Since returning from Africa Patrick and I have had a lot of people ask us a many questions about our experiences there. It's opened up opportunities to share how we saw God at work in the lives of the Zambians. Usually when you think about God transforming people you think of something internal, but our experience tells us that the kind of transformation that is happening is something that seeps into every area of life.
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| View of Tongwa Village |
One of the questions people have when we tell them we want to do missions is why would we want to go into a country to share the gospel when people already have their religion and seem perfectly happy with life as it is. I think this is a fair question, especially coming from those who don't share our faith and haven't experience God's grace on a personal level.
At first it's easy to think that the people of Zambia who live around the lake are happy and content with the way things are. But in truth, there is a spiritual darkness there that's palpable. People live in fear in these areas, and witch doctors capitalize on that fear in a multitude of ways. Sick individuals are often taken to witch doctors to be healed, only to be made worse and often killed in the process. Incantations and rituals are performed including human sacrifice to ensure successful fishing on the lake. The people are ruled by fear of the dark powers of the witch doctors. Living in fear is not conducive to a life of joy.
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| Grandmother and baby in Nsumbu (Photo credit Brad Livengood) |
There is definitely a spiritual battle going on all around the lake. In western cultures we often don't think of spiritual things or the fact that Satan is a real spiritual being who is constantly trying to rip us away from God's grace. In Africa the spiritual realm is obvious. Demon possession is common, and many of the missionaries in the villages cast our demons on a regular basis. Often what we would diagnose as a mental disorder in the US is simply the work of dark spiritual forces that can be cast out in Jesus' name. Believers in places like this can't afford to ignore the spiritual realm, because they really are on the front lines of a raging spiritual battle. For that matter, so are we, whether we acknowledge it or not.
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| Children in Nsumbu (Photo credit Brad Livengood) |
In the villages there is also a sense of constantly living in survival mode. People aren't able to plan for days to come; all they can process is how they will find enough to eat so they can live another day. Little or no thought is given to education, so many people don't even go to school. Critical thinking skills aren't used, so there is little chance of them ever improving their way of life. Alcoholism, polygamy, and abuse is prevalent, and the social ills associated with these things abound. After spending time in places like this it was very clear that the villagers weren't happy or content with their lives. They were suffering and in desperate need of saving.
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| School building in Chipwa |
Until you meet people who have come to recognize Jesus as their savior, you might think that there is little hope for people living such a lifestyle. But by developing a relationship with God, people experience a great transformation not only in their attitude toward God but also in their ability to learn and improve their situation. It's as if a veil is lifted from their minds, and they are able to learn and think critically. They can develop leadership skills and are able to take initiative so they can provide for their family's future. They begin to care about their fellow man and want to see their communities made whole again. It is absolutely mind-boggling to see the difference between the believers and non-believers. Jesus referred to himself as Living Water, water that would sustain us and quench our thirst for meaning and purpose. It's one thing to read about this in the Bible, it's another thing to experience it first hand and have a fresh appreciation for the Truth of who Jesus says he is. There's no mistaking the difference in the lives of people who drink from the well of Living Water.
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| Missionary family serving in Nsumbu (Photo credit Brad Livengood) |
When we talk about transformation we don't just talk about something God does in your heart. While that's also true, He is also renewing our minds and blessing us with the ability to truly improve the way we live, whether that's in a rural village in Africa or in the bustling cities of America. When people honestly surrender their life to Christ, they aren't abandoned by God or left to their own devices. The Lord really does sustain his children; we've seen it with our own eyes.
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| Believers worshipping together in Nsumbu |
So this is why we do missions; this is why we are willing to travel around the globe to share the gospel--because it really does change people. No amount of education or medical treatment can provide the same life changing transformation that God can. And when you see it up close and personal, you can't help but want to be part of it all!
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| Women's ministry in Mpulungu |
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