Zambia
I was heartsick. I said, 'What can I do?? How can I help????'
A nine-year-old little girl was the victim of the most unbelievable atrocity.
At the hand of her own father.
He was told by a witch doctor that to cleanse his HIV and STDs he must rape a small virgin girl. He chose her. If you can believe it, this is a common recommendation.
It's too late. She's already dead. She died of sepsis and internal hemorrhage after two months of suffering. I can't even pray for her.
I want to hate her dad...he is a classic example of animism put into practice. Since we can't pray for the little girl... please pray against the hold that animism has on Africa.
Please PLEASE ask God to reclaim the fathers.
My heart breaks thinking about that little girl and how she coped in those 2 months of suffering. May God hold her tight tonight and wash away her pain."
ITMI partner, Ashley Keller, wrote these words. She and her husband, Timothy Keller, are serving in Zambia. They are working to get upstream of these cascading disastrous consequences of Zambia's social issues.
They know living lives according to a Biblical model in submission to Jesus as Lord leads to flourishing lives, families, communities and countries that glorify Him.
They are working to teach and disciple believers to model their lives after a Biblical model. This means a transforming of minds through the ability to read and understand the Bible.
How will this help?
The CIA reports that 75.3% of Zambians report being Protestant, and another 20.2% Roman Catholic. That's 95% of the population!
Yet the evidences of unchanged lives keep coming. Stories like this one keep tearing our hearts out. Professing believers keep turning back to witch doctors in crisis of unbelief.
Why?
Well, for starters, there are an estimated 200 million believers in Africa who do not own a Bible, and many of their pastors don't, either!
We hear story after story of pastors who are sincere, but have very limited knowledge of what the Bible actually says and how that implicates life in Africa today.
A Response to the Helplessness
It's easy to despair in the face of such stories. We feel helpless. We can't feel for every bad thing that happens in the world or we'll be crushed by the weight of it all.
And we don't like feeling helpless. Vulnerability is scary.
So what are the Kellers doing in response to the devastation around them?
They made a plan. They're working it.
And the good news is, you can be a part of their plan, too. They've done the planning for you. You don't have to feel helpless anymore!
The Keller's Two-Pronged Plan
First, they have shipped around 40 tons of Bibles and discipleship materials to Africa for distribution in the tough-to-access places where these resources are scarce or unavailable.
Village pastors pick out discipleship books and materials Timothy transported to their area.
Getting Bibles into the hands of believers is a simple but crucial first step.
Second, they are focusing on reaching children with a Biblical worldview while they are still in school. Timothy is creating a quality, Bible-based curriculum that infuses every aspect of life with Jesus' lordship.
They've named their project C23 after Colossians 2:3 which tells us that all wisdom and treasure is found in Christ. It's this message they are teaching in Zambia.
If you're tired of feeling helpless about bad news and you believe all the wisdom and treasure we need can be found in Christ, the Kellers would love to partner with you to proclaim it in Zambia.
About the Author
