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Zambia Christian Mission
P.O. Box 873Ndola, Zambia
"AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST" IN CENTRAL AFRICA. (II Corinthians 5:20)
Volume 6 February 1972 Number 1
m. QluUAi:A couple weeks ago on Saturday after
noon I walked into the classroom of the
Lubuto Church of Christ building and tomy surprise there were about 50 childrensitting there listening to Goodson SandeSikombe teach a Bible lesson. When I later
asked Goodson about the class he told me
that for several weeks he had been meetingthe class on Saturday and again on Sunday
^norning. Goodson, you may remember, isthe young man who was o^r first interpreter
when we came to Zambia in 1967. He has
been a great servant of the Lord and isbeen a great servant of the Lord and is Cood.son Sikombe with his Hible school class ai Lulmio.constantly seeking new ways in which to serve. This class is just one of many ways he is influencingothers to live for Christ.
Of course, Satan is also working. Last Saturday right after I had taken this picture for the ZambiaMessenger, a large man came walking across the church yard. He seemed very disinterested in what wewere doing until he happened to spot one of his children in the crowd. He started toward the child lettingout a violent oath as he tried to catch him. The child ran as if running for his life. The father was angrybecause his son was at church and probably gave him a severe beating when he got home. This is not anuncommon occurrence as we see the forces of Satan working to keep people from the Lord.
Please pray for the Christians here as they endeavor to be bright lights in the midst of darkness. Knowing of your prayers and interest is a great encouragement both to us and the Zambian Christians. May Godbless all of you with His loving presence.
Yours in Zambia for Christ,
Peugeot Truck for Bush Work
When Dean's Aunt. Coral Ann Strickler, visited-us in 1968 she was struck by the need we have fora vehicle to travel over the rough muddy roads inparts of Zambia. When she returned to the Statesshe began a "Land Rover Fund" to help purchasesuch a vehicle for us. Through the assistance offriends and church groups to which she has spoken,over SI.700 has been raised. Because of the pressing need, we borrowed the remainder of SI,700needed to get this truck which is well equipped forall the work we do. It is much less expensive both
to purchase and to operate than the Land Rover.I^iss Strickler is continuing her persistant drive topay off this vehicle. We want to THANK her andall who have assisted her in this project. If youwish to help you may sendyouf contribution, marked"Truck Fund" directly to Miss 0.A. Strickler, P.O.Box 2253, Arizona City. AZ 85223.
Miengwe Church
Continues to Grow
The Miengwe Church of Christ now has an adultmembership of over 25 with the promise of several
more additions very soon. Attendance for both theSunday morning services continues to be 45 to 50.Since this village is a government re-settlementscheme to re-group the people into more productivefarming areas, there are new families moving intoMiengwe village each month. Since the Church ofChrist is the only one there at present, each newfamily becomes prospective members. We hope thatwe will be able to start construction on a church
building as soon as the rains stop, "/our prayershave aided tremendously in the success of this work.Please continue to pray for these people as theylearn the way of the Lord.
Miengwe people just after they were baptized
REVIVALS HELD
The LUBUTO. CHIWALA and KAWAMA Churches
recently had revivals at which the leaders in therespective congregations took turns preaching. Deanpreached one night at each meeting and providedtransportation and a generator for lighting at eachservice. There were several baptisms into Christboth during the three weeks of revivals and immediately following them. Also this gave the threechurches opportunity to get to know each otherbetter and enjoy the blessings of Christian fellowship.
25th Anniversary ServiceMission Services
Kempton, Ind.
MARCH IB, 1972
10:30 a.m. (E.S.T.)
Please support this mission to missionaries• with prayer• with monthly contributions• with a special gift to help reach their
goal of $125,000 at this anniversary
Last month we had another
"first" in Zambia, the death of
Id one of the Christians here.^ Several people asked us when we
were on furlough how funerals• were conducted and we always
answered that we didn't know
^ because we hadn't had that experience. Now we have and it was
quite different from anything we had ever seen before.Let me begin at the beginning.
It was on a Saturday morning that two of theChiwala Church leaders came to our house and told
us there had been a death in the church. A youngwoman, Ellie Mushende, who had given birth three
/i^^eks before in the village had died Friday night,ne Church was going to buy the coffin and take
care of the funeral expenses because the familyhad no money at all. Ellie's father was in deepdespair because he had no money to pay the expensesand had no way of transporting the friends andrelatives from the village to Ndola where the burialwould take place. The elders assured him that thechurch would pay the expenses and that Mr. Daviswould bring the mission truck out to take everyoneto the funeral, and would help in any way possible.
The first thing that was to be done was to buythe coffin and some black and white cloth to cover
it, and then take the coffin to the hospital. Thecoffin was constructed of masonite and cost about
$13.00.This was covered with the black cloth whilethe white cloth was used to wrap the body. A blanketwas also purchased to line the coffin.
Judy and our new baby.
When we arrived at the cemetery the friends andrelatives all went up to view the body. This broughton the loud wailing which the African people do toexpress their grief. It is a singing or chanting wailthat sends chills all over you. This was continuedwhite everyone walked up to the coffin. After every-
BOear Friends in America,It sure was good to
be home for the holidays,but now I am enjoying
second term at Rift Val
ley Academy. When I washome the churches were
really doing good. I didn'thave a chance to meet
all of the people and I
didn't know all of them
because there had been
quite a few baptismswhich was really good.
I am having a goodtime here at school,
being with all my friends.The subjects aren't too
hard but they aren't easy either.During the first term we played soccer and that
was fun (especially when you were on the team).This term we are playing football and basketballwhich I am enjoying.
Also last term I had fun keeping some rabbits.I had a male and a female. The girl had babies butthey all froze to death. About two days before termbreak I didn't have any place to leave the male sosome friends and I killed it and ate it. It sure did
taste good.My birthday is this month and I will be 14. I
miss my parents at times but I have a lot of fun at
school. I have to go now.Yours in Christ,
,'j;mP.S. HI DEBBIE.
^kank ifonCe liie g.ij'lA and Cell
lAio. al ill io. a('\Vay.i ^S^•^<ln^Le^jnP ta mulF an<l al'ly al^g(Efiitodmtwi. lime, ffie ean'l lel'F yon mueli ^Kyou at ^ome mean to ua and v2e piayKfifeoainy on you (!ot a vJontleifuF ycoT in 1972.^
one had viewed the body, we began singing hymnsand the wailing stopped. While we were singing thethe male relatives nailed the top on the coffin and
then nailed down two white strips torn from the cloth
to form a cross on the top, signifying this personwas a Christian. Then Dean preached a message
from God's Word. Following this the male relatives picked up the coffin andcarried it to the grave and lowered it with ropes. We were singing all the way.After the coffin was lowered we all threw on a handful of dirt, then the men filledin the grave. The women of the family, mostly sisters of Ellie, had remainedbehind and were wailing while all this took place.
When all this was finished we all walked back to the truck to take the vil- ilagers home, about 15 miles from Ndola. The big question now was what wouldhappen to the baby now that the mother was dead. He had been taken to the hos-pital along with Ellie when she became gravely ill, and he was still there. Nowhis food supply was gone, and his relatives simply could not afford to feed him. W-His father had deserted the family before he was born and it would be up toEllie's family to take care of the child. The church members were all afraid the Ibaby would die too, and he probably would have. The family was going to takehim back to the village on Monday, and after that what would become of him?Dean and I talked it over and we decided to ask the family if they would let uskeep the baby for the first few months and feed him properly. The people were at first shocked at our offer, but werehappy that we cared what would happen. The relatives all talked it over on Sunday and were to come and let us kno^^Monday morning at seven o'clock. Saturday night and all day Sunday all we could talk about was the possibility of u.suddenly having a new baby, and the blessings and drawbacks it could bring. Was this God's way of filling our personalneeds now with Jim and Cindy away at school? Was it to become a way of becoming closer to the people with whom wewere working? Would we be able to give him up after caring for him as our own? And would the family accept him backinto their village after we had cared for him? None of these questions could be answered right then, but we would haveto wait on the Lord to answer them for us. Well, Monday we were up bright and early. It was pouring buckets of rain andreally gloomy and dreary. Seven o'clock came, eight, nine, and no one came. Finally we had to leave as this was the daywe were to pick up the truck we were buying to use in the bush. We were both disappointed because we were not goingto have a baby after all. But, when we go back home about an hour later, there was the grandfather and one of the elderson the porch. Dean said. "Well are you ready to become a new mother?" We had nothing for a baby, but thanks to all ourfriends here we've borrowed a bed. buggy, clothes and blankets. The first two months have been hard due to the factthat David was premature and required a lot of care. He was only 5'/2 pounds when we got him at three weeks, and had ahard time adjusting to the bottle. But God has blessed, and in the next Zambia Messenger I want to tell you the effectthis has had on our lives. David's relatives and the entire village.
