The preaching begins...

As you probably already know, I am teaching through the book of Romans
during this quarter and the next. I decided early on that I would share the
wealth with my pastors. I picked a different passage in each chapter,
spreading them out over the 16 chapters and the 6 months we will be going
through this book. Though they picked these passages out of a hat randomly,
there is never randomness with God. This was proved true in the first sermon
that Pastor Anderson Jere preached. He preached on the passage from Romans
2:25-29. The taught that neither circumcision (as the Jews claimed) or
going to church or baptism or anything else we DO on earth will save you. It
is only by grace, by faith, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we
can be made right with God. He shared an amazing testimony of his first
church experience where this church claimed they were the only true church.

Not only am I hoping to help these pastors learn how to preach this
extraordinary book, but I am also hoping that they still remember what we
taught them in the preaching class a few quarters back.

My fears were relieved. Pastor Jere preached great.

After each sermon, the pastors are allowed to share their feedback and that
was also encouraging to me as they were able to articulate not only what he
did well, but how the preacher could improve in the preaching model that I
have taught them.

All in all, a good start...

Stories

This past week in an APC course,Tracy asked the pastors to share their stories of counseling situations. Pastor Mumbi relayed an experience that not only showed him to be a wise counselor, but left the students laughing.

 

Late one night at about ten or eleven, there was a knock at his door from a man in his church. This man was ready to divorce his wife and asked Abusa (pastor) to come. As they made their way through the streets of Kanyama the husband began to explain what had happened to make him want to get out of his marriage. Apparently he and his wife rented a house from his brother and sister-in-law. Shortly after they moved in, the sister-in-law took it upon herself to regularly buy food and come to the rental house to prepare it for them. The situation became intolerable for the husband’s wife and a conflict erupted. A true cat fight ensued, culminating with the wife biting off part of the landlady’s ear. For this the husband wanted to divorce his wife.

 

While still walking to the husband’s house Pastor Mumbi firmly told him that he was not going to divorce his wife and there were two reasons. Number one, biting someone’s ear off is not cause for divorce. Number two, the husband was at fault. The husband was incredulous. His fault? Mumbi said, no, you are the head of the house, and you are responsible for this woman coming into your house and interfering with your wife’s duties.

 

When they got to the rental house the landlady stood there with her ear bleeding but had managed to retain the bitten chunk of ear. Talk of going to the police filled the air. Mumbi said, “There will be no going to the police. You, the sister, who have injured this woman, will take her to the clinic and pay for treatment. This is not a police matter.” And she did.

 

To this day, the couple are faithful members of his church. In fact, a new pulpit for Pastor Mumbi mysteriously appeared one Sunday morning soon after the incident, which was also our first time visiting his church. No one knew where it had come from. But somewhere, there was a grateful couple who are still committed to one another.

 

 

Pastors Advancing through Retreating

From

Class starts today, but I just wanted to share some highlights of last term... Sorry  about the delay in posting...
Thanks for your faithfulness...
Steve







We enjoyed a great day with the pastors at our Ciyanjano day retreat. It was encouraging in so many ways. I had purchased a football for the day from an organization called Alive and Kicking but I didn't have a needle to pump it up. So, since the organization is on the way, we stopped by, got it pumped up and got a tour of the company. Click on the alive and kicking link to see their mission, It is just as impressive to see the people working, many disabled, getting a paycheck, and lunch everday. Really cool.



We then proceeded to Ciyanjano where we had a worship time led by Nathan Ngoma, our Anglican father/pastor in our group. It was great for our pastors to learn a different type of worship. He spoke about Ash Wednesday and the history behind the worship. We sang lots of hymns, which is very unusual for our pastors.



We had some time of sharing and prayer, a great football game where I redeemed myself after getting picked last (last? I never got picked last at the playground:), shutting out the famed Zulu brothers as a goalkeeper. We also had a blast throwing the football around. So funny watching good athletes struggle with throwing and especially catching since all of their athletic experience is with their feet. We also roasted some hotdogs and S'mores over a fire, which felt really nice in 80 degree heat:) We sent Pete off with a cool prayer time, too. He leaves Thursday, but this would be the last time these pastors saw him during this trip. Pete has done another significant job here in Zambia. He is a great question asker, understands the importance of dissecting the culture to minister effectively and is wonderful at building relationships... A huge thanks to Pete and to Oikos Church for letting us borrow your pastor!



