The 2011 Zambia Mission Team
It’s is difficult to express in a few paragraphs the experience, lessons and accomplishments of our most recent mission in Zambia. This was my fifth trip since 2008 and my second visit this year. During that time we have been privileged to develop important relationships and partnerships with the people of Mwandi. We continue to focus on holistic ministry, preaching the gospel in words and in actions. The activities we engage in include preaching, bible teaching, microenterprise building (fish farm) and the newest project is the integration of community based microfinance groups (CBMG’s). As we live and work in their midst and share our gifts with them they are teaching us many things about life, faith and community.
When you go to Africa there is a temptation to think that God arrived when you did. That somehow He was absent until the moment you showed up. The reality is that He has been at work here long before your arrival and will be here working long after you have departed the scene. We often pack our God complexes in our luggage and that unfortunate reality is often expressed when we behave like we have all the answers … a tendency we all have to resist. One African described his experience working with Americans as being like ‘a mouse dancing with an elephant.‘
I love the pace of Africa. I love the importance, emphasis and investment in relationships. I love their boldness and sincerity in worship. I love their sense of community and the respect they show one another … especially their elders. I appreciate the way they are careful not to waste things we so easily dispose of… like it use to be in America before we all became so prosperous. I love the way the way they communicate their gratefulness. I hate that so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ from Mwandi live in extreme material poverty.
Combating Extreme Poverty - CBMG’s The Church universal is beginning to combat extreme poverty in a new way…this movement is radically different from traditional charity…it focuses on long-term systemic change and
lasting employment patterns; not short-term quick fixes. It emphasizes the importance of partnership and local champions, not external “saviors”. The hope of the gospel is integrated by tangible acts of compassion that have long-term reach, rather than simply providing handouts that keep the poor in a position of dependency.
Since 1991 one of the more successful approaches to combat poverty is what one organization calls community based microfinance groups (CBMG’s). A CBMG is a self-selected group of people who pool their money into a fund from which members can borrow. The money is paid back with interest, causing the fund to grow. The regular savings contributions to the group are deposited with an end date in mind for distribution of all or part of the total funds (including interest earnings) to the individual members, usually on the basis of a formula that links payout to the amount saved. This lump sum distribution provides a large amount of money that each member can then
apply to his/her own needs.In Mwandi we helped with the formation and training of the first two CBMG’s. The group
members determined who would be invited into the groups since trust in members’ ability to save and repay loans
is an essential element. The groups decided to call themselves Tusano (“let’s help each other”) and Aluyahe (“let’s
build”). Both groups had 14 members each. In five training sessions of 1.5 - 3 hours each, we trained the groups on CBMG basics, including:
Building a Constitution with objectives, membership rules, officer elections,
meeting schedules, expulsion criteria, interest rates, loan terms, and a
basic insurance fund.
The savings process
The loan disbursement process
The loan repayment process
At the end of the training, we were able to launch both groups with the first “live” saving and loan meetings. Mission Accomplished!!! A more detailed presentation and dessert reception has been scheduled for Saturday evening September 17 at 7:00 p.m. that will also include an opportunity to hear from and welcome long-time Carmel Missionaries Don and Martha Wehmeyer. Be sure to save that date! Without your prayers, gifts and financial support all that was learned and accomplished would not have been possible. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Mike Jette - Elder Missions & Evangelism
Ru and The Fish Pond Of Destiny
Happy Independence Day!
Steve Grey and I are sitting in Johannesburg airport waiting for our 16 hour flight to JFK. So while we have a few hours to kill I thought it would be interesting to report on some of the events of the last few days.
Last Saturday we spent the morning at the Fish Farm. We worked primarily in the original pond and our objective was to harvest any fish big enough to sell and move the rest of the fish into some of the newer ponds. One of the things you learn during harvest is that this is dirty and sometimes slippery work. Even the most experienced among us learned just how slippery. Be sure to check out this video:
http://gallery.me.com/michaeljette#100295
By the time we had finished we had 147 fish to sell in the village and 986 others that we moved into other ponds for harvest in September or October. This will be the biggest harvest for the farm to date. Conservatively the next harvest could bring in close to 3000USD.
Saturday afternoon we treated the children of the OVC project to a 30-minute video production that featured them! They were the stars of the show. We took many of the pictures we had been taken and made movies. It was SRO as the children lined out the door to watch this special production and enjoy an extra special treat of popcorn … lovingly prepared by Alex and Tanya. It was such a hoot to see the look on the children’s faces as they saw themselves projected onto the ‘big screen’ (read sheet nailed to a wall) and to hear the shouts of joy and laughter. One of the many great things about the OVC is that when the children are there they get to be regular kids… even if just for a little while.
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Respect
A great deal has transpired since my last blog entry. We’ve been working, praying, and laughing hard. I’m anxious to share more here and will do so as I make my way home tomorrow. In the morning the team is splitting up. Doug, Alex, Tanya, Bob and Ben are headed to Botswana for Safari, Fred and Eric will remain in Mwandi, and Steve and I are headed home.
