Reflections from the Zambia Mission Team ~ May 8-16, 2008

Chawama Central Church is an energetic Christian community! They engage in many volunteer activities, including the Women’s Guild, Men’s Guild, Youth Guild, Home Based Care, Orphan’s and Vulnerable Children’s School, HIV/AIDS education, and Pastor Chipeta oversees many sub-congregations around Lusaka which they call Prayer Houses. These are busy people! Their income is very low by our standards, yet they donate some of their offering to help groups they consider as being “in need”! Their church building isn’t yet finished, nor does the Manse have a roof. Their streets are dusty in the dry season, and a sea of mud during the rainy season. Their dwellings have no running water and electric power is sporadic. HIV/AIDS is creating orphans and very busy grandparents. But they serve with a great, spirited energy. Their singing is amazing! Their care of one another touching! Their hope for the future is strong! And their hospitality to our team was outstanding! This is a people from whom Central Presbyterian can learn a bunch! It’s mind boggling to wonder what Chawama could do if they were able to couple strong finances with their energy and Christian spirit. I really hope Presbytery and Central can eventually become a partner church with Chawama!  To my Prayer Team…a great big “thank you” for your
part in this effort.
Ken

The Chawama Presbyterian Church in Lusaka, Zambia is focused on assisting anyone in need. Parishioners serve hundreds of people in the community; both in and outside of the church. They give the sick someone they can count on; they give the children the education the government and their parents are not able to provide; and they give the youth a safe place to just be and learn about God. The church has a Home Based Care service which provides volunteers who visit those who are afflicted by malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other ailments every Wednesday. Often these “clients” are shunned by their own families and can only count on these care providers to help them. Care providers can supply over-the-counter medicines that are donated, assist with bathing, help clients get to a clinic, encourage medical care and pray with clients. About 14 care providers minister to 47 clients. Care providers walk to see their clients, often spending over 12 hours of their time in one day helping those whose lives are filled with fear and sickness.
Through Home Based Care work at Chawama, many children have come to the attention of the church. Children who are encountered by the Home Care Volunteers are given a free education by the church. Zambia has an unemployment rate of 80% and many children are unable to attend school due to poverty. The government does not provide free education to its children, which means it is up to the parents to pay for uniforms and school fees. Sick parents, and many who are not sick, cannot afford to send their children to school. The church has responded to the needs of the community by opening its doors to those who would otherwise be unable to attend school. The church has two full-time volunteer teachers. Many of the children who attend school at the church are hungry most of the time. The school would like very much to provide food to the children and families it serves.  The church reaches out to young people through soccer activities and concerts. Young adults are given a safe, supportive environment where they can just hang out. The youth group ministers to any youths who wish to come. People of all ages are educated about HIV/AIDS. The work of Costin Mwale is truly remarkable. Costin is a volunteer who gives at least 30 hours of his week to educate those in the Chawama community and other Presbyterian churches in Lusaka. He is also a full-time accountant with the government. The HIV/AIDS program in the church and prayer houses in the area focuses on testing, prevention and cultural changes that are necessary to fight and beat this deadly, yet preventable disease. In a male dominated society such as Zambia, women have historically been blamed for bringing the disease into the family even though it is the men who feel free to go outside of the marriage for sex. Pregnant women are tested for HIV. Since their HIV status is usually revealed first, they are blamed even though there is a high probability that the husband’s

infidelity is the cause of the illness.  In an area so greatly affected by hunger, unemployment, extreme poverty, rampant disease and loss of life one might think that this church would have little to offer Central. This statement couldn’t be further from the truth. The people of Chawama Church are warm, loving, caring, supportive and faithful followers of the Word of God. They have little in the way of earthly possessions. Many face the imminent or past loss of dear loved ones. Most are keeping watch over family orphans, at the expense of their own family’s security (which is unstable to begin with). Most feel the painful pangs of hunger many times each day. Yet, the volunteerism visible each day at this church would equal that of 10 churches in Longmont. Hope, faith and love are abundant at this church.  It is my hope that a reciprocal relationship between Central and Chawama is possible, but only if we who attend Central believe that they have as much to offer us, as we have to offer them.
Cindy Garcia

We’re Back! Safe and Sound and happy to be home. Thanks so much for your continuing support. The trip was excellent. The US leaders in Zambia were so great and the people of the town were open and overwhelmingly gracious and friendly. We had church with them on Sunday, lots of singing and dancing. They openly appreciated the banner you gave and praised it in the ceremony. Glenn gave the sermon about launching out to the deep waters and not being satisfied with the easy comfortable shallow waters.  The church was so great and giving to us. They have many singing dancing groups and each took their turn to give two or three songs. The service was mostly in English, and when it was in the local language, someone would translate it to English. They all had two or more Bibles to read from. They also have a similar sign language to ASL so I tried to understand. It was basically like a typical Presbyterian service; greetings, Old Testament, acknowledgments, prayers, a minute for mission, New Testament, sermon then offertory, no communion this time, but just under 2 hours. Men on one side, women and children on the other. All very traditional.
I love you, thank you for your prayers, Diane Kirkpatrick
"If we wait for the moment when everything is ready,
we shall never begin." –Ivan Turgenev

