Wednesday Hadenda Preachers Meeting and Ladies Bible Study

 Our team headed out for our final day of ministry before leaving for home on Thursday. Hadenda is centrally located for several other village churches. We arrived at about 10 AM and found 20 men waiting for us, along with 61 ladies waiting for the ladies Bible study. The men were pastors of the village churches and the ladies gather regularly for their Bible Study. This was a great event for these church leaders. Brother Hayton bought a goat for their meal. They provided the potatoes and vegetables and were in the process of preparing the meal on the open fire.


The pastors gathered in an elephant-grass stick shelter while the ladies gathered in the mud-brick shelter. Our team divided up and began ministering. Suzanne, Kim and Heidi taught the ladies, while the men taught the preachers. Many of the young ladies came to Christ for Salvation. The pastors learned the importance of being faithful in the Word. The teaching time for them was followed by a question and answer time. What an exciting time.

We thought about the helpless goat that had no choice in the matter of being slain for their meal. This goat no doubt would have run away if he were loosed from his bands. Jesus on the other hand willingly became the Lamb of God that took away the sin of the world. As we watched the blood running on to the ground I thought of the precious blood that Jesus shed for my sins and yours. I Praise the Lord that His Blood Still Has The Power To Cleans From Sin!

Tuesday’s Ministry in Mandala School

We started Tuesday morning with a hour trip to Mandala School where our Team ministered to children in grades 1 through 4 and 8 through 9th. What a privilege to be able to teach the Word to at least 250 children. These children were very open and receptive to the ministry of the Word. This is a school the Mrs. Hayton teaches the Bible in every week. We were clearly welcomed into this harvest field. This took the whole of our morning.

The ladies went back to town for lunch and headed to the deaf, blind, and handicapped school ministry. This too is a regular ministry outlet for Mrs. Hayton.

The men headed onto another church located another 90 minutes away. We arrived at our destination after following a dirt road, from which we turned off onto a foot path heading out into the bush back country. We arrived at a elephant grass and pole structure where the people were waiting for us. They had made log benches for people to sit on. These sweet people were ready to hear the preaching of the Word. We shared the goodness of God and taught the truth about the broad way and the narrow way. Brother Friday gave the invitation and many put their trust in Jesus Christ.

Every day of ministry has been wonderful with many people responding to the Gospel!

Preaching at Nico Church, Maala Basic School, Insanti Preaching Point



Teaching at Maala Basic School



 Monday we started the day with an 7:30 AM departure toward Maala. We stopped on the way to pick up a sack of cabbage weighing in at 60lbs or more and dried fish three small sacks. These were for the first church at Nico. We also picked up Isaac who would do the interpreting as we share the Word. Nico Church was the place we arrived at after leaving the dirt road and following a foot path. The people were packed into a shelter which consisted of a pole structure with a galvanized steel roof and mud bricks about 4ft high. The top half of the wall was open to the air. I also noted that the roof was open at the very top about a foot between one side of the roof and the other.

The temperature in the early morning was around 50 and the children seemed very cold having no coats. The first thing we were able to do was pass out warm jackets and sweaters to orphans and other children present. What smiles we observed as the children received their warm clothing. The service went forward with our team sharing testimonies and stories which included the gospel. Brother Darrell Long preached the Word and we gave an invitation. Praise the Lord for the many who received Jesus Christ by faith.
We had hot tea from water boiled over the fire and loaded in the Land Rover to head for the next stop. It was noon as we pulled into the Maala Basic School. This was a great opportunity for the ladies to share the gospel. We sang and as we sang the room began to fill up, before we were finished, children packed the room and others were climbing in the window to get in. WE PRAISE THE LORD for the numbers of children who heard the about Jesus Christ and asked Him to be their Savior. This happened a second time as the school provided another room of overflow children in all approximately 250 children heard the WORD.
Our third stop was at Insanti Preaching Point. This was further into the bush country, where a group has been meeting for about a month. Here the people were eager to receive us and rejoiced to hear the message of the Word. Several responded to the message for salvation. One dear lady wanted Jesus Christ but had a struggle renouncing Satan and giving up her magic charms. When after much prayer she was willing to give up her charms, she was able to pray and receive Christ. What a change came over her face as she smiled and Praised the LORD! GLORY TO GOD! By the time we loaded up and headed out is was getting dark. The journey home took nearly three hours. We arrived back at 9pm and were very ready for a warm meal, restrooms, and warm showers. Not necessarily in that order. What a Great God We Serve!

Children who were cold and received our blanket



Sunday @ Maala Baptist Church, Zambia.

Off to church this morning, we left Choma at 8:15AM for a service in Maala at 11 A.M. The service started with beautiful singing from this small church gathering. The service continued with introductions and testimonies. The children were dismissed with Kim, Heidi, and John along with Mrs. Jody Hayton. They went outside and sat on the ground under a tree and enjoyed Bible lessons told by Kim and Heidi and later joined by Mrs. Neighbors. When the story of Zacchaeus was told and Jesus told him to come down from the tree ….John dropped out of the tree just as Zacchaeus would have come down. When the opportunity to trust Jesus as Savior was given approximately 15 children prayed to receive the Lord. Inside the church building Darrell and I preached the Word. Several responded for dedication and need for prayer. Once again the church was strengthened.


