A Prophet Among Us

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

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

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

Kids!

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

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

"Summer" Break

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

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

The littlest wild monkeys

The biggest ones playing some wii

The middle girls having some girlie time

Gracyn's play date with a new friend!

Maddie's princess dress du jour

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

Thomas getting in a brotherly tackle!

Kilometers for Kids

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

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

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

Home School Graduation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Board Braii

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

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

Sorry

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

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

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

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

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

Chikankata Outreach

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

Dear Friends

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

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

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

Friday Night

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday Night

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

Sunday Morning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Luke

Picture Parade

For those of you who might be interested, here are slideshows of the pictures that my parents took while visiting us the past two weeks. The slideshows start automatically. So, if you want to watch just one at a time, pause the two you don't wish to watch. We hope you enjoy. If you are receiving this post via email, you will need to visit our website: www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com to view the slideshows.

A Visit with the Parents

Well, the Roberts are in mourning today. My parents, who had been visiting for the past 10 days had to return to their home in Columbia, SC. It has been over a year since we saw them last. So, it was great getting to see them again!

The trip went really well. We just wish it wasn't so short. While they were here, they got to see the grandkids, tour the city, visit a village, go on safari, and a do few other things. It was great having the opportunity to show them some of the work that we are involved in here and just to spend some time with them again. I know I've said it before, but it's worth repeating. Leaving family and friends to serve God overseas is the highest cost we incur as being missionaries. So, when they do get to come and visit, it is such a treat. I just wish it wasn't going to be another year before we see them again : (.

Anyways, if you know them and get a chance, ask them about their trip. I'm sure they would love to tell you about it.

July Newsletter

We're very sorry for the lack of updates lately. Over the past few weeks, Kerri and I have been preparing for a visit from my parents. And now that they are here, we've been busy hosting. We'll update you more on their visit soon, but we wanted the opportunity to give you a sneak peak at our July newsletter before we send it out via U.S. Mail. Please take the time to read it as it gives updates on Thomas, our ministry and our future plans concerning Zambia!

To View Our Newsletter, CLICK HERE

Death is a Reality

First it was Charles sister, then one of our friends John Chitambo's son and now, this morning, we received news that Dailes' brother passed away rather suddenly and unexpectedly. The cause of death is unknown, but he'd been sick. I can't say enough how much death is a part of this culture. Dailes herself has lost a father, a husband and, now, two brothers and she's only 35 years old. It's nothing like the States.

We're thankful that Dailes is a believer and a light to her family during this time, but we are grieving with her as she has lost someone dear to her. Please be in prayer for her and her family. Pray for her mother's health during this time as well, as she is struggling to take some of her medications because of a lack of appetite.

A Day at a Zambian Farm

(If you are receiving this post via email, you will need to go to: www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com to view the slideshow)

On Friday, Kerri took Gracyn, Caleb and Thomas to a farm about an hour outside of Lusaka. A family, who is managing the property invited her and several other missionary families out for a "field trip." Most of the children are home-schooled. So, there are a group of mothers who try to get together about once every other month for a field trip to different places. The kids had a great and came back with a lot of goodies.

Some of the highlights of the day were:

• Getting to ride on the combine as they harvested Maize. They told the kids that you can regularly see cobras and black mambas being combine head as they went across the field harvesting.

• Getting to jump on bails of hay that were stacked 2 and 3 high.

• And getting to swim in a container full of maize kernels where they found many bugs and 1 dead mouse.

This is the fun stuff your kids get to do in Zambia!

A Heavenly Homecoming

This was a posting today from the Whitfields about Joshua Chitambo. It was a very emotional service to attend. As a father of 5, I can't imagine how it would feel burying one of my own children. Please continue to pray for this family.

Dear Friends

It is with physical sadness but spiritual rejoicing I write to inform you that Joshua went home to be with the Lord in the early hours of Friday morning. The funeral was today and Elise and I attended along with the rest of Action Zambia's missionaries. This was a hard one to swallow even though death has become a part of everyday life as we serve here in Zambia. I had seen Joshua's father Jon the day before and we prayed together still believing God could heal his son.

At the service it was very clear that even in death God had given this young man a very special assignment.....to honor and exude an example of rejoicing in the Lord always. As siblings and friends shared it became evident that despite monumental suffering this young warrior never became bitter with what was allowed to come his way. Instead, he used it as an opportunity to minister to others (often trying to minister to him), reminding them that in all things we can rejoice in knowing that God knows and has the best plan for us.

