You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:48)
This year’s theme was chosen in Scotland, in honour of the hundredth anniversary of the 1910 Edinburgh World Mission Conference. It is in answer to that conference’s theme "Witnessing to Christ today” that the above verse was chosen. Edinburgh 1910 really marked the start of the modern ecumenical movement.
The United Church of Zambia, like many of the other United and Uniting Churches worldwide, stems directly from this watershed conference. The London Missionary Society, the Church of Scotland Mission, the Union Church of the Copperbelt and the Copperbelt Free Churches came together in 1965 as the UCZ making their unity in Christ more visible.
In the Copperbelt, Christians from many different places went to work in the mining towns, and interdenominational worship began in both the African and European housing areas. The Church of Scotland, the Methodist Missionary Society, and the London Missionary Society were working together already in education and welfare, so they came together in African areas to form the Union Church of the Copperbelt. Shortly after this, the congregations of the European areas came together in the Copperbelt Free Church Council..
The London Missionary Society and the Church of Scotland Mission along with the Union Church of the Copperbelt, joined to form the Church of Central Africa in Rhodesia in 1958.
In 1965, this church united with the Methodist Church and the Church of Barotseland to form the United Church of Zambia. It is the largest Protestant church in Zambia today and continues to grow rapidly.
The UCZ, therefore has special links with the Methodist Church in Great Britain, the Church of Scotland, the United Church of Canada, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ (USA), and CEVAA which is the successor to the Paris Evangelical Mission Society.
PEMS underwent a tremendous structural change in the 70s which led to the creation of a community of churches in mission, called Cevaa. This new body involved partner churches having shared power in decision-making, regardless of the resources put by each into the kitty.
In Cevaa, and later in other similar mission communities such as the Council for World Mission, similar structural changes emphasised transformative justice, and changed the balance of power and decision-making on the sharing of financial and human resources between churches of North and South.
This is an attempt to realise in some small way the dream from Edinburgh that we may become one body, brothers and sisters in Christ, responding to each other in love and building a community so that God’s will is done here on earth as it is in heaven.
Friday, 15 January 2010
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Happy New Year
We have just been up in Lusaka for a couple of days. After bringing in the New Year at Livingstone we motored up with Catriona, Gregor and Mubita. On the first of January we also saw Ruairidh and Fiona off to Australia for Fiona’s maternity leave. The baby should arrive all being well at the end of February. Catriona had some dressage and jumping to do for her PE Course Work which she did on Saturday. We also did a bit of school shopping for them, mainly clothes and toiletries.
They left on the early Monday morning flight with a number of other ‘children’ they knew, who had been home for the Christmas holidays as well. We said goodbye with the usual tearful eyes and lump in the throat, and from the other family farewells taking place at the same time, you can see and hear it is an emotional time for all concerned. Mubita cried all the way back into town from the airport.
We had educational commitments to pay for other members of our extended Zambian family and did Aids Relief business for Ida and then visited UCZ Synod Headquarters. We have been in Zambia for 15 years so should now qualify to receive an entry permit and will no longer require a work permit. We were lodging the paperwork for that through Synod.
It is fair to say that in Zambia the concept of a civic citizenship is not allowed for in the present constitution. Citizenship is difficult to acquire and comes really only through descent. Dual citizenship is not permitted at present. The new constitution to be enacted this year partially addresses and partially modernises some of these issues. But some old-fashioned restrictions will remain - holders of dual citizenship cannot serve in the army or police for example.
The UCZ Educatiol Secretary had been in touch with the Western Province Education Authorities to try and arrange the round table talks concerning the Mwandi UCZ High School that the Ministry of Education suggested but the Province were being puzzlingly elusive. She was determined to try and nail them down. Yesterday out of the blue she heard in a phone-call from the Provincial Education Officer, that provincial opposition to the High School was being lifted and that a Grade 10 could commence this year after all.
This is wonderful news. Our thanks to you all for your prayers in this matter.
They left on the early Monday morning flight with a number of other ‘children’ they knew, who had been home for the Christmas holidays as well. We said goodbye with the usual tearful eyes and lump in the throat, and from the other family farewells taking place at the same time, you can see and hear it is an emotional time for all concerned. Mubita cried all the way back into town from the airport.
We had educational commitments to pay for other members of our extended Zambian family and did Aids Relief business for Ida and then visited UCZ Synod Headquarters. We have been in Zambia for 15 years so should now qualify to receive an entry permit and will no longer require a work permit. We were lodging the paperwork for that through Synod.
