Biblical Counselling Training for Francis Chola

 

 

Meet the teaching staff of Samfya Bible School - Francis, Peter, Levy  & Aaron. These men are critical to the ongoing work of the training ministry and they need ongoing encouragement and training to help them deliver with excellence the training for the village churches.

In 2010-2011 Peter Chomba was sponsored to go and do training in South Africa in Biblical Counselling studying under Dr Wayne Mack and Dr Joel James. This training had significant impact on his teaching ministry at the Bible School and the blessing has been passed on to graduates and their home churches. IN FACT Peter is currently writing a booklet in Bemba for use in Biblical Counselling!

We now have opportunity to see Francis Chola undertake this training. It would be done over five one week blocks in February, March and October 2013 and February and March 2014. To achieve this training we need to come up with sponsorship for Francis which includes airfares, buses, living expenses and course fees. The total amounts to NZ$1115 per week of classes.

Would you please pray for this need? Maybe your church or your small group would like to help with this, perhaps sponsoring one week of training. Any amount of help will be a blessing. Here is Francis translating for Donald Stevsnson 08/2012.

Dear Friends of Samfya Bible School,

Graduation has happened and while this year had a smaller intake of students, they all leave well prepared for ministry in their local churches.

Please notice that the graduation ceremony occurred in the new Multi Purpose Hall, which is still under construction, but is a very usable and functional building. Principal Levy Kasoma reports about the training of the students:

Ø  The students were equipped with both theory and practical courses such as Bible Interpretation and preaching.

Ø  They were given a solid foundation in both New and Old Testament survey.

Ø  They also went through systematic teachings on basic Bible doctrines such as the doctrine of God.

Praise God for this good work and pray that these graduates will be effective in their local church ministries. Next year sees the potential of a much larger student group, possibly up to 30 students, as well as the introduction of a second year course. Please pray for these plans and that the many potential students for 2013 would get their applications in soon.

We are in the final stage of raising funds to complete the Multi Purpose Hall, with around $3,500 needed to complete the construction. Please pray for this last stage that it would be able to be completed before the end of this year. Your support is valued and much appreciated by the Bible School staff.
Prayer Items:
·         For Graduates to settle into effective church ministry
·         For Student intake for 2013
·         For development of the second year programme for 2013
·         For the remaining $3,500 to complete the Multi Purpose Hall

Back In New Zealand

Greetings friends of Samfya Bible School! I have been back in New Zealand now for one week after a very encouraging time in the Zambia and with excellent meetings with partners in UK & Singapore. I have come home excited about the ongoing future for the Bible School and all that God is doing through this ministry in rural churches.

In my meetings in Singapore I briefly reflected on the truth from our Lord Jesus that He is building his church. The bride of Christ is the most precious entity on earth – it is His, it is what He is building and working in and through, so what a privilege it is to partner with a ministry that is all about strengthening, growing and blessing the ministry of the local church in Bemba speaking Zambia.

In leaving the staff at Samfya, I was encouraged by the large number of potential students for 2013, the possibility of the second year programme beginning in 2013, and also the new School Teachers training programme that is going to see these teachers given a great Bible Programme to help them in their ministries in the village areas that they are posted to by the government.

I was also very encouraged by the progress in buildings at Samfya. We have five great new units for married couples, a three block classroom, a new visiting lecturers house, a staff house just about finished and the multi-purpose hall (kitchen, dining, conference) nearing completion, but still needing about NZ$9000 to complete it. If you would like to assist with this let me know!!

Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for my time away and for the ministry of Samfya. God is blessing this ministry and using it to glorify His name! If you are interested in a visit to your church to speak about this work please don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

The mullti-purpose hall - looking great but needing a little more finishing

Update from the UK

My journey south to Lusaka was via Mkushi where I meet with Mr Moffat, the representative of the4 Beit Trust. We hope to put an application into the trust for single student accommodation, so it was good to have some thoughts on how to approach the application. I stayed at Chengelo School and was able to catch up with Delwyn Houghton who teaches at the school – she has a very busy life and needs your prayers for strength in her ministry at the school.

