"For the least of these"

In my last post which was three months ago I spoke of a new ministry that I am spending time with called Mercy Ministries International. I thought you would like to hear more about this organization and the work God is doing through them.

The thing that impresses me about Mercy Ministries is that it was founded by nationals who know the needs of the community and have a vision for providing those needs. It's board is comprised of nationals as well and all the funds raised go directly to the services provided for the people in the community.

Davidson and Dorothy Phiri started this faith based non-profit organization in 1996 after Dorothy heard God tell her to take care of the needy. At first she thought this meant the children and the youth but as God continued to place "the needy" in her path she realized it also included the sick, the widows and the elderly. Today Mercy Ministries International serves the community of Chainda through Chifundo Community School, support groups for the elderly, widows and orphan caregivers, conducts a certified Bible School and monthly outreaches to the sick.

Chifundo Community School was the first project started by the Phiri's. She originally rented a couple of small rooms in the town of Chainda but as the student attendance grew they had to expand. Davidson and Dorothy sold their comfortable self-contained house and acquired land just on the outskirts of Chainda. They moved their family of 4 children to a small three room house with a pit latrine and outdoor shower. All their extra funds went into paying the teachers salaries, providing school supplies and purchasing food items to feed the children.

Through the efforts of the Phiri's friends, co-workers and acquaintances several individuals and churches have been introduced to the work of Mercy Ministries. Financial support for their ministry is growing and therefore the ministry services are growing. This year, for first time since 1996, Dorothy receives a small salary as the ministry Director.

Dorothy isn't the only Phiri that works at the ministry. Their children are just as involved. Naomi teaches pre-school, Edna serves as the bookkeeper and DJ drives the bus. Many of the Phiri's family, friends and church members assist as well. This is truly a Zambian affair. Actually, Chifundo Mission School is named after their daughter, Mercy, who is disabled. Chifundo means Mercy in the local language.

Today MMI has the following programs:
Chifundo Mission School is for orphans and vulnerable children. 371 children from Chainda and Ibex Hill communities attend the school. Of these children 24 are disabled and are taught in a special classroom designed specifically for disabled students. Each of the 371 children receive a meal at school. Sometimes this is the only meal the children receive that day.
Women’s Development Program for widows and orphan caretakers teaching them tie dying, batiking, tailoring and molding of recycled glass beads. The profit received from the sale of their products is distributed among the women.
Senior Citizens receive food supplements and clothing as resources are available.
Youth Skills and Sports Program teaches the youth cement block making and gardening skills. The blocks are used for building expansion on the ministry grounds and the youth gain a skill that they can use to earn an income. Sports such as football (soccer) and netball are used to teach them teamwork and to keep them off the streets.
Community Bible School provides a certificate from CBS South Africa. Students must be recommended by local pastors.
Outreach Programs
- HIV/AIDS Support Unit
- Youth Rallies
- Drug and Alcohol Sensitization
- Evangelism
Support Groups are provided for caregivers of special needs children and orphans/vulnerable children.

Vision and Dreams to be accomplished in the next 3-5 years
1. Disabled children: Create a training center where older children/youth with disabilities can learn an income generating skill so they live independently. Create a place where children (10 years old and up) can learn basic life skills. Provide a living environment (on the property) to keep children safe and teach them basic day to day living skills.
2. Chifundo Mission School: Improve the standards of the education so that many students go on to secondary and others to college. Instill in them the responsibility to come back and help the school and other students.
3. Batik and Recycled Glass Beads Projects: Create quality products that sell on the international market. Profits will benefit the individuals who participate and a percentage of the profits will lead to sustainability of the ministry.
So where do I, Janet, fit into this ministry. God has given Dorothy a vision for what is most needed in the community. She has the "big picture" and is able to communicate this vision to others so that they can understand how they can be a part of what God is doing. As the ministry grows so does the day to day responsibilities. Administratively there is more than Dorothy can do alone. So, Dorothy has asked me to come along beside her and help out with the day to day running of the ministry. My responsibilities include but are not limited to monitoring the budget, setting up systems for financial accountability, communicating with donors and coordinating short term mission teams.