It is fair to say that in Zambia the concept of a civic citizenship is not allowed for in the present constitution. Citizenship is difficult to acquire and comes really only through descent. Dual citizenship is not permitted at present. The new constitution to be enacted this year partially addresses and partially modernises some of these issues. But some old-fashioned restrictions will remain - holders of dual citizenship cannot serve in the army or police for example.
The UCZ Educatiol Secretary had been in touch with the Western Province Education Authorities to try and arrange the round table talks concerning the Mwandi UCZ High School that the Ministry of Education suggested but the Province were being puzzlingly elusive. She was determined to try and nail them down. Yesterday out of the blue she heard in a phone-call from the Provincial Education Officer, that provincial opposition to the High School was being lifted and that a Grade 10 could commence this year after all.
This is wonderful news. Our thanks to you all for your prayers in this matter.
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Christmas Eve 2009
It’s Christmas Eve, not yet 0900h and the temperature is 84C. The ducks are defrosting on the verandah. Ruairidh and Gregor have gone into Livingstone to collect animal feed for the farm and the cream that we’d ordered. Earlier in the week. They spent yesterday slaughtering a pig and smoking a ham for tomorrow.. Here it is, Christmas from scratch!
Earlier the ladies from the Sewing Support Group arrived with Dorothy and raked and cleared our yard of weeds. At this time of year it is difficult to keep on top of this. This was their thank you and their present to us. Ida, Catriona and Florence are now busy rolling out dough and baking traditional Danish cookies, while Mubita is happily watching and accompanying an old schmaltzy Muppet Christmas video.
We will gather as a family at around 4 in the afternoon, read Luke’s account of the Nativity, sing some carols. We remember friends and family in different parts of the world, those in trouble or suffering or those no longer with us. This is especially poignant because Mwale, Mubita’s half-sister, has been missing from her home for over a week now.
We will then sit down to prawn cocktail, (the ingredients were bought in Lusaka 800km away earlier in the month when we picked up Catriona and Gregor) roast duck, red cabbage, sugared potatoes followed by ris a l’amande.
For our friends and colleagues here in Zambia the main celebration takes place tomorrow. Most Zambian children will receive new clothes tomorrow. This is the new outfit, or Sunday-best for the coming year. These will be worn to the Christmas Service that begins at 0830h. Later in the day the family will eat fried chicken and boiled rice with a cabbage, onion and tomato relish. Drinks would be non-alcoholic maize beer (maheu), Mazoe (Orange Squash) or a Coke or Fanta. For pudding there may be a cake or some buns.
All this description of food underscores once again how privileged we are and should remind us that God gave us the resources of the earth to meet human needs, including food and as a gift from God it is intended for sharing. It has been given to the whole human race. But Proverbs 13:23 observes that people go hungry not because of a shortage of food but from a shortage of justice. This is what lies behind the reference to this in the Magnificat - God filling the hungry at the dawn of the Messiah’s birth. If this is seen just as a future hope, then it is not a true vision. It is meant to challenge us here and now into practical action, working for justice and the elimination of hunger – marks of genuine love and faith. Here in Mwandi, 40% of households are women-headed and over one third of our children are chronically under-nourished.
As David Blanchflower prays:
Holy Child of Bethlehem,
In you the eternal was pleased to dwell
Help us, we pray, to see the divine image
In people everywhere.
Earlier the ladies from the Sewing Support Group arrived with Dorothy and raked and cleared our yard of weeds. At this time of year it is difficult to keep on top of this. This was their thank you and their present to us. Ida, Catriona and Florence are now busy rolling out dough and baking traditional Danish cookies, while Mubita is happily watching and accompanying an old schmaltzy Muppet Christmas video.
We will gather as a family at around 4 in the afternoon, read Luke’s account of the Nativity, sing some carols. We remember friends and family in different parts of the world, those in trouble or suffering or those no longer with us. This is especially poignant because Mwale, Mubita’s half-sister, has been missing from her home for over a week now.
We will then sit down to prawn cocktail, (the ingredients were bought in Lusaka 800km away earlier in the month when we picked up Catriona and Gregor) roast duck, red cabbage, sugared potatoes followed by ris a l’amande.
For our friends and colleagues here in Zambia the main celebration takes place tomorrow. Most Zambian children will receive new clothes tomorrow. This is the new outfit, or Sunday-best for the coming year. These will be worn to the Christmas Service that begins at 0830h. Later in the day the family will eat fried chicken and boiled rice with a cabbage, onion and tomato relish. Drinks would be non-alcoholic maize beer (maheu), Mazoe (Orange Squash) or a Coke or Fanta. For pudding there may be a cake or some buns.
