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| students in the literacy class |
Can you imagine hearing people talk about the wonders of reading
the written word while having no ability to experience that wonder for
yourself? This is the circumstance in which about 51% of the population of
Chipata finds itself. In the summer of
2011 Kevin Pestke and I had our first email dialogue about the problem of
illiteracy among the people that live in the rural bush region. Using research data compiled by Kimberly as
one of my information sources, I began to make plans to help alleviate the
issue through the Sisterhood Of Servants outreach ministry called the Global Sisterhood Initiative™ (GSI). The GSI is a practical "helps" ministry to missionaries,
national pastors, and long term aid workers serving on the foreign field.
The goal of the GSI is to provide practical resources to women abroad
(primarily in third world countries) who seek to make a positive contribution
to their community yet have been limited in their opportunities to provide for
themselves and their families as a result of widowhood, human trafficking,
cultural traditions, and civil unrest. One
of the primary components of the program is literacy training.
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| Big Tree Baptist Church, today |
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| Original church meeting place |
No one can imagine the flip-flops my heart was experiencing
my first Sunday morning in Chipata as we drove more than 18 miles deep into the
bush to attend the worship service at Big Tree Baptist Church in Milongwe
village. The SUV ‘bus’ ministry was
functioning to full capacity, and we picked up several church members along the
way. The Jalowiecs drove in one vehicle,
and I rode with the Pestkes in the other.
Let me just say, KEVIN DRIVES FAST! The dirt road was dotted with cows,
pigs, chickens, goats, and people.
Somehow they all managed to get themselves to the side of the road
without Kevin having to decelerate; all that was required was a brief honk from
the truck horn. I was thankful I didn’t
have to witness any animal or human sacrifice on my way to church!
When the Pestkes founded Big Tree Baptist Church about 11
months ago, there were 18 -25 members that attended faithfully, and the meeting
place was a huge African tree that holds its color even when the rest of the
landscape has turned brown. A thatch
roof structure has since been constructed, and as I waited for all of the
members to arrive (30+), I was treated to a mini-concert by the young people’s
choir. Their musical blend of melody and
harmony was beautiful and served as a kind of call to worship for all the
villagers. I used the hymnbook that Kevin had given me
and sang in my best Chichewa accent. Jan
Jalowiec gave me a great tip on remembering the words to the songs. She ‘modified’ the lyrics with American
phrases that were close in sound to the Chichewa language. I
mean absolutely no disrespect, but at various times during the song services I
found myself repeating phrases that sounded like ‘chuck-e-cheese’ and ‘baloney-
blessing’ over and over again! Dan Jalowiec preached a great message on
commitment to the cause of Christ, and at the end of the service all the
members, both old and young, lined up and greeted each other with a holy
handshake while singing a closing hymn.
I envisioned the day when the church membership would grow to the point
that folks were wrapped around the building for the benediction. Won’t that be a blessed sight?
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| Atnes (r) saved me from scandal ☺ |
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Before lunch was served I excused myself to use the facilities. With t.p. in hand, I tried to act nonchalant
as I walked toward what I thought was the Bush potty. I stepped inside and noticed that there was
water everywhere. I was completely
confused because there wasn’t the customary hole dug into the ground. I didn’t know what to do, and I had to ‘go.’ I walked out of the ‘facility’ and discovered
a small group of onlookers had gathered.
I was approached by a very kind, very wise, and very patient woman named Atnes who
lived in the village. We didn’t speak a
word to each other, but she had that knowing look in her eye. She smiled sweetly at me and pointed in the
direction of the REAL Bush potty which was just a few feet from where I was
standing. I hadn’t noticed it. Apparently I had wandered into the community
shower and was prepared to use it for a purpose CLEARLY UNINTENDED by the
villagers who'd built it. I smiled back, grabbed her hand and said, “Zikomo,
Zikomo.” (thank you, thank you). I was incredibly
grateful for that little bit of intervention.
Can you imagine the village talk if I had followed through on my original
instincts?
