-
...and I’m off again!
Nothing ever seems to be predictable where I'm concerned. My life seems to have a way of getting turned upside down every now and then with the unexpected always just around the corner...I'm not complaining, far from it. I'm so glad my life is the way it is, I love it, but it does make it hard to keep up sometimes. (For the record, you should be careful what you pray for...a few years ago I asked God to let me travel the world and see places and things I've never seen before...and he's well and truly answering that prayer...)
Right now, I’m sat in bed, with my bags packed (apart from my toothbrush), my boarding pass printed from the online check in, a sense that it’s not all real yet and a party over the road providing a soundtrack for the evening. The reason being that I’m back off to Zambia...tomorrow! Over the last couple of weeks as I’ve been telling people I’m going back to Zambia, the standard response has been “Oh, I didn’t know you were going again”...well, the truth is, I didn’t know I was going again either! It’s all come about pretty quickly... Dignity has had a trip during the second half of September in its diary for a while now and it had been on my mind that I could possibly go. I hadn’t committed to it though as I had booked 2 weeks off work in August to help out at a CPAS Cyfa camp. I figured I wouldn’t be able to get more time off work so soon after and hadn’t really asked about it. But I prayed about it and said I’d be willing to go if that was where God wanted me to be and left it at that. Little did I know one of those unpredictable turns in life was just around the corner. In July I found out I was going to be made redundant from my job as an architect...all of a sudden I found myself with plenty of time on my hands...but a whole lot less money! I started thinking maybe I could go now I had the time available but had my doubts about spending what money I do have on an air fare when there's no definite work lined up on my return - wouldn’t that be stupidity? Amazingly, just a couple of days after finding out I'd soon be redundant, an old employer contacted me to ask whether I'd be interested in possibly coming back to work there...but this was far from definite and whilst it was a possibility, it wasn't a surety. I would have to trust that if I was to go, spending what money I do have on a ticket, God would provide the work or the money for me to live on my return. Once again, I prayed about it and asked God to make it abundantly clear to me whether it was the right thing for me to go or not...I would take that step of faith if it was right, but wanted to be 100% sure and not just rush into something stupid. Two days after I had prayed about it I was talking to a friend over lunch. Out of the blue, he and his wife offered to pay for my ticket to Zambia...I couldn’t believe it! God had freed up my time...and was now providing the money I needed as well...all I had to do, was go! It’s a rare occurrence, but I was quite literally lost for words. Such generosity can be hard to receive, both from a friend and from God. It’s quite humbling when someone just gives you all you need to enable something to happen. Being quite fiercely independent by nature I find it hard to accept such generosity knowing that I cannot do anything to repay it...all I can do is say thank you and use the gift given wisely. (Oddly, I am quite happy to be the one who gives things to others, I just find it really hard to be the recipient.) I think it’s the same as when we think about how much Jesus has done for us, laying down his life for each one of us so that we can have life in all it’s fullness...and there is nothing we can do to repay it. It can be hard to accept that gift because of our determination to do it all ourself... Throughout the last two months where everything in my life has been uncertain and totally up and down I have felt nothing but peace, a deep sense of calm resting on my heart. There has been the odd flutter of fear about finding work and having enough money to live but these have been so short lived and soon overcome by this great sense of peace. Time and again, God’s timing in bringing things together has been perfect, from the overall plan to the little details. I feel like it says it Philippians 4 v 7... “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” This has been an even greater gift that I’ve been given. Without this peace, I think I’d be a wreck by now! So, once again and for the fourth time, I'm off to Zambia, but only for a short visit this time...just two weeks! I'm really excited to be getting the chance to go back and get stuck in again. Whilst I've carried on being involved with Dignity here in Manchester (doing lots of behind the scenes stuff necessary to help keep things ticking over) it's not quite the same as actually going to visit the people I spend time praying for and seeking to help. So, yey...I'm excited! In the two weeks I'm there I'll be helping out at two Life! conferences, in different areas, run by Dignity. At these conferences we will meet with between 30 and 40 people who want to start a Life! group in their village. Life! groups are simply groups of people that meet together in a village from different church backgrounds and the wider community. In rural Zambian communities there can be a legacy of division and competition, rooted in the deep desire to survive that we all have. We seek to challenge that, starting at the roots... Each Life! group has two aims; firstly to learn more about how to serve God individually and together and secondly to find ways of practically living that out by helping people in the community: faith and action growing hand in hand. The conferences I'll be involved with will help these groups get off the ground and to be organised within the areas we’re working, so right from the beginning, the groups will be owned by the local people. Dignity will continue to support them but will also be encouraging local leaders to step up and take the work forward. As people have grown in faith and understanding, the changes we have seen in villages where Life! groups have taken places are amazing...unity has grown in previously divided communities, husbands have stopped beating their wives, people have broken free of alcoholism, crime rates have dropped and eldery people and orphans have been cared for as people and churches have begun to work together! I’m so excited to be going back and getting involved again...it really is a privilege and a joy. Saying that though, I’ve just had a reminder of some of the less fun sides of it as a giant (well, giant by English standards) spider legged it across my bedroom floor at high speed. I had to prevent the reactionary girly scream that nearly escaped me, man-up a bit, catch it and chuck it out of the window!! I can’t be letting a puny English spider scare me if I’m going to cope camping out in the bushlands of Zambia again!! And on that note...I’m going to call it a day and get some sleep...if I can...I’m rather excited about tomorrow’s adventure!