Hurrying to Process

This is a recent posting by one of our friends in Zambia.

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I never know quite what to expect when I go teach my three days a week Bible class. Sometimes, I go, I teach, I go home and its pretty normal. Other times, memories happen. Like, today, for example. I got there a bit early and we were talking about homework. My pastors aren’t super faithful about doing homework and I get frustrated about it at times. But, today I got a little perspective of the kind of “excuses” a pastor might have. Patson told me a story about what happened Monday night. This is a recent posting by one of our friends in Zambia.

Around 11pm, a women across the street from him starting yelling for help. Her nine year old son was not feeling well. Sadly, as Patson hurried over there and tried to get a taxi for her son, he died. Seriously. Patson thinks it may have been a double dose of medicine, one from the pharmacy and then one from the clinic, a lack of communication, and a lack of life, just like that. He wasn’t feeling well during the day. He dies at night. Patson, at midnight, took the body to the mortuary at the hospital, via taxi, with a few other guys. He gave some money to the taxi driver who was going to wait for them. The taxi driver didn’t wait. So, at 2:00 am, Patson and a few guys walked from the hospital back home. Probably a good 25 minute drive during the day turned out to be a two hour walk in the middle of the night. He told me that at the beginning of class. O.K., now teach. We talked about the book of Hebrews. I think it went o.k.

So, I gave Patson a ride home today. It is always such a significant time. Every time with Patson is significant. He starts telling me about his pastor’s fellowship meeting he goes to on Monday nights. The pastors switch off in preaching and the pastor who preached went way long and went here and there and didn’t have a point, according to Patson. Every since Patson took the preaching class I taught, he said, “I understand better how to preach and when people are not explaining the Bible right and how they should preach. I went up to him after and said that you need to put you in the message.” One of the five points of preaching that I taught is making sure that the message you preach affects you first. But I like how Patson put it: “You need to put you in the message.”

Anyway, we talked about doing a preaching seminar for a few pastors in his compound as we drove through his compound. . And then I get to his street and there are huge puddles covering the entire road, and people waiting at the community water station and then I see a crowd of women near Patson’s house gathering for the child who died. And, I am just overwhelmed, trying to smile for the 20 kids that are in the road yelling “Mzungu” and waving to me. Everything was a bit in slow motion. I drove home, slowly, through the poorest place you’ll never visit, listening to some slow, somber worship music, taking it all in. It is a different world, here. And, my processing is this blog, so please forgive if the grammar isn’t right and it doesn’t quite make sense. I’m not sure what does make sense these days. And then tomorrow, I start again. I need to hurry up and process because another day is coming.

Steve Allen

ACTION Zambia

The Details of Our Move

(Our Rental Home in Chikankata - Ready in November 2011!)

It's in the mail, but we also thought we would include it on our blog. Below is a link to our March newsletter giving all of the details of our move to Chikankata, Zambia. It is rather lenghtly (3 pages), but we wanted to make sure we covered as much as we could. Please take the time to read it and get caught up with how the Lord is leading us to this new work in Zambia!

Click Here to view our March 2011 Newsletter.

Foundations for Farming

Below is a post from Luke Whitfield on Foundations for Farming (a.k.a. Farming God's Way). When we return to Zambia, Luke and I will be trying to implement this program in Chikankata. So, I thought you might find his write-up about an international conference he attended in Zimbabwe interesting.

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Dear Friends,

It has been a while since our last update and so we wanted to take a few moments to fill you in with what has been going on in our lives. I, Luke, specifically would like to share about a recent trip I took to Zimbabwe to attend a week long seminar to be trained in conservation farming with a Christian ministry called Foundations for Farming. It was an amazing experience to be a part of a group that represented 16 countries including places like India, Mexico, Ukraine, Sudan and many more. One of the coolest stories was that of a very tall man name Michael from Southern Sudan. Michael shared about his dream to take what he had learned and begin teaching school children in Southern Sudan so that through the younger generation his people’s future might be a bit brighter.

I want to start by sharing some statistics. Over the past 50 years it is estimated that close to 2.3 trillion USD has been pumped into Africa in the form of aid. Africa also possesses 30% of the world’s natural resources. Sub Saharan Africa (where we are) has a great climate, bountiful rainfall, fertile soils and plenty of people to work the land. Despite these facts Africa’s total Gross Domestic Product only represents 1.3% of the world’s total. Poverty continues to grip the vast majority of the continent’s peoples resulting in Africa’s population growth exceeding agricultural production. Bottom line, Africa continues to be the hungriest and most malnourished continent on the planet.

