APRIL 2015 Letter - LIVING WELL

Thank YOU for YOUR continued support for the Lord’s work through LIVING WELL.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5)

As Christians, we celebrate Easter everyday. We rejoice in the sacrifice Christ made for each of us. The Easter holiday gives you a chance to think more deeply on the meaning of the cross and the resurrection. You can illustrate to those you know what Jesus Christ means to you.

Jesus Christ not only endured the pain of the cross but also the shame of the cross. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

The cross is the remedy for our shame and our guilt. Christ took that punishment and offered us forgiveness, so that we are not punished for our guilt. Christ endured shame and offers us His glory. We do not have to feel ashamed, because of our hope – Christ! The one who believes in Him will never be put to shame. (Romans 9:33) Read more on this topic here.

As you pray for us, we have several areas of ministry running simultaneously right now.

See our enclosed prayer card and pray for us as we minister at:

• Church
• Marriage and Family team in serving the church during the Year of the Family – we are leading the team as we plan and facilitate an emphasis on marriage and parenting throughout our church during 2015.
• Teaching on marriage to four departments in a combined Bible study time.
• LIVING WELL
• Giving guidance to many couples right now, including several premarital couples.
• Ongoing fund-raising and the financial management of donations
• Writing on topics relevant to the needs of our constituents (including all of the electronic communication that goes with writing and fund-raising).
• MISSION ZAMBIA
• Planning/organizing all teaching/activities/materials for Camp Wisdom and construction projects
• Training the team, making all logistics arrangements – 10 others are on the ream with us, five are new.
• Fund-raising – need is $10,000 (we are responsible for raising $16,000)
• WISDOM Community School – we raise 100% of the funds needed to operate the school and develop the campus and staff.
• Marriage ministry – Focus on the Family has asked us for info about training churches and marriage ministry reach in the church (personal stories) to include in an ebook for pastors.
• Family – Donna’s dad and Ed’s mom are both going through a transition time, since they can no longer live alone in their homes.

Thank YOU for caring about us and what God is doing through us.

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Please pray for our team preparations and the $10,000 remaining for Mission Zambia 2015.

The water that I will give him will 

become in him a well of water

springing up to eternal life.

John 4:14b

LIVING WELL is a life source, not a life style.

JULY 2014 Letter LIVING WELL

Thank YOU for sending us!  

“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on My behalf is welcoming Me." 

(Matthew 18:5 NLT)

Because of YOUR support, we welcomed many children into God’s kingdom!

We ministered to 140 children of Wisdom Community School directly. MANY more gathered around our activities and enjoyed the singing, teaching, and games of Camp Wisdom. 

Our theme was the person of Jesus. 

At the end of the week, the gospel was presented in conjunction with the school’s manager, our colleague in Zambia. 

Many children responded to the gospel! Please pray with us that God will confirm in their hearts what they prayed that day. 

Besides the amazing work in the hearts of the children, God provided through YOU! 

• A completely new classroom building, (three more classrooms), painted, ready to use 
• New latrines 
• More landscaping 
• Classroom posters 
• Camp Wisdom T-shirts 
• Snacks every day for 140 children 
• Puppets 
• Craft supplies 
• Toothbrushes/toothpaste 
• Books 
• Rubber band bracelets 

Besides the children of Wisdom, highlights of the trip:

1. dedicating the new classroom building in memory of Micah Powers and having his mother, Anita, present to see it
2. seeing a new team work together in harmony, using the gifting of each person
3. watching the “mama’s” give an appreciation dance
4. experiencing multifaceted worship in a local church.

The growth of Wisdom Community School astounds us! 

January 2012: 160 children     Now: 305 children

The growth gives us more opportunities to shows God’s love to more children of Wisdom! And we have more opportunities to develop the school! 

To utilize the classrooms, they need at least 45 more desks immediately! The cost is $2, 250. [TO DONATE]

Next year, we need more team members so that we can include all of the children in Camp Wisdom. Make plans now to be a part of our team for June 2015. We welcome adults and high school students accompanied by a parent. Please contact us if you are interested. 

Coming soon - a way to sponsor a child or a teacher at Wisdom! 

Please visit our Facebook page and other posts in this blog for more pictures and info on the mission. Click here to see a picture report.

Thank YOU for your continued support! We could not continue this ministry without YOU! We love and appreciate YOU and your support of what God is doing! 

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Praise for the successful mission and God’s work in the hearts of the children.

