Finishing up the Muzha Seminar

We have completed our third out of four weeks of our annual “Muzha wa Yesu” (slave of Christ) seminar!  It has been our best yet.  This group of forty men have overcome significant challenges to make this school happen.  They’ve sacrifice time, money, and even food to come and be feed spiritually by the Word.  After this last week, the men will return to their congregations (who also paid money to help send each student) and teach all that they have learned for the rest of the year.  We are seeing great maturity with these leaders.  They have really grown in their knowledge of the Word and in their commitment to Christ.  I had an especially great time teaching a part of Hebrews.  These men relate to the Hebrews in many ways.  They face persecutions that could lead to things such as cursing from others, which is a scary thing for these people.  Many of our young churches have struggled with people falling back to their old belief system.  However, these men are learning to have faith and hope in the better promises of God.  I had them list the promises of their past belief system with the promises of God and see which are better.  It was a telling class, but they all agreed that God’s promises are better.  Of course, it’s easy to say that, but as the writer of Hebrews urges—we must live it.  I’m constantly challenged by the faith of these men.  They have to make very big decisions to give up the false security of their traditional practices.  It certainly challenges me to think on the promises offered in my home culture.  Things like putting faith in money, insurances, and comforts of life often times become a temptation.  Together with these Zambian men let us all consider the better, lasting promises of God to be better than that which is temporary.  Please pray for this final week for these men to have the strength carry on in learning and the courage to take the messages back to their homes.   

Blessings  - Jeremy

Picture Post!

More pictures from the past couple of weeks...

Cuties Gail and Kathryn

Pizza (from scratch of course) with the Mellors!!

Church leaders studying in Ron Roger's class

Do you spy our pink house?

Sweet faces in the Kimplumba village

Brothers (for you Debbie & Meemaw)

Sweet friend's new baby

Week 1

The first week of the Muzha wa Yesu (Slave for Jesus) seminar is complete. We have about 40 church leaders here for the month to study more about the Kingdom of God. Our prayers are they take back what they have learned to their congregations. It is going very well so far. There is an excitement for learning in the air!

Ron and Gail Rogers and Dave and Susan Mellor from our supporting congregation came to be a part of the seminar. It has been a wonderful week with them being here. Dave is teaching through Hebrews and Ron is teaching on the Heart of an Elder. Susan and Gail have been spoiling Erin and I and have been joining us in our ministry to the teens and women. Plus, we are doing some cooking lessons with Gail and Susan (we’ve made some amazing bread, doughnuts, chicken and dumplings…all yummy things!)We are just loving having both couples here!

 Of course, Dave had to mention that he is not sure he believes that the snakes are really out here. That very night, a gaboon viper was killed on their path to Jason and Erin’s house. Then, the next morning we were all worshiping at Kamponde church, and a snake went crawling up their wall. We all panicked in the middle of the Bible study as we watched it scale the crooked wall. But luckily the Congolese students were with us that morning. They quietly exited the building and the next thing we hear is a loud bang on the roof. The snake was killed, and we could all continue on.

Here are a few pictures of the first week. These are just of the seminar, I know I need to take some of us with the ladies as well!

Thank you for your prayers for these courageous leaders as they seek to leave what is “normal” in their culture and follow the ways of Christ. 

Jeremy and Mr. Jikata, who is now able to walk after our truck accident. He has been able to attend the seminar.

April goodness

So many wonderful things to be a part of this month!

Jeremy and I were able to head out to worship with our dear church family at Mushingashi this past Sunday. We hadn’t been to worship with them since early February so we were very excited and anxious to be with them again. This was the church body that walked three hours to greet us after our truck accident, stayed for 15 minutes to hug, kiss and pray over us, and then walked the three hours back. What a blessing to see this church reaching out to others, and we got to be on the other end of that blessing! We were so touched.

The grass has grown just a bit since we had last been out to the area, as you can see not much to see but grass at this point.

Erin and I had a great study with our sweet young friends this week. It is neat because Erin and I have been doing this study for over a year now, and Jeremy and I are now working with the youth at Konkwa church. Most of the girls involved in Erin and I’s Bible study are also part of the new youth program. It’s neat to see their maturity and desire for Jesus. Some of the youth actually came to set up for the church leader’s month long seminar coming up this next week. This was inspiring to see, and we hope by the youth continuing to reach out to their community, it will light the fire for the whole village!

Mr. Jikata, who was with us in the vehicle during the accident, has been released from the hospital!! After 3 weeks, he was able to come home and is walking. Jeremy and I went to welcome him home last night, it was very surreal. He is in great spirits, and I will be taking a picture of him this week, so everyone can see his happy face.

Lastly, we are very excited for the Muzha wa Yesu (Slave for Jesus) seminar beginning on Monday. We have visiting teachers coming in from the states—four people of which are from our supporting congregation East Brainerd—and we are just so excited! We are anxiously awaiting their Saturday arrival.

Please keep the church leaders in your prayers during this next month as they strive to learn and soak up as much as they can. We want this to be a time of spiritual nourishment for them so they can take it back to their congregations all throughout the bush.