On Friday, we had yet another meeting about finance. These are always a bit heated and I am usually the bad guy. I am constantly under pressure and in a continual sense of internal dilemma. You see, I have been very strict with allowances, one of the main issues Africa will need to address if it’s move away from its state of dependency and become self sustaining and supporting. Yet I can see that people are struggling because of the many commitments, especially those related to the living costs and school fees for children and additional dependents. There is not one Zambian person living within the Mission who does not have at least one of their family members children living them – some have up to 8 dependent / orphaned children, largely due to the death of their parents through HIV/AIDS. It’s a hard one to deal with and one which makes me feel bad but I know if this Hospital is to survive then these are the tough decisions that need to be made.

Anyway, the figures speak for themselves. Once you calculate the grants we receive from the Government (if they actually come) and the income we generate from other sources, it seems that between now and the end of year, Chikankata Health Services has to find or raise another 222 million kwacha (approximately ₤25,000 or $50,000). This is without the debt servicing that is still a continual burden for the hospital. I really have no clue how we are going to do it!

Then, this morning I read the bible passage from Luke 9 v 1-6 where Jesus sends out the 12 disciples to preach the gospel and heal the sick. He told to go with “no staff, no bag, no bread, no money”. They were weaned off their dependency on Jesus and the protection and comfort this offered and they learned to live trusting a God who could multiply loaves. I am learning so much but I also need to learn to trust more in the same God and pray that although he we have little he will continue to provide and multiply the little we have.