The water that I will give him will become in him 

a well of water springing up to eternal life. John 4:14b

Teaching Pastors in Kitwe

We normally teach for five days at our pastors' marriage conferences when we go to Africa. We knew that we had a lot to accomplish on this trip, so we decided to teach for 3 days and do part 1 this year and part two next year.

The attentiveness of these pastors/spouses is always encouraging to us.

They are laughing at Ed or one of his jokes - not sure which!

Our youngest participant - just 4 weeks old!

JULY 2013 Letter LIVING WELL

Your prayers and His Spirit carried us through!

We pray that you will share our joy and our experience when you look at our photo report and a message from the president. Our hearts continue to ache for the children at Wisdom Community School. We know that the Lord is their Hope, both in their community and in their lives. We do not see any other forces at work to improve their situation. Our return mission trips are bringing a sense of optimism and continuity. We now see acceptance of our presence in the community instead of suspicion. Both the children and the community welcome us! What a delight to see them running to meet us!

Watching the joy of these children brought us even greater joy - learning to use puppets to tell a story, jumping to their feet to belt out a song we taught them last year, their exhilaration in playing new games, standing in line for seconds as we feed them lunch every day, the wonder of using paint and brushes to create a butterfly, and the broad smiles and hugs for us.

The joys of seeing God at work far outweigh the stress we experience. We saw God at work as He fit together our team of 18. We had harmony throughout the trip, even though the team came from three different churches/denominations and many did not know each other. Every single person on the team was essential to fulfilling God’s mission! We could not have completed the mission without them all. You sent a great team; we thank you for your support financially and with prayers. 

When we take a mission trip to Africa, we emphasize to our team - Be flexible! Our need for flexibility started before we left. One of our team members began having debilitating back pain just days before we left. The doctor said “no trip” the day before we left. We called upon a team member from last year who was not scheduled for this trip, “Norma, Karen can’t go. Do you want to take her place if we can change the ticket? You have an hour to think and pray.” She prayed and told the Lord that if we could arrange it, she would go. As one of our team members said, “God knew we needed a cook.” She cooked at least 650 meals in 5 days!

One of our great joys is seeing team members who experience Africa for the first time. The testimony of one of our “newbies,” What was the top experience of the entire trip - finally I had to stop and think and quantify and rank my experiences - what a task! I answered "hands down, going to church in Africa was the most amazing experience - it made the entire trip worthwhile." …. These humble, gracious, selfless, kind people have blessed me exceedingly beyond anything I could have imagined. I am glad to be home with loved ones, but so sad to be away from a culture that fosters continual dependence on God - what an amazing way to live! 

Your prayers and support strengthened us throughout the trip. Thank you for your continued support through prayers and donations. We could not continue this ministry without you! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing! 

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. For more pictures and stories of the mission, please connect with a site we created to share our experiences.

JUNE 2013 Letter LIVING WELL

It’s hard to even write this letter as we have such a heavy heart for our community. We are extremely sad for the devastation of the latest tornadoes. The power of the weather still amazes us - a reminder that we are not in control. Lots of prayers for those who are involved.

We are in the final days before leaving for our mission trip to Zambia. The team has planned, prayed, and prepared. We are ready and excited to see what God is going to do in those who are going and in those to whom we minister. We appreciate your prayers [see mission summary, prayer requests, & schedule below]. Keep in mind that we are getting up about the time you are going to bed - a good time to pray for us! 

One aspect of the mission is to show the Jesus film outside on the Saturday night after we minister at the school that week. This community is not a planned community; it was just settled by people. So, there are no water or power services to the community. The community is a slum area. The homes are made of mud bricks with tin roofs, which are not secured; they have rocks on top to keep the roof in place. Many homes are occupied by single parents or even homes headed by a 16 year-old child with younger siblings. 

Even though their culture has a lot of exposure to Christianity, much of their religion is mixed with superstitious or wrong beliefs. We are anxious to see their response to the film. Our challenges include using a generator for power, projecting the audio loud enough, and making sure the projector is bright enough. Since there is no power in the neighborhood, the movie will attract a lot of attention. Please pray for the Lord to bless that film viewing and our interaction with the community. 

Thanks to the support of many of you, the funding of the mission trip is complete! We always have unexpected expenses, but the Lord always provides for these expenses through His people. Please remember that you are all part of this mission as you pray for us! 

