from Taylor Welty
We joined our Zambian sisters in speaking to the women of Zambia who are currently in various leadership positions, whether in their churches or elsewhere (although the group was primarily comprised of Christian women) about their role in their community. The people of Africa are so hungry to learn and grow spiritually. Many of them have experienced the redemption that comes from taking hold of Christ’s love with both hands, and they are eager to grow in the knowledge of their faith. Topics at the conference included growing in a relationship with God, acting on faith, boldness to stand firm in truth, raising godly families and growing in godly marriages, human trafficking, changing communities through education, spiritual gifts, and practical topics such as AIDS prevention and germ control (taught by a nurse from our team and one of the Zambian nurses).
Through each message, the Zambian and US teams got to encourage the women to recognize their value and the ability they possess in impacting their communities, as well as to know how priceless and treasured they are by God. We challenged each other to seek change and step into it when it seems uncomfortable to do so… The neat thing about messages that called for change in their society in particular was that these messages were primarily addressed by the Zambian team, speaking to their own people. The people of Africa truly want to strengthen and build up their economy, to end poverty and to enforce the basic human rights of freedom and human dignity. They find themselves caught in a limbo where the possibility for enacting lasting change seems out of reach, but the only way to reverse old habits is to move forward and work against those practices that have been negatively impacting their society. It is not about changing their culture per say, but instead changing the way they treat each other. Because of their poverty, there is much corruption everywhere and the people resort to human degradation to earn a few dollars. One Zambian speaker at the conference whose name was Lizzy spoke powerfully to the women demanding that they stop relegating their children to human trafficking, depriving them of the chance to be properly educated and to therefore have the opportunity to impact their society and future generations. The women sat and soaked up every word... They were like sponges.
Culturally, these concepts are difficult to put into practice and understand. Much of African culture embraces the notion that there is no past or future, only the present—as in a revolving continuum. There is not an understanding of planning for one's future or the consequences that will result if there is no action taken (hence the giant potholes in the roads wherever you go), and so the concept of teaching their children to affect future generations and unhealthy habits is huge.
But God is not one to look at a seemingly impossible task and be daunted. He is a God of the impossible. He is a God of the unimaginable, and He is doing incredible things in Africa.
One of the most rewarding moments presented itself when one of the women approached one of our team members and said, “Wow. Now I get it! If we raise the next generation to know truth and to actively be involved in their society, we can change the future of our countries with each new generation.” It was at times like these that we couldn’t help but be amazed at the work God has been doing in Africa and continues to do. What a joy it was to be a part of it!
I was so inspired by the genuine love and joy pouring out of every fiber of our brothers and sisters there, too. They have incredible hearts of gold and hold nothing back when there is a need, though they live in poverty themselves. What Christ-like love is this, that a man would lay his life down for his friends. And that is what they do—every day.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Home Sweet Home
The Z team arrived home safe and healthy late Tuesday afternoon.
It was so luxurious to shower and eat in our owns homes and sleep in our own comfy beds.
Thank you all for your prayers and comments over the last 3 weeks. Stay tuned for more information on how you can view our photos.
It was so luxurious to shower and eat in our owns homes and sleep in our own comfy beds.
Thank you all for your prayers and comments over the last 3 weeks. Stay tuned for more information on how you can view our photos.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Photo Highlights
Suzanne and our lunch at the Mansa market
The team at Victoria Falls - we are dry here - before the drenching walk
The conference grounds beside the church where all the attendees slept, ate, washed, etc...
Anne and Bonnie learning to dance the Zambia way.
The Zambian Leadership team that were co-teachers at the conference.
The teaching team and the conference attendees.Saturday, July 12, 2008
God's Protection and Majesty
We have had some amazing adventures on this trip. The most recent was our journey here to Livingstone yesterday. We had 10 people crammed like sardines into a van made to seat 8 comfortably. We have actually gotten quite used to this arrangement and have even figured out the most optimal seats (and least optimal!). However, we were tested on the last 60 km of our journey.