After the church service we walked across the field to the palace of Chief Munga Ila, where we had an opportunity to meet the Chief and his wife. We were given the opportunity to pray with the Chief who is experiencing some difficulties including assassination threats. How humbling to have the Chief kneel and allow me to pray for him and his region. There are 160 villages and 91,000 people under his leadership. God is opening the door to take the gospel to all of these villages. THE FIELDS ARE WHITE UNTO HARVEST BUT THE LABORERS ARE FEW!

We made the journey home and arrived back in Choma at 6pm. The nine of us unloaded from the Land Cruiser and entered the house ready for a hot shower and warm meal. Plans changed when the power went out. No, hot showers until the power comes back on! Thankfully the food in the Crockpot was ready to eat, so we had a candlelight dinner. We learned that the power routinely goes out on Sunday Nights.

Tomorrow we will be heading out early at 7:15AM for another journey back to minister among the Ila people. Praise the Lord for His Wonderful Grace.

The Churches in Chipepo Strengthened

Praise the LORD for HIS WONDERFUL GRACE!  Friday we traveled six hours into the bush for a joint worship service with 7 churches.  Arriving at our destination after traveling extremely rough roads, if you can call them roads.  We set up our tents and prepared for the worship service which was held around an open campfire.  The night air was very cool. We needed to be in our warm jackets and close to the fire.  People came several miles away, all of them walking to come to the meeting.  One church traveled by foot for 7 hours to join the meeting.  We began the meeting at 7:30PM with wonderful music that praised the LORD.  About and hour later we began with testimonies from our team.  God gave me the opportunity to preach His powerful Word to the crowd.  Brother Darrell Long gave the invitation and over 30 people came for salvation.  What a wonderful evening . 
Early the next morning we heated our water on the fire and had some hot coffee.  That was followed by a three hour teaching time in the school house with the pastors and their helpers. We delivered 4 bicycles to the pastors of these new works, and gave out Bibles in the Tonga and English language along with Bible lessons in the book of John.  A supply of food stuffs was also distributed among the churches.  While we taught the preachers, John, Ryan, and Darrell taught the children the gospel.  God blessed with a great group of children stepping forward to recieve the LORD.  These very young churches in Tonga Valley Mountain region are moving forward for the Lord. 

Tomorrow Sunday we head for another village to conduct a worship service!  God is so GOOD! 

Thank you for your prayers.

Missions Zambia Update: Trip To Chobe Game Park

We started at 7 AM for the park which is in Botswana. Our transport driver, Frank, was a Jehovah’s Witness. Suzanne informed him that we were witnesses for Jehovah also. The conversation then went to the Gospel and Heaven and Hell and the very person of Jesus. Frank did not believe that Jesus is Jehovah, yet believed that without Jesus he could not be right with God. We had a very interest time sharing scripture regarding the great truth of the Trinity. Our team was praying while the defense of the gospel was being given. What a great way to start our first full day in Zambia. Throughout the day we had opportunities to pass out tracts and challenge people to know for sure about Heaven. Kim gave out a tract at one of the border crossing where our passport was validated. The lady graciously accepted, and her fellow worker was asking why she was left out. All of this in a language we did not understand. One of the team being next to Kim gave this worker a tract and said “This is for you we don’t want you to be left out!” Our guide said, “Oh, that is just what she was saying, you got her with that comment.” Praise the Lord! He knows what people need even when we do not understand.


We were able to see God’s amazing creation from the Elephants to the Banded Mongoose. What an enjoyable day. We made the trip back to Livingstone, and headed to Choma, arriving at the Hayton’s home, after another 2 hour drive, at 9pm. We were expecting a great meal and were not disappointed; we just needed to wait awhile for the meal to be prepared as they had been without power for two hours that evening. So is the life of the missionary in Africa.

When in the Lord’s work expect the unexpected. We were making final preparations for our nights rest, when I heard Suzanne’s frantic cry, “Jim! Jim! Help there is water spraying everywhere!” She was in the bathroom, when the hot water pipe under the sink burst sending water spraying everywhere. The bathroom and our bedroom were covered with water before we were able to rouse Brother Bob and have the water shut off. We figured out what had happened, and with the help of Chester the resident caretaker, we were able to fix the pipe. What followed next was quite unbelievable. The cold water connection to the toilet broke and began sending water everywhere. It was about 2 AM before we were able to make it to bed. What a great God we serve who gave us a wonderful laugh and great friends to laugh with, while giving grace to fix both the hot water and cold water pipes at the same time.

I can’t wait to see what today will bring!

Headed to Choma, Zambia

  Three years have passed since God blessed with a wonderful harvest of precious souls in Zambia.  This Sunday our team of 7 head back to Zambia to be with our missionaries Bob & Jody Hayton.  This year we will be going Choma where we will take day trips into the bush country to share the Gospel with villages that have not yet heard. 
   There will be opportunities to teach the preacher as well.  Your prayers are very much desired as Bob has indicated that the region we will be working in is darker and filled with division.  Praise the LORD HE IS THE LIGHT!  We delight to be taking the Light of the World to this area.  As we have opportunity we will keep the blog up-to-date. Thank you for praying for our team.  We will arrive in South Africa on Monday evening and fly from there on Tuesday Morning to Livingstone, Zambia.  The Lord willing we will be returning June 15th.