Monday Afternoon

Wow. I slept last nite like a log. This is not disagreeing with me at all. And, all the fear that this was going to be one big long soggy stay.....I'm pleasantly not disappointed by the lack of non-stop rain, in fact the weather has been gorgeous! Sunny skies mostly with an occasional shower, but the anticipated non-stop thunderstorms predicted by the Weather app on my phone -- not so much. The one real thunderstorm was on the way from Lusaka at night and that more than made up for the lack thereeof subsequently.

Church yesterday was great! Enthusiastic congregation, praise choir and school choir, all envigorating! They can "make a joyful noise" and how! You had no idea that the rain the night before had any impact on them at all. The church in that place is truly the body of Christ and not the incomplete building, plastic tarped makeshift roof or muddy floor! This all in the poorest part of Ndola, the Village of Twapia. Ten years ago this was bush with nothing here at all. Amazing what a bit of vision, faith in the Lord and helping hands can accomplish and it's truly a work in progress.

Chatted with one of the local supporters, John, former editor of the Times of Zambia. I'm told it's a prayerfully shared vision. We had long conversation about the hows that made it happen. God truly works in mysterious ways and our timeline is not necessarily His timeline, but if we persevere it happens. I'm reminded of what our brother Al Sieg has said over and over: "Think Big, Start Small" and I would add: "But for Heaven's sake, START!" We've learned that there may be mis-starts and perceived "failures" but face it, Life is a learning experience!

The need here could be overwhelming. It is real and it is large, but the faith that the Lord will provide in His good time prevails and is the driving force behind it all. They are looking at ways to drive sustainability while maintaining the original vision and growing the ministry. DREAM BIG!!!

School in Zambia is not a free ride! So the 350+ children here at Hope School receive the education for a tuition contribution of 15 KWA per year, good faith money from a very poor family so their child can get an education. The support at home can be very grudgingly given, given the fact that I could send that child out with a basket of product along the road to make some money to supplement our meager income.

So the parents need to be encouraged to see value in an education. That 15 KWA could mean the supply of the staple, nshima, that would last a week, so not an insignificant amount of money in a country where 60% of the population live below the poverty line (Source: CIA Worldbook). Teachers at this school are compensated at base rates mandated and need to be encouraged that they are truly making a difference in lives that matter.