All this description of food underscores once again how privileged we are and should remind us that God gave us the resources of the earth to meet human needs, including food and as a gift from God it is intended for sharing. It has been given to the whole human race. But Proverbs 13:23 observes that people go hungry not because of a shortage of food but from a shortage of justice. This is what lies behind the reference to this in the Magnificat - God filling the hungry at the dawn of the Messiah’s birth. If this is seen just as a future hope, then it is not a true vision. It is meant to challenge us here and now into practical action, working for justice and the elimination of hunger – marks of genuine love and faith. Here in Mwandi, 40% of households are women-headed and over one third of our children are chronically under-nourished.
As David Blanchflower prays:
Holy Child of Bethlehem,
In you the eternal was pleased to dwell
Help us, we pray, to see the divine image
In people everywhere.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Advent
With the start of Advent we begin to celebrate the coming of Jesus and his birth at Bethlehem. It is a time of hope.
This has been made especially real for Ida and me as we have experienced over the past year God’s faithfulness to us and our reliance on him. No matter what the prevailing circumstances have been and the restlessness caused by the delays we have felt while waiting for him to answer, we have learned time and time again that, in fullness, he will keep his word.
The Incarnation reminds us that God keeps his word and it is a glorious fulfillment of his promises. As a visiting friend said while waiting for the last container containing much needed medical supplies and artificial limbs to arrive, in every respect God is faithful and he’s never late. We have received two containers this year one from CART in Huddersfield and one from North Carolina. We want to thank you all for your hard work, contributions and effort with the containers. The contents will continue to bless many people now and in the near future. For example in the CART container we received made-up relief boxes containing lots of useful household articles. These we have given to flood victims and those who have suffered houses fire and lost their belongings.
Ida chaired the Mwandi Committee for World AIDS Day and is trying to encourage more community participation and make it a less hospital-driven event. The milk formula programme still continues with 40 babies at present. A Grandmother regularly comes for formula for the triplets who were born in October.
At school it is exam time so I’m trying to keep up with the marking of the Grade 8 Maths and Science papers. The pupils are tired and looking forward to their Christmas Holidays. As regards the construction work of the classroom block, after I pay the contractor for the ringbeam there will be no funds left for the roof, plastering, glazing, wiring and painting. So work will come to a standstill now until we get further clarification from Synod and the Ministry.
We as a family appreciate the furniture that was sent for us. It has made our sitting room much more comfortable and homely. We actually sit there now, before that it was just a room we used to see people in. Mubita's room too is looking wonderful. Mubita loves his bunk-bed, we have a trunk for his toys to be stored in and the chest of drawers for his clothes. It is good too that we now have enough bedding now to change the linen and not have to do the washing, drying and ironing all in one day.
We are feeling at home, even although the house is small and we will only be in it temporarily. Nick is beginning work again on our new house. We are looking forward to having Gregor and Catriona to our home and celebrating a Danish family Christmas Eve with them and Fiona and Ruairidh. Something we have not been able to do for many years.
We close by wishing you all a very happy Christmas with all good wishes for the New Year.
Keith, Ida, Gregor, Catriona & Mubita
This has been made especially real for Ida and me as we have experienced over the past year God’s faithfulness to us and our reliance on him. No matter what the prevailing circumstances have been and the restlessness caused by the delays we have felt while waiting for him to answer, we have learned time and time again that, in fullness, he will keep his word.
The Incarnation reminds us that God keeps his word and it is a glorious fulfillment of his promises. As a visiting friend said while waiting for the last container containing much needed medical supplies and artificial limbs to arrive, in every respect God is faithful and he’s never late. We have received two containers this year one from CART in Huddersfield and one from North Carolina. We want to thank you all for your hard work, contributions and effort with the containers. The contents will continue to bless many people now and in the near future. For example in the CART container we received made-up relief boxes containing lots of useful household articles. These we have given to flood victims and those who have suffered houses fire and lost their belongings.
Ida chaired the Mwandi Committee for World AIDS Day and is trying to encourage more community participation and make it a less hospital-driven event. The milk formula programme still continues with 40 babies at present. A Grandmother regularly comes for formula for the triplets who were born in October.
At school it is exam time so I’m trying to keep up with the marking of the Grade 8 Maths and Science papers. The pupils are tired and looking forward to their Christmas Holidays. As regards the construction work of the classroom block, after I pay the contractor for the ringbeam there will be no funds left for the roof, plastering, glazing, wiring and painting. So work will come to a standstill now until we get further clarification from Synod and the Ministry.
We as a family appreciate the furniture that was sent for us. It has made our sitting room much more comfortable and homely. We actually sit there now, before that it was just a room we used to see people in. Mubita's room too is looking wonderful. Mubita loves his bunk-bed, we have a trunk for his toys to be stored in and the chest of drawers for his clothes. It is good too that we now have enough bedding now to change the linen and not have to do the washing, drying and ironing all in one day.
