Lake Grove in Zambia 2011

Everyone's Home Now!

2011-08-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

This morning our last two weary travelers returned to PDX, safe and sound. Cathy Rote and Pam Fogg arrived from Rwanda shortly before noon, bringing stories of children in need, building a new school, evangelism, sleeping in a pastor's mud hut, and evading charging elephants. Although these experiences are not directly tied to our GoTeam efforts, we are all anxious to hear about what what they saw as Ugandan/Rwandan host John Gasangwa showed them around.

Preparing the land for new school construction

Schoolchildren enjoying one of their cups of porridge,
which they receive 3 times each week;
below: Pam serves the children their porridge,
saying, "God's love for you" to each child.

Cathy quilting with young women at the Tubahumurize Association,
where they come to learn sewing and English

No charging elephant, but here's a peaceful hippo

* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile (backfilling a few photos here) Alan, Christopher, Dick, RB, Kathleen, Katie and Mark had worshiped at the historic David Livingstone Memorial Presbyterian Church the previous Sunday (pictured below with powerful preacher Rev. Christopher Malandiwire), and then joined Graig in one service or another at LGPC this past Saturday or Sunday.

After church four of the travelers boldly went where no GoTeam has gone before: into the air above Victoria Falls, via helicopter!

The following morning all 7 of them hit the road at 6am to visit the Mosi-O-Tunya National Park, where they saw loads of game, including elephants and plenty of other exotic animals. But it was COLD!

* * *

Later that day, shortly after noon, they boarded a plane for Johannesburg, then traveled via Atlanta back to Portland... 30+ hours and plenty of final "Gumby opps" - chances to demonstrate flexibility during the rigors and unknowns of global travel.

Now we are all back in L.O and environs, full of joy at

seeing what God is doing in Zambia...

full of stories to tell, if we can find listeners. As we read in Job:

"My ears had heard you but now my eyes have seen you..." (42:5),

and we want to share what we have seen.

As a group we will join forces next month to make a presentation

to our supporters and the LGPC congregation.

WON'T YOU JOIN US !??:

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

at 6:30pm in Lake Grove's Fellowship Hall.

In the meantime, we thank God for safe return,

and for your attention and prayers.

Leza amuleleke! ~ God bless you!

Training for Sinazongwe Pastors

2011-08-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

Before the team began relaxing in the beauty of Livingstone's natural wonders, Pastor Graig led a time of debriefing and then departed for Lusaka, where he had appointments aimed at making progress in strengthening the available training for rural pastors in Sinazongwe.

"After morning worship at the Matero Presbyterian church in northwest Lusaka, during which I was called on to preach (without warning, of course!), I met with pastors and denominational leaders of the Central Church of Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP). This is a rapidly growing denomination with strong ties to two training programs for rural pastors. PCUSA liaison Nancy Collins was kind enough to arrange my lodging and several very purposeful meetings for my time in Lusaka."

General Secretary of the CCAP, Rev.Maleka Kabandama, along with Moderator-Elect Rev. Chizason Chunda

"Monday our liaison from World Vision Zambia,

Alfonsias Haamanjanji (pictured below in his office),

guided me through meetings with WVZ's Christian Commitment department. Alfonsias has been an invaluable facilator

for our GoTeams the last two years.

World Vision Zambia has not been idle on the issue of training pastors in developing areas. George Musonda has been very helpful in this process. George was with us in 2002 during our first visit to Sinazongwe, when we initially heard the cry for help

from Sinazongwe pastors."

"I also spent time at the local Reformed/Presbyterian seminary, Justo Mwale Theological University College, named for the first native Zambian ordained in the Reformed tradition.

I learned about their outreach program to train rural pastors, toured the campus with rector (president) Edwin Zulu,

and met with professors and students."

back of a truck, helping at the chapel, in construction

"The upshot of my extra time in Lusaka is that we seem very well prepared to solidify high-quality training for our beloved, hard-pressed church leaders in Sinazongwe (both pastors and lay leaders). I was very encouraged by my time with local Presbyterians and World Vision staff. I think that our longstanding support of rural pastors, evidenced by our distribution of Bibles, bicycles and teaching resources for pastors, and ongoing encouragement... this is about to bear fruit in a comprehensive way. A pilot program is already functioning in Sinazongwe, but it will get much stronger. Thanks be to God!"