The following day I arrived in Lusaka and stayed with Webster & Elisabeth Nonde and preached in their church Woodlands Baptist on the Sunday. What a blessing to encourage and be encouraged by brothers and sisters in Christ.

On Monday I flew to London and have been able to learn of the work of Grace Life London a new church plant in the Central City as I stayed with Pastor Tom Drion and his wife Donna. The time here in the UK is to meet with partners of Samfya and further encourage the ministry of the School. This has gone well so far and I have a final meeting in Bath in the morning before heading to Singapore in the evening. Please continue to pray for our partners and that they will be encouraged with the reports that I bring of the ministry.

Charles – Hard Working Graduate!

You may remember I reported on Charles in 2010. He had just returned from church planting in the Congo and reported about the church walls that had been blown in by severe winds. We were able to supply Bibles for the needy Christians there and the small amount of money raised was used to rebuild the walls – Charles showed me a picture of the grass roofed Church – very humble but functioning.

Charles has again recently returned from a ministry trip to this area in DR Congo. He works with a team of five other evangelists and teachers. The aim of this visit was evangelism, teaching, training evangelists (Sowers Programme) and training a secretary. Charles reports that there were 58 people who placed their faith in Christ. He said that many of these were from Catholic backgrounds and indicated that any church involvement in this remote and forgotten part of Congo is devoid of the gospel and any churches are just social clubs. Praise God that this team is expending time, money and energy in seeing the life changing gospel message preached and bearing fruit.

Charles has two couples from his area that they are actively working to see attend Samfya Bible School next year. What a blessing that will be to the many churches that Charles gives encouragement through visitation and teaching by sharing the load with other equipped leaders. He has also indicated that one man in DR Congo form this new church plant is a very strong prospect to attend next year as well. Please pray that God will work in his heart and enable him to attend and become a blessing to this new work. Thanks for you prayers.

I leave Samfya on Friday and will have meeting in Mkushi with a representative of a trust based in Harare and London that sometimes fund infrastructure. Please pray for wisdom and insight in this meeting. Then on Saturday I arrive in Lusaka, teach at Woodlands Baptist Church on Sunday. On Monday I begin my return to New Zealand via the UK & Singapore and I would value your prayers for the meetings with various partners.

Please also meet Dixon who is one of the Bible School board members. It has been decided that Dixon will be the new Project Manager for the infrastructure development here. His working life was involved in this area, and with his seniority he will demand respect and be able to keep his finger on the pulse. He will also oversee the maintenance programme to ensure that procedures are being followed and buildings cared for.

Mupunda Church

What a wonderful Sunday with the believers at Mupunda. It is so hard to describe the joy and oneness in Christ that I witnessed from this church. We began with a communion service at 9:15am and I was able to give a brief word form Colossians focused on the salvation that we have been blessed with. This service was quickly followed by the main teaching service which then extended through until close to 1pm!

I taught from 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 on “How to Protect the Church” this precious bride of Christ. This was preceded by many hymns and then the mandatory choir items – these people know how to sing! After my teaching there was a special offering collected by the church. It was led from outside the building by the Sunday School children coming in bringing gifts of food and money all wrapped in cloths. This precession of children and then adults must have continued for around 10 minutes. The songs were of great joy and they danced as they came up the aisle of the church with gifts to give to the work of the Lord.

The children were encouraged to be part of this because the leaders of the church are focusing on needed teaching to the whole church on how to give from the overflow of the heart – something many of these churches have not focused on at all. The elders want all of the people to learn what it is to give with a grateful heart to the Lord. Little did I know as all this was happening, all the food that was coming in was for me to take back to Samfya!!  There was Kasava, ground nuts, popcorn, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, maize meal... How humbling to receive this from the overflow of their hearts – I must confess at times I had tears in my eyes.

This church is alive! It is wonderful to see the evidence of a strong children’s and youth ministry. The women’s ministry is excelling under the leadership of a Samfya Bible School graduate. They are evangelising both door to door and in the market place as they reach out to their community. These people are clearly being taught well and love the Lord.

After the service we retired to the house of one of the elders and waited for a most delicious meal to be served. Again their hospitality was an amazing blessing! We had a discussion after the meal – I have been in many of these before. This one was different – it was not just the elders, but the deacons and the deaconesses as well. These people are working together like I have never witnessed in a village church before – they love each other and they love to serve the body!