The last couple of days we’ve really been touched by the respect and hospitality Zambians of all ages show their visitors. A typical example … one local teen spent two hours this afternoon walking all over the mission looking for me so he could wish me good-bye and safe journey. In addition each of us are carrying home hand written notes of thanks from those who have appreciated our teaching and devotions. It is really quite endearing and something worth trying to emulate.
More later…
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What a difference a day makes!
A lot can change in 24 hours and in this case that is a very good thing. Everyone is feeling back to new again. Thanks for your concerns, thoughts and prayers. We are at full strength!
We are proud to announce that two microfinance groups were officially launched today! Both Tusano and Aluyahe held their first savings and loan meetings. This is the culmination of a training and study process that began last December in Charlotte, transferred to South Africa in February, and included another stop in Mwandi in March. I’ve heard it said that there is no “i” in team and this is certainly true regarding this Community Based Microfinance Group project. So many people have helped along the way. You know who you are and because it is late and all of us are tired (and recovering) we simply say ‘thank you’ or ‘Niitumezi’ in Lozi.
Tomorrow we are planning a half-day of fish harvesting and then an afternoon of movies with the kids at the OVC. It has certainly not been dull since we arrived in Mwandi last Friday.
Grateful to be up and about!
Close encounters of the toilet kind …
File this under:” We will all be able to laugh about this someday.”
Soon after I entered my blog post for yesterday we all walked the mile to the church where many of the local merchants gathered to sell their crafts. It has become an annual ritual. Soon after the craft fair we returned to the guest house. On the walk back I was wondering if I may have gotten dehydrated as I was not feeling well.
Then the ‘fireworks’ started. Picture a group of 9 keystone cops running back and forth through the halls trying to find one unattended toilet. I’ll save you all the gory details but just imagine this going on all night long. Some kind of stomach bug that likes to work both ends. It was unreal. Only 3 guys missed the fun: Eric, Doug and Fred. We’ll see how they do tonight. Everyone is improving … but please pray for us.
No photo’s tonight … just word pictures.
Good works prepared in advance…
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“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
When coming to Africa there is a temptation to think that God arrived when you and your group arrived. That somehow He was absent until the moment we showed up. The reality is that He has been at work here long before our arrival and will be here working long after we have departed the scene. We often pack our God complexes in our luggage and that unfortunate reality is often expressed when we behave like we have all the answers. It is a tendency we all have to resist.
Since we have been in Mwandi we have been blessed to participate, with God, in a variety of interesting and challenging work. Just today Bob has been helping in the carpentry center, Alex has been offered his services to the High School, a new fish pond was launched, the microfinance training is progressing on schedule, Doug continues to teach at Sooka, Fred is ‘healing’ computers, and as I write this a group has gone into the village to pray with the sick and hurting. All in all this is a very typical day.
It’s humbling to realize that the work we are doing was envisioned and prepared by God before the creation of the world. What a treat to be even a small part of such a grand and glorious plan. At the end of each day we are tired but awake refreshed to see what might be planned next. Your thoughts and prayers encourage and sustain us.
Lubasi
There’s something about Sooka
Give us this day our daily bread..
When I get to this point in the Lord’s Prayer it is often the place where my mind is tempted to wander. What does that mean exactly? Where I live most of us wake up each day with a pretty good idea what the meal plan is … and it seldom seems dependent on God’s provision. The reality is closer to something like, “I’m doing quite fine on my own thank you.”
Five months out of each year the local UCZ Church sponsors a Bible Mission School for the training of evangelists to teach and pastor in the remote parts of Zambia. This year the school is being held in a nearby village called Sooka. (Sue-ka) It is named after a man who originally settled the area. Doug Vinez has spent each morning teaching fourteen students. There are seven men and seven women in the class. Mike was invited to teach today to share about Community Based Microfinance and how it might be applied to the areas in which they live.
The commitment of the students is nothing short of inspiring. For five months they sleep on the floor of the Sooka UCZ Church and are responsible for supplying most of their own food. They have a small garden and one of the students is a good fisherman. One of his jobs is to go out in the early hours of the day and cast his nets. There are days they have not had enough food to eat, but that is a daily reality in this part of Zambia. As we taught the students they were most hungry for the Word of God. Physical comforts seemed to be, at best, a secondary concern.
It is hard to comprehend all of the things we are experiencing so we are all still processing. Leaving Sooka today I had the overwhelming sense that I am missing something and am growing more and more hungry for what these fourteen have.
Lord, give me this day my daily bread …
In Lozi Mwandi means “plenty fish.” Today was a wonderful day for fishing and for fishing metaphors. I was reminded of the Bible story in the Gospel of John, chapter 21. The scene takes place after the resurrection, as some of the disciples had gone back to what they had left to follow Jesus – fishing. They fished all night without catching anything and Jesus tells them to cast their nets one more time. And when they did they caught so many fish that their nets were torn. In verse 11 we are told that they caught 153 large fish.