The road was so full of pot holes that it looked like it had expereinced a recent meteor shower - leaving deep gouges in the road. It kind of felt like some kind of video game where we had to dodge potholes and oncoming traffic by driving on either side of the road or even on the dirt on the side of the road. Then as an added bonus we had to avoid aggressive bus drivers as well as their belching smoke. After an exhausting two hours of this terrain we arrived tired and sweaty in Livingstone. John Thomsen did an outstanding job of driving us under these conditions and was sorry that we had experienced any discomfort. We probably distracted him terribly with all our of conversations as well as our startled outbursts of "Oh!" every time we hit a big pothole. He has been such a gracious man to travel with 9 women across the country.
Today was a wonderful day of visting Victoria Falls, shopping and having an evening cruise along the Zambezi River.
We could hear the roar of the water crashing right from the entrance of Victoria Falls National Park. As we walked down the path the inspiring and powerful falls unfolded before us - stretching as far as they eye could see. Thanks to Paulette we all had rain ponchos that kept us dry and we walked along the path across the narrow bridge along the waterfalls. Any part that was not covered by the poncho was drenched as the mist from the falls surrounded us. It was a breathtaking and powerful expression of God's creation that we all appreciated.
However I did find it interesting that we spent about 45 minutes bathing in the glory of these majestic waterfalls and about 2 hours shopping at the craft market right outside the Falls. It was quite a time consuming process as each purchase not only had to be decided on but haggled for. We all learned to bargain quite well - although we think Taylor got the best deals by saying "But I only have $10" and looking very sweet. I (Amy) gave a pen to one of the sellers and he wanted to give me a gift in return - somehow this "gift" ended up being the purchase of an additional trinket that cost $7. Not sure how that happened.
We spent the twilight and sunset hours on a dinner cruise that motored along the Zambezi River. We saw crocodiles and many hippos and a glorious sunset. There was a simple barbecue dinner and we watched the sun go down and the lights begin to twinkle on shore. It was a wonderful ending to the day.
Tomorrow we head to South Africa by plane (which we are VERY grateful for). However John and Tove will be driving to South Africa so please keep them in your prayers as it is a hard 2 day journey.
The road was so full of pot holes that it looked like it had expereinced a recent meteor shower - leaving deep gouges in the road. It kind of felt like some kind of video game where we had to dodge potholes and oncoming traffic by driving on either side of the road or even on the dirt on the side of the road. Then as an added bonus we had to avoid aggressive bus drivers as well as their belching smoke. After an exhausting two hours of this terrain we arrived tired and sweaty in Livingstone. John Thomsen did an outstanding job of driving us under these conditions and was sorry that we had experienced any discomfort. We probably distracted him terribly with all our of conversations as well as our startled outbursts of "Oh!" every time we hit a big pothole. He has been such a gracious man to travel with 9 women across the country.
Today was a wonderful day of visting Victoria Falls, shopping and having an evening cruise along the Zambezi River.
We could hear the roar of the water crashing right from the entrance of Victoria Falls National Park. As we walked down the path the inspiring and powerful falls unfolded before us - stretching as far as they eye could see. Thanks to Paulette we all had rain ponchos that kept us dry and we walked along the path across the narrow bridge along the waterfalls. Any part that was not covered by the poncho was drenched as the mist from the falls surrounded us. It was a breathtaking and powerful expression of God's creation that we all appreciated.
However I did find it interesting that we spent about 45 minutes bathing in the glory of these majestic waterfalls and about 2 hours shopping at the craft market right outside the Falls. It was quite a time consuming process as each purchase not only had to be decided on but haggled for. We all learned to bargain quite well - although we think Taylor got the best deals by saying "But I only have $10" and looking very sweet. I (Amy) gave a pen to one of the sellers and he wanted to give me a gift in return - somehow this "gift" ended up being the purchase of an additional trinket that cost $7. Not sure how that happened.