The needs in a church like this continue to be resource material for Sunday School, Youth work, Bibles... As you will see in the photos they are also in the process of building a new church building – it is all made of concrete block and the next job is to get a roof on the building. It is very large but they need it, there were 317 people in the service today! If only I had a supply of iron sheets I would give them – these people are not waiting for handouts – they are actively working, doing the work of the Lord and also building infrastructure to bless the people.

The old church building with the new building being constructed, visible in the background. They intend to use the old building for a skills training programme in carpentry and sewing!!

I would love to be able to pick you all up and bring you to a church like this – it changes the way you think! Is the Bible Training happening through Samfya worth it? There is no doubt. It has blessed this church and their leaders are looking at the teacher training that the Bible School will be running next year. Praise the Lord for His grace so active in this place.

DR Congo Graduate

Talaka from Kasenga, DR Congo

Talaka is a graduate from 2009 and lives with his wife and family in Kasenga, DR Congo.  He is visiting Samfya as there has been a donation from the UK sent for the church that he is part of as they are extending the building due to significant growth with well over 300 people attending the church. In 2010 Gwen Katie & I visited this church and I was privileged to be part of a leadership training seminar there with the Bible School staff and graduates and leaders from this area.

Talaka reports that his agricultural training from Samfya Bible School has helped him incredibly. Whereas prior to training he would have to seek extra work to keep food on the table he can now live off the produce he grows and also has money to invest in the work in the local church, including buying materials for children’s work. He is only able to grow food during the rainy season because all the people around have goats and pigs and in the dry season they are allowed to roam and they destroy gardens!! But he makes enough in the rainy season to supply his needs for the year. He also mentioned that the budgeting training he received at Samfya has helped him plan his finances properly.

Talaka is not holding back his knowledge – he has been training up people from his church to be more productive. This can only be good as they raise the standard of living and invest more back into the work of the Lord in these village churches. I also have been informed of another student in Luapula who has done so well from agricultural production that his work for the Lord has been able to expand and he has even been able to afford iron sheets for his roof! What a blessing to see the work of the Lord increase and also the standard of living of these dear brothers and sisters improve through very simple education processes!

Teaching, Staff and Prayers

I am writing this at 2pm on Friday. My week of teaching is done, however I have one catch up day next week to cover. It is certainly a blessing every time I teach 1 & 2 Timothy to see how much application there is to the students lives and their home churches. I have been very impressed with the questions these people have asked – they are digging deeper and wanting to apply the truth to their lives and church ministries. Keep praying for them for understanding and opportunity to pass on the things they are learning.

A gentle breeze is coming off the lake and I can hear heaps of children enjoying swimming at the beach we cleared of weeds two years ago – that beach is a hit with the locals!! But it is hot and I am glad I am out of the classroom and able to wear shorts again! Perhaps I should join the kids for a swim!

(this is my view accross Lake Bengweulu from the guest house as I type!!)

Yesterday I had a very profitable time with the teaching staff, Levy, Peter & Francis (Bible) and Aaron (agriculture). We were able to have an open discussion about the challenges that the Bible School faces but also the joys and plans towards the future. One of the areas that we have tried to help the Bible School in is funding for an Administrator. We have been helping with this now since January 2011, sending a gift of approximately NZ$275 per month (based on our strong dollar). This has only been able to help with having a person here part time – it has been a help, however not having an administrator here full time slows all processes down, especially the delivery of finances for needed areas.

To give some perspective to this a person employed in the secular workforce would expect to receive around $625 per month, so we are supporting less than half what is needed to supply this need. Interestingly the support that we give to the teachers is also at this lower level and I know that the Bible School board has been trying to establish the means to raise their support (Please be aware the staff did not raise this with me, but I know there are challenges). Regarding another administrator, there is another man who currently comes to teach on the issues of HIV/Aids who is interested in the work here. He has the administration background as well as a degree in theology so could help with some teaching.

