Team Visit September 2015

Hi all, well after two years away, I have an opportunity to visit Samfya Bible School with Brad Hohneck (from my church in Rotorua) and Roger & Maria Wharrie from Riverbend Bible Church. We arrive in Ndola on 1 September and will try and travel north to Samfya on 2nd September. Our two major goals will be:
* establishment of a quality fence around the agricultural project
* village church visitation for leadership training and student identification
Please pray for the travel to village areas - we will be doing something like 2000kms of travel- the priority is to encourage our graduates and local churches and see if there are further students that can attend Samfya from these wide spread areas.
We will be carrying Bemba Bibles on our travels (much thanks to Fishermen for Christ Fellowship in Singapore). The needs for these bibles are huge - please pray for more funding as the needs are huge. Thanks for your prayers. Donald

Kantete Village Leadership Training & Bibles

Kantete Village is approximately 76kms from Samfya and there is nothing there – not even a small roadside shop stand! Six graduates of the Bible School and some of their leaders gathered for a time of encouraging and training during the Saturday. These graduates work together through a large number of churches and are also active in church planting and teaching across the close border with the Democratic republic of Congo.

They report the common needs of bicycles to assist in the work, sleeping bags for their mission and teaching trips, mosquito nets… They have been in receipt of Bibles from the Bible School in the recent past, which helped them in their DR Congo work. The bibles are sold at affordable rates to the local people and the money raised goes to support their ministries. We are pleased that we have been able to acquire two new bicycles which will go toward they work they are doing.

     The great handshake tradition to close a service

One of the big challenges that these local churches face is understanding their own responsibilities to give towards supporting their workers as they go and do mission work. 1 Corinthians 9:14 is very clear that those who preach the gospel should get their living form the gospel, however these local churches have not been taught well about the New Testament principles of giving. Please pray for the Bible School staff as they endeavour to bring teaching to these rural areas that will change the way that they look at ministry.

                                              The graduates at Kantete

It is encouraging to see the levels of commitment that many of these graduates have to the ministry of the local church. Our ongoing support of the Bible School ministry ripples out to these wide spread rural areas, and sees resources and encouragement extended to these dear brothers and sisters.

                                                Taking a break

Last years consignment of bibles saw 12 boxes sent out to provide scholarships for students at the school. This year 9 of those people are in training! The other 3 are from DR Congo and are expected next year. Again this years Bibles will be used for the same purposes so we expect to see good numbers of students encouraged to study (20% of Bibles). Of course there are also the bibles sent to graduates that they sell to support their ministries (50%) and a portion that are sold at the Bible School itself (30%), the money raised from these goes to sending the staff out to village areas to conduct training. So as you can see support for Bibles gets them into the hands of village Christians, but also goes to support vital ministry!

                                      Our Camp site at Kantete

More 1st Year Student Reports

Francis & Slyvia Mutale

Francis & Sylvia are from Kapampa CMML Church near Kasama in the Northern Province. They have three children and have been active in church life, Francis as an elder and teacher and Sylvia in women’s ministry. The training at SBS has really fuelled their desire towards evangelism and orphans ministry areas. Sylvia speaks of being no longer the same through the training that has encouraged much spiritual growth and Francis sees how his capacity to teach the word with clarity has been greatly enhanced. They have a joint vision to make disciples in village areas, but to also help struggling villagers with practical needs through the good works that God has called us to. They ask that you pray for them in this work.

Joseph & Christina Chola

Joseph & Christina have six children and come from Serenje Open Christian Brethren. They have seen the training further equip them to be more effective in evangelism and women’s ministry, with a desire to work with people and truly understand that they know Christ. They also a desire for youth ministry. They ask for prayer that they will be encouraged to go and work for the Lord, making use of all that they have been trained in.

Given Mwansa

Given attends Joram Open Christian Brethren in the Serenje District. She is married and has 9 children and her husband is an evangelist. She works with the women folk of her church and leads bible studies with them. The training has built here up and she is especially encouraged about more work in discipleship. She asks for prayer that she would continue growing in Christ and that she would know more of God’s Word.

