LAST LESSONS #103 – ZAMBIA

 “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” Psalm 2:8

One day in 2003 I received an email from a man in Zambia asking me to please come and build an orphanage to help with the many orphans resulting from the AIDS epidemic. I wrote back and said, “Who are you?” He told me that his name was Justin Mukuka and he wanted to help orphans. When I asked him about himself, he told me that he was a Navigator and that he had been trained as a Navigator in the USA. That was a game-changer for me! I might not know Zambia, and I certainly did not know Justin Mukuka, but I did know the Navigators and their ministry. They promoted Bible study!

So, I told Justin that we would consider an orphanage in Zambia, but we would need land, a meeting with the First Lady of Zambia, and registration of Rafiki as an NGO in Zambia. Justin assured me that he could put those things together if we would come.

I was excited to visit Zambia, to see Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, and to get to know the people in this beautiful land-locked country.

When we landed in the capital of Lusaka, Justin met us and showed us around, but quickly got us on the road to Kitwe in the Copper Belt where he said that acreage would be available for an orphanage. I will never forget that drive! It should have taken four hours, but instead took almost ten. Why? Because Justin was driving, and his speed limit was about 15 mph. He said that he had been stopped by the police once and he was afraid he might be put in jail if he was ever caught speeding again.

Kitwe was very interesting particularly because of their copper mining. We saw a great variety of products made from copper—some of the hammered pictures were amazing! I have one that is hanging in the Home Office today. But although Kitwe was interesting, the property we were shown for an orphanage was not sufficient. Only about ten acres. We were disappointed, but God always has a better plan.

When we returned to Lusaka, we met with First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa. What a lovely lady she was. She introduced us to her niece Sylvia Masebo who would be in charge of helping us find suitable property on which to build an orphanage. The First Lady made it clear that we should not put anything in Lusaka. She said that Lusaka already had everything and that it was the rural areas of Zambia that needed our help. In the meantime, I made inquiries as to Protestant denominations in Zambia and learned that the Reformed Church of Zambia (RCZ) was the largest with the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) second largest. We would later learn of the Reformed Baptist Church.

Sylvia wanted to take us to meet a person who had some land in Chongwe about 30 miles away from Lusaka, but on the way, she said she had to attend a relative’s funeral. This was a most interesting experience! The funeral was in a Catholic Church, it was not in English, it lasted almost 3 hours, and it was hot! But a nice person who was dressed like a nun was kind and helped us understand what was going on.

When the funeral was over, we went to Chongwe to meet the person who owned some property. To our astonishment when we went into the building the person who greeted us was the nun! She was not a nun at all, but the Chieftainess of the whole region which meant she owned all the land! She told us that she would give us 60 acres of property that she had given to the RCZ Church, but since they had not developed it in four years, she would give it to us to develop. And Sylvia was her relative. Who would have thought God would put things together in such an amazing way!

In 2004 missionaries David and Nancy Writebol arrived in Zambia, registered Rafiki as an NGO, and negotiated a contract with the Chieftainess and the RCZ for the property. Construction began and in July 2006 the Village was dedicated with Sylvia Musebo making the main address. Sylvia went on to become a Member of Parliament who did much for Rafiki.

More missionaries were sent to Zambia and the first children arrived in August 2007, but God did much more than build an orphanage in Zambia. He put together a relationship with the RCZ that is strong to this day. Besides becoming a Partner Denomination, the RCZ has a seminary that we have been able to supply with Reformation Study Bibles from Ligonier, and Crossway’s Systematic Theology Study Bibles for their seminary students and their current pastors. In turn, the RCZ University has given college degrees to graduates of Rafiki’s RICE program. Accredited college degrees! See what God does?

We also have good relations with the CCAP and the Baptists. Since Baptists are congregational rather than denominational, Conrad Mbewe as the leader of the eight congregations in Zambia was willing to form a Reformed Baptist Denomination so that Rafiki could deal with a denomination rather than separate congregations. Again, God does amazing things.

But what of Justin Mukuka? Sometime around 2004, Justin came to the USA to raise his support in Navigators. He arrived in New York and called to say that he wanted to visit my husband Bob and me in San Antonio. We were delighted and offered to pay his air fare from NY to San Antonio. He said his fare was already paid. Some days later he arrived on our doorstep. He had come on the Greyhound bus all the way from NY! He stayed for a few days, and we had a wonderful visit. When we offered to pay his airfare to his next stop in Arizona, he refused. He said that he always rode the bus because it gave him time to present the gospel to fellow passengers. He was a Navigator.

There are some lessons I never forget.