United Church of Zambia Mindolo Congregation

Well, it seems that I now have a Zambian Congregation. Just about a 2 minute walk from my rooms. I get pulled to church by the singing that I can hear through the window several times a week. The UC Zed (as they say it here) Mindolo Congregation has embraced me warmly and it feels like a home away from home. I've preached and served Communion on Sunday morning, led Bible Study for the Women's Christian Fellowship, attended the second Sunday service in the Bemba language and gone visiting to the elderly and to a little baby. And they have invited me back to spend more time with the women. It has helped me quite a bit to have this base. And it also has kept me feeling close to my church in Bloomfield, as I compare the two and think how much our FCCB members would love the people here. When I began to preach on Sunday, I brought greetings from Global Ministries, and also from my church --- and that was when I teared up and needed a moment to keep going. It's very emotional to feel so connected to Bloomfield, and to pray for my congregation, even while I'm so far away. Must be time to go back.......

I've taken lots of video on my camera, which I hope will come out well, but the internet connection here is too weak to allow video to upload. So for now, it's just stills. The pictures above are (from bottom to top, since they uploaded in the opposite order from what I wanted): the Choir at the 8:30am English language service [at 10:00, there are THREE choirs!]; me serving Communion at the 8:30 service; ****three little boys, one of whom has a little baby on his back, who greeted me before the Bemba service; ****the banner for their capital campaign to continue work on the new building that they have started, NOTE: that the requested individual contribution is 10,000 kwacha (about $$2.00) and the contribution from each section (fellowship group) is K1,000,000 (about $200.00). This is not a wealthy congregation. They need some extra support just like every other institution here; ****then there's the enchanting little girl who sat across the aisle from me at the Bemba service and was just like any other toddler in worship --- squirmy --- but she stayed quiet nonetheless; ****next is me with Rev. Kondolo and his wife Margaret. They have been WONDERFUL to me. Kondolo is also Dean of Students at the Theological College as well as part-time pastor of the Mindolo Church. Margaret heads the Women's Christian Fellowship and is very involved with the women. I have eaten at their home and can count on them if I have questions or concerns.; ****Then there are the women who came for Bible Study on Thursday. I was asked to preach on The Importance of Prayer, but turned it into a very engaged and interesting dialogue about the various ways we pray and reasons we pray, and then taught them breathing prayer, and also a form of Confession that is done only with gestures. They LOVED it, as they had no idea that you could pray other than with words. I've been invited back for more discussion and more thinking about how we pray. We will also talk about praying together as a family. And we did all this while I spoke in English and Margaret Kondolo translated into Bemba; ****the last picture is me in my new chitinge, which is the word for women's clothing made out of Zambian traditional fabric. Margaret Kondolo surprised me with it. She even estimated my measurements extremely well. The women cheered and clapped! Just loved seeing me in Zambian garb.
The Mindolo Congregation is growing by leaps and bounds, as is the entire United Church of Zambia. It is the largest Protestant denomination in Zambia, and is instrumental in helping to maintain the social fabric of this challenged country. Kondolo is somewhat unusual for a UCZ Pastor as he only has two jobs. Many of them serve multiple congregations over large geographic areas, especially in rural areas. There are some very wealthy congregations, but also many that are terribly poor. Mindolo isn't the poorest, but is definitely struggling.

That is my church home away from home. The music is great, and much more varied than I expected. The people are warm, and the challenges are great. I look forward to the next two weeks with them!

Trust Community School

Well, we are back on line! The Theological College (where I'm staying) was unable to pay the internet bill this month, because the donor that supports that expense didn't send the money as they promised. I realize once again that what might seem like something is just a little bit late to Northern/Western people can make a huge difference to our partners. So, I paid for this month's bill as my contribution to the College. I wish it could have gone toward scholarships, but this was a clear and immediate need. Much of the work of the school came to a halt, just as it would anywhere in this internet age. It's unclear when the expected funding might arrive, so if anyone wants to contribute, it would be greatly appreciated. Here is the link to Global Ministries, where you can see where to send money. www.globalministries.org/give/ Clearly mark it to go to The United Church of Zambia Theological College, Kitwe, Zambia. The College can use money no matter what, as this is the time of year when they begin to feel the crunch as donations run out and school fees from students have already been paid. They are working hard to become self-sufficient, and have made great progress, but they are still finding challenges to overcome.

