Monday at Mutala

Our day started early so we could finish breakfast before Mrs. Mbumwae picked us up at 6:40 for our first day at Mutala. We attended chapel, and God gave us a new song. Here are the simple words with a powerful message:

“Come and see, oh-oh; come and see; Come and see what the Lord has done. Lord, we lift up Your name, higher; Oh,Jehovah, Alpha, Omega; We lift up Your name, higher.”

I so wish you could hear the voices of the children singing this song. We are trying to learn it, and our Zambian friends are patient teachers. This is when I long to have Celeste’s gift for hearing a melody and being able to sing it immediately.

We spent the morning in the classrooms partnering with teachers, and the first-timers really learned a lot about how education is done in Zambia. The desire to “fix” the system burns strong, but that is not the solution. The best we can do is model good instructional practices, and we pray that God will place the desire to teach to His glory in the heart of every teacher.

From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. we helped with the construction of the church building. We carried bricks, shoveled fill-dirt, cleaned up the construction site, and filled in the trench around the foundation. The bricklayers completed the upper level, and soon they will be ready for the rafters. The teachers predict that next Sunday’s worship will take place in the new building. We will see; we return for Bible study tomorrow afternoon and can check the progress.

We shared a meal and conversation with the men who are doing the construction, and I met the 84 year old grandmother of one of the men. His name is Gift, and he cares for his grandma, who bore 12 children, but only one is still living. She is a beautiful woman, and her warm greeting on Sunday blessed us. She returned today for Bible Study, and her presence encouraged us all.

The afternoon Bible study began shortly after 4:00, and there were many, many children, but only a few adults. Sherry and Mary Beth taught the children, and David gave the lesson to the adults. I held the visual aids and wrapped up the lesson at the end. David did a great job, and this evening, he worked on ways to enhance tomorrow’s lesson.

We experienced our first power outage just as it was time to prepare supper. Fortunately, Sue Krogsgaard had cooked a chicken and made potato salad, so we feasted on that and sliced cucumbers and fresh buns. We estimated how long the power would be out. I lost by 15 minutes; Sue and Mathias guessed correctly, because the power came back on at 7:30. So, we had our evening devotional and prepared for tomorrow.

There really are not words to describe all the ways God has blessed us and shown Himself to us today. The others have gone to bed, so I will list a few of the things God did for me today: led me to serve the learning disabled children in the 4th grade class; gave me the laughter of the children when I practiced my Tonga words; showed me more fully the hearts of my companions; provided opportunity for physical labor that demonstrated partnership with the Mutala church; let me experience David’s lesson and see the power God gave Him to share the truth of the message; showed me the faithful witness of an 84 year old woman. It’s been another great day in Zambia.

We thank you so much for your comments and your emails; they encourage us. Your prayers are being answered in so many ways – we are well and full of energy; God is supplying our every need; people are hearing His Word and receiving it; we are growing in faith and in spirit. Twalumba menege.