Growing up in a non-Christian home in Indiana with four sisters there was always a soap opera on the TV. I remember thinking “As the World Turns” sure seems like an odd name for a show? As I get older this name means more to me, obviously not as a soap opera name but as a way to describe life and the faithfulness of God. As the temperatures in Zambia are transitioning towards the cold season again and the rains are decreasing and the winds are increasing, it is a reminder that by God’s grace as the world has been turning everyday I have almost made one full ride around the sun on the continent of Africa! What a year it has been. I am so grateful to have been here this time, but as one of the Christian songs says you and I do not know how many rides around the sun we will get. My encouragement to you and me is we must live every moment to His glory.
I want to thank someone who is very behind the scenes. The behind the scenes ones are the easiest to take for granted and no one would ever know. I want you to know that the look and functionality of the Stearns in Africa web site is due to the I.T. moxie of Alex Tsou. Alex, thank you from all of us for the way in which you have served so many by taking this responsibility so seriously. As you do in all of your life, you have truly done this work as unto the Lord. Thank you brother!
Oh, I wish I had the time and determination to be a more consistent blogger or poster. If I could, you would be able to sneak more peaks into the work of God here. I have never seen anything like it. Never. Being a full time missionary and available for service at all times has been deeply rewarding. God was and is moving swiftly and powerfully here, and I have been able to plug into His great work. Some missiologists think there is still the glow of revival here in Zambia. Others think the revival is winding down, but regardless there is still the glow of the Lord here, and it has been deeply satisfying and powerful to experience. So to all of you who have prayed tirelessly and given faithfully and have communicated regularly with us thank you so much. To Him be the glory for the great things He has done!
We have learned more about the comprehensiveness of the work of God here. Let me explain. David’s teacher at CCM Academy is Mr. Mweso. God has used him in David’s life. David really likes him and his style, and God has used Mr. Mweso to create a hunger for learning in David’s life. It is noticeable. It is great to see, and we are grateful to Mr. Mweso for this. Of all the staff and teachers at CCM, the leadership identified (last October) a few that were more than likely not Christians. Mr. Mweso being one of them. The CCM leadership team came to me then and asked me if I would meet with Mr. Mweso for Bible Study to see about where he was at spiritually. I gladly accepted, and Mr. Mweso and I have met weekly since that time. Our time has been rich. Bottom line is I was able to lead him to faith in Christ, and at our last Bible Study he thanked me for bringing this about. He now has a hunger for the word of God. He is starting CCM Bible College part time by extension. Now that is the comprehensive work of God I am talking about.
Because of our weekly work in the Sara Rose Orphanage and my weekly teaching with the reformed street boys at the Nehemiah Boys Ranch, we have a solid relationship with the Zambian husband and wife who own and lead these ministries. Over the course of the last year, the relationship between them and the U.S. based mission organization that helps fund these ministries has deteriorated significantly due to a myriad of complex issues. The U.S. organization after much prayer felt it best to completely sever the relationship with the Zambian organization. Because of all of this, the local U.S. missionaries serving those ministries and the Zambian couple had to separate and end their working relationship but it was not without a lot of unresolved anger and other issues. We have also grown to know and appreciate these various U.S. missionaries, and we found ourselves neutral between the two opposing parties. They found themselves at a terrible impasse with the Zambian authorities who were about to get involved. Then God moved powerfully. When the tension was greatest and the moment was ripe, God asked me to mediate their differences. My first thought was Lord I have never been a part of mediation. Before I had any more time to think about it, I was knee deep. Many were praying, and I spent no less than 25 hours on this project. After I prepared the mediation document where I would represent both sides to each other and then ask each side to make significant concessions, I organized a meeting at a neutral site and both sides came. I will never forget what happened that night. The tension at the beginning of the meeting was so thick. God worked through me to bring reconciliation and resolve and solutions to both parties and at the end of the meeting the tension was gone and many apologies were given and forgiveness was granted. The solutions were not about “fixing” the partnership. It