Another reason I haven't posted in a while is that there is ALWAYS something to do. Whenever I think I might have some free time, it seems that someone comes with an idea of what to do. My rule in life, and definitely here, is to always say YES when a new opportunity presents itself. Like this morning --- I received an invitation during Chapel that was too good to refuse. The Chaplain for the Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation (MEF) (a close partner located on the same campus as the Theological College) asked if I would like to go visit a nearby school with him and a group of Social Work students from MEF. It is called Trust Community School and is located in a "compound" (like a neighborhood) called Racecourse (no idea where the name came from). This is one of the very poorest areas in this community with great poverty.

We walked about 2 miles each way on dusty roads --- since it is the dry season here --- to reach Racecourse. Along the way we passed a saw mill and some brickmaking efforts. The grasses were tall on either side, and we were with many other people making their way on the day's business. This is an urban area, so we crossed the paved road twice, almost taking our lives in our hands, since it seems that cars, not pedestrians, have the right-of-way. And it was pretty hot. Although it gets quite cool at night, the days are starting to get warmer as we move toward the hot season of September and October. The rains start in November and it gets cooler again.

This school is a remarkable effort on the part of this desperately poor community. When the government schools pulled out, the community pulled together and started their own school. There are 5 teachers who are certified, but who are paid only 150,000 kwacha a month (about $30). Even in this economy, that is no where near enough to live on. There are several hundred children who come to school in one space with benches to sit on. They have two shifts, morning and afternoon, so that all can have a chance.

They have been trying to get their own space, instead of the makeshift building they had on borrowed land. Someone agreed to sell them land, and they started raising funds, and even put a building on it (with permission) to show their commitment. Then the seller decided not to sell. And they are now meeting in rented space ($20/month) that seems like an old warehouse, with a roof full of holes that will definitely leak in a big way once the rains start. That is the space we visited today. The children were crammed onto benches, grades 1-7 all together. It was the last day of school until they start again in September, and so they seemed extremely well behaved as they greeted us and stared at us. Our group were all Zambians, except for me and Adrian, the Chaplain. [He's from the UK and is a dairy farmer by trade, and also a Lay Preacher in the United Methodist Church, who decided to see some of the world while trying to make a difference. --- There are some really great personal stories among the people here!]

This school is EXTREMELY unusual, in that the community is supporting it and managing to create at least something for the children out of absolutely nothing. With unemployment at 75% (that's not a typo) and the poverty level sky high, it is hard for people to hope, and yet they do. This community could have given up as almost all the others have in a similar situation, and yet they have not. The moment that really moved me to tears was when the children came out of school (imagine any school on the last day of classes) and gathered around Adrian as he videoed them --- they were making the peace sign and chanting peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace and on and on --- it started as something fun, I think, but really became a plea. And peace won't come until they have enough to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over their head, clean water, education ...... As I looked at these children, it was obvious that they have great intelligence, and great gifts and great potential, just like any group of children you would meet. And yet, they can't even get a reasonable education. Most of them don't have enough to eat on a regular basis.

This situation is both heartbreaking and hope-filled. An authentic tribute to the strength and depth of the human spirit. As always, I am humbled. In our too-well-fed world, I hear so many people whine about inconvenience, when these people are making a better future for their children out of absolutely nothing.

So here's another place that could use support. They need to fix the roof before the rains start in November, and they really need to pay the teachers more. If your heart is tugged, just let me know and I can help you send a donation. This is not a Global Ministries project, but the spirit here demands some attention!!! It is supported through the MEF, which is itself supported primarily by the World Council of Churches and Mennonite Central Committee.

This was worth walking a dusty 3 or 4 miles (I can certainly stand more exercise...).