I’ve finally begun posting some pictures of our experiences in Zambia. It is by no means the full album, since we have over 4,000 pictures to filter through. I’ve started out by picking a few hundred highlight shots from the first half of my album, with more to come later from my set as well as the pictures that our other team members took. Please enjoy:

http://www.wellsofjoy.com/images/Zambia2009/

Chris

Well, we are home in Sparta, MO and reflecting on all that has happened in our lives since we boarded the plane on July 18, 2009.

God is an awesome God and we were blessed to worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ in the far away country of Zambia. Wes & Laurie Wilcox are wonderful missionaries and they love the BaTonga people of Zambia.

When asked what meant the most to us I would have to say it was how we all worshiped the same God.  They get excited in worship and show how much they love God.

There were challenges and some unsafe moments but God took care of us and gave us peace. That peace came because of all the prayers of our people here at home. Jim & I have a new appreciation for our missionaries and the work they are involved in. 

The conference was such a blessing to me because we were able to visit with the wives and learn some of their concerns and how we can pray for them on a daily basis.  They are just like wives and mothers here in our home town when it comes to loving God and wanting to live for Him and be a “Light” in our communities.

We saw the Holy Spirit at work when three of the ladies gave their life to Christ.  These ladies are either wives of pastors or workers in the church and yet they did not have Jesus in their hearts. 

We continue to pray for the people of Zambia and now we have faces to put with our prayers. 

Troy and Tracy Lewis are working with the children of Africa who have Aids and helping to keep them with their extended families.  We were able to see the work firsthand, the schools the children and the progress that is being made.  We saw how Pastor Troy interacts with the children in several different schools and how they love to see him when he comes to visit.  They have a challenge but God is blessing their work.

We thank you for your prayers for safe travels but we want to challenge you to pray for the missionaries everywhere on a daily basis because the power of prayer is felt in a very real sense.

We all are missionaries in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.  Just find where you are to be a missionary and let God lead you in work for His glory and to win the lost to Christ. 

God bless you all.

To say our trip was amazing does not even begin to express all that God did! For today – I will post an entry from my journal. It won’t express everything I’m feeling – but maybe it will be a good start.

Some earlier info – Chris & I shared our testimony on Saturday evening 7-25 at the Pastor’s (& wives) conference in Choma, Zambia. Chris shared about when he was diagnosed with AIDS and about how he has learned how God’s grace is sufficient. I shared about how God continues to teach me that even though bad things happened to us that we can still know that God loves us, and that we can thank Him for today and trust Him with tomorrow.

I had experienced some anxiety about sharing our story. I knew that the general reaction in Africa to HIV+ individuals was fear. We were still lead to share our story on the last night of the conference.

Journal Entry – 7-26-09 Choma, Zambia – Closing Sunday Morning Service

Pasmore (Dad’s translator) shared this morning through a translator. He started by thanking our team for coming. He shared that through our team they had learned something. Through our team they had learned to still love those who are HIV+. He said that many times in their churches, when they learn someone is HIV+, no one except the pastor and maybe the deacon will sit next to them. Many times no one else will have anything to do with the positive individual. He said that our team had shown them that it is good to love the positive.

Wow! Again I go back to the verse that God gave me in the Chicago Airport at the beginning of our trip. Philippians 1:12 “But I want you to know, brethren, that these thing that happened to me, have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.”

This gospel that Chris and our team showed…was the gospel of love, Jesus’ love. Jesus loved us and we should love others, all others. Those who are HIV+ as well as those who are HIV-. (end of entry)

It was beyond reassuring to me to see God work directly through or situation. It would not have been the same trip if Chris hadn’t gone. It wouldn’t have been the same trip if they hadn’t had grown to love him before they found out he was HIV+. Many of you know some of the struggle we faced as this trip neared. Chris had some significant health issues. Our last payment was made without knowing if we were really going to get on the plane. I see now at least one of the reasons that Satan didn’t want us to go. Chris and his testimony was used in a powerful way to effect change within the churches in Southern Zambia. We trust and pray that God will continue to use Chris’ story to change how the church in Zambia treat those who have “the disease” as they call it.

Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement. God did some mighty work through Chris on this trip.