July 10, 2003

An Awesome Adventure!

Dear teammate,

            How do we describe our time in Zambia in a letter?!  It was very evident that God was at work in many ways.  We met many beautiful women who were hungry to learn from God’s Word and desire to serve our Lord where He has placed them.  We learned many personal lessons, including the need and power of prayer.  Thank you for making it possible for us to be involved in this life-changing experience!

Highlights of our trip:

Two hundred and two women attended the conference when they were only expecting about 100-150.  Some women walked for 2 days to get there!    The response of the women was overwhelming!  It was so exciting to watch them busily taking notes on all they were taught.  Their intent, smiling faces are etched in our memory forever.  Their thoughtful questions in between sessions and during the question-answer time demonstrated their understanding of what was presented and their willingness to apply it. 

                         Mathilda and Patti                    

One of the hosting pastors described the spiritual condition of the Chililabombwe area.  He told us that there were 3 times as many bars as churches and that only about 10% of the people attend church regularly!  There had never been a church conference in that area.  The number of different churches represented by these women had never worked together on something before!  A group of women had fasted and prayed for 30 days before the conference at the site!  Were we ready for what God was planning to do?

                Elizabeth and Patti

We distributed all the Bibles that we brought for the participants.  One was heard saying, “I thank God for having such a gift - it will answer all my questions”.  Because there were more women than expected, there were not enough Bibles!   It was difficult to see the crestfallen faces of those who did not get a Bible on the first day.  We were able to get more Bibles from ALARM and our team donated our personal Bibles so that everyone would have one.            

Sarah was a hit with the women, their babies and in the message she presented!  God truly enabled her to give her presentation on the Sanctity of Life and Abortion without the fear and worry that she had expected.  We were all overwhelmed when she was finished and another of our team members gave a testimony about having an abortion – 11 African women came forward to have us pray for them because they had had an abortion in the past.  It was a step of faith and provided a time for them to begin healing. 

When it was time for me (Patti) to give a talk on widowhood, I was unsettled because I had learned that there were many widows at the conference.   As I talked with them, I learned of the terrible plight that these women face.  In their culture, after the death of a husband, whatever property shared with him (homes, business, furniture, animals, etc.) is taken and the widow is left with the children and nothing else.  It was a step of faith for me to present what I had learned.  At the end of the

            Sarah Speaking            conference 18 widows decided to form a group where they can strengthen one another and advise other widows!

While the conference was in session, those of us who were not teaching were able to visit orphanages.  We were able to distribute t–shirts, socks, crayons, pencils, candy, and gospel bracelets.  One pastor said, “We have never had guests in this center since we started.  We thank God for bringing you here.”  It was very sobering for us to see the terrible poverty in the surrounding area and with in the orphanages.  It taught us the true meaning of gratefulness!  Sarah went to 5 of the 6 orphanages and enjoyed shaking the hands of hundreds of children! The welcoming reception we received and the heartfelt farewell from the women  

             Sarah and Gabriel                                                                                                             Boy from an orphanage                                                             brought tears to our eyes. Their genuine joy in singing praise to God was very moving.  Their delight overflowed to dancing in wonderful times of worship. 

What a thrill it was to visit Zambia, see God at work and meet women that we will spend eternity with!  This has just been a summary of our experience.  We would love to sit down with you sometime over a cup of African tea to share our pictures and stories more thoroughly.  Thank you for praying – your work was very evident through the results that we saw.

Joyfully serving with you,