people have been lining up at gas stations as early as 6:30 am and staying until mid-afternoon to receive gas.

Please pray for this situation as it is affecting many people here in Zambia.  The only good news for us is that we drive a car that runs on diesel and therefore are not having to wait in these same lines.

What's This?

There have been many times that I have passed a truck filled with passengers here in Zambia.  I thought that trucks would pass by and just pick up passengers.  This does happen sometimes, but the overloaded truck in the picture above is not a truck filled with random passengers.  It happens to be a funeral procession.  Megan and I were on the way back from Streams of Living Waters Community school a few weeks ago and got behind this truck.  I have passed several of these during our time in Lusaka, but never had a camera available to take a picture and share it with you.

Just thought it was an interesting view of a part of Zambian life that you might not otherwise get to experience.

A Zambian Wedding

A little over a week ago, Kerri and I got to go to our very first Zambian wedding.  One of the men (Cassius) in the weekly discipleship program that I was leading was getting married.

There were a lot of similarities between this Zambian wedding and a typical western wedding, but there were also some differences.  To start the service, the bride and groom were brought chairs to sit in while the pastor preached a sermon.  I wish we would have employed this method, because I remember standing for what seemed like an eternity during my own wedding (please don't take offense at that Brad).

Most of the rest of the service, including the presentation of bride and groom to those in attendance and the first kiss, were all present in the ceremony.  But the photography was a little over the top.  Basically, anyone (including myself) who had a camera was more than welcome to take pictures from anywhere in the church.  It had to be one of the most documented weddings in Zambian history.

After the ceremony there was to be a reception across town.  But instead of going straight there, the wedding party went to the home of the pastor to eat a late lunch.  We didn't get to attend this part of the event.  So, we went for our own late lunch at a nearby restaurant instead.  After about 2 hours, we headed over to the reception.  The bride and groom still had not arrived.

By far the coolest part of the evening was the entrance of the wedding party at the reception.  Before the bride and groom entered, the bridesmaids and groomsmen came in and danced for those in attendance.  I reeeaaallllyyy wish we would have included this as part of our wedding 10 years ago.  To see some of my best friends, who have no "Skills" trying to dance in front of everyone would have been hilarious.  The difference though, is that this wedding party could dance.

After the dancing, the bride and groom entered with their flower girl and ring bearer leading the way.  They all went to the front and took their seats.  It was at this point that the toasting and stories began.  Due to having limited baby sitting for the evening, these Mzungus had to leave, but what we got to experience was truly a treat!

If you are receiving this post via email and would like to look at the pictures you can view them by clicking here.

Request for More Prayer

One of our friends and teammates sent this email out this afternoon.  Please be in prayer for her and those involved in this accident.

====================================

Hello friends,

Since coming to Zambia, I've gotten fairly adapt at using the public transportation. They're called mini buses and have a reputation for being a little crazy in their driving. Traffic in Lusaka is quite bad, particularly at rush hour, and the mini bus drivers will do anything to get even one car ahead.

This morning as I headed out the door, I prepared to take yet another adventure on one of the blue mini buses. Little did I know what lay ahead. There is a compound close to my house called Garden. It has a busy town center and is about 2-3 blocks long. The bus I take to get into downtown Lusaka goes right through the center of Garden. The traffic was terrible this morning and so the bus driver of my bus decided to take a shortcut. He did this by pulling out into the oncoming traffic's lane. There was a big truck about 3 blocks in front of us, so the driver thought that he could at least get a bit ahead. So he gunned it. Just as we reached a good speed, out of nowhere a young boy about the age of 13 ran across the street. He hadn't looked in our direction (why would he since cars don't normally come barrelling down the wrong side of the street) and thought he had enough time to cross before the big truck (which was still coming at my bus) got to him. Suffice to say that my bus driver didn't have enough time to barely break before he hit the young boy.

The boy flew in the air about 10 feet and landed on the ground only to continue rolling until he fell into the ditch on the side of the road. I was in shock as I watched these precedings. A crowd quickly gathered with Zambian men yelling at my bus driver. I saw someone go over to the limp boy's body and pick him up out of the ditch. I winced, knowing that moving him would further any damage already done, or aid the death that, in my opinion, probably had already happened. My fellow passengers started to exit the bus as more and more people gathered, all yelling at the bus driver. I followed and as I got out, the man who had picked up the boy came around the corner of the bus. I moved by quickly and lowered my eyes. I won't describe what the boy looked like, but I don't think he survived. 

Crossing the street I got into another mini bus and just sat in absolute shock. My fellow passengers were all talking in Nyanje (the local language). Some gave me disheartened smiles and we all just shook our heads in disbelief. Soon traffic pulled forward and my new bus passed the one I had just been on. They were putting the boy into the bus to be taken to the hospital. A young woman named Deborah who had been on my original bus sat down next to me. I glanced over at her and saw tears. I touched her shoulder and we stared at each other, weeping. What can one say after an experience like that?

Now that I was on a new bus, I had to pay the bus driver again. I reached into my bag and got my wallet, only to find that I had absolutely no money. Not good - at all. I wasn't in the best of areas and there was no where nearby to get money. I turned to Deborah and asked her if she wouldn't mind paying my fare. While this seems trite, Zambians don't have a lot of money, so to pay even 50 cents for a fare is asking a lot. She graciously said yes. I was quite relieved. 

Tears have come on and off throughout the day as I think about what happened this morning. I try not to play through the scene in my mind, but it keeps coming back. How do you process something like that? I've wrestled with God, asking Him why He would allow something like that to happen. I don't know. 

Is it fair? No. Is it right? No. Can I change it? No. But what I can do is pray for the family of the boy. I pray that they will be comforted as they grieve and mourn.I can only imagine what they are going through right now. I can also pray for the mini bus driver as he will be spending some time in prison (not a pretty place here in Zambia - or anywhere in the world for that matter) for his deed. What he did in trying to get ahead of traffic is actually quite common - he just happened to choose the wrong time to do it and will be one of the ones forced to pay for it. 

I personally am doing ok, although I am a bit shook up. Thankfully there are people here on my team who I can process and cry with. I'd appreciate your prayers, both for me and the boy's family (and for the boy, as I'm not 100% sure that he is indeed dead). 

Thank you for your friendship and partnership as I carry on here in Lusaka, Zambia. It means a lot!

Prayer Request

I just wanted to quickly request your prayers.  Kerri and I have both come down with some kind of virus and are running fevers.  The kids are kind of taking care of themselves this morning (all except Ellie).  Pray that we would recover quickly.

Thank you

Leadership Training Graduation

We recently finished the last book of our discipleship training program for pastors and church leaders.  So, Luke and I decided to have a cookout and graduation ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of the men who were a part of this program.

It has been such a blessing to get to know these guys.  Over the past few months, I think we have learned a lot more from them than what we taught during our time together.  Here's a video of our celebration.  It includes testimonials, handing out of certificates and a reciting of a letter the pastors wrote to Action Zambia in appreciation for this program.

Please continue to pray for us, as we have just started the second group of pastors and church leaders in this program.  I hope to have an update soon introducing the new students.  Also, please pray for these pastors who just finished this 1-year program.  Pray that they would be able to implement many of the things we learned together in their churches.