Livingstone and Beyond

2011-07-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 23

After a refreshing warm shower, we met for breakfast and a debriefing. We discussed all we had seen … what amazed us… and what to do with those things when we returned home. We headed to the airport to drop off Pastor Graig who was heading back to Lusaka to discuss pastor training with the World Vision staff. Then we were off to Victoria Falls, “the smoke that thunders.” What a beautiful place God has created! In the evening, we took a cruise on the Zambezi River. We saw elephants, crocodiles, impala, baboons and hippos, all from the safety of our boat.

Sunday, July 24

Up for breakfast and then off to church at the David Livingstone Presbyterian Church. The message was from Isaiah 60 and Revelations 2. Cathy and Pam are leaving the group to fly to Rwanda, where they will visit the work of Arise Twanda Ministries, a small ministry focusing on feeding and education of young children in the remote areas of that country. The rest of the team heads for home on Monday afternoon. We have had an engaging and fruitful trip, which we cannot wait to share with our church family and friends.

Farewell to Sinazongwe and World Vision friends

2011-07-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

To conclude our time together, both teams met to debrief and suggest ways to improve the ministry, then shared a time of affirmation and gifts. Year after year, the quality and commitment of the World Vision staff amazes GoTeam members. We are so thankful for these loving servants of God; they are on the front line of compassion and progress among the poor... the hands & feet of Christ.

Graig offers Manager Fred a cross made by an LGPC member

RB receives a memento gift from the ADP staff, given by Listy & Phales

Morning of departure: GoTeam and ADP staff

Photo Follow-Up: Return to Siabaswi Village

2011-07-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

After a morning of sponsorship visitation, we returned for a check-in at our former partner village, Siabaswi, for a time of worship with local church leaders, followed by update discussions with Siabaswi pastors and with the community leadership committee. Along the way we connected unexpectedly with some "old" friends...

Communion worship at the Siabaswi Brethren in Christ church

A foretaste of the Kingdom, when all nations will gather in unity at the table of the Lord...

Siabaswi headman Harry Siabeze, also pastor of the Church of Christ in the Katongo neighborhood

Pastors and community leaders say the village is doing well, moving ahead... largely due to the boost they got from our partnership.

Sponsored child Melvin (Janna Brown) and dad Opson, mainstays in Siabaswi

Pam greets Jill Sherman's sponsored child Bevice, who wants to be a pastor

"As I was leading worship, I saw my Siabaswi namesake, Graig Siabulungu,
just outside the entrance, and greeted him after the service."

LuAnn Yocky's child, Felester, spotted on the road as we departed Siabaswi

Photo Follow-Up: "Clinics & Celebrations" - Celebration at Siabbeula

2011-07-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Wednesday afternoon and evening, we viewed garden projects in all the villages of the Siabbeula Food Security Project and then shared in a time of celebration highlighted by community dancing and a video retrospective of our 3+ years together - in the open air, in the dark, beneath a spectacular Milky Way sky.

Cathy and a successful farm wife in Simabbula

Christopher helps affix the "Jesse cross" gift for Siabbeula's children

Kathleen dances with a village girl

RB celebrates with ADP manager Fred Mazumba

hundreds gathered to view the movie under the stars

Movie set-up at sunset

Villagers laughed and shrieked as they recognized people they knew

Photo Follow-Up: "Clinics & Celebrations" - AIDS focus

2011-07-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

Photographs to illustrate the first half of our day on Wednesday: testing clinic visit, visit to HIV clients (following volunteer caregiver on bikes!), and then the announcement of LGPC's gift to Sinazongwe of caregiver kits.

Kawumi & Graves tell us about HIV testing

A bike-visit to an HIV-positive family to understand how volunteers come alongside the sick

Gathering of HBC volunteers:
Sharon translates as Katie & Kathleen announce gift of Caregiver kits and refills

Sponsor Visits and Siabaswi

2011-07-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

Thursday, July 21

The team split up to visit children sponsored by members of Lake Grove. We will be returning with lots of pictures and stories to share with the sponsors. After these visits, the group went to visit David and Alita. David is ill with AIDS and others in his family are HIV postive. This is the third year the team has visited David, who is doing well and repeat visitors thought looked healthier. David goes to the HIV clinic to receive ART and a supply of medicine. Between visits to the clinic, he has home visits from a caregiver.

Another group headed to Siabaswi, our former partner village. Here Pastor Graig held a communion service with the local pastors and many church elders. After the service, Pastor Graig met with the pastors to hear about their needs and churches. Many pastors have received additional training and are grateful for the Tonga Bibles and NIV Study Bible that Lake Grove has provided. The churches are growing in numbers and in faith.