No doubt that’s a lot of fish, but what would you say if I told you that when we cast our nets today, in the David Inman Memorial Fish Farm, that we caught 811 fish!!! And that was only one of the fish ponds as we have others to harvest while we are here. On Saturday we will harvest the first pond we built which also happens to be the biggest. It was a thrill for all of us but the biggest thrill belonged the Zambian men who have worked so hard since 2009 to make this a reality. We’ve all heard the saying, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
This fish farm can feed them for a lifetime!
In the afternoon Ben, Eric, Steve and Mike began the first of five sessions with two of the microfinance groups that are being formed. This approach to microfinance can best be described as teaching a man to fish. The first group has named themselves “Tusano” which means “let’s help each other” and the second group chose the name “Aluyahe” which means “let’s build.” Each group has created their own rules for operation which have been documented in a constitution and have elected officers who function as a management committee. They are doing an amazing job and are enthusiastic. All of the savings and loan interest belong to the members. No capital comes from outside sources. This is 100% theirs … from start to finish. If these first two groups are successful it is not unrealistic to expect that dozens more will form in the future.
There is so much happening it’s impossible to include it all in this blog. I hope I’ve provided enough for you to capture the flavor. Simply unbelievable!
Lubasi
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Saturday is our first full day in Mwandi. The mornings and evenings have been cool, sweatshirt weather for us, but uncomfortably cold for the residents. They are in winter coats for most of the day. We are all doing well and everyone is in good health so we are off to a great start.
Since we arrived Friday afternoon the group has been involved in a diverse number of activities. We’ve attended teen youth group, had a village tour, led OVC staff devotions and we finalized our strategy for the microfinance initiative. We also took a quick tour of the fish farm to see how the fish are doing. Later this week we will be spending a fair amount of time harvesting the tilapia. They number in the thousands and are getting quite large … very, very exciting.
One of the pictures today will give you a sense for the number of items that were donated by friends and members of Carmel, Lake Norman Fellowship, and First Presbyterian Mooresville churches. Every single one of those suitcases are filled with items to support the Orphan and Vulnerable Children Project (OVC). The airline allowed each of us to carry two bags of 50lbs each and since I helped load the bags on to the truck yesterday I can assure you that we “left no pound behind.” Thank you to everyone who made this possible!!!
One of the things we all come to understand about this experience is that we have much to learn from the people here. They place a very high value on building relationships and are never in a hurry. The pace here lacks the ‘white knuckled’ feel of life in the US. People matter and my sense is that they really don’t care what we know until they know how much we care.
Thanks for your prayers!
Lubasi
It’s great to be back Zambia. All nine of the team members were united at Fawlty Towers in Livingstone, Zambia. We are spending the night here and will be going to Mwandi tomorrow morning. Before retiring this evening we were treated to another beautiful African sunset. Very, very tired, but it’s good to be back.
2011 Mwandi Mission Team Members:Back Row: Tanya, Alex, Doug, Bob, Mike, Fred Front Row: Ben, Eric, Steve
Eric and Mike arrived in Zambia a few minutes ago. Everything has gone as planned so far. The flights were good and all the bags arrived. No problems. We checked into Fawlty Towers and will join up with the rest of the team when they return from their Victoria Falls tour.
Thanks to everyone who prayed for traveling mercies! Will write more later when everyone is together.
Lubasi
PS: The weather is awesome. High 70′s, no humidity and an incredible breeze.
When we went through customs the agent looked at our passports and said, “Welcome Home”!
As she has in previous years, Fiona, the director of the Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) program in Mwandi, Zambia is asking if Carmel Presbyterian Church members can fill urgent needs for the OVC children. Eric and Mike will be carrying extra suit cases filled with whatever you kindly provide. We will need everything by Sunday, June 19. Please look for a container in the Fellowship Hall foyer.
In addition Pastor Percy will be leading another Evangelist Training Session starting when we arrive. He will be training approximately 20 men and women from the rural communities around Mwandi to be Christian evangelists in their own communities. Pastor Percy would greatly appreciate new or gently used bibles – preferably with a concordance. Your kind assistance and generosity will be greatly appreciated
2011 Zambia Mission Trips
Mike and Sharon Jette traveled to Mwandi, Zambia March 10 – 25 to meet with community leaders to discuss Community Based Microfinance Groups. The outcome of those discussions laid the foundation for an implementation team that is returning to Mwandi June 21/22. The CBMG team members are: Eric deNeve, Steve Grey, Ben Johnson and Mike Jette and they have undergone extensive training in preparation for their service in Mwandi.