You have probably seen the faces of African children in magazines or on TV. Those pictures tug at your heart. But ours are not nameless faces in a magazine but are children that we know. Part of our goal with at Wisdom Community School is to give them hope. We want them to know that there are people who care about their education, their lives, and their spirits. 

Each one of our team working with the children will have a group of six children in the morning and six in the afternoon. We want to get to know each child and their life situations. We will be able to share God’s love with them individually and personally. We want to be able to pray for them and support them emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. We will share some of their stories when we return so that you can join us in those prayers. 

One of our concerns while we are gone are the people with whom we meet for marriage problems. Please pray for those people to seek the Lord for their marriage while we are gone. 

Thank you for your continued support through prayers and donations. We could not continue this ministry without you! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing! 

Our love in Christ, 

Donna and Ed Edwards 

P.S. Please praise the Lord with us for supplying the funds and the team for this mission!

Mission: Ndola, Zambia, 

•       Wisdom Community School:
• Paint exterior of school & out-buildings, install ceilings in classrooms, concrete steps, flagpole, landscaping, drainage, and misc. repairs 
• Conduct Camp Wisdom (VBS type) with 120 children, grades 1-6; open house with their families 
• Disciple & train teachers 
•     Preach in churches 
•     Show the Jesus film to the slum community where the school is located. 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Good health; logistics to go well, safety in travel (10 plane flights for trip), luggage arrival 
• We will honor and glorify Our Lord in all that we say and do; that we will communicate well; unity in the team 
• Preaching in churches - share God’s Word and encourage 
• Camp Wisdom at school - Camp team will be able to communicate the love of God, activities to go well (teaching, games, music, crafts, Bible verse memory, stories) 
• Wisdom Community School: Construction team will be able to complete all painting, ceiling installation, concrete steps, landscaping, and other needs 
• Wisdom Community School: Help teachers: grow in their faith, learn more about how to share Christ with students, and help them be more skilled at teaching children to read 
• Jesus Film outreach - many people in community will hear the gospel and respond 
• A quick adjustment to time changes and restored strength after we get home. 

SCHEDULE:

• Wednesday, May 29, 6:35 pm Leave for Zambia (fly Dallas/London/Nairobi) 
• Friday, May 31, 12:00 noon* (5:00 am, CDT) Arrive Ndola, Zambia (35 hours flying/layovers, no bed) 
• Saturday, June 1 Meet with local ministry partner, buy supplies 
• Sunday, June 2 Attend local churches, preach in 3 churches 
• Monday - Friday, June 3-7, 8:30am-5pm*(1:30-10:00 am, CDT) daily Camp Wisdom, construction work, train & disciple teachers at school  
• Saturday, June 8 Open house children/families, show Jesus film outside to slum community 
• Sunday, June 9 Travel to Nairobi, Kenya 
• Monday-Wednesday, June 10-12 Rest, visit local culture/sights 
• Thursday, June 13, 11:50 pm* (3:50 pm CDT) Depart Nairobi 
• Friday, June 15, 5:40 pm  ARRIVE OKLAHOMA CITY! 

[*Zambia time is 7 hrs ahead of CDT]

MAY 2013 Letter LIVING WELL

America is in the midst of a battle. The battle is not against terrorism - even though the pain of Boston will be with us for a long time. The battle is for our children and our families. 

When an act of terror strikes us, we join together to increase our efforts to protect our homeland. We refuse to give up or give in. We become more vigilant and put up more safeguards. We tell people “see something, say something.”

In the battle for marriage and family, even many of the soldiers in the battle are giving up. They believe that we have lost and should surrender. There is no urgency, no increase of safeguards, no determination, and no promotion of public awareness. But we are calling you to action! We are imploring you to persevere with us.

You are still in the battle as you support our mission to put faith into practice in the first and most important formation of relationships - the family. You make it possible for us to bring God’s healing to marriages that are on the brink of dissolution and for couples that are about to embark on the marriage journey. We are urging you to be vigilant to show our world what the relationship of Christ and the church looks like through our marriages.

Because of your donations, we can spend time guiding and discipling these couples. Their marriages are save    d, their families remain intact, their children still have both parents at home. We can’t share details because of confidentiality, but we can say that the Lord is at work!

The dynamics of couples that we see have changed since we started working with marriages. The husband and/or wife have children from a previous relationship, not a previous marriage. Now pornography is a common, frequent problem. Families incur great debt from buying things or being unprepared for emergencies. The lack of time together as a family is increasing dramatically as 1)more couples are both working, 2)children are involved in more extracurricular activities, especially sports, and 3)electronic media intrude and isolate people.

