College Camp

Top - singing -Emmanuel and others
Middle - some still talking and discussing around lunch
Lower - Bruce Mukwatu - speaker for the camp

Speakers & Counsellors' House at Samufunda Camp/Conference Site

We are still waiting for delivery of the final items needed to complete the roof - hopefully it will be done before the rains and the house will be fully operational for the next camping and conference season.

Thoughts on Forgiveness

Forgiveness.

In the Lord’s pattern prayer, he made reference to “forgiveness”. Note carefully, what He said:
“….Forgive us our sins, as we forgive everyone who sins against us.”
In this sentence, He is making our forgiveness, conditional on our forgiving those who have wronged (sinned against) us.
In 1 John 1 : 7-9 – it is clear that our fellowship with Him, depends on our confession of our sins and receipt of His forgiveness.
I believe that in each of these cases, it is His people, that are being addressed, so this issue is not forgiveness of sin for salvation, but, forgiveness of sin for fellowship with the Lord.
Further reference is made to this idea in Ephesians 4:17-32 where we are challenged to be transformed in our thinking and not to act in the same way as those who do not have the light of life. We are reminded of Christ teaching, the need to “lay aside the old self”and to put on the new self. To be angry but not to sin and not to give the devil an opportunity. Amongst other things we are challenged to forgive each other, just as God, in Christ also has forgiven you.
In Philippians 2 there is further exhortation to follow the example of Christ who did not consider His “own rights” but humbled Himself, and was obedient, even to the point of death – and not just any death, but the humiliating and terrible death on a cross and most of all, endured the separation from His own Father, while He took the punishment for your sins and mine. We are told that we should have the same attitude, the same humility, the same submission as He had. Was it an easy thing for Him to do – think of Him in the Garden of Gethsemane – where He prayed, in such agony and distress, that he sweat, what appeared to be, great drops of blood. No it was not easy, but He endured, “for the joy that was set before Him”. The Joy of seeing a people, formerly rebellious enemies, now purchased, transformed and cleansed – able now, to glorify Him and give Him the honour which He rightly deserved. However, before the Glory – there was the cross. Refer also to Phil 3:7-15 - the apostle counted all things loss compared to the value of knowing Christ Jesus – verse 10 – that I might know Him, the fellowship of His suffering, the willingness to die (to self – my rights and my comforts)
What is forgiveness going to cost you? Can it ever be too much, when you consider what our Lord went thru in order to bring forgiveness to you/me?
Do you want to enjoy fellowship with Him – do you want to grow in your knowledge of Him?. This will not really be possible unless you are willing to forgive those who have wronged you.
What might this forgiveness involve? For Him – it meant both physical and spiritual death – His was the ultimate sacrifice – and because of that we will never have to go into spiritual death – Praise God! For some, however, forgiveness may lead to physical death.

Consider Him!
Looking unto Jesus: Read Hebrews 12: note especially 1-3, verse 14, 28

Some photos from Girls' Camp

Top - The group assembled for 1 of the sessions. In Front Mrs Grace Ngonjongo - one of our fellow directors (wearing whistle)
Middle - Girls doing embroidery on headscarves - thanks to Mrs Gould, Margie's mother
Bottom - One of the session leaders, Mrs Catherine Machayi - "Christian Behaviour & Dress" "Whatsoever you do - do ALL to the Glory of God"

Please pray for Richard and Katherine

Our dear little Elysha went to be with the Good Shepherd on July 22.

the funeral will be this weekend and they and we, pray that it will be a time when Our Lord is honoured and glorified.

How thankful we are, to the Lord, for the time that she was lent to them and to us all, as a family.

"...Now, He didn't give you that baby, by 100.000 miles,

He just think you need some sunshine, and He lent 'her' for a while,

and He let you love and keep 'her' til your hearts were bigger grown,

and those silver tears you're shedding, are just interest on the loan,

so my poor dejected mourners, let your hearts with Jesus rest,

and don't go criticizing, the One who knows the best.

He gives us many comforts,

He has a right to take away,

To the Lord be praise and glory,

Now and ever,

Let us pray..."

Senior Boys' Camp & Other Camps

The Long weekend - is the traditional time to hold our Senior Boys' Camp - here is just one shot from that weekend. A great weekend - thank you for praying. Please continue to pray for those who trusted the Lord. Two boys there who said they were Muslims but on the last day one of them declared that he had now decided "to follow Jesus".

Bruce Mukwatu was the speaker and gave very challenging messages. A few days after the camp he came thru to us here in Kabompo and spoke on two consecutive evenings to a packed hall. Bruce had also been one of the speakers at the Marriage Conference and although I was still in Lusaka at that time, awaiting the transport back to Kabompo - I am still hearing comments about that conference and the effect it is having in some lives. It was good to have Bruce and his wife Alice, stay with us - it is many years now since they had their wedding reception in our back yard and spent the first night of their married life, in our caravan! Currently they are both in Angola for outreach there and after returning to Zambia, Alice will, Lord willing, be speaking at our Senior Girls' Camp.

This is monday morning - our Junior Girls' Camp begins on Thursday afternoon and we are thankful that Daisy Hanna of Loloma Mission, has agreed to lead the main sessions there. I have been hurrying to try and finish all the printing before our Electricity company's diesel runs out - what a relief to learn that the diesel has arrived and to actually be able to have our electricity come on at 06.00 hours . Praise the Lord for His grace and mercy.

Some years ago we had a little granddaughter born during our Junior Girls' Camp - on another year - a young Zambian widow, who was like a daughter to us and was living with us - came thru to camp and that weekend, decided to give birth to her little daughter - so I spent quite a bit of that weekend with her. This weekend however, promises to be the other end of the spectrum. Our little lamb, Elysha, will shortly be going home, it appears, and so most probably, the weekend of Junior Girls' Camp, this year, will be the time of her funeral. The picture above is one I took in hospital at the time when I had made the short trip back, expecting to attend her funeral - still so beautiful but unresponsive. It has been a long road, especially for Richard and Katherine, but we are so thankful for the wonderful support they have had from friends and family - especially the family of God. We are thankful that we had opportunity to know her and o enjoy her beautiful smile - and that I, Elva, had opportunity to spend that little time with them and so appreciate some of what they have been going thru over these past weeks.

Wonderful to know that she will soon be "safe in the arms of Jesus" - but we know that for Richard and Katherine, their arms will be empty. We continue to pray for them as they look forward to the arrival of another little one in December D.V.

Does anyone of our friends or prayer partners, read this blog?

I sometimes wonder - but perhaps you have become weary of checking here and finding nothing new. I am about to add another item or two. I think the title of this page is very appropriate - as the past year seems to have been a lot of moving back and forth!
Currently tho - we are both in Zambia - but our hearts are stretched across the miles!
Little Elysha is still hanging on - waiting the call of the Good Shepherd.
A comment I read the other morning:
"If He is omnipotent and omniscient, (and we know He is) then there is no way to improve upon His ways and timing.
And so we trust and wait on Him.
Thank you to all who pray for Elysha, her parents and for ourselves and the rest of the family.