We spent quite some time discussing the Bible Sponsorship that we facilitate.  This ministry is vitally needed. This year we have been able to supply 1678 Bibles – praise the Lord!! More would be great! 30% of these are being sold from the Bible school and the money raised from this is going to provide funds for the teaching staff to go and visit graduates, do leadership training and identify further students for the years to come. The remaining 70% are being sent to areas where graduates are serving. These graduates will sell them at an affordable rate to their people and the money will be used to help them in their ministry. One box of Bibles (28 Bibles) will cover the purchase of a Bicycle for ministry, or a tent for the frequent teaching and evangelism trips that they do. Some of this 70% will also be sold in these village areas and the money raised will provide partial scholarships for students to come and study at Samfya.

(Bibles being unloaded to the bookshop)

The visit of the Bible School staff to village areas is vital for the ongoing growth of these rural churches. The leaders in these places need support and teaching – so the visits that the staff do are critical to change and growth, helping people to break away from tradition (both church and culture). Your support of buying Bibles helps this necessary work.

The departure of the missionary overseeing the building work is a challenge. The board has identified one of its members who will be able to take on an overseeing role in this – please pray for him – he has a background in construction supervision, however he is getting a little older.

An area that the staff would like you to pray for is the support and ownership of the Bible School ministry from local churches. Their desire is that churches would really help students to come, assist them with their fees, help with transport. Some students come from 100’s of kilometres away from  places in the Northern Territory or the Copperbelt, DR Congo, some even from Central province. The geographical spread is immense, but it is where Bemba is spoken. Pray that churches will also see fit to support the Bible School directly – it is their ministry and it benefits them greatly.

Well this is probably way to long, but I trust that it helps you understand a little more. We are privileged to help this work. Let’s keep prayerfully uplifting these our brothers and sisters to the Lord.

At class this morning some ladies arrived trying to sell this catfish - it is very big. They wanted a big price K100,000 around NZ$25.00!!

As I write this Gabrial the maintenance man has arrived with a big bandage on his hand. He proceeded to show me in his other hand a significant part of a finger that he has chopped off on the drop saw when preparing timber. He has also badly cut his hand. Would you please pray for a quick recovery and no infection - he is a capable man and needed in the work here. Oh for better medical facilities!


This Sunday I am teaching at at church where three graduates fellowship. It is about 60 kms from here close to Mansa. Thank you for your prayers.

Gospel Partners

 Let me introduce you to Elisha & Agnes and their family. Elisha is a man I came to know a few years ago as one who would exchange US$ into Kwacha. He started as a poor street marketer who was selling sugar in small plastic bags. He has gradually grown his business and he now has too very small shops in the market place (we would hardly call them shops). Elisha makes travelling trips to Dubai and Tanzania to purchase for his shops and also wholesales some goods to other areas. He is a true businessman and a fine Christian man.

God has blessed Elisha with much materially through his business, but this man constantly invests in eternity. He supports the Samfya Gospel Workers Trust, a group of Christian businessmen who fund regular ministry trips to village areas by evangelists and teachers, as well as often going on these ministry trips himself to promote the gospel. Three mornings a week, he and a team attend the local hospital to preach the gospel to the patients, and they also help with food and assistance for patients, especially for transport costs when they go home to their villages (I hope to attend one morning next week to witness this work).

No wonder his business is blessed – he continues to give with a grateful heart for all God’s blessings to him. I know very little of the various ministries that he is part of but it is clearly evident that he loves Christ and invests in eternity. Last Friday it was this man who drove me in his vehicle from the Mambalima Conference site to Mansa (about 90 kms) so that I could have my visa renewed. Elisha would not accept any payment for fuel even though he was turning around and heading back. He also organised the right taxi for my trip back to Samfya.

I find it a real privilege to work alongside men like this that are devoted to gospel ministry. Zambia is often seen as a place that has its hand out for money, however many brothers and sisters are doing all they can with the resources that God has given them to bless others. That applies to many graduates of the Bible School who exist on very little but expend themselves for the church and the glory of God. We see at the Bible School itself the chicken projects, broilers and layers that add significant income to the Bible School for its ministry. These people are genuine partners in gospel ministry – what a privilege to encourage them in their vital work and also bless them witrh the abundance that God has given us.