We are about a month from departure to Zambia. We continue to train and prepare our team of 18 to minister at Wisdom Community School.

You can be a part of the MISSION ZAMBIA 2013 TEAM!
YOU can give so that we can GO!  Cost to go = $3000+/person  
YOU can supply the materials to improve the school  $4000
YOU can feed lunch to 120 kids and 20 helpers for 5 days $1400 ($2/person/day)
YOU can supply materials, equipment & translators to teach 120 kids $1200 ($10/child)
YOU can provide t-shirts for the kids and helpers $700 ($5/person)
YOU can provide the Jesus film showing to the whole slum community $600
YOU can PRAY for our safety and success ETERNAL REWARDS

Thank you for your continued support through prayers and donations. We could not continue this ministry without you! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing!

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

YOU and MISSION ZAMBIA

MARCH 2013 Letter - LIVING WELL

Michael O'Brien, Donna, Ed Edwards
Together Forever 2013

We had a great weekend hosting Michael O'Brien for our Together Forever event, Sunday morning worship service, and a time of sharing in our Bible study class. He has an incredible voice, a wonderful sense of humor, a devotion to his wife and his Lord, and a refreshing transparency. He encouraged our group of young married couples but also challenged them.  

Michael not only entertained us but he inspired us as he sang and shared. He was very open about the struggles that he has experienced in his own marriage, but he also shared with humility how Christ has changed him and saved his marriage. We are thankful that he has allowed the Lord to work in him but also that he is willing to share his struggles with others.

Our Mission Zambia 2013 team is almost finalized! We believe that we will have 18 people on the team. As Ed outlined in last month’s letter, we will only be working at Wisdom Community School on our mission trip this summer. We will focus on improving the physical facility and on doing a Bible Camp for the children. 

Part of the Bible Camp is to provide lunch for the children every day. We are going to have half the children attend camp in the morning and half will attend in the afternoon. We will feed one group before they leave and one group as they arrive. 

At the end of our week of Bible Camp, we will have a time with the parents/guardians of all the children to share what the kids did during the week. Later that evening, we will also show the Jesus film outside for the community. In a community where it gets dark at 6:30 pm and without electricity, a movie showing on the side of a building will draw lots of people! The movie will give us an opportunity to share the gospel with the whole community. 

We are responsible for raising the funds necessary to finance all of the construction projects, cost of the Bible Camp, and our own trip costs - a total of $18,000. [for more details about the mission]

We will announce the names of all of our team members very soon! We do know that 9 out of 10 of last years team are returning this year. Obviously, their hearts were deeply touched by the Lord for the children of Wisdom Community School. 

We read the book Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas several years ago. We consider it to be one of the best books on marriage. 

As we lead the Sacred Marriage class at our church, we are reminded of the great truths that Gary Thomas shares in the book. He poses the question, “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”

 Frances de Sales, a great Christian writer from the 17th century, wrote that marriage might be the toughest ministry a person could undertake. What if each of us saw marriage as a ministry to our spouse? Pray with us that the 15 couples in class will see marriage from a new perspective. 

We thank you for your many prayers and support! You are a valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing! 

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray with us about our mission to Zambia and the $18,000 to finance the project.

FEBRUARY 2013 Letter - LIVING WELL

We’re back! We thank you for your many prayers and support! As we write this letter, we returned less than a week ago. Besides the physical recovery from the long trip, we have finished writing and presenting for two events here in OKC since our return.

We enjoyed seeing the children of Wisdom Community School again and many of our pastor friends. We were able to spend time at the school, getting to know their community and the children better.  We spent time learning from people who are running community schools.

Please read Ed's letter about God’s message to him while were there! We are already planning our next trip. [see details] God is giving us a big mission for this summer! Please consider whether God may be calling you to be a part of the mission.

We also made some significant progress towards providing year-round, clean drinking water with a new well for the children of Wisdom. Please pray with us that the project will go forward. What a great opportunity for those children! Right now, they drink from a hand-dug well that is dry during three or four months a year (no water to drink or wash their hands).

At the follow-up to our pastors’ conference, we heard many testimonies from pastors of what has happened since last June when they spent a week with us. One young pastor shared how he took four couples in his church through the material that we had taught him. Now those four couples are teaching other couples.