Patrick & Sharon Chanda

Patrick supports his family by running a small grocery business at the local market (closed while at Bible School! They have three children and their youngest is 3 months old, having been born at the Bible School! Patrick is a teacher and they both have a passion for compassion ministry to orphans and widows. They both report how much they have increased in the knowledge of the Word of God and want to put more effort into the work of the local church. Sharon speaks of how little she knew and how she looks forward to putting into practice the training that she has had. They attend Sernje Open Christian Brethren.

Samusenty & Florence Musonda

Samusenty & Florence come from Chitundwwa CMML Church, near the Touta bridge. Samusenty is a farmer and they have nine children. He serves as an elder in the church as well as doing youth ministry. Florence is a deaconess and also a choir member and she has appreciated growing in her knowledge of the Word of God that she wants now to share with other women. Samusenty is pleased to be further equipped in church planting, and is passionate about taking the gospel to where there are no churches, especially is parts of DR Congo. Please pray for the provision to be able to carry out this important work.

Meet a Couple of 1st Year Students

Wellington Mwansa

Wellington is 65 years old and lives in the Kawambwa area, approximately 250kms north of Samfya. He is one of two elders from Chitondo CMML Church which was planted in 2007 and now has 45 members. Wellington does a significant amount of teaching in the church and loves to evangelise his community. He is trusting that the training he is undertaking will help him in discipleship so that people will grow in the Lord and he also wants to see Evangelistic efforts increase in the church. He is a subsistence farmer and reports that there are only four bibles among his congregation.

Mary Chitambla

Mary is a mother of seven children, but was unfortunately divorced by her husband who has since become a polygamist (a very common problem in Zambia). She supports herself through farming, but loves to devote her time to the work of the church in women’s ministry, youth and door to door evangelism. She has found that she is needed to help in the counsel of many women who are going through the same issues that she has faced in life and has appreciated the training that she is getting that is equipping her to better fulfill her roles in church life. She is part of Musongo CMML church which is in the Lwela district, south of Mansa.

Please keep praying for the 22 1^st year students and  2^nd year students who are being equipped through the Bible School ministry, as well as the 5 English speaking students currently doing block courses.

This weekend our visit has changed from Chishi Island to Kantete CMML church, approximately 65 kms south of Samfya. Please pray that the teaching will further equip leaders from the surrounding churches and encourage them to apply the Word of God to the cultural challenges that they face.

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 

Samfya District Regional Conference

Over the last five days this regional conference has been in full swing and I have been privileged to teach these precious brothers and sisters. The stick count of people today (take a stick and throw it in the pile) was 4095!! All these believers from many churches gather and sleep out under the stars in very rough conditions! The choirs from the churches sing and the preachers have delivered a series of messages on Firm Foundations.

                                          heading to the lake for baptims

This has offered a good opportunity to promote the ministry of the Bible School as Principal Levy Kasoma and I have represented the work that SBS is doing. Today I was able to conclude the teaching of the conference with an exhortation on growing in Christlikeness from Colossians 3:1-4. It was wonderful to see the number of people listening so intently, many taking notes – please pray that the Holy Spirit would work through the Word to bring even greater commitment to His name.

               Baptisms underway - the people took all vantage points from trees to anthills and in the water!

It was a real blessing to witness the baptism of 95 people at the bordering lake. Praise God for the openness to the gospel that is evident in this land. My fellow NZers, James and Roger depart tomorrow, but Roger will be back by Friday. Also Wathabu Simfukwe, the former board chairman who has just finished further theological studies will arrive this week for discussions about the Bible School Ministry. Please keep praying for me this week as I teach the Distance students through the Doctrine of the Church.

                               Part of the 4000 strong crowd soaking in the teaching and choir singing

Firm Foundations Conference

Whenever you come to Zambia, you need to expect that plans will change. This weekends village visit has morphed into teaching at a regional conference where thousands of people have gathered for 5 days of teaching and choirs and encouragement. The theme of the conference is "Firm Foundatons" and I was able to go and take an afternoon session on Thursday, teaching from Acts 2:42-47. Please pray that the further opportunities here over this weekend will build into the lives of the many churches represented and that further students for the Bible School will be identified.

                                            a small section of the crowd

                                          one of the choirs in full song