 

Peter & Patricia Tembo and family. Peter is an elder in the English Chapel - pray for meeting that he is organising next week with his elders for us to address issues of tradition in church and how they can make changes for the future.

Teaching Pastoral Epistles At Samfya

Today I began teaching the Bible School Students 1 & 2 Timothy. This will be a week long course, starting at 8am and finishing at 1pm each day. I was very impressed by the questions that these students asked. They are certainly thinking about the text and also of its implications on other portions of God’s Word. The picture below is in the new classroom block. Power is not yet connected, however the classroom is fully functional.

These Pastoral Epistles cover so much material that is essential in the village churches that these students come from: prayer in the church, women’s role, qualification of elders, the care of widows (with necessary application to orphans), the priority of the Word of God and teaching the truth. I count it a huge privilege to walk through these chapters with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It would appear to me that the training these students are receiving has improved significantly – the staff have worked hard to ensure they are truly equipping these people for fruitful service.

On Sunday I taught at the English speaking Chapel here on the Bible School site. With English becoming more and more common this church has the potential to have significant impact in the community but there is a real need to apply change to long standing traditions! Lucy & Elisabeth Chama were at the service (picture below), the widow and daughter of the previous Principal Rodgers.

Reports back fro m the Mambalima Conference have been incredibly positive – it seems that the clear teaching of truth is something that the people are hungry for (I am told they had a tally of 18,543 people – not sure how  they got that number but there were huge numbers of people). Oh that we can see more and more men & women trained for these needy rural churches. The Bible School staff indicate that a large number of applications for next year’s course have been taken, and also there is strong interest in the School teachers training during school holiday periods.

One need that I was talking to Levy Kasoma about today is for an additional teacher as they plan to begin a second year programme next year. There is much interest in this additional year and it would be wonderful to see it established. There is a potential teacher who has a BTh degree, has pastored in a CMML church for 14 years and is ready to come to Samfya and teach. He is also keenly interested in writing Bemba resource material to get into the hands of local churches – these are the kind of people that we need to partner with!!Maybe your church would like to consider sponsoring this man for this growing work. Let me know if you are interested in talking about this very cost effective supporting a national worker!!).

Well I have much more to do this week – we are working on the figures to see how much more is needed to finish the multipurpose hall and then looking at the potential next stages once things have consolidated. Thanks for your prayers.

Sunday afternoon entertainment at the park just behind the Bible School - probably about 3000 spectators for this local club game

More Photos from Conference

I have arrived back at Samfya after having my visa renewed at Mansa Immigration. Here are some Photos of the conference: One of the choirs singing in front of the rock - the pulpit is under this rock and you can see our team when we passed through here about two weeks ago.



The children singing as they walk up the dusty road after Sunday School lessons



School Teachers gathered to hear about the new training programme for them in their school holidays
beginning April 2013



The road that leads down to the conference has a lot of street vendors selling goods



These rapids are called Mambalima Falls and are 5 minutes walk from the conference site. I swam a couple of times in an eddy off to the side to cool off in the afternoon heat getting close to 40 degrees!



This area had heaps of cooking, although this was happening everywhere you went. This lady really wanted her photo taken!!



view down the river towards the Conference site



Levy - Sometimes the day is just too hot and long!!

Hungry Hearts – Feed Them The Word!

Well this afternoon was elective time and I was expected to give time for interaction and feedback. We tried that for the first 10 minutes, however with a couple of thousand or more people in an elective that is fairly hard. We ditched that plan and I taught on the role of an elder – what should an elder do? I was blown away by the response and desire from these people to hear God’s Word. Notebooks were out, people were constantly writing. They were devouring the Word of God and its explanation – they are hungry to hear truth explained and as I talked with the Bible School staff later we reflected on the lack of depth that happens in the teaching in many churches here.

Praise God for his work in these dear saints. We have been able to leave each church represented at the conference with two translated copy of John MacArthur's small booklet on Elders. The Bible School staff translated this resource as it covers so many necessary areas for these rural churches to grapple with and will reinforce the teaching from today's session.