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| Doreen Zulu |
I enjoyed lunch immensely even though I was still using my
‘two-handed’ technique. At least I can
say I cleaned my plate, and I tried not to lick my fingers this time. While the missionaries and I were eating,
students were gathering in the Big Tree church building for literacy
class. I was going to have my first opportunity to
observe the class in action. After two years
of planning and praying, God was giving me the gift of seeing one component of
the GSI come to life. The class meets 3 days a week, in 2 hour class sessions,
and is taught by a wonderful woman named Doreen Zulu (click here to read more
about Doreen’s life and ministry). The students
range in age from 15 to over 50. I was overwhelmed when Amayi (mother) Zulu
asked me to speak to the group before class started. I stood before these adults and just
beemed. Their faces looked so beautiful
to me. Once the class got started, I sat
on one of the mud pews near the back of the church and marveled as I listened
to the recitation of vowel sounds. I’m
not exaggerating when I say that it sounded like a line of music in my
ears. Amayi Zulu continued to teach the lesson, and
she asked several students to go up to the white board, one at a time. It’s a small thing, I know, but I was so
pleased to see that white board attached by reeds, of some sort, to the poles
that made up the building frame. The
first humanitarian grant that Sisterhood Of Servants ever made was to Kevin’s
ministry, and he had used the funds for school supplies and the purchase of the
board.
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| Bennett Zulu |
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| School paper of 24 year old 8th grader |
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| Irene, over 40, never written before |
Amayi Zulu called one student to the board whose name is Bennett Zulu – no relation. The name Zulu in the Bush is a common name, much
like Smith in the United States. Bennett is 56 years old. He stood before the class and wrote the date
on the board. After he wrote, Amayi
Zulu acknowledged her approval and encouraged him. She told me that before class started back in
January, Bennett had never before picked up a writing instrument. Now, he could write his name, the date, and he
was learning the alphabet. He had told
Amayi Zulu on a previous occasion that he hoped to someday be able to stand up
in church and read a passage of scripture to the congregation. At that moment, I lost all my decorum and had
to excuse myself from the class. I was
so overcome with emotion. As I stood off
by myself and wept, I thanked the Lord for allowing me to witness His good work
in the lives of these dear people. I
thanked him for every dollar that was donated to help people like Bennett learn
to read the word of God for themselves.
I thanked him for allowing me to be his child. I just couldn’t thank him enough! I returned to the class, and Amayi Zulu said
that the students were going to work on the writing assignments she had given
them. When they finished, she wanted them
to bring their school papers to Kevin and me so that we could look over them
and see their progress. What a blessed
privilege. The handwriting and pace of learning
was varied, as you would expect. Amayi
Zulu was truly implementing the one-room-schoolhouse model so prevalent in
American pioneer days. Her students were
at all levels of comprehension.
At one
point during the class, Kevin brought in an encyclopedia of the world, complete
with colorful pictures. He showed these
mostly adult students a map of Africa.
He asked them if they knew where Zambia was located. No one knew.
You should have seen their eyes light up as Kevin showed them Zambia and
the location of Chipata. Amayi told me that illiteracy is such a
problem, most villagers have never even seen a map before, let alone know the
purpose of it. Incredible! Near the end
of my time observing the class, Amayi Zulu asked one of the women to stand up and
share a word of testimony about why she was coming to school every week. Her name is Aylid. She is over 40 years old and had never even
written anything before coming to the literacy class. I wish I had recorded what she said, but I
don’t think I’ll ever forget her words.
They are forever etched in my mind:
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| Aylid |
“I started coming to school because I wanted to learn to read the
bible. I was so tired of people reading
it to me. I wanted to look up the
scriptures for myself. This is a good
school. So many times our children in
the village don’t go to school because it is so far away. They just stay at home. But if I can learn to read, then perhaps my
children will be able to learn also.”
I was speechless.
Kevin and I talked a little on the drive home from church, but I was
preoccupied with my thoughts. I tried to put into perspective what had just
transpired in that class and the impact it would have on the people of Milongwe
Village. My mind continued to race, and
I willed my thoughts to slow down and be still. Little did I know there was so much more
coming.
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