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.