Meet John Chitambo

"...and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him." James 5:15

John Chitambo and his wife, Victoria, have four children: Ruth, 24, Joshua, 22, Ethan, 19, and Emmanuel, who just turned 18 last week. Formerly a math and science teacher, John now works part time for Action Zambia as an HIV/AIDS consultant in the C.R.O.S.S. program (Churches Ready to Overcome the Silence and Stigma of AIDS). John helps to strengthen local churches as they implement counseling programs for those who have HIV, or who want to reach out to the many Zambians who are suffering from this horrible disease.

John has a heart for the sick and the downtrodden largely because his life has been marked by God's faithfulness in the face of illness. In the past few years God has truly tested John and his family pertaining to medicine, in that his son Joshua was recently diagnosed with two shrunken kidneys. His doctors are not sure what is causing this condition, which has caused Joshua to have to go get dialysis for many hours each week, but they maintain that others with his condition have been known to heal with time. The faith of John, of Joshua, and of the rest of the family has been tested greatly in the past year, but God has provided for them even in the midst of this difficulty. Pray that He continue to do so!

John became a Christian in 1980 at the age of 17. After finishing high school, he spent a year in the Zambian National Guard before attending college for two years to become a teacher. For the next 16 years, John worked as a science and mathematics teacher before joining the Action Zambia team. He currently lives in Libala compound, which is a poor suburb on the outskirts of Lusaka. John has been a pastor since 1997, and he is now copastoring a church in his neighborhood.

Thank you for everything you do to suppport John and his family as he sacrifices his time and his resources to take ABI classes three times per week. John truly has a heart for God's people, and the training that he receives is helping him to weekly grow and excel as a humble shepard. Please be praying for the health of his son Joshua as he continues to battle kidney disease, and for the rest of their family as they pray for God's healing.

Above is a video of John introducing himself and his family. If you are receiving this update via email, you may need to click here to see the video. Thanks and God bless!