May 3
We have decided to do 2 days at Chinconcome and only one at the second site. The congregation is about 20 km out of Kabwe along a gravel road. It is a good road by Zambian standards and, I am told, well maintained.
The congregation at this location in the village of Chisamba numbers about 65. There are fewer men than women, but it is a good congregation and does have elders.
The building is well built. It has concrete floors and the bricks are cemented in place. It has a traditional roof. But, since it is in the Chisamba school district they are told they are required to put a metal roof on the building. I am sure they will be speaking with me about helping.
Even the pulpit is made of cement.
The congregation has cleared out a grassy area next to the building to set up for tonight’s Chariot. There is no way to know how many will show up for the film etc. As soon as everything is going they begin to announce the meeting over the PA system. Charles says it can be heard for 3 km perhaps.
Charles is sitting in the chair calling over the system.
The numbers this evening is somewhat lower that other events. There are 51 present. However, there has been a death. The sister to the headman died yesterday. At first, we were going to cancel the evening’s program. But, the headman insisted that the program go on since he supports it. His sister died in Choma to the south. The services etc. will be held there. But, 51 is still respectable. Since this is the first time in the area we are sowing some see.
The drive to the village is about 45 to 50 minutes. It is after 10 when we return to our lodging. Tomorrow evening we are hoping and praying for better attendance.
May 4
This is our last night in this village. Tomorrow we will be at the Railway congregation in Kabwe. The numbers are a bit better until the preacher went and invited fans of a local football (soccer) team that had just finished paying. The numbers were 146.
I spoke first and there were 4 who came to be baptized. Unfortunately we were not able to get pictures. There were two men and two women.
These are the two women who were baptized. At the end of the film we packed up and headed back to town. Tomorrow we will set up at the church building in Kabwe. That will end my part in the program.
May 5
After some discussion with church leaders etc. the decision has been made for the Chariot to delay traveling to Copperbelt a week and remain in the Kabwe area visiting several of the villages.
I will travel back to Siavonga Sunday after services. We have a program repairing wells before I depart for home on Friday.
The number in attendance in town was a bit lower than I expected. But it was not a bad turnout.
This night I repeated my lesson from earlier about how God speaks to man ending up with the Word of God. It was well received.
The Chariot will also show the rest of the film tomorrow evening. We will have gone by then. The Chariot will have to spend 2 days in Lusaka making repairs before returning on Wednesday.
All in all there have been 22 baptism during this trip. I am certain that there will be more from the Chariot before it returns to South Africa.
Tomorrow I will speak at the Sunday morning services.
Mweendi kabotu!
Charles