We will miss you Zambia!

Lidza ku kumbukilani Zambia. Tidza ku onani manje manje.
(We will miss you Zambia. We shall see you soon.)
By my Dad

We are so thankful for all your prayers, BLOG comments, and emails. You have faithfully ‘held the rope’ that holds us firm to the wonderful community we live in. Now it’s time to ‘reel’ us back in! ☺

As we prepare to leave after our 5 weeks here, we are all wondering why we’re not staying longer? Our time here has gone by very fast, so we are praying for our time to pass equally as quick for our return in June. After spending 8 weeks here in 2008 we’ve really connected with everyone and feel so confirmed to be returning for an extended time – for how long truly only God knows for sure. We’ve got a lot to do in the next 5 months as we adjust our life from Cordillera Ranch to Village of Hope.

The headline on the front page recently was “Zambia to Remain Christian Nation, says State”. Zambia was declared a Christian nation on December 29th, 1991 by the then President Dr. Frederick Chiluba. Current President Banda has reconfirmed that commitment. It is believed that it is this Covenant which has protected Zambia from the wars, starvation, and mass human suffering that much of Africa currently experiences. While certainly a very poor country ravaged by HIV/AIDS, it has a stable democratic government and seems a very safe place with an ample food supply.

As we reflect on this nation, dirt village/mud hut /walk everywhere barefoot poor as it is, we find encouragement that the government proclaims and raises up Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. How they desire Christ to direct their ways and how they encourage all civic leaders to trust in Christ and the Bible for their wisdom. It’s hard not to contrast this to America, extraordinarily rich in so many ways (“poverty level” in the US makes one very very wealthy here!!) , yet a country that is morally and spiritually decaying because of that wealth. One country is poor on the outside yet so Rich on the inside, and the other just the opposite. WOW, how this place changes your perspective!!! How America desires to erase their Christian heritage, here they want only to preserve and cherish it.

This is just one of the many many reasons God is calling us to return we believe and what excitement He has put on our hearts to do so!! When you have nothing, Christ is your ONLY hope. There is such hunger and thirst. When you have it all, God easily gets pushed out. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24

And I still think about the Pastor from San Antonio that came to Africa to teach, returned and resign from his Church, and then returned back to Africa. His warning: “Don’t go to Africa!! You will never want to leave!!” How true, how true!!!

We are also greatly blessed by the efforts of SA friends who stepped forward to fund and support the 1st (of many we pray) “San Antonio Cottages”. Their generosity, especially in these very difficult times, is a great blessing and encouragement. It is not because of our family that they were called, but for the children of the Village of Hope. Perhaps one day their children’s children will come to the Village and meet the grandchildren of the children they will be supporting??

Please continue to pray for the country of Zambia and everyone involved with All Kids Can Learn Zambia and the Village of Hope.



We’ll miss you Zambia – But we’ll be back soon. Very very soon.

/ap