As I reflected back on my visit with Joshua a week ago, I realized, even without speaking a word, that he at left me with that very understanding. During our visit I prayed that God would use Joshua's sickness as a platform for others to come to a saving knowledge of the Salvation of Jesus Christ. I now realize that the single tear and smile left on Joshua's face after we prayed was his way of confirming that he wanted the same, even if it cost him his life.

Let Joshua's life challenge you to consider what you are willing to give up in order that others might be saved. Remember the greatest act of love ever recorded cost Jesus his life but gained eternity for the multitudes. To those that prayed for Joshua, thank you, and know that one day I am sure you will get a big embrace from this amazing young man.

His Servant

Luke

The Last 13 Months

This post is mainly for the grandparents. They are always wanting to see how the children are growing up and how we are all getting along. So, we put together a 10 minute slideshow of random pictures that we have taken since our return to Zambia in May 09. Time has gone by so fast and the kids have grown so much. Anyways, please take the time to watch a quick picture summary of our family life over the past 13 months.

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

Prayer Request

This morning, at 4:45 am, we received word that the son of one of our Zambian teammates had passed away. Joshua Chitambo passed away from complications related to kidney disease. Joshua was 20 years old. John Chitambo, his father, has worked with Action Zambia Ministries for several years assisting with the HIV/AIDS ministry known as CROSS. He is a very dear friend to everyone on our team. Please pray for him and his family during this time. The funeral is probably going to be Sunday afternoon.

A Visit With Family

(If you are receiving this post via email, you will need to visit our website: www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com to view the video.)

Kerri and I are a little depressed today. Kerri's brother Matt and his wife April have been visiting with us for the past two weeks and left to go home this afternoon. Matthew is an associate pastor with Redeemer Church of Knoxville. So, we put him to work a little while he was here. He had the opportunity to preach in Zambia his first Sunday and then the second week, he taught about "Worship" at our Action Pastors College. We also had a little fun while they were here as well. The video above is just some pictures put together from their trip here. We hope you enjoy.

We love our family and friends dearly. So, it was such a treat to have them come for a visit. But it was also difficult saying goodbye. I think I speak for most, if not all, missionary families when I say that this is the hardest part of missions. It's not living in another culture. It's not adjusting to new foods and languages. It's not learning how to live differently as a family. It's leaving those you love to go and serve. That's one of the hardest things about serving God overseas.

So, when visitors come, it is such a blessing and an encouragement. Thank you Matt and April for making the sacrifice to come and visit. We love and miss you already!

Graduation Tuesday

This past Tuesday, Luke and I were invited to attend a graduation. Two of the pastors that we led through the Navigators discipleship program have been busy for the past year leading groups of their own through the program. They invited us, along with Muvi TV and several family members and friends of the graduates.

This was a VERY encouraging time. A core value of our discipleship ministry is that those who participate would, in turn, disciple others. These two men, Pastor Mark Mwale and Pastor Devnod Kasoka, successfully trained about 20 men and women from their own churches. Sometimes in ministry you wonder if and when the work you are doing will bear fruit. So, it was nice to see some of the fruit that the Lord has birthed through our labor here in Zambia.

If you are receiving this post via email, you will have to visit our website to view the slideshow: www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com

From Another's Perspective

We were sorry to see our friend, Pete Williamson, head back to the states. He gave it all this past two weeks and our pastors here were very appreciative as were we missionaries. Our director asked Pete to pen some of his three experiences over the past year on paper. The result was this beauty below. Steve Allen asked for permission to share with you Pete's "zamflections" and he graciously agreed.

Zamflections (or What I've Learned from My Visits to Zambia)

Pete williamson
- pastor | Oikos Fellowship | Bellingham, WA USA

Up until about three years ago, Zambia was not among the number of African countries that I was aware of. That all changed when my friend Steve and his family felt a call to leave our town and the ministry that he was a part of there to go to this unknown country as a missionary with ACTION Zambia. Truth be told, I was not only ignorant but also fairly indifferent to this continent. Not that I didn't have a heart for missions; my wife and I had spent the first couple years of our marriage living in Japan while teaching English at a Christian school for Japanese kids. It's just that I wasn't interested. If anything, I wanted to return to Japan - not just for the people and the culture, but also the food.

Anyway, Steve had promised from the beginning that he intended for me to come over at some point to teach pastors and church planters among whom AZ was working. That promise became realized this last year when I made the first of what would be three trips in a 13-month period to this country. Now I can't get this place and especially these people out of my head or heart. In fact, I would even go so far as to say I really need Zambia.