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just a couple of other things... If you’re the praying type: Thank God for, his perfect timing and provision, the way he can weave together all the different things in each of our lives, all to his glory...and for so many answers to prayer along the way. Please do pray for safe journeys, both for me and for those joining us at the two conferences - they may not have as far to travel, but they will each be coming a substantial distance by foot or bike. Pray for God to be at work in each of our hearts as we gather together at the conferences and also for God to be preparing the ground in the villages where Life! groups will soon be starting. And one last thing... I would really love to raise enough money to cover the costs of one of the two conferences I’m helping at...for just £300 we can feed all the people who come along to one conference and also provide them with the "Rooted in Jesus" books to help them start a discipleship group in their village. (If I managed to raise enough for both conferences that would be AMAZING!!) In my mind, equipping people to bring hope and change to their own villages really is money well spent! If you want to help cover the costs of one of these conferences please visit www.justgiving.com/jogoestoafrica - any money you give here will go directly to Dignity and the work they are doing in rural Zambia, along with any Gift Aid that can be claimed on your donation.
-
where did the last six months go?
Well, it’s been a while. I’ve been meaning to sit down and write the next stage of my blog for ages...about six months in fact! I’ve been intending to let you know that I got home safe and sound, found a job (miraculously I think, in a time of very little work for us architecty folks) and generally settled back in to life in Manchester. I think it’s a sign of how easy it is to get swept up in the every day busy-ness of life that it’s taken me six months to get round to it! So apologies for the delayed update on my return.
A number of friends have been asking me when I’m going back to Zambia again...not “if”, just “when”! Which makes me laugh - I’m glad people expect it of me now! I guess it shows that people think I stick at something when I start it. Sadly, I’m not planning a three month expedition this year, which in all honesty, I’m quite gutted about. I could do with some sunshine (although it’s beautiful in Manchester today) and a change of pace, but I’ve always said I don’t just want to go for the sake of going. I only want to go if it’s the right thing to do. This year I don’t think it is the right thing to do...there’s something else that I believe I’m supposed to be doing...here’s why...
The work in Zambia is growing and growing. We first started the whole idea of “Life!” groups in 2008...and now just 3 years later we have launched about 80 groups across 14 areas. A Life! group is a simple idea...it’s much like your cell group or home group. A group of people meeting together to study the bible and try to learn what it means in our day to day life. It really isn’t rocket science, but in a place where lots of people don’t have bibles, many people can’t read, training and teaching isn’t readily available and just feeding your family every day can be a real struggle there are lots of obstacles to something this simple being established and keeping going.
As part of a way of getting to know people in a new area, we regularly show the Jesus film as the sun is setting. (I can almost recite it in the local language Bemba now...) It’s an amazing atmosphere - anything between 50 and 200 people gathering in the dusk to watch a film projected on the wall of a mud hut! It constantly amazes me that people will come and say “I’ve been going to church all my life, but I had no idea that that is what Jesus did”. It is a real indicator of the level of teaching that some people are getting at church. There are just some huge gaps... 
Another problem facing the church in Zambia is that of division. In so many of the villages we visit there are already a number of churches, but sadly they are not on good terms with each other. Members of different churches will often refuse to greet each other, which in Zambian culture is a big thing. If different churches are fighting each other, how can they possibly stand strong together?
So, by establishing Life! groups we are seeking to create environments where people can ask questions, people can learn together and grow together. We try to break down historic divisions between churches to help create strong christian communities in villages.
We are seeing something amazing happening. As people meet together and grow in faith together, we are seeing God working in their hearts and then we are seeing the very practical out workings of this. Simple things, like less arguments between neighbours. Slightly bigger things, like a husband stopping drinking so he no longer beats his wife and can afford some food for his family with the money he would previously have spent on local brew. Even bigger things, like a lady taking in two orphans in to her family home...and even bigger things with communities coming together to look after one hundred orphans or the elderly in their village.
