[Sonlifeafrica-newsletter] December 2002 Ministry Update

["Mark Tittley" <mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear friend

Edgar Ramsami and myself returned this morning from an amazing experience in
Zambia. We have the wonderful privilege of training a group of key youth
leaders from twelve different churches and three cities in Zambia.

Thank you for your interest and involvement in the ministry of Sonlife in
Africa during this past year. I will be taking what feels like a well earned
break from now until the 6th of January - I know that my family has
sacrificed a lot this year as they have released me to travel in Africa. I
do pray that we will be able to build up some valuable memories as a family
before the new year is upon us.

Please join us in praying that God will meet all our needs as we contemplate
continuing ministry in Africa in 2003.

See my report below.

Regards

Mark Tittley
Director, Sonlife Africa

---------------

Zambia Ministry Trip December 2002

Edgar Ramsami and Mark Tittley flew to Ndola airport in Zambia from
Johannesburg International Airport on Monday afternoon the 9th of December.
I (Mark) recall being amazed at how green the country was as we flew over
Zambia. It seemed like we had brought the rain with us as well!

David Mulonga, the key national for Sonlife ministries in Zambia, met us at
the airport. We took some time at customs as we had to declare ever piece of
electronic equipment that we had brought with us - this was to ensure that
we were planning to take it back home with us and not leave it in Zambia.

The journey to David's home took about a minute as he literally lives on the
doorstep of the airport.  It was great to see Lydia again and David's two
boys again - they have spent a few years living in South Africa while
studying at a seminary that I have lectured at in Johannesburg for many
years. She had prepared dinner for us and we enjoyed the roast chicken meal
that she has. Then we traveled to a Bed and Breakfast hotel where we spent
the night.

We woke on Tuesday morning, had breakfast in the hotel's restaurant and
spent the rest of the morning sharing together (Edgar and I) while we waited
to be taken to David's home for lunch. David had some organizational matters
to attend to for the upcoming Strategy seminar and this gave us some spare
time to share together. We shared about how the year had unfolded for the
two of us; about how our marriage relationships were growing and about our
plans for the new year regarding ministry in South Africa and the rest of
the continent.

Lunch at David's was a great experience and included an opportunity to taste
some new vegetables: cassava leaves and pumpkin leaves cooked with carrots.
The vegetables were enjoyed with the pap  - a maize starch that is also the
staple food of millions of South Africa - and of course, as always the whole
meal was eaten without knife and fork!

After lunch, at around 3pm, we traveled to a Fransiscan Retreat Centre where
the Strategy Seminar was to be held. We joined with the leaders who had
organized the event for a time of prayer and worship. By the time the
seminar started at 5pm, there were 20 key leaders who had gathered for the
training. After much worship and prayer each person introduced themselves
and David introduced me. I shared the story of Sonlife's ministry in Africa
and introduced Edgar. I shared how that just a week ago I had been burdened
to ask Edgar to present the seminar even though I love teaching the Strategy
seminar more than anything else. I shared how that Edgar is taking oversight
of Sonlife in Southern Africa and how that he would probably be the one to
present the next level of training in Zambia and was therefore the right
person to present the seminar. This was also a way to model multiplication
for the delegates - a key part of what the Strategy seminar teaches from the
life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

We broke for supper and enjoyed the pap, chicken and cabbage and water we
received. This was a great time of interacting with key leaders as we dined
together. After supper the meeting continued and Edgar and able to cover the
first two points of the Introduction to the Seminar: The Purpose of Youth
Ministry (Disciplemaking) and the Product of Youth Ministry (Disciples who
Make Disciple). While Edgar taught I had an opportunity to type up some
notes linked to each part of the presentation and will make these available
to other trainers - it also gave me a chance to interact with the delegates
as I added insights along the way. After the session Edgar and I met to talk
through his presentation and I was able to encourage him for the fresh
insights that he had introduced - including some creative ways in which he
got delegates to share in the group - and also to help him improve his
presentation in certain areas. I saw the benefit of being able to sit on
another person's training in order to encourage and coach them through the
training role.