Next we met with the village committee who presented a report that was produced on a computer owned by the village! They are doing well and asked for nothing, a good indication of their success and sustainability. We returned to the ADP office for a time of debriefing and fellowship with the staff. Off to Livingston in the morning.

Clinics and Celebrations

2011-07-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, July 20
We had a very long day on Wednesday. We visited an HIV clinic that opened in 2009. They have a public health officer named Kawumo Simuete. They do testing and provide Anti retroviral treatment (ART) to people who are a CD4 of 350. They start women at at 500 count. This decreases the baby being born with HIV. The clinic is understaffed due to a lack of local housing. Stuart is one of the many caregivers we met with. We rode on bikes to visit one of his clients. Both the mother and son are HIV positive, but are staying well with the help of caregiver visits and the HIV clinic.

Before the end of our partnership celebration, we visited four food security garden projects. All of the families are able to provide enough food for their extended families and have extra to sell in Choma, Livingston, etc. In the evening after it was dark, we gathered with the villagers for a show of the 2008 to 2010 visits to Siabbeula. It was a very emotional experience.

(Again, pictures are arriving slowly. I will add them when they come in.)

Schools and Sponsored Children

2011-07-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

We had an invigorating day as we visited two schools and met with a number of sponsored children. At the Makonkoto School, we were uplifted to see a vibrant and growing school of 600 students. New housing for teachers has enabled the school to attract and retain quality teachers. And there was a surprise celebration where a plaque was unveiled to recognize Lake Grove’s partnership with World Vision and Makonkoto School.

School Plaque Recognizing Lake Grove's Help

Next, we traveled to Siazwela School where the money raised by our youth group provided a new classroom building, which is now complete! Katie Chandler and Kathleen Fast cut the ribbon on the new building, which also has a plaque recognizing Lake Grove’s support.

Katie Helping at Siazwela School

We had the privilege of meeting children sponsored by Go Team members today in their homes. There were a multitude of heart-warming and challenging stories.

Dick Rapp with Miriam

As we closed our day together at dinner, each person expressed gratitude for the opportunity to see the great work our church is supporting, all under God’s guidance.

Alan Shiffer

Communion, Bibles, Microenterprise and Siabbeula

2011-07-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 18

It felt as if we have truly arrived as our visitation began in earnest today. First with an intro-duction to the Sinazongwe ADP staff, our hearts united in worship, Bible study and a spirit-filled communion service. We moved from breaking bread to Pam helping Loveless, a 36-year old widow caring for 5 children (not all hers) make bread.

Pam Making Fritters with Loveless

Loveless runs a small vegetable and fritter business that she was able to develop using small plans from Vision Fund, the local microfinance institution. She is just one of 350 Vision Fund clients in the ADP.

Arriving in Siabbeula

Ribbon Cutting at Siabbeula Food Security Building

Communion in Siabbeula

Our next stop was to celebrate the opening of the Siabbeula food security building and solar powered water pumps. We again shared communion with the 7 local pastors and community leaders. We also shared Tonga Bibles and singing with the villagers. A God-filled day!

Signing off ....

The Three African Kates + 1 ..... Kathleen, Katie, Cathy and Pam.

Sunday Worship and Getting Ready for Sponsorship Visits

2011-07-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

July 17, 2011

This morning, we worshiped at the Apostolic Faith Mission Church in Siabbeula. It was a time filled with the glory of God in all respects, from the message to the voices lifted in song, as only the Zambians can do! The church building is small, but the work going on is mighty. It was an honor to be part of the service.

Pastor Siabbeula and Mufundisi Graig

Dick and RB adding to the joyful sound

In the afternoon, the team worked together to take the supplies we purchased in Lusaka and divide them up for our sponsorship visits. The bags were filled with oil, kapenta, soap, sugar, salt, goodies and much love. We are looking forward to seeing the children soon!

Lots to pack up!

Kathleen doing some pre-pack sorting

Hmmmm ... where do we start????

On to Sinazongwe!

2011-07-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

After a hearty breakfast, the team loaded vans and departed for Sinazongwe. We made 2 important stops along the way: first to the Bible Society of Zambia to purchase 300 Tonga Bibles, then to Mother of Mercy AIDS Hospice. Praying with dying patients Felix, Chilwe, Violet and Joyce, assuring them of God's love, was a deeply moving privilege. It reminded us where this deadly disease leads and of why we are in Zambia. At Mazabuka, halfway between Lusaka and Sinazongwe, we joyfully met Betty Mbewe, former Sinazongwe manager who now oversees 2 ADPs a little to the north. Betty appeared healthy and happy.