It really is amazing to see people who previously thought they couldn’t make a difference...now making a difference! People are discovering skills and talents God has given them and putting them to new uses...and all because they are being set free from the previous mindset that says they are of no use, no value and with no hope. God is giving them his hope and his freedom.
Now it’s not all fun and games all the time. There are plenty of hiccups along the way. Times people hurt each other. Times people disagree. Times people give up. Times the rains comes and people simply can’t get together because the roads are so bad. Times people are so busy planting their crop they don’t have the time and everything grinds to a halt...but that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. We are seeing group leaders stepping up and encouraging one another, visiting another group who is struggling and helping them keep going. One leader saw a problem in his neighbouring village and so decided he could do something about it and went to support them. How ace is that? Zambians helping Zambians. They are so much better at understanding one another and encouraging one another than I ever will be!
Natural leaders are emerging from different areas and as they keep going, so must we keep going with them. We believe that God trusts them to be his hands, feet and voice in their villages and we trust them too. Our role is to encourage and support those God has placed in each village as they step up in faith. Alongside this, we also continue to reach out to new areas through different people we meet. Strong leadership teams in one area are beginning to help us reach out to new areas. There is a movement growing and becoming stronger that is made up of individuals each seeking out God’s will for them and growing in faith in a way that means their faith is more than going to church, it is a faith with actions.
As a small number of people are emerging as area leaders and giving us more and more of their time we recognise that we must help support them as we would a missionary going oversees - they are simply missionaries to their own people. We need to strike the right balance in this, not drawing people in for money, but when people give their time and efforts we want to help stand with them in this. Along this line, we are beginning to establish Impact Teams, a group of three leaders who give two weeks time to help encourage existing groups and reach out to new areas, and then spend two weeks doing their everyday business. In this way, they maintain their own independence and do not cut all their previous means of survival, but can also give some time to really push forward in their own areas and reach out to others. We are learning on the job here and the exact details are becoming clear as we take one step forward at a time, but loosely speaking, to support one Impact Team of three local leaders will cost about £6000 per year. We hope to have two Impact Teams up and running by the end of this year.
But what has this got to do with me not going to Zambia? It seems like there’s loads going on out there to get stuck into...and there is! There is also loads going on behind the scenes...stuff that needs to go on back here to allow all that is happening in Zambia to carry on. The increase in work means an increase in spending, a greater need for people to get hands on and go to share skills they have and a greater need for prayer.
This year, I think God is calling me to serve him here, to simply get on and do it! I have committed to giving one day a month to spend in the Dignity office helping out with communications, fund raising and helping spread the word about what we do. I’ve also joined the board of the charity so am getting to grips with what this means and how it looks and how we continue to maintain our focus. It’s totally new to me. I’m definitely not an expert, but I am enthusiastic and willing to give it a go! A group of us who all support the work of Dignity have begun meeting every six weeks or to simply to pray and share some food (of course!) and you’d be welcome to join us anytime - just give me a shout if you want to know when we’re next meeting!
So, there you go...that’s what I’m doing. I’m still very involved with the work of Dignity...just in a different way at the moment and from the comfort of my own home...The wonderful thing is, that as I have begun to explore this slightly new adventure, I'm finding that God has already been putting preparations in place, he has been teaching me and getting me ready to do this. He has set things going already and I just have to keep faithfully putting one foot out in front of the other. It's a totally different type of adventure, but no less fulfilling! To me, it's proof that God fills us and equips us with exactly what we need, when we need it...and knows us so very well!
Of course, I still have the wondering bug in me and I’m possibly joining a short two or three week trip to Zambia later this year...let me know if you want to come with us to find out what all this looks like for yourself!
You can get involved in all that's going on and that Dignity has the privilege to be doing in whatever way suits you...you can pray, you can give (be it time, money, expertise...) or you can go!
If you want to know more or get involved, please feel free to email me: jo@dignityonline.org.uk
-
mkushi to mombasa to kimilili
So, it’s December already! I find it hard to believe it’s December as I’m sat out on the verandah at the IcFEM guest house, it’s 10am and it’s already shaping up to be another gloriously sunny day. Everyone is talking about snow back home and I just can’t get my head around the fact that it really is that cold...and in exactly one weeks time I will be back on English soil, the sunshine a distant memory and the freezing cold weather a very present reality. I think it’s going to hurt!
Last time I wrote I was still in Zambia, tying up lose ends and getting ready to leave. Generally I managed to finish off most things that I meant to (although of course I was doing some stuff the evening before I left!) Zambia gave me a typically Zambian goodbye; I had a long debate with the lady at the check-in desk about whether I was allowed to take two bags (as clearly stated on my ticket) or whether I had to pay extra for the second (I didn’t in the end but it took a while!) and then as I was waiting for my flight I ended up having three long conversations with various people who just wanted to say hello. It just wouldn’t happen at Manchester or Heathrow!