CBMG’s are only one aspect of this summer’s mission. Three churches in the greater Charlotte metropolitan area have come together to share this experience:
First Presbyterian – Mooresville, NC - Rev. Fred Coates, Bob Dobbin
Lake Norman Fellowship – Mooresville, NC – Rev. Doug Vinez, Bob Johnson, Alex Kummerow, Tanya Kummerow, Steve Grey
Carmel Presbyterian Church – Charlotte, NC – Eric deNeve, Mike Jette
All nine of the team members will be engaged in different activities and projects to include: fish farming, preaching and teaching, painting, OVC feeding program and tutoring, computer maintenance, visiting the sick and hurting and whatever else the Lord has planned for us.
More About CBMG’s
The Missions and Evangelism committee of Carmel Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC , believes that God is leading us to join Him in a movement to address extreme material poverty by bringing holistic – basic personal financial intermediation opportunities to the world’s poorest people.
We say holistic because reconciliation of relationships is the guiding compass for our poverty alleviation efforts. The goal is not to make the materially poor all over the world into middle-to-upper-class North Americans, a group characterized by high rates of divorce, sexual addiction, substance abuse, and mental illness. The goal is to restore people to a full expression of humanness, to being what God created us all to be, people who glorify God.
Basic personal financial intermediation is ‘services which enable poor people to convert their small savings into usefully large lump sums’. The process is one of ‘financial intermediation’ in the sense that a regular banker would recognise, because many small savings are ‘intermediated’ (‘carried across’) into lump sums. But the process is ‘personal’ because we are talking about how one poor person can turn her savings into a lump sum for her own use (whereas bankers normally talk about intermediating the savings of many into loans for a few – who may be entirely different people). Finally we call the process ‘basic’ because it is a basic requirement of everyday life for most poor people.
Why Should I Care?
First, the ministry of Christ demonstrated the seamless harmony of obeying both the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandment. We care because He cares. Second, “Service is the forum for our sanctification. God uses ministry to get a hold of our hearts and conform them to His own. This is the ultimate, though most subtle, reason for calling. We serve not only to get things done for others but, at least as importantly, for God to get things done inside us.” (Dr. Tim Laniak, Dean, GCTS Charlotte) We care because when we serve, our own poverty is redeemed and we become more like Jesus.
Share this:Please contact Eric deNeve Email or Mike Jette Email for more details.
Monthly Archives: March 2011
Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and prayers for our journey home. Things were going great until we missed our connection in Dulles. Being Friday all of our best options were fully booked and they could only offer us stand-by so we took a very deep breath and rented a car and drove home to Charlotte from DC. Apologies to Jim Szeyller for a wasted trip to Raleigh. After 30 hours of flying and layovers, we drove home… really.
Great to be home. Thank you also to Marianne for taking such good care of Beau and Sassy.
Tired and grateful,
Mike and Sharon
We are in Johannesburg airport … making our way home!
We had a few more hours to spend in Chobe National Park yesterday morning before returning to Zambia. I’ve told Sharon on repeated occasions that you can’t come all this way and not see some animals and visit the falls. So after the game drive we made our way back across the Zambezi and on to Livingstone.
We checked into our lodge and hired a cab to take us to the falls. One part of the falls experience for the brave at heart is negotiating with the vendors at the market. OMG … it’s always a circus. I think we did pretty well though… they have more blood on them than we have on us.
Our cab driver is Lozi and he was amazed when I told him our Lozi names (Lubasi and Tabo) and conversed with him a little in his native language. When I paid him I told him that because we were both Lozi that I would give him a nice tip.
We began our long journey home today at 13 hours Livingstone time. After a 5 hour layover in Johannesburg we travel for 19 hours to Washington DC and then on to Raleigh. Pastor Jim Szeyller has graciously offered to pick us up in Raleigh. If things go as planned we should be back in Charlotte around 6:00 p.m. Friday night. Please pray us home!
Mike and Sharon
Our last two days in Mwandi were Sunday and Monday. On Sunday we worshipped at Pilgrim Methodist Church with Pastor Mudenda. This was the first time I had visited this church. It’s small but it is vibrant, growing and we noticed many young people were attending there. Sunday evening we were treated to a pretty spectacular storm over the Namibian side of the Zambezi. Tickets were free and it was bring your own Mosi.
Monday Rury, Percy, Given and I had our meeting with the ruling council of the village better know as the Kuta. The purpose of the meeting was to present the CBMG program and to get their commitment to help make the project a success. The Ndunas asked a lot of questions and when it was all finished we had accomplished our goal. When I compare this presentation with hundreds of others I’ve done over my career, this one stands out as the most unique. Picture taking is not allowed and I don’t have the time to give the experience the description it deserves… let’s just say I will not soon forget it.
We left Mwandi on Tuesday morning and made our way across the border to Botswana. Our destination was Chobe National Park. Sharon and I are here now and are thoroughly enjoying this amazing place. The pictures give you a little clue as to the kind of things we are seeing. This morning at 6 a.m. we are going into the park for a short game drive. After breakfast we will make our way back to Zambia to see Victoria Falls. Tomorrow we begin our journey home.