FIELD ADDRESS:
P.O. Box 873
Mdola, Zambia, Africa
MISSION SERVICES
BOX 177
KEMPTON, INDIANA 46049
Address Correction Requested
FORWARDING AGENTS:
Mr. and Mrs. Skip AllenP.O. Box611
King, N.C. 27021
eo
^osr,
NCM PtOriT OICAMIIAT torn Mir,
u
The Christian Mission, Vol. 16, No. 3, March 1972 Page 11
BUILDING A PLACE TO WORSHIP
We know that man may worship Gk)d atany time in any place. From the beginningmen have had designated places where theymet and worshipped God. The places havevaried from the simplest to the most elaborate. It is the desire of man to have aplace set aside where he can meet with God'speople to worship and pay respect to thecreator and sustainer of life.
Zambians are no different. They needa place to gather for "fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayers." The meetingplaces in Zambia can be placed into threegroups as follows:
Churches In The Bush
The buildings here are very simplestructures built from poles, mud and grass.The benches are logs and the pulpit a post.The baptistry is the nearest stream, or alarge hole dug near a well. Occasionally achurch in the bush will mold and burn bricksto construct a more permanent structure. Inthe bush there are no building codes or regulations so the buildings are built accordingto the initiative and ability of the Christians.
Churches In Permanent SettlementsSince permanent settlements are outside
city limits, there are no specifications. Alsosince it is a permanent housing area, thebuildings must be of quality building materialsand have some aesthetic quality. Furnishingsmay be very simple or more elaborate according to the initiative and ability of theChristians.
City ChurchesBuilding codes, regulations and speci
fications present the city congregation withhigh building costs. Because of these highcosts, it is virtually impossible for the Zambians to provide their own building. It is herewhere the missionary can help tremendously.Most missionaries who have congregations inthe cities have directed the church construction, thereby saving the high expense of a contractor. He also assists with the purchase ofbuilding supplies.
The design of the building is optional andwill vary according to needs and availablefunds. Because of its location, a baptistryand functional, but attractive, furnishings
are necessary. Restroom and toilet facilities are necessary according to buildingspecifications.
Because missionaries in Zambia arestriving to establish indigenous churches,the policy is one of non-subsidy. There is,however, a degree of help needed when itcomes to building churches in the cities.The policy is that the missionary does notdo anjrthing that the congregation can do itself. Therefore the amount of help givenis determined by the type of building neededand the ability of the congregation to helpthemselves. Once completed, the maintenance of the building is the responsibility ofthe congregation.
The ultimate goal is the same in thebush as in the city: to have a place dedicatedwhere born again Christians can meet andpraise God who has redeemed them throughHis dear Son.
Dean Davis
Box 873
Ndola, Zambia, Africa
Forwarding Agent:Mr. and Mrs. Skip AllenBox 611
King, North Carolina 27021
3mbiaMQ2^qerNews from Dean, Judy, Jim and Cindy Davis
2 A H
Zambia Christian MissionP.O. Box 873
Ndola, Zambia
AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST" IN CENTRAL AFRICA. (II Corinthians 5:20)
A Anril 1972 Number 2Volumes Aprill972 Number 2
^n4£4t(IU Ui Qh/Udi:One week ago I was in the office of the Rural Development Planning |||HH||RL
HELP ARRIVESIn January we drove Jim and Cindy ine 1,650
miles back to their school in Kenya and there metKay Watts who was on her way to Zambia. She rodeback to Zambia with us and has now become a vital
part of the work of Christ here. Her dedication and
love for Christ and H is Church are a constant source
of inspiration to both the missionaries and the
Zambian Christians.
Kay is busily engaged in teaching Bible in twogovernment high schools, helping with ChristianYouth Clubs and doing secretarial work. We praiseGod for the help that she Is in Ndola.
By the time you receive this Zambia Messenger.
Larry and Judy Niemeyer will also be here to assistin the evangelistic work. We thank God for thesenew workers and ask that you continue to pray forstill more laborers to help us take advantage of themultitude of opportunities in Zambia.
Kay Walls going to school lor Bible classes.
Judy and her Miengwe ladies group. Judy isholding a chicken one of the ladies gave her.
[f tisisr
People of Chiwala following SaturdayBibleclasses. The old man with the bicycle is theirpreacher.
CHURCHES MEET
FOR FELLOWSHIPThe churches of the Ndola area (Kawama,
Chiwala, Lubuto, and Miengwe) have recently begunhaving a quarterly Fellowship Meeting at whichthey enjoy singing and preaching from God's Word.They also have a session for open discussion concerning the work of the Church, during which theyshare the problems, difficulties, Joys and victoriesthey have experienced. They have had one meetingwhich was held at Miengwe (pronounced Me-in-gway)and proved to be an inspiration to all the churches.We pray that this fellowship will have aunifying andstrengthening effect on the churches. Their next
Fellowship Meeting will be at the Kawama ChurchApril 8th.
Helping roof the Kapili church building inKitwc where Bill Branl works.
and QinxL^Jim and Cindy will be home again for their
month's vacation when you receive this newsletter.We really miss them at home, and there are timeswhen we would give a lot to have them with us.
However, the Lord is tiot slack concerning Hispromises, and He has strengthened and helped usthrough these most difficult times. We know thatyou all at home have prayed without ceasing for allfour of us, and we have certainly felt the hand of
the Lord during days when we especially missedeach other. Cindy has been plagued with home-
^sickness as well as being physically sick, but hereagain the Lord has intervened and done what wecould not do, and she is now happy at school.
Rift Valley Academy is a Christian school forChi Idren of missionaries in Africa. A great emphasisis placed upon the spiritual welfare of each childand they have opportunities for service as theywould at home. It is also an American school and
the students are taught the same subjects theywould have in the United States, with additionalcourses In the native languages.
Sports are a big th ing as in any American school,and both Jim and Cindy are active in these events.This term Jim is playing football. Cindy belongs toPioneer Girls and enjoys this extra activity. Sheis also taking piano lessons.
We thank God dally for His watchcare of ourchildren and we thank all of you for your manyprayers in their behalf. Both children have adjustedwell, and although there are still times when theyget homesick, they are enjoying school and theactivities there.
Jim at RiftValley Academy
Some of David's relatives with
Judy right after his mother's death.
David with his grandmother who became aChristian as a direct result of our interest
in him.
David Mushenda at four months.
nt I ^ "God works in mysteriousA ways, His wonders to- perform,"
^ ^ and even though we know thatSatan is the author of death, Godis able to use even this to make
known His ways. Last monthICl-l y when I began the story of David,
there wasn't room to tell you of
some of the results of the death of his mother. When
she died, her mother and father and sisters were notChristians, and didn't even come to church. But theChristians at Chiwala didn't let this keep them from
helping the family, and because of their witness andconcern during this time of sorrow, as well as thepreaching they did, both the mother and father, andseveral sisters and other relatives have all become
Christians. They are there every Saturday when wego out to Chiwala for classes and they are sothankful that David is alive and well. They don't
praise us; they thank us and bring us eggs andvegetables; but they give the praise and glory toGod. Not a Saturday goes by without them saying,"Twatotela Lesa," ("Thank you, God,") for providinga home for David.
God has also used this in our lives. When Jim
and Cindy left in September ofr school, we felt solone-ly that some days we couldn't even talk about
FIELD ADDRESS:
P.O. Box 873
Ndola, Zambia, Africa
I AN A 46049
them. We prayed that somehow God would fill ourlives and erase the loneliness. It was especiallyhard because we knew both Jim and Cindy werehomesick. Little did we realize just how God wasto answer our prayers, but the answer came in the
form of a three-week old baby. It had been twelveyears - almost to the day - since we had a baby inthe house. David arrived November 15, and Cindywas twelve four days later. Let me tell you, it isimpossible to be lonely with, a baby in the house,especially a sick baby! Not that we missed Jim andCindy any less, just that there wasn't time to dwellon our personal problems, and this was good. Godhas given us so much, and in Luke 18:29,30 weread the promise of blessings, both in the presenttime and in the life to come. God is true to His
Word, and we are enjoying His blessings.David's relatives are not anxious to take David
back to the village. We are not sure just what thefuture will bring, because we are just trusting in theLord that He will work it our in His
own way, and that way will berevealed to us at the proper time.
We are thankful that David is a Ii ve
and well, and whatever the futureholds, we give God the praise.
