A Day in Zack and Randy's Life

Today we were planning to Leave the city and travel back to Serenje. As is common in Africa, plans have changed. We negotiated to purchase a truck early next week. It takes a couple of days to do this. This being Friday, It will have to wait until Monday. Staying here will save us from having to go back and forth, 6 hours each way and a couple hundred dollars in fuel at about $8 per gallon. We found a nice off the beaten path hotel to stay at that has air conditioning.

I am continually trying to figure out this place. It is hard to understand why things are they way they are. I'm constantly shocked at how much things cost, the fluctuation of prices, and how people continue to survive. It is hard to have hope that there is a brighter future.

Today, I was in the city, people everywhere, dusty roads, unfamiliar languages, smoke billowing out of car exhausts, horns honking. As I sat in the car, trying to send an e-mail, which is amazing in itself that I can do that here, I made a couple of calls to the US. It suddenly struck me. I felt like I was in a movie. Who gets to do this this? This is so far from what we know. yeah it's usually not too fun, not real glamorous, but there is something about it. Definitely hazardous to my health, but I feel privileged to be serving here.

Another strange sight today. We went to a hardware store, when we park at the stores, people come up and try to sell cheap stuff to us. Sometimes we get some begging kids. today, I waited outside in the car to guard our goods. As i was there, just a few feet from me was an old blind man with a young kid begging. well, the kid was begging and the blind guy was just sitting there. It is common for cripples to have someone with then to guide them around and collect money. I then noticed that someone had given the boy a pizza, I assume to give to the blind guy. As I watched, I noticed that the kid wasn't giving any pizza to the blind man, as i continued to watch I noticed that the kid had the pizza behind the blind man and was trying to be very quiet when eating the pizza. He would also look around when taking bites to see who was watching. When he was done eating the pizza they both got up and left, but not without trying to get some money out of me. It was today's reminder of how desperate these people are, how sinful humans are, how corruption can begin at such a young age, and how much work there is to do here. Please continue to pray.

Please Pray

CONSTRUCTION
Zack Ludwig and Randy Brekke have volunteered to go and live in Serenje for several months in order to build the first facilities at the Hope Children's Center. Pray that God will strengthen them for this enormous task. Pray that they will find great joy in their work. And pray that God will use the work of their hands to reach countless people with God's grace.

ORPHANS
Pray that God will lead us to find a Zambian Orphan Director. This is a vital role as we need to make sure that each orphan is identified, cared for, and that the care-giver (foster parent) is appropriately looking after the orphaned child. As the Hope Center grows, Pastor Navice will not be able to keep up with this large responsibility. Pray that God points us to the right man or woman for this job.

GARDENS
Pray for the first crop at the Hope Center that will go into the ground this coming rainy season (beginning in November). This piece of the strategy is critical to the long range sustainability of the Hope Center. Pray that Cornerstone team member Marlin Rice will have divine guidance as he directs (from a hemisphere away) the Zambian farmers (Sunday, Joshua, and Wenard). Pray for a protected and abundant harvest.

PASTORS / CHURCH LEADERS
As Pastor Navice continues to take the gospel to more villages, more pastors are needed to shepherd the people who come to Christ. Currently there are 13 men being trained for this task. Pray that Cornerstone will help Navice train these men (and their wives) well. And pray that the training/discipleship will also continue for the 80 "key leaders" and from among the newest church plants. The local churches being planted are reaching many, many people for Christ! And it is these churches which are key to taking care of the orphaned children that God cares deeply for.

October 1, 2008

Here is a quick word from Zambia...
You would think that I would get accustomed to the miracles God does for us. They are so frequent and yet powerful -- I am still stunned and amazed at His grace.

On this trip (I am writing this from Navice's office) ... God has opened more doors than ever. We have met the District Manager (like a U.S. governor) of this region - the highest government official. He moved here for this position just one week ago. He met us, spent the evening with us and is EAGER to help us do whatever God puts on our heart to do. GOD IS GOOD! Even Navice is stunned by this one!