After this meeting it was a joy to see many school teachers come and visit with the Bible School staff as they promoted the new training initiative for teachers in their holiday breaks starting in 2013. These people were keenly interested in taking in teaching that will equip them for further ministry in their local churches. Pray that this new initiative will really impact lives! At the same time a troop of kids came singing up the track having just had a Sunday School sessions.

I wish I could convey all the sights and smells and experiences of being in this huge throng of humanity (they report 18,000 people - maybe a little inflated but it is packed). It is alive with joy in Christ. There are more challenges than you could imagine with various ministries desiring help. Life in Christ is such a blessing and these people are rejoicing in this life and also desiring to learn so much more. What a privilege to see Samfya Bible School play such a significant role in the teaching and focus of this event. Please pray that even more students will be identified for the coming years so that the church here will be strengthened and grow.

Tomorrow I head to Mansa to have my visa extended and then I head home to Samfya. Next week I will teach the Bible School students through 1 & 2 Timothy. As always your prayers are valued, and thank you for the regular feedback coming through.

Bibles and Vision

Please meet Kafusha Kanyemba a graduate of Samfya Bible School working in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kafusha has been attending conference but today makes his way back to the border, across the Luapula River and home. He is taking three boxes of Bibles (84 Bibles) and these Bibles will be sold at affordable rates to the village Christians in the Congo and the funds raised are going to provide three sponsorships for students to Samfya that have been identified by two churches there. What a blessing Bibles are – meeting the needs of Christians but also supporting ministry.

If you look at Kafusha’s bicycle you will see that it is just about worn out. These graduates are very active in ministering to churches and bicycles make them so much more efficient in the use of their time. Sponsorships for Bicycles would be a real blessing costing around NZ$130 each.

  Since arriving at the Conference Levy and the Bible School staff have been burdened to design a course for School Teachers. Many of these people are placed in village areas and they have good English and can have a significant effect on the ministry of local churches. The staff are planning a Certificate in Biblical Studies that will be available to these teachers in their holiday break times. Here is what the course will cover:

• Theology Survey - Theology Proper, Bibliology, Anthropology, Soteriology
• Bible Interpretation
• Expository Preaching
• Biblical leadership
• Biblical Counselling

There is likely to be electives of women’s Ministry and Sunday School ministry to cater for the many lady teachers that are also in these rural schools. Zambia has a very large school system right through rural places and teachers are often placed in these rural areas for a number of years. This vision of inputting into these teachers lives and seeing them strengthen local churches is very strategic. I am excited that we can partner with people who are thinking mission and strengthening local churches. Praise God for these faithful people.

Answered Prayers

Your prayers certainly sustained and blessed the people as we studied Acts 11:19-30. The people’s response has been overwhelming – they just love having truth proclaimed and seem to have an earnest desire to live in accordance with God’s Word. It seems that there are thousands more people here today, they continued to pour in from all around Bemba speaking Zambia and even some from DR Congo.

Currently a teacher from Kashikishi Bible School is teaching on evangelism and that call of the church to reach the lost. He constantly refers to my message – so it is good to see that the foundation that the Samfya Bible School staff desired has been set and is giving these men support in their ministry. Keep praying friends. I have various personal meetings today and teach a leadership workshop tomorrow.

The Bible School book table. We are selling bibles at an affordable rate to the people (not cost price). The new shipment just arrived in time and the people so desire to get a copy of the scriptures.

Teaching On Leaders Roles in Church Ministry

Well today was a long one – 8am-8pm at the conference site which is hot, dusty and full of people. The children gather around just to gaze at this strange looking man – it feels like you are the main attraction in a zoo!

Well today I led the opening teaching sessions of the conference addressing leaders and how they are to guide the church in its ministry. We focused on the four major themes of Acts 2:42 and we focused for some time on the Apostles doctrine with a close look at Paul’s admonitions in 2 Timothy.

The response has been very affirming – the desire was to lay a foundation for the other speakers during the week. We also had a number of personal interactions with church leaders seeking advice and counsel and help.

Tomorrow I will teach from Acts 11:19-30 on the Characteristics of The Spreading Church. Your prayers are valued! I am keeping well and rejoicing in the fellowship of the Bible School Staff who are looking after me very well!



all four of these are the view from the pulpit at conference

Me under the big rock where the pulpit stands waiting to teach

Photos From Conference Site

Camping out under the stars



More camp sites



Cooking time!