We spent the twilight and sunset hours on a dinner cruise that motored along the Zambezi River. We saw crocodiles and many hippos and a glorious sunset. There was a simple barbecue dinner and we watched the sun go down and the lights begin to twinkle on shore. It was a wonderful ending to the day.
Tomorrow we head to South Africa by plane (which we are VERY grateful for). However John and Tove will be driving to South Africa so please keep them in your prayers as it is a hard 2 day journey.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Arrived in Livingstone!
After two days of 10 + hours of travel the Z team has arrived in Livingstone, Zambia for a little R & R. Despite the long tiring travel days, we have been blessed with safe travels with no breakdowns, clean bathrooms (very important!) and the fact that everyone is healthy.
We enjoyed a nice meal in town this evening and will visit Victoria Falls tomorrow. Check back tomorrow for another report (our Guest House has Internet access!)
We enjoyed a nice meal in town this evening and will visit Victoria Falls tomorrow. Check back tomorrow for another report (our Guest House has Internet access!)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Farewell to Mansa
We have finished our "work" here in Mansa and will be heading back to Lusaka tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. We are all now in good health and full of joy at all we have experienced here. I am sorry that we cannot post any pictures (Paulette has taken thousands!) but the internet is very slow so it will not work here.
Yesterday there was a change in the closing program (change is the only thing that has been constant on this trip!). Instead of the panel we had a lively and rousing worship session - we have never heard worship quite like the way it is done here - and we heard John Thomsen preach a bit from the Word of God to all tha ladies. After that the TLC team and the Zambian Leadership team prayed and annointed with oil EVERY woman that was at the conference. It was a powerful experience to pray with so many women - many of them we have gotten to know over the last four days. They are so full of love and are so accepting of us.
As we were talking this morning at breakfast - we do not know exactly what God has accomplished through our participation in this conference. Did we teach them anytihng of value? Did we give them hope? Did we encourage and equip? Did we show God's love and speak His truth? Whatever the answers to these questions, we do know that we trust in His purpose for us here in Zambia even if He never reveals it to us. We are priviledged to have been a part of these women's lives for even a few days and they taught us so much about joy in the midst of suffering and worship and true humility and service to God. There were several teary eyes as we said goodbye to the women and the Zambian leadership team.
Yesterday after the conference we went to a nearby fishing village called Samfya which is lovated on a very large lake - and even had a white sand beach. It made us all think of home. Pastor Henry and John also took us to a market in Samfya which defies description - not exactly Costco.
Today we went to a rural home for lunch. First, however we had to stop at the market in Mansa to get the chickens for lunch. They were not found in the frozen foods section - but picked out kicking and squawking from several vendors. We put them in the back of the van inside several tires as we drove to the hut where we had our lunch. The chickens were then "prepared" for cooking with a sharp knife and lots of plucking - a process that I could not watch. Several hours later we were served fresh chicken and rabe and nshima for lunch. Several of us are considering becoming vegetarians now.... However we were all so appreciative of the hard work of the women of the house (and Esther) to work for hours to prepare this meal for us. They work so hard and NEVER complain. We enjoyed visiting with many of the local children as they fixed the lunch.
Thank you for all your prayers. We have all felt the support of them behind us as we have faced challenges and difficulties of various kinds - and as we have experienced an amazing joy at seeing what God is doing in Zambia!
Yesterday there was a change in the closing program (change is the only thing that has been constant on this trip!). Instead of the panel we had a lively and rousing worship session - we have never heard worship quite like the way it is done here - and we heard John Thomsen preach a bit from the Word of God to all tha ladies. After that the TLC team and the Zambian Leadership team prayed and annointed with oil EVERY woman that was at the conference. It was a powerful experience to pray with so many women - many of them we have gotten to know over the last four days. They are so full of love and are so accepting of us.
