Our first trip took us East into Chief Mpezeni’s territory near the Malawi/Zambia border. We had an opportunity to meet with a couple pastors in the area and get a feel for the work that is happening. Although there are churches in the area, the depth of Biblical knowledge is low and its impact on the culture seems non-existent. At one point we tried to talk to some small school kids but they ran away from us thinking we were Satanists! I wouldn’t say this area is very difficult to reach and maybe if we could provide some sort of training for the current church leaders it would go a long way in helping their effectiveness.
Our second trip took us into Chief Nzamane’s territory more toward the West of Chipata on the way back to Lusaka. We went about 10km off the main road into the bush and found 1 solid church among a vast area of unchurched people. My general impression was that there is a need for spiritual leadership but that things are progressing and the church is trying. There are many in this territory that need to be reached and maybe at some point in the future we could bring some groups in to better evangelize and give the current churches a real boost.
Our third trip took us North towards Landazi into Chief Chipangali’s territory. We went roughly 40 km into the bush and found long stretches of areas where there is no Christian representation at all. We did finally meet with one pastor and he begged us to come back and teach and preach to his people. The work in this area is quite large as he described the people in the area as given to drinking, lewdness, and all sorts of dark traditional ways. He was even disappointed with the Christians that refuse to put away the old man and live for Christ. Again, we see the need and the great possibility of us coming back at some point to evangelize and preach to these people.
Our last trip took us South past the town of Chadiza into Chief Pembamoyo’s territory. This was a rough one that required full 4-wheel drive to navigate a very rocky and mountainous “road”. It would likely be an impassable road during the rainy season as many of the rivers we crossed did not have bridges. The trip took us roughly 200km into the bush bringing us to the border of Mozambique as well as the border of Malawi. During this trip, we stopped to pass out tracts and talk with some local people about life in the area. We found the people couldn’t read the Chewa literature because of illiteracy and almost no gospel preaching churches existed. As we continued our journey, we saw more and more villages off the road that likely have never heard the true Gospel Message. At the end of the day this was the most difficult of all the places to visit but it was apparent to us that it was also the area with the greatest spiritual need.
We are currently in the middle of our “winter” season in Zambia. Temps are reaching the mid 40s at night and only into the low 70s during the day. For most of us that means extra blankets at night and jackets during the day! We have lost water during the day and pressure only seems to come at night for a few hours. We are making sure to fill our tank during that small window so we are able to continue under somewhat normal conditions. Our power has been on more regularly but the voltage is so low that our electronics don’t function correctly. After a while, it all just seems to be a part of normal life and we hardly notice! Praise the LORD!
Please pray for the following:
1. Direction for our church planting efforts
2. Ability with hearing and speaking the ChiChewa language
3. For the Lord to really work in the hearts of our Bible study group
4. For the man I am discipling to grow in maturity and spiritual desire
5. For the Lord to really use our family and this ministry to reach the lost of Chipata area
We are so thankful to all our family and friends that continue to love and support the work God has called us to! We pray for you all often and thank our God for your commitment! If you would like more regular (weekly) updates, please visit our blog at kevinpestke.blogspot.com and see up to date posts! May the Lord continue to richly bless you.
In Christ,
Kevin, Savannah & Analiese Pestke
Chipata, Zambia / Africa
Our ministry blog: kevinpestke.blogspot.com
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