Below is the Bible study we have been using in Mumena. Most people in Zambia believe in God and Jesus and believe that the Bible is his word. This study assumes that foundation and helps each person read some of the basic teachings of God.
The Bible study is a discussion. The questions help each person hear, obey, and share God's word.
Recent Posts from the Mumena Team
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Baptisms at Tundula
Sunday we visited Tundula and met with the church there. During the Bible Study, a young man taught about the importance of following Jesus. Many of the youth said that they wanted to follow Jesus. We taught about baptism and explained how someone gives their lives to God and becomes a follower of Jesus.
Many of the youth responded that they were serious about their commitment and wanted to be baptized. There were 7 girls from about 12 to 16 years and 1 young man in his 20s.
There was no river nearby, so we decided to take the car down about 5 miles to the nearest river. It took two trips to get everybody there.
Once we were there, we read 1 Peter 3:21 and explained again that baptism was a serious commitment and that each person should be promising themselves to God.
Benny Kachimpu who is one of the leaders at Tundula did the baptisms. His daughter was one of the girls who responded.
Benny with some of the youth of the congregation.
A young man who was just baptized.
One of the girls being baptized.
Many of the youth responded that they were serious about their commitment and wanted to be baptized. There were 7 girls from about 12 to 16 years and 1 young man in his 20s.
There was no river nearby, so we decided to take the car down about 5 miles to the nearest river. It took two trips to get everybody there.
Once we were there, we read 1 Peter 3:21 and explained again that baptism was a serious commitment and that each person should be promising themselves to God.
Benny Kachimpu who is one of the leaders at Tundula did the baptisms. His daughter was one of the girls who responded.
Benny with some of the youth of the congregation.
A young man who was just baptized.
One of the girls being baptized.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Mumena 2013
Mumena 2013, a set on Flickr.
Photos of our family and the people here at Mumena working together in God's kingdom.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Loves Return After Furlough
We, the Loves, returned after our 2nd furlough last week on Jan 12. We have lived here for
4½ years and still have many years to go. While we were gone, the Rodriguezes were still here continuing the work.
We enjoyed seeing our friends and leaders of our sending church in Cedar Hill. We were also able to see much of our family and many of our friends from other places. We thank God for that time to spend with loved ones who are physically far away.
Really, those questions are too vague, so we have to think more specifically about what we are trying to accomplish: The goal of everything we are doing as missionaries and Christians is trying to build God's community. So we ask:
These questions help us first determine what we should be doing. Then when we have a clear objective, we can decide how to work towards that goal.
Before we get busy, we want to spend a few weeks praying and deciding what we ought to be doing. Then our busy-ness will actually have value. We saw this example with Jesus as he began his ministry by spending time alone with God for 40 days.
I'm not sure Karen would be very happy if I, Rick, disappeared into the bush for 40 days. However, we can as a family and as a team take a pause to decide what the next step should be. Whatever tasks we end up doing, we hope they will build God's community.
For the next few weeks, we are going to visit as many friends as possible while unpacking and getting settled at home.
It is an amazing opportunity to serve God as a missionary. The minor inconveniences of living away from our first culture are negligible compared to the friendships we enjoy. Even more, we know that these friendships are just beginning in God's everlasting family. It is truly a great honor that others have made such sacrifices to send us here.
We enjoyed seeing our friends and leaders of our sending church in Cedar Hill. We were also able to see much of our family and many of our friends from other places. We thank God for that time to spend with loved ones who are physically far away.
What's Next?
Another benefit of these breaks is that they give us a step back to evaluate ourselves and our work. By pausing from the weekly schedule, we can get a fresh perspective on the big picture:- What have we accomplished in the past few years?
- Where are we heading?
- Are we spending our time with the most important tasks?
- Are we focusing on the long term objectives?
Really, those questions are too vague, so we have to think more specifically about what we are trying to accomplish: The goal of everything we are doing as missionaries and Christians is trying to build God's community. So we ask:
- How much does the church resemble God's community?
- How is the church acting and growing as a community?
- Which tasks improve the community of the church?
These questions help us first determine what we should be doing. Then when we have a clear objective, we can decide how to work towards that goal.
Before we get busy, we want to spend a few weeks praying and deciding what we ought to be doing. Then our busy-ness will actually have value. We saw this example with Jesus as he began his ministry by spending time alone with God for 40 days.
I'm not sure Karen would be very happy if I, Rick, disappeared into the bush for 40 days. However, we can as a family and as a team take a pause to decide what the next step should be. Whatever tasks we end up doing, we hope they will build God's community.
Friends at Mumena
We look forward to seeing our friends in Mumena. It is amazing to see what changes in a person's life can happen in 2 months. We have heard of many new Christians that were baptized while we were gone, of babies being born, and of leaders who have matured much in a short time.For the next few weeks, we are going to visit as many friends as possible while unpacking and getting settled at home.
It is an amazing opportunity to serve God as a missionary. The minor inconveniences of living away from our first culture are negligible compared to the friendships we enjoy. Even more, we know that these friendships are just beginning in God's everlasting family. It is truly a great honor that others have made such sacrifices to send us here.
Monday, September 3, 2012
2012 Annual Youth Conference Report
This year we had our first provincial youth meeting. About 150 youth
came from four different areas of the North-Western province of
Zambia. The Mumena congregations hosted the event here. We met for
four days and had many activities. It went great and everyone was very
glad to meet other Christians.
As a note, youth here means "young person" and includes anyone under
35 years. With the "young people", about 20 "old people" came to help
supervise and cook.
We sang, had many Bible lessons, had a session on purity (separating
the men and women), and had simple group competitions. During "Bible
Search" a person from each team raced to see who could turn to a
specific verse and read it first. During "Bible Quiz" each team would
take turns answering random Bible questions. They also played sports
during free time.
The youth enjoyed spending time with each other. The lessons
encouraged them to stay faithful to God. The Bible competitions
challenged them to be more serious in Bible study. The singing and
other activities established some strong relationships in which they
will remember that they are not alone.
We look forward to other meetings in the future.
The Bible Search competition
Youth from four areas of North-Western Zambia
Resting after hauling water
Waiting for the baptisms
One of the four who were baptized
came from four different areas of the North-Western province of
Zambia. The Mumena congregations hosted the event here. We met for
four days and had many activities. It went great and everyone was very
glad to meet other Christians.
As a note, youth here means "young person" and includes anyone under
35 years. With the "young people", about 20 "old people" came to help
supervise and cook.
We sang, had many Bible lessons, had a session on purity (separating
the men and women), and had simple group competitions. During "Bible
Search" a person from each team raced to see who could turn to a
specific verse and read it first. During "Bible Quiz" each team would
take turns answering random Bible questions. They also played sports
during free time.
The youth enjoyed spending time with each other. The lessons
encouraged them to stay faithful to God. The Bible competitions
challenged them to be more serious in Bible study. The singing and
other activities established some strong relationships in which they
will remember that they are not alone.
We look forward to other meetings in the future.
The Bible Search competition
Youth from four areas of North-Western Zambia
Resting after hauling water
Waiting for the baptisms
One of the four who were baptized
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