As we were talking this morning at breakfast - we do not know exactly what God has accomplished through our participation in this conference. Did we teach them anytihng of value? Did we give them hope? Did we encourage and equip? Did we show God's love and speak His truth? Whatever the answers to these questions, we do know that we trust in His purpose for us here in Zambia even if He never reveals it to us. We are priviledged to have been a part of these women's lives for even a few days and they taught us so much about joy in the midst of suffering and worship and true humility and service to God. There were several teary eyes as we said goodbye to the women and the Zambian leadership team.
Yesterday after the conference we went to a nearby fishing village called Samfya which is lovated on a very large lake - and even had a white sand beach. It made us all think of home. Pastor Henry and John also took us to a market in Samfya which defies description - not exactly Costco.
Today we went to a rural home for lunch. First, however we had to stop at the market in Mansa to get the chickens for lunch. They were not found in the frozen foods section - but picked out kicking and squawking from several vendors. We put them in the back of the van inside several tires as we drove to the hut where we had our lunch. The chickens were then "prepared" for cooking with a sharp knife and lots of plucking - a process that I could not watch. Several hours later we were served fresh chicken and rabe and nshima for lunch. Several of us are considering becoming vegetarians now.... However we were all so appreciative of the hard work of the women of the house (and Esther) to work for hours to prepare this meal for us. They work so hard and NEVER complain. We enjoyed visiting with many of the local children as they fixed the lunch.
Thank you for all your prayers. We have all felt the support of them behind us as we have faced challenges and difficulties of various kinds - and as we have experienced an amazing joy at seeing what God is doing in Zambia!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Zambian Womens Conference - Day 4
Today is Zambian Memorial Day and everything is closed, including the internet café. So, once again, I will be bringing you the message from the Zambian Women’s Team.
Today at the conference, day 4, the speakers were all from the TLC Women’s Team.
Paulette and Bonnie spoke on raising Godly children. This was very well received by the Zambian Leadership Team.
Amy and Marty spoke on Christian Marriage and addressed the specific cultural issues of marriage as relates to Zambian women.
Anne spoke on intimacy with God. God really spoke through her and used her to explain this concept.
Suzanne’s topic stole the show speaking on HIV/AIDS and health. Suzanne has really immersed herself in the Zambian culture and is able to speak very relevantly to the people.
Kim has been fighting a bad cold and has missed much of the conference to her huge disappointment. With the care of Suzanne and the prayers of others, she is on the mend.
Taylor has a bit of a cold also, but it has stopped in the early stages. Taylor gave her talk on spiritual gifts. The Zambian women could see her sincerity, in spite of her youth and nearly gave her a standing ovation.
The conference closes tomorrow with 4 Zambian women and 4 American women in a panel discussion.
They will end the conference tomorrow evening with a special dinner with Pastor Henry, his wife Esther, drivers John and Tove and the Zambian Women’s Leadership team.
These TLC women, disciples of Jesus, saw that the multitude was hungry for His word and their knowledge. The women really didn’t know what or how they would feed them. Jesus told them to go and feed them and have faith. With His grace and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have been able to feed these Zambian women with His word and their knowledge.
God bless them for their work and keep them safe.
They will be visiting a fishing village (how appropriate) on Wednesday and then making the long drive back to Lusaka on Thursday.
In Him,
John Hanley
Today at the conference, day 4, the speakers were all from the TLC Women’s Team.
Paulette and Bonnie spoke on raising Godly children. This was very well received by the Zambian Leadership Team.
Amy and Marty spoke on Christian Marriage and addressed the specific cultural issues of marriage as relates to Zambian women.
Anne spoke on intimacy with God. God really spoke through her and used her to explain this concept.
Suzanne’s topic stole the show speaking on HIV/AIDS and health. Suzanne has really immersed herself in the Zambian culture and is able to speak very relevantly to the people.