Ready for meetings

Helping at the Bible School Book Stand

I am sitting and helping at the Bible School book stand at the conference. A continual flow of trucks arrive with choirs singing and people offloading. The place is beginning to fill up and the heat is building. I am looking out across the beautiful Luapula River and the D.R. Congo is within swimming distance. Already the programme has changed again (2nd time) and my opening sessions have been put off to Tuesday morning, but we have also added elders workshops on Wednesday.

I am sitting with Peter Chomba one of the teaching staff and he is talking about the book that he is currently writing on Biblical Counselling. He is the teacher that we sponsored for training in South Africa with Dr Mack and Dr Joel James. The book will be written in Bemba and directed to the village church leaders. Peter is also desiring to write a book on Expository Preaching once the counselling one is complete.

This is very exciting news! Good Bemba resources are few and these two particular areas are of great need to be taught and applied in the churches. Of course the challenge will be coming up with the necessary capital to see the printing and supply of these resources as reasonable rates. What an incredible blessing however to partner with these precious saints as they work to see the local church grow and deepen in Biblical Truth.

I will update the blog later this evening with some photos of the conference site for your interest – it is very humbling to see the circumstances here and an encouragement to here the praise of God on the lips of these saints.

In Mambilima

Greetings all I am in Mambalima with the Bible School staff. The conference starts tomorrow, however the programme has already changed and we start after Lunch now, not in the morning. I do value your prayers for this week and that my teaching would open God's truth to our brothers and sisters and be motivation for further change in the way leaders are leading in their churches.

Already hundreds of people have arrived. We are staying a few kilometres up the road at a Mission where there is a hospital and disabled school. We are staying in one of the dorms for the school. I will post information as the week unfolds, but the pictures below are of my room for the week and then one of the Luapula River right where the conference is being held. The river will be the bath and dishes washing place for the expected thousands

The Journey North

Hi all – what an interesting day. I was on buses for 18 hours and I had so many opportunities to share the gospel with people and also talk to others about their faith. The people here are so open to talk about spiritual issues.

One very funny thing happened as we approached a weigh bridge. New regulations have been applied and there is absolute bedlam as every truck and bus is weighed to try and ensure weights are legal. Well before we got to the weigh bridge we stopped and off loaded a large number of people and put them in a minivan. They were taken and dropped on the road side well past the weigh bridge. We then proceeded to be weighed and we failed. So more people were taken off and walked a short distance out of the way and then we went around again. Still too heavy!!

Well I am not sure what happened then but it took ages. Maybe a fine was paid or a bribe, I don’t know, but after more than two hours we were away again. We picked up our two sets of offloaded passengers and the driver put his foot down. Despite losing all that time we arrived in Samfya on schedule because we flew along! This bus is used as a cargo carrier for small business people who buy supplies in Lusaka – it is a double decker, very high with huge luggage compartments underneath and they load it to the max!!

It is very windy here at Samfya today coming directly off the lake, but nice and warm. The swamp flies have hatched (every month) so tonight it will be doors closed and lights to a minimum so I don’t get overrun by bugs!

The Team in Botswana waiting for a game drive



King of the beasts having a lazy reat in the heat of the day

God's Majestic Creation

The majesty of Victoria Falls



African Wild Dogs - a rare sight as opposed to vilage dogs that are everywhere!!

The Next Stage

 As I write I am on the bus north heading to Lusaka and then Samfya – about 15 hours of buses rides in one day. The team is at Livingstone International Airport ready to get home – Daniel a bit sore after meeting a rock while white water rafting!! Last night we were able to reflect on our time together and the challenges and joys of the things we have been exposed to. We have all been blessed by the hospitality and devotion of our brother s and sisters in Christ from village areas. We also rejoiced in the good work  that was evident among the many graduates – the ministry of the Bible School is making real differences in village life.