FORWARDING AGENTS:
Mr. and Mrs. Skip AllenP.O. Box 611
King, N.C. 27021
^mbia MQSSQnqQrNews from Dean, Judy, Jim and Cindy Davis
2 A V
Zambia Christian MissionP.O. Box 873
Ndola, Zambia
"AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST" IN CENTRAL AFRICA. (II Corinthians 5:20)
Volume 6 June 1972 Number 3
NEW CHURCH ESTABLISHED
AT BERNINA
destioying papers property. It is interestingto note that the same teacher has raised no objection to „ . «_ -j m <_ • •> .u.community functions being held in the school room, even Bemina Church outside ot School Building,though actual damage has been reported on these occasions. In light of this difficulty the church members have already started contributing to a fund and have made plans formaking their own bricks so a house of worship can be erected. Wewill help them with the building by supplying materialsthey cannot afford.
The enthusiasm and determination of the Bernina Christians in a source of inspiration both to us and the olderChristians in the other congregations. They havealreadyformed a Bibleschool for the childrenand a choir that inspiresallwho hear them.
We are grateful for the privilege of being in Zambia at a time when the opportunities for evangelism are so outstanding.If there has ever been an hour in history when all of God's people need to be aware of the need for preaching Christ, it isnow. If you are not now involved in winning someone else to Jesus, we would like to challenge you to become a part of themost satisfying, rewarding work in the world.
NIEMEYERS WORKING WITH
LUBUTO AND CHAWALA
Larry and Judy Nicmeycr recently arrived in Zambiaand have assumed the leadership training responsibilitiesat the Lubuto and Chiwala Churches which has been a
tremendous blessing to us and to the churches. Both ofthese congregations have shown marked progress in thepast couple of months.
Larry and Judy plan to stay in Ndola until theDelancys return to Zambia. Soon after the Delaneysreturn, the Niemeyers will move to the Northern Pro
vince of Zambia to begin the first evangelical work inthat area. The Northern Province is the area we previously surveyed and where we have long desired to see aNew Testament witness established. We thank God for
Larry and Judy and their work for Christ in Zambia.Please add them to your prayer list as they endeavor toestablish churches in the Northern Province.
FELLOWSHIP ENJOYED
BY NDOLA AREA CHURCHESOn April 8th the churches of the Ndola area (Kawama,
Chiwala, Lubuto, Miengwe and Bernina) met for theirquarterly Fellowship Meeting and had 180 people present to enjoy the preaching of God's Word and the Christian fellowship. Several choirs and singing groups addedcolor and inspiration to the day.
Dinner Time At Ndola Conference.
Christians from Ndola Churches Listen as Leroy
Randall preaches.
COPPERBELT
CHRISTIAN
CONFERENCEThe ten Churches of Christ on the Copperbelt are
planning a three day Conference for July 2, 3, and 4.
The Planning Committee consists of two men from eachcongregation and the missionaries. Beside the registrationfee for each one attending, each church is contributing$18.00 to help in the provision of food and transportation. The program of the Conference will consist ofpreaching, classes for men, women and children, singing,and the same kind of fellowship you enjoy at a convention in the U.S.
This is the largest undertaking the churches here haveever tried. Please be much in prayer for this Conference.
Committee for Planning Copperbelt Conference.
Dean and Jim Ready to Leave for Church.
LOST MAILRecently we have had difficulty with our
mail service. We have written letters that were
not received and have had letters sent to us
which we never received. If you have writtenand didn't get an answer, it is probably due tolost mail - please write again if such is the
Baptism At Miengwe
SURPRISE- BY CINDY -
Wow! When I got home from first term, what asurprise I got. Boy, it was the best surprise I had gottenin a long time. It was a baby boy. Mom had written me
a letter about him but I did not get it. From the time Isaw David, I knew I loved him just like he was my brotherbut I knew he was not. During my vacation I watchedand took care of David as much as I could. I think that
David has been a real blessing to our family. He hasshowed me, at lea-st, how much I really love the Africans. I think David has changed the whole family.
During my second term at school Mom and Dad senta letter saying that we were going to try and adopt him.Before they had said that we would not be able toadopt him. I know that when we come back to the States,
wc may have problems with David. People will think thatit is wrong that we have him. I feel there is no differencebetween David and I. 1 feel that David isjust the same asme except that he is a different color. We arc all one in
the Lord. "Are ye not then partial in yourselves, andare become judges of evil thought? Hearken, my belovedbrethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world richin faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?" (James 2:4, 5)
CINDY AND DAVID
minx
^ k- This is the time of year in Zambia that all vegetables areSW^'P^T'^ iX ^ plentiful. Every time we go to the bush, the Christians makeU 2? sure we have plenty of vegetables to take homewith us. The
^ most popular are pumpkins, cabbage, different varieties of
l^-^F nshima, and during this time of year the rural10 1 P - Zambians have plenty to eat. Most of the time the mealies^ are boiled in their shucks, then peeled and eaten as a snack,
:, • ^ might eat a piece of fruit. However, the Zambians63t it whenever they feel hungry, even during church! Ima-
Eun^ib' surprise when a few Saturdays ago at Chiwala, oneof our rural churches, one of the ladies poked me on theshoulder and handed me an ear of corn from her basket.
V They were all eating and wanted me to have some too.a Even though it was during the class and I couldn't imagine
BBIHjj^B^lHMril^k^ -m Another time one of the women gave me some okra,3 after fust asking if we white people would eat it. I assured''^'I : ^ her wc ate okra and she gave me abasketful. She then asked
I^SBB^Bfl^^BI^^^Hi - ^ ^ cooked it and after I told her we liked it fried,'• first dipped in egg and milk and then rolled in meal she
shook her head and said she didn't think she could "like it that way!" Then she told me they liked theirs cooked with sodaand tomatoes. I was really surprised at the soda, and she said, "Oh, we Zambians love soda very much." I remarked that Iused soda quite often in cooking but sometimes it was hard to get it in the store. "Oh, we don't buy it," she replied, "wemake our own by boiling ashes in water, and it makes soda." I haven't tried it yet, but Jim (our chemist in the family)said it made sense to him, because ashes were carbon and soda is really bicarbonate of soda!
Last week when we had our conference at Kawama, the women cooked all kinds of vegetablesin season - some I hadnever eaten or would never have thought about cooking. One, which 1 thought was delicious, was pumpkin leaves! Thewomen cut the leaves, such as we would cut spinach or other greens, and then cooked them with tomatoes, onions andoil until they were tender. The Zambian people make use of many things we Americans would just throw away, suchas pumpkin leaves, beet tops, and hibiscus leaves.
VStSif
FiELD ADDRESS:
P.O. Box 373
Ndola, Zambia, Africa
11
FORWARDING AGENTS:
Mr. and Mrs. Skip AlienP.O. Box 611
King, N.C. 27021
MISSION SERVICES ^^rP>-BOX 177
KEMPTON, INDIANA 46049
Address Correction Requested
^ Ato faOm-HOftt O«C*HI£ATI0a
MQSgQnqerNews from Dean, Judy, Jim and Cindy Davis
2 A ^
FIELD ADDRESS: FORWARDING AGENTS:
P.O. Box 873 Mr. and Mrs. Skip AllenNdolo, Zambia, Africa P.O. Box 611
King, N.C. 27021
"AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST" IN CENTRAL AFRICA. (II Corinthians 5:20)
Volume 6 August 1972 Number 4
COPPERBELT CONFERENCE A SUCCESSThe first Copperbelt Christian Conference, with all the Churches of Christ
on the Copperbelt participating, was held in Kitwe at the Agricultural ShowGrounds. The three-day conference was attended by 235 people and providedinspiration and spiritual edification which has greatly strengthened the Blifc-'churches. Even though the missionaries participated in the Conference, theentire program was directed by the Zambian Christians. Speakers includedleaders from the Copperbelt churches, missionaries and two church leadersfrom the Lusaka area two hundred miles away. There were children's and •youth sessions throughout the Conference which led the young people present . ^'?|||||iv Icloser to Jesus. These sessions were under the direction of Sue Dietsch and M
i^Kay Watts who were assisted by Zambian Christians. High lighting theCon-Vference throughout were the many singing groups which used their talents to ^BEHb T 1glorify Christ. They could be heard singing on into the night after all the ses- 1sions were over and most people had gone to bed.
The last morning of the Conference we were awakened about 4:00 a.m. U &D "dby someone talking. After listening, we realized someone was praying and wefound that at that early hour some of the men had already gotten up and were
having a prayer meeting to begin the day.The churches took turns preparing
and serving the meals. While the womenprepared the relish of chicken, beef orvegetable stew, the men stirred thenskima in barrels over an open fire.
The crowning feature of die Conference was the concluding service atwhich we witnessed the baptisms of several who gave their lives to Jesus. Withjoy the Christians returned to their homesto tell their friends about this memorableexperience in Christ and begin anticipating another conference next year.Baptizing into Christ.