Kim has been fighting a bad cold and has missed much of the conference to her huge disappointment. With the care of Suzanne and the prayers of others, she is on the mend.
Taylor has a bit of a cold also, but it has stopped in the early stages. Taylor gave her talk on spiritual gifts. The Zambian women could see her sincerity, in spite of her youth and nearly gave her a standing ovation.
The conference closes tomorrow with 4 Zambian women and 4 American women in a panel discussion.
They will end the conference tomorrow evening with a special dinner with Pastor Henry, his wife Esther, drivers John and Tove and the Zambian Women’s Leadership team.
These TLC women, disciples of Jesus, saw that the multitude was hungry for His word and their knowledge. The women really didn’t know what or how they would feed them. Jesus told them to go and feed them and have faith. With His grace and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have been able to feed these Zambian women with His word and their knowledge.
God bless them for their work and keep them safe.
They will be visiting a fishing village (how appropriate) on Wednesday and then making the long drive back to Lusaka on Thursday.
In Him,
John Hanley
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Greetings from Mansa
Greetings to the Families and Friends of the Z Team!
This is John Hanley (Amy’s husband) giving you a very quick update on the Z Team. ALL the women are safe, healthy and in Mansa for the conference. All their bags did finally arrive.
They have been without internet since leaving South Africa on Tuesday and probably will not have it again until they reach Livingstone on Friday July 11th. The electricity is also unpredictable and frequently just “goes off”. They will do their best to log another entry on either Tuesday, July 8th from an Internet cafe in Mansa or on Friday.
The journey from Lusaka to Mansa was long (just as expected). However, it seems as it was important for the ladies to meet people along the way. So, what might have taken 10 hours took many more. (Amy will give you the details). Look for the story of the British lady’s house and the biting black ant which got in everyone’s pants, while they were visiting on her lawn. The very proper British lady did tell them that “it would be fine if they needed to drop their trousers to brush the ants off”. More on that later.
The ladies were very honored at the conference (and blessed) that they were built their very own “American style” toilet facilities. (In other words, an out-house). It is kept locked so only these special visitors can use it. God even takes care of the little details.
I am not going to try to capture their journey or additional details in this post. I will leave that to the ladies. However, I wanted to let everyone know that they will NOT be traveling into Zimbabwe on their journey to Victoria Falls because of the political unrest in that country. They will still be visiting the Falls but only from the Zambian side.
We will all be keeping them in our prayers for this wonderful and amazing experience. A special thanks to Martie, her iPhone and AT&T which let me share this message with you.
God’s bless the Z Team, their families and friends. We pray for their continued success and safety.
In Him
John
This is John Hanley (Amy’s husband) giving you a very quick update on the Z Team. ALL the women are safe, healthy and in Mansa for the conference. All their bags did finally arrive.
They have been without internet since leaving South Africa on Tuesday and probably will not have it again until they reach Livingstone on Friday July 11th. The electricity is also unpredictable and frequently just “goes off”. They will do their best to log another entry on either Tuesday, July 8th from an Internet cafe in Mansa or on Friday.
The journey from Lusaka to Mansa was long (just as expected). However, it seems as it was important for the ladies to meet people along the way. So, what might have taken 10 hours took many more. (Amy will give you the details). Look for the story of the British lady’s house and the biting black ant which got in everyone’s pants, while they were visiting on her lawn. The very proper British lady did tell them that “it would be fine if they needed to drop their trousers to brush the ants off”. More on that later.
The ladies were very honored at the conference (and blessed) that they were built their very own “American style” toilet facilities. (In other words, an out-house). It is kept locked so only these special visitors can use it. God even takes care of the little details.
I am not going to try to capture their journey or additional details in this post. I will leave that to the ladies. However, I wanted to let everyone know that they will NOT be traveling into Zimbabwe on their journey to Victoria Falls because of the political unrest in that country. They will still be visiting the Falls but only from the Zambian side.