A well-dressed, articulate man got up to speak. He said that he had something to say even though he had not been at our conference and was not a pastor. He shared that his pastor had been at our conference and had taught his church the lessons on marriage. The man identified himself as being a high court officer in their government. His office processes divorce requests. He explained to these pastors that the number of people seeking divorce now in Zambia is increasing at a staggering pace. In his government office, using what he had learned from his pastor, he had been able to reconcile three couples! He also challenged the pastors to spend more time strengthening marriages and help slow the growing swell of divorcing couples. What an unexpected blessing we received as we heard him speak and challenge these pastors!

We are leading a team that is presenting an event on February 23 to celebrate marriage. Together Forever is open to the public (for married/engaged/seriously dating couples) and is featuring Michael O’Brien, a Christian recording artist. We heard Michael sing and share his marriage testimony a few years ago. His music appeals to all ages and his testimony is very powerful. Our evening includes specialty coffee bars by Café Evoke (and other drinks), photos (photo booth, portraits, party pics), great door prizes, and exquisite desserts. We will honor couples who have been married 50+ years and encourage those who are in their early years. The event is at Putnam City Baptist Church; contact us or visit the church website.

You are a valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing! Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray with us about our next mission to Zambia. 

Power of a Mother's Love

"Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible." 

We recently returned from another trip to Zambia. While there, our colleague told us an inspiring story of the love of a mother.*

A 26 year-old mother, Dorothy Mwaba, was out in a field working the ground with a hoe. Her one-year-old daughter was nearby. The mother spotted a lion looking her way with hungry eyes. A hungry lion would see a child as perfect prey. She had her daughter quietly get behind her and grab hold of her waist. She slowly started backing up. Then the lion attacked. The mother began screaming and used the hoe to hit the lion repeatedly in the head as it attacked her.

She was able to kill the lion.

By the time villagers arrived to help, the lion was dead and the mother had passed out. The child was unhurt. The mother undoubtedly fainted after the adrenaline rush of defending her child.

Never underestimate the power of a mother's love for her child.

*The story has been verified from Zambian news agencies.

Christmas Gifts for Children of Wisdom

After ministering at Wisdom Community School, outside of Ndola, Zambia, last summer, several of the mission team wanted to send Christmas gifts to the 175 children who attend Wisdom. They inspired their friends at Putnam City Baptist Church to give toys and candy for the children. We acquired all of the children's ages and gender, so age appropriate gifts could be sent.

The group packed 12 boxes full of Christmas love for the children.

The boxes were mailed near the first of November and have successfully arrived in Ndola. They recently arrived. The children go to school year round; December is one of the months that they take their break. Before leaving for break, the children were asked to return on December 21st to receive the gifts that our team has sent.

Hot Wheels and Trucks abound!

And myriads of dolls!

Pat Foster, Tommie Clemmer, and Martha Battle
Sort and pack LOTS of gifts!



Pat is packing them in!




12 Boxes of Gifts
Each box number corresponds to a list
Telling which age & gender receives the gifts

Ron and Kathy Jackson, part of the Zambia Mission 2012, were the impetus behind putting together the boxes. Their friends not only purchased and packaged the gifts but also gave $900 to cover the shipping of the boxes.

The generous heart of these people demonstrates the love of Jesus to these children who live in a slum and are predominantly orphans. We pray for their well-being!



LIVING WELL Zambia Mission Team Shares

THE NEXT STEP

What is my next step in my career? ..... in my marriage? ......in ministry? .... in my life?

We all face those questions. The question is easy; the answer doesn't always seem clear.

We have had a lot of people come to us with those questions. Usually, we want to know what is at the end of the road first and, secondly, how to get there. We have found that God doesn't always show us the end of the road, but He will always show us the next step.

Our answer to most people is "do what you know that He wants right now for your next step." After we take that step, He will show us the one after that.

School girl running after our bus
as we left

What's our next step in Africa?

We know that the Lord wants us to continue to help the children at Wisdom Community School in whatever way we can right now.

Our supporters and Zambia mission team have invested financially, emotionally, and spiritually in the school.

We believe that our next step is to provide security bars for the three doors and the one regular window of the school. The school is in a high crime area. When the vandals in that area learn that there are new books, etc. in the school, they will break in and steal whatever they could sell. The cost is about $650.

If you are interested in donating towards the security of the school, go to our donation link here.

LIVING WELL Ministers at Wisdom Community School

Wisdom Community School, in Ndola, Zambia, is operated by Better World Ministry, headed by Brother Charles Mwila Mutambala. The school is in a slum area, called Twapia (means "we are very broke").

