Merry Christmas!!! 
Christmas in Zambia is not like Christmas where you might be.
No Snow Of course there is no snow or wintry weather. Below the equator we are now enjoying our hottest season with temperatures over 100 degrees. Thankfully, the rains have started and things have cooled off a bit. With the rains beginning, people can now plant corn, squash and other crops like cassava.
No turkey Instead of the normal nshima (corn flour boiled into a thick mass) Zambians will celebrate Christmas by preparing something different like rice, collard greens and fish. Friends may visit and if possible some extra money is spent on things like soft drinks.
No Football Instead of TV, church groups will perform Christmas plays. These are always fun to watch. In the story of Jesus’ birth, Mary is not alone when giving birth but her many African girl friends are with her -- as would happen with a birth here. Moreover, Mary is quite animated and screaming in pain.
No Christmas Trees When we didn’t have a tree once we cut off the top of an avocado tree. It had small avocados on it so we just left these on as ornaments. Gifts are not exchanged, but in rural areas people gave us gifts of chicken eggs. And for a small donation a choir sang outside our door early Christmas morning.
No Jesus One of our Word for the World members was recently doing a language survey in remote area. To evaluate whether or not the people needed a Bible translation he needed to find out how similar that language was to other languages. Using Swahili he would ask questions like, “How do you say ‘house’ in your language?” Or, “How do you say ‘person’ in your language?” and so on. When he asked the people, “How do you say ‘Jesus’ in your language?”, they responded with a puzzled look, “What is Jesus? We don’t know what that thing is.”
A language survey in a remote area
The Good News of Jesus has reached many parts of Africa. Yet there are still language groups where people have no understanding of the importance of Jesus coming to earth. God’s Word in their own language will reach their hearts. Thank you for your prayers and gifts that are helping to bring Jesus to every tribe, tongue and nation.
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Here’s a short update on each of us:
Sue – "Home schooling our three children take up most of my time. Work with the women who have recently left prostitution continues as well. Every week I meet with these ladies for discipleship and look for ways to help them find meaningful jobs. Praise the Lord! Four sewing machines from a church in the US have arrived to help with this need.”
Sue and Isaac learning to read
Ken – “In November we did another training session for more Zambians who want to learn Bible translation. Then we did a seminar for pastors about the importance of churches sending out their own missionaries. Practically none of the churches here have sent out missionaries, but it’s vital that they have a vision of going out to every unreached people group.”
Sarah –“Our family really enjoyed the vacation we had in early November. I went rafting down the Zambezi River. There are crocodiles in the river but we’re told they don’t live in the swift water. I was scared when the raft flipped and I was underneath. But I thank the Lord for helping me to get out and back into the raft.”
On Christmas we will try to call our families using a microphone connected to our computer and the internet. In this photo the kids talk to their grand parents.
Elisabeth – I’m doing great in school. Next year we will be coming back to the United States and mommy is helping me to learn about different places we will see. Please pray that we find people to take our pets while we are gone. Our dogs are important to help watch our place and we’ve become so attached to them.
Isaac –I’m in the first grade and can already spell some big words like ‘cake’, ‘frog’ and ‘tooth’. By the way, I lost my front tooth. Hope I get a ‘toof’ for Christmas.”
Thank you for spreading the true meaning of Christmas!
Your Missionaries,
Ken & Sue
Sarah, Elise & Isaac
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December Praise report
J For success we had in training others
J Instead of more war in the Congo’s, the losing candidate in the recent elections has accepted the results.
J Thank the Lord for the safety we had in traveling to Zimbabwe for the vacation that was given to us.
Praying in the New Year
† Pray that our Work Permit, the permission to stay in Zambia, is approved till we leave at the end of March 2007.
† For training we are doing in December to evaluate Bible translation needs in Zambia. Possibly 25 languages still need translation.
† That we become more and more like Jesus.
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