Newsletter (February 12, 2009)

Dear all, We had a monthly meeting of mainly SIM missionaries in our home several weeks ago.  We shared among ourselves some highlights in the past month.  One theme that struck us, which was brought up by more than one family, is worth mentioning.  In a way it is a very typical Zambian phenomenon (perhaps African as well)—things will most likely not go according to plan and there will most likely be unexpected happenings in a day.  This can happen anywhere, anytime—at work, at home, in church.  So we need to learn not to be frustrated when things are not going according to plan and also to be flexible and keep calm when something unexpected turns up.  Just yesterday we got a phone call at 17:00 hours and our home group leader called and said he was held up in another town and wouldn’t be able to lead the Bible study which was supposed to start at 18:00 hours and he asked if Timothy could lead it for him.  So Timothy had to quickly prepare something in 30 minutes and thank God that He gave him strength and wisdom to manage it.

Rev James Ha, director of SIM Chinese Ministry Centre, and Mrs Ha came to visit us this afternoon with our director and stayed for an evening meal.  They are based in Singapore and have already planted a Chinese church in Lagos, Nigeria.  He has met a number of people in Lusaka and we told him this is a great opportunity to start a Chinese ministry in Zambia.  Although the number of Chinese in Zambia has dropped recently, in the long term more of them will come to invest and work.  He understands and is very keen to start some work here as soon as possible.  Ideally, we should have two centres, one in Lusaka and one in the Copperbelt region.  We are very encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by Rev Ha.  Please pray that God will raise up and call suitable pastors willing to come to serve in Zambia.

We are in the midst of the wettest part of the year and it more or less rains everyday, with lightning and thunder.  It will be like that till the end of the month and then the rain will gradually go away.  Because of the lightning and thunder sometimes the internet is affected and the power fails.  The good thing about the rainy season is that it is not as dusty and the air is clean and, most importantly, it is not as hot as October and the first half of November.  Sometimes it can be really cool at night.

Timothy has finished his project proposal and submitted it to SIM Zambia.  The initial response from the Director is that the proposal looks fine and he is confident that the project will obtain sufficient funding for it to go ahead.  Please continue to pray that God will move the hearts of the people attending the SIM Canada meeting in March and they will generously support this project.  In Christ.