Home in Twapia

Ed and Donna Edwards, of Living Well, visited the school in January, 2012. They learned that the school no longer had funding for the teachers and caretaker. They presented the need to their young married Bible study class at Putnam City Baptist Church. Several members of the class committed to provide the $400/month funding needed for 2012. Because of their contributions, the school is able to remain in operation.



Market in Twapia

Most of the children are orphans or "twice orphaned" (both mother and father have died) and live with a grandparent, older sibling, or even a neighbor. The families cannot afford the uniforms, books, meals, and materials that have to be purchased to attend public schools.

Children in area came to meet us
as we came to "preview" the school.

The school is for grades 1-5 and teaches 160 kids in two rooms without electricity or running water. Living Well is partnering with Better World to help Wisdom Community School continue to operate. Many more children in the neighborhood are not attending school, but Wisdom Community School is now full. The school is adding a grade each year to be able to teach the children as they move to the next grade.

Since Living Well began partnering with Better World Ministry in January, the Lord has provided several of the needs of the school through donations and the MISSION ZAMBIA 2012 Team.

The eight on the team plus Ed and Donna as the week
at Wisdom Community School begins.

Eight team members from the Oklahoma City metro area travelled with us to Ndola at the beginning of June, 2012. Three team members (John Holinsworth, Lois Jeffries, Karen Russell) painted the school inside and out, as well as doing repairs, replacing the doors and locks, and working in the flower bed. Previous to the trip, Living Well raised the funds to plaster the school on the outside in preparation for painting.

Five team members (Darla Holinsworth, Mary Kay McCormick, Norma McKinney, and Ron & Kathy Jackson) provided Bible teaching, crafts, music, and recreation for 160 children for 5 days.

So far in 2012 ....

MISSION accomplished:

• Monthly monetary support for three teachers, one caretaker amounting to a total of $400/month (commitments for 2012)
• Painting the interior walls (materials/supplies cost: $500)
• Cement plastering the exterior of the building to prevent deterioration of the earthen bricks (cost estimate: $1000 labor and materials)
• Painting the exterior walls after plastering (materials/supplies cost: $500)
• Teaching materials (books, paper, pencils, teaching aids, etc.)
• New doors and locks
• Recreation equipment - soccer balls, etc.
• Music equipment, hand instruments
• New Testament for each child
• Books and bookcases
• Toothbrush and toothpaste for each child (thanks to Dr. Russell Danner and Dr. Glenn Ashmore)
• A week of Bible teaching, crafts, Bible stories, music, and recreation

We did a lot of work, accomplished a lot, and left them with a lot .... but the reality is that we were the ones who benefited the most.

Before we took the mission trip, some people asked if it wouldn't be better just to give the money to have local people do the work. Our answer is that then you wouldn't have the experience of ministering to these children.

Much more is needed at the school. Will tackle that one in the next post.

Leaving Wisdom Community School

After ministering for a week at Wisdom Community School, our team got on the bus and drove off with severals kids chasing after us. We started singing Amazing Grace out of the gratitude of our blessings for the week.

JULY 2012 Letter - LIVING WELL

My life will never be the same! . . . . The most often heard comment from our team members after they returned to the U.S.

Our words come slowly when trying to process all that our senses encountered. 

• The mind says my life is different even if I don’t know what that means for my future.
• My spirit tells me that I am united in love with those who walk such a difficult life path.
• My emotions reveal that I don’t really understand joy yet, but I have met those who do.     
• My heart longs for a way to give of what God has given me so abundantly.
• My desire is to follow God’s path should He graciously allow me to return.
• We know that we have received more than we gave!

Thank you so much for your prayers! Answers:

• A great mission experience!
• Good health - no one got sick or hurt or even too fatigued to keep going. (Only prayer can explain that outcome for 10 “mature” missionaries.) 
• The teamwork and flexibility was beyond anything that we thought was possible. We can’t begin to explain what an outstanding job each person did. 
• Every plane connection was successful. No lost luggage (two bags were delayed 24hrs). 
• Full conference for pastors and their wives. Each couple received a notebook of materials and a new study Bible.
• The physical work at the school was completed - painting the school several coats inside and out, cleaning flowerbeds, new doors and locks, bookcases.
• Teaching through stories, the Bible, crafts, memory verses, games, and music prepared the way for children to come to Christ.
• Left the school with books, balls, Frisbees, musical instruments, and many school supplies.
• Gave each child a Bible, a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste (thanks to Dr. Russell Danner and Dr. Glenn Ashmore!), and lots of love.
• The team still loves each other after 18 days together.