 

Ah Zambia and the wonders of jet airplane travel—or should I say jet lag! I have found myself wide awake at 2 a.m. writing this nice column! First, let me thank the congregation for their many prayers and support for the Zambia Mission Team. We truly felt the presence of God on our journey and I believe that because of your prayers we were blessed by many things. The thing that touched me the most was the visit to the Chawama Compound. We were each invited to spend the evening with the members of the Chawama Church. While my host family and I definitely had a language barrier, we found ways to communicate and share. They were interested in snow and wondered if we had crocodiles! I was interested to find out students pay for their schooling and are tested in 7th grade to see if they can continue. (Currently only 40% pass that test and advance to the higher grades.) My host family also had some very current and real stories to tell about those fighting HIVAIDS…cousins and aunties lost and neighbors currently sick. There was a funeral the day before we came and a member of my host family was going to another funeral the day we were leaving. “So much death” Sesami says—“Why does it happen?” I found myself trying to answer some very hard questions.
Yet through it all, these faithful people live with such joy and hope. God’s presence in their daily lives and work provides strength to tackle some challenges that we can’t even imagine. Throughout our trip I realized how very much they have to offer us here at Central. There are lots of stories to tell, and I look forward to having the opportunity to share them with you!
Phil Goerner

I have been home from the Zambia mission trip for two weeks and am still processing the experience and reflecting on what I learned, heard, saw and felt. I look forward to sharing with you my impressions and thoughts about the trip. The Zambia team will have that opportunity June 8 in our worship service and in an informal question and answer time at 10:15 in the sanctuary. Here are just a few of my impressions.
Africa has changed and yet remains the same. I visited Kenya and Sudan in 1985 to work in refugee camps that were established to feed starving people. At that time HIV/AIDS was hardly on the world’s radar. I found returning to Africa evoked in me some of the same feelings. The continent is very poor but the people are very gracious and hospitable. Everyday life is a struggle for work and food. Our norms of sanitation, infrastructure and conveniences can be tossed out the window. Yet Africa has changed too. In Lusaka we saw a modern grocery store that offered many of the same choices King Sooper’s or Safeway provide here in Longmont. HIV/AIDS has ravaged Africa. In Zambia alone, there are between 800,000 and 1,000,000 orphans from HIV/AIDS. We saw this first hand in Chawama where so many of the children had lost either one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. I discovered that people don’t necessarily die of HIV/AIDS as much as other diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, malaria, and hepatitis. HIV/AIDS weakens the immune system making us vulnerable to other diseases. The church in Chawama is providing daily school for orphaned children who, because of the impact of HIV/ADIS, are too poor to afford the public schools. The children receive instruction from two volunteer teachers. We know how hard teachers work in the St. Vrain Valley School District! Imagine working with 100 children in a 40’ X 100’ classroom divided up into six learning areas with teachers rotating from learning area to learning area! The Chawama church is led by inspiring and committed Elders. The 700 member church is divided into four “prayer houses” that meet individually for worship on Sunday mornings. Elders preach in each of the prayer houses. Pastor Chepeta of the Chawama church rotates his visits and preaching throughout the church and the four prayer houses. Consequently, the elders, women’s group and men’s group provide critical daily leadership. Truly, it is the priesthood of all believers.  I would say that in some ways, the challenges of the Chawama church are not unlike ours. We both are attempting to preach and live out the gospel in our context and are concerned about the faith of our young people. They are facing contextual challenges more difficult than ours but they, like us, rely on God to lead them. They have a lot to teach us about faith and perseverance. We have many blessings to share with them too. I look forward to our growing relationship with our new partners in ministry.

Glenn

Katrina Rebuild Mission Trip ~ March 29-April 5

Gary Reeves is a retired, disabled, government contract employee who served in the Middle East. Since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 he has patiently lived in his modest home in Pascagoula, MS while the exterior and interior is being rebuilt around him. Church World Service and the American Red Cross, with the help of volunteer labor have slowly gotten him to his present “not yet completed” state. Our seven-member Mission Team spent spring break in Mississippi working on Gary’s home. We worked on interior framing, window caulking, dry wall hanging and finishing, door installation, and exterior painting. We were mindful and very grateful for your prayers, especially during the 1,500 mile church van ride in frequent downpours. The Home Depot gift cards you so generously contributed bought door jamb lumber and other supplies, and the cards we did not use were left with the Camp Director for continuing construction needs.