Phil's ZMS Newsletter - May 2010

Farming God's Way

During April we taught FGW at various venues. In the picture we were at the Farm Training Centre in Petauke where we had planted a demonstration plot of FGW maize. At their Open Day, attended by many local farmers, we had the opportunity to explain the details and encourage many small scale farmers to take up FGW. Bilison (centre) makes an impact with his enthusiasm and the field itself spoke volumes. Pastor Lovemore Banda has been practising FGW now for three consecutive years on the same field and is really seeing the long term benefits of the soil improvement. At Pastor Eric Shumba’s church in Chipata we taught FGW on May 8^th. Eric a graduate of CC has been faithful in following the FGW method and has become a great ambassador in his area. At Covenant College it was a time of administration preparing for the Annual Trust Meeting, reports, accounts etc etc! I suppose it’s necessary but I prefer being in the field!

Two Ladies

In April a very good friend of ours, Nisi Tembo, passed away. We knew her and her husband, David very well when they lived in Petauke. He was the District Commissioner for three years and a great help to us at CC. Nisi also helped with the ladies meetings. She passed away suddenly of a stroke at the age of 56 after a severe bout of malaria. The burial took place in David’s home village outside Chipata. She also leaves behind a son and daughter in their 20’s.

Early May we visited Dorothy, widow of the late Matthew Sakala who used to work with us on the farm at CC. Together with her children she is living back in her father’s village 40kms from CC. We took various groceries, school uniforms and shoes. Maggie (rhs) is 16 but only in grade 6 at school. She desperately wants to reach grade 12 so that she can become a teacher. It will be a real struggle for her and the cultural expectations on her to get married will make it even more difficult but it would be wonderful if she were able to achieve her aim.

Good Friday!

We headed off to our usual church in Petauke but on the way received a call to say the Pastor was unable to take the service so it had been cancelled. Instead of turning back we went to a nearby Baptist village church. Here we received the blessing of witnessing the baptism of six new believers. This took place in a pond close to the church and afterwards a service was held under a large tree.

PTI Chipata Conference

During April we held the third and final PTI conference in Chipata. Pastor Peter Seccombe from the UK came over again to do the teaching. Over the three years it’s been good to get to know the Pastors from the Chipata area and a few of them will be coming to Covenant College for extra studies. www.pastor-training.org

Prayer Points

• Pray that even more hearts will be moved by the Spirit to follow FGW.
• Pray for the pastors that they might faithfully preach the Gospel.
• Remember David Tembo and his children, Rebecca and Caleb, as they come to terms with their loss.
• Pray for Dorothy and her family, especially for Maggie in her ambition to become a teacher.

Thank you for your continued support,

Love Phil