Short Term Teams in a Time of Cholera

So if you have seen some of the photos and news links I've put up on Facebook, you know that Lusaka has had a serious problem with cholera this year. Now, it's only a few thousand cases and less than a hundred deaths and that's not really an epidemic but that could be due to the government's heavy handed approach to dealing with cholera. Their efforts have included closing churches (including sending in paramilitary troops to break up Sunday services with teargas. They've closed schools and markets and and there has been a massive effort to clean up the city. The unfortunate consequences (besides our kids having a very long school break and making us crazy) have included thousands of marketeers losing their shops and farmers losing their markets. It also meant we had to cancel our short term team Crossroads Church from Rowlett, Texas. However, things are always in a state of flux here (like they announced that schools could open we took our kids to class only to find the government had changed their minds about the school in the community our kids attend) so we un-cancelled our team and it's been a great time getting to know them and spend time visiting the ministries of ACTION Zambia! They brought filters and created 250 bucket filters for water filtration - each filter can purify a million gallon of water! They visited churches and homes of pastors connected to ACTION Zambia and attended a graduation of a large group from the CROSS project - AZ's course on HIV and the gospel and the church's role in Gender Based Violence.

At Emmasdale Church of God in Chaisa with Bishop Mark Mwale

Abusa (Pastor) Daniel Preaches the Good News with one of the Champs translating.

Jenn Ott teaches pastors how to use the water filters.

Andy Ott makes the pastors promise to give away the filters with the good news of Jesus.

Pastors learning how to use the water filter buckets.

Pastors from the training representatives from 6 different compounds 

Pastor Thole and family with their bucket filters at their home in Matero

Lisa, Kevin and DeWayne with Pastor Thole and Pastor John Chitambo

Pastor Alfred Mwanza and family at home in Garden East.

Pastor Peter Zulu telling of his conversion and call to ministry

Lisa, Kevin and DeWayne listen to Pastor Zulu

Pastor Peter and Kevin

Pastors John and Peter

CROSS Graduation at Faith Tabernacle

One of the graduates.