Visiting Graduates

24 September

Wednesday was a long day starting at 6:30 an d arriving at our destination just north of Kasama at 6pm – the roads were long dusty and pot holed which made for interesting driving. The seminar began on Thursday with a very enthusiastic group of people. This region has 6 Samfya Bible School graduates working in it and a couple of GLO grads. They are working together as church planting teams and are endeavouring to see one new plant in new areas each year.

It was humbling to hear their commitment to the gospel and the efforts that are going in to reach into areas that are predominantly Roman Catholic. They have also sent people away into new areas to start churches – they have a real missions mindset.

The challenges they presented to us in their work is that none of them have bicycles. When they go to new church plant areas they also need bedding as if they take theirs, the family is left with nothing. Also in moving to a new area they need to rent a house (mud brick!!) and need resources to help with this. Currently they try to raise funds for this from their 10 churches, however funds are very tight.

It has been very challenging to see and understand the work that these men and women are doing. They are committed to the truth. What a blessing to come and encourage them in this vital ministry.

We have now travelled further north, past Mbala to Mpulungu. This town is on the southern end of Lake Tanganyika – it is a fishing town. Today we begin meetings with the graduates from this area and their church communities. Please pray for us for strength – the temperatures are very hot and humid. Everyone is well but tired.

27 September

Well the challenges of our time away only continue to grow. Here at Mpulungu we have come to a busy fishing district. It is hot and humid here, the streets are nothing more than rocks! We have been wonderfully cared for by our hosts, all sent to homes around the area. It is a beautiful place with the backdrop of Lake Tanganyika, however the needs of the people are still the same.

The church leaders and graduates from the Bible School here are working hard in church planting and growing the church. They also have a mission mindset, having planted churches in remote places, one even 130kms up the Lake in a river valley area. The astounding thing is that there are many un-evangelised areas here in remote locations. These people have a heart to reach out to these places. They want to send more people for Bible School Training to equip them for this work. It is so humbling to see their commitment to the truth.

Where we have held the training meetings here has been on the foundation of their church which has a makeshift grass roof structure at one end – they have been more committed to funding the church planting and evangelising and have not had the extra money to build a church building!! All the team were involved in the small group training sessions sharing about God’s grace in their lives.

The needs of the graduates here is much the same as Kasama area. They need strong mountain bikes – it is very hilly and remote – getting to the church plant areas is difficult. They need tents and sleeping bags, resources to help when they leave their families for up to 2 months at a time. They are also asking for help in training their up and coming leaders. The work these men and women are doing is wonderful – may our hearts be further opened as we as a church invest in this vital ministry.

A troubling thing here is the influence of Islam. They have come to this area and they are offering free education for children. They also offer food on a weekly basis. They are not preaching so much, but trying to get the hearts of the children and then the families through education and food. Pray for the two men that have started a work in evangelising these people caught in an evil system.

The chairman of the Samfya board comes from Mbala 40kms from here and he is also working to encourage and help the work, reaching out to remote bush areas. Pray for him as he tries to give some oversight to this work in this region. We go to his house today to have lunch after our Sunday service.

Tomorrow is the long arduous journey back to Samfya – please pray for safety and that the vehicle will hold up well!

28 September

Greetings, we did not manage an internet download, so here is another small report downloaded with the other two reports. We finished up at Mpulungu today with the morning service where I taught through Ephesians 2:8-10 and then Stephen shared his testimony.

We drove to Mbala and had lunch with the chairman of the board of Samfya Bible School. It was wonderful to hear his heart beat. We then drove to Kasama and are staying with Marko & Stephanie Vedder, missionaries from Germany. Tomorrow we take the long arduous drive back to Samfya – probably 10 hours over some very bad roads.

Thank you all for your prayers, we value your support and interest. We are all very tired, but challenged so much by the commitment seen to Christ by our Zambian brothers and sisters.

Tuesday Roger & I travel to Ndola to obtain our visas for the Congo, and then will try and be in Lubumbashi by 2^nd or 3^rd of October.

Greetings from the women and children left behind in New Zealand. We miss you lots but know you are doing a great work there. Our prayers are with you all.