was clear to all that God was wanting a separation. Instead, the solutions were about resolving a civil matter in a Biblical way (I Corinthians 6:1-8) and bringing true compromise that would honor Christ and allow them to move on peacefully. The mediation was on March 15 and both parties have moved on and new ministries have been born as a result. Now, back to the comprehensiveness of God. While all of this was going on because of my relationship with the Street Boys, I was asked to go and speak to them. As you can imagine they were hurt and confused. I am so glad I had a strong relationship with them and could go and speak into their lives. I went early one Friday morning and gave them a powerful and hopeful message of God’s sovereign power and how He doesn’t just know the future, He determines it. If you want to see this message, Alex has posted it under the tab where some of my other messages are. It is titled, “God doesn’t just know the future He determines it!” I praise God for giving me (at the right time) the ministry of reconciliation. II Corinthians 5: 18 says, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation”
What is just amazing is that there are at least 3 or 4 more stories like these I could elaborate on but cannot for the sake of time. I do have one more amazing ministry opportunity that began before the three older girls left and is unfolding at the moment. Paul told the Corinthian Church in I Corinthians 3:6-9 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” In what we are seeing unfold here in Zambia, our three oldest girls (while they were here) were the “Paul” doing the planting. Shelley and I are the “Apollos” doing the watering, and as a family we are pleading with the Lord of the Harvest for the salvation of three young men, our neighbors. In short, our three oldest girls had a solid and healthy relationship with the 4 young men who share the same flat (duplex) with us. These guys range from ages 17 to 23. One of them for sure is a very committed believer and I feel as though the Lord sent him some reinforcements in the battle for the salvation of his brothers and even his parents by sending our family here for the year. Our girls had such a burden for the boys who were unsaved and prayed regularly for their salvation and had a few opportunities to plant some seeds in their lives. On the last night that the girls were with us in Zambia, we decided as a family to invite them to our Family Worship where I would share the unedited version of my testimony since I came to faith in Christ while I was at their age. The plan then was to invite them to a “Who is God” Bible study with me and Shelley on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to learn more about what the Bible says about who God is and how to know Him. There were 9 guests that night at our Family Worship and when I asked to see who would like to come to the Bible Study with me they all raised their hands. Can you imagine? It was incredible. We started it last Thursday and had our second study last night. Although our girls are gone these boys and one girl are so comfortable here. I promised at the first Bible Study to end each study in one hour. When it was time to end our first study, one of them asked if we could make them an hour and a half each time and they all agreed. One of the boys asked if we could also meet on Saturday night too. They are hungry and seeking the Lord, and God is drawing them unto Himself. Instead of Saturday night, we have invited them to our regular Sunday night family worship, and they are coming to that too. Please pray that these young men and the young girl will surrender their lives to the King of the universe while we are still here so that I can be sure they get plugged in properly at Agape Baptist and begin getting discipled properly. Praise God for His great salvation and the privilege it is to bring it to those who are perishing.
Want to know what I am not elaborating on? Here it is:
- I preached in March and will again later this month at Kafue Baptist Church in the Kapoto shanty compound (It is the real Africa!).
- Shelley and I are both speaking at a Missions conference this Saturday with a focus on the Cross, the Church, and Missions.
- I wrapped up my third and final 30 hour course at the Bible College on I Corinthians.
- Our adoption of Samson is seriously on-track for which we are grateful.
- After an evangelistic sermon I gave in November, I was able to lead one of the general workers to faith in Christ, and I have been meeting twice a month for Bible Studies and discipleship with him. He and his wife are both growing.
- God has miraculously sustained our health in the midst of malaria and other diseases.
- Our youngest four children had their very last day of school in Africa, and they too finished so strong.
- Then there are the orphans ….. If there was ever a reason to go on a mission trip anywhere in a third world country, it would be for the orphans for they truly live in God’s heart, grace and favor, and every moment with them is pure joy and a high honor.
-Dave
