Because He first loved us

Zambia is one of OM’s newest fields, acquired as part of ProChristo’s merger with OM in January 2009. ProChristo Global Missions started working in Zambia in 1999. In 2001, a training base was established in Kabwe, Zambia with the vision to train local African workers. Several other initiatives evolved from the training base, including a Teachers Training Course, the management of two community schools, short-term discipleship and leadership courses and the mobilisation of Zambian churches into missions. Read ahead to learn more about how OM Zambia’s Teachers Training Course (TTC), Hospital Ministry, and Bethesda Mercy Ministries are changing lives.

 

TEACHERS TRAINING COURSE
OM Zambia established a Teacher’s Training Course at the beginning of 2008 to better equip and empower workers who feel called to serve through discipling and teaching children.

Because of their focus on the unreached areas, most Christian workers find themselves in places where there are no schools, or where the schools are poorly run, and orphans have little hope of any future. The programme teaches workers to intentionally integrate kingdom principles, such as honesty, endurance, love, obedience and self-control into the subjects at school. The programme also places strong emphasis on the development of godly characteristics, as the teachers become the role models and mentors of the children they teach.

“Through the teachings, I now know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” says a 2009 TTC student. “I have come to understand that it's not only about teaching the children, but about introducing them to Christ as their personal Saviour. It is better to teach them to fear the Lord, and to trust and obey His commandments. God values them, and they will pass this on to the next generation.”

This course also serves to better equip workers in areas where schools are poorly run. In these areas, adult literacy and English courses can serve the communities. Alongside the classroom training, OM Zambia has children’s ministry and adult literacy in Makwati, a local compound. The class also goes once a week to serve at the local hospital.

Charles, a student from the 2008 class of the TTC, has returned to his village near Lake Tanganyika and started a preschool in his home. He has been teaching preschool for the past year, and many of these children have started to attend the government school this year. Some of these students have even skipped a grade because they were ahead of the others. The school sent someone into the Grade 5 classroom to ask the students some questions. They couldn’t answer the questions. Then, the same questions were asked of a child who had attended Charles’ preschool, and the child answered his questions! The leader of Charles’ village has asked him to teach the students after school because he appreciates the input Charles has in their lives.

In Nsumbu, another village near Lake Tanganyika, two of last year’s TTC students have started children’s ministry. They can see a change in the children even after just five weeks of school. Muslim parents have started to send their children to the children’s ministry instead of the other school even though they know it is a Christian ministry. They see something different about it.

The OM Zambia team has also seen prayers answered that God would send teachers to the government school who would love the children. Since then, God has provided two teachers this year, one of whom attends Charles’ church. Please pray for the team, as they are still in the beginning stages of the course and are in need of resources, books and experienced teaching staff. Pray the children’s lives will be changed because of the impact of their teacher.

HOSPITAL MINISTRY
Every Monday afternoon, the OM team in Zambia visits the hospital in Kabwe. They have adopted a post-surgery ward and visit this same ward each week. The team divides into two groups—one group cleans while the other goes from bed to bed sharing with patients.

One woman the team met had been in a bad car accident in August and was still in the hospital in October. She had nothing to do but stare at the white walls for three months. Since her family lives six hours away she rarely has visitors except those who come on Mondays.

The team has seen the need to bring the people something to do, and has raised funds for reading material, knitting needles and wool and storybooks for the children. Even though many of the children are too young to read or cannot reach English, they enjoy the bright, colourful pictures. There are also paper and pencils for the children to draw with, which is a novelty, as most of the children do not have paper and pencils in their homes. The team is also in the process of putting up curtains in the ward.

There are a wide range of cases in the ward. Some lie in bed with a broken leg, others have been burnt and are wrapped in bandages. “What gets me the most each week is the hopelessness of these people,” says one team member. “There was one girl we had visited often who died, not because of her injuries, but because of depression. We want to stop this from happening! God’s Word brings hope and life. This is what we want to share with the patients.”

One afternoon, team member Joseph approached a patient and shared with him about God. The man said, “How can I believe in Jesus when my family members have deserted me? And how can God allow this sickness?”

Joseph looked into the man’s eyes and explained that God loved him in this situation. “How can you love me this way?” the man asked. Joseph said he could love him because Jesus first loved him. The man was shocked, and tears came to his eyes. “I want to believe in Jesus Christ,” said the man. He repented of his sins and Joseph prayed for him. Afterward, Joseph could see joy radiating from his eyes!

“I realised that when people are in the hospital, they don’t have the chance to go to church,” said Joseph. “So, when we go there, it is their opportunity to hear about Christ. It shows care and concern.”

The team has been building a good relationship with the hospital chaplain, and they have received a letter of appreciation from the hospital administration. They’ve also been asked to consider adopting another ward, and to start visiting another hospital in Kabwe. At the moment they don’t have the people or resources to do this. But, at the request of the hospital chaplain, the team has started visiting patients in other wards who have given their lives to Christ.

God is using these hospital visits to open eyes to the need s of the people. The team is strengthened and challenged as they put faith into action. Please pray that the patients will feel God’s presence and come to know Him. Please pray for the team as they minister to these people. Pray for more to join and for the needed resources for this ministry.

BETHESDA MERCY MINISTRIES
Last year, OM Zambia held a meeting with some of the people with disabilities in Kabwe. The team expected 20 people, but 120 of all different ages came. People shared their stories with the team and exchanged prayer requests. One participant explained that it was his first time to be invited to a gathering like this, and that he felt people with disabilities are seen as the ‘dirt’ of society. “Words are too weak to explain how it felt to see these people, listen to their stories, exchange prayer requests and bring them together to our God,” says team member Catrin. “We realised that it was time to reach out to these special people God had brought along our path.”

Bethesda Mercy Ministry was born. In November 2009, the team visited a couple who are working with the physically challenged in Kitwe, a town about 140 miles from Kabwe. The couple had set up support groups to provide physiotherapy to disabled children from age 0 to 18 years. When the couple started, they thought there were only a few disabled children, but they received a lot! They discovered that many disabled children are hidden by their parents out of shame because these parents are often considered by society to be cursed.

This year in Kabwe, OM is starting a small support group for children with disabilities. The vision is to provide physiotherapy and encouragement, as well as to support and disciple parents and guardians. “We have seen the community’s excitement at this,” says Catrin. “And they have already started to take our hands and walk alongside us with this vision.”

Please pray for this new ministry and the team. Pray that the physically challenged people and their caregivers would come to find hope in Christ. Please pray for resources for the physiotherapy groups so the team can begin teaching skills to the people.

OM’s role in the Church is to mobilise people to share the knowledge of Jesus and His love with every generation in every nation. OM pioneers and leads initiatives to redeem lives, rebuild communities and restore hope in over 110 countries.