MID JULY 2019
Dear Friends,
My Zambia trip (1st to 27th July 2019)
Flying through Malawi with Ethiopian airlines.
A view of the new multi-storey Coptic Hospital in Lusaka.
A view from the hospital of the Coptic Church in Lusaka.
Myself with one of bible students, wife and daughter.
View of the Chizela Bible College.
Trainee pastors and families being prayed for in church.
Since arriving in Kaondeland, it has been my privilege to be resurrecting my knowledge of Kikaonde. It is hard work! My hopes that perhaps the language would just reappear as easily as it disappeared 26 years ago, have not been realised. I think it is easier to learn through than had it been an entirely new language. I know some simple basics, and every now and then I recognise a term or phrase.
The primary purpose of this trip being to satisfy Kenyan immigration authorities that I am staying in Kenya for no longer than 3 months in one go. Hence I do not have any formal ministry engagements. Informally, I am relating to people largely through language-learning. Being based here at a bible college enables participation in the life of the college, although my Kaonde knowledge is far too weak to do any teaching. (Most of the teaching is actually done in English, I have discovered since being here. Students have the choice of writing their assignments in Kikaonde or in English.)
Some noticeable things . . . On 2nd July I had a 10 hour trip in a bus. I sat in the bus even longer, as I had boarded 1 hour and 10 minutes before we set off. A preacher boarded the bus in the final 20 minutes before we set off. He began preaching to everyone. Like giving us blessing to set us off on our way. That wouldn’t be so unusual in Kenya either. Although, being in Zambia, and perhaps because we were in the capital city Lusaka, he preached entirely in English. What amazed me though, was the responsiveness of the people on the bus. When he said ‘Amen’, almost everyone on the bus repeated the same after him. When he said ‘let’s clap for Jesus’, almost everyone clapped . . . ! This was not a church-bus. It was simply a public service . . .
My plan is to stay at this bible college till the 25th, then return to Lusaka for a couple of nights before returning to Kenya. (My dates and movements may still change . . . ). Give thanks for the warm hospitality I have received at this bible college. Pray for my relations with people as I go on learning Kaonde. Give thanks for opportunities to encourage trainee pastors, and others.
Missionaries: aliens, providers, or fellow travellers