I was on my way to Kenya to meet Jo (Riley), Jo (Finlay) and Angie (Browne - I feel I need to include her surname as I gave you the Jo’s surnames!) Jo, Jo and Angie were on their way home from IcFEM (where I am now) and we had booked a weeks holiday in Mombasa together. We were taking the overnight train from Nairobi and I was due to meet them at the train station at about 6pm to check in, with the train leaving at 7pm. Thanks to Kenyan Air I arrived in Nairobi two hours later than planned with just 30 minutes to get to the train station and an hour and a half before the train left. The guy who was picking me up said that in the current rush hour it could take up to 2 hours to get across town from the airport the train station...great! We made it in a mere 45 minutes though by using lots of pot-holey little back roads, cutting across petrol station forecourts and driving along pavements, as you do!
Anyway, I arrived just about on time to the train station and it felt both very surreal and very normal seeing the Jo’s and Angie there. We all had to do a quick comedy reshuffle of our bags on the station platform as we didn’t want to take all our luggage to Mombasa and then we piled on the train and were off! We travelled first class....a first for me but I can assure you, Kenyan first class is quite different to English first class! Basically it meant we had a little cabin to ourselves with some fold down beds so we could try to get some sleep. We had a fifteen hour journey ahead of us so after eating our tea (in the dining car) and watching a film (on a laptop - the first class cabin didn’t come equipped with cinema!) we settled down for the night. Generally I found sleeping quite difficult as the train was so bumpy and bouncy that it just kept making me laugh!! I think I got some sleep but I’m not really that sure...
Turns out the Rift Valley Railway is pretty punctual and we made it to Mombasa at 10am as planned and for the next five days my life consisted of lazing by the pool, wandering along the beach and paddling in the sea, snorkelling with some amazingly colourful fish, eating yummy food and generally catching up with Jo, Jo and Angie. It was so great to take some time out, do as little as we wanted and just relax and have a laugh. Mombasa being a tourist area there are lots of folks out and about trying to sell you stuff so walking along the beach was never quite as relaxing as it sounds, but I really can’t complain. It’s a long time since I’ve had a holiday for holidays sake. Most my “holidays” become working holidays like Cyfa camp where I do the catering. Whilst I love doing those type of things they are hardly times of rest and relaxation!
All too quickly the days whizzed by and before we knew it it was time to head back to Nairobi from where the Jos and Angie would head home and I would head to Kimilili and IcFEM. We arrived at the airport at about 4am with 8 massive bags between us and much comedy ensued as we opened them all up to distribute the weight evenly, make sure anything coming back to Kimilili was in my bags, anything for England in one of the other girls bags - I’ve never seen quite so much luggage! Once again, I found myself with a 6 or 7 hour wait at Nairobi airport - I have spent far too much of my life waiting there!
And so now you find me in dear old Kimlilili, the place I spent four months in last year and home to IcFEM (InterChristian Fellowships Evangelical Mission). It’s great to be back here as there is a whole community of people involved with IcFEM who became good friends last year so catching up with them all is a great joy. Last year I was out here at the same time as the Jos (who I’ve just been to Mombasa with) and Gemma so without them here it feels very different. However, I now have Steve and Sarah Small (who some of you may know from home) and Marielle (from Holland) to keep me company around the guest house!
It’s been great to catch up with my Kimilili friends, if a bit of a challenge to keep up with all the things that have changed over the last year and a bit. Things are very much as they were in some ways, and in other ways things are different. When I was here last year there was a big project under way (which you may remember) supplying local farmers with maize seed and fertiliser hand in hand with Equity Bank. At the time, this took over lots of the time and energy of many people at IcFEM and I think as a result some of the other aspects of IcFEM got sidelined for a while. It is encouraging to see that this year time and energy is being put back into one of the missions core values - teaching people about God and his kingdom. The management of IcFEM has taken a step back to look at the structure out in the areas they are working and had a reshuffle to make sure that each community has a strong leadership team, well grounded in their christian faith. Teams from the head quarters are going out to visit each district area that IcFEM are working in and helping introduce and explain the shifting structure as well as carrying out some training on planning and budgeting and teaching on the putting God first (“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you as well.” Matthew chapter 6 verse 33). Hearing about some of the struggles and challenges people in the IcFEM community have faced over the last year I am once again lead to the conclusion that while we pursue good works for good works sake there is potential for jealousy, pride, distrust and greed to come in and destroy the good that people are building. However, if the good works are grounded in a deeper work in our hearts, a transformation Jesus causes within us leading us to outwards actions loving and caring for others, there is a much stronger chance for the good works to stand and succeed. It is therefore great to see IcFEM shoring up their foundations and making sure that the work they have already done is set on a steadfast rock.
