Africa 2013 Day Six

Again this morning we were out and on the road by 6a.m. to a small airstrip just outside of Lusaka. When we arrived we met Guillermo with Flying Mission Zambia a full blooded German who grew up in Mexico. We loaded our luggage and boarded his single engine Cessna 206 on what turned out to be a beautiful day with perfect weather for flying. The trip was very smooth and neither Nathan or I got airsick (even though we had our barf bags in hand just in case.) Flying at an average speed of 110 knots at approximately 8,000feet we got a bird's eye view of the vastness of the sub Sahara landscape. It was breathtaking. We landed in Mongu and were picked up by two sweet single missionary ladies in their matching Toyota 4 wheel drive pickups. (Yes, Dillon they were new Tacoma pickups although they do not call them Tacomas when they export them to Africa). We drove about an hour into the bush to the clinic where they minister several times a week in addition to many other ministry activities including church planting. These two awesome women of God have both served here for over 10 years now. Gerry is a career missionary and Melissa is as well having given up a career in the states as a nurse anesthetist.

We arrived at the clinic and already there was a very long line of people on the front porch. Some come from nearby but some have walked a very long way to get to the only medical attention they may ever receive. I watched with tears in my eyes as mothers brought their newborns and grown children brought their aging parents into the clinic. Most of the problems they deal with are completely curable like ringworms, malaria, and severe colds. Occasionally they get people with much worse conditions and they refer them to the local hospital even though it is a very long drive and there is little chance they will follow through. I was so glad that in my backpack were rolls of stickers and although they are not much to us they seemed to put smiles on the faces of sick kids. Sometimes it is the little things. It was like music to hear an African national pastor out on the front porch presenting the gospel passionately to those who were waiting for their chance for medical care. People are saved here every week through this faithful ministry. In talking with Melissa, the nurse, something hit me so hard. You see, since this activity is outside the main strategy of church planting, she receives no funding from the International Mission Board's main funds. Instead she relies on special donations from organizations like Baptist Global Response and special gifts from individuals and FROM THE LOTTIE MOON CHRISTMAS OFFERING. Here's where it ceases to be just another announcement in church for another offering. The fact that so many of the 46,000 Southern Baptist Churches have stopped promoting this offering is resulting in falling funds and real ministry cutbacks. Melissa shared with me that without additional funding from special gifts, she will find herself still coming to the clinic, still seeing patients but having no medicine to give them, Just think- God has strategically placed a well trained nurse out in the middle of the bush and now, all that training and all the knowledge she possesses will be for naught without the funding for medication. And- I was shocked to find that she is only talking about $5000 to keep her in all her basic meds for 1 full year! I am praying now that God will raise up someone who will step up and meet this need so that she does not have to say "be warmed and filled" without giving them what is absolutely essential for their lives. If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. James 2: 15 - 17 On another note, it is so good to spend time with our own missionaries and see how these two single ladies manage to do so much ministry while also having to manage their own houses. One bonus blessing for me came when I heard them talking about how they had paid a "plumber" three times to come and fix their toilet and it still wasn't working properly. So, I grabbed Guermo and my trusty Gerber all purpose tool and we tore into it. We ran to a nearby store that amazingly had a repair kit and within an hour the toilet was as good as new. Again, things we take for granted can become a real burden for single ladies on the mission field. I know that fixing toilets was not why you sent me half way around the world but you should have seen how excited Melissa was that this nagging problem was solved. Tomorrow we will board the plane again and go even further into the bush. Again we ask that you earnestly pray.