We are feeling at home, even although the house is small and we will only be in it temporarily. Nick is beginning work again on our new house. We are looking forward to having Gregor and Catriona to our home and celebrating a Danish family Christmas Eve with them and Fiona and Ruairidh. Something we have not been able to do for many years.
We close by wishing you all a very happy Christmas with all good wishes for the New Year.
Keith, Ida, Gregor, Catriona & Mubita
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Follow-up stories
As follow-ups to past postings on this blog...
Transparency International’s 2009 report says Zambia’s ranking has improved on the Corruption Perception Index. Zambia scored 3 above Argentina, Egypt and Indonesia and jumped from 11th to 17th place. (The higher the number the worse in terms of perceived corruption.) New Zealand, Denmark and Singapore, top the list as the least corrupt countries while Zambia is on a par with Bosnia and Jamaica. The nations at the bottom of the league include Haiti, Afghanistan and Somalia.
Lusaka Magistrates' Court recently freed The Post’s news editor, Chansa Kabelwa whom you may remember was charged with circulating obscene photographs of a woman in labour during the health workers’ strike earlier this year. These, it was alleged, would be liable to corrupt public morals. Ms Kabwelwa did not publish the photos but sent them to the Vice-President, Minister of Health, some women's organisations and a Church leader, hoping to move the Government to end the strike. The Court found no case to answer. This verdict is an important one as far as freedom of expression is concerned in this country. However, the Editor of the Post, Mr Fred Mmembe is still facing contempt of court charges for an article commenting on the case that he allowed to be published during the trial.
Meanwhile at the Mission we have had another eye team in doing cataract surgery earlier in the month. They come from Hickory, North Carolina every second year. With the Hickory Team for a second visit, were also a couple who supply amputees and other people with mobility difficulties with artificial limbs. Others were able to beef up the maintenance team and the hospital computers were overhauled by an IT expert. All good and useful work.
After much prayer and with perfect timing, a container with amongst other things parts for the prostheses, medical equipment, school supplies arrived while the team was there. The Hickory Church were major donors and had helped box and pack many of the items, so it was good that they were able to personally distribute donated materials to the designated recipients.
The Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) programme through AIDS Relief is entering another phase with teams going round communities from door-to-door and offering this service to the entire family. More about this later.
At the school, the classroom block is progressing and has now reached ring-beam level. The steel and concrete will be poured next week after I purchase the shuttering in Livingstone tomorrow. All the window and door frames are being made locally this time, this is a good development as with the first block there was no-one making these frames and they had to be purchased and transported from Livingstone. Please continue to pray that we receive permission from the provincial education authorities to open our Grade 10 in 2010.
Transparency International’s 2009 report says Zambia’s ranking has improved on the Corruption Perception Index. Zambia scored 3 above Argentina, Egypt and Indonesia and jumped from 11th to 17th place. (The higher the number the worse in terms of perceived corruption.) New Zealand, Denmark and Singapore, top the list as the least corrupt countries while Zambia is on a par with Bosnia and Jamaica. The nations at the bottom of the league include Haiti, Afghanistan and Somalia.
Lusaka Magistrates' Court recently freed The Post’s news editor, Chansa Kabelwa whom you may remember was charged with circulating obscene photographs of a woman in labour during the health workers’ strike earlier this year. These, it was alleged, would be liable to corrupt public morals. Ms Kabwelwa did not publish the photos but sent them to the Vice-President, Minister of Health, some women's organisations and a Church leader, hoping to move the Government to end the strike. The Court found no case to answer. This verdict is an important one as far as freedom of expression is concerned in this country. However, the Editor of the Post, Mr Fred Mmembe is still facing contempt of court charges for an article commenting on the case that he allowed to be published during the trial.
Meanwhile at the Mission we have had another eye team in doing cataract surgery earlier in the month. They come from Hickory, North Carolina every second year. With the Hickory Team for a second visit, were also a couple who supply amputees and other people with mobility difficulties with artificial limbs. Others were able to beef up the maintenance team and the hospital computers were overhauled by an IT expert. All good and useful work.
After much prayer and with perfect timing, a container with amongst other things parts for the prostheses, medical equipment, school supplies arrived while the team was there. The Hickory Church were major donors and had helped box and pack many of the items, so it was good that they were able to personally distribute donated materials to the designated recipients.
The Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) programme through AIDS Relief is entering another phase with teams going round communities from door-to-door and offering this service to the entire family. More about this later.