Judy Niemoyer in charge of youth session inthe bleach«;r.s.
. •» ?. -
'm i •:
',4•i'l 'l-.i-.
Mika and David were among the younger conference goers.
The Delaneys return.
After a busy furlough in the States the Delaneyshave arrived back In Ndola to resume their work.The congregations at Chiwala and Kawama, whichthey established during their first term, have giventhem a warm welcome and are happy to again bereceiving their guidance and leadership.
We thank God for their return and welcome themback. Please pray that between us we will be ableto take advantage of more opportunities for newchurches in yet untouched areas on the Copperbelt.
m^m.,^v,-®«** --
Corn picking time in Zambia.
Joseph Merebwa, a leader in the Chiwala Church,is a hard working farmer and a respected leader inthe community. He and his family posed in front oftheir maize crib for this picture. When we visitedthem on this occasion, they presented us with twopumpkins, a chicken and a large sack of peanuts.
SPORTS AT R.V,A.
Our first year at Rift Valley Academy is overand now we are home again. I had fun at school.
The most enjoyment I had was the sports. Lastterm 1 played on the Junior Colt Rugby team whichwas fun and gave us good fellowship. One game thatstands out in my memory is the one where I madea touchdown and a conversion kick. We reallycreamed the other team 32-4.
When we read the Bible, we learn that sports andcompetition have always been carried on by people.I am glad this hasn't stopped now and that in theChristian life we can still have the fun and fellowship of sports activity at home or at school. I amhappy that the Christian life is not drab and dreary.
Elderly man and woman (on right)relax in front of their hut just followingtheir baptism.
Recently at Miengwe Dean was asked to visitthe parents of one of the Christians. After a thirty-minute ride on the motorcycle on a winding paththrough bush and ten-foot elephant grass, he arrivedat a run down little village to find an elderly manand his wife at the point of death in their hut.Because it was late in the evening, he went backearly the next morning with the truck and took themto the Clinic for treatment. It was learned thatneither of these old people had ever had any churchaffiliation. A few weeks later it was a memorableexperience to see them die to their old way of lifeand be made alive in Christ as they were born againof the water and the Spirit.
NATIONAL MISSIONARY
CONVENTION
2 in 1972
NORFOLK, VIRGINIASeptember 26-29, 1972
PHOENIX, ARIZONANovember 21-24, 1972
. ni g f planning for the Coppcrbelt Christian Conference,-*iSE, churches chose two representatives from each church
jSJ to serve on a central committee. One of the represcnta-^ tivo-s from the church at Bernina was Isaac Ngulukila,
^ n ' whom we thought was just a schoolboy but later found^ married and the father of twin boys. This
^90^ gives him the respected title (in the Bemba language) of\ wm ' "ShiMpundii," meaning "the father of twins." When weEgMBraira^g ® Isaac, the twins were about three montlis old. At
'''•"'A glance 1 thought surely he meant three weeks,because they were so small. But Isaac said they were
^horn January 29 which made them a little more than threei'' ffj months. Isaac asked me to name the boys so I turned to
^ ® \ j ^hc New Testament and read to him from Matthew 4:21,'Jk~ ' wanted to name the boys James and
3 John. He told me which twin was theI ..\jr first'bom, and so he was James, the RBBIIiSRSS''^
other, John. James was a little jigf .bigger than John, but neitherof them IB^^WBgjwU /was very big, and neither had any ^gL_clothes on except a diaper and
undershirt which was so -4big the babies looked lost! ^EBWlA VjL
The next time we went to Bernina I took some of David's outgrown clothes and thewhole church was so grateful that I was ashamed that I had waited so long. Acouple of ^weeks later we took the mother and babies to the clinic where they were weighed and g 2Mrs. Ngulukila was given a case of powdered formula and some instant baby cereal along flwith feeding instructior>s. James weighed 9 lbs., 13 oz., and John, 9 lbs., 6 oz. They flwere then four and one half months old.
Two weeks latei when we went to Bernina we found the church gathered at the home M^kof the Ngulukilas. The twins were very sick and an ambulance had been called. TheChristians had come together to pray while waiting for the ambulance. The twins wereadmitted to the hospital in Luanshya for dehydration and malnutrition. The next day Iwent back to Bernina to get one or two of the women to go with me to the hospital andthere were eleven women ready to go! When we arrived, they chose three women to haveprayer. The father was there when we got there along with two other women who had goneearlier to cake some food to Mrs. Ngulukila. After visiting hours they all got in a huddle H||and had a hurried consultation. Then they told me they had decided that Isaac shouldride back to Ndola with me to get his wife's mother to come. They all contributed what ^^B^l ^^Blittle money they had and gave it to Isaac so he would have money to bring them back. ^H|
When I got home that evening, 1 told Dean that these people at Bernina were truly Bj^E.New Testament Christians. They all taught me a lesson about sharing and bearing oneanother's burdens. How many times have we gone as a church body to the home of some*one sick to sine and pray? At Bernina when one member is in need, the whole body ofChrist is affected. Let us pray that we will be more conscious of the body of Christin our community and really show our love and concern. Ephesians 4:1-6. Cindv
MISSION SERVICESBOX 177
KEMPTOK, INDIANA 46049
Address Correction Requested
JOf
Coest
'»I1
News from Dean, Judy, Jim and Cindy Davis
FIELD ADDRESS: FORWARDING AGENTS:
P.O. Box 873 Mr. and Mrs. Skip Allen •1Mr. and Mrs. Skip AllenP.O. Box 611King, N.C. 27021
[ZA Ndolo, ZambiaAfrica
'AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST" IN CENTRAL AFRICA. (II Corinthians 5:20)
Volume 6 December 1^72 Number 5
Dean and Judy Cindy, Jim and David
<x <inuAAin^ ^aad af. a win vJaiia. - -Ka£f ^xp-eAitin^ •via'£d d-eA-lAuction; fic£f. oea-i-gn-ed ta an un-c-c/itainiBut Aaptn^ tAat In tA« mido-t af man'A. a oa^ution pit p-ca-c^ -cxim-c..
i««a^ni^in^ man'a. ^teai^l Aap-e, -tA-c fPiina« of §q<1'4. San.
ffi-e ^ind. in Aecn^ in ZamAia and oAaiin^ Qad'o. ^i^ af ^o^ie.dnd. dai^ pit ^au v^Ra ^TKMUta^ ua, -W« iAonA aut JotA-en oAa-iJ^.jRoy aui A« united, ta te£E peap^e. a^ notion and taoe.:"^TAe. viaid Ae.oam'e ^«aA and dvteft amon^ uo- - - ^uS.Z a^ tiutA and pi^.^ ^iaa«.
Blind Trio
BLIND MEN SING AT MIENGWE
On a recent Saturday afternoon the MiengweChurch of Christ had a special service whichproved to be an encouragement to the church
and a challenge tomany who attended
mem-
a v' bers of the church.V ' The service was
held in an incom-
pleted welfare build*
3 WsUtf ^"8 which the peopleHR ^ Miengwe Vil-
Inge are building.(Inyear when the
HP ^ church was begun,• there were onlyf twenty-five families
and now there areBlind Trio ninety-three fami
lies.) For the service first we went to Masaiti, where Vernonand Kathryn Oakley established a church atthe Centre for the Blind and Handicapped, andgot a Quartet (minus one) of blind men whoare members of the Masaiii Church of Christ.
These men so thrilled everyone at the Copper-belt Conference that
they have beenby
the Copperbeltchurches since then. H ,When we arrived at MMiengwe, the ladies Whad lamb, chicken, jjftp^dHBand prepared. V-After Vjsenjoying fellowship vB
the )h||men began the set-
with several .
songs. The buildingwas soon packed . .
j . prcacnme.and It was evident ' °
that the Miengwe Christians had done a goodjob inviting everyone to this special service.Chariie Delaney delivered a challenging message which was followed by some more singingby the men from Masaiti. At the close of the
Charlie Delaneypreaching.
Miengwe girls allending specialservice,
first cool, refreshing rain in five months beganto fall. As we got into the truck to leave, wefelt that God had truly showered us with manyblessings that afternoon.
BERNINA CHURCH
FULFILLS GREAT COMMISSION
About five miles from Bernina, Amin, a largeconstruction company, has a rock quarry and alarge compound where their employees live. Severalweeks ago the men from Bernina went to Amin andbegan preaching. As a result they now have a groupmeeting every Sunday and the Bernina men caketurns preaching for them. They have asked us tocome and have classe^s with them on Thursdaynights. Each Thursday a large group from Berninago with me to encourage the new group. We are presently meeting in an abandoned church building(mud brick with grass rooO- We are chankhil forthe Bernina Christians who have taken seriouslythe commission Jesus gave. Please pray with usthat this nucleus will grow into a strong congregation.