Alan and Betty

Two and a half more hours of driving got us to the Lakeview Lodge before sundown.

Dick by Lake Kariba

Tomorrow we look forward to worship and to preparing for sponsor visits, along with some Sabbath rest.

Kwasiya buti! (Good night)

Pastor Graig

World Vision Zambia; Sponsorship Shopping

2011-07-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

Two comparatively short flights brought us from Kenya via Malawi to Zambia, where we landed at Lusaka International Airport late in the morning. After being met by our delightful and able guide, Alfonsias Haamanjanji, we were whisked straight to the World Vision office for orientation talks led by Operations Manager Fordson Kafweku (below, left). The new ADP manager in Sinazongwe, Fred Mazumba, was also present (second from left).

Christopher meets World Vision staffers.

Following the orientation, it was off to Manda Hill Shopping Mall to purchase staples for the 30 sponsored children we will see in Sinazongwe. We also purchased basics for the AIDS hospice we will visit tomorrow morning. Dividing into teams, every one went after a couple of the necessary items ("I'll get the salt and sugar", "We've got the cooking oil..." and so on).

Mark & Dick strike oil.

Waiting to load the groceries onto the vans

After spending more than $1000 on these items, groceries and shoppers alike headed back to the hotel, thanking God for being almost on schedule, and looking forward to the drive south tomorrow. Along the way we plan to visit Betty Mbewe, Sinazongwe's former ADP manager.

A good night's rest is hoped and prayed for by all, so that we can function at a high level tomorrow.
We thank God for a day of blessings.

Pastor Graig.

Lusaka at last !

2011-07-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

As I make this quick post Friday evening (Zambia time), the photo above is about 1 hour old. Though tired, the team is in good spirits, as you can see. We have arrived in Zambia's capital, Lusaka, and are now settling in for some rest before leaving tomorrow morning for Sinazongwe. Will post some more later this evening, but wanted to write and illustrate that we're safe and sound at the Southern Sun Ridgeway (formerly the Holiday Inn). ALL LUGGAGE arrived unscathed -- though we were nervous when Kathleen's & Katie's could not be found initially. It turned out that their luggage arrived last evening and had been secured in storage. Thanks for your prayers.
Pastor Graig.

Ready, Set, GO...and They’re Off

2011-07-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

July 13, 2011

Met at the airport, all luggage checked in and then the trek through security. Pastor Bob prayed for the team as a send-off from the church.

While in San Francisco……….Kathleen and Katie received a wonderful send-off from their Youth Mission Team. The group prayed over Kathleen and Katie before they departed for the airport. A very touching time for everyone.

July 14, 2011

Word was received from Pastor Graig that the team was delayed in Amsterdam, which made them miss their connection in Nairobi

(a gumby moment!).

So…the team overnighted in Nairobi and will head to Lusaka the next morning.

Final Preparations

2011-07-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

Gifts, Gifts and More Gifts

Ashlie Rapp Packaging Tea

Stacks of Gift Items - Ready for Packing

Melinda Gordon with Communion Cups from Bethlehem

The GoTeam takes a multitude of items to use as gifts of encouragement as they travel from place to place. Everything from small packages of tea, chocolates and pens to soccer balls and jump ropes.

This year special hand carved crosses were made for the team by Irene Tegeler to take as gifts. These crosses have the continent of Africa carved into the center with a vine affect on the cross pieces. This is a reminder that Christ is the vine, and we are the branches.

A final GoTeam dinner meeting was held on Saturday, July 9^th, at the home of Alan and Diane Shiffer. The team received their allotment of gifts to pack and carry, plus heard an overview of their itinerary. Final instructions and emergency numbers were received. Time is drawing near and excitement fills the air.

GoTeam Member Helps with Caregiver Kit Build

2011-06-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Senior High Youth of LGPC put on a Caregiver Kit Build on June 25 & 26. All total 2,200 Caregiver Kits and/or refill kits were assembled to eventually help people in the Sinazongwe region of Zambia. GoTeam Member, Katie Chandler, spearheaded the event.

Christopher Catches Up!