After a good nights sleep we awoke to a new day and I remember how many
times I had been impacted on this trip already about how the Zambia person
is so full of joy and laughter!!! It seems like they are a people at peace
with themselves and they have a love for life and relationships that is
simply infectious!

After a great breakfast of tea and buttered rolls, we started the seminar
with a time of worship and prayer. Edgar then started the morning's teaching
with a summary of what had been covered the day before. As the day of
teaching progressed into the evening, I realized how valuable this seminar
was to me. Edgar had asked me, when I asked him to present the seminar,
whether I would be fulfilled given that I would not be the presenter - and I
had replied that I felt that it was necessary for the development of Sonlife
in Africa that he be the presenter - yet, I can only testify to the
incredible value that sitting in the seminar has been for me.

The ability to coach Edgar through various aspects of the seminar and also
to judge the flow of the seminar and identify things that need to be added
and things that need to be removed. It has also been a great experience to
be able to participate in the discussion as and when appropriate. Finally,
it has also been valuable for me to model the principle of multiplication
for the delegates - as they have been able to see that Sonlife practices
what they preach when they talk about handing over ministry to the next
generation.

I was really encouraged and challenged when after the evening message, one
of the delegates - James who is the chairman of the Zambian Baptist
Association, shared with me two passages of scripture that he has been
sharing with people. The first, Psalm 71:18 also happens to be the theme
scripture of the founder of Sonlife, Dann Spader - and it stresses that
leaders need to ask God to help them declare His power to the next
generation; and the second is from Judges 2:8-11, which is a sad indictment
on Joshua's generation who did not pass on to the next generation what God
had entrusted to them. The end result was the next generation did evil in
the eyes of the Lord.

So, I end this evening, after a day rich in terms of interaction with key
leaders in Zambia, knowing that God is at work and the excitement with which
Jesus-style disciplemaking is being adopted here among these leaders is an
encouragement for our work within Africa.

The final day of the Strategy Seminar went really well. Edgar made good use
of the two days of teaching time that he was given and it was great to see a
seminar where there was ample time for small group interaction - even though
some of the evaluation forms still requested that we extend the number of
days. The seminar ended with an extended time of thanks being extended to
Edgar, myself, and David and the organizing committee. There was a
presentation of a gift to Edgar and myself (Edgar received a copper clock
shaped in the map of Zambia, while I received a copper clock in the shape of
the map of Africa - reflecting our respective roles in Sonlife). Each person
was then presented with a certificate for completing the seminar and we
noted that David Mlonga's wife, Lydia, was the first wife of a Sonlifer in
Africa to complete the Strategy seminar - and possibly in the whole world.

The seminar was attended by 20 key leaders from 12 different churches in
Ndola and two nearby towns: Kitwe and Kalalushi. Here are some of the
comments we received from delegates on the evaluation forms:

Thank you Edgar and Mark for hearty contributions you have helped Zambia
with. May God greatly move in your ministry and families. David Mulonga

I want to say thanks be to God who has allowed me to attend this wonderful
seminar. Please continue with this good work and may God bless you. Pashane
Mwanza

The seminar has very very challenged me personally and the church at large.
Thus I'm asking God to bless you the facilitators and your family, even the
executive director of the seminar and at the same time the Zambian
representative of Sonlife. May God bless you people and I hope to be with
you again in the future. Nathan Cheelo.

I thank God for according me an opportunity to attend this seminar. It has
been a life-changing event. May the good Lord bless you and us as we make
disciples who make disciples. Saviour Kuyumba.

The seminar has challenged me in such a way that I didn't know how I should
implement my goals and take the serious responsibility that God has given me
for the lost, the believer and workers. I have learnt what I wanted. Evans
Kampamba.

