This is Lubinda Sikufele. He will be taking over from me as the Coordinator of the Western Province Evangelizing Association. He just finished a contract working for the United Nations anti-AIDS program. Right now he is busy getting settled in to the job. He is developing programs for the visiting evangelists. Our first group of two evangelists will arrive February 28^th for two weeks of intensive work. They will be doing a lot of calling and visitation in a bid to strengthen the existing church before starting new ones.

Lubinda is also busy setting up the WPEA grocery and take-away that will pay his salary. The vision for the evangelistic work here is to make it completely self-sufficient through contact generating, community oriented, business projects.

However, we will still need some outside financial input. To launch these business projects takes money. Not much money by American standards, but money none the less. This grocery will take about $2500 to setup, but should generate between $300 to $500 for ministry each month. Banks here do not loan money for small businesses or for consumer purchases. So if you want to start something, you have to have cash.

This type of ministry funding has several desirable characteristics:

1. It models hard work. If church finances seem to appear magically from overseas, it can appear that the church is an easy way for a lazy man to get a living.
2. It creates contacts with the local community. Ministry centers on people. Non-Christians don’t stop by the minister’s office frequently, but they do stop by their neighborhood grocery.
3. It creates ownership at the local level. When funding ministry from overseas, the receivers of funds are always in a subservient role to the donors. This can lead to a culture of dependency, just as our American social welfare system has.
4. It is cost effective. For the cost of 6 months funding up front we can have an ongoing source of ministry funds that can last for years.

The second opportunity for outside input is in areas that we traditionally consider beyond self-sufficiency. Right now I have on my desk a request from Darius Shakwamba. Darius has started a Bible College. This is a new school started just this year here in Zambia. They have seven ministry students. They would like to come during Easter break to do evangelistic work here in Mongu. We would love to have them, but they need money to get here. They are 1,100 miles away from Mongu.

The cost to sponsor a student including bus fare and food for 3 weeks is $125 each. We have seven students plus the instructor for a total of 8 persons. They have spent everything they have to just attend this school. They do not have the means to come here. This would be a wonderful project for a Sunday school class to sponsor. Please make this an item of prayer.

In addition to the orphans, there are a great number of widows in Zambia. Many are in good health, but cannot find jobs. We are looking for ways to help them make a living. Handcrafts may provide a solution for some. This rigid winnowing basket is made from the root of the Makenge bush. It is very durable and completely organic including the dyes. This particular basket was made by one of the widows in our church. She sells baskets like these for $1.75 each. However, they take her 15 hours or more to make. We are looking for people in the States to help us market these at more reasonable prices to help widows make a living. If you have a business where you could sell some of these or if you would be interested in hosting a basket party along the lines of a Tupperware party, please let us know by mail or email. We have included a medium sized apple to give you an idea of the size.

This is Frank Tembo. Frank is the founder of Kapiri-Mposhi Church of Christ and their current preacher. He came several years ago to the Central Province of Zambia to start a church specifically because there were no Christian Churches in the Province. He has been working without any support at his own expense. He has provided for his needs and the needs of his family by gardening and making furniture by hand.

But such projects require money. Frank has given his all to ministry and has not accumulated money for himself. He estimates that it would take at least $500 to buy the necessary tools and lumber to start a small project for these men. Please pray for this need.

Lori has been busy with several opportunities. In addition to taking care of the family, home-schooling the boys, volunteering at the Kids Alive home and taking care of the twin babies, she has started mentoring some of the girls in the neighborhood. They get together in the afternoons to learn cooking and baking discuss issues spiritual and social, and generally have a good time. Here they are with Josh.

 Lori is also team teaching a Ladies’ Bible Study on Saturdays and leading a young people’s choir. Here are four of the seven choir girls with Lori.

Joe, Jeremy & Joshua are enjoying Africa. It is summer here and there is no staying indoors. They are outside with their friends. Here is Jeremy and Joshua with their friend Phinneas.

Joe is taking guitar and African drum lessons. He also enjoys photography. Here is one where he posed with a local carnivore.

We need to report to you on our financial situation. We are still $5,500 short of our targeted goal for this trip. But a couple of other things are putting additional pressure on us.

First, we have more opportunities for ministry than we have ever had before. As you have read in this newsletter, there is a lot going on. This pulls us a number of ways. It is difficult to not be able to help. We have highlighted a number of projects in this newsletter in hopes that God will motivate people to pick up what we cannot.

Second, regular contributions to GO Missions have dropped by more than 25% since we arrived on the field. This has thrown our budget off target. As it stands right now we will be completely out of money and forced to return home by the end of April unless something changes between now and then.

We need at least $6,300 in additional gifts to be able to stay until our goal of mid July 2002. In addition, we would like to see the projects we have mentioned here funded as well. Those total another $1,500.

Please consider making a gift towards these needs. Your gift could be made in a lump sum or given in installments between now and the middle of July. May God bless You.

Chris, Lori, Joey, Jeremy & Joshua.

You can call us at 011-260-7-221955 or write us at:

PO Box 910273

Mongu, Zambia Africa

Or email us at:

Clhart@gomissions.org

All checks should be made payable to

GO Missions and sent to

GO Missions

PO Box 3413