Foundations for Farming is all about seeing Africans go from being the world’s beggars to becoming a blessing to the nations. Since the vast majority of Africa’s population are small scale farmers the vision is to teach productive farming techniques to these individuals with the net result being the production of enough food for families as well as extra income to aid in the development of economic growth. At the heart of this vision is a focus on achieving these outcomes through a heart change of the people. Based upon a Biblical perspective promoting stewardship with what God has given them the course encourages participants to farm on time, at a high standard, no wastage and most importantly with joy! This is a very simple explanation of what Foundation for Farming is all about and we would encourage you to take a second and learn more about this amazing and revolutionary ministry by visiting their website at: www.foundationsforfarming.org .

So why are we sharing all this with you? As we detailed in our February update, 2012 will see some major changes in our ministry focus. Upon our return to Zambia in January of 2012 we will be moving down to the rural area of Chikankata to begin full time work assisting the chief of that area in expanding the Kingdom of God amongst her people. As we have planned for this shift one of the unanswered questions has been what would be the best way to enter into the community and gain the trust of the Tonga people. After my trip to Zimbabwe we feel like Foundations for Farming is God’s answer to that question. Our hope is that as we are able to train the people of Chikankata to be more productive and profitable in agriculture a door will be opened to share Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We will be sharing many more of the details surrounding this shift in the months to come and are excited about this open door God has provided us with to reach the lost in Chikankata. Again thanks for your continued support and prayers. We love and miss you all dearly and are looking forward to reconnecting upon our return to the States in July 2011.

Blessings

Luke (for the fam)

Follow-Up Blog Post

We had almost completed our next mailing when the software on our computer blew up. We have ordered a software update and should be receiving it soon. So, once we receive this update, we will send our newsletter detailing everything that is happening as we transition our lives and ministry to Chikankata, Zambia. But until then, we wanted to provide some follow-up to our last email/blog post.

Answering a Common Question:

Since we sent our last email/blog post, several people have asked us the same question: Should we continue to support you through Action International Ministries? The answer is yes. We are currently missionaries with Action International Ministries. We are in the process of switching to another sending agency, but we have committed to ACTION Zambia to finish out this current term with them. In due time, we will share with you about the new sending agency and give you all the information you will need to change over your support.

Why the Switch:

ACTION Zambia is a wonderful ministry that has and continues to make significant impacts for the Kingdom in Lusaka. We have a tremendous amount of love and respect for ACTION Zambia and the men and women serving in this ministry. We are not leaving ACTION because we are upset or discontent with their ministry or because of any broken relationships. We are stepping away because ACTION’s philosophy of and approach to ministry in the city wasn’t a good fit for the ministry to which we see the Lord calling us in rural Chikankata. Again, shortly, we will be sharing with you all of the details, but we just didn’t want you to wonder about what was happening on that front.

Save the Date:

We want to be available to answer all of your questions. On June 26^th, 2011, shortly after Brent returns from a 2-month trip to Zambia, we will be hosting a gathering at our home church (Columbia Crossroads Church – St. Andrews Campus). We want the opportunity to share with you about our move to Chikankata, Zambia, and the ministry going forward. We will provide dessert and coffee, show a brief video, and then have a time for questions and answers. Our hope is to share all that God has done to call us in this new direction as well as to answer any questions that you might have concerning our new ministry in Chikankata. We will send out an official invitation as the date approaches!

Thank you:

Thank you again for being patient with us during this move. We cannot express just how much your love, encouragement & support mean to us.

Let's Reach A Kingdom

If you are receiving this post via email, CLICK HERE to view the video.

I've written about Chikankata in the past, but I wanted the opportunity to share this short 3 minute video with you. This is an interview of of a local chieftainess where she is discussing the spiritual and physical needs of her people. There are a couple of reasons why we are sharing this video with you. One being, we want you to hear from a Zambian chief, who loves Jesus, as she shares about the needs of the people that God has placed under her care. The other is because of a calling that we feel the Lord has given our family as it relates to this southern chiefdom in Zambia.

Just to refresh your memory, Chikankata is a 100 sq/km Tonga speaking chiefdom located about 2 hours south of Lusaka. In this part of Zambia, there are little to no evangelical churches and few Christian believers. Some of the villages in this area have had no exposure to the gospel in over 40 years! The people live in fear and bondage to witchcraft and animism, most live in abject poverty, HIV/AIDS still affects nearly 20% of the population and children die every day from preventable illness.

When we return to Zambia, we will be moving to Chikankata. We, and the Whitfield Family (Pictured Above), have felt God calling us to go to Chikankata to live and work full-time. We will be leaving the city and getting a taste of the country life. The ministry that we have been involved in over the past 2+ years will be changing as well. There are many things that the Lord has done to confirm His leading and we are excited for what the future holds! Our desire is to see Zambians, some for the first time in their lives, have the opportunity to know and love Jesus, for churches to be established and strengthened, and for the needs of the poor and vulnerable to be met.