The course has enabled me to get the "how to" in the youth work. Its so
simple yet powerful and practical and would definitely help greatly in
enhancing and planning the work. It has also exposed the things overlooked
which are essential in the eventual process of multiplying. Thank God for
this opportunity and you people. Paul Chifofoma.

I would like to thank God for revealing this vision to mark first and then
into Edgar. At least as Zambians we now know where to base and start as we
are involved in youth ministry. Otherwise the seminar in all was well
prepared and I have gone with something. Loveness Chimbala.

I will never forget in my life this seminar and my prayer is for Mark and
Edgar to continue doing God's work because our Lord has promised us rewards
in heaven. Thank you. Gehane Ntaimo.

I have really appreciated the seminar and I would like to appeal that the
quickest time should be found for the continuation of the course. This
course has encouraged me personally that I even feed despite being 42 years
old. May God help you greatly. Keep it up brethren. May his grace shine on
you. James Chendela.

After the seminar we headed off to David's home for a traditional Zambian
lunch and then we took a taxi to town and then a five-hour coach ride to
Lusaka - the capital city of Zambia. David and I sat together and we able to
spend some valuable time together catching up on our respective lives,
ministries and roles within Sonlife. In fact, the next two days would prove
to be a most valuable time for Edgar, David and myself - as we traveled to
Livingston in the South of the country to visit the Victoria Falls. Apart
from being blown away by the incredible beauty of God's creation as we
viewed the falls, we also found that it gave us the opportunity to interact
in an increasingly deeper way as leaders within the Sonlife movement in
Africa.

On the way to the falls, we were traveling in a Toyota Corolla and heard a
rather serious noise around the area of the back wheel - when we pulled over
to inspect the wheel we discovered that the wheel's tread had come off in
huge sections and how the tyre did not blow out can only be explained as a
miracle. We thanked God for allowing us to stop before we were placed into a
dangerous situation.

To capture what we experienced at the Victoria Falls in text is literally
impossible. As we walked through the entrance way to the Falls, we were met
by this absolutely awe inspiring sight of a huge volume of water cascading
over the waterfall. The longer we walked along the ridge we were exposed to
new scenes of the falls and continued to express our amazement - surely this
is God's glory on display!!! I guess you will have to see the pictures and
watch the video footage to appreciate a little of what we were blessed with.
What a wonderful way to end off a hectic year of travels in Africa - the
Victoria Falls is truly a spectacular multimedia presentation!!!

We had previously decided to travel back to Ndola on Saturday, sleep over in
Lusaka on Saturday night and then complete the journey on Sunday morning -
but we were keen to attend church on Sunday morning in Ndola. That meant we
had to make the long journey back on Saturday - so we left the guesthouse at
7am and arrived in Lusaka at 12:30.  We spent an hour in the local market in
town and then bought lunch at Nandos' before starting on the second leg of
the journey. We finally arrive back in Ndola at pm on Saturday night. We had
supper at David's home before returning to our guesthouse.

On Sunday we attended the Hillcrest Baptist Church in Ndola and I was
privileged to be invited to "mount the pulpit" and share God's word. After a
message where I challenged the congregation to win lost people to Christ, we
were treated to refreshments before driving to a hill where the church has
been given property to build a new church. The church has embarked on an
adventurous project of building a 3000-seater auditorium and they have a
prime location right on a hill that overlooks the whole city of Ndola. It
was exciting to stand on a place that will someday become a well known place
of worship in the community.

We had lunch at the pastors home - Pastor Enoch Chikalakale - and then
rested at the guesthouse before having dinner at the home of one of the key
leaders who had helped to put the Strategy seminar together in the town.
After supper we went to David's home where we finalized the details of the
weeks expenditure and I was able to give to David resource material that I
had brought from South Africa for his use in the movement in Zambia.

We flew back to South Africa on Monday morning - with our hearts full after
a great time of ministry and a significant time of deepening our
relationships. Edgar and myself have spent significant amount of time
sharing rooms and traveling together and together with David Mulonga we have
build lasting relationships and sense that we have come to know each other
so much better.