Charlie Chikankata has a lot to answer for! Here I am in the heart of rural Zambia, working for The Salvation Army as the Manager/Hospital Administrator of Chikankata Health Services. Not so much an intellectuall reflection rather a kind of journal of the unexpected.

Friday, June 29, 2007

The Great Provider
This is a little story that warmed the cockles of my heart.
On Wednesday we received a visit from our electricity company. Despite that fact that we have managed to reduce our electricity bill substantially from the huge (and I mean mammoth) bill we found - they were still pressuring us to pay something. The local guys have been really good with us but they were also being hassled by their bosses in Lusaka. They were talking about cutting us off, which is something we have managed to avoid the whole time we have been here (although I hear it was a fairly common occurance previously).
Anyway, I spent the night on Wednesday thinking about what to do. I prayed about it on Thursday morning and then took the decision to "borrow" some money from another pot (ie Robbing Peter to pay Paul) on my knowledge that I could get in back from another source in future. This is something I have not done the whole time I have been here but drastic situations require drastic measures! We are not talking small amounts here - we are talking 5000 pounds.
So at 15.30 with a heavy heart I signed the cheque authorising the payment. At 17.30 I was handed a cheque by a visitor for the exact and I mean the exact same amount of money I had just borrowed.
Make of that what you will but I know what I am making of it! I thank God everyday for His continued provision to this hospital and I thank God for the kindness of so many people around the world. Without God' Hand and with these people this hospital would not survive.
I once talked to a lady in a village outside Chikankata. I asked her what her hopes were for the future. She replied that she hoped that there would be a cure found for HIV/AIDS but most of all her hope was in Jesus Christ and the Hospital represented a big part of that hope. So to all who have helped us through prayers, gifts, donations, sponsorship, supplies - thank you for bringing hope to our people!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

It was like something off the 6 o’clock news. On Monday I was called along with a couple of the Heads of Departments at Chikankata to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Health. I cannot tell you how nervous I was – Yes I can – VERY VERY VERY nervous. On a scale of Likert Scale of 1 – 7 (1 being not very nervous and 7 being very nervous) I was about 843. That’s right!

Anyway, not really knowing what we were there for and having waited for most of the day, we eventually sat in front of eight MP’s and were asked questions on anything and everything including our service delivery, human resource policies, staffing levels, our community work, our finances and infrastructure. It appears that Chikankata Hospital was one of two hospitals specifically chosen to appear before the committee for mainly positive reasons. On the whole it was good experience, definitely a learning experience and another experience to add to a very list of experiences I will never forget from Zambia (oo oo - 4 ' experiences' in the one sentence).

Most of all I was so impressed by my colleagues and realized that Chikankata is developing a strong management team which will really work well in years to come. I am the longest serving member of the current Hospital Management Board, indicating a real shuffle in the last two years. The guys who accompanied me dealt well with all the questions and have great expertise in their fields. It was great to watch them in action and if they all stick together and get good direction, it will bode well for the future of the Hospital.

Saturday, June 09, 2007

OO OO Quick ... it's working.

It appears that for our system is now allowing me to upload photos for a short while. So I am striking while the iron is hot (ouch!) and posting a few pictures from recent days.
Here is Ronaldo, our dog. She is fantastic and a real puppy. Fortunately house trained after about one month. Unfortunately she has taken a liking to shoes and so Heidie's new shoes that she had been waiting for for about 6 months, were ruined just about 3 weeks. However she just looks at you and she is quickly forgiven. Ronaldo is probably the most popular dog in the whole mission. People have stopped coming to see us and started coming to see Ronaldo.



Then there's Heidie. The man who comes and sorts out our garden (and kills the snakes!) had a baby and he named it Heidie. There's two of them - here's hoping junior is not quite so crazy. My Heidie was obviously delighted and here are the two Heidie's together (you can just about make out the baby's hat) along with proud mother and grandmother outside their house in Nanzele.

Incidentally when we visited their house we couldn't help but noticing that the house is completely wallpapered with magazines namely Salvationist, When Saturday Comes and some Danish women's magazine, all of which are delivered us on a regular basis. We had thrown them out and they have been recycled. We were sitting eating our maize looking at a picture of Commissioner Matear. It was all a bit bizarre.
So below are two of my favourite picture on our visit to Cape Town with my family. What a great time and a great place. I really hope that I will be able to go back one day. We loved the place and of course it was made all the better by meeting up with my mum and dad and my little sister. These two pictures are taken on the way to Cape of Good Hope at Boulders Bay. Clare with the Penguin (she's the one at the back....)


