Into Africa

          When I was a sophomore at Davidson College, I wanted to go to Africa.  Davidson had a program in Kenya and many students spent time there, working in a school.  One of my closest friends at Davidson spent a year there.  For different reasons, I never made it to Africa.  However, my interest in going never waned.

          Thirty-eight years later, I have the opportunity to travel to Africa. However, where I'm going is approximately 1100 miles south of where I thought I wanted to go when I was a college sophomore. 

              

Area: Zambia covers 752,614 sq km of land, slightly larger than the state of Texas.
Population:  Approximately 13 million

Language: English (official); major vernaculars include Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages.
Religion: Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%.

Average Annual Income: $1,070

Literacy Rate:  71%

Life Expectancy:  43 years

I’d like to thank our congregation, for your willing support of Dustin and Sherri in their work in Zambia and of my teaching trip to Zambia in June.  I’d also like to thank our session for their encouragement to pursue this opportunity to represent our congregation in person in Lusaka. 

            Most of all, I thank God for his blessings and for the opportunity we all have to prepare preachers.  For “how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?  And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent?  So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.”