2011-06-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

Breakfast prep meeting at La Provence

One week after having to miss the GoTeam meeting at church, Christopher met with Alan & Graig to do some catching up. He had done his "homework" and was full of eager and intelligent questions.

Alan & Graig agree that he will be mentally ready to go! But prayers are still needed for his knee: thanks for healing so far and request that it continue apace.

Good job persevering, Christopher -- the Evil One will not keep you away from Zambia!

Final Prep Meeting at Church

2011-06-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight's meeting started with a creative "icebreaker" provided by the SendTeam, a Sinazongwe crossword puzzle designed by Melinda Gordon. Dividing into teams of two, the team had to answer clues about Zambia, about the Tonga language, and even about themselves. Example: "LGPC partnership here ending this year" - Answer: "Siabbeula". The intellectual strain was eased by chocolates, which the victors gladly shared with everyone else.

Dave Strong, member of several Senegal GoTeams, and frequent Africa traveler who has even slept in the bush in order to capture photos of wildlife, shared valuable insights about photography. We let him go early as he was on his way to Paris the next morning on a "business trip"... Merci Beaucoup et Bon Voyage! (group photo above)

Then we heard from recent Zambia visitor Dr. Michelle Vessely (pictured with Cathy Rote), LGPC member who participated in a medical mission for children with cleft palates. Her work was covered by a Zambian news team, and the program was noticed by the president of Zambia, the Honorable Rupiah Banda, who visited the operating room and then invited the two surgeons to lunch at the Zambian White House. Michelle's heart is very full from her visit to Lusaka, and it is still overflowing with compassion so that she expects to return in the near future.

We watched a devotional presentation by DVD, in which the purposes of God within the Body of Christ were discussed. Why do some believers suffer, while others have it relatively easy? Well, when a brother or sister suffers in Africa, we suffer here, too, as part of the same Body (1 Cor 12:26). If we do not hurt with them, we are not in touch with the whole Body. That's part of why we have these GoTeam trips: to know our Body better and be able to reach out to soothe the spot that hurts.

Alan shared some updates from World Vision, and a number of questions were discussed and clarified. We closed in prayer, remembering our own missing member in this GoTeam subculture of the Body, Christopher Sheffield, back on crutches after a remedial surgery to repair what did not work back in March. He will be packing crutches to Zambia, and we are glad that he can still travel with us. We will follow up with him soon, bringing him up to speed.

Next meeting: a social gathering with our families, just a few days before we leave, on the weekend of our commissioning in church.

Moving Ahead By "Retreating"

2011-05-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

It was time for the annual Zambia GoTeam RETREAT.

Previous GoTeam members were kind enough to make their beach house available to us, so we left the church parking lot at 7:15am and drove to Lincoln City, yakking all the way. 2007 Zambia traveler Kevin Cummings was our driver, and he got us there and back safely.

The team took time to discuss such issues as raising support (both prayer support and financial support), what to pack, how to share personal testimonies, and how not to be obnoxious travelers and guests. Team responsibilities were divvied up, so we now have a team treasurer, we have people focusing on picture & video taking, blogging, purchasing gifts for our hosts, organizing the sponsor visits, and so on. There is even a first aid keeper.

One team member could not be with us, Christopher Sheffield, due to a family commitment out-of-state. We called him on the phone to help him feel part of the group. He missed the gifts that were handed out: World Vision caps from Alan Shiffer, and a "devotional can" of saltwater taffy from our Send Team. They have provided an encouraging gift at each of our meetings, all custom designed and hand-packaged for our group. (Thanks, Melinda & Sheri!)

All of this took from about 9:30 until 5:30. Most of the time, the weather was lousy and wet, so we didn't mind pressing on. By the time we finished, though, the weather had cleared and the sun was gradually dropping toward the Pacific. We closed with an extended time of prayer and then hopped in the van and headed for Depoe Bay and a delicious seafood dinner at Tidal Raves.

     As we returned, we knew that the time had been well spent.
     The team is coming together. We will be ready to hit the ground
     running when we land in Zambia.

Walking for Water, Prepping for Zambians

2011-05-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Alan Shiffer, Mayor Hoffman & Bwalya Melu lead the way.

Saturday, April 30 was the 4th annual Walk for Water event at Foothills Park. The weather cooperated - perfect and pleasant! Sweet fellowship time. Plus, the Mayor Jack Hoffman was there to walk with local World Vision executive Alan Shiffer and Zambian Bwalya Melu (pictured) from the national office of World Vision in Federal Way, WA. It appears that more than enough money was raised to fund 3 borehole wells! God is good. Several of our GoTeam members were part of the walk - you should be able to find Alan above, along with Pastor Graig and RB Brandvold. Cathy Rote was there as well.

