Praise God! We have returned from a fantastic four day trip to Ukwimi of the Eastern Province. Our team of seven included Nelson (national director of ZamNavs), Gershom (GAP staff), Abel (GAP staff), Kakoma (a friend and former Navigator student), and the ZamFam (the summer team). Departing Friday at dawn, we drove about six hours without incident through beautiful hills and plateaus, ending up in a village characterized by straw thatched roofs, bare feet, and curious faces.
Settling into the Community
Our first evening, John facilitated a Frisbee workshop among neighborhood children, demonstrating the fundamentals to what he hoped would be a community Ultimate Frisbee game. We pitched our tents on hoed and swept plots of red soil, graciously provided away from the colonies of ants, who opportunistically gather around anyone who may be sitting for a meal.Rest (or the lack thereof) became a theme of our trip to Ukwimi. Our nights were either cold, windy, or short. John would recount a feeling of gratitude that Kakoma, a former rugby player, would weigh down the tent as they slept the second night. God was sufficient in our fatigue, giving us strength as we required.
The team split to perform our appointed work at Ukwimi. On Saturday, five of us joined Pastor Shakala, our host, in serving one of the local cotton farmers in the field. We experienced cotton picking by hand for the first time. Typically, workers spend fourteen hours harvesting up and down the rows under the intense sun. By contrast, we spent a mere four or five hours, feeling scorched and tired by mid-day. The others went with Mrs. Shakala in search of a goat to slaughter for our supper on Sunday. After a long and tedious search on foot, they came back with only a bag of ground nuts (aka. peanuts).
Laborers in the Field
Our labor, as expected, was mostly sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to members of the community. While the goat seekers failed in one respect, they did come across some field harvesters along the way, sharing how a relationship with God is possible! On Saturday night, the leaders of the Zambia Fellowship of Evangelical Students (ZAFES) at Ukwimi Trades Training Institute (a vocational school) invited us to share with them. We preached on the importance of the Scriptures and getting the most out of time in the Scriptures. I left that meeting deeply saddened. No one in that student fellowship group had ever read an entire book of the Bible. Furthermore, no one claimed to know God (as opposed to knowing about God).
Pastor Shakala and Evangelist Mauluka invited us to preach at their respective churches, the Pentecostal Assemblies of God and the United Church of Zambia (UCZ). I took the opportunity share at UCZ what many of you have heard already, because it has been part of our vision at Purdue. I preached my sermon on ministering out of an overflow of a personal relationship with God and a Christ-centered church community. Chris also taught on the Wheel Illustration at Pastor Shakala's church.
Chickens!
The team also had some fun Sunday afternoon. Since we were unable to acquire a goat, we purchased two chickens for our supper, chickens we still had to catch. Without going into too many details, it took teamwork to catch the fastest chickens I have ever encountered! The neighborhood seemed thoroughly entertained by the spectacle of two Mzungus (Caucasians) and a Choachoali (Oriental) running after the elusive black birds.Overall Impressions
All said and done, I am hopeful for the work prepared for laborers in and incoming at Ukwimi. Without a doubt, the need is great for sound doctrine and discipleship. Churchgoers do not have a personal relationship with God. Some church elders even participate in Nyau, a dark and powerful demonic ritual which is deeply rooted in the community. It is a hardworking community though, and they welcome gospel. I pray that laborers like Pastor Shakala, Evangelist Mauluka, and future teams will see the continued work of the Spirit in this land. Pray for the song of the redeemed!
We returned safely yesterday, and our time will be spent immersing ourselves in campus ministry and preparing for the National Conference of The Navigators of Zambia. Pray as we recover our strength and return to the relationships we began at UNZA Ridgeway.By His Grace,
Jon Chen