Bibles

Fishermens family homes

Bibles being distributed

Baptisms in the Lake

Donald with Peter translating

Night Service

The Welcoming Party at Chishi

Boat to Chishi

New friends

Chishi Island Trip

Friday afternoon saw us travel on the fisheries boat to Chishi Island where a conference was underway. We were cared for very well and being a fishing area we had some great fish to eat, not to mention the goat and village chicken!! The Island is quite large and has 3 CMML churches on it – they had come together for this conference. We think the Island population is around 3-4000 people. We used the tents that we brought with us and will leave them at Samfya for future teams.
I was able to teach on Friday night and shared the teaching on Saturday with the Bible school staff. I also spent time with the elders and challenged them about the role of the shepherd and the need to regularly evaluate their own lives to ensure the purity of the church. There is one Bible School graduate on the Island and he is doing a fine work. He has established youth and children’s ministries and he is regularly teaching at all the churches. Unfortunately the churches do not support him financially, so he must still work as a fisherman to survive. He is a godly young man – please pray for Immanuel as he has much work to do in very trying conditions.
The meetings were all held outside and at night we had a brought a generator so we could keep teaching. On Saturday night, after the general session message, Maria led a session with the women. She was shocked by the problems and questions that she faced. Immorality is commonplace, and it seems that many church leaders are not qualified to be leading. Her session did not finish until after midnight, such was the hunger form these ladies to know what they must do in their walk in Christ. Please pray for them – the difficulties they face makes our existence look very easy.
On Sunday morning I taught form 1 Thessalonians 4 with the call to “Excel Still More” including the instruction to abstain from sexual immorality. At the close a man repented and there followed a moving time as he was asked to stand in front of everyone and people then came past and affirmed him in his repentance. Another woman also came and repented. What a blessing to see God at work in these people. We do not even begin to understand the issues however – this man was a polygamist. To release a wife will mean she has no means of support – the church leaders there now have the responsibility to help him work through the issues that he faces – again please pray!
Maria and Kelssa were also able to assist with Sunday School. They worked with Agnes (the principal’s wife), who has incredible ability with children. The Bible School is trying to encourage the work of Sunday Schools in the churches to build into the lives of these kids and give them a good foundation. After the service we also had the privilege of witnessing the baptism of around 14 people. What a blessing to see people making a stand for Christ.
This weekend has been a huge challenge to us all. Seeing the humble circumstances of our brothers and sisters in Christ, the love that they have for the Lord, their service of us, the spiritual needs... how can we not respond in giving from the abundance that God has blessed us with? In distributing Bibles we found elders who did not have their own copy! How can one lead the flock of God effectively if he is not in the word personally? May God move our hearts as a church to support His work in this needy land.
On our return journey we stayed very close to another long Island for some time – there were hundreds of grass huts where fishing families live. We asked if we could stop along the way and have a look in a village area. We were shocked to see the living conditions. Houses no bigger than many of our bathrooms. This stop turned out to be very providential (and eventful as a drunk man tried to call down fire from heaven on us!!!), as we took a mother and her very ill 12 year old girl with us. She was severely dehydrated, probably with malaria and maybe other issues. We were able to get her to the local hospital and she was given fluids – we will follow up to see how she continues. If she had been left on the Island, she probably would have died, although we realise that she is not out of difficulty even now. Please pray for her – her name is Florence and we intend to visit with some food and to share the gospel with her and her mother.
This weekend has had a deep impact on us all. Please pray that we would have compassionate hearts to our Zambian friends. In getting back to Samfya we were able to sit and drink an ice cold coke that was so refreshing (the power was going!! Until 6pm!!). Most of our friends on Chishi wouldn’t know what a coke tasted like – it is an interesting dynamic living between two worlds. Our challenge is to do that with grace and compassion, imparting our very lives as Paul would say, that our brothers and sisters might know genuine love and be encouraged in faith.
The maintenance work has continued well – the new water line to the school is just about complete and Gavin is overseeing this. Sam has worked in re-plastering a number of buildings. Toby keeps us all entertained as well as helping Sam & Gavin. Maria is at a Christian School as I write to assess some help for them. Stephen and Kelssa are heading back to the clinic today to encourage this work along as it is just getting started.
Thank you for your prayers and support. Today we expect Roger to arrive and then Wednesday we drive to Kasama for more leadership training and then on to Mbala to do the same. We look forward to encouraging these graduates and their leaders. Please pray for God’s protection and blessing on His Word.

