It was a great honour for me to be invited to participate on the International Scripture Blitz (ISB) for The Gideons in Zambia. I was delighted to meet up with five members from the USA and also our Team Leader from South Africa. We all arrived at Kabwe in Zambia on Saturday, 1st June. The 4-hour road trip from Lusaka Airport to Kabwe was rather frightening and though it is just 120 km we are thankful to the Lord we were able to arrive and return safely. The roads are hazardous with many trucks and other vehicles competing for road space.
On the first evening we met with the local Gideons and it was apparent to me immediately how important their preliminary work in notifying schools and receptors of Scriptures was for our visit the next week. The local Gideons were well organised. On the first Sunday we divided into our groups for church presentations. The church I attended was a very lively and enthusiastic church and it was such an eye-opener of how African and Zambian people value their faith. It is a big part of their life. In general, we found Zambian people to be a lovely group of people, very polite, honest and of high integrity. Indeed, the faith throughout the country was very impressive and I felt as though I was trying to preach to the converted!
The next day we went with our team to a number of schools. It was amazing to speak in front of up to 1000 students at one time, all attentively listening and each, without exception were very grateful to receive a New Testament. What a contrast to our own land! We also visited places of accommodation, hospitals, hospices, police stations, army bases and universities. Here too, we received a very warm reception and folk were delighted to have the Word of God in their hands or on their premises.
“During the course of the week, we distributed 67,000 Scriptures to this region.”
Zambia has had a time of drought last summer and on the third day as we drove through rural areas we saw field after field of dying corn plants and obviously some people were finding life to be very tough. Nonetheless they could raise a smile and were very happy to receive a copy of God’s Word and a prayer.
During the course of the week, we were encouraged by each other (at our morning prayer sessions) to look out for that one lost sheep, and we each prayed that we would be able to personally witness to one individual to accept the Lord on our visit. My opportunity came the very next day at a hotel when I least expected it – when a young receptionist asked to pray the Prayer of Salvation with us which was such a delight. During the week we distributed 67,000 Scriptures to this region. We thank God for the great opportunity and pray that His Word would not return to Him void. On the final evening, we had a Pastors’ Appreciation Dinner, which was one of the highlights of my week, as we met with local pastors and Gideons and realised that though most had not much in earthly wealth, they were so rich in their faith.
It was just so overwhelming how many young people there are in Zambia. In one classroom there were at least 80 students and not everyone had a chair or a desk. For them to receive a New Testament was life shaping as it would probably be the only book they own. I recall when our car was parked just outside a Catholic school that around 1,000 young girls came out from the church to return to their classroom, and the procession lasted for around 10 minutes.
An important part of ISBs is to form cross cultural bridges with local Gideon members. I am still communicating with my team including three local Gideons who helped for those five days. It was a real honour to know them and to help them and for us to encourage each other in our walk with the Lord. We had so much fun together driving around in a little red Ford, which had two minor breakdowns during the week! May we continue to pray for this lovely land and in its beautiful people and pray that this young generation will continue to honour and serve the Lord and be a springboard to the rest of Africa.