And the biggest rock head of them all............


That's my dad's big boulder blending in beautifully.
We have had some hard times at Chikankata but we have some great times too and have been so blessed in so many ways. We have met people we have been so fortunate to meet both around Chikankata and visitors. We have visited places we never dreamed we would see. We have had experiences with people where have felt so privileged and humble. We wouldn't have missed this experience for the world! And whatever happens from here, it's still been worth it!


Saturday, June 02, 2007

Make Poverty History – 2nd June 2007



Ten Lessons I have learnt about poverty in the last two years:

1) Poverty is a long term issue – we should not stand up or march for it if we are not in it for the long run;

For you have the poor with you always (Mark 14 v 7)
For the poor will never cease from the land (Deut 15 v 11)

2) Making Poverty History is not just about lobbying leaders about change and passing responsibility on to the state. It is about an individual lifestyle change and is an integral part of our faith;

LT Johnson in his book Sharing Possessions. Mandate and Symbol of Faith writes:
“The way we use, own, acquire, and disperse material things symbolizes and expresses our attitudes and responses to ourselves, the world around us, other people, and, most of all, God.”

Some of the choices I have made in the past with regard my lifestyle meant I have given myself not much space to help the poor and those in need. I have walked past those in need because I am too busy to help just like the first two guys in the Good Samaritan. I have stretched myself financially with things I don’t really need so that I can’t afford give to the poor. Brian Houston, Hillsong Church advises we should live generously and make a difference.

3) I am increasingly realizing that poverty is not just about poor people. My experience is that those people who are suffering most and have almost nothing have the most joy in their hearts and the strongest faith. Rich people are poor too – just in different ways. Having money, whilst it helps to have material things, is not the be all and end all;

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.” Proverbs 22 v1&2

The poverty of rich!

4) There are over 10,000 Orphans in Chikankata Hospital’s direct catchment area of 82,000. Most don’t go to school. $19 billion is spent on pet food in the US. The average life expectancy in Zambia is 36. $50 billion is spent on cigarettes in the Europe. Robbie Williams won three Platinum Awards in 2006 for albums that sold more than 1 million copies. The cost of one CD could pay for the fees of a child to go to school in Zambia for one whole year.

5) Most of the world lives in poverty. If you are living in a rich country with a comfortable lifestyle – you are in a minority and blessed.

6) There is little teaching against actually being rich, Jesus and NT writers usually spoke about the attitudes, heart and pursuits of the wealthy.

7) The church will be judged on how its responds to the needy and the poor (Luke 4v18). Our mission is to preach the gospel and our responsibility is to help the poor. Those who consider themselves religious, holy and righteous will be judged on their treatment of the poor. Therefore, the church is the hope of the world. The Salvation Army is part of the church. Bo Brekke, a Salvation Army officer, writes extensively about poverty;

“The greatest thing we bring to mission in an economically poor country is the liberating news that Jesus has come to give people back their true identity as Children of God. By transforming individuals, Jesus wants to transform their relationships and indeed the social structures of whole societies.”

8) Many institutions like Chikankata around Zambia and the world live on a hand to mouth basis, have no money, have huge debts, and lack so much. However, the personal pressures of this situation have led me into much higher levels of commitment and trust. Chikankata Hospital does amazing work in difficult circumstances. Jesus still does miracles today through ordinary people. I have seen that at first hand with the staff at this hospital.

Bill Hybels, writing in his book Courageous Leadership about setting up the Willowcreek church testifies;

“Nothing deepens trust in the goodness, grace and miracle working power of God like financial pressures that we have faced every week”

This is my experience too.

9) I have really kind friends. People around the world really do care about the poor and poverty. The media warps the view of the world. For every war, there are churches and aid agencies helping people who are displaced. Where there is hunger, there are people who handing out food. Where there are sick, there are hospitals and clinics. Where there is Orphans, there are OVC care programmes. People give a lot of money and do a lot of stuff to help the poor. Tony Blair serves as UK PM in for ten years, Major Ruth Schoch works as a Nurse in Chikankata for over twenty five years. What do you hear about most?

10) The fundamental aspect of Making Poverty History is love!

If I give all I possess to the poor…..but have not love I gain nothing (Paul)

 
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