The past month of August has felt like a tapestry—threads of ministry, family, and God’s provision woven together in interesting ways. Some days have brought unexpected challenges (like our washing machine breaking down!), while others have brought long-awaited breakthroughs (like progress in Caleb’s adoption). Through it all, we’ve seen God’s faithful hand at work in every season.

““The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”  
1 Thessalonians 5:24

A Different Kind of Sunday

For the last 2 and a half years, Sundays have meant early mornings for our family along with the apprentice, setting up chairs, checking microphones and powerpoint, and trying to make sure everything is in place before the people started arriving. This month, for the first time in a long time, we’ve been able to sit in the chairs at Christ Church Lusaka without the long list of responsibilities. What a joy it has been to see those we have trained and invested in, taking on their responsibilities at church and working hard to get things ready in time. It is refreshing to enjoy the fruit of our labour and simply worship alongside our brothers and sisters.

The church has also now settled into its new venue at African Christian University. It seems the new space has been a good fit and attendance seems to be increasing. With the help of a bus bringing members from the community of Matero, the seats are filling up again. Watching God gather His people week after week reminds us that this is His church, and He is faithful to care for it.

New Paths, Same Calling

With our hands now free from the church responsibilities, we are now able to focus our full attention on the ministry opportunities that God has opened for us here in Zambia.  I am now able to step more fully into my role as the Southern Africa Hub Coordinator for Entrust. Coordinating trainings, connecting with women across the region, and continuing to grow in my own training has been both stretching and rewarding. My days at home are also pretty full with keeping up with Caleb and managing our household. This is a ministry in itself and I am thankful that I am able to spend more time with Caleb during these formative years of his life.

Michael and I also continue to make time for one-on-one discipleship. Sitting across a table, opening Scripture, praying with people—that has been one of the richest parts of ministry for both of us, and we are determined to see it continue.

A Full Living Room

One of the new roles that Michael stepped in to this year is as the Langham Preaching Ushirika Coordinator for Zambia. As coordinator, he oversees all the Ushirika fellowship groups in Zambia. So far there are only a few groups in Lusaka and Michael has been working with them to try to gather momentum and consistency. Just this month he arranged and hosted a training for all the Ushirika leaders to meet for a training on what they are supposed to do as Ushirika leaders. There was a great turnout and most of them were able to attend.

The training was hosted in our home because Michael was keen for them to see that they could run their Ushirika groups from their homes if necessary. I had the opportunity to be cooking lunch for around 10 people which consisted of nshima (maize based staple of Zambia), beef stew, coleslaw salad and “vegetables” (Bondwe – which is a leafy green vegetable made from amaranth leaves). I had Caleb’s assistance in the kitchen with me as we cooked together. He was a champ – hardly crying all day while his daddy was busy with the very long meeting in our living room.

Looking Toward Mongu

Even as doors open here in Lusaka, our eyes are turning westward. In preparation for our move to Mongu we have started up our Lozi language learning again as well as starting to pack up some of our things that won’t be needed for the next couple of months. We are currently in Mongu since the 30th of August till around the 17th of September. The main purpose of this trip is to look for a suitable house for us for when we move but we are also doing some serious Lozi language study while building on our relationships with people in this area.

Michael also gets the exciting opportunity to sit in for another translation workshop at The Zambia Project, where consultants from all over the world come to work together with the local translators on the Bible translations for the Western Province. This has been another exciting opportunity that has presented itself in Mongu. At least twice a year such a translation workshop takes place in Mongu. Since Michael has such a love and propensity for the Greek and Hebrew languages his interest was peaked. The translation team was very excited to meet him and invited him to come and sit in to observe in June. He has since been asked to consider getting involved in the translation work. This would require him to learn more about the process and the programs used but he is praying about whether this is something that he should be giving his time to.

God’s Great Kindness in Small Things

On the home front, we are praising the Lord for answers to prayer. A few weeks ago our washing machine packed up after numerous attempts to revive it. I felt so discouraged with the loads of laundry just piling up while we struggled to get it going again. We sent out a message on our prayer group asking for prayer, mostly for my heart because I felt overwhelmed, but also that God would help us either fix that machine or find a good second hand one for a good price. That same day we were blessed with money to buy a new machine. I cried tears of gratitude to God because he gives above and beyond what we can even ask for and sometimes it feels like He just spoils us.

Progress with Paperwork!

Another praise for us is that we finally have all our paperwork for Caleb’s Adoption and our petition has been filed at court! What a long journey it has been to get to this point and it feels like a HUGE milestone. But our struggle isn’t over yet. We will now be waiting to be given a court date – which we are praying will be before the end of September – and then waiting for our day in court and the processing of all his paperwork after the adoption has been given by the court. Pray with us that things from here on out will go smoothly and efficiently and that there will be no more unnecessary delays.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”
Ephesians 3:20

Grateful for You

Thank you for standing with us in prayer and for partnering with us in finances. We can’t stop thanking God for you every day because it is through your consistent love and faithful obedience that we can serve Him here in Zambia without restraint. We long for the day that we can see you all again face-to-face and share with you what God has done through your partnership for the gospel.

May God continue to bless you and multiply what is sown for his Kingdom.