Working with Mercy Ministries has allowed me to get involved in community. Everyday I get to see God working in the lives of orphans, widows and the sick. I get to share His love by encouraging the staff and by praying with those in despair. I do it not for me, not for the recognition but to glorify the one who gave me eternal life. I hope one day to hear Him say..."Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40

Exceedingly Abundantly Above All We Ask or Imagine

Well, it's been two months since my last post and so much has happened. Thanks to everyone who left comments, emailed and prayed for me. "But God has surely listened and heard my (our) voice(s) in prayer!"

I want to share a story with you but it's a little complicated. I know I won't do it justice. There are just so many connections between people who have been a part of my life here in Zambia and in the USA. I've tried to bold them throughout the writing so that you can see all the players.

If you have read the posting from July you know that the move to Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia wasn’t an easy transition for me. I think I compared it to moving from Mayberry to New York City. That's not an exaggeration.

I am thankful that the winter months (summer months in the USA) were busy with visitors and some personal travel. It was through some of those visitors that God was able to show me clarity and understanding of what His plans were for me in Lusaka.

In June, I hosted a team from the Fort Worth area, McKinney Bible Church. I didn't know this church but their missions director was referred to me by Wayne Sneed of Orphanos in Memphis where I had worked prior to leaving for Zambia. McKinney wanted to do ministry in Africa and they wanted to serve HIV orphans.

When they first contacted me I still lived in Zimba and there were several children's homes in the area so naturally I thought they would visit one of those. As the time for them to travel drew closer I had moved to Lusaka, some changes had occured at the location I had intended to send them and I wasn't sure just where they should serve.

Jannike Seward, a dear friend of mine in Lusaka, had become involved and attached to a community school in Chainda. Chainda is a "slum" area of Lusaka that is estimated to be 60% HIV positive and densely populated with orphans and vulnerable children. As I discussed with Jannike my concern about how to plan for this team she suggested that they travel to Lusaka rather than Livingstone and conduct a VBS (Vacation Bible School) at the Chifundo Mission School. It made sense and I suggested it to McKinney team leaders and they agreed.

The team from McKinney arrived in June and in the middle of the week they were here I received a call from Will Taylor, a member of Christ United Methodist Church. Will just happened to be in Zambia and he and his sons were flying into Lusaka the next day. He hoped I would be able to meet with them. At first I was like... sure, I just have 12 people that I am responsible for but what's three more people?? I picked them up at the airport the next day and they joined the Texas team for dinner. At this dinner Will heard not only heard about the community school but was able to meet the founders, Dorothy and Davidson Phiri. He visited the school the next day.

Will was touched by the work that was being done by Mercy Ministries International (MMI) and Chifundo Mission School. He was especially drawn to the ministry for children with disabilities and made a financial commitment to MMI before leaving. I felt an obligation followup on his generosity so I knew I wasn't finished with MMI.

Immediately after the Texas team left, a team of 5 arrived from Christ United Methodist. I spent some time with them as they worked in Zimba and then three of them remained and traveled with me to Lusaka to assess how CUMC could get involved in the Lusaka area. After I told them about Will's visit and they too wanted to see MMI.

Now, I had shared with them my discontent in Lusaka and they wanted to help me discern how things could be different for me. Because of the schedule we couldn't visit MMI until the morning they were actually leaving Lusaka. It was a quick visit and on the way to the airport there seemed to be a silence that could not be explained. I wanted to ask what they thought of MMI but I felt the Holy Spirit stop me from doing so. As they passed through the security check point and I was saying my goodbyes one of the team members, Bob Whitsitt, said, "I saw God at work in two places in Lusaka." I asked him to be specific and as he said the name Mercy Ministries my heart jumped.

Okay, so what does all that mean? I came to Zambia to partner with Christ United Methodist Church and the Pilgrim Wesleyan Church (PWC). My work permit is with the PWC. How could I consider working with another ministry? Why was I so torn? Why was I not happy in Lusaka? I was confident that Lusaka is where God wanted me to be. He made it too easy. Although I think I knew what I was supposed to do, I worried over the action. I knew I had to talk with the National Superintendent of the PWC and share with him my desire to do ministry elsewhere. Now, there are so many needs in Zambia and so little resources. Would there be some jealousy due to the competition of resources? Would they see my involvement with MMI as a conflict of interest? Would they allow me to stay in the country using the work permit obtained through their church?

