The last two weeks have been pretty full on. It started with a recce trip to Lake Tanganyika to explore outreach opportunities for our upcoming DTS.
You can watch a video of that week here:https://youtu.be/rtvdZZlG9w8?si=o56cR04AEll9LFQ0
This was only a 5 day long trip and most of it was travel but it was still really worthwhile. After a 14 hour drive from Mkushi to Mpulungu (plus 3 hours broken down) we stayed the night at an OM base on the edge of the lake, though it was too dark to actually see, and in the morning joined the ministry team in their devotions. The OM base staff were so pleased with our contributions (though small) that really want us to come back.
We then boarded a 6 hour ferry to a place called Ndole, where Gemma and I had once driven too using terrible roads, only to turn around and head almost straight back home! That was back in 2010 and remains an amazing story of how when we were out of mobile phone signal, God prompted us (Gemma) to head home only to soon discover a conference in Congo that Gemma was due to speak at in a couple of weeks had suddenly been brought forward. We’d have missed it otherwise!
Anyway, 15 years later, it was good to be able to go back to Ndole and properly explore.
One of the most amazing things to witness on the ferry journey itself was the way people use small rowing boats to taxi folk from the many lakeside villages to the ferry. The rowers were often very young, but with incredible strength and balance to be able to get to the ferry so quickly and drop off / collect people with their luggage and babies! (You can see this feat for yourself using the video link above 👆🏻)
One of the main contacts we met on our trip was a Zambian missionary called Pastor Victor who lived in a stunning village called Katete. He really seemed grateful to think of us returning with a team to help him as with 2 abandoned / failed churches in the village and witchdoctors continually leading people astray, he’s really got his work cut out.
Life is clearly hard for him and his wife of 15 months (being so far from drinkable water and with a 3 month fishing ban in place too) - but they know God has called them to reach the people there and seem very determined to continue in His grace.
My friend Lastone and Pastor Victor 👆🏻
On our return to Mkushi we had a couple of nights rest before setting off again. We squeezed a brief celebration of Father’s Day in amongst Abigail washing cars to raise money for her church youth camp, Hannah returning from a rock climbing camp and Gemma preparing meals and packed lunches our next 4 day trip - this time taking a group of 6th formers on a trek through the mountains for their gold Duke of Edinburgh award.
Day 1 involved me and Lastone, as instructors, following the teenagers from 9am to 6pm as they tried to find their way through various valleys, hills, and lots of soggy marsh land / dambo. The group went wrong a couple of times (adding on a few extra hours) but at least made it in the end.
Day 2 was another, slightly shorter hike, but this time carrying everything on our backs - tents, food, pots, pans and all we needed to climb up mount Mumpu the next day and hike all the way back again.
Day 3 was definitely the killer - waking at 4am to quickly get breakfast in the dark (during which my headtorch fell into my coffee 😔), then climb the mountain and come down again, followed by packing away our tents and carrying everything back to our first campsite - where amenities consisted of a steam for bathing and doing dishes, shovel and toilet paper (should you need to go) and whatever other luxuries you had carried with you.
At 45, despite blisters and extreme fatigue, it’s a real privilege to be in Zambia doing the kinds of things I probably dreamed about as a child - Though digging a toilet in the bush and finding my way back to camp in the middle of the night without my headtorch felt more of a nightmare! - I do feel thankful to be part of leading people into places and experiences where they can learn about God and what more of what it is to rely on Him. The adventure of knowing and sharing Jesus continues…
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