We ended with a sweet prayer and worship time. It was a much needed time of rest and fellowship with these hard working pastors.

I'm sorry

I want to apologize that you weren't me this morning.  Seriously, what an amazing morning.  We had a great pancake with the pastors breakfast. Daddy mixes the pancake batter and Bradyn flips! We make a good team. 

 

So the pastors, Pete and I were talking this morning and Peter Zulu shared about the Neighborhood watch they are organizing in their compound. The past month, the police post was burned to the ground because of some injustice that went on, and so with no police post and very little police presence, Peter decided to organize a neighborhood group to walk the streets at night and provide  protection  for the community if someone sees or hears a thief.  He has over 70 people on his phone list, and just last night 24 people walked through the compound patrolling.  He was elected the chairman of this watch committee.  He said that he got the idea of how to help the community by the sessions with Bruce on community development a couple of weeks ago.  I was really encouraged by this. First of all, it is free. Second, he is now helping and befriending many non-Christians.  Third, he is helping the community.  And lastly, he is building a relationship with the police department as a partnership of protection.  Peter said he is using scripture to help guide the meetings. He is always the first one out in the streets as well, which is a big deal.  Once he is out, the others will come out of the house.  For a community that struggles with fear in every dimension, Peter is showing how faith in God can help overcome fears.  Anyways, amazing. 

 

Then,  Pete and I went with Peter and Joseph to visit Peter Zulu's church/school.  It is amazing the progress they are making at the school.  The building is done.  The kids are learning, 40 or so in the morning and another handful in the afternoon.  Amazing.  I have watched this building go up, bit by bit, and now to watch this building being used every day of the week by some of the neediest kids in the community to make a life-changing difference is impossible to even explain.  There was a little girl with orange hair which means that she is malnourished.  Three classrooms in one room.  Three teachers, volunteering.  On a river where no one ever dared to build.  And the bridge. It is almost done.  They are waiting on some rail lines. The water was so high, we couldn't even pass that way.  The bridge will bless the whole community. These kids sang some songs, and posed for the camera happy Mzungus. 

 

And then we went to Joseph's house.  I am pretty embarrassed that for as good of friends as we are, I haven't been there yet.  No excuses, especially in a Zambian culture where visiting one's houses is near the top in importance. Thankfully he is very gracious.  Anyway, it was so good to finally visit.  I met his week old daughter, Hope. What a beautiful little girl.  And I was able to snuggle with Joseph Jr. a bit as well.  He seems so aloof and disinterested when I am there. But Joseph told me that after I leave, he will run around the community telling everyone that a Mzungu came to his house and hugged him. Pretty funny.  The other funny thing was the other day, Kelly and Pete were giving Joseph a ride home and gave him an extra Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich.   He liked it so much he went and bought some Peanut Butter and Jelly and now his son Joseph Jr. doesn't want Nshima anymore, just a PB and J sandwiches.  Ahh, the lure of America!  After praying for their family, we went to Peter's house.

 

It was there that little Steve and I were reunited, yet, once again.  He is a chubby little guy, super cute and pretty chill with Mzungus.  It was great to see him again, and spend time in Peter's house with his family. Peter told me this week that Steve's brothers call him Professor (since I am Peter's professor). I thought that was pretty funny!

 

We then went from there to Patson's house where we were able to see his community school. Incredible.  I was chatting with Patson afterwards. He was very encouraged by our visit and support and encouragement. We had arrived at lunch time and so I asked them if the kids brought their own food.  He said, "No. We have started a feeding program." The feeding program cost about 1.2 million Kwacha a month  (around $250 and he doesn't make even that amount for himself in a month, I don't think) and so every day, these kids get some porridge for lunch.  “They are very poor.” He said.   Later he mentioned about the feeding program, "We started it by faith. You have to start by taking a step. Some days, we don't have the food and we just hold up our hands to God waiting for him to feed us."  Hello, Mr. George Mueller of Africa, nice to meet you. I am going to go eat some dirt around people less holy than you:)  Oh my goodness, seriously? Who does that? Who seriously lives by that kind of faith?  I have read books about people like you, but how is it that you are my student?  How does he do it? He doesn't. God does. He said, "God is the one doing this. He cares."  Later, he said, "Sometimes I just like to go and watch the kids. I love these kids. My heart is for these kids." 