I think this will be the last place we will have Internet access so I wanted to post something before our game drive. Thanks for all the comments on this blog and for all the prayers and encouragement. As we wind down this Africa experience we have a sense of mission accomplished along with a deep appreciation and love for the people. If all goes as planned I will be back with another team at the end of June to help implement the CBMG program in Mwandi.
Please pray us home!
Mike and Sharon
We have not had an internet connection since Sunday so it has not been possible to update this blog. We will try to do so later.
We left Mwandi this morning after saying our good-byes and made our way across the border into Botswana. We are at Chobe Safari Lodge for the next 24 hours before returning to Zambia.
All is well.
Mike and Sharon
From Sharon:
A funny thing happened on the way to Masese and Mushukula… ok so it really wasn’t funny… our vehicle got stuck in the mud. Trust me you’ve never had a commute to work quite like this one. We were stuck in that mud for 3 solid hours and I am thinking of sending AAA a bonus check when I get home just for being who they are!
Our vehicle passenger list consisted of 7 people (plus other passengers who appeared and disappeared from the bush here and there) from the hospital including me. The hospital has established clinics in these remote villages which they visit on a bi-weekly basis so the residents don’t have to walk the two days it takes to get to Mwandi.
When we got stuck in the mud everyone got out of the vehicle and the men took off their uniforms and cut down limbs, worked with jacks and whatever else they could find to help free the vehicle from it’s muddy prison. 3 hours later … mission accomplished! And we pressed on and completed our rounds as if nothing unusual happened. We didn’t get back until 8:30 p.m.
In addition to the Mud Odyssey one of the more unusual medical procedures that were performed was the removal of cockroach from a young boy’s ear. I have to admit I didn’t see that one coming!
One last thought… women all over the world are not that different. One of the best businesses in town is the beauty shop. Life cannot go on until a woman’s hair is done!
From Mike:
I waited until 8:00 p.m. to have dinner with my wife but gave up. She was in good hands so there was no need to worry and nothing I could do. Now she is a veteran of the Africa experience.
Today we have a light schedule and spent most of the morning at the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Project. We just sat down in the shade of a beautiful tree and let the day come to us. Relationships are more important than schedules here so we had lots of visitors and rich conversation. Taking the time to communicate with one another and to build meaningful community is one of the values and traditions of this place. Interestingly enough, the CBMG program will build on this incredible community asset.
Have a blessed day … we are!
Rury, Given, Percy and I hit the road shortly after 6:00 a.m. for the 500 mile round trip excursion to Choma. Our plans included a meeting with Ron and Erma Herr and Ndala Sasha who are all a part of the Brethren in Christ World Missions (BICWM) in Choma. Three years ago they started two Community Based Microfinance Groups (CBMG) and now they have seven up and running. Our meeting was very productive and informative as we learned many good things from them and then we all enjoyed a wonderful lunch that Erma had prepared for us. How special for us to make new friends and it was fun for me to see a new part of Zambia.
Choma is also the home of St. Mulumba Special School. St. Mulumba is a specialist school for children who are hearing and visually impaired or have learning disabilities. Mwandi OVC donors are sponsoring three children attending this wonderful facility. The children have learning disabilities and don’t say much but they were delighted to see Rury, Given and Percy. One of the boys refers to Rury as “Morris” the name of Rury’s dog. Since I am a Rotarian, I took special note of the Rotary emblem on one of the school buildings. I learned that Rotary International had made significant contributions to the building of the school.
As I write this it is past 7:30 p.m. and Sharon is not back from her visits to Masese and Mushukula… two remote villages in the bush. The roads are not the best (ok there are no roads) but they have a good driver. I know she will be tired and hungry… here’s hoping she is also in good spirits too! 
Mike
One of our convictions from the inception of this project has been that development programs will only work if they are done with people and not to or for them. We truly do more hurting than helping when we do for others what they can and should do for themselves.
When we met with Chief Inyambo Yeta this morning we were delighted to hear him express the exact same sentiment at the beginning of our two hour discussion. In fact, before we could expound on the many benefits and features of Community Based Microfinance Groups (CBMG) the Chief described to us in great detail the principles that would be needed for such a program to work in Mwandi. As he talked it was if he was reading from a CMBG brochure. No kidding. We showed him a CBMG video which he studied intently along with Nduna Ngandwe, the Chief’s personal assistant.
The Chief is a very accomplished attorney who specializes in constitutional law. He played a major role in the development of the Zambian Constitution. He has a law degree from the University of Edinburgh. His position is one of great prominence and respect yet he is a very warm and approachable person as well.I turned the conversation toward spiritual matters (bet you didn’t see that one coming) as I explained how this development project would have a spiritual component. This delighted him and he spoke of the importance of community in their tradition and how CBMG would enhance this aspect of their culture… pointing out that the Bible puts great emphasis on community as well.
