We sat in almost darkness. The sun outside was blinding. Just two rooms, each maybe 10 by 12, no kitchen, no bathroom. A switch on the wall but no electricity. A double and single bed jammed into corners, boxes, a collection of women’s shoes. This is their bedroom? Tables, more boxes, ancient upholstered furniture (you just don’t want to touch) cram wall and floor space in the ‘living room’.
This is home (rented) to a ‘retired teacher’ (I’ll call ‘Ruth’) and her two daughters and I am angry with ‘Ruth’, or at least without God’s help I would have been. But I had not seen her house. Tears are constantly in my eyes as I write this, seated comfortably as I am in an Internet Cafe, good coffee or Coke at my disposable and by comparison with her, all the money in the world.
How could I be angry? ‘Ruth’ is the lady who offered Bev her farm for the new school campus in 2005. In March of this year, one month after Bev’s passing; ‘Ruth’ said she and Bev had an ‘agreement’ that she, ‘Ruth’, would get a house in exchange for the farm. Bev had not told me. Surely, if this were true, Bev would have told me, we had discussed the generous offer many times and prayed often for God’s guidance in returning to Africa. I was angry! But I had not seen Ruth’s house. I had assumed she was a retired teacher ‘just like me’. When we arrived in June Ruth’s story had grown to include an agreement with Bev to co-direct the whole new school complex. Should Bev at some point die, Ruth was to ‘inherit’ the campus and pass it on to her daughters upon her own death. Then and only then, should they be unable to continue to run the school it would be handed to ‘some’ agency. At present her daughters are 16 and 21, the oldest is rewriting high school equivalency wanting to be a nurse. My belief is that with finances the way they really are, this too is as much of a dream as the rest of this paragraph. So I was angry. But I had not seen her house.
Farzam and I sat in ‘Ruth’s house on Tuesday July 21 and listened to her statement of ‘agreements’ with Bev. As we listened, and after, as we prayed we felt her position was effectively closing the door on accepting her property for the campus. Were we to move on to God’s plan “B”? Bev had shattered the idea of God having a plan “B” two years ago with the thought, “God’s plans are always A+”. I do like that!
After much prayer, Farzam and I now both have peace, and have asked Pastor Ernest Sitali (of Streams of Living Waters Church) to head up the project. The building of his school (’07) and church (presently under construction) is the last project for which monies donated partly through Beverly’s ministry has been used. In September 2006, just before returning to Canada, Beverly and Ernest shared a similar vision from God to see a Christian boarding high school on the outskirts of Lusaka for the poor graduates of slum Christian public schools. I had no knowledge of that conversation prior to talking with Ernest upon arrival here in Lusaka in June. Ernest had no knowledge of this specific property until our arrival. Yet two or three weeks after Bev’s death he sent me an email asking when I was coming to build ‘a high school’. The timing of his request was directly in line with God’s direction to me. God does work in amazing ways.
Ernest, Edward (Bev’s go-between with ‘Ruth’) and I sat in Ruth’s house on Wednesday July 29 as she repeated her ‘agreements’. God had given me an approach. Over the previous two days, sick with diarrhea and extreme tiredness (got checked, not Malaria. Thank you God!) I had read a book on cross cultural dispute resolutions. So I proceeded. I explained my embarrassment at having to tell Bev’s North American donors that the land was not free. Not only would the land cost ‘one house’ but came complete with a ‘Director’ and inheritance obligations to her children. Secondly, it seemed to me that Beverly would not have put me through that embarrassment, essentially setting me up for these difficult negotiations. Ernest suggested that Beverly was not here to defend herself. As a result we would not be able to accept her land.
Suddenly ‘Ruth’ said she would withdraw her requests (PRAISE GOD) but would we remember that she was a poor widow who was giving up her right to her land. We agreed completely. I now had seen her house. Ernest feels that a small house is appropriate and within financial reach. We did not promise as, it still depends upon how much land she really has to give. We have been assured by the Commissioner of Land that land is forth coming but its dimensions are still not clear. We are trying now to see him again to speed up the process. We are ready and eager to start on the property before I leave on September 3rd, but only as God leads.
I am not skilled to understand.
What God has willed.
What God has planned.
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Saviour.
The words and melody of the above hymn trickled slowly through my mind the other day. I had not been blessed by their sound in 50+ years. God is at work here in Zambia. He is changing peoples’ minds and opening doors, just as He has promised to do. I believe He wants His poor young children to get an education even as they developed a personal relationship with the God who promises to guide their steps as they put Him first in their lives.
Please continue to pray!
“Watching God work”, (And we are seeing God work in many more ways than there is room to tell about here)