 

So, like I said, sorry you were not me this morning. That makes me sad. But hopefully I made it up to you a little bit by letting you know what God is doing in and through the pastors here in Zambia. 

 

 

Pastors praying for the sick

One of the goals of our Pastors Leadership Development ministry is to
encourage pastors to serve not only their churches, but also their
communities. One of the ways we have done that is by arranging hospital
visitations for the pastors. I accompanied Patson Sakala (second to right)
last week to the Ngombe clinic to pray and minister to the sick who were
waiting to be seen by the doctor. So far we have 5 pastors in our ACTION
Pastors College who are committing once a week to visit their local clinics
to pray with the sick through the ministry that was introduced and initiated
by Luke Whitfield. It has been a great source of evangelism as well as a
few pastors have seen. What better way to get people into your church who
have been healed and/or prayed for at a clinic! Tonight we are taking the
next step by going to the Ngombe Pastors Fellowship to encourage the pastors
gathered there to also commit to visiting their clinics weekly to pray for
the sick and hurting. Please pray for us to this end!

Welcome to our World.

If this is the first time to this site, welcome! We are so thankful for you.  We have put together this blog to introduce you to the pastors who are part of the ACTION Zambia Pastor's College.  If you take some time, you will see pictures and videos and blogs about amazing pastors from the Lusaka, Zambia area.  If you are a returner, thanks for your patience. We look forward to updating more often this year and keeping the content current.  We want to invite you to watch a 6 minute video that will give you a quick look at all the pastors, their families and the churches that that they pastor.  We can't think of a better way to get you into the shoes of the pastors you are supporting and praying for.

True Worshipers Bible Church

Pastor Mumbi is one of the oldest pastors currently enrolled in the Action Pastor's College (he's the fellow on the left).  He also pastors one of the larger congregations represented in the APC class: regular attendance at True Worshipers Bible Church in Kanyama is over 100.  As a big church, True Worshipers is able to provide a regular salary for Mr. Mumbi, which is very rare in Zambia.  Most pastors work one or two jobs on top of their pastoring responsibilities, just in order to make ends meet.

Even though True Worshipers Bible Church is bigger than most house churches in Lusaka, the congregation breaks up into many smaller groups during the week to foster community and fellowship.  Located in Kanyama Compound, to the West of downtown Lusaka, there are many opportunities for these "Home Cells" to reach out in their neighborhoods as the body of Christ, praying for others and serving in practical ways.

Here's a video of Pastor Mumbi describing what a typical week looks like at True Worshipers Bible Church... enjoy!  As always, you might need to click here to see the video.

Preach the Word

Check out this update from the Action Pastor's College!

A while ago Pastor Steve recorded all of the Action Pastors as they preached, and then was able to show them their own sermons on video.  For any of you public speakers out there, you know what a valuable experience this can be.

Here is a taste of the progress that the pastors have been making.  Please continue to be praying for these men as they are led by God through many trials.

Thanks for all you do!

Meet Pastor Kaumba

Like many of the pastors currently enrolled in the Action Bible Institute, Bruce Kaumba was raised as a Catholic but wandered from his faith as a young man.  He fell into a rough crowd for many years, but the Lord brought a Christian friend into his life during High School.  Bruce came to know Christ as a result of this relationship, and he has been pursuing the Lord ever since.

Pastor Kaumba met his wife Cristobel while they were both attending a three year bible school.  In the six years following graduation they were married and served in various ministry roles as they started their family. They now live in a compound called Makeni-Simpson, which is located to the Southwest of Lusaka.


Nearly three years ago Bruce planted Sanctuary of Grace Church in Makeni-Simpson, and Bruce and Cristobel now run a small Christian school from their rented home.  They now have 30 students!  Bruce is also heavily involved in a local seminary in Kanyama, where he trains pastors to teach the scriptures faithfully.  Truly a teacher at heart, Bruce is always interested in passing on what he has learned himself.  His attitude is rare in Zambia, where knowledge is often used to maintain power rather than to raise up the next generation of leaders.  Please be praying for Pastor Kaumba as he works hard to provide for his family and to faithfully shepherd his flock for Jesus!


