Zambia trip October 2018
In October 2018 Pastor Richard, together with David Summerhill, Peter Moorcraft and Richard Penska travelled to Zambia for the 2018 Path of Life Ministries Cave Gathering Conference held in Solwezi and also to visit the school that we support through School4Kids.
This report will focus on the visit to the school with an accompanying video. However, we also provide a short note about the conference plus some shorter videos.
Beacon of Power Academy School
The Beacon of Power Academy is continuing to progress well from last year, with the curriculum now in place, IT equipment purchased and most of the building work completed. The school has now been extended from primary to include secondary ages and we were able to meet staff and pupils from both.
On arrival the Primary pupils did presentations which involved some interesting traditional dances and a welcome song.
The secondary school pupils were in classes as we toured around the whole school site which has changed since last year with a new science and biology classroom block on the secondary site and a couple new classrooms on the primary site that are currently being finished off.
School4Kids - Beacon of Power Academy
Both these classroom blocks will need to be equipped with furniture and other equipment in the near future and there are plans for more building work to happen when funds are available.
All teaching staff are now registered with the Ministry of Education which is a recent requirement of the Government in Zambia. Maureen Luwi, who manages the school, is also looking into seeing if the school can become an examination centre for the area as presently they have to pay fees for their pupils to attend other schools to sit exams. If successful then this will provide an additional income stream for the school.
One major issue for both school premises is the supply of water to the area. Two wells have been hand dug but they are not deep enough for a constant supply of water. These wells need to be deepened using proper boring equipment. This is being looked into as a matter of urgency as it is a requirement of the government for all schools. Once there is a good supply of water, this will also be offered to the local community free of charge.
After the tour of the school we presented the primary school pupils with gift bags and mealie meal which we purchased with donations from a number of people who support School4Kids, money raised from the breakfast contributions from New Wine 2018, and also from a special offering taken up at the Harvest Festival Service held at Frenchay Parish Church on the morning we left for Zambia.
Can I thank all those who contributed to these gifts and the mealie meal; this makes a massive difference to the lives of those who received this as poverty is a such big issue in Zambia and particularly in the areas around the school.
Report by Peter Moorcraft, School4Kids Coordinator.
Cave Gathering Conference 2018
Worship through dance
The conference was attended by between 300-400 people, mostly from Solwezi and surrounding areas in the north of Zambia. This included several pastors from other church ministries. There were four days of teaching which was shared between Richard Brown, David Summerhill and Richard Penska, with Pastor Evans Luwi opening and closing the conference.
We won't provide a detailed day to day report on the conference as it was very similar to last year, continuing the theme of Overcoming Faith. It is worth noting again that several people either committed or recommitted their lives to God during the conference. We praise God for changed lives.
The Machine Gun Song
Another notable moment during the conference was when three young children danced before us all as part of the worship. A video of their dance is included in this report. We also enjoyed singing again the song we learned from last year, which we've called the Machine Gun Song. Rather than just standing strong against the devil, we shoot him and his army with machine guns
Following on from the fun of last year, we concluded the conference with a water fight - only this time it was MUCH BIGGER. Again, a video of this is included in this report
Thoughts from Richard Penska
Richard travelled to Zambia back in 2006 but this trip was marred by illness. Wanting to create a new and more positive memory, Richard was invited once more to join the team in 2018. Below are Richard's reflections on this recent trip
- 4 days - sitting in a chair either in a plane or a car
- 4 days - at the conference
- 1 day at the school
- 1 rest day
So impressions - it is hard work, for those guys that regularly go out each year (yes it is a bit of adventure), but it is exhausting. It is hot, meetings are long and even preaching takes it out of you. I do want to honour the team because they work incredibly hard. Rich moves in a way you rarely see him here, but preaches and moves powerfully, Pete goes into super organising mode (camera man, keeping track of the money, and soaks it all up at the school) and Dave is generally on steroids (preaching, challenging, pulling off wardrobe doors, working out who is related to who). And generally they looked after me.
The BIG Water Fight
Even when it is fun and it is - you are always under time pressures. Whether that is shopping and bagging up gifts for the children, giving the gifts and mealie meal, and even filling up water bombs. But there is a great rapport in the team and with the Zambian church leadership - you observe a genuine warmth in welcome, but also in relationship. I want to thank you for your prayers and gifts of immodium (little used), I was well and fully able to enjoy my trip.
It is a place of contrasts - most of the population and certainly the church congregation and leaders live in what we would see as poverty, but the people do not strike you as impoverished. You will drive past small shopping centres and malls not dissimilar from what we are used to, but very few are using them - the general population use the ramshackled markets and huts. The church and school building in Solwezi actually looks impressive within its surroundings, but has no water supply, other churches are in much more a sorry state. They have uncertain incomes and limited access to health care.
It is a place of Facebook - no-one owns a car, but most have phones. Some of the team activities require Facebook, so I was duly guided through the sign up phase - but it did give me an opportunity to connect with some friends and colleagues and let them know what I was up to. I also seem to have friend requests from much of Zambia.
We can learn from our Zambian brothers and sisters - certainly not in how to use a PA system! But they are incredibly humble and gracious. And what really impressed me is that the leaders will often follow a word with "prayer points" and hammer home the main points of a word (often taking very few prisoners). They also engage much more with the preaching.
It was a privilege to go back and I am thankful to the trustees and leadership (& Louise) for affording me the opportunity to remake memories. I had a great time, it was a real blessing to preach and feel God's Holy Spirit moving, it was a hugely insightful visit as a trustee (as a Church we send substantial support to our brothers and sisters in poverty) and it was good for my spirit - to stand in a church service for perhaps up to an hour worshipping and praising God without understanding a word, but at the same time completely absorbed by it, is fantastic.
Report from Richard Penska, Trustee of New Life Church Bristol
