Teacher Training

Last Saturday David and I did a leadership workshop at Mutala. Five congregations were represented. David taught classes on servant leadership and conflict resolution to the men, and I did teacher training for the women (shown above).

Iris Elder, daughter of early missionary Dow Merritt, grew up in Zambia and returned with her husband to work here for most of her adult life. Iris and Ken are now living in the US, but Iris still has a heart for the Zambian work. She translated my teacher training materials into Tonga, so now each congregation gets a complete set of instructions they can read and understand in their native language. I know Iris would love to see how excited the women are to see their Tonga materials!

I couldn't help but think about the timing of this event. In the United States, the Saturday before Christmas would not be considered an appropriate date for a workshop, but our Zambian friends were delighted to attend. Most of them walked long distances to get there, and several of the women carried babies on their backs. When the workshop ended, there was no rush to get home. The women stayed an extra 45 minutes for singing and fellowship. It was much more enjoyable than fighting the crowds at the mall . . .