Bible study with Kalenga

Lynne washes dinner dishes by Zambian sunset.

Toby leads the devotion, Mulanga interprets.
June 18
               This is the Rosemont teams first full day of ministering.  Randy led devotion this morning.  We had a few deliver True Love Waits to local schools, some did cleaning in the student houses, and others go to work building bookcases and a goat milking stand.  Lynne is holding on to hope that the baby goats will deliver before we leave for America.
               Sunday, Kalenga, our cook and musician preached the church service.  I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to share a Bible study method with him. It is my personal adaptation of the Navigator’s ABC Bible study.  I wrote out the steps on an index card for Kalenga, very proud of myself.  Then he asked me for a dictionary so he could understand what I had written.  The language barrier had reared its ugly head.  So, I offered to meet with him this morning and study a passage of Scripture with him using the method.  You would have thought I had offered him a trip to America and a million dollars.  We made it through the passage, with him understanding a little better.  I am going to write it out in English and have Teacher Hilda translate it into Tonga for him and the other Zambians here.

June 19, 2013
               Yesterday I told Kalenga that we would do the Bible study on a passage individually over night and compare notes this morning.  I still have to write out the study for Hilda to translate.  I am thinking that this may be a daily Bible study with Kalenga, which is fine with me.  That’s why I’m here. 
               We had a scare yesterday!!  Deb has an American garden planted near her hut.  It is supposed to be for the Americans who work here.  Noah and Martha, Deb’s two workers systematically pulled up all of the bean plants and planted rape in their place.  Lynne and I managed to find the bean plants and gently replant them in hopes they haven’t died. Noah said it was Martha’s idea, because she didn’t want bean plants she wanted rape.  Lynne explained to Noah that it is the American garden and Americans like beans and not rape.  Pray the plants recover and are productive.  Most of them already had blooms on them when Martha pulled them up.
               Kalenga and I have become very close brothers in Christ.  He helps me sing the Tonga worship songs, corrects my Tonga, and we speak often every day encouraging one another.  He asked me yesterday morning if he came to America could he spend a few minutes visiting me at my house.  I told him I would expect him to at least spend the time and share meals with us.  Kalenga spent a major portion of his life mining amethyst in Swaziland.  I will share that story with you later.
               Toby led the devotion this morning.  He did very well, once he remembered to pause for the interpreter.    If you have never preached or taught through an interpreter, you have to break what you are saying into bites so the interpreter can remember what you said.  You also have to have a chance to see if what you said can be interpreted so you can change it.  Great job Toby!!!!
               For those of you who sent cards of encouragement!!!  Thank you for taking the time.  It helps to know someone is praying for you or thinking of you.  You time spent writing a verse, will be multiplied here in the bush as we re-read notes of encouragement from you.  God bless!!!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ministering in the Market

     The Rosemont Team is airborne as far as we know.  Lynne and I were walking down the street in Livingstone and heard a jet takeoff.  That is not a very common occurrence here, so it must have been them.  They were tired after a long week of ministry at NDO and ready to get home.  We are still in Livingstone becuase . . . the van is now broken.  Sound familiar?  It was the bus at the beginning of our adventure here.  We have checked into the Ngolide Lodge with Wes and Laurie awaiting the repair of the bus.      This morning we went to immigration to get an extension on our visa so we can legally stay until our departure on July 11.  We visited the market that the team visited Monday.  Wes and Laurie know some of the vendors there, and Lynne and I were hoping to buy some African greeting cards with art on the front.  Well, after spending more Kwacha, we found Wes chatting with two gentlemen....
Read more

FEEEEEEEVER!!

Image
Bailee Wilson Ellen Taylor      One more day of school with students.  Two more post-planning day next week and this year is in the bag.   Had the privilege of taking a picture with two of my favorite students.  I was honored that they asked if they could take a picture with me.  Congratulations Taylor and Bailee on moving up to Troup!       The odyssey of getting a Yellow Fever shot came to fruition today. Apparently the Rosemont Zambia Mission Team has placed an undue burden on the Yellow Fever serum supply.  So the die is cast, preparations (except packing) are complete and we are ready for an adventure.  Rosemont Baptist Church will be commissioning  Lynne and I this Sunday, as well as, Alaska Missions members. You might remember that our daughter Maribeth is wrangling at Latigo Dude Ranch in Kremmling, Colorado.  Her photo is at right.  She seems so natural in her cowgirl duds and sitting atop ...
Read more

What are you wearing????

Image
Fortunately we are required by law to wear clothes when we are out in public.  In the winter time you can freeze to death if you are not properly clothed.  Even in the summer time we dress to be comfortable and cool.  I think some people are such slaves to fashion that they will wear anything regardless of how comfortable it is or how offensive it may be.  If is say, “those aren’t pants!”, you know I am talking about yoga pants. Most people put a fair amount of thought into what they wear.  During the school year I pick out my clothes the night before so that I can shower and dress quickly in the morning to get to the car rider line at school.  I choose clothes that “go together” and are comfortable.  If they aren’t comfortable, it will be a very long day. Some Christians make a big deal about clothing and even cite some Bible verses to support their stand on clothing.  However most of us skip over the most direct referen...
Read more