I need Zambia for what it teaches me about the power of God working through the preaching of His gospel. It is a humbling thing to speak before a group of pastors and church planters only to realize that many, if not most have not only been pastoring for many years but have planted at least one or two other churches. Even more remarkable, is that they've done so without the training and resources (including Bibles!) that I have so easily taken for granted. The parable of the talents has taken on new meaning for me here, because I see men and women who have had scarcely a single talent but have through God's grace more than doubled it through tireless faithfulness. I have great hope for the work of the gospel in Zambia because of the character of God's workers that I've found here. They are eager to learn as much as they can - far more than I've seen anywhere else - and they have a wonderfully uncomplicated reverence for the Word of God as authoritative and true. If that sounds like a subtle indictment against the American church, I apologize. I meant it to be stronger.

I need Zambia for the perspective it gives me as an American pastor and citizen. These words of John keep coming back to me: you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. This verse, if anything, captures exactly the state of American (and Western) Christianity. I promise you, until you come here you will never understand how rich you and I are. We have no vocabulary for the poverty and suffering that are a part of the day-to-day life of most Zambians (except for politicians and far too many pastors). We are indeed rich, but in reality we are incredibly poor because we do not ask why we have been so blessed with all that we've been given. God does not give us all that we have to spend on ourselves, but to share with those who have nothing. Even Zambians - most of whom live on less than $2/day - understand this and because of this they are far richer than us. What's more, Zambia has shown me how much our prosperity has become a substitute for relationships. There is nothing in the world like walking through one of the many compounds surrounding Lusaka. And let me tell you it is one thing to see poverty like this in the pages of a National Geographic, but quite another to actually walk in it. And yet, what is so striking to me is how much the people who live here seem to be content and even joyful in spite of circumstances that would ruin most if not all Americans. I believe a big part of that is due to the fact that they know something that we don't - family and friends are far more important than any other possession and, equipped with those relationships, any suffering is made bearable. This high view of relationships also makes the friendships that I have now with a number of pastors and even churches all the more precious.

I am very encouraged by the work I have seen being done here by ACTION Zambia. I especially love their focus on befriending and equipping Zambians for the work of the gospel. In another year and a half, the first class of 15 pastors will graduate from the PLD (pastoral leadership development) training and already they are putting into play the things that they've learned with great enthusiasm. I am also very thankful for the missionaries whom God has called here. Each brings their own unique abilities and personalities to the team, but all are united in their love of God and the Zambian people. It may not be all that long before the fruit of AZ's work will be such a harvest that it will be time to move on to new ground, of which there is still plenty out there. In the meantime, please join me in continuing to support AZ with prayers and support. Better yet, go and see for yourselves what the Lord is doing here and the servants He is working through to accomplish His purposes. You may just find me there.

Kilometers for Kids

(Luke Whitfield, Brent Roberts, Steve Allen, Elise Whitfield, Megan Bloemker, Stephanie Allen & Kerri Roberts)

In Zambia, over 50% of the population is 16 years old and younger. Many of these children live in abject poverty. In Lusaka, the capital city, there are no parks or safe recreational areas. Children must resort to playing in garbage heaps, cholera infested waterholes and other dirty places where space is available.

(If you are receiving this post via email, go to: www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.com to view the above video. It's a must see!)

Action Zambia (AZ) is trying to address this issue. AZ has been blessed with a 22 acre piece of land (Known as Ciyanjano) on the outskirts of Lusaka. This past January, we started a three year development plan for this camp facility for Zambian churches and the youth in their communies. The vision is to have a place where compound churches (churches located in Lusaka's poorest districts) can bring children for week long camps to learn more about the love of God that is found in Christ and have fun while doing it. Think about it. Children who come from families where the average income is $1 or less a day, being able to escape their world for a short time and have a chance to just be a kid in a loving and safe environment.

August 29th of this year, 7 members of our team will be headed to Zimbabwe for a marathon. We will embark on the 26.2 mile (or 42 kilometer) race (The Victoria Falls Marathon) as a fund raiser for children camps in Zambia. We are calling the event Kilometers for Kids. Our hope is to raise enough money to build one of the two remaining camp sites for Ciyanjano. We have dedicated a website to the event: www.kilometersforkids.info. This site just gives additional information for the race as well as a place to make donations. Please take a look if you get a chance!

Before Megan, After Megan

We've had chickens disappearing from the yard over the past few weeks. While we knew the dogs were the culprits for most of the little ones, some of the bigger ones started to go missing. Well, yesterday we finally found out. An owl was up in one of our mango trees after a night of hunting in our back yard. So, we leave you with these two pictures taken before and after a visit from our teammate Megan.