During my first week here I went out with one of the teams to Nalondo to join the training. It was great to be out in the community and meet some of the people whose lives are being affected by the work IcFEM are doing. Hearing testimonies from villagers about the ways their lives have changes, the improvements in their relationships with family and neighbours, the amazing provision for their families and the difference some of the practical training they are receiving from IcFEM is making is so encouraging and a great reminder about how important the work of groups like IcFEM and Dignity is.
This last week I have spent helping out at Holiday Club and the Eye Camp. Hoilday Club takes place at IcFEMs headquarters and involves lots of kids, lots of noise, lots of running around and lots of fun! Marielle and I took on responsibility for all the break time games in between lessons to keep everyone entertained as well as running some craft activities. Although at a slower pace than last years holiday club, we had lots of fun organising games and watching the kids run around laughing! I also lead one of the morning devotions which I actually really enjoyed (I normally hate the thought of speaking to a group of people but it’s beginning to finally get a bit easier this year!). I’m not sure some of the teenagers have quite forgiven me yet for dragging them out to the front to help me with a little drama I was to doing to explain my point!
Eye Camp took place at Dreamlands hospital (linked to IcFEM) and was amazing! This is the fifth Eye Camp to be run and the idea is simple...a team of visiting specialist eye doctors, one local hospital, reduced rate cataract and other simple eye operations and as many people as possible from the community around benefiting, people who would otherwise not be able to afford the travel to the hospital never mind the operation.
The reality, as you can imagine, is actually very complicated and quite an exercise in crowd management with people who can’t see where they are going having to move around the hospital from one place to another. (I spent my days leading people from one place to another and trying to understand swahili and bukusu!) It’s also a massive tasks to keep records of all those assessed, operations undertaken and pre and post operation eye test results.
On the first day about 170 people had their eyes assessed, some were given medicine or glasses and those in need of bilateral cataract operations had their first eye operated on. Day two was a long day of surgery with about 80 operations taking place. Day three saw a long line of mainly elderly people all with matching bandages over their eyes. The doctors went along removing the bandages and checking the eyes. As bandages were removed there was great rejoicing. Imagine a group of 80 people who previously could see very little, some who could only perceive light and others who could only see half a metre away, all of a sudden being given their sight back! There was great rejoicing and many people thanking God for this miracle!! Of course, for some the results were not as instant or as dramatic but over the coming weeks their sight should improve following the operation. I nearly cried as I saw a group of about 10 aged mamas (between 80 and 100 years old), all of whom had arrived being lead or supported by relatives and using walking sticks, walking independently along the corridor having a good old natter! I’m sure that sights like that make all the hard work and preparation worth it for those involved in the organisation and sponsorship of Eye Camp. Do pray that the sponsors will continue to fund this amazing event as without their support it would not be able to take place.
After being at the Eye Camp yesterday morning, I went along to Rose’s wedding. I got to know Rose really well last year and was glad to be here at the right time for her wedding this year. Kenyan weddings are in some ways similar to English ones - the same vows and stuff, but in other ways so different! The wedding was scheduled to start at 10...the bride arrived at 2! There was 5 page boys, about 12 bridesmaids and groomsmen, 5 flower girls and of course the bride and her parents to process along the aisle (often the wedding party dances into church but this time they walked, albeit very slowly!) The gifts are presented after the ceremony, still in the hall where the wedding took place...all of a sudden there was a whole three piece suite, a bed and a calf being marched up the aisle to the front of the church as well as many other smaller gifts! We took our little gift up to the front amidst the procession and when I reached Rose she just cheered and started dancing...there was nothing I could do but join in the dancing! The bride and groom are adorned in tinsel and there is much singing, dancing and cheering. It’s strange to see such a well known service but feel so confused about what is going on as well!! The speeches then followed but it seemed much more like a free for all with anyone who wanted to taking over the mic for a while...mid-speeches everyone begins to wander out the hall across to the dining hall (it was held at a school) for a big feed of rice, beef, cabbage and chapatti. It was a great celebration and Rose and Elphas looked suitably happy about it all!
