Tracy and I hosted the first orientation class here at our apartment. We were honored to have members of the C.R.O.S.S. project with us as well as Bill Walsh, Director of International Development with Desiring God Ministries. Desiring God is an organization devoted to making resources available for the promotion of God’s supremacy, especially through the ministry of John Piper. The purpose of this first session was to orient Bill and the new missionaries to C.R.O.S.S.’s ministry. John Chitembo, Etta, and Tim Hilty shared the vision and strategy of Churches Ready to Overcome Silence and Stigma. The C.R.O.S.S. project serves a very important role. HIV/Aids is the largest social crisis of Zambia and most of Africa. Although the death rate from Aids has slowed because of medicine available through U.S. and U.N aid, the rate of infection has not changed. Yet not even the church in most cases is bringing a Biblical perspective and Biblical principles to bear on this deeply spiritual and moral crisis. The C.R.O.S.S. training program instructs and equips churches to respond to the HIV/Aids crisis and in the process it disciples and trains leaders and laypersons to live with Christ as the center of their lives.
A word about Bill Walsh: Bill’s intention in being here was to see how Desiring God could partner with Action Zambia in providing solid Christian literature for pastors and leaders. Bill also met with AZ’s Pastoral Leadership Development team which is now in the process of forming it’s philosophy and strategy of ministry. Bill personally encouraged our PLD team with gifts of resources for our personal lives and libraries. We also discussed at length how we could use DG’s resources to aid us in the equipping of pastors. It’s very encouraging to have Bill visit our field and to hear of DG’s interest in partnering with AZ.
2 comments:
Dear Tracy and Karen,
It is so good to see that you all have wasted no time in getting your hands into the work. I am especially thankful that you have made direct contact with DGM to help provide literature. They have been a great help to us with spanish literature and whenever we ask for more or something in specific they seem to be already making plans to meet the need. So their "intel" is very good! We continue to pray for you both. I know you are excited about your new "digs" and opening opporunities to serve and go hard after the call of Christ upon your lives... "Work while it is day... for the night is coming when no man can work..." Press on beloved!! in bonds Don and Gail
It's great to see the connection with Desiring GOD that is developing-- I also saw that Bill Walsh did a brief post on the DG blog about his time in Lusaka with you. You can see it at http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/ under today's date.
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