Here is a quick video of Pastor Bruce introducing himself: if you are getting this update via email you may need to click here to watch.  Thanks!

Meet Pastor Sakala

"Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability." 1 Corinthians 8:2-3

Patson Sakala and his wife Patricia have five children (Isaac, Patson Jr, Joyce, Gabriel, and Sherri), and currently live in a small two-room house in the heart of Ngombe (pronounced "nome-bay") Compound. In the past few years, however, the property on which they live has seen the expansion of a huge add-on. The five additional rooms on the side of their home serve not as extra living space, however, or for any business interests, but rather as a school for those who otherwise would not have access to education. A builder by trade, Patson has constructed this school with his own hands, often in the evenings after having worked a full day elsewhere to support his family. He truly gives beyond his ability for the furthering of the gospel in his neighborhood.

Patson is the son of a polygamist tribal leader from Mozambique. His mother, a Zambian, was his father's first wife, and so Patson spent much of his early childhood outside of Zambia until the Mozambican Civil War caused he and his mother to return to Zambia in 1989. A refugee, Patson had only a 4th grade education when he came to Lusaka, so he started looking for work as a builder. It was during this time that he met a local businessman and pastor who led him to Christ, and who helped to mentor him in the Lord as a father figure. Patson served in this man's church for several years, planting churches with him while working for his business, until deciding that he should continue to pursue his education. So at the age of 23 Patson began to study every evening until he was able to read and write in English, his primary motivation to be able to dive into God's word more deeply.

This period in his life gave Patson a passion for education that he has never lost. Today he is running a school built by his own hands, and is faithfully leading his family in the Lord as he attends ABI classes three times each week. Only a handful of his students are able to pay even a mere $3 per month for their education, so the teachers in his school work almost entirely for free. Patson works in constuction during the day in order to support his family, and in order to keep up basic maintenance at his school.

Please be praying for Patson and his family as they continue to support both a school and a church out of their own home. Please also be praying that they be able to fight through the many discouragements that they face daily, and that they would continue to trust in the Lord for the daily provision of their many needs. Thank you so much for all that you are doing for Patson and his family as he continues to take classes from ABI on top of a busy schedule with many other responsibilities!

Here is a brief video of Patson introducing himself; if you are reading this post via email you may need to click here to see the video. God Bless!

Changing the world, one church at a time.

As the year comes to a close, we want to again thank you for all your financial support, prayers, emails and packages.  As you probably know, we have 15 pastors that we are currently training in ministry as part of our Action Pastor’s College and our Discipleship College. These pastors reside in poor compounds and cannot afford Bible college.  Most of them work in addition to pastoring.  So, we are looking for sponsors who can commit to sponsoring these pastors for  a year to pay for a room in which to meet, to provide transportation to and from the training center, books, and a bag of mealie meal (their food staple) each month. With the economic crisis we know that there are many places one can invest money, so we don’t take it lightly that you might consider investing in our ministry. As we evaluate our program and the amount of money it takes to move forward, we have asked the question, is it worth it?        

In some senses, it is difficult to demonstrate in pictures why we think it is worth it. A word picture we like to use is comparing the ministry to the growth of a tree. A picture taken of a tree from day to day would not be very impressive. But a picture taken over a period of three years would show tremendous change and growth in a seedling. Christ invested heavily for that length of time in a few disciples who ended up changing the world! Our hope and belief is that Zambia will only be changed by such a similar investment in a few people for a long period of time. As we are patient and faithful to water and prune the tree, the fruit will come.

With the first year of the program drawing to a close, we are seeing lots of encouraging signs that we are on the right path. The pastors are growing in their love and understanding of the Bible. We have given them the tools to exegete and interpret passages, to know how the Bible came to be, and they have seen how God has guided the church through twenty centuries to the truth of the Scriptures. They have also  been taught how to interact with Jehovah Witnesses as well as how to address money matters in their congregations. Just this morning, one of the pastors could not say enough about how much he is learning and the impact it is having in his church and life. Because of the class another pastor changed the leadership structure of his church from a culturally Zambian model to a biblical model. We recently took two pastors down to the rural area to evangelize in villages and they couldn’t say enough about the importance of pastors being involved in missions.  Because day to day growth can be hard to gauge we delight in such stories as shared above. These stories are a confirmation to us that this path is worth every minute and every dollar spent. 