The Chief talked at length about how the local leaders in the community would need to take ownership of the project and we discussed a strategy for helping educate those who need to support and communicate the process. There will be critical roles for many. The next step will be a meeting with the Kuta. The Kuta is the ruling council of the village and the members are referred to as Ndunas. Today we also met with Prime Minister Leashimba and Nduna Omei briefly to get their input. It was decided that Rury and I would make a formal presentation to the Kuta on Monday at 9:30 a.m. Our objective in all of these conversations is to not only to inform and educate on CBMG but to create a partnership with this entire community… doing development with and not for them. We are encouraged and believe all of this is very positive.
Before dinner this evening Rury treated us to a little speed boat cruise down the Zambezi to get a break and a breathtaking view of Africa. It was grand and something we aren’t likely to ever forget. (Grand is something I think the Scots would say)
Tomorrow a group of us are headed to Choma… about a 5 hour drive from here to see CBMG’s in action. Sharon is headed off with Ida Waddell for the home health care visits.
Please continue to hold us up in your prayers, we really, really, really need them.
Mike
Our days are long and diverse and each day unfolds with many opportunities and surprises. So in that regard, today was a typical day.
The first highlight was a meeting with all the staff of the Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) project to introduce the concept of the Community Based Microfinance Groups. (CBMG … also sometimes referred to as Village Savings and Loan Associations VSLA) The meeting was conducted by Given Museta who had just returned from a CBMG training program in South Africa. It was a program that the OVC manager had asked me to lead but one of the things I have learned from past missions is that we actually do more harm to people by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves. Given didn’t need my help and he did an excellent job.
Going into the meeting our expectations were pretty low. We weren’t planning to receive a grand reception with something that is so unknown and so ‘organic’ in nature. Given was passionate and articulate. It was all in Lozi, so I’m guessing about the articulate part because I didn’t understand much. The fact that one or two CBM groups are already in discussions about being formed is probably a pretty good sign that Given is a heck of a salesman! This is very, very encouraging and tomorrow Rury and I have an 8:15 appointment with Chief Inyambo Yeta.
After lunch Sharon and I joined Pastor Percy as we visited three different and distinctive groups from the village to introduce them to something called The Proclaimer. This is a dramatic version of the New Testament in the Lozi language. We spent time with the residents of Kandiana (Mwandi homeless), grade 11 students from the Mission High School and a group of single mothers who attempt to sell fish everyday in the main street market. Talk about diversity! When we do things like this we are even further outside our normal comfort zones. I find myself pinching myself and looking around to see if this is really happening to me. If I wasn’t so tired I could write a whole chapter on each one of these three visits.
Sharon continues to help at the hospital and on Friday she willing be traveling with hospital staff into a couple of villages in the bush to make home health care visits. These are follow up visits with patients who were discharged some time ago.
Before retiring this evening we were treated, by God, to an incredible sunset. Ho hum, just another day in Southern Africa. 
Mike
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We said farewell to our Aussie friends and we find ourselves in sole position of Simba house. It’s very quiet.
Due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control (TIA) we had to improvise today. This morning Sharon helped Ida with some administrative duties at the hospital (from Sharon: I filed and that’s a very good task for someone with OCD!) and I checked on the fish.
(As I write this, a cow has just wandered into the yard… not a good thing.) The David Inman Memorial Fish Farm is still progressing. As you can see from the pictures I took today the setting is very beautiful and we are still under construction. Thanks to contributions from the States we have the duct tape we need to finish the ponds. We are waiting on some liners that have been ordered from Namibia. When construction in complete we will have 10 ponds. Later this week we plan to harvest some of the tilapia for sale in the village. I can’t wait to go fishing again!!!
Today I introduced Sharon to the OVC feeding program. It seems I may not have prepared her adequately for this experience. The staff put us to work giving out peanut butter, a special treat for the children. We put a half spoon full in each little hand. As we were leaving the skies opened up with more rain and now it is extremely hot and sticky… very much like August in North Carolina. While we were waiting for the rain to stop the children loved touching our white skin and pressing on the veins in our hands and arms. The ones who pay the most attention to us are those who have ‘special’ needs as they are starving for affection and love.
I’m not sure when this will get posted as we have not had electricity since 9:00 this morning… TIA
Mike & Sharon
PS: I also took Sharon to meet everyone at Kandiana (Mwandi homeless shelter) Some of those who have visited will want to know that on June 22 of last year the oldest woman living at Kandiana passed away. We received a very warm reception and we introduced ourselves as Tabo and Lubasi. Boy did that get a laugh.
It’s now around 8 p.m. Monday evening.
Last night team USA and team Australia hosted a dinner for a few of the United Church of Zambia church leaders. The menu included spaghetti and meatballs and a special Australian dessert prepared by Kathy (that I have no clue how to pronounce much less spell.) After dinner I received my Lozi name… Lubasi… which means ‘family’. It was really touching to receive such an honor and to know that they think of me as part of the Mwandi family.