It is a difficult dynamic being tourists in a place like Livingstone after all we have seen in the North, however we have been reminded of the incredible wisdom and creativity of our God as we witnessed Victoria Falls and enjoyed the diversity of wildlife that our God has created. He has given us all things to enjoy as 1 Timothy tells us, but we must never place our hope in the riches that he blesses us with, but rather on Him and being wise stewards of all that He has given . For me that is why the investment of time and money and energy in Samfya Bible School is such a blessing – it impacts thousands and thousands for Christ.

I should arrive back at Samfya at around 2am on Saturday morning, sleep for a while and then head away after Lunch for a week long conference at Mambalima. The Bible School staff have been vitally involved in the committee organising the conference, and their focus is on what the local church should be and do. I start off the conference with two sessions on leadership and how leaders are to function and what they should be desiring for the church. The rest of the sessions then build on this over the whole week and we will be there to interact with people and leaders and help them in their role in church life. We also trust to make contact with many potential students so that next year there could be an intake of up to 30 soaking in God’s truth.

Once back at Samfya I am to teach the students and also spend much time with the staff in planning and looking towards the future. I hope to work through with the staff some of the chapters in Jerry Wragg’s book on leadership. Would you please pray for these weeks ahead that much will be achieved for the Kingdom and that as further plans are established that we would find more partners to help this ministry expand.

It is a challenging thing to know that for many of the village churches that span through hundreds of kilometres, the only source of encouragement they receive from outside of their region is from the Bible School – often the only supply of Bibles and help for their work. Friends let’s store up treasure in heaven by investing in this humble but growing work – your support makes a real difference!

Camp Conference with 1750 Others at Mwewa

Wow what a weekend. With 1750 others we camped in tents they were out under the stars! You have never seem so many children and young people and families – all gathered from about 23 churches and coming to share in a conference titled “Stepping Into Eternity.” During the Sunday School we estimated there were around 200 children, and then the young people in the late afternoon would come in singing and dancing in joy before the Lord.

It was humbling to be with these people – they have so little and yet their love for the Lord is so evident and their friendliness fantastic. We were able to meet with 5 graduates of the Bible School that come from this area. They are very active in the local church and also have work happening in about 5 church plants. They co-operate together in these plants, doing evangelism door to door and in the market places. They are the people that are motivating much ministry through the church network – youth, children’s, teaching...

The challenges these people have are common to most graduates. The need for literature is extreme. We have only just received the Bibles at Samfya while we were away at the conference, but there is the need for more resources in discipleship, bible studies – but in the Bemba language. All of them have transport issues, with needs for bicycles or spare parts to keep bicycles going – not having effective transport makes life so much more difficult as they have to walk significant distances to minister to the churches around them. One graduate has a wooden leg and he walks 6 kilometres to the church plant every Sunday! Bibles are always in need – one church plant of 65 people has 8 Bibles and another of 25 people has 4 Bibles.

It is good that we have received the Bibles supply and boxes will be sent to this region. They have identified 3 students for next year and the small amount of money that these are sold for will go towards a scholarship to help these students attend the Bible School.

It is a sobering thing to share with these people when we know how much is available to us in our own church and also how much is there in the English language. The need to translate material is significant, but that takes time and money and planning. Oh that there might be even more partners that would get behind the vital ministry of the Bibles School – its impact is right across the Bemba speaking area of Zambia and even into the Democratic Republic of Congo. The graduates are doing wonderful work with their very limited resources. Praise God for their faithfulness to the calling they have in gospel ministry.

A new area of ministry is also being identified by the Bible School staff. There are many Christian teachers in these rural areas. They usually have reasonable English and are significant helpers in local church work. The staff here are thinking through possible training to these teachers during their holiday breaks, equipping hem further for the work in local churches. There will also be a follow up to this area for Sunday School Leadership training – with 50% of the population being under 15 years of age, the needs to teach these children about Christ are huge – and they are always so very receptive.

Well please keep praying for this work – we will give further reports on this time in the days ahead. Tomorrow at 5am we drive to Lusaka – a long day but we are rejoicing in all we have seen!

People everywhere!!


Anyone for Nshima??

Sunday School on Saturday!!

Counting the sticks - one per person attending = 1750!!


Five graduates working in the Mwewa area


Meetings in progress