March 14, 2008

A dream come true

Dear Friends,

It was only a dream on the outskirts of Lusaka ten years ago, when a makeshift school of the Presbyterian congregation at Mandevu served 20 orphans and vulnerable children. Today, we dedicated a new building with four classrooms that are already overflowing with 170 eager children.

On the way to Mandevu, we passed through some nice neighborhoods on a recently improved road. (Pre-election seasons can be good in Africa.) We turned onto a larger road lined with small storefronts hiding high-density, impoverished compounds. Our next turn put us onto coarse grass and dirt. We aimed our Land Cruiser where the church ought to be and saw that a tent had been erected in front of the church.

Children were sitting outdoors at wooden desks packed closely together in the bright morning sun. They waited patiently as the day grew hot. Some tried to cover their heads. Inside, red plastic chairs were arranged in rows, but across the front of the tent and down one side were nice stuffed chairs for guests like us. These had probably been borrowed from nearby homes. Several women’s choirs sang as we waited for the guest of honor. Before long we realized that we were on African time. A lady came around with bottles of water. Finally, the church pressed into service a different guest. Later, we learned that the government official had been detained because of a fatal accident involving one of his staff.

Eight or ten children recited original poems with titles like “Stepmother, Stepmother” and “AIDS.” Determination, pain, hope, and grief issued from each short verse. These children know their label, “orphans.”  Orphans indeed, from the pandemic that is sweeping the continent. Yet we could also hear pride and optimism in their voices—because people in America cared enough to build them a school.

Frank Dimmock, a long-term mission co-worker and PC(USA) health liaison for Africa, flew in from Lesotho this morning. It was Frank who first asked for funding for this project from First Presbyterian Church in Wilton, Iowa. Having seen this dream now become reality, Frank spoke about the importance of early childhood development.

Next up was the Reverend Suzanne Matale, our newly designated guest of honor. If the speech she delivered was off the cuff, we can hardly imagine what she would do when well prepared!

Women dance and sing for joy at the school dedication in Mandevu.

When it came time to cut the ribbon, kids crowded around Sue, eager to shake a mzungu (white person’s) hand. They had asked for nothing—and maybe hoped for nothing—but this day they were receiving education, nutrition, and an opportunity for a much brighter future.

Still, we felt sadness on this day of celebration. One special person was missing. Martha Zgambo Nyirongo had succumbed after a long struggle with heart disease. We counted Martha among our dearest Zambian friends and will miss her passion for God and for all God’s children. Martha served the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian’s Synod of Zambia as assistant coordinator for HIV/AIDS and education. Martha helped to establish eight church-based schools, including this one at Mandevu. She leaves behind a tremendous legacy and a challenge to continue the great work of compassion. 

Personal news

We have just been constantly traveling the last couple of months: three trips to the Copperbelt (a five-hour drive), two journeys to Zimbabwe (a good day’s drive), plus a run to Livingstone and Victoria Falls, where there was so much water that the team from Philadelphia got drenched and barely managed to see a thing. So can we forget about the time Ted locked his keys inside the vehicle? Our supervisor saved us. Maybe he was a “can opener” in a previous life. And don’t ask, either, about our breakdown at the border, which happened literally in no-man’s land.

The remainder of this month Sue will teach basic counseling to a class of evangelists at the nearby Booth Centre. Ted will prepare for our trip to Malawi and will coordinate visits by U.S. groups. In between, we always try to answer emails. We are hampered by twice-daily power outages.

We have been greatly encouraged by your response to Mission Challenge ’07. We enjoy receiving messages from people we don’t know. (Of course you are all family in Christ!) And it touches us to discover so many churches that really care. We count ourselves your partners in the gospel (Philippians 1:5). So keep up the momentum! God doesn’t just invite, God requires us to stretch and join His mission movement on earth.

What does all this mean for you? How can you personally make a difference? Contact us. We will be happy to share ideas. We are never too busy for that.

Faithfully,

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 22