Today I had a reminder of why I am here. I reached down to pick up little Georgy - a three-year old boy the size of an eighteen-month old- a double orphan (both parents are dead). He looked into my eyes and played with my beard and rubbed my face and melted into my arms ...
and my heart. God brought us to the hundreds upon hundreds of Georgy's in Serenje.

I must go. There are setbacks. The enemy does not want us to succeed. But the glorious works of grace make these difficulties pale into insignificance. Thank God with me for the privilege of being His channel of grace!
Pastor Jeff

Serenje Zambia, September 29 2008

3 Steps Forward, 2 Steps Back

Our African friends are accustomed to disappointment.  Life's journey is full of potholes and ditches for them.  Every advance forward is met with countless setbacks.  It makes their faith resilient and strong.  They have Hebrew 11 faith ... the kind that does not get defeated when God's promises seem elusive.  

All these were still living by faith when they died.  They did not eceive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.  And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

Hebrews 11:13

This week it was Navice who again strengthened my faith.  I wrote to Navice to let him know that Dave and Zack would not be joining him in Serenje in August as we had planned - a last minute change of plans.  In fact, we are really not sure when we will be able to get some help over there to build the Hope Center's first facilities. 

I worried that Navice would be discouraged.  I worried that he would question the strength of our resolve to bring help to them.  I guess I wondered if he would have the same lapse of faith I was experiencing.  Here is the response I received from Navice...

I am equally aware of the Devil's attacks on God's work but also strengthened that he is a defeated enemy.  Let us continue praying.

Clearly I am in the seat of learning under men like Navice.  And I am eager to be taught more and more.

Please pray as we seek wisdom and direction from God as to who should go and when.  I am comforted by the words God gave to the discouraged people of God who saw the completion of the second temple as daunting and discouraging.  Through Haggai and Zechariah God let His people know, "I am with you!"  And that's enough for me!

Another Step Forward

Having just completed another trip to Serenje, Zambia, I can report to you that the need has never been greater, nor has the work ever seemed more rewarding!

I had the joy of being on a terrific team of people - one of whom was my wife, Teresa.  All of us on the team were able to get a foretaste of what the Hope Children's Center is going to be.  

The children who have been orphaned in Serenje are beautiful and easy to love - they so long for physical touch and care ... and food.  Our team had 50 of these orphans to play with, teach and love while we were there.

Pastor Navice also used these days to gather in over a dozen pastors-in-training plus over sixty key leaders from the churches they have planted.  I spent the most time with the pastors who are so eager to learn.  After a full day (7:30 - 5:00) of instruction I said, "Aren't you men weary by now?"  They popped up and one man said, "How can we be weary when we're learning so much?!?"

Pastor Tom Nesbitt from Cornerstone was like a lightening rod of energy as he taught the leaders.  When he was done teaching they would burst into song!  

Now we are preparing to build the facilities that will house the Care Center and Training Center.  Zack Ludwig and Dave Lubbers (both from Cornerstone) plan to move to Serenje the first week of August.  Zack is in Serenje even now trying to get things ordered, prepared and even find some housing for their several-month-stay.

The work can seem daunting - but God continues to go before us and lead us along

Back in Zambia

After several months away, I (Jeff) am back in Zambia!  I am accompanied by some first-timers: Tom and Marie Nesbitt, Mike and Kristi Despard and my wife Teresa (overseas for her first time!).  Zack Ludwig is along as well as he makes plans to move to Serenje this June to manage the construction of the Hope Children's Center.  This is a huge step forward for the Center as Zack brings a lot of experience with him (having worked for eight months at Kazemba).

We are in Lusaka to join up with eight other Cornerstoners who have been on a Gospelink trip and will now go to Serenje with us this afternoon.  

We hope to make some progress toward building the Center this week.  We will also be teaching pastors, leaders and their wives as well as caring for about 50 orphans who will one day be the first children at the Hope Center.