Very soon we will be sharing all of the details with you, but we wanted to make this announcement so that you are aware that changes are in the works. Please be patient with us and in prayer for our family as we transition our life and ministry in Zambia.

Not Your Normal Baby Dedication

This past Sunday our home church, Columbia Crossroads, had a baby dedication. For those of you who don't know, all of our children have been dedicated at our church - all but one, Thomas. Needless to say, he was by far the biggest child dedicated on this baby dedication Sunday. We are deeply grateful to be able to dedicate our 5th child to the Lord and ourselves to raising him up to know and love Jesus.

Family Pics

We recently had the opportunity to take some family photos. A friend of ours, Lindsay Alexander, came to Columbia to help us get some shots of the children and the family. Just in time for prayer cards and other important communications : ). Anyways, if you're ever interested in having some photos made of you or your family, we highly recommend her work.

You can see some of her galaries at: http://www.lindsayalexanderphotography.com/

Above are the pictures that she took of our family at Riverfront Park. If you are receiving this post via email, you will need to visit our website to view the pictures: www.RobertsinZambia.Blogspot.Com.

Got Me Day (Friday)

This post serves two purposes. One, being that we are completely done with the adoption/immigration process. Thomas is officially a Roberts and officially a U.S. Citizen!!! Yayyyy!!!! Thank you to everyone who has prayed for our family and for Thomas during this process. We are so thankful with how things came together once we arrived in the States.

The other purpose of this post is to share about why tomorrow is a very special day in the life of the Roberts family. Tomorrow marks the 1 year anniversary that Thomas came into our family. Kerri and I were talking about it this afternoon. It just doesn't seem like its been that long since he joined us. It's been difficult at times and fun at times, and we are so thankful that God chose to make Thomas a part of this family.

Fear Not

A Post from the Allens:
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We Allen's had a busy day today watching three extra little ladies of some friends of ours who were moving. We had a blast playing spoons and making projects. But, that isn't what I want to blog about. Today I went with my friend Luke to pray for one of our pastors in our program. Patson's wife Patricia had been suffering with some pretty intense stomach pain for a while. So, we went to their house way back in the compound and into the church/school that he built. After finding out from Patricia what was wrong, Luke began to ask some questions. He asked if there was fear she was struggling with and then begin asking about dreams. He uncovered a lot of struggles going on in her life that were both physical and spiritual. The Holy Spirit gave him insight into situations that were more than just physical and she was so surprised that he could know things that he or she did not know. (Often here in Zambia, physical pain is a result of something going on spiritually. Maybe that is even the case in America as well. It is always good to think spiritually in these times, at least that is what I learned/am learning.)

Then Luke said, "Before we pray, I feel like the Spirit is saying that there is one more person in your family who is also struggling with fear and who also has problem with nightmares. Patson and Patrica looked at each other and both said together at the same time, "Joyce." So, they brought her in to the room. Joyce, a pretty little 10 year old, was understandably shy and nervous. Luke kneeled beside her and began to tell her that she was in God's hands and that no one could do anything to touch her because God would protect her. Right then, I had this sense that we shouldn't just assume that she was a Christian. So, I stopped Luke mid-sentence and said, "Do you want to make sure she is a Christian?" He stopped and said, "Yes, good point." We looked to Patson and said, "Is she a Christian? Are you seeing any fruit of the Spirit to signify that she is?" They both said, "No. She is not a Christian." Luke came back to sit by me and said, "Why don't you help her Steve to become a Christian." I was instantly reluctant because I didn't want to take Patson's place as both father and pastor. But, Patson said something like, "No, Steve, one thing you don't know is Zambian pastors don't know how to do this very well." In essence, what he was saying was that they knew how to pastor other people's children, but no their own.

Well first of all, that was a huge insight and helped me in terms of thinking on how to help this cultural issue with pastors and their own families that I had no idea about. But, secondly, I had a chance not just to lead her to Christ, but to help model how to do that for Patson. I asked for the Spirit to help me and I was given the amazing privilege to lead her into a relationship with Christ through her father as a translator. It was awkward, not really cultural and with words I have learned over the years. It was what it was. But, she prayed the prayer and even better, we were able to encourage her in her life. I saw something of a picture of her teaching one day in this classroom we were in. We prayed over her future as well. Anyway, that was amazing and we hadn't even prayed for Patricia yet. So, Luke wanted the whole family in so he brought them in and they all held hands. Then Luke and I prayed for her, for her stomach and her teeth that had been hurting. And guess what, her stomach pain was healed! I know this was real because she said her tooth still hurt. Sometimes when we pray for Zambians we wonder if they are telling the truth. If they are just trying to make us feel good after we pray... Well, in this case, we could see it. Not only was just healed from stomach pain, but I am confident that her dreams and fears were dealt with as well. Anyway, it was a really blessed hour we spent there... (Note: I just got a text from Patson that Patricia is free from the pain and Joyce slept through the night.)