The Bernina church, itself a new congregation,continues to grow and bear testimony to the powerof the Gospel among the people of that area.Recendy a one-week revival there closed withseven being bapdzed into Christ.
Group rrom Bernina loliowing trip to Aminfor preaching.
Mr. and Mrs. Phiri of Lubulo.
LUBUTO CHURCH
EXPERIENCES GROWTHy Over the past year we have asked you many
times to pray for the Lubuto church which wasplagued with trouble during our time in the States.Often we reported that things were looking up onlyto have our hopes crushed soon after the reportwent out. Many hours of concern, prayer and frustrating work were spent trying to solve the pro blem.About three months ago, Mr. and Mrs. Phiri, wholive very near the church building, were won toJesus Christ. Since that time they have beenthe most enthusiastic workers we have seen. Froman attendance which was sometimes less than
thirty, the church has grown steadily and lastLord's Day there were eighty present. We thankGod for answering our prayers for a family whocould influence the people of that community.Please pray widi us that Mr. and Mrs. Phiri willremain faithful in the task of winning others. Seeing new faces in church there every week brings awonderful spirit of expectancy and joy to the entirecongregation.
KAY WATTS A real joy to have as a co-worker.She is one of the hardest working people in Ndola.She teaches sixteen Bible classes a week insecondary schools, a Bible class at Lubuto eachSaturday, has a Christian Youth Club Meedng atLubuto each Saturday, teaches a Bible class at aschool in Ndola each Sunday morning plus helpingin Sciipcure Union and Y-Teen Meetings in theschools. On top of all this she also helps writelesson materials and does secretarial woik. We
thank God for such a dedicated worker and closefri end.
CINDY
Thanksgiving has come and we all ate ourturkeys. We celebrate Thanksgiving different.It is not a public holiday over here so we haveto make it one. Each year the missionarieson the Copperbelt go to one of the missionaries' houses. This year we went to theBrants. They live in Kitwe. We are thankfulfor many things here in Zambia, We are verythankful for the churches here and the new
Christians. I am sure you are thankful for manythings also. We are thankful for many morethings. We are also thankful for Christmas.Christmas is not just a time to open presentsand' get lots of presents and to eat a lot andget fat. It is a time of rejoicing. Some Onewas bom on that day! It was Christ. He cameto take all my sins away and He came to takeyour sins away too. This is something we allneed to think about. We think, "Oh, how niceChristmas is! I wonder what kind of presentsI will get. Big ones? Little ones?" Anyway,what does it matter? Christ is our Gift. He is
the biggest and best gift ever.Merry Christvias,
Baptizing into Jesus Christ.
for bringing him to us and allowing us to keephim. We realize what a serious responsibility we have to 'train up a child the way he should goand when he is old, he will not depart from it.* (Proverbs 22:6) We firmly believe that God had apurpose in sending David and we pray that we will do all that is pleasing in His sight with allour children.
We thank you all for your prayers and letters when we were concerned about adopting David.We know that without the faithful prayers of you Christians who are concerned that God's Will bedone, our work here would be very discouraging. Please continue to be in prayer for the work inZambia that Christ will be the light in these dark days, for Jim and Cindy as they are in schoolso far from us, for David's health, and for Dean and me that in the New Year of 1973 we will beable to continue in good health and be able to do the work we have been called to do. Our prayersare with youalways. Colossians 1:3*6
MISSION SERVICES
BOX 177
KEMPTON, INDIANA 46049
A Barbftry Umb
Address Correction Requested
ZAM
M
Peo/L ReadeA,
TkU Zambia 7972 ANNUAL i& anotkzA ova/caZt view theZambia ChAi&tian l^iifiiion. Each contribution in thi6 magazine come6 ^rom the ti^e and experiences the mi6>6ionary.
Zambia missionaries live up to 600 miZes apart. Thoughseparated by mites, we share the same goats ... to establish indigenous churches a^ter the New Testament pattern.
Whether our work takes us to the tiny rural village orthe sprawling urban complex, the task o{, evangelism is iirstand foremost in our minds. Women's work, youth work, literacy training, printing . . . everything is geared toevangelize.
This magazine will acquaint you with the progress andplans 0^ the Zambia Christian Mission. May God bless youas you read.
Vours {^or Christ in Zambia,Missionaries o^ theZAMBIA CHRISTIAN MISSTPW
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INSIDE A ZAMBIAN VILLAGE 1
THE INDIGENOUS PRINCIPLE AT WORK 2
THE MOTHER MISSIONARY 4
LORD, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? 5
RECRUITS FOR ZAMBIA 6
ILLITERACY - ATTACKING THE PROBLEM 7
HOW SHALL THEY HEAR? 8
WITCHCRAFT 10
CHURCH DISCIPLINE 11
COPPERBELT CONFERENCE 12
WHERE YOUR MISSIONARIES WORK 13
MEN FOR THIS HOUR 14
FIRST IMPRESSIONS 15
TEACHING THE WORD 16
(NSIDE A ZAMBIAN UILLAGE
With the exception of the VictoriaFalls on Zambia's southern border, andthe Kalambo Falls in the north, the country arouses little enthusiasm amongvisitors with an eye for scenic beauty.Modem travellers usually hurry from oneplace to another and miss the fascination that lies just beyond the roadside.
For it is here, off the road, that onefinds the Zambian village, and a tradition that goes back, basically unchanged , for hundreds of years. This is theessential, historic Zambia. One cannotunderstand the country without someunderstanding of its village life.
The average population of a Zambianvillage would be about 80 souls; fewwould contain more than 150. Very oftenhowever, the villages look larger thanthey really are, because there may be 3or more huts in use per family.
Almost all villages have what wewill call a "main street" that is, a fairly broad dirt avenue on both sides ofwhich the huts are grouped. The mainstreet is kept clean and grass-free, asis all the ground between the huts andfor some distance around the outskirts
of the village. This serves 2 purposes:to expose the deadly reptiles that mayintrude, and to prevent the dangerouslate dry season grass fires from reaching the huts.
Traditionally, the huts are round,with walls of mud, roofs of thatch, andfloors of cow-dung mixed with mud.This last may surprise you, but whendry it makes a durable floor, completelyoderless. The huts do not have chim
neys; smoke from fires built withinsimply filters through the thatch. Thoughthe huts look similar externally, theyare used for varying purposes. A singlefamily will probably have one hut forcooking, another for the husband andwife, and another for the children. If,as is often the case, the man has a plurality of wives, a hut for each will beprovided,
by Leroy Randall
As a visitor to a Zambian village youcould expect to be treated with consu-mate courtesy, African style of course.The best chair would be brought for youto sit on. You would undoubtedly beoffered food. The traditional staple inZambia is "nshima", a heavy com-mealr. ush, served with a "relish" or meat
-auce for flavor. You would find the
children quiet and respectful. Shouldyou wish to stay, you would want tocontact the village headman. His permission, never onced refused in my experience, secures for you his good-willand protection. Moreover, you couldthen stay in the village as long as youwish; this is an actual rule of Africancourtesy, and it is never violated.
One does not stay long Inside aZambian village before he begins to notice many remarkable similarities between present day Zambian rural life,and the life of the Jewish people ofJesus' time. The women of the villagefetch water in the morning and eveningjust as the Jewish women did in Jesus
day. The Zambian people often use oxenteamed with a wooden yoke to plow theirfields. They winnow their com just asgrain was winnowed in Palestine in Biblical times. Even their religion is superficially similar to that of the Jews:The Zambian people have always believed in one god, and their religiouspractice has in it a strong sacrificialelement.
There are many other things I couldtell you about the Zambian villages hadI the space: I would mention the people'shelpfulness, their sense of humor, theirinability to hold a grudge, and theirkeeness as judges of human character.But since the space permitted me isgone, I will end by saying that I hopeyou have leamed enough to understandwhy I feel it is so great a pleasure toteach such people the Word of God. •
GENOUS PRINCIPLE AT WORK
By Don Meche
A" i'r
-
BAPTISMAL SERVICE NEAR KITWE
The hope of every missionary shouldbe to see the churches he has started
become indigenous: self-supporting, disciplining, governing and propogating.This was our dream for the area where
we labored in Zambia.
From the "planting of the seed" bythe preaching of the Word we tried totrust the Holy Spirit to bring convictionand repentance. Those villages recep
tive to the preaching of the Word alsobecame, "in due time," responsive "andthey that gladly received his word were
baptized," about SOOlneight months."Say not there are yet four months andthen Cometh . . . look unto the fields
for they are already ripe unto harvest. "
Once villagers {theyand theirhouse-hold) became Christians our next stepwas to help them to become functioning
congregations . A conference was held
for all new Christians and they were en
couraged to choose their own leaders,and begin building their own houses ofworship. Once leaders were chosen,
clinics were held to help them lead thechurches they represented. Topics werepresented and discussed.e.g. The Lord'sSupper, Baptism, Tithing etc. Cashboxes and record books were given to
each of the seven churches and respec
tive people chosen: box-keeper, key-keeper and book-keeper.
