Our highway followed Congo's border a couple hours. Every time I gazed at those palm trees across Luapula river, I felt that Macedonian tug.
We stopped to visit a small church.
"Meet Jean Kalipesi. He's been waiting for you."
How did he know we were coming?
The new African drum. Cellphones.
Jean spoke Bemba and French. Only. "Anglais?" he laughed. "Non!"
And my Français, learned 40 years ago, has shrivelled to a dozen words.
The tribes across the Luapula are the same as the ones in Zambia. They are related and intermarry. Neighbours across the river play soccer with each other. Congo used to be a Belgian colony, so their trade language is French. The common language both sides is Bemba.
"Three villages want you to come plant churches." Jean pointed west. "Kashobwe is just there, across the river. Mukupa is 7 kilometres inside. Nsonga is 45 km farther." Wow.
Bupe Living and two other Zambians promised to meet Jean and his friends "across" July 19. They plan to spend two weeks in Congo, travelling on rented bicycles.
"Au revoir, Jean!" He grinned and poked a hand toward me.
"Au revoir!" Until next time.

Bangweulu Beads

End of the Road . . .

Victor found a teaching place at Mwewa, and Kingston will teach English at Mwansakombe. Joseph and Hendrix are at Kasaba River, the boundary between Luapula Province and Northern Province.
Watch this space!

Camping up North

I am back from eight days, camping in the northern parts of Zambia. Driving all day, every day. Sleeping on the ground all night, every night.Two days up.Four days on the hunt.Two days back.

With me were five George Benson Christian College graduates, each hungry for a teaching post.

I also took along three Eric's House boys, as cooks and dishwashers, and for company on the long road back home.

Why haul graduates up into the northern boonies?

Zambian congregations cannot afford to support their own preachers. A church that is dependent on foreign money to operate will die when that outside cash dries out. The solution is: "Teach church workers the Bible, and also train them in a vocation that enables them to support themselves". Tentmaking. At George Benson Christian College we train school teachers. We are affiliated with the University of Zambia, who issues our diplomas. With their credentials, GBCC graduates are qualified to teach in any high school. We only offer two three-year teaching diplomas at this time--An English major and Bible minor, or a Mathematics major and a Bible minor. Religious Education in Public Schools All public schools here offer Religious Education, so our graduates can teach Bible at government expense, can be housed at government expense, and can work with local churches while supporting themselves as school teachers. We call this program "Northreach" because most of the unevangelised areas of Zambia are in the northern parts of the country along the border with Democratic Republic of Congo.

"Bonding"

Most Zambian families cannot afford college education, so we need to find sponsors to see them through to graduation. Students who accept sponsorship must sign a contract, bonding themselves to teach in remote parts of the country for three years. So far, 24 of our graduates are working in mission areas of Zambia. We think that training self-supporting ministers is the most effective way to grow independent, self-sufficient congregations. This journey North was to place bonded graduates in schools to strengthen fragile new congregations, or to plant new churches.

Dear Friends,

Our communications did not work during the campaign. Sorry about that! Last December thieves got our satellite phone and laptop. Police recovered them. the phone and laptop both appear to work fine. We can even log on to our Stratosnet account, but have never been able to send e-mail over the link.

So . . . brace yourselves for a string of belated reports!

Love from Roy and Kathi

Greetings to Friends and Family of the Northreach 2006 Campaigners.
Early this morning five members of the campaign group left from Little Rock to fly to Atlanta where they were joined by ten more travelers. The group should be somewhere between Atlanta and Johannesburg now. Tomorrow they fly to Lusaka where two more will join them for the charter flight to Serenje where they will be staying at Kalwa Farm.

Richard Duke called a short while ago by sat phone to report that all is well! Everyone is safe and healthy. All of the trunks made it to Lusaka, but they were held up in customs. The group waited two hours, but they were not allowed to take the trunks. Roy Merritt had to stay overnight to speak to the Minister of Health to have the medicines released. The group left in time to fly by charter plane to Serenje where they landed by sunset and made their way to Kalwa Farm, their home for most of the campaign.

Fortunately the Zambian members of the team (including Dr. Sid Tate) had enough medicine with them to make it through the first day of clinic. (Our group of 17 joined a group of probably 40 or so people from Zambia including nurses, medical officers, dental workers, evangelists, people to work with children, and people to cook.)

Over 900 patients were seen today!