Please continue to pray for Patson and Patricia who are on the leading edge of community development through their church and community school. Truly, a light on a hill!

God's Word Daily

In life, there always seem to be those people who God places in your life at just the right time and my life is no different. There are a handful of people, who I can point to, that have really played a key part in shaping who I am today. One of these people is Brad Bird. Now, hear me when I say that I'm not trying to idolize this man. He's a man just like me, but he is a man who has continually allowed the Lord to use him in the lives of others through his gift of teaching. And he's also a man whose life has mirrored what he has tried to impart to others.

Kerri and I met Brad and his wife Melissa over 13 years ago while attending a local church's college ministry. During this time, Brad made it a point to invest in my life through discipleship. He and Melissa were there to counsel Kerri and I through our engagement. He was the pastor who officiated our wedding ceremony. He was and is a person who I have always felt like I could be myself with, someone who was fun to be around, a good friend. We've spent countless hours on the golf course trying to beat each other and enjoyed ribbing each other whenever USC played Tennessee (Well, he did most of the ribbing). He and Melissa were there when Kerri and I went through a really rough patch in our marriage. In fact, he was the first person I talked to about it. He and Melissa have been there through the hard times and they've been there through the good times. Honestly, I cannot express to you just how much Brad & Melissa's friendship and Brad's teaching have changed both Kerri and my lives.

Brad is a gifted teacher who has an unswerving desire to "see the saints revived through the power of the Word." Recently, through his ministry, Brad released a daily video devotional. For 5 days a week, you can have a 5-7 minute devotional sent straight to your inbox. These devotionals are expository in nature (meaning they center on going through the Bible by book by chapter and letting the Word speak for itself). There is a small cost involved, but it is well worth it.

Brad is currently the head teaching pastor for Columbia Crossroads Church downtown campus. He is also the president & founder of Market Life Ministries. If you would be interested in finding out more information on how to receive his daily devotionals, you can visit: www.DailyVideoDevotional.com. If you would like to learn more about his ministry to the marketplace you can visit: www.marketlifeministries.com.

We know how much his teaching has affected our lives and thought it might have a similar impact on yours.

Rejoice in the Wife of Your Youth

Two years ago today, I was in a hospital emergency room watching my wife lose function in her arms and legs. I was scared out or my mind not knowing what was going on. Knowing it was serious, but not knowing just how serious. I still remember sneaking away from the room to cry - sneaking away so she couldn't see the fear in my face. I remember the fear of possibly losing the person who has and will forever mean the most to me (apart from Christ).

But today, a week before our 12th anniversary, I'm still waking up to my beautiful and vibrant bride. And I love her more now than I ever have in the past. A lot of times we learn the most through trials and this trial was no exception. This one event has truly opened up God's word to me in a new light. There is a verse in Proverbs 5:18: "May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth." This verse has taken on so much more meaning in my life. Today, I thank God for this gift He has given me and rejoice again in the love of my life.

May you also rejoice in the wife / husband of your youth!

1st Snow Ever!!

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

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

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

It's good to be home

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

God sure is good!

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

The Cat is Out of the Bag

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

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

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

Many Blessings!

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

It's Beginning to Look a Little Like Christmas

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

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

A Zambian Worship Set

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

Oops!

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

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

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

Year-End Giving???

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

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

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

Learning About Home from Afar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Best Kind of Ministry

Chieftainess Mwenda of Chikankata

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

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

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

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

We Struck..... Water??

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

Lanton Zimbia

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

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

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

Thanks again for partnering with us overhere in Zambia.

Steve

Njoka Maningi (Many Snakes)

Click Here to View the Video on You Tube

Mom, don't read this one : )

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

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

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

Thank you for praying

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

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

Please Pray

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

Thank you

You'll Love This One

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

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

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

The Rains Have Come

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

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

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

Death by the Preventable

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Testimonies from Action's Hospital Ministry

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

A Teenager's Ear Ache:

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

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

A Muslim Woman:

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

A Girl and Her Mother:

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

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

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

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

The Past, The Present & The Future

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

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

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

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

A Zambian Doxology

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

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

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

The Blind See

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

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

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

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

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

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

Farming God's Way

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

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

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

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

Sidewalk Robbery

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

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

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

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

AZ Lowdown

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

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

It's Official!!!!

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

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

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

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

Not done yet!

Dear Friends & Family,

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

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

Thanks

Prayers Answered

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

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

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

You Don't Tell A Child About God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We Finished

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

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

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

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

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

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