It was thrilling to see each churchfunctionina by itself. They accepted the
various responsibilities necessary fortheir development and growth — "andthey continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and inbreaking of bread and in prayers ." The"followers of the way" witnessed of theirfaith in Christ "and the Lord added to the
church daily such as should be saved."
But what would happen when the mis
sionary goes on furlough and no one would
be present to visit and encourage thechurches? Would the people revert to"the old ways" and cease to exist asliving congregations? From the beginning we had only tried to trust all the
work into the hands of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We left on furlough. Through ourpreparations to leave Zambia, furloughand settling again after our return, oneyear and four months passed before wesaw any of the Christians again. Ourcontact had been severed. We paid noevangelist, constructed no buildings,provided no song books, bibles or otheraids of worship. They belonged to Christand they were His church. They werefree and we could only pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit upon their lives.
'M r-M
CHINANGA CHURCH
While we were absent there were two
Christian conferences held (Septemberand March). They arranged their owntransportation, food, program, speakersand constructed a meeting shelter. Fourhundred four people attended the September conference and eighteen people werebaptized. Over twohundred attended theMarch conference and eight were baptized. A total of forty-eight people were
converted while we were absent "and so
were the churches established in the
faith ." Permanent buildings were constructed by three of the congregationswhich we were happy to see. Others
MGWADI CHURCH
were in various stages of planning andconstruction. Without doubt, the Chris
tians gave strong indications of spiritualgrowth but the measure of such is really
known only to Him .
It is my experience and belief that
there are valuable results from pursuingthe establishment of the church alongindigenous lines. (1) A strong churchwill develop from the very beginning.(2) Rapid growth will be seen throughthe local church people. (3) There is awholesome relationship between the missionary and the nationals. (4) The gospel is revealed tothe non-Christian areain a more realistic way. (5) It frees themissionary to pursue new untouched territory. I believe, "no area has the rightalways to be a mission field."
CHIMBINGA CHURCH
"Therefore they that were scatteredabroad went every where preaohingthe word." Acts 8:9
MILVREV
PACEftmt
WRITES
ABOUTMRS. PACE
THE MOTHER MISSIONARY
At no time is a missionary to be pitied nor should a missionary mother everfeel sorry for herself or her children. It
is true for the most part that the spiritual warfare on the mission field is in
tense and that missionary work is done
on enemy territory, but the problems amissionary mother faces are basically
the same as those of any Christianmother.
The children of a missionary havethe opportunity to know at leasttwo cultures, and sometimes more than two, es
pecially that is true in Zambia. They
learn to adjust to many situations and tomake friends with ease. They have thecultural benefit of wide travel. This
should make history, geography and sciences meaningful. Often these childrenknow at least two languages and they
enjoy a heightened language sense forthe remainder of their lives .
On many fields a family has more
time to be together than do families inthe homeland, where extracurricular and
school activities prevent the family fromhaving much time together.
The missionary child has early train
ing in Christian service not enjoyed bymost of his friends. He comes to feel
early in life a personal responsibility for
the spiritual well-being of others. Heis taught the importance of a Christ-cen
tered home as a witness to the different
families with whom he comes in contact.
Life on the mission field is so much
easier than it was fifty or even twentyyears ago that it is nearly impossible
for most young missionary women to appreciate the difference, not having lived
on the field during those earlier periods.Their lives would be sweetened with hu
mility, gratefulness and increased diligence if they could only conceive whattheir missionary predecessors have taken in stride, for only one purpose-that
Christ might be known. The automobile,the airplane and electricity have changed
the mode of living all over the world.
Few Christians have the prayer helpof others to the extent that missionaries
do. This is one of a missionary's greatest blessings
And then, of course, the supreme joyof missionary work is to see the livingGod work His miracle of grace in thelives of them who know Him not. This
miracle is part of the outreach of the
missionary's home, witha joy that shedsits radiance over the whole life. It is no
sacrifice to go to another land to seeGod work'
Thank you, Christians of the Homeland, for sending us to do His work inZambia. ♦
BUT LORD,
WHAT DO YOU WANT
"Go ye into all the world and preachthe Good News of Jesus", He said tome. And I answered bleakly, "But Lordyou know me and my limitations, whatcan I do?"
The answer came not of my own doing but rather from a group of Christian
women at Kawama Church of Christ,
some 5 miles from my home in Ndola.When they requested a Bible study
class, the few who showed genuine in
terest made me wonder again, "Lord, isthis what you really want of me?" Hisanswer was "where two or more are
gathered in My name, there will I bealso." His blessed presence has become more precious with each meeting.
Now, on a Wednesday afternoon at
Kawama township between 15 and 20ladies meet to sing, memorize God'sWord, study a Bible lesson and pray.
Not only have they grown in number andknowledge, but also in the Spirit of
Christ. Without the suggestion of JudyDavis, (who worked with them while Iwas on furlough) or myself, the ladiesbegan a store of corn meal. This was to
be used to help a needy family in theCommunity as the needs might arise andin so doing they would be offering a cupof cold water in the name of Jesus.
The women's work in the churches of
the Copperbelt has been similar in beginning and growth. Judy Davis leadsgroups in Miengwe and Bemina, JackieBrant, those in Kwacha and Zam Tan,
Angela Woodhall, at Kapili and Betty
Delaney working with Kawama andChiwala.
UflliiiiciMcimi
ME TO DO?By Betty Delaney
DAY WOMEN'S STUDY ON COPPERBELT
As the church of Christ grows in theCopperbelt, the need will grow forChristian women to know their place andduty in the church and community.
As I see the growing need for thisministry among the African women, Iknow just what the Lord means when He
says to me, "Go." I find my only an
swer to be, "Here am I Lord, send me."
Our NeedsThe Lord is opening numerous oppor
tunities for the printing ministry inZambia. We have excellent equipmentand many materials to be printed. However the desperate need for a typist-office worker is drastically limiting thisservice.
If you are interested or know anyone
who is interested - There is a NEED. . .
Please contact: William M. Brant P.O.
Box 2280 Kitwe, Zambia, Africa. NOW I
RECRUITS FOR ZAMBIA
TOM AND ROBERTA FORT
Tom and Roberta Fort are recruits to
Zambia and plan to begin their ministryin Kitwe, the Lord willing, early in 1973.
They come highly recommended bythe University Street Church of Christ,
Eugene, Oregon: "It is with real pleasure that we have the opportunity to recommend Mr. Fort to full time mission
ary work. He has served as our Asso
ciate minister for the past three years."
"Brother Tom has many outstanding
characteristics; ... his ability to coun-
cel, to deliver an inspirational messageis always a high point with our congregation; he is always able to rise to anyoccasion where he is needed. Mr. Fort's
personality is a real asset to the fellow
MILDRED PACE
Everyone's friend, Mildred Pace or
Aunt Mildred to the missionary children,
spent 5 years serving Christ in Zambia.The lives of many African Christianshave been greatly influenced by
Mildred's love for the Lord Jesus. She
ship of the congregation; he worksequally well with all age groups, ..."
"Roberta, is equally committed to
serving her Lord and also merits ourhighest recommendation. She is an ableteacher; she is very poised and makes a
good impression on the members of thecongregation. She serves as a full -timephysical therapist in the Children'sHospital School where she is able to
minister unto these children in a spirit
ual way as she aids them in a physical
way."
"We, the undersigned, elders of the
University Street Church of Christ, give
our highest recommendation to Mr. Fortto serve in any way the Lord may needhim."
One of Tom's Professors atNorthwest
Christian College writes: "I believe
Tom will make a great contribution tothis mission. He is quite competent inmany areas: preaching, teaching, coun-
celing, as well as printing. He has avery alert mind. He loves people and
relates easily to them."
"Equally important is the fact thatTom is thoroughly committed to Christand to the New Testament as His Word.
He holds the faith in good conscienceand is a willing servant."
Tom has just completed further studies at Fuller TheologiCcil Seminary inthe department of Church Growth.
He is presently raising funds andcan be contacted by writing: UniversityStreet Church of Christ, 2880 UniversityStreet, Eugene, Oregon 9 7403
has now returned to the States for medical reasons and even now continues to
promote and aid the work in Zambia
through personal presentation.The service she contributed while in
Africa and even now, in the States, willalways be deeply appreciated by thefamilies of Zambia Christian Mission.
90'/.