 God put together such a gifted team!

We had a wonderful time of worship on Sunday; everyone wanted to hear more of their singing. As one team member said, “even when we didn’t know the words, we knew it was worship.” All of the team felt a close bond with the Christians there, even though we are different cultures and much different circumstances. We immediately felt the oneness of the body of Christ with our brothers and sisters there.

Now what? Those children need lots of prayers for their future.

The school still  has immediate needs:

1. burglar bars on the doors
2. a deeper water well (the present well goes dry part of the year) and a water storage tank
3. better toilet facilities
4. another building for classrooms and more teachers for the growing school

Our Bible study class is providing 100% of the financial support for the school this year. Without that support, the school would close. No education would be available for these 160+ kids. Many more neighborhood children are not attending school. Wisdom Community School is at a capacity level and cannot take any new enrollees. Many of those children lingered around our story times and activities; they were able to hear about the love of Jesus too.

See future posts and our facebook page for pictures of this year’s mission. Thank you again for your continued support for God’s work through Living Well.

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

June 2012 Letter - LIVING WELL

Just a few days left until we leave for Zambia!

Thank you so much for your prayers for our preparation and support! We are almost finishing preparing and God has provided the funds! We just received the remaining amount needed! We value your prayers while we are gone! Our mission dates are May 30-June16.

What do we do to prepare a team for a mission such as this one?

First, we pray that God will raise up the people that He wants to go with us. Once someone has indicated an interest in the mission, we share some of the basic information about the time and financial costs. If they are still interested, we meet with them to share more details about what the mission would entail. Then, they pray and we pray.

Once the team has been finalized, we begin meeting with them as a group. We do the best we can to prepare them for what God is going to do spiritually in them, in the group, and in the people we will meet. We pray for love and unity within the team. We believe that God does more in each of us than the people to whom we minister .

We pray and decide what part each of us will have in teaching, leading, and work. We ask them to read materials about international missions and the objectives of short-term missions. They prepare a testimony to share. We develop VBS materials appropriate for their culture.

We spend a lot of time going over logistics - long flights, airports, how to dress, weather, packing, varying weight limits on airlines, food, water, money exchange, medical preparations (shots, medicines to take), hotels, and schedules.

A large part of our training is to prepare people for the culture. We give them materials to read about Zambia in particular. As we show them pictures of previous missions, we try to communicate some of our experiences. We hope to help them understand aspects of the African culture that are different but also to see it isn’t wrong or bad.

We pray together and have prayer requests during the days leading up to the mission.

We do all that we can to prepare them for the mission. BUT …. Through all of the preparations, we tell them, “There are some parts that we cannot prepare you for, you will just have to experience them.” For us, one of our greatest joys of the mission is seeing new people experience Africa and her people for the first time. As some tell us who have gone with us more than once, it is really hard to internalize and enjoy it all the first time. They really get the full experience the second time. The sights, sounds, and smells can be overwhelming.

Our mission teammates have always returned with a new heart in their own walk with the Lord, a new vision of what the Body of Christ looks like, a love for the African people, and a shift in their thinking about wealth and possessions.

We were very excited to learn from our contact in Zambia that we already have the maximum number of pastor couples signed up to attend the pastor’s conference. The plastering is finished at the school and waiting to be painted. The 160 children and teachers are ready for us to come. All of the Bibles, books, and materials, which we shipped, have arrived.

Please pray with us for this mission. As we prepare to leave, pray that we get all of the remaining materials in our luggage and have some room left to take our clothes! Pray for the hearts and health of our team and those we will meet!

We will post updates on this blog as we are able to get internet access.

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards


Previous post on mission trip, read here....
Read mission details here.....

May 2012 Letter - LIVING WELL

“When I heard Ed and Donna say that you can pay cash for a car, I didn’t believe it. I will never be able to do that.”

That statement came from a young man who attended one of our financial seminars 15 years ago. He recently shared his testimony of faith in the financial area of his life.

He didn’t come from a wealthy family. One summer while he was in college, he had an internship in another city, a couple of hours from home. He was so broke that he didn’t have any money to put down on a deposit where he was going to live. He had saved a large jar of coins through the years. He emptied it all out and took the quarters. He lived on that money the first week. The next week he took out the nickels and dimes to live on until he got his first paycheck.