As I reflect on everything that we have experienced since arriving last Friday, the theme of family fits pretty well. On Sunday, in between lunch and dinner with our Mwandi families, we received a surprise visit from Andrew Waluka. Andrew and I have a special bond that began in 2008. He is getting much taller and is quite handsome as you can tell by his picture. He’s a good boy, but lives more of a man’s life. He faces many challenges that way heavily on his heart. It’s impossible for us to imagine just how difficult life is for him and struggle to find ways to encourage him. Please pray for him if you feel led.
So as not to get too homesick, Sharon has been playing Nana to Mubita Waddell. He is about the same age as our grandson Chase and calls us Mike and Nana. On Sunday Ida, his adoptive mother, was looking all over for him. Little did she know that he was hanging out with his new Nana.
Today Sharon spent time at the hospital while Rury Waddell and I were meeting with some of the church leaders about the details of the Community Based Microfinance initiative. We made a great deal of progress and have a plan of action for the balance of our time here. It was very encouraging to find so much common ground so quickly. Like a healthy functioning family we were all able to speak frankly to one another which is critical if we are going to be able to be successful with this project. Tomorrow we hope to be able to meet with Chief Inyambo Yeta and get his support and Friday we are planning a 5 hour drive to Choma to visit a successful microfinance program that is similar to what we are planning.
While it rained a great deal of the morning, the rain stopped long enough for us to make a trip with Rury to Mabumbu… a village about 7 miles from here. We were going to check on some goats in that village. I don’t have pictures to prove it but Sharon and I helped give shots of deworming meds, vitamins and antibiotics to the goats!!!
Mike
Here’s a few words from Sharon:
Mwandi is a beautiful place and the people go our of their way to make you feel welcome….we’ve had a lot of visitors. We’re usually on the large screened porch in the morning and night watching the sunrise and sunset over the Zambezi River. One thing I didn’t expect were cell phones ringing everywhere…even in the village while deworming goats!
Thank you to everyone who has left comments on the blog for us to read and enjoy. We miss you!
Sharon
Church started at 8:30 this morning, earlier than normal, due to the heat. It’s pretty hot and humid here so we were glad to start early and end early … just before noon! No kidding. The worship service is always one of my favorite parts of this trip. The music was incredible as usual as the African Christians love to worship with their whole bodies, not just their voices
Today was even more special as Reverend Wezi Manda gave Sharon a Lozi name. Here new name is Tabo, which means Joy. Pastor Manda said they are going to give me a Lozi name too, but he’s still thinking about… which has me a little concerned. Ha!
After church Pastor Manda hosted a lunch for us and another couple of blokes also here from Australia. We’ve been sharing Simba house with Kathy Pereira and Geoff Dornan. They are representatives of the Uniting World, the mission arm of the Uniting Church of Australia. Uniting World has been a long-time supporter of the Orphan and Vulnerable Children Project here. We had a traditional Mwandi meal that was wonderful. Tabo was introduced to nshima. Now she has earned her Lozi name.
A thunderstorm is blowing in as I write this blog. This will be a first for me.
Mike
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It’s been a very diverse and interesting day.
We had a wonderful nights rest, a vast departure from trying to sleep during a 15 hour plane trip from JFK to Johannesburg. After an early breakfast we went on a 3 hour tour of the village. In Mwandi they value relationships over punctuality so we made many stops and talked with dozens of villagers along the way. Many times I was able to greet ‘old friends’ and introduce them to Sharon… and to prove once and for all time that there was someone out there foolish enough to marry me… something I’m sure many here have pondered since my first visit in 2008.
Today is Youth Day in Zambia, a national holiday. We were treated to some of the Youth Day festivities at the school. Hundreds of children of all ages gathered outside (in the shade thankfully) to hear speeches, sing songs and celebrate their heritage. We left our tour guide at this point and I introduced Sharon to the OVC and other points of interest that is Mwandi Mission, including the fish farm.
After the tour and lunch, Rury invited me to help him make beef sausage… an activity I must admit was very much fun and rounds out my resume quite nicely. A couple of years ago we were treating cattle with dewormer meds and now, well now… hopefully you get the picture. Thanks to the invention of the cell phone and ring tones we pushed the ground cow through the grinder into the casings and every so often a cell phone would sound off. Now here is the remarkable thing, the ring tone was playing Dixie. You can’t make this stuff up. Ah, thoughts of home…
We finished the day with a lovely evening and dinner at Shackleton’s, a fishing lodge just down the river from Mwandi. We sat outside and ate dinner under the amazing Zambian sky and enjoyed an delicious roast pork dinner with all the fixings. The pig, by the way, came from the Mission Agricultural project in Mwandi. The food and the sky left us speechless.
What a wonderful day. We are blessed!
Warm Zambian Greetings!
We arrived safely in Mwandi about an hour ago … around 4p.m. Mwandi time. We are 7 hours ahead of the Eastern US at the moment. The trip was long but it was good. No problems, no delays and no lost luggage. Doesn’t get much better than that does it? We appreciate everyone’s good wishes and continued prayers.