Recently the Pastoral Leadership Development team had an off-site retreat and one of the desired goals was to improve our responsibilities in partnering with prospective donors.  A significant way in which we can be a better partner is through our newly created Pastors Blog. In the past six months two interns have worked diligently to put together videos, pictures, and interviews on this blog. Hopefully this site will help our supporters to better understand the impact of their gifts.  If you would like to check out the site, the website is: www.az-pld-sponsor.blogspot.com. At least every three weeks, a blog will be posted and with the link provided you can check in on the latest from Zambia. By enabling you the opportunity to get to know all the pastors over the course of the year, the blog will serve to strengthen our partnership and broaden your heart and love for the pastors of Zambia.  

While it takes around $60 a month to sponsor a pastor, we don’t want you to miss out on being an integral part in this ministry. It may be that you could give $5 or $10 or $25 a month and that we can get more people giving smaller amount and yet still accomplish the same goal.  Would you consider joining us this year?  You can give monthly or a one-time gift.  If you would like to give, click here for the link to the Action International donation website.  Thank you again for partnering with us.

Meet Pastor Kashewe

1 Corinthians 10:31-So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Pastor Charles Kashewe wasn't looking to be a pastor, but when his pastor died, the church called on his to lead them. It has been a difficult road, but this humble young man is learning quickly. He is eager to learn, humble to change and desires deeply to see his church grow to love Jesus. Please pray for Charles for the courage to lead well and the wisdom to know how to lead well. Thank you!

Meet Pastor Phiri

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit"
-- Psalm 103:2-4

Please be praying for Pastor Phiri right now, as he has been forced to drop out of classes due to failing health.  Please also be praying for his family -- Martin and his wife have eight children.  This is not the first time his health has been poor, however, and just as God has been faithful in the past, so He will be now.

Martin grew up going to catholic school and was very successful in his studies, so much so that he was sent to London to study.  While he was there he got sick and consulted many doctors, though none of them were able to find a cure for a lack of appetite -- the hospitals could not do anything.  So Martin returned to Zambia, where he visited 21 different witch doctors, many of whom gave him tattoos that were supposed to free him of the spirits that were causing his sickness.  On the way back from receiving the last of these tattoos, he sat down on a bus next to a pastor who knew through the Holy Spirit that he was sick.  Phiri wanted to know which spirit had given him this knowledge, and the pastor replied that is was the Holy Spirit.  Martin was curious to know more, so he followed the man off the bus and prayed with him to become a Christian.   Martin regained his appetite immediately, and though he never met this man again, he was able to find a home church at Grace Mission Ministries.  Martin knows what it means to say that God heals; please pray that He would do so now.

Below is a video of Pastor Phiri introducing himself; if you are receiving this post via email you may need to click here to see the video.  Thank you for your support and God bless!

Meet Pastor Ngoma

"1 Corinthians 11:1 - Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ"

Father Ngoma is a man worth imitating. He is compassionate, humble, encouraging and purposeful. He leads a church at the Anglican church in Makeni (just outside of Lusaka) as well as oversees a community where the daily needs are overwhelming. Whether he is helping feed impoverished families, encouraging bereaving widows or ministering the HIV/AIDs ministry, Father Ngoma continually pours out his life for his flock. Please pray for Father Ngoma for strength and endurance as he ministers daily in Makeni.

Meet Pastor Simuyemba

"A joyful heart makes a cheerful face..."  Proverbs 15:13


Pastor Manuel Simuyemba has one of the most blessed and joyful hearts in the world, and when you meet him it is reflected in his face.  Always smiling and laughing, Pastor Simuyemba is one of the most gentle and humble men in the ABI program, which is saying a great deal.  He is an encouragement to all who are privileged to walk with him.


