Ministry in the Time of COVID

As it is everywhere in the world, the Coronavirus has created chaos, loss of life and has also closed schools, churches, and ministries all over the world, including here in Lusaka. Ciyanjano was closed for several months. We applied to the Ministry of Health to reopen the camp so that we could keep our Bible studies and discipleship groups. Our first two applications were denied but after discussing the situation with the ACTION Zambia Board, we decided to apply to just reopen our programs and not the whole camp. Ciyanjano Manager, Jailos Sakala and AZ’s Deputy Director John Chitambo jumped through the hoops and we got permission to reopen - not just our programs but the camp and the Ripley Centre as well. Of course with the increase in cases in Lusaka and the inability of churches to hold camps and keep the requirements set by the MoH, we don’t plan on having any camps or teams for the rest of the year. Due to the lack of income for Ciyanjano we’ve had to cut back to the very minimum of staff. This has been a difficult time for Zambians and we don’t see things getting better anytime soon.

Right now Tricia is homeschooling our kids every day and she has a teen girls’ Bible study on Tuesday afternoons. Please pray for those girls, that they would engage with God’s Word and pray for Tricia as she leads. On Saturdays, we have been meeting with a different couple each week from the Ciyanjano/AZ family to go through the video study on “The Meaning of Marriage” by Tim Keller. We hope to bring all 10 couples together every Saturday after we get a chance to meet one on one with everyone. 

Kelly has Bible study on 1 Corinthians with about 6 of the guys from the Champs discipleship program on Tuesdays. This is a really encouraging time of carefully reading and studying through this epistle. There is so much in this letter and the guys have a lot of great questions. To be prepared for the weekly 3+ hour study, I’ve been studying 1 Corinthians by listening to a variety of material including preaching and articles from Desiring God and using a book on 1 Corinthians from “The Ultimate Bible Commentary” which is super cheap series on Amazon for Kindle and has the commentary on 1 Corinthiansfrom Barnes, Calvin, Clarke, Henry, Spurgeon and Wesley.

On Thursday we have the Champs meetings again tocomplete the D2:7 Series from Navigators and we have a lot of work to do to catch up since being closed for almost 3 months. We are unable to do camps or outreaches but we are still able to be together every week for to get to know God’s Word better and to get to know each other better. Pray for unity in this group and for better attendance from the Champs. Praise God that Auntie Lukundo, who is helping teach and disciple the lady Champs has been able to return to class after recovering from a surgery. 

On Mondays and Wednesdays we might run errands in town, shopping or going to the bank or having a meeting. Kelly has also been using those days to do some extra study - he’s been working on going through the lecture series available for free from Reformed Theological Seminary. Right now he is “taking” a course on History of Christianity 1 and Into to Pastoral & Theological Studies. If you’re interested in getting Masters degree lectures from a reputable seminary, check them out.  https://rts.edu/campuses/global/

Overall we are doing well and staying healthy and sane. Looking at the loss of revenue for Ciyanjano and looking ahead to next year, we can see there will be a monthly shortfall in our monthly donors. In the new year, we will need to see an increase in our giving by almost 20%. Please pray about whether you might join our financial support team! We thank God for these 10 years in Zambia and for His provision and we believe He will continue to provide through His people for His glory.