We will all be keeping them in our prayers for this wonderful and amazing experience. A special thanks to Martie, her iPhone and AT&T which let me share this message with you.
God’s bless the Z Team, their families and friends. We pray for their continued success and safety.
In Him
John
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Stretching
Greetings once again from South Africa. As the adventure continues, the Zambia team is being stretched in many ways.
We are being stretched physically as we all try to overcome jet lag and extreme tiredness. Our two days of "rest" prior to leaving for Zambia have been packed with activities from dawn until after dusk. Yet, no one has gotten sick! Yesterday we drove several hours to Pilanesburg game park and saw some of God's amazing creations - rhino, giraffe, elephant, baboon, implala, kudu and many others. However, despite Taylor's watchful eagle eye we did not see any lions. Last night we attended the Bible College class here on AFnet grounds.
We are being stretched emotionally. We saw absolute suffering, sickness, poverty and despair today in Shoshanguve - an township about 1/2 hour outside of Pretoria. We visited the Tsakelani Orphan Center (completed with donations from Twin Lakes Church's Santa Cruz Cares) and had the privilege of meeting with Pastor Jack and hearing his insight and heart for the people. We also visited AFnet's newest orphan center and were treated to an impromptu serenade by a group of orphan children. We also visited a hospice and spoke with the sister (nurse) in charge there and learned more about the governmental issues impacting AIDS treatment. The hospice team then took us to the bedside of a man dying of AIDS where we had the privilege of praying for him. Our next stop was the "home" of five of the orphan children that attend the AFnet Orphan Center. They were living in the one room shack shown above with their aunt and all they had to eat was a small portion of cornmeal cooking over an open fire outside. Johan said that these children had never seen a white person before - and suddenly nine of us shown up in a van at their house. It was a unanimous decision by the entire team to leave our lunches we had packed behind for them. The wheels are also spinning by Johan (and us) to see about improving their living situation. The most amazing thing about all these encounters was meeting the children and talking to them and seeing their smiles and hearing their laughter in the midst of abject poverty.
We are being stretched relationally as eight women are living together in close quarters - in each other's company for 24/7. As we get to know each other better and have new experiences together, God is working to form a cohesive team. We've had no melt downs and no whining!
We are being stretched spiritually as we prepare to speak to the women at the conference. We all want to be culturally relevant and impactful and sensitive to these women. We all want this to be more about building relationships and sharing God's love than just "giving a talk." Each of us is experiencing our own fears about how God will use us. Johan has been encouraging to us and I think we have been encouraging each other as well.
We leave tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. to fly to Lusaka, Zambia. We will be staying with US missionaries in Lusaka for the night. On Thursday we drive 12 hours (on bad roads we are told) to Mansa. On Friday the conference will begin. We so appreciate your comments on the blog and your prayers - especially the prayers!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Z Team has Arrived!
Early this morning eight jet lagged women arrived safely and in good health in Pretoria, South Africa.
Our journey has included two ten hour flights and a whirlwind two-hour tour of London resulting in eight major cases of jet lag.
To our amazement 14 of our 16 bags made it through. The wonderful blessing is that these two bags included missionary donations and did not have any of our personal belongings.
Johan and Christa Combrink, our gracious hosts, are making us welcome and preparing us for the next leg of our journey with wonderful food, comfortable accommodations and insight into the culture of the African women to whom we will minister.
Our journey has included two ten hour flights and a whirlwind two-hour tour of London resulting in eight major cases of jet lag.
To our amazement 14 of our 16 bags made it through. The wonderful blessing is that these two bags included missionary donations and did not have any of our personal belongings.
Johan and Christa Combrink, our gracious hosts, are making us welcome and preparing us for the next leg of our journey with wonderful food, comfortable accommodations and insight into the culture of the African women to whom we will minister.
Photo by Suzanne Carlton
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Send Me!
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
Isaiah 6:1-8
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