Visiting Two Graduates

We were able to take a day out to visit two graduates the other day. Charles Chola lives 97 kms south of Samfya on the edge of the swap lands. Charles is a very dedicated Christian worker who runs a skills training programme in sewing, carpentry and bricklaying, endeavouring to educate people from his area. This is done in conjunction with caring for 52 orphans who live in the homes of carers.

                     Bricks being made for a classroom at the village training centre

Charles has been one of my distance learning students and thinks very strategically about church life and missions. He is a bible teacher and a church planter but not a fly by nighter! Church planting is not complete with a quick evangelistic visit to a centre, but rather as Charles observes is the fruit of repeated visits teaching and encouraging new believers. He is shortly to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo for further follow up of church planting work that he has been active in.

     The Vision document for the training centre to raise this village areas standard of living

Please pray for Charles and his ministry – he has to maintain his own gardens to feed his family and is so busy with his working in the community that it is amazing he fits everything in that he does. It is a privilege to know men like Charles and input into their lives.

                                       Charles with James and Roger outside the church building

On the return home we stopped to see Stephen Lwando. Stephen is another hard working graduate of SBS. He is active in a number of churches in his centre and will also accompany Charles on the visit to DR Congo. Stephen’s church has recently built a new building but they are still short of cement to finish the floor and seats for the people. There are around 200 people in the church.

Stephen and the team testing out the low seats or should I say planks and bricks!!

Stephen is an active Bible teacher, as well as running seminars on marriage and general leadership issues. He lives in a very rural area but just off a main road, so access to his place is easy.

 Stephen and Esther and part of the family - the bag was peanuts given to us!!

Well James and Roger have left this morning (Roger returns here on Friday). James worked with administrator Joseph Mutale and had this to report: “I was very pleased to see the controls in place in the accounting system at Samfya Bible School. I wish to commend Joseph on his stewardship. He is a young man who has been gifted by God with a gift of administration. If Joseph continues to maintain his current high standard of work then this will be a blessing to the school.”

James learning to draw water at the well