For much of July I carried this burden with me. I prayed but didn't receive a clear answer. In August I traveled to Tanzania on vacation and during my quiet time felt God telling me to "just do it." I didn't obey and continued to feel burdened. I knew another team from CUMC was coming the middle of August (this included the senior pastor) and I wanted them to see MMI but wasn't sure how to schedule it since the specific purpose for their visit was to spend time with leaders and pastors of the PWC.

God helped me with that one. When I returned from my vacation, one of the first emails I read was from Eric Angel, CUMC International Missions Director. He was asking if I could arrange for Dr. Dodson, the senior pastor, to see MMI. What? You have got to be kidding me? I didn't waste any time making the arrangements.

Members from this team sensed my discontent also and even pointed out a difference in my demeanor when we traveled outside of Lusaka. When I showed them my Zambian "hometown", Zimba, it became clear that what I was missing in Lusaka was a sense of community. As I stated before, Lusaka is just a big city. It has lots of traffic, lots of people, walled fences around all the houses... a place where one can become isolated. The people you work with live in different areas of the city and traveling to visit one another outside of business hours is limited due to the cost of transportation. I have never been much of an office person so going into an office everyday didn't help my attitude either.

This is a really long story but happy ending is coming, I promise!

Just a few days after the second CUMC team leaves Danny and Cathy Sartin, Deeper Still Ministries based in Memphis, visit me. (I must mention here that Danny used to be on staff at McKinney Church) Their sole purpose is to "refresh" me. What they didn't know is that they were going to help me take that next step... I shared my burden with the Sartins and my anticipation of the response I would receive from the PWC. We prayed together and decided the best plan was for me to talk with the National Superintendent while they were in Lusaka so that they could lend me moral support. They promised to pray while I met.

Now, I have huge respect for Rev. Sitali Kakungu who is the national superintendent for the PWC. I really didn't want to disappoint him. I explained to him that I was not happy in Lusaka and that through the eyes of my visitors over the past few months had come to understand what was missing... community. I needed to be ministering to people and not sitting behind a desk. I shared with him that I felt God calling me to work with Mercy Ministries and explained how God has placed them in my life. I asked him for his blessing. I waited and was so surprised at his response.

He stated that he had been waiting for me to tell him what my passion was and that he wasn't surprised by the pull to MMI. He encouraged me to follow my heart. He had visitedMMI with Dr. Dodson and his team and felt God's presence as well. He even stated that since MMI was part of me it was part of PWC and maybe the PWC could get involved also. He expressed a desire to get involved on a personal level.

I cannot express the extreme joy and relief I felt at that time. With tears in my eyes I told Sitali what a great man he was and how anxious I had been to talk to him. We discussed how I would continue to be the liason between CUMC and PWC, assisting them with CUMC projects, hosting teams and even help the national board establish an HIV/AIDS policy to define the church's response to the AIDS crisis.

All that time wasted worrying about a response that didn't happen. All that time not having courage to step out in faith even when I clearly heard God instruct me. I think what happened is what all of us do so often... I put God in a box and limited Him in what He was capable of doing. When I came out of the meeting with Sitali, Danny Sartin summed it all up in the following verse:

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more (some versions say "exceeding abundantly above") than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:20
So, as I take a deep breathe and continue to be amazed at God, be on the lookout for more about Mercy Ministries International. If you are a Facebook addict, check out the Mercy Ministries International page and see what God is doing there.

Thanks to all the individuals and organizations in this story, you were used by God.

They Call it Growing

"If you want to feel secure, do what you already know how to do. If you want to be a true professional and continue to grow, go to the cutting edge of your competence, which means a temporary loss of security. So whenever you don't quite know what you are doing, know that you are growing."--Madeline Hunter

It's been quite a while since I have written a blog. There are several reasons for that... Facebook being one of them! The main reason is explained by the above quote. I have lost my security and I don't know what I am doing.... how do you write about that?

The move to Lusaka was harder than I imagined it to be. I loved Zimba and the life I had created there. I had friends, "family" and a purpose. Imagine moving from Mayberry to New York City. That is the difference between Zimba and Lusaka.

Now, I've always considered myself a city girl but I got used to the slow pace and everyone knowing what I was doing. Sometimes other people knew what I was doing before I did! It was OK...

Lusaka is traffic, noise, crowds, traffic, slums, street vendors, traffic jams and more traffic. I have gotten used to the street vendors and have been known to shop from the driver's seat! I've even bought a new blouse off the street. I've received several compliments on it...