CAN NOT OEAO
ILLITERACY - ATTACKING THE
The Bible is written completely inevery majorZambian language while lessthan 20% of the people are able to read.
One and a quarter million people in Zambia have never had the opportunity of
education. Two-thirds of the adult pop
ulation are unable to read and the grosstotal of illiterate adults grows even
larger.
With the view to establishing theindigenous church, illiteracy poses a major problem. How can the church growin the knowledge of the scriptures ifmost, and in some cases all of the con
gregation are illiterate?
Training people to read the Bible attacks the problem in the right way. Among
the Batonga people in Zambia a Christianliteracy course is being set up. It is be
ing written by Robert Rice of Literacy andEvangelism, Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma, aliteracy expert, and Mr, Exodus Muleya,
a Tonga informant. Here is how it works :
Literate Christians are taught simple
methods of teaching literacy and are provided with specially written materials.
Along with literacy methods, they are also taught ways to witness while teaching.
The teacher gives the literacy lesson
and concludes it with a simple testi-
SANDY SINCLAIR FAMILY
PROBLEMBy Ron Sapp
mony, a Bible reading or some kind ofexpression of Christian faith. The teaching and testimonies go on for over twenty lessons, when the student becomes aliterate Christian.
The lessons are specially arrangedintroducing first the letters which occurmost frequently in Cltonga. Special careis given to teach simple Bible storiesand Christian truths within the literacycourse. (It is said that the first thing aperson reads is believed to be an irrevocable truth). "Jesus" is introduced inLesson 11. The "lam's" of Jesus areincorporated throughout the lessons.
Upon completion of the course andthe passing of the literacy exam, thestudent progresses to reading a basicprimer about Jesus. The student willsoon be reading his Bible.
The congregation using Literacy and
Evangelism methods will see numericalgrowth (because of the emphasis on evan
gelism) as well as spiritual growth (because church members will be able to
read the Bible). Missionary Ronald Sappis setting upthe program and will be using it extensively upon return to the mission field in 1972. ♦
NOW ON FURLOUGH
1. Baptismal Scene in Zambia
2. Christian Ladies preparefood for the men at a
leadership training conference held in the Blind
village.
3. Zambia Railway's housingfor single men, Livingstone.
4. A Church leader preaches.He can't read but he can
preach.
5. A Zambian family going toChurch.
6. Politics is an importantpart of the Urban Scene.
7. The marketplace.
8. Beer drinking, Zambia'snational problem.
9. Church leaders pray
I
UWa\
-K.-
Likabangwa had an unknown illnessthat came upon him suddenly. It mighthave been a bad heart, or perhaps abrain tumor. He had been to the government clinic, but they failed to find thetrouble. Immediately he faced the greatAfrican fear of witch- craft. Likabangwafeared a sorcerer had put a curse on himfrom which he could not recover. He
knew the older men in the village knewhow to cast a spell on someone. Hefeared he was a victim of the Mu-lozi.
When this is feared, the Intended
victim usually will call for a "doctor"
to try to put things right. This person isoften ignorantly called a "witch-doctor"although among the Batonga this is mostoften a person who has the best interests
TRADITIONAL DANCING
By Sandy Sinclair
of the patient at heart. The "doctor"
tries to overcome the power of the Mu-lozi or sorcerer. He uses native roots,
herbs and medicines trying to effect a
cure. He really tries to help in any wayhe can.
To the African, the world is full ofspirits. There are many spirit sects a-mong the Batongas where spirit worshipis taught along with Christian teachings.
In the case of Likabangwa, severalmonths passedandhe suddenlywas quitewell again. What he did to ensure thisrecovery is not known. Very possibly
he did visit the "doctor" and adminis
tered the cure suggested to him.
Take the case of Dickson's second
wife. During the evangelistic meetingsin July she complained of coughing (ci-kolokolo). Two days later it was learnedshe still was not well. She was to be
taken to the clinic on Sunday after
Church. Early Sunday morning a runnercame advising all she was at the pointof death. Upon arrival artificial respiration was tried, and the people kept suggesting that pills would work. (ThoughAfrican people believe strongly in thewitchdoctor's medicine, they believe
the white man's pills can cure anything).There was nothing that could be done,she was gone . Immediately their tradi
tional mourning broke loose . Wailingrent the air. Scripture was read and
prayer was offered. Two evangeliststook charge and she was buried a fewhours later. The cause of death? Most
people thought she had been witched
CHURCH
As we read the record of the New
Testament Church we witness church
discipline being put into practice withunruly, backsliding members being putinto place by the church. This type ofdiscipline serves two purposes. First,it lets all the church know that if one is
going to wear the name Christian he
must act and live like one to uphold thedignity and honor of Christ and HisChurch. Secondly, it says to the world
that the Church is different and that
worldly practices will not be tolerated.
There have been several occasions
among the churches in Zambia when
church discipline has been effectivelyapplied. In dealing with these situations the role of the missionary is toteach what the scriptures say concerning discipline and then let the congregation involved apply the teaching tothe situation.
A temptation the missionary faces isto decide what the discipline should beand dictate how it should be adminis
tered. In fact, the Zambian Christians
often want him to do just that. When themissionary becomes involved a tremendous amount of effectiveness is lost.
The church leaders' responsibility istaken away. The member being disciplined feels as if it is a "white man's"
punishment.
DISCIPLINE
By Dean Davis
For the church to be indigenous itmust be self-disciplined, not missionary-disciplined. This means that in everycase where discipline is needed it must
come from the Zambian church leaders.
It has been a real joy to see Christians handle difficult situations where
unfaithful leaders have had to be sus
pended from leadership because of open,willful sin, or where Christians who have
reverted back to their heathen practiceshave been disfellowshipped until repentance is in evidence. In every instance,the church involved has become stronger'n faith and outreach. In many instancesthose who have sinned have repentedand their lives have been reclaimed for
our Lord.-^-
COPPERBELT CONFERENCE
Our first three day conference among
the ten Copperbelt congregations is nowhistory. It was planned by 2 men fromeach congregation with the missionariesas advisors. Its purpose was for con
centrated teaching and fellowship. Besides the preaching sessions, special
classes were conducted for men, women
and youth. The preaching and teachingof the 234 people present was shared bymissionaries and nationals.
We were blessed with the good fa
cilities provided by the Copperbelt Agricultural Show Grounds in Kitwe. For
70 cents per adult, we were suppliedwith two large buildings for dormitories,and an auditorium, classrooms, diningarea and a pool for a baptistry. Mealscould have been a problem, but the wo
men from the different congregations andmissionary wives divided the meals upand prepared typical Zambian dishes ofnshima and meat relish. Food was cook
ed in cut down 44 gal. drums overwood-fires. Wooden spoons 4 feet long werehand carved for stirring. The food waswell prepared and appreciated.
CHIWALA CHRISTIANS PREPARING NOON MEAL
The programs were well attended andkept the interest of the people. Inter
mingled with spirit led preaching werechoirs and singing groups and filmsfrom the Bible Society. An excellent
By Bill Brant
AN AFTERNOON PREACHING SESSION
drama by the members from Bemina forcefully portrayed the dangers of backsliding. A very heart-warming eventtook place as the trio of blind men from
Masaiti sang. The Spirit moved as thepeople spontaniously left their seats
and brought a good offering for the blindmen, which totaled about 10 dollars.
The conference closed with a baptismalservice.
BAPTISMAL SERVICE
The people were reluctant to leave
as they gathered their bedrolls and be
longings to return by trucks to their different towns and villages. It was veryinspirational as the people embracedeach other and said farewell to theirnew brothers and sisters in Christ. It
was just a taste of what a wonderful dayit will be when we are brought togetherin His eternal Kingdom and saints from
allnations will be able to fellowship foreternity without thought of parting.
YOUR MISSIONARIES
AT WORK
Sue Dietsch
KltW^«
Ndola •
'Kabwe
Shakambila ^Kapayanga * /*T
^ Libonda •Lingamba^ ^Livingstone
Sandy Sinclair
Ronald SappDon Mechem
Kathryn Watts
Charles Delaney
Leroy Randall
MEN FOR THIS HOUR
George W. Peters, author of SaturationEvangelism, has pointed out the necessity of "total mobilization" in countriesaround the world if Christian evangelism
is to keep pace with the population demands . One of the factors he deems
necessary for such mobilization is ener
getic leadership.
The quality of leadership in Zambiawas made known recently when StanleyMumba, elder at Kawama Church of
Christ in Ndola, broke ground for thegospel and introduced missionaries toan area of Zambia which may prove tobe very responsive.
Learning of our desire to enter theevangelically untouched Northern Pro
vince, Stanley joined others in encouraging us to consider an area near a lit
tle town called Chinsali. He arrangeda leave of absence from his work for one
week in order to meet Dean Davis and
myself at that place on April 26, andthat was when God started usingStanley.