Before Megan

After Megan

I think the chickens are safe now. I just don't know about the rest of Zambia!

Balipo Banthu

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

In Zambia, when you go to a home to visit and children are outside, it's not outside of the norm to say Balipo Banthu. It means "are there people here?" It seems like a simple and innocent phrase, but it is fed by a large cultural issue that is really impacting the future of the church in Zambia.

Children here are often not recognized by adults. In a lot of cases, children are not seen as being able to understand the things of God until they reach their teenage years. Did you hear that? This means, that in a lot of churches, there are no ministries geared towards children. There is little to no investment in youth. They are expected to just come and sit through the service and be quiet while the adults, who can understand the things of God, attend the worship service.

Here is the catch. We live in a culture, where over half of the population is 16 years old or younger. The adults are the minority! By the time children reach the "perceived" age of understanding it is mostly too late. These children need investment now, because they are the future of the church.

This is the vision that a group of missionaries have caught onto here in Zambia. Some missionaries from ACTION along with other friends and other missionaries have started a movement named: "Called for His Purpose". Their intent is to minister to those who have been forgotten and neglected over the years. This past week, Kerri and Elise were part of a night of worship. The event attracted over 200 youth from the community who have a heart to worship God. There are other events planned in the future, but this was the initial launch of Called.

Please be in prayer for this ministry.

Waiting in Line for a Body

This past weekend was a tough one, but one that is all too common in Zambia. Our guard Charles's sister Barbara Kangwa lost her brief struggle with meningitis. Her husband had previously passed away, meaning that all 5 of her children are now double-orphaned. As I was talking to Charles the morning of the funeral, he said something that really shook me. It was very non-chalaunt in delivery, but the implications were significant!

He said that they had to get to the mortuary that morning very early, before it opened, because if they didn't, they would have had to wait in line for Barbara's body for a better part of the day. Did you catch that? Wait in line for a body? The impact that poverty, malnutrition, poor healthcare, and disease has had on this country is hard to fully convey. But even after his saying this, I didn't fully grasp its implications until we arrived at the graveyard. As you can see in the picture above, when we arrived there were a bunch of people. Probably close to 500. Barbara's funeral was one of several that were to take place that day.

At the grave site, the pastor preached a small message and then they lowered the coffin into the newly dug hole. After about another half hour of shoveling dirt, the hole along with the coffin were covered and family members were invited forward to place flowers on the grave. This was the toughest part emotionally, because the first to place flowers where the orphaned children.

As I thought about this situation, I was struck with the reality that this is life in Zambia. We live in a culture where people face hopeless situations on a daily basis, where people can't find work because of 70% unemployment and where children die from treatable diseases. Where almost a quarter of the population is HIV positive, where there over 500,000 orphans, and where life expectancy peaks at 38 years, a culture where you have to wait in line for a body because there are too many deaths!

And because of this, I am convinced even more about the need of the gospel for Zambians. Jesus Christ is their only hope! Without Him, there's suffering and then there's eternal suffering. Without Him, people here die and all they have to look forward to is hell. But with Him, there is so much more. With Him, there is Joy in the midst of suffering. With him there might be some suffering, but it will be far outweighed by the eternal reward that is awaiting in heaven for those who trust Him with their lives.

Please continue to pray for the family as they mourn the loss of Barbara. They are stuck with some tough decisions that they have to make concerning who will get the children. Most likely they will be split up amongst family members. Pray that they would have wisdom in knowing who to send them with. And pray for the family members that will be accepting these children into their homes. Pray that they will be treated with love.

Thank you

Update on Barbara

Thank you for those of you who have been praying for Charles' sister, Barbara. Unfortunately, last night at midnight, she passed away. She was 26 years old and she leaves behind five children (the most recent, a three month old baby). Please pray for Charles and his family during this time. Please, also, pray for us as we seek to minister to this dear family.

Thank you

Prayer Request

Please be in prayer for our guard Charles' sister. She is suffering from meningitis and is currently non responsive. This evening, she has been transported over to the primary hospital for spinal taps and medication, but things don't look good at the moment. Please pray for the family, for wisdom in seeking treatment and for peace throughout the process. Pray for healing from the "Great Physician." And pray for Kerri and I, as we seek to help, but not interfere.