And now it’s my last week in Africa for now at least. I honestly can’t believe how soon I will be home. I can’t wait to see everyone and am looking forward to catching up with good friends, visiting the christmas markets, getting a chinese take away (and pizza...and fish and chips), being able to go out after dark and just understanding how all the simple things in life work without having to think about it! But I sure will miss being out here once I’m back. I’ll miss the slower pace of life, the way people always stop for a chat, knowing that each day will be sunny and warm and not having to wonder how many layers to put on, trying to speak bemba or swahili and generally making everyone laugh at my poor attempts, random kids deciding to walk along the road with you for a while and of course all the cows, donkeys, goats and chickens that are around!
A random note to finish on...I’ve been reading my way through the bible and have made it through Genesis, Exodus, Levitius and Numbers, finally reaching Deuteronomy - another seemingly tough going book about the law laid out for Israel. Chapter four is a gem though and a great summary of God’s amazing, faithful and forgiving nature! Read it if you get a chance. Two of my favourite verses from it...
Verse 32: “Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of?”
...and Verse 39 says it like it is: “Acknowledge and take heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.”
-
a time of contrasts and learning
Since I last wrote it has been a time of contrasts; from quiet times to busy times and from village life to city life. In some ways it's been tough and in other ways fantastic...
The pace of my time here this year has been different. As Jon and Jude now live here the urgency to fit absolutely everything for the year into two or three months isn't there. This is a definite bonus as it means relationships with people in different areas can be nurtured and conferences or visits timed much better than in previous years and a general increase in the amount of hands on work they are able to do. As a result, the work we are doing has definitely spread much wider and more and more people and villages are getting involved. There are now roughly 75 life groups meeting in villages across northern zambia, meeting to study the bible and to discover together what it means to live out our faith day to day. As my last blog showed, for many people this is bringing them to a point where they take positive actions to begin to bring change to their communities. Its very exciting to be a witness to what God is doing here in Zambia and how he loves his children.
The flip side of this on a personal level is that my time here hasn't been as busy and jam-packed with conferences and trips to villages as the last two times I've been here. Instead, I've had a chance to do other things, like getting the magazine from an idea to (hopefully...) almost reality! I'm also writing some materials about working with children in your village and various other bits and bobs about what we're doing here.
When I sit down and look at the long term, I can see the real value in what I've been doing - I love the idea of the magazine and it has such amazing potential to reach loads of people. However, you know me...I like to see things happening (I'm impatient!) and I love to be around people! There have been days I've been sat working away at my computer and what I've wanted to be doing is sitting in a village talking to people, or in a friends living room with a cup of tea! I've really missed being surrounded my little project team from Sheppard Robson as I work, all the banter (and the cake!) I've had to ask myself why I'm here - to have fun and do the exciting bits of work, or to do the "good works, which God has prepared in advance for me to do"? I know the answer to this question in theory, but sometimes the reality can be tough!
Before I left, I was praying with some friends. One gave me a picture of beautiful open skies and landscapes...of "space" in contrast to being so busy and pressured during my last time at home. This has been so helpful as I've had so much more "space" in a number of ways; less things crowding into every day, less friends around to help me get through stuff, more time to myself to deal with anything in my life that needs dealing with...a greater need to turn to God and rely on Him in more areas of my life. While I can be self-sufficient in an aspect of my life, I am! Its only when the things I rely on to support me are taken away that I finally lean on God rather than myself. If you've ever had to let go of control of something, or part of your life, you will know that this can be a hard and painful process...but ultimately rewarding and freeing! I guess I feel a bit like a broken car engine that is being stripped down before being rebuilt in working condition...its lots of hard work but in the end, the result is worth it!
So, I've been busy writing and designing the magazine (which, incidentally I do actually enjoy doing as well!) in between others things. What other things...?
Over the last couple of weeks Jude and I have been out to some villages close by to discuss and introduce a new resource Jon and Jude have been writing. We want a couple of groups to try it out and give us some feedback before we use it on a wider basis.
We also ran a conference last week. Twenty five people from two local areas gathered and we talked about all being part of one family, one body rather than lots of separate entities, the much more common scenario for churches here. It was encouraging to see peoples reaction to what we were saying and many left eager to try and start a Life! group in their village...who knows what will happen in their villages over the coming weeks, months and even years! It is always so encouraging to meet people here who want to volunteer their time and energy to see God bring change in their villages...it's through them that this will ultimately happen, not through people like me, Jon and Jude who are outsiders. These people know and understand their villages, their neighbours, the struggles and challenges they face and the culture so much better than we ever will. Without them chosing to get involved, we would be able to do very little. I thank God that he has put in place many people to be his hands and feet in many different villages!