Although located in areas only 25miles apart, the missionaries and
By Larry Niemeyer
Stanley failed to make contact witheach other on that first trip North. Whilethe missionaries sought contact amongstrangers, Stanley had gone straight toMunjili village where part of his familylived. He preached the Gospel and discussed their need for it and was givenan invitation to return.
The second trip to Chinsali was madeon June 2 by the Niemeyers and Stanley.
There, a first-hand observation of
Stanley at work showed God's presencein his life. He opened Munjili villageup for the Niemeyers as a possible baseof operation and was the key to a goodreception from government officials, theChief, headmen, and the general public.
Because of this man's concern for his
lost and wandering countrymen, a newarea of Zambia has been penetrated withthe Gospel. Possibilities exist for
several new churches and a large movement to Christ - and, after all, that's
what the saturation and mobilization isall about. Cther factors are necessaryfor the spread of the Gospel, but inZambia, missionaries can be assured of
the energetic leadership of men likeStanley Mumba.
LIVE ftYOUR ^faith—^
[r LIGHTthe
WORLD!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
As we drove around the city ofKitweone Sunday afternoon, we could see one
row of houses after another. People walking in great numbers down the streets
of the townships. The question that weask ourselves is how many of the peoplein this city of 150,000, who speak oneof sixdifferent languages, have heard ofJesus Christ for the first time. How can
we reach them?
BILL AND SANDY WORKING ON TRANSLATION
The Lord has led us here and has
promised that he will be with us always.
We must avail ourselves of every opportunity which God will provide for thepreaching, teaching and spreading of HisWord to the lost thousands here. As we
look at the task of spreading the Wordwe say "tell them of Christ." This is our
goal; our only aim .
In an area such as this with so many
languages, what language will we leam
first? Bemba is the most widely spokenlanguage of this area and is used in mostof the radio broadcasts, s o we begin here.With the help of interpreters and translators, the Lord is helping us at the Zambia Christian Press to aid the work of
teaching with Christian literature in threelanguages. We must continually trust inthe Lord to help us find the words which
will relate the same meaning to the Bemba mind as to the American . Many dis
cussions are held to determine if the
proper word is being used to relate themessage of God.
By Sue Dletsch
SOME OF THE CHRISTIAN LITERATURE PRINTED AT ZAMBIA CHRISTIAN PRESS
In a land where education of their
people has tripled in the last few yearspeople are hungry for material to read.A message for them and the message ofChrist is a personal message for eachindividual. We do not feel that litera
ture takes the place of personal witness
but facilitates it. One example of thisis that Jackie Brant recently gave each
of the ladies at a ladies' meeting fourpieces of literature to help them in theirpersonal witness. As a result one of themheld a ladies' meeting of her own withtwelve in attendance.
What do we print at Zambia ChristianPress? We are in the process of printing tracts such as: "Are You SatisfiedWith Your Life Today? " The aim of thistract is to help the individual to findtheir joy in Christ. Another tract "God's
Message to You!" This was also printedto relate how one can leam and know of
Christ. Also printed there, is SundaySchool materials in three languages:
Bemba, Tonga and English.
May we ask for your prayers thatthis Christian literature will aid the work
by opening doors for us to walk through
and by opening doors of understandingfor the people of Zambia to know Christ
as their personal Savior and guide. *
TEACHING THE WORD
One of the great opportunities that isavailable to us in Zambia is the opportunity to teach the Bible in the Government Schools. In a day when mostcountries in. the world omit completelythe study of God's Word from the curriculum or severely limit such studies,this seems particularly outstanding.
Religious Knowledge or Religious Instruction (as these classes are known)is a prescribed part of the curriculum inall Zambian schools where teachers can
be secured. Some schools allow one
class period a week for younger students and up to as many as two or threeperiods per week for older students.After their last year in secondary school,the students take British examinations
over all of their courses and one of
these detailed examinations is on their
Religious Education Class.
Since my arrival in Zambia I havebeen teaching classes in two schoolsand I have found this work to be especially rewarding. There were no restrictions placed upon my teaching exceptan admonition to remember that the
classroom was not the place for indoctrination of the teacher's personal beliefs , but rather a place to acquaint theyoung people with the words and mes
sage of the New Testament. For thoseof us who believe in New TestamentChristianity, this is an almost idealsituation.
Of course, the fact that a study ofthe Bible is included in the curriculum
does not automatically mean that allof the students accept it or even showinterest in it. There are a few who ob
viously resent the class and will not
participate in discussions. There are
also a few who are Christians and whoshow a genuine interest in the study .However, the greatest majority seemuncommitted or skeptical. They find the
16
By Kathryn Watts
miracles of Jesus hard to believe (andwho can accept them without faith),they question the possibility of peopleliving as His followers are told to live,and they have genuine doubts about thereality of God. But at least they arewilling to read and to discuss and toask questions. When I stand beforethem and recognize the doubts that theyhave, I am deeply grateful to our Godfor His promise that His Word will notcome back to Him void.
The opportunity to witness in theschools extends beyond the studentsto include also the teachers. The typical Zambian school has representativesamong its staff of many nations of theworld. These men and women representmany different faiths and there are those
who claim no faith at all. It has been a
pleasure to discover dedicated Christ
ians on the staff teaching varied subjects but proclaiming Christ through theirlives . Other teachers are interested in
the reaction of students to ReligiousKnowledge classes and a few ask questions of their own.
Teaching Bible in the schools variesfrom more direct evangelism in the factthat the results are not as immediatelyseen. A personal invitation is not of
fered and often when students leave
school, there will be no more personalcontact with them. There is a great responsibility involved here when one realizes that the impression given of Christand the Christian life may be one of fewthe students will receive. Therefore in
this task as in all areas of our service
to Christ, it is a blessing to recognizethat we do not face our work and our
responsibilities by ourselves, but wehave available to us the power of GodHimself, to enable us to accomplish ourgoals.
William Brant Family
Dean Davis Family
Charles Delaney Family
Don Mechem Family
Sue Dietsch
FAMILY
PICTURE
ALBUM
Kathryn Watts
Printed by Mission Services PressP.O. Box 177. Kempton, IN 46049
Larry Niemeyer Family
Leroy Randall Family
Ronald Sapp Family
A. G. Sinclair Family
DIRECTORY OF MISSIONARIES
FIELD ADDRESS
BRANT, WILLIAMMrs. Jackie, Vonnie and LeslieP.O. Box 2280Kitwe, Zambia
DAVIS, DEANMrs. Judy, Jim, Cindy, and DavidP.O. Box 873Ndola, Zambia
DELANEY,CHARLESMrs. Betty, Shanda, and RobinP.O. Box 2192
Ndola, Zambia
DIETSCH, SUEP.O. Box 2280Kitwe, Zambia
FORT, TOM (Recruit)Mrs. RobertaP.O. Box 2280
Kitwe, Zambia
MECHEM, E. E. (DON)Mrs. Linda, Shelly, and TimP.O. Box 1805
Lusaka, Zambia
NIEMEYER, LARRYMrs. JudyP.O. Box 178
Ndola, Zambia
PACE, MILDRED2604 Fairfax Rd.Indianapolis, Indiana 46227
RANDALL, LEROYMrs. Gayle, Shannon, and Max IIP.O. Box 2184
Lusaka, Zambia
SAPP, RONALD D.Mrs. Amy, David, Jenny, and MikeP.O. Box 128Livingstone, Zambia
SINCLAIR, A. G.Mrs. Charlotte, Michael, Richard,Wayne, Michelle, and JohnnyP.O. Box 160Livingstone, Zambia
WATTS, KATHRYNP.O. Box 873Ndola, Zambia
FORWARDING AGENT
MR. and MRS. DON SHERER
5358 Marsailles • Gallon Road EastMarion, Ohio 43302
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MR. and MRS. VERNON OAKLEYP.O. Box 576Heyworth, Illinois 61745
MR. and MRS. E. DEWAYNE WALDRONR. R. 3
Montpelier, Ohio 43543
MR. and MRS. RICHARD RICE21 Shenandoah LoopSpringfield, Oregon 97477
SCHULTZ, BERNICEP.O. Box 233
Faribault, Minnesota 55021
MR. and MRS. DEE SHAFFER
8511 East CambridgeScottsdale, Arizona 85257
MRS. ARLENE HOPFE2601 36thDes Moines, Iowa 50310
DR. and MRS. GEORGE ATKINSONP.O. Box 328
Norton, Kansas 67654
MISS VIRGINIA BEDDOWP.O. Box 9543Lansing, Michigan 48909
MR. and MRS. RUSSELL MORGAN
Johnson Bible CollegeKImberlin Heights StationKnoxville, Tennessee 37920
