Leadership training

This year Zambia hosted its first Willow Creek Leadership Summit in Lusaka. We supported 5 pastors to travel down from Serenje and attend the conference, and they've sent us some feedback about how they found it:

'Was a time of personal renewal and reflection. Learnt fresh insights for my ministry.'

'The Conference was Awesome! It was so inspiring.'

'Thank you for blessing us as pastors. We have been challenged to do more – to love the Lord more – put the Lord’s and others interests first.'

"The summit was an inspiration, eye opener, encouraging and a reminder of things I used to do but relaxed. The insights were that, a leader to lead at a new level must lead from Holy discontent. When a leader leads from Holy discontent, he enters a different state of mind and becomes a risk taker. Must be able to create good environment for his followers. Having learnt these new principles I will move my congregation into a vibrant church to fight against injustice"

Leah took the pastors to the conference and says this:

'This was awesome! I felt so inspired and at the same time asked myself "Am I on track, Lord?" It was so exciting to have the Serenje Pastors in the conference as evidence of your obedience to the Lord to act on His command. I recalled the first trip you came and the steps which were taken by your church November 2007 to come to Zambia and compare to where we are at now November 2009 and the impact beginning to show on church leaders and churches and community, men, women and youth and families. May God continue to give the growth!! It is the small steps taken in faith that become part of a big story. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step!'

Leah and these pastors are amazing leaders, with a huge heart for God and the people in their communities. They face many challenges daily and really need our prayers. Please remember them in your prayers as we head into 2010.

Sowing seeds

One of our goals for 2010 is to provide seeds for 700 families. The seeds for the next year have to be planted before December, so we sent some money prior to the Gift Days, to ensure the seed could be distributed in time for planting season. Just before Christmas we received an email from Serenje and Leah, who heads up what we're doing in Serenje, says this:

'Please allow me to express our sincere thanks and appreciation from EFZ, Serenje Pastors and the community leaders of Kashitu, Kankoso, Mwansankano and Chilisha on the support you at Kerith sent recently. This funding is towards purchase of beans, groundnuts and sweet potato vines for 700 beneficiaries, purchase of goats and training beneficiaries in livestock and improved farming methods for better yields.
Rita and I were in Serenje again for 5 days from the 10th to 15th November 09 to be a part of the distribution of the seed to the families affected by HIV and AIDS. There was a lot of activity - hiring trucks to deliver seed, teams of volunteers and pastors for seed distribution in various communities and being among the community itself. It was encouraging to see the zeal from the people but at the same time reflect on personal responsibility of these households to improve their livehoods.'

Here are some photos showing the team praying over the seed and the distribution itself.





It's exciting to see isn't it? Please pray for good weather and that the seeds that have been sown produce a great harvest.

Thank you for giving so generously and making this possible.

Serenje Gift Days

As many of you know, we recently had our Gift Days for Serenje. The current total, including the money carried over from last year, gifts, promised standing orders and expected gift aid is now £107,323. This amount is likely to increase, with gifts and standing order pledges still coming in, and two more Kerith Relief events to go.

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to this. I am so humbled by your generosity and passion for what we're doing in Serenje. Every penny and pound given will go towards changing the lives of people in Serenje. Orphans will go to school for the first time. Families will have food rather than go hungry. Church and community leaders will challenge stigma, and visit and pray for those living with HIV and AIDS.

We received an email this week from Leah who heads up what is happening in Serenje. She was writing to Simon to thank him for the support they receive and she says this:
'We think of you often - always in our hearts. At a personal level I carry Serenje in my heart and all its key stakeholders - Kerith leadership, Tearfund, Serenje Pastors and their churches, EFZ leadership and the community leaders in our 4 project areas of Serenje district. This is a great network to be a part of and watch God work out great things to glorify Himself.'

To God be the glory.

Serenje Video

Great video produced by Andy White

Tomorrow

Tomorrow and next Sunday are our Serenje Gift Days. Last year we raised over £100,000 and this meant that:
-190 orphans and vulnerable children received school support
-402 farmers received seeds so that they can feed their families
-62 church and community leaders received leadership training
-66 church volunteers were trained to support people living with HIV and AIDS.

Over the next 2 weeks and the coming year we want to raise the same amount of money so that we can achieve the following:
-700 orphans and vulnerable children received school support
-701 farmers received seeds so that they can feed their families and an additional 300 families will receive 2 goats.
-50 church and 60 community leaders received leadership training
-100 church volunteers were trained to visit and support 250 people living with HIV and AIDS.

Those of us who have visited Serenje this year have seen the money this difference is making to people's lives.





Please be praying and thinking about what you might be able to give.

A message for all the women who have written letters for women in Serenje-the deadline for bringing your letters to church is tomorrow. Please remember not to seal the letters.

Thank you for all your support for what is happening in Serenje.

Shoes and coats update

Back in June we sent out 240 pairs of shoes and 160 coats to the children in Serenje. When we were out in Serenje in the summer we saw all the boxes of shoes and coats stacked up ready to be given out. The local pastors and church volunteers distributed the shoes and coats to the communities. Here are photos of some of the orphans who have received them and will now be able to cope with the cold walk to school in the winter. It's worth mentioning that it is extremely hot in Serenje at the moment, with temperatures ranging from 39 - 42C, so the guys in the photos must be pretty warm! One of the boys just has his new trainers on!





Thank you to everyone who donated shoes and coats, they will make a massive difference when the winter comes.

Seeds of hope

The money raised at last year's Gift Days has meant we can support families, by supplying them with seeds to grow sweet potatoe, groundnuts and beans. Most families depend on what they grow to feed their families-subsistence farming. In the first year of the project the target was to provide 200 small scale farmers with seed for their families, but when we visited in April this year we were really excited to hear that 402 had been supported. When we visited the 4 communities we're working in, each one reported of the difference these seeds had made. We recently received the following feedback from Serenje:

'There are already signs of renewed hope. Under the agricultural support, households that received the inputs could not contain their joy. Though the households will only have enough food for an average of 3 – 5 months from their harvest, some beneficiaries spoken to revealed it was the best support they have ever received. In order to ensure continuity, a communal seed bank will be introduced after the harvest. Each beneficiary will be required to give back a certain measure of what will be harvested to be kept and sold later. Those households who may experience poor yields can give anything of value equivalent to the required harvest i.e. chickens, goats, ducks e.t.c. The proceeds from the sale will then go towards supporting those households that may be lacking the most.'

We've just heard that the seeds for this year's crops have been purchased and will be distributed on Monday. It is very hot in Serenje at the moment, so please pray that the rains come and that there is a good harvest.

Thank you for giving your money to make this happen.