Merry Christmas!!! 
Christmas in Zambia is not like Christmas where you might be.
No Snow Of course there is no snow or
wintry weather. Below the equator we are now enjoying our hottest season with
temperatures over 100 degrees. Thankfully, the rains have started and things
have cooled off a bit. With the rains beginning, people can now plant corn,
squash and other crops like cassava.
No turkey
Instead of the normal
nshima (corn flour boiled into a thick mass) Zambians will celebrate Christmas
by preparing something different like rice, collard greens and fish. Friends
may visit and if possible some extra money is spent on things like soft drinks.
No Football
Instead of TV, church groups will perform Christmas plays. These are always fun
to watch. In the story of Jesus’ birth, Mary is not alone when giving birth but
her many African girl friends are with her -- as would happen with a birth
here. Moreover, Mary is quite animated and screaming in pain.
No Christmas Trees When we
didn’t have a tree once we cut off the top of an avocado tree. It had small
avocados on it so we just left these on as ornaments. Gifts are not exchanged,
but in rural areas people gave us gifts of chicken eggs. And for a small
donation a choir sang outside our door early Christmas morning.
No Jesus One of our Word for the World members was recently doing a language
survey in remote area. To evaluate whether or not the people needed a Bible
translation he needed to find out how similar that language was to other
languages. Using Swahili he would ask questions like, “How do you say ‘house’
in your language?” Or, “How do you say ‘person’ in your language?” and so on.
When he asked the people, “How do you say ‘Jesus’ in your language?”, they
responded with a puzzled look, “What is Jesus? We don’t know what that thing
is.”
A language survey in a remote area
The Good News of Jesus has reached many parts of Africa. Yet there
are still language groups where people have no understanding of the importance
of Jesus coming to earth. God’s Word in their own language will reach
their hearts. Thank you for your prayers and gifts that are helping to
bring Jesus to every tribe, tongue and nation.
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Here’s a short update on each of us:
Sue – "Home
schooling our three children take up most of my time. Work with the women who
have recently left prostitution continues as well. Every week I meet with these
ladies for discipleship and look for ways to help them find meaningful jobs.
Praise the Lord! Four sewing machines from a church in the US have arrived to
help with this need.”
Sue
and Isaac learning to read
Ken – “In November we did
another training session for more Zambians who want to learn Bible translation.
Then we did a seminar for pastors about the importance of churches sending out
their own missionaries. Practically none of the churches here have sent out
missionaries, but it’s vital that they have a vision of going out to every
unreached people group.”
Sarah –“Our
family really enjoyed the vacation we had in early November. I went rafting
down the Zambezi River. There are crocodiles in the river but we’re told they
don’t live in the swift water. I was scared when the raft flipped and I was
underneath. But I thank the Lord for helping me to get out and back into the
raft.”
On
Christmas we will try to call our families using a microphone connected to our
computer and the internet. In this photo the kids talk to their grand parents.
Elisabeth – I’m doing great in school. Next year
we will be coming back to the United States and mommy is helping me to learn
about different places we will see. Please pray that we find people to take our
pets while we are gone. Our dogs are important to help watch our place and
we’ve become so attached to them.
Isaac –I’m in the
first grade and can already spell some big words like ‘cake’, ‘frog’ and
‘tooth’. By the way, I lost my front tooth. Hope I get a ‘toof’ for Christmas.”
Thank you for
spreading the true meaning of Christmas!
Your Missionaries,
Ken & Sue
Sarah, Elise &
Isaac
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December Praise report
J For success we had in training
others
J Instead of more war in the
Congo’s, the losing candidate in the recent elections has accepted the results.
J Thank the Lord for the safety
we had in traveling to Zimbabwe for the vacation that was given to us.
Praying in the New Year
† Pray that our Work
Permit, the permission to stay in Zambia, is approved till we leave at the end
of March 2007.
† For training we are
doing in December to evaluate Bible translation needs in Zambia. Possibly 25
languages still need translation.
† That we become more and
more like Jesus.