History | General | Present

History

The life-giving waters of Jesus are the reason that the Zambezi Valley Team was formed in the mid 90's. We are part of the Zambezi Valley Team ministering among the BaTonga People.

From 1997-2000 three mission families worked in the three corners of the southern province of Zambia. Doors were opened for the planting of many churches.

In the year 2000, two of these families felt God calling them to other areas of ministry, but the work has continued without a missionary presence. Currently, we are the IMB missionary couple working among the BaTonga people. Our area of ministry is primarily among the Plateau and Gwembe Valley Tonga.

General

What is our ministry in Zambia? We work in the area of general evangelism/Church planting. Our task is Matth. 28:19-20, go…baptize…teach.

Our task is to share Jesus with the lost and make disciples. We then baptize the new believer as commanded in scripture. Teaching them to obey God's Word is a vital part of the ministry. We then gather the new believers into churches and teach them to do likewise.

Evangelism - Our first task can be done in many way:
door to door (or hut to Hut) evangelism,
Jesus Film
home Bible studies,
and feeding programs to name a few.

Mazabuka Baptist Church was started through a Jesus Film Crusade.

Chitongo Baptist Church which meets in a village, was started after a volunteer team from the states gave of their time to help start a church.

Nsaanti Baptist Church, which meets under a tree, started when one member of the Mazabuka Church felt God calling him to go as a home missionary to the area of his boyhood.

Mujika Baptist Church started because of a feeding program for the elderly.

Elia, who is in her 80's, came to know Christ through this feeding program. She loves to share her testimony. She faithfully attends Mujika Baptist Church. "All my life I was blinded to the truth…But God sent people from far away to share Jesus with me…Now I know the truth and I'm not going to listen to those who try to tell me differently."

Present

Our ministry this term is focused mostly on a new Bible study in Gwembe, the town where we are living this term. Not long after coming to Gwembe, God opened the doors for a Bible study to begin. Presently, we are meeting on Sunday mornings in a small room where the local court is held during the week. Each week anywhere from 8-12 adults, and about the same number of children are gathering for Bible study. Eight adults have accepted Christ and of these, four seem very serious about growing. Each Sunday afternoon, we are meeting for additional discipleship and it is exciting to see how God is opening the understanding of these new believers.

One of the most exciting things about the Gwembe Bible study is the way the Lord keeps bringing new people. Some of these we have met somewhere in passing, but others are just hearing about the Bible study and coming to join us. We are praying for Patson, a former Jehovah's Witness who says that the message he is hearing is powerful. Pray for his salvation. He is really hungry to know the truth.

A second Bible study has recently started in a village just outside of Gwembe. Some of you will remember our story of Funwell. Wes gave him a tract to read when he met him in town one day. We were driving out near his village, showing a visitor from Mazabuka the area, when Funwell approached the vehicle. He had read the tracts and was ready to receive Christ. His village is a little too far from town for he and his family to come to church, but he showed up one Sunday with several family members. He asked that a Bible study be started in his village on Sundays. Who could turn down an invitation like that. Because we cannot be two places at one time, Luckson, our yardworker and coworker in Christ is leading this Bible study. He is excited about what God is doing. Each Sunday afternoon he rides his bike to the village and meets with Funwell's family and neighbors. Several have received Christ.

Language study is consuming most of our time at the present. We started classes January 4th, and except for two breaks, we will be in school until end of April. Our minds are swimming with Tonga words and phrases. At times it has seemed a little overwhelming, but we praise the Lord that He is giving us the strength to carry on, and the ability to understand and learn. We know you are praying!!

Language school is providing us with some new and interesting opportunities to be a witness. There are 11 students in the class, three Catholic priests, one American anthropologist, a Danish lady working in Zimbabwe, two Catholic sisters, and 4 Baptists (two from another Baptist organization). Our teacher is also Catholic. Pray for us as we find many different opportunities to share our faith.

We are not able to work as closely with the other churches as we were last term. We plan to get more involved when language school is finished. We plan to focus on leadership training and discipleship when the time comes. We even hope to be able to teach and preach in the CiTonga language.

Thank you for your prayers for our ministry. You are a partner with us!