Thank you for your prayers,

~Brent & Kerri

Funnies of the week

Lazarus doesn't rise again

Many of you were probably amused by the story of the chicken revival a week or two ago. Because the little chick was raised from the dead, we aptly named him Lazarus. Well, this morning, we found out that Lazarus doesn't rise twice. Apparently, the mother hen got into a shelter that the little chicks couldn't get into. Instead of doing something about it, she slept on the inside and they on the outside. Needless to say, we think Chiku (our dog) made a nice meal of them!

Can we get another?

Since we first brought Thomas Mwila into our home, he has had a habit of climbing into bed with Caleb in the middle of the night. Every morning, Caleb would wake up with a sleeping buddy and every morning, he would come to us to complain. We've been doing all that we can think of to try and encourage Thomas to stay in his bed, some nights with success, some nights without, but for the most part, he has still been doing it. Well, last night as Kerri was putting the boys to bed, she laid down with Thomas and just talked. She was telling him that we were going to have to start punishing him if he didn't stay in his bed. It was the second part of this conversation that got interesting.

Thomas asked "So, when you brought me home from House of Martha, what was that called?"

Kerri replied, "Adoption."

Thomas: "Adoption, yes, that was what it was. Do you think we can go back to House of Martha and adopt another boy?"

Kerri: "Why Thomas?"

Thomas: "So I can have someone to sleep with."

Needless to say, we died laughing.

A Terrorist?

One of our good friends here, a missionary with another organization has had problems getting his income wired from the States. After a month of various trips to the bank and getting to the point where they really were struggling to pay the bills, they found out why. Apparently, he had somehow been put on the United States Terrorist Watch List. If you knew our friend, you would understand how ridiculous that really is. I guess you should all feel safer knowing that our government is now putting missionaries on the Terrorist Watch list.

Flooding in Lusaka

The rains have taken their toll on many families in Lusaka. The picture you are seeing above is at Lusaka's Independence Stadium. Currently, there are over 250 families who have been forced from their homes because of flooding in the various compounds. They are staying in tents which have been provided by the Red Cross.

Our very own, Luke Whitfield, was visiting the tent town trying to determine how we might be of assistance, when he was approached by a local news station for an interview. The video shows the flooding and some of the families which are living in these temporary structures.

To view the video, click here.

Please be in prayer for these families and also be in prayer for our ministry. Our ministry exists to equip local churches for ministry to their communities. We are trying to mobilize the pastors and churches associated with our programs to help these people. Over the next few weeks, they will be trying to determine the best and most practical ways to reach out to the families living in these tents. Once they decide how they are going to help, they will then be tasked with motivating the members of their churches to participate both financially and physically in this ministry. Pray that God would provide these pastors and church leaders wisdom as they seek to minister to their community. And pray that the Zambian believers in their churches with will also catch the vision.

He is Risen!!!

Tomorrow morning we celebrate the most important day of the year to us as Christians. The resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Well, in light of the Resurrection, I thought I'd share a little resurrection story that happened here at our house yesterday. I'm pretty sure it will give you a laugh! I must preface with 2 facts about our household: 1) we have a lot of chickens, and 2) Ellie constantly escapes the house whenever a door is left open and we find her toddling around the yard getting into all kinds of trouble.

So, yesterday afternoon I was in the kitchen when I heard Brent say, "No, Ellie, no!" When I walked outside to see what was happening, I saw Brent standing with his back to me, swinging something in his hands and then hunching over whatever it was. As I walked around him I saw him holding a baby chick in his hands and blowing into its beak!! Yes, he was. Of course I was a little dumbfounded for a second, but then managed to ask, "What ARE you doing?"

"Ellie killed it, " he said. "She had it in her hand squeezing it really hard, and when I picked it up it was dead." (It was really limp and lifeless as I looked at it too) "So you're giving it CPR," I asked with a giggle. "Yes," he said, "why not?" So, there he stood giving the chicken mouth-to-beak and swinging it like we had learned to do with newborn puppies that needed to be revived. After a few minutes the chick opened its eyes and began to perk up. After a few more minutes it stood up in Brent's hand, and after a few more minutes it was back with its mother and siblings roaming around the yard scratching for food! Alive and well!

I thought only my husband would be so crazy as to do CPR on a dead chick. I certainly wouldn't have! It gave us a good laugh, but also demonstrated a simple spiritual truth: "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5)." God picked us up when we were dead - not struggling, not sick, not dying - dead and unable to do anything to save ourselves. Then He breathed the life of Christ into us and brought us back to life. But not just any old life, life IN Christ. Just read through the first chapter of Ephesians and see what the life IN Christ means! What a gift! This is what we celebrate on Easter. Jesus is risen and we can be risen with Him to walk in a new life! Thanks for the illustration, honey!