It was a great day at church Sunday. The process to really getting to know people takes time. So grateful Zambians are friendly by nature and don't mind spending time. 

I love how God brings certain messages at certain times. This week I've been reading a book by Ted Dekker called "The Slumber of Christianity." It's about how many in the church have stopped looking forward with passion to the wonders of heaven trying to be satisfied with the pleasures of earth. This leads to disappointment and apathy when life on earth doesn't produce the desired happiness. He posits we need to be hoping (in the New Testament sense) for heaven while on earth which makes life on earth available for more true happiness but the best is yet to come! The sermon was on heaven and Christ's return. Not being caught unaware b/c He's coming as a thief in the night to take us to where there will be no sickness or death or stealing or pain. We will all have perfect bodies and no sin and know even as we are known. Ended with the hymn that has been in my head all week, Blessed Assurance. Praising my Saviour all the day long!

Learning great amounts every day in class! Yesterday was a very balanced presentation by a super intelligent man on pre-colonial Zambia. Bottom line: colonialism weeded out some bad things in the tribal culture while bringing some promotion but also caused harms in other areas. My take away: Sin and redemption whispers are in every culture.   Highlights:  Positive things the colonialists brought included abolishment of slavery (stronger tribes sold weaker tribes to the Arab slavetraders), help in creating a nationhood feeling amongst so many different tribal groups, helped bring new modern things (first farming of oranges, rice, wheat for example).  The negatives take a little more explanation, but I found them fascinating so hope you don't mind a lengthier post then normal.  First macrotribalism.  This stems from 70 different tribes being in the area of what was then Northern Rhodesia.  The British couldn't learn all those languages etc so looked at which tribes were strongest/biggest.  They picked a few to focus on, knowing they could transmit info to the rest.  This results in the marginalization of smaller, less powerful tribes.  Along with that the histories of the strongest four tribes were written down.  In one sense this makes the other ones not exist, leading to oppression and levels of ethnicity.  Third, the British introduced a "hut tax" to be paid in cash.  In an agrarian culture, that led to urbanization as people went to the cities to get jobs that paid cash instead of farming.  The British made the local chiefs collect it though.  It came to the coffers of the British.  They left chiefs in charge of some local decisions but then also had govt courts. To this day Zambia has two different courts and centers of power. It gets confusing when the chiefs and the govt leaders don't agree.  Lastly they looked to see what word the locals used for "God" and transplanted the more male dominated idea of God for the genderless concept that was prevalent in the African traditional religion.  This brought in a depreciation of women not as present before.  Several of the main tribes here are matriarchal instead of patriarchal. Not sure I fully agree or understand his last point.  But he feels Zambia will not be able to progress until the more nuturing or mothering aspects become more prominent in society instead of just strength and power.  He was also very fair to bring out that the missionaries and colonialists were two separate group of people.  Missionaries stood against the apartheid policies and had the interest of the local people in mind instead of just making money from the land.  But they depended on a number of things from the colonialist hence had some level of association.  So much to think about.   

Other topics included HIV/AIDS and how the epidemic has affected the fabric of society here. This morning was on the history of the churches of Zambia. Second was on homeless "street" kids in Zambia. Huge lesson there was "Don't give away money or food or anything to begging kids." It only increases that child's draw into an unhealthy lifestyle and draws in more children. In Zambia (it's different in every country) the main reason kids run away from home and end up on the streets is because of family neglect and divorce.  The majority of street children have at least one parent who is living.  What happens is they run away from a bad situation at home to the streets.  Within 2-3 days they are introduced to a lifestyle that includes easy money (begging), unprecidented freedom, and drug highs from sniffing.  If they aren't found by someone who will help them, they get sucked into this and don't want to leave the streets.  The freedom and high of the drugs and money in the pocket has a hard time competing with a family where the child felt unloved (perceived or real) and maybe abused.  The man presenting works with a ministry that  are daily on the streets.  They work to catch the kids 2-3 days into coming to the streets and working on reuniting them with their families with healing and learning on both ends. 
They have a center where the kids can stay.  They track down families and have the kids meet with their families.  Over time they work with the kids and parents/families with the goal of the child returning home.  The children may spend 3 months to 5 years at the center depending on the situation.  The goal is to make sure help in parenting skills is given to the family.  They work with teaching the children to not just run away from problems but work through them.  

In other exciting news, my parents will have enjoyed a day in Amsterdam by now and are heading to my continent as we speak!