Channels of Hope

Sign promoting the 'know your HIV
status' campaign in Zambia

How we all enjoyed the learning at Kamfinsa. Pastor Chilulu was amazing. His village has electricity so I could play music. He calls his project Channels of Hope and after listening to his inspiring teaching the four pastors from here in Mupitanshi agreed to hold a Channels of Hope meeting in Mupitanshi. Praise God. I was so excited I cried. Whew, there will soon be someone to help me take care of the sick.

His project is based on 'Know your HIV status' as a means of opening peoples eyes to the truth that 1:4 people here in Zambia are infected. He said "if you are not infected you are affected!!" Pastor Chilulu says that ¾ of the population go to church so this is the most obvious channel to get the message out there. So he is coming to speak to the community on 30th June. It will be a 3 days seminar with about 100 people. I am expected to provide lunch for everyone!!!! All the churches in the area have agreed to participate and amalgamate to bring hope to these vulnerable people. Amazing truly amazing. It's the most exciting thing I have done here, and all because my friend Liz gave me a book that had a story about Pastor Chilulu. (Liz: Pastor Chilulu is charming. I also met Milton the orphan who carved all the church pews and who teaches carpentry. Thank you)

Our school is a bit dysfunctional at present. When we call a meeting for the parents to come no one shows. Even the staff don’t always turn up. I am tearing my hair out and in a moment of frustration said, "Well I’ll close the school then" which has seen some action. The headman has put his power behind the school and the PTA so lets hope his muscle works.

The stolen boy's body [mentioned in the last blog] was recovered last week on Wed. They had cut off his genitals and taken other body parts and thrown him in the river. I was horrified. The only good I could do for the family was to buy a coffin for his small body to rest in.

Pastor Richard Musoyo is coming to stay this the weekend so I'm using my guest house. He is a pastor without a church and we have several churches without a pastor – somehow I thought I might facilitate getting them together. Pastors here have to have sponsorship to survive because the people are so poor they only give 50 cents each Sunday. Its such a sad situation for the Church so many people without a shepherd.

That's my news for this time. Thank you again for the wonderful encouraging emails and for your prayers and donations. I wish you could come and visit and meet these people for yourself. Such poverty you have never seen and yet life goes on. Babies are made and born and die, children go to school or not, parents are unfaithful, neglect is common, lack is everywhere and yet we still laugh and tell stories. We still worship God with wonder. Amazing. Do come and visit one day soon.

Love you
Durelle

• See also: A Zambian church walks the talk of love.
• According to the U.S. Agency for International Development Zambia is one of the worst affected countries in Africa, they use the term hyper-epidemic. The Avert organisation also provides information on HIV/AIDS in Zambia - they say the average life expectancy in Zambia has dropped to 39 years as a result of HIV.