Pastor Simuyemba, until recently, was an elder at Libala Baptist Church.  Like many of the churches in Zambia, Libala Baptist is actively involved in church planting and community evangelism, and Pastor Simuyemba was leading the charge in these areas.  Three months ago, however, Pastor Simuyemba left Libala in order to plant a church in nearby called Grace Baptist Church.  Steve Allen had the opportunity to preach their a few weeks ago and returned very encouraged by the solid foundation that has been laid by this young church. The future is bright.  In the midst of great encouragement by this church, he is also facing a difficult challenge in that his contract was not renewed for the new year and he is currently unemployed. Thank you for remembering our brother Manuel!



Please be praying for Pastor Simuyemba as he leads his young church to reach out to their community, loving the poor and the widows and the orphans.  There is much to be thankful for, yet there are also many areas where they are still waiting on the Lord to provide for them.


Here is a video of Pastor Simuyemba introducing himself... be sure to click on the link if you are receiving this update via email.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Meet Pastor Chiwuswa

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." -- 1 Timothy 4:12

There are fifteen pastors currently enrolled in the Action Bible Institute, and all but one of them are married.  In the U.S. this might not be a big deal for the lone unmarried man, but in Zambian culture singleness and marriage carry very significant social connotations.  The married man eats before the unmarried man at meals, is addressed more respectfully in public, and so forth.  In this sense Zambia is far closer to Biblical culture than modern American culture: much the same way Paul encuraged Timothy not to let anyone look down on him because of his youth, young Zambian men likewise need to be encouraged that their faith speaks for them ahead of their culture.

James Chiwuswa has attended the Anglican church since childhood, and as a youth was very zealous for his faith, even being given his own congregation at age 21.  But he soon found himself surrounded with bad company, and so he gradually left the church as a drunkard in his early 20's.  After trying for many years -- unsuccessfully -- to obtain training as a mechanic, James found himself in a miserable condition, drunk and impoverished.  But God was gracious, and led him to move back home with his mother to live in Makeni Ecumenical Center, a small neighborhood center to the South of downtown Lusaka.  This decision led him to a renewed faith in Christ, and to this day he lives with family in Makeni Ecumenical Center, having been given another congregation in nearby Kalikiliki Compound.  James has not touched a drink since moving to Makeni, and he hopes to join the ranks of the married very soon to a beautiful, godly woman who he himself led to Christ with the rest of her family.

Please be praying for James as he prepares for marriage.  Also pray that he would have the ability to minister both to his flock and to his young family once he is married: the Anglican Church where James is a priest is able to provide only very little financially, yet God has proved himself faithful to provide for James thus far.  Many thanks also to you as you provide support for James as he takes time out of his week to learn more about God's Word which could be used for supplemental income or for further ministry to his people.

Meet Alfred Mulenga

If you were to ask the average Zambian today whether status and prestige are important, the answer would be a certain yes. Knowledge is power in a country where education is scarce; many pastors lord their position and their knowledge over younger men in order to retain their respected position. Even those who train up young men often fall into the trap of doing so harshly or with a critical spirit. Alfred, though a young man himself, has many reasons to boast he has been blessed with a wonderful family (he and his wife Gertrude have four children), and was only just recently admitted to the deaconate in the Anglican church after having completed his Anglican education. Yet Alfred Mulenga is a man with a gentle smile and a humble spirit, who is willing to serve others with gladness even when, by Zambian standards, he ought to be asserting his position.

Pastor Mulenga was raised in the church from a young age in the town of Kafue, which is about 15 miles south of Lusaka. Shortly after being married, a group of thieves broke into his home and began to steal things from him, but were caught by a mob as they fled. One of the thieves was severely beaten -- and eventually died -- despite Alfred's efforts to break up the violence against the very people who were stealing from him. After the incident, the rest of the thieves delivered death threats against Alfred and his family, so that they were forced to flee to Lusaka for fear of their own safety. Alfred soon found work at Makeni Ecumenical Center, where he has since finished his education and received a congregation in nearby Linda compound, where he is now serving as a priest.

Please be praying for Alfred as he continues to take classes from Action Bible Institute three times each week, having recently moved his family to Linda in order to live where he is actively involved in ministry. Also please be praying for God's continued provision for he and his family. The Anglican church is able to provide only very small means for its priests, so the support that you provide as Alfred takes classes from ABI has been, and will continue to be, a tremendous blessing. Please also be rejoicing with Alfred and his family, since being ordained to the deaconate is a tremendous honor. Hundreds of people came to the ceremony last month to shower the new deacons with gifts and to celebrate with them!