Then the GoTeam met for lunch and learning and discussion. Alan shared a bit about World Visions strategies for development, which will be an ongoing topic for us. We were pleased to have Bwalya and Enid Melu with us, to discuss some of the cross-cultural differences we can anticipate. We discussed how a number of issues, from how to greet people to how to dress.

Some nuts-and-bolts items were handled - health forms turned in, passports collected for visa procurement, and so on.

Step by step we move closer to our departure and the ministry time in Zambia. Next session: a retreat at the coast.

Preparing

2011-04-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

For a couple years now, the Zambia GoTeams have been using the "Round Trip" curriculum to help prepare for their trips to Africa.

It shares a case study of two large churches, one American and one African, swapping GoTeams. Although this model is different than ours, the study explores many of the same dynamics we experience.

Here is a link to a 3-minute video segment from the curriculum. It will help you understand where our team members are in their preparation process. If you are supporting the effort in prayer, it will also give you ideas for your prayer on our behalf. Here's the link:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=byL94ATozik

Thanks for you interest and your prayers!

Getting Acquainted, Getting Ready

2011-04-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

During its first prep meeting, the GoTeam spent a fair amount of time getting to know one another, sharing the basics about themselves, their families, and their sense of why God has put them on this team.

Pastor Graig shared a PowerPoint slide show that showed images of the kinds of things the group will see together. It ended with a series of shots of previous GoTeams, helping this team see itself as part of a larger family of Zambia travelers living out the church's longterm relational commitment to the work in Sinazongwe. This is part of the reason even first-time travelers will be treated like old friends or even family, among our Zambian brothers and sisters in Christ. This year's team stands on the shoulders of teams from previous years.
Using a curriculum called "Round Trip", published by Christianity Today, the team began to anticipate some of the dynamics they may experience as they get ready for the trip and when they finally arrive in Africa. Assignments were handed out to be completed by the next meeting: an autobiographical sketch for our partners, health forms, readings, watching a documentary on AIDS.

The next meeting will occur on the heels of the 4th annual Walk4Water in downtown Lake Oswego, an event organized by WaterAfrica, which is a local non-profit that grew out of the Zambia Partnership. Focus of the meeting will be World Vision and cross-cultural training, as we will have Zambian Bwalya Melu with us, a staff member from World Vision US, in Federal Way.

Team of Ten Tapped

2011-04-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

This year's GoTeam for Zambia has been selected and has already begun preparing for the July visit to the southern Africa nation. Left to right above you can see: Dick Rapp, Alan Shiffer (of World Vision), Katie Chandler, R.B. Brandvold, Cathy Rote, Christopher Sheffield, Pam Fogg, Pastor Graig Flach, Youth Director Kathleen Fast and Mark Scarlett. The team has an even mix of 5 first-time Zambia travelers and 5 returnees.

The Zambia Partnership came into being in 2003, as Lake Grove answered the call to respond to the AIDS pandemic with the love of Christ. Working under the umbrella of World Vision with its expertise in transformational development, Lake Grove has partnered with villages and the local World Vision staff in a remote region called Sinazongwe, located in the Southern Province of Zambia, on Lake Kariba. The people group there is known as the "Valley Tonga".

Tasks for this year's team will include marking the end of our most recent community partnership, the Siabbeula Food Security Project, visiting 2 schools with which Lake Grove has had significant contact, and also visiting a number of sponsored children. In addition, discussions will take place about the remaining time of our commitment in Sinazongwe - the program is currently scheduled to end in 2015. Join us in prayer as we seek a plan for being good partners in these last 4 years, rounding of the development in a way that ensures sustainability and glorifies God.

Next, the team begins its regimen of monthly preparation meetings, preparing them to hit the ground running by informing them about Zambia, AIDS, World Vision, and cross cultural issues.

The team is undergirded in prayer. There is a "SendTeam" of 10 prayer warriors, one assigned for each of the GoTeam members. In addition, the team members pray for another team member each week, rotating to another team member week-to-week. Finally, each team member has friends and family supporting them in prayer. You, too, can be an extended member of this team by offering your own prayers on their behalf. Thank you and - God bless you (Lesa akuleleke, in Tonga)!