The day after the conference finished we all set off for Lusaka, the capital city...about as far from simple village life as you can get! Andy had been out here for a couple of weeks and we were taking him back to the airport. As it was bonfire night we decided to all make the journey so we could go see the big firework display in town while we were there. It was very surreal - it honestly felt like we were in Platt Fields apart from the fact it was warm and not muddy! It was lovely to do something "normal"!! We also fitted in a trip to Adventure City - an big park with outdoor pools and water slides - great fun and a true example of the comparative lack of health and safety rules here compared to England! I'm sure people wouldn't have been allowed to set off down the slides standing up at home! Ha ha!!
And now it's my last Zambian week. (By the way, I know I shouldn't start a sentence with "and"...it just worked though!) I can't believe how fast time has gone by, although it does seem like ages ago I arrived. This week, we were supposed to be heading to Namibia to run a conference but the guy we know there had to postpone the plans. You just have to learn to be more flexible here - it's the way life goes! Instead of going to Namibia, I'm trying to tie up a few loose ends and finish off a few things. I have a couple of meetings with people in Lusaka before I fly out from there on Monday.
Next stop...Kenya! I'm meeting up with some friends for a weeks holiday in Mombasa (on the coast) before heading back to IcFEM for a few weeks...then I'm coming home - I know, how has it flown by so fast?! It will be so lovely to see some of my great friends, both on holiday and also back at IcFEM. As ever, I'm sad to leave here...but excited about the next step!
-
how wrong can I be?
I spent plenty of time telling you about my journey up to Nchelenge so I thought I'd take some time to tell you about what actually happened after our long day of travelling!
I should probably start by 'fessing up and letting you know that I didn't really want to go on this particular trip. Part of the reason was that it is such a long drive and I was the only driver going so I knew it was all down to me. If anything went wrong with the car, it was up to my limited knowledge of engines and what not to fix it! Alongside this, the place we stay is pretty basic with no running water (and not all that clean), its always baking hot and there is a particularly ravenous and large mosquito population. Food and drinking water is hard to come by so I had to go well prepared, carrying supplies and camping stoves in the car, as well as spare diesel for the car in case of the common shortages in the area. So, I was a little hesitant about going...
We went a couple of times last year and ran a training conference there. As a result a number of Life! groups have begun meeting around the area and we feel it's important to follow these up and take time to encourage them. Alongside this, we had heard some exciting stories of things going on in the area so wanted to find out more and see what we could learn from the groups there that could benefit other areas.
So, although maybe not with the most willing heart, I had made it to Nchelenge. I had prayed against my spirit of grumpiness and unwillingness and asked God to give me enthusiasm and compassion instead. And he did! If you know me at all, you know I love people. I love being around people and chatting with them...and these characteristics overcame my grumps to help me actually make the most of my time there.
We met with five different groups of people and one of my worst nightmares came true. Whenever we go anywhere, people always want us to share a word of encouragement with them and to say something wise, basically do a mini-sermony, preachy, teachy thing...not my forte!! As I was the team leader on this occasion it fell to me to come up with something to say to each group. I was terrified. I can talk a lot of nonsense easy enough, but to say something relevant to each different group, having only a basic introduction to who they were before hand, was quite a challenge. I really had to ask God for wisdom and words...and each time he reminded me of a different bible passage and gave me a point to draw out from it. I was more than a little worried at the last group as even as I walked into the room and was greeting everyone I was still praying in my head for the words to say...but they came...and I said them!
I then spent some time asking the groups to share what they have learnt, struggled with, been challenged by, seen happening or actively gone and done as a result of meeting in a Life! group. I simply wanted to find out how its been going for them. It took some prompting to get going but when people started there was some really interesting stuff going on. Lots of people said they had been trying to share Gods love by speaking to their friends and neighbours and also in their actions, simple things like lending their bike to someone who was ill and needed to travel to the clinic. Many times over I heard that unity between different churches has been growing and the historic division and fighting between churches is being set aside. People and churches are coming together to seek the best for their community.
One lady spoke of how she had only recently become a christian after a friend had invited her along to a Life! group in her village. Although her family are poor, she has come to understand that God has blessed her and her husband with children. She has felt challenged by this, and despite having very little themselves, her family have taken in some orphans, feeding and clothing them. For me or another outsider to manage such a life changing task for these orphans would take huge amounts of money and time setting up a special home, finding someone to run it, sourcing funds to keep it going, the number of places would be limited and would all be in one location...but this one family has just got on and done something to help these kids in their own village. No fuss, no hype...just action based on a new understanding of who God is and what he has done for us. Imagine the impact if one of two families in each village began to do this. As a rough guide, there are about 50 Life! groups meeting now, with a potential 30 or so about to start. If one family from each group took in just one orphan, that would be 80 children being fed, clothed and loved as part of a family! If we can help share what this one family has done amongst others the potential for change is massive!