Here is a video of Alfred introducing himself... if you are receiving this post via email you may need to click here to see it. God bless!

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!

Meet Joseph Zulu

"Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?" 1 Peter 3:13

If there is one thing that you need to know about Joseph Zulu, it is the fact that he is a passionate follower of Jesus Christ. Not only in his preaching, but also in his everyday conversation, Joseph exudes a contagious zeal for the word of God and a love for the unreached which challenge as well as inspire. Even in the midst of discouragement and difficulty it is easy to see that Joseph is truly zealous for what is good -- for a life of obedience, for the unreached, and for the unity of his church.

Joseph, his wife Docas, and their two year old son Joseph Jr. currently live in Garden Compound, which is a very poor suburb located to the Northeast of downtown Lusaka. Joseph takes a bus into the city five days each week to teach Religious Education and Geography at a private high school. Public schools in Zambia usually require that their teachers obtain a university degree before teaching, but to teach at a private school only a basic teacher's training is needed, which Joseph was able to complete at a young seminary in nearby Kanyama compound. He has been thankful for the past few years to have a job where he can regularly speak the about the gospel to his students in an educational setting.

Joseph became a Christian on November 17, 1991, at the age of 21. There is a reason he remembers the exact date: that morning one of his good school friends told him that he needed to be "born again." Having been raised as a Catholic with his older brother Peter, he didn't quite know what that meant, but he thought about it for much of the day until he received a letter from Peter in the afternoon. The only thing that Peter said in his letter to Joseph was that he needed to be born again! "I don't know how God planned for it," he says. "It was a miracle." That night he went to a Bible study at his school where the topic was, again, the new birth. Joseph became a believer that evening, surrendering his life to Christ.

Ministry has been a hard road since then, but Joseph feels compelled by the Lord to shepherd a flock of believers. In 1998 he became a pastor, but discouragement and trial have twice caused him to want to quit. Each time, however, his call to ministry has been confirmed, and today Joseph is the preaching pastor at Triumphant Bible Church in Kanyama. Joseph is a zealous preacher with a heart for God's truth, and he preaches passionately about the need to share the gospel with those in Kanyama who have yet to accept Christ.

Thank you for supporting Joseph as he has opportunity to learn God's word more deeply through his ABI classes. You can be praying that Joseph would have continued wisdom and strength as he works a full time job, pastors a church, and takes classes from ABI three times each week. Please also be praying for Joseph's family, that God would continue to provide encouragement for them as they travel across town to attend church every Sunday.

Here is a brief introduction from Joseph himself: if you are reading this post via email you may need to click here to see the video. Thanks!

Meet Pastor Mwanza

"...make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need." 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Alfred Mwanza is a quiet man. He is not the first to speak up in class, to readily share his personal thoughts and opinions, or to be the life of the party. But Alfred is a man with tremendous wisdom and humility -- he has a heart for the poor and the unreached, he loves the Word of God, and he works hard every day to provide for his family.

Alfred and his wife Satilda became believers together shortly after being married, when Alfred was working in a factory. He soon realized that his work left him little time to serve the Lord, so he quit his job and learned to work in construction for a living. Although he had no formal training as a builder, the Lord was gracious to provide enough work for Alfred as he learned on the job. After several years as a builder, he began to learn how to work with metal, and to this day he works in metal fabrication and as a general contractor. Between these two specialties, Alfred still has time to care for his congregation.

Alfred and his wife have five children and two grandchildren. They live in Garden Compound, a very poor suburb to the Northeast of downtown Lusaka, where they began a church in their home. This church, Eternity Global Ministries, recently planted a daughter church in, so that now Alfred walks for more than an hour every Sunday to pastor this young church plant. Please pray for Alfred as he leads his young congregation, that he would have the wisdom to balance his responsibilities both a businessman and as a pastor. Please also be praying for Alfred, as he takes an ABI final exam this upcoming week, and for his children as they prepare for their own final exams in the weeks to come. Thank you for your all the ways that you are supporting Alfred and his family as they further the gospel in Zambia!


Above is a video of Pastor Mwanza introducing himself: if you are reading this post via email you may need to click here to watch the video. Thank you for your support!