Zambia Calling (5)

Day 12
Above: Two 'Hunters' - with Smart Fundi ('Fundi' is Bemba for Hunter) & sorting the beans for dinner - no broken teeth! )

Feeling a bit more relaxed now my 'George Verwer Warm-up' talk to over 500 people is over. I spoke on the subject of 'Called & Commissioned' from Jeremiah 1 - the need for Biblical faithfulness rather than success as the basis of our 'Call & Commission' whether in the local church or Mission field. Today I lead a workshop on 'Integrity & Zeal in Christian Ministry'.

My UK room-mates (I'm staying in guest-lodge called 'Diakonia') all left on Saturday after the PABCM. I'm now sharing with a two South Africans and a Canadian who lives in Vienna - all working with OM. Proc-Christo college is progressing a merger with OM which it hopes will open up more opportunities (through OM's network) to get its Missionaries into other countries.

The Pro-Chrsito vision is to mobilse Africans supported by African churches to go to the Mission field (starting in the unreached places of the continent. This means a big culture change for many African churches who have left financial support for Mission to outside donors. The hope is to break this dependence and get the local churches to take responsibility for a new generation of indigenous workers. The Africans have the great advantage of being accepted in many places where 'white workers' are viewed with suspicion or just seen for their 'cash value'. The Africans also are prepared often to work in conditions and accept hardships that many Westerners baulk at. So there is the sense of God starting something new in Africa. Exciting times.

One worker from Botswana (Helen) gave her report last night - she talked about the absence of any 'marriage culture' among the people she was trying to reach & the neglect of children due to a drinking culture (kids are out in the streets late at night). It struck me that many areas of Glasgow are just the same - there are many outward differences but the spiritual issues are just the same. People are in darkness and only the Gospel can bring light.