Two years ago I came to Zambia without an agenda, just a heart for helping the people. I was sent by Christ United Methodist Church of Memphis and partnered with the Pilgrim Wesleyan Church of Zambia. Together we have provided 10 new houses for nurses and other professional staff at Zimba Mission Hospital. These have greatly increased the quality of care the patients at the hospital receive. In addition, short term teams (8 so far) have provided medical services such as surgeries and dental care, leadership training for pastors, and construction needs particularly for neglected plumbing and other building repairs. In two short years Zimba has changed and the people are grateful. It was easy for me to see that it was time to leave Zimba and so on to Lusaka I went.

Since I am having such a hard time in Lusaka several people have asked the obvious question... so exactly why did you move? The easiest answer is that God made it obvious.

The national office of the Pilgrim Wesleyan Church is located in Lusaka. Since my arrival in 2007, they had hoped I would be able to assist them in many different ways; administratively, capacity building, leadership training, etc. It was hard to help 5 hours away and so since the work in Zimba was coming to a closure the obvious thing was to move to Lusaka.

In October 2008, I started the research on living in Lusaka. The cost of living there is like any capital city... high! The smallest house I found was $800 per month and I was not sure I would be able to find one at that rate when I made the move. There were other expenses that come with a house in Lusaka, night watchman, gardener, etc. Fuel expense would increase since I wouldn't be able to walk to work.

I was a little discouraged and was concerned about where the money for all the additional expenses would come from. You see, I don't have a steady income. I live by faith. Faith that the Holy Spirit will convict my family, friends and other well wishers to contribute towards my financial needs. It's a little scary but so far God has been faithful and so have you. Thank you!

In the Bible we are taught that if God cares about the birds of the air and the flowers in the field how much more He will care for us... He has proven it for me...

Just a few months before moving to Lusaka the value of the US dollar strengthened reducing house rentals ( I was able to find a 2BR house for $400 and no extra expenses),

an anonymous donor contributed a generous amount towards my ministry fund (making financial decisions easier), and most importantly a Lusaka friend (Jannike Seward) was placed in my path.


Did I need more?
Several years ago I would have answered this yes, but I have learned from the mistakes of the past and gave God a break this time.

So, I find myself in Lusaka. I can't say I am happy about it but I've learned that obedience to God is more important than my happiness. I am getting more comfortable with Lusaka and some day soon when someone asks "How's Lusaka" -I'll respond with confidence, "It's OK!"

Ministry life is still uncertain... my responsibilities are to coordinate and host short term mission teams, teach at leadership conferences, help with office management and all other duties that may present themselves. God has shown me other ministries in Lusaka that could use my gifting and I am praying for discernment.

I still don't know exactly what I am doing but I am encouraged to know that according to Madeline Hunter, I'm growing...

Is there anything too hard?

I was a person before coming to Zambia, a product of my environment and the experiences in my life. I knew when I came to Zambia that the people were different in their thinking and their experiences of life. I accepted that. I understood that I needed to understand how they thought and to respect their culture. Each day as I go about my life in Zambia I have to suppress the person I have been for now fifty years. Zambians don’t show a lot of emotion. I am an emotional person. I manage to suppress my emotions for a period of time but release has to come. When that release begins to show, my Zambian friends want to tell me how I should react (as they would react). They tell me “no, you are thinking wrong.” How can my thoughts be wrong? It’s my experience. My thoughts are mine. I just want to express myself in a way that is familiar to me. The problem is that they will never be able to understand me because they have not experienced my life or the culture I come from.
Oh, now I get it... I have a God who see me (El Roi)... when it comes down to it. He is the only one I can depend on. Why is it I have to learn this lesson over and over and over? I will never find what I am looking for here on earth. Everything I need is in Him. He knew me before I was born. He knows the number of hairs on my head. He knows my past, my present and my future. He knows what I am thinking before I do. He knows my emotions. So, once again, I lay myself on the altar. I surrender to Him. It's a daily activity.

The above is a journal entry from last week. After almost two years here I thought I had finally hit the wall and even had thoughts that maybe it was time to return home. The only problem is that I’m not sure where home is…

At the time I wrote the above entry I was being too self-focused to really understand what was happening. All I could think about was the event planned for the weekend and how I had messed up big time. How I had been wronged. I never considered what God’s plan might be.

