MILLIONAIRE MADNESS: Teen VBS

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: 

which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith,

 and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

I Timothy 6:10 

On June 22-25, 2015, we had our first Teen VBS.

Everyday, we sang songs, played games and had a skit.

The workers did a wonderful job portraying their characters.

Each story showed that world gain will pass away, 

but God's will gives treasure in Heaven.

Jim Hunt did a wonderful job preaching to the kids 

and James Silwamba taught a missionary story.

We are so thankful for these young men to serve as leaders in our church 

and for the wonderful group of teenagers who are 

becoming more and more faithful to services.

Father's Day Service

For Father's Day, we honored the father's in our church.

It was a blessing to see men stand up who were the oldest fathers, father's with the most children present at church and the father with the youngest child there.

God has blessed our church with some good and godly men who lead thier homes for Christ!

Adult Ministry update

We have been having wonderful services here in Kabwe.

We continue to invite visitors out to services,

counsel people during invitations, 

lead people to Christ,

baptize the saved,

disciple for spiritual growth,

and serve together with the believers.

Below you will find some pictures of our adult Sunday ministries.

(Next month I will share about the children's ministries.)

Lord, Give Us Homes Built on Christ!

There is a song that goes,

"O give us homes built firm upon the Savior.

Where Christ is Head, and Counselor and Guide..."

Today, as I lay down on the floor in our school classroom,

with 11 little heads lying down on homemade cushions, 

I looked around me.  

Some tried to get as close as they could to curl up beside teacher,

 while others lay where they lay everyday.

Some lay quietly listening to the music, while others tossed and turned.

I sang along a little while to the music, 

touching the faces of those laying next to me,

 whispering "I love you and God loves you more", 

rubbing the backs of some who need a little more attention.  

As I looked into the faces of each child,

 looking past today and to their individual situations. 

Some did not have a mother, others come from broken homes, 

some were very loved and cared for,

while others had no interaction in the home.

It was in this moment where I realized the wonderful and loving home 

that I have been blessed to grow up in.  

I have a mother who is kind and caring.  

She sang songs with me, told me stories 

and took me with her wherever she went - to the store, 

to a church ministry, sewing, cooking, working in the garden,....

I am greatly blessed with a father who took time for me.

He also included me in the things he did.  

I was "daddy's little girl" and loved to go with him to gun shops, 

hardware stores, or just for a drive.

My parents made me feel safe and loved. 

 They taught me about life, about God's love and forgiveness, 

and how to turn to God for wisdom in the hard times.

Most of the children in my class will never experience those things, 

BUT Lord-willing their children will.

Everyday of school they have a "mommy" who will shower them with love, 

discipline them when they are wrong, sing and play with them, 

and most importantly teach them God's ways.

Proverbs 22:6

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

---

Please pray for wisdom for us teachers as we deal with 

different circumstances here that are both cultural and family related.

Precious' Precious Blood

As I spent alot of time regaining my strength and building up my blood

 from my sickness and infection, my dear friend and Sunday School helper, 

Precious, was going through many physical trials.

Precious and I cleaning at church

In fact, her condition continued to get worse.

She visited doctor after doctor and was admitted to the local hospitals weekly.

They gave her IV's and pain tablets and after a few days sent her home.

Her abdomen was growing with each day. 

A tumor had taken up residence inside her and was growing at a fast rate.

In Apri,l she was finally taken to the hospitals in the city.

One said they could not see the problem,

another said that they did not have the proper equipment to keep her alive if they operate.

There is much, much more to the story,

 but I will just tell you for now that if it was not by the hand of God, 

she would have died.

It seemed that all hope was gone and her life was being drained from her body, but God did a miracle!

We praise the Lord for -

Precious' faith in God,

her husband's love for her and His Lord,

a divine appointment in a hallway that totally changed the outcome,

and for His grace time and time again.

Why is blood so precious to Precious?

During her first operation, the doctor went to her husband and said,

"She needs more blood transfusions. 

 If we don't get more blood into her fast, she will die".

The blood we sent to Precious.

Her husband got on the phone to family friends and church family.

Again, got brought about His perfect timing 

and a divine appointment with a lady at the blood bank.

You see, here in Zambia if you need blood you have to find donors willing to give.

Once they give it has to be tested,

 then transported by anyone (taxi driver, bus, any person) to the hospital where she is.  

Then it has to be retested.  Finally, it is ready to be given to the patient.

Now you know how precious blood is to Precious.

Numerous times this has happened over the last month for her 

during the multiple surgeries she has had.

It is because of this precious blood that she has life.

Just like that, it is because of Christ's precious blood that we have new life.

1 Peter 1:18-19

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"

Without His blood we also would be destined to spiritual death.

Precious not only has the blood on this earth to save her,

but she also has the precious blood of Christ to give her eternal life.

Precious is home!

We praise God that Precious is still with us.

Precious is now back home with her family.

Most of the day she can only lay on the couch, but praise God she is here!

Please pray for her continued recovery and another upcoming surgery in July.

~~~

All of this information shared was by permission from Precious.

She wants everyone to know how thankful she is for everyone who has been praying.

As her mind becomes more clear, she would like to share a video testimony with you of what God has done in her life.  I will let you know when she has done that.

My Sunday School Class

In January, our church divided up the children's ministries even more 

by providing an 11-13 year old Sunday School class for boys and one for girls.  

I was very excited to teach the girl's class. 

We have been studying -

Who is God?

Who is Jesus?

What about Heaven and Hell?

What is sin?

- by studying through the New Testament.

This young lady is one, of a number of girls, 

who have accepted Christ as Saviour after one of our Sunday School classes.

Many times, attendance reaches over 42 girls in this small classroom space.

Like in April, when we used up every chair 

and had to use some small benches to seat everyone.

Every week of April, I had to stand against the wall in a corner to teach 

- PRAISE THE LORD!!!

We currently have over 15 girls enrolled in the Bible Reading program.  Some have read over 10 chapters in Matthew and have answered questions on what they have read.

In 2015, we are working on the whole class memorizing Psalm1.

During the month of April, I challenged them to memorize Proverbs 31:10-31.

Over half of the girls memorized part of it, 

with 4 grils having all 23 verses memorized in just 4 short weeks!!!

Praise the Lord for girls who want to hide God's Word in their hearts!

Showers

Psalm 107:35

"He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, 

and dry ground into watersprings."

As you know, dry season was a hard time.

Farmer's fields were catching fire.

That fire would burn all of the grass they needed to feed thier cattle.

Times of drought and dryness seem hopeless.

Everyday, you find yourself peering up at the sky 

wondering if the Lord will send the rain "today".

In November the rains should come, but November came and went.

We hoped that December would bring the hard rains and

yet it only brought a few showers.

By January, we were still only having light showers,

but thankful for every drop of rain.

I thought about the many blessing that the Lord gives us.

We should be thankful for the small things, 

not just for the large showers of blessings that God gives us.

After all, big or small, they are all gifts from the Lord.

Even though we have not had enough rain 

and rainy season is supposed to be over,

God continues to send those small showers to sustain us 

through the dry times.

Psalm 63:1-8 

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: 

my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee 

in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

 3 ¶ Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; 

and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

 6 When I remember thee upon my bed, 

and meditate on thee in the night watches.

 7 ¶ Because thou hast been my help, 

therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

 8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.