Zambia
It was a late May afternoon when word of the tragedy reached ITMI’s Johan and Lesley Leach.
It was a late May afternoon when word of the tragedy reached ITMI’s Johan and Lesley Leach.
They were at their home and mission base near Chavuma, 20 miles downriver from where it happened.
The Zambian southern-hemisphere summer was turning to fall. Morning and evening temperatures were cool, dropping into the 50s (F), but daytime temperatures were mild.
Johan’s friend and co-laborer in mission, Johnny, had set out in a canoe that afternoon with another fellow from his village on a routine trip to set fishing traps across the river.
The outing ended suddenly when Johnny’s dugout canoe capsized in the river. Both men drowned. There was a reliable witness who had seen the whole thing.
“He was my best friend here in this neck of the woods. I’m going to surely miss him,” Johan told us.
Immediately, Johan set out with his motorboat to recover the bodies. He searched late into the night and again the following morning but was unsuccessful.
Johnny lived with his wife, Rose, two children, and many grandchildren at the Mahina way-station mission, nestled into the elbow created where a tributary meets the Zambezi. (Astute ITMI readers may recognize Mahina as one of the locations we helped provide access to clean, safe water.)
Johan shared,
“Johnny was seventy years old. An upbeat, joyful character, Johnny was someone I could sit with for hours. In his broken English, sometimes needing his son, Joseph, to assist with translating, he would share his heart, vision for his family, and his love of Jesus.
When I would arrive at the village, there was much fanfare. Being a smaller and lighter fellow he would run into my arms, and I would pick him up as you would a small child, to the delight of all the children present. I would, at times, tell him to get into the wheelbarrow and push him around the yard.
My friend and brother in Christ was a big loss to me, but as I committed to the Lord recently, the work will proceed, and our dreams will be pursued, making Mahina a place where many of the further afield village folk can come to for supplies as well as medical treatment. I salute my friend. Rest in peace ol’ buddy!”
The mission outpost, and Johnny and Rose’s ministry working to supply it through fishing, gardening, and other work, allows evangelists to reach people from the Luvale tribe living further into the bush with the Gospel.
The mission outpost provides evangelists a place to re-stock and carry the Gospel farther into the bush, to villages of Luvale people living where the Gospel’s influence is thin or non-existent.
Like Johnny and Johan, these evangelists take significant risks living in and traversing the river and wilderness so that the Gospel can reach these isolated people.
But they are dedicated to bringing the Gospel and follow-up discipleship to this forgotten and remote area.
Once the evangelists share the Good News, a Hub Leader follows up. Hub-Leaders are shepherds that take spiritual responsibility for all the village churches within a one-day walk from their homes.
Johan’s ministry facilitates a comprehensive four-year training course that equips Hub Leaders with theological and church leadership training. Hub Leaders learn to prepare sermons Biblically. When they return to their area, they implement what they learned in their teaching the following Sunday.
Then the Hub Leader produces a two-hundred-word report on the impact of their message, which Johan or one of his closest ministry associates, Davy, evaluates. Hub Leaders receive instruction to plant village churches, which includes establishing and training someone from the village to lead locally.
Every six months, Hub Leaders attend training sessions, then return to the field to implement what they’ve learned.
“These men of faith are always grateful for these workshops,” Johan says of the Hub Leaders, “With your consistent prayers and support, we are able to equip them with audio and visual literature, Bibles, sleeping bags, tents, paper, and backpacks, ensuring thoroughly trained and equipped disciples of Jesus. They do this in obedience to the Great Commission and purely for the love of the Gospel and seeing God's salvation touch the lives of destitute people, physically and spiritually changing them. Seeing the change the Gospel brings to the villages’ atmosphere and being a part of it further inspires them to continue. There’s a new joy, love, kindness, and goodness that just comes alive in the lives of the new believers.”
Hub Leaders participate in this training for about four years. This month, Johan kicks off Hub Leader training for a new group. Three hundred fifty-one pastors from Zambia are now committed to beginning this comprehensive training.
In August, Johan plans to visit various places in the States to meet with and encourage supporters.
If you’re interested in helping further this cause - the spreading of the Gospel on the Luvale floodplains - this is a great chance to meet Johan, gain a deeper understanding of his ministry, and encourage him at the same time.
Contact our office to learn how.
In life and in death, Johnny gave his life to spreading the Gospel to the Luvale people in northwestern Zambia and bordering Angola. Now, he is with Christ in a joyous reunion.
Johnny’s wife and son remain dedicated to operating the mission outpost on the river that took Johnny’s life.
Praise the Lord for their dedication and faithfulness; the Mahina mission outpost will remain operational, continuing to assist with the evangelism and discipleship of the Luvale people.
ITMI honors Johnny’s life and these dedicated servants of Christ. Their sacrifice for the sake of Jesus and His call to share the Good News is an example for all of us seeking to follow Jesus. Oh, may we be as dedicated as these Zambian believers!
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Lets Meet Up!
They’d both love to meet with you over coffee, encourage your small group, relieve your Sunday School teacher for a week, fill a pulpit or an interview slot…as long as it's an encouragement to someone!
Contact our office for more information.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steve Evers has advocated for and served the ITMI partners as ITMI Director since 2001. Approximately once a year, Steve visits with ITMI partners in their countries and brings stories back to encourage supporters. Steve enjoys photography and mechanics (both hobbies that have greatly benefited ITMI partners!) Prior to becoming ITMI’s Director, Steve served on […]
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