At the school, the classroom block is progressing and has now reached ring-beam level. The steel and concrete will be poured next week after I purchase the shuttering in Livingstone tomorrow. All the window and door frames are being made locally this time, this is a good development as with the first block there was no-one making these frames and they had to be purchased and transported from Livingstone. Please continue to pray that we receive permission from the provincial education authorities to open our Grade 10 in 2010.
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Prayer requests
The Government has started restructuring at District and Hospital level now and we are affected too. The authorities have sent a Hospital Administrator to take over that position here (the post that Ida is currently 'acting' in). As a result, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and CHAZ in which Hospital Administrators are Church-appointed positions, is being revisited. So please keep us in your prayers. We keep in touch with Synod and the Church of Scotland regularly to update them on our situation.
Prayer:
- We give thanks for the successful Church Retreat and the blessing it was for many people.
- We give thanks for the provision of three new doctors for the Hospital and the 15 new nurses and Clinical Officers promised to help increase staffing levels here.
- We pray for wisdom for ourselves and all the parties involved in the Health Restructuring, that righteousness and justice may prevail.
Prayer:
- We give thanks for the successful Church Retreat and the blessing it was for many people.
- We give thanks for the provision of three new doctors for the Hospital and the 15 new nurses and Clinical Officers promised to help increase staffing levels here.
- We pray for wisdom for ourselves and all the parties involved in the Health Restructuring, that righteousness and justice may prevail.
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
A family and church update
We’ve learned that we will be grandparents in the new year! Ruairidh and Fiona are expecting their first child at the end of February or beginning of March. We are delighted. That is another milestone in life. We are fortunate to have them so close at hand.
Church highlights here have been the opening of Sooka Church (left), built in six weeks by the active congregation there. They are grateful for the help received from Houston Church with the roofing. This follows the reroofing of Sikuzu by IPC Birmingham earlier in the year and the agreement by Cambusbarron to help to do the same at Simungoma this coming quarter.
A very successful retreat in the middle of September was held in the bush at Kasaya. We are also planning a Church Mission School which will start next year in June. This will involve young people of both sexes from rural congregations in the Mwandi Consistory who will camp at the Mission Church for three months and participate in a number of activities. There will be some theology and reflection to deepen their faith, there will also be skills taught such as book-keeping, report and letter writing, chairing and running meetings, all useful skills for those in leadership positions in congregations. Practical building, agricultural and rural development skills will also be covered with work at the farm, school, hospital, old folks home and in the local Church.
The wall and concreting in of the well at Mwananono B is complete. The chains and padlocks for the grill gate have been purchased and handed over. So it is now finished. At the High School the second slab for the 1x3 Classroom block which is being funded by CEVAA, the French Church Mission Council, is laid and bricks are being formed now for the superstructure. At the Church of Scotland Mission House the earth has been packed into the foundations and the slab is now being laid.
We had a wonderful 9 days in Milwaukee in the U.S. when we visited at the end of September. We went to the Wisconsin Aids Resource Centre where we saw the holistic care offered to those in the States living with HIV and Aids. We then visited St Joseph’s hospital, a world famous centre for neonatal care We talked and shared experiences with staff and students there.
Church highlights here have been the opening of Sooka Church (left), built in six weeks by the active congregation there. They are grateful for the help received from Houston Church with the roofing. This follows the reroofing of Sikuzu by IPC Birmingham earlier in the year and the agreement by Cambusbarron to help to do the same at Simungoma this coming quarter.A very successful retreat in the middle of September was held in the bush at Kasaya. We are also planning a Church Mission School which will start next year in June. This will involve young people of both sexes from rural congregations in the Mwandi Consistory who will camp at the Mission Church for three months and participate in a number of activities. There will be some theology and reflection to deepen their faith, there will also be skills taught such as book-keeping, report and letter writing, chairing and running meetings, all useful skills for those in leadership positions in congregations. Practical building, agricultural and rural development skills will also be covered with work at the farm, school, hospital, old folks home and in the local Church.
The wall and concreting in of the well at Mwananono B is complete. The chains and padlocks for the grill gate have been purchased and handed over. So it is now finished. At the High School the second slab for the 1x3 Classroom block which is being funded by CEVAA, the French Church Mission Council, is laid and bricks are being formed now for the superstructure. At the Church of Scotland Mission House the earth has been packed into the foundations and the slab is now being laid.
We had a wonderful 9 days in Milwaukee in the U.S. when we visited at the end of September. We went to the Wisconsin Aids Resource Centre where we saw the holistic care offered to those in the States living with HIV and Aids. We then visited St Joseph’s hospital, a world famous centre for neonatal care We talked and shared experiences with staff and students there.
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