We heard of three groups that have begun farming a small plot of land each in order to grow some food to give away to the very poor amongst them. As groups, they have each contributed either a little money or a small amount of seeds and given their time to work in the fields. This is incredible...people work so hard here to scrape by and feed themselves and their families. That they are willing to give their time and energy to do more work to help others shows a desire founded on something more than a passing whim!
One group has applied to the government to obtain funding for a hammer mill to grind maize into flour, used to make the staple food enshima. They plan to raise money milling maize to help the widows and orphans in their community as well as offer a free or reduced price milling service to the poorer families. Another group is looking to run a tailoring course to teach young people a skill so they can earn a living for themselves.
These are not things we have told people to do. In fact, we haven't told them to do anything! These actions we are seeing are I believe, a natural result of people coming together and learning more about God and what he has done for us. As we understand this and open our hearts to him, he opens our eyes to others rather than our natural focus on self and looking after number one.
It's not all roses of course. Some people said they were finding it hard to share what they are learning as their friends just don't want to hear about Jesus. Others meet opposition from those who think they are trying to take people from their church to start a new one in competition, which is not the case.
Many people ask us for resources to help with the ideas they are having. This is such a difficult question to answer. A massive part of me wants to give every penny I have to help these amazing people do these fantastic things. But even if I did that there wouldn't be enough money to help them all. Even if there was enough money to help them all, it would run out pretty quickly...and then what would happen? If things here were set up to be reliant on money coming from outside they would fizzle out and die as soon as the money stops coming in. (This is something people here have seen happen time and again and are constantly reminded of as they daily see buildings that were once active now lying dormant as those funding the schemes have left.) The amount of initiatives that could happen would also be limited by our fund raising abilities. Alongside this, but possibly most dangerously of all, if we gave money to everyone who asked for it, it would reinforce the belief so common here that for anything to happen, financial help must be given. Dependency is rife here and holds many people back...in truth, people are able to do many things despite the poverty they struggle with. We are seeing that this is possible in some of the things happening that I've just told you about! But, there is also no denying that resources are scarce and a real challenge for many people. So what do we say when people ask us for money?! The best way to solve this constant challenge is to think around problems, to come at them from different angles. As the projects being undertaken are community based there is the opportunity to involve others in the area and get them to share you vision. For example, rather than buy expensive fertiliser, if you could persuade goat farmers to sell you their goat manure (rather than selling it to big farmers) it would be a cheaper and more reliable solution (its often hard to buy fertiliser as suppliers run out at the critical times). This is a harder solution to establish in the short term than a quick cash injection, but I do believe it can have a much longer lasting effect as it would be a local enterprise and therefore more sustainable! If an idea is found to work in one area it can then be reproduced in other areas with potential to become much bigger than our limited funds could manage.
One of the most exciting stories I heard was in a village called Kambwali. A year ago it was generally called Crimezone, suffering from high levels of crime. A Life! group has been meeting there for a year and praying for their village as well as specifically for the known trouble causers. They have invited some of these people along to the group. A combination of seeing the unity that has been growing in the village as a result of the group meeting and witnessing the works the group are doing, alongside on going prayer and growing relationships with God, these people are beginning to change their ways. Crime levels have fallen and the reputation of the village has changed so much for the good that people now call it by its real name! This is an amazing and very real example of the transformation that Jesus brings when we turn from our own selfish ways and give our lives, and all their detail, to him. He's not some far off, distant God dishing out miserable rules, he's actually involved in our day to day existence and wants to give us freedom from the things that have held sway over us for so long. The best bit is, because he is also an awesome and powerful God and he's sent Jesus to die in our place for all the wrong things we've done he has already sorted it that we can be set free as soon as we turn from our ways to follow him. You've got to love him when the impact of that begins to dawn on you!!
So, in summary, I didn't want to make the 1500km round trip...but I'm so very glad I did! It was a time of great encouragement as I heard all these amazing stories, a time of personal growth as I had to lean on God in new ways and a fun time as well as I got to know some of the people we're working with more! It rained for the first time in 6 months while we were there (although the rains haven't arrived where we live yet) and we got to see some amazing lightening over the lake at night. We travelled home safely, although the journey was slightly less eventful than on the way. I've been home a few days now and I'm finally beginning to feel less exhausted and more human again after a few good nights sleep!
____________________________
Would you like to be involved in the exciting work taking place in Zambia? Dignity is looking for people who would be willing to run a small fundraiser or do a sponsored event to help us carry on the teaching work we are doing here. It doesn't have to be anything grand...it could be as simple as a sponsored run or a little cake sale at work or church!
If you think this is something you could get involved with, please email me or enquiries@dignityonline.org.uk for more information!
|
News Blogs 