wildlife

Safe at Samfya

The team has now been at Samfya since Sunday evening. The drive north went well – some over heating problems with the van, and a section of road for approximately 100kms that was very pot-holded and slow to negotiate. We arrived to find that the old house has been given a good renovation and we are very comfortable here. Power is on and off more regularly than we have experienced before, and the water in always intermittent - welcome to life in Samfya!!!
The team is working in all sorts of areas. Stephen & Kelssa have been getting the medical clinic sorted and cleaned, with medicines sorted and stored. Gavin has had a number of electrical issues to sort as well as managing the development of a new water line that we trust will bring more regular high pressure water to the Bible School tank which will help the students hugely. Sam has had a number of areas to work in, repairing the floor in an office that was eaten out be termites, preparing backs for chairs in the classroom, getting materials and getting a bit frustrated by the different building techniques!!
Toby has ably assisted Sam as well as spending time with his many friends, playing soccer etc. Maria is over her stomach bug and has been working in discipling ladies and helping manage the food requirements. Kelssa stepped up as mother and cook and nurse as well, which we all appreciated. I (Donald) have been teaching in the Bible School each morning for four hours and have one day to go, having worked through 1 Timothy and now finishing up 2 Timothy – the dynamic is good with good interaction with the students. We are all enjoying the team dynamic and getting on very well together.
Today (Thursday), Stephen, Gavin & Kelssa also had the opportunity to visit Samfya Hospital. In the past this has been a fairly dodgy place, however some real improvements are happening and a new buiding is under construction to make the hospital a district hospital. The Foreman also asked Gavin for his suggestions from his Hawkes Bay Hospital experience. There are so many opportunities to serve here in every area!
We would value your prayers as we leave on Friday afternoon for Chishi Island where we will spend the weekend and have opportunity to participate in leadership training. There will be three graduates there and the elders deacons and deaconesses of the churches with them. The training is to encourage biblical principles in church leadership. This is a remote destination, please pray for safety and health, as well as the clear communication of the Word, that our brothers and sisters will be greatly encouraged and helped in their faith.
We hope to post an update by Monday or Tuesday next week to keep you further informed.

Samfya 18 Septmeber

Uganda 4-13 Sept.

What a blessing it has been to spend time with Deane, Sherrilyn, Zack, Sam, Bri & Daniel. We spent the first two days together at Mukono, the sight that SOS ministries will move from in due course. Going to the village at Luwero however has been the highlight in seeing the Grainger’s and Daniel interacting with the village people and living among them. I was only able to stay one night here in the Grainger’s village house (see picture), however the time of looking at the site for SOS and walking in the village and visiting with people was a challenge and blessing.
The Wharries stayed at the village as I went on to the conference at a boarding school. 270 church leaders gathered for teaching about the inerrancy, authority and sufficiency of Scripture. These men & women come from a church legacy where the Scriptures are not well taught and held in high regard. There were even a number of attendees that came to faith in Christ as the Word was taught. Shannon Hurley, Scott Ardavanis and I were privileged to lead in the teaching sessions, as well as working with national leaders in guiding small group studies in 1 John.
Praise God for His faithfulness in using these times as a means of encouraging and helping our Ugandan brothers and sisters in Christ to be further equipped in communicating God’s Word in their local churches. Please pray that the truth imparted will be applied and multiplied in these needy churches.
I must also let you know that the Romans team (mine) won the 14 team football (soccer) championship!! I played the semi final and final as goal keeper due to a knee injury received (not serious) from a very thin Ugandan taking me down in the previous match!!:-) But I did score the only goal in the semi from a goal kick!!
Two young Ugandan men that you can pray for are Alex and Simon. They work with the Grainger’s at the new SOS site and are looking forward to finishing their last two years of High Schooling. As orphans they have helped each other thus far through schooling by working and funding each other through. They have a desire to continue in Christian ministry, are very hard working, love Christ and His Word. They will continue to help SOS in establishing the new site. Pray for them for strength and direction as they plan towards the future.
Today our Zambian team will be together in Lusaka. Please pray for God to touch our hearts as we serve our friends at Samfya Bible School. I trust we will have internet access there, however there is no guarantee. Power has been off most of the time and telecommunication difficult. 2 Timothy 4:2.