Sobering reality

(from Zack in Serenje)
People keep dieing. I won't tell all the stories, but there have been several people who have died in the last couple of days. No one we really know, but people who are one step removed from us. One was a young man who we met at a church a couple of weeks ago. He had come to town (30 miles from home) because of a headache. He dies a couple of days later. Pastor Navice knew the young man. His family is from the bush and had no way to get the body back to the bush. We were already planning on taking the truck out to that area to pick up pastors for a training week in Serenje. Navice asked us to take the body back to the bush, I couldn't say no as it was costing us nothing and would be an incredible testimony to the family and the community. Randy and Jack offered to drive out. I didn't argue. I had my chance to use the truck as a hearst last time I was in Zambia.

Tomorrow, Monday starts a week of pastor training. This is a program that Navice came up with years ago and now Cornerstone has the privilege of helping out with. As I mentioned earlier, Randy went out with the truck to rural areas and picked up about 35 pastors for training. One of the men, a new pastor "student" who is leading a new church we planted two summers ago. He was very excited about the training school this week and had his bag packed, in hand, ready to board the truck to head to the training. Unfortunately, Pastor Navice had to inform him that he wouldn't be able to attend this time. These was a funeral he had to attend. His young son, who had gone to town the day before with the mother had died.

The teachers, who are from South Africa, are with an organization called, "Walk Thru the Bible". We are hoping it will be good as we have not utilized them before. Jack went with the minibus and filled it with cabbage, cornmeal, chickens (live) and an assortment of other things. It should be good.

The work is going good. Of course Sunday, today, is the only day this week it hasn't rained and of course none is working. We have worked the last couple of Saturdays to try to catch up. We are winding down on the time we have for James to be with us, he has been a Godsend. We are praying that he can stay a bit longer. We'll see.

Thanks for all who are praying for us daily.