Outreach Fever

Our Sunday outreaches have taken a different turn the past two weeks. In the fall our focus was to follow up on the congregations that were planted as a result of the medical mission. Now that the rainy season is upon us, we can’t get to those villages because of the road conditions. Even if the roads were okay, our vehicle isn’t. The Land Rover has shaken and rattled over those washboard roads so much that now it needs expensive repairs. We’re waiting on a new vehicle (another LONG story), and we’re not going to sink any more funds into the Rover just now.

We’ve also shifted our focus for this term and are trying to involve more students in the outreach efforts. So, for the last two Sundays we have been “footing,” as the Zambians say. Two weeks ago we took 11 college students with us and walked about an hour to visit the Tumango congregation. Last Sunday I went on another walking outreach with a group of 22 to Mutala, an even farther distance. At both congregations our students conducted the entire service: preaching, teaching, leading the songs, and teaching the children.

It is a joy to see the willingness, enthusiasm, and abilities of these students. They did an excellent job in both places and were invited to come back any time.

The group that formed to go to Mutala was the result of a single chapel announcement and word of mouth. Now more and more people are spreading the word around campus, and others want to join in the outreach effort. When I got back to Namwianga on Sunday afternoon, several students asked, “How was the outreach? Where are you going next week? Can we go with you?”

I’m calling this a case of “Outreach Fever” and hoping that it spreads to many more.