Zambia: Justice and Mercy

We greeted our fourth day in Zambia with bright sun and the faint smell of charcoal which is used as cooking fuel. After a hearty breakfast – yes, we are privileged to have three meals a day - we drove to the International Justice Mission (IJM) to introduce ourselves and to meet its new director Claire Wilkinson and her staff. The IJM’s mission is to provide legal assistance to disadvantaged Zambians. For example, widows and orphans often face land and property grabs which means their property is taken by paternal relatives when the father of the household dies. Similar to US law property flows to widows and children, so IJM fights for those rights. Claire’s energy and passion for this difficult work was hopeful.

Our afternoon was filled with feeding program visits sponsored by three churches within a 26 church network that is supported by the Jubilee Center, one of CPC’s Zambian partners. Beautiful children crowded around, welcoming us with outstretched hands and wide smiles. Kiersti gave a two minute kids sermon, based upon Psalms 139: 14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made”. The team all took turns cooking nshima, a thick, cream-of-wheat type staple which is often eaten at each meal. Volunteers lovingly make these meals. We are never far from seeing God’s hand at work.

Over eighty percent of the children we served today are HIV positive. Their antiretroviral drugs (ARV’s) are to be taken with food, so these feeding programs are literally life saving. The children showered us with love and joy. Though we left with nshima, dust, dirty dishwater, and sticky who-knows-what on our clothes, we left having received more than we gave.

Our evenings have closed with intimate, reflective, candlelight (due to intermittent power outages) conversation. We share what we have sensed and felt. We ask tough questions and try to wrap our heads around each day. And we also laugh. A lot. We are blessed to have Pastors Paul and Rich shepherding this trip. As Rich would say. “It’s another beautiful day in Africa.” Amen.

Anne and George West