After a light snack we are getting ready to unpack and rest our jet lagged bodies. Tomorrow at 8 a.m. Sharon will get a tour of the village. Stay tuned…
Mike
Monthly Archives: March 2011
Zambezi River - Mwandi, Zambia
Sharon and Mike Jette are leaving on Thursday March 10 for Mwandi, Zambia. It’s my 4th visit since 2008 and Sharon’s first. The purpose of this trip is to meet with community leaders to discuss how Carmel Presbyterian Church could partner with them in the design and implementation of a Community Based Microfinance program. The outcome of these discussions will lay the foundation for an implementation team to return to Mwandi this summer.
Since 1991 one of the more successful approaches to combat extreme poverty in the majority world is what one organization calls a Village Savings & Loan Association. (VSLA) A VSLA is a self-selected group of people, who pool their own money into a fund from which members can borrow. The money is paid back with interest, causing the fund to grow. The regular savings contributions to the group are deposited with an end date in mind for distribution of all or part of the total funds (including interest earnings) to the individual members, usually on the basis of a formula that links payout to the amount saved. This lump sum distribution provides a large amount of money that each member can then apply to his/her own needs. This is also sometimes referred to as Community Based Microfinance.
We sincerely appreciate everyone’s contributions, encouragement and prayers for us and for this ministry. We hope you will write to us on this blog and check in with us frequently.
Blessings, Mike
Past Trip To Zambia 2010
ZAMBIA 2010
Revisited
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You are invited to attend a special Sunday event with Sam Cross, a young man who is currently committing his life to a service of ministry at an orphanage in Namumu, Zambia. The 2010 Zambia team met up with Sam while in Africa and enjoyed spending time with him. The team witnessed him minister to the orphans and help them develop life skills, providing them opportunities for work to support the orphanage and themselves when they leave. He is an incredibly devoted and upbeat young adult who has a wonderful message for us, as we at Carmel consider how and where the Lord is directing us to minister to a needy world. Sam is currently on furlough in the U.S. back at his home in Richmond, Virginia and has agreed to bless us this coming weekend.
Please join in a combined Middle School, Senior High and Adult Sunday school class in the Fellowship Hall this Sunday,
9:30 am, July 18 to learn about Sam’s ministry.
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Sam will also provide a “Moment for Missions” message during our worship service.
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You, your family, neighbors and friends
are invited to
Summer Salad Supper featuring
"Zambia 2010" Team Presentation
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June 27, 2010 5:30 p.m.
Ligon Hall, Carmel Presbyterian Church
Please bring salads or desserts to serve 8.
Drinks provided.
Sponsored by Carmel Presbyterian’s
Mission & Evangelism and Fellowship Committees
Your support, both financially and through sustained prayer made it possible for us – Anne Hilborn, Ray McCorkle, Mike Jette and Eric deNeve - to spend 2 ½ weeks visiting and participating in many ministries in Lusaka, Siavonga and Mwandi in Zambia, Africa.
We hope you have followed our travels and adventures at www.carmelpresbyterian.org and our recent blog site, www.tiatoday.wordpress.com Come, “participate” in our experiences as we share stories and lessons learned – ranging from humorous to inspirational to serious. Ask questions! Begin to consider with us the ministry of presence and life as a “short term mission trip!”
How The African Mission Trips Changes Your Life (By Ray McCorkle)
Out of Africa… and home again. I am not the same person I was when I left. We were told in advance, ―You will be changed, and that truly was the case. I see evangelism in a totally different light.
One of my friends asked me when I first cried. It was at our first Sunday morning worship service. I was overwhelmed – unbelievable music and wonderful joy in worship expressed with gratitude to God with great exuberance. I was touched to the core of my being.
I was particularly moved by the young girl at the orphanage in Nmumu who not only gave up her cot so that I might have a place to sleep, but also tucked me in; making sure my netting was secure beneath the mattress.
There were many, many defining moments in Mwandi. One particular highlight was getting to share, pray with, and minister to a young widow with several small children who was having a particularly difficult time.
Eric and I visited the Kandiana House where we met a woman named Kathryn. Kathryn runs this home which takes in the elderly from all around the area. Each person there (there are 12) has a very small dark room with a bed in it. They sit in the doorway of their room all day and their food is prepared outside in the middle of the courtyard. Kathryn walked out with us and shared how hard it was caring for these people. They have so little and it was obvious she loved them. We prayed for Kathryn and her ministry and I would ask you to do the same. We had good laughs with most of them, and I wondered as I walked away, when was the last time they had laughed – or even smiled. Please pray for Kathryn and the Kandiana House.
I want to thank those of you who helped make this trip possible and to those who sent gifts. It is impossible to explain to you what this meant to us and to the people of Zambia. They were grateful to the point of embarrassing us. May God bless you abundantly for your part in this ministry.
Ray McCorkle
