The need for outreach in the bush!

This past Sunday we made our second outreach trip into a place called Nyawa. It is roughly two and a half hours from our farm and the only reason it takes that long is because of the road (if you want to call it that) you have to use. We had a warm greeting from the Pilgrim Wesleyan church in the area and after sharing with them our vision they were begging us to come back next week! These people had a hunger for God's word and were literally begging us to not delay on our return. We took Tom and Lena again and they did a wonderful job. Tom, as always, got them up singing and praising the Lord and shared some encouraging words with them while Lena took the children aside and made scripture memory cards for them to read while we are gone. I spoke a message on building a house for the Lord and talked about how the first process is always "digging" when you build a house. You must go down if you want to go up. Before laying a foundation you have to dig into the earth to lay the footer. This digging is represented by us exposing our lives to God and asking him to "till the ground" in our hearts until we are ready to receive His life and His nature in us. Pray that God breaks this people of Nyawa so that their hearts are prepared to receive Jesus Christ.
On the way home I was discussing with Tom about several different deep areas of the bush. Our next trip will be to Chapa Boma and this place is about as deep as you get in Zambia. Tom was telling me that the people there still break their teeth in order to resemble cattle, men still shove bones and wood through their noses and lips, and witchcraft is far more regular than in most places. People who want to travel but have no money will go to the witch doctor who will in turn perform a spell and lay a coat on the ground. The person wanting to travel will then step on the coat and "teleport to the destination". Now let me remind you that we are dealing with the physical realm here. This is spiritual warfare at a height we aren't accustomed to. You can't come here ready to fight with flesh and blood, but you must come against the authorities and principalities in the heavenly realms. (Read Ephesians 6 and 2 Cor. 10:3-6). Places like Chapa Boma follow practices where the way to determine who killed a man is to set the deceased against a tree and wait until he turns to look at the murderer. I say all of this to let you know that the light of Christ is greater than all the darkness in the world! Place after place has held these traditions and the truth of God has penetrated areas all over Zambia and led people to put their faith and hope in Jesus Christ. Please be praying for us even now as we prepare for our first trip to Chapa Boma. Pray for protection in the spiritual realm, pray for the hearts of the people to be prepared, pray that the rain hasn't completely washed out the road yet so that we can get into the area we are going. We will keep you updated as to how things are coming along. Your prayers are enabling us to make the difference. Thank you. (I've attached a picture of Sunda so you can all see how she is doing...she's enjoying her new drum!)