I had been asked to be one of the speakers at an IlI Conference (International Leadership Institute) for women. I was glad to accept since this is one of the areas I will be getting more involved with when I move to Lusaka. I also believe in the curriculum and was anxious to communicate it to the Zimba women. The problem came on the Monday before the conference was to start on Wednesday.

One of the other facilitators had called me that morning to ask who was in charge. What???? It wasn’t me or at least I didn’t think it was me. Two of the ladies who were also facilitators were called to attend a workshop in Livingstone which meant they couldn’t help prepare for the event. I was informed that I was in charge… now how did that happen and when did I agree to such?

I quickly realized that nothing had been done to prepare for the conference. Thirty ladies would be arriving on Wednesday afternoon tired and hungry from travel. Who would greet them? Would there be food for them? Where were they sleeping? None of the other conference facilitators seemed to be taking any responsibility. I had my own plans for the week and this was not one of them.

My martyr personality came into full swing and as I worked diligently to make sure every detail was attended to I also developed an attitude towards my team. I found them irresponsible, uncaring and selfish. Add to this that we had a limited budget that didn’t come close to covering all the costs involved. Unfortunately, I ended up covering some of the costs with my personal money. I’d like to say I did it unselfishly but it was done with resentment and without joy. I’ll have to deal with that later on my knees.

I prayed for my attitude but my prayers didn’t keep me from blasting two of the members when I felt wronged by their actions. Of course, guilt entered into the scene and the next two days were spent worrying about whether I had just ended my last days in Zimba as local enemy #1.

Can you see where this is going? The conference I was looking forward to was becoming a burden. I wasn’t enjoying or even looking forward to Wednesday. I really just wanted to let someone else do it and when I lost my temper that was the last straw. This was not an example of Christ’s love. I knew there was something wrong.

As the conference approached the Holy Spirit convicted me that my attitude and frustrations were all a result of spiritual warfare. God had something great planned for the conference and Satan was doing everything possible to thwart my efforts to provide an atmosphere where the attendees could feel free to hear God’s word.

I think you can measure the outcome God has for an event by the difficulties we face in preparing for it. Trust me, God had great plans for this leadership conference. I have never experienced such a spiritual attack. There was a heaviness around that I had not experienced before. I thank God that there were faithful women available to pray over me and for me during this time. Even one of the ladies I had blasted came to my house to pray for me. She understood that I was not myself.

The first night of the conference only 5 ladies appeared. By the next morning we ended the first session with 16 ladies. The ladies invited were pastors wives, children’ directors and women’s directors. They were an enthusiastic group starting each session with praise music and prayer. You could see in their eyes that they were “getting it” and wanting more.

I spoke on the second full day of sessions. Before speaking I confessed my sin of martyrdom and how I allowed Satan to hinder the joy in the preparation of the conference. I praised God that I had overcome the struggle. I told the ladies I was expecting great things from the conference and couldn’t wait until the close on Saturday to hear how He had worked.

I began to speak on goal setting. As I spoke I found culturally relevant examples coming to my mind that I had not planned. Inside I was saying, “Wow, this is good. Where did this come from?" I certainly had not had the time to prepare for it. Goal setting is a topic we hear over and over in the states and it can be quite a dry subject but these ladies were eager and asked incredible questions.

I didn’t have to wait until the end of the conference to hear how God had worked. When I had finished the goal setting session, several ladies stood to speak. They were excited to share how much the session had meant to them. One of the comments was that even if they had come for that session alone, it would have been worth it. They had been placed in leadership and had no idea how to set goals. One older lady, Mrs. Mudenda, who was probably in her 60s asked “Where has this information been and why has no one shared it with us before.”

It was an awesome experience and such an affirming one. God was using me to speak to these women and to empower them to become Godly leaders who would in turn influence their communities. The best part was that it was definitely Him speaking through me and not anything I had done to prepare myself. It’s not time to come home…

The conference continued and each of the speakers did an incredible job. The women were instructed on integrity, family values, mentoring and evangelism. The testimonies continued throughout the weekend and it was obvious that this conference was ordained by God. I was so thrilled that I was able to recognize the spiritual battle, ask for help and confess my unbelief. I’m so glad that my God is victorious in all things.

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?”– Jeremiah 32:27