Shortly after graduating from college and getting married, this couple came to the class that we taught for newly married couples. A few months later, he attended a one-day financial seminar we taught. He and his wife had about $25,000 in debt, mainly from student loans, plus they owed about $14,000 on car loans.

They began paying off debt. They were faithful to follow what God showed them on how to spend all of their money, not just what they gave to Him. They learned that they can pay cash for their cars! They have paid cash for three and paid off two within six months. They sought wise counsel as they took steps in their journey of faith with Him. They pray about all of the money that He has entrusted to them. They both have a generous heart and a love for the Lord. They are quick to respond to a need to demonstrate His love. God has blessed their hearts, their work, and family.

God designed us to give to others and to Him. When we live according to His design, we are the happiest, we have the greatest joy. Giving is never about whether we can afford it. We often hear people say that they can’t afford to give to a need or to God’s work. Giving is about our heart towards Him and our trust in Him. Jesus showed us the example of the widow who gave all she had to live on (Mark 12:43-444). He commended her above the wealthy who gave more money.

Giving is a response of love and gratitude to God. We give to His work and to others out of our love for Him and our love for others - not to get something in return. “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” (Romans 11:35) “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. (1 Chronicles 29:14).

Because of the generosity of people who support God’s work through Living Well ministry, we have learned, grown, and taught others. Those that we have taught have given and taught others. Generosity is multiplied into many lives. [read about generosity - marriage and others here]

We are in the final phases of preparing to go to Zambia for our mission trip. We will multiply God’s Word into the lives of 160 poor children and 50 pastor couples. We shipped study Bibles for the pastors and children’s Bibles for the children of Wisdom Community School. They have all arrived!

Because of the generosity of many, we were able to have the school covered with a cement plaster and is now ready for our team to paint it, inside and outside.

We are responsible to raise the funds for the school project, for both the physical work and for the Bibles and other materials, as well as funds for the pastors conference, and our own transportation, lodging, food, etc. Our team has their passports and shots. They are diligently planning and praying.

Please pray with us for this mission - for the planning, preparation, people, and for the funding.

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Pray that the Lord will provide the $6,000 that we still need for the mission trip to Zambia. [to donate]

His Heart Belongs in Africa

"God had only one Son,
and He was a missionary.”
David Livingstone

Zambia enjoys the great history of David Livingstone exploring and bringing the gospel to their land. David Livingstone died in present-day Zambia on May 1st,1873, from malaria and internal bleeding caused by dysentery. He took his final breaths while kneeling in prayer at his bedside.

Britain wanted the body to give it a proper ceremony, but the tribe would not give his body to them. Finally they relented, but cut the heart out and put a note on the body that said, "You can have his body, but his heart belongs in Africa!". Livingstone's heart was buried under a Mvula tree near the spot where he died. His tombstone in Westminster Abbey reads, "Brought by faithful hands over land and sea, David Livingstone: missionary, traveler, philanthropist. For 30 years his life was spent in an unwearied effort to evangelize the native races, to explore the undiscovered secrets, and to abolish the slave trade."

David Livingstone was the inspiration for many missionaries going to Zambia, Africa. They have been heavily evangelized and are somewhere between 50-75% Christian. The Zambian constitution even declares them to be a Christian nation.

Unfortunately, these factors do not translate into Christian lifestyles in all aspects of their lives. Sex outside of marriage is common, which has become the means by which HIV/AIDS is spread. Zambia has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS. About one in every seven adults is HIV+. The life expectancy is around 50 years old (up from 39 years at the height of the epidemic).

Children have been much affected by the AIDS epidemic in Zambia, where 120,000 children are estimated to be infected with HIV. In 2009 there were 690,000 AIDS orphans in the country and made up half of all orphans in the country.

In 2003, it was revealed that increasing numbers of child rape cases were being fuelled by the "virgin cure" myth (which wrongly claims that sex with a virgin can cure AIDS). Older men will have sex with a younger girl, a virgin, thinking it will take away the AIDS. The reality is that it further spreads the disease.

The church can be one of the most effective means of changing the direction of the epidemic and ministering to those who are affected by it.

APRIL 2012 Letter - LIVING WELL

Spring has come early to our part of the country! We see tulips and daffodils popping up from the seeming lifeless ground. They remind us that the dead-looking soil holds new, living, beautiful creations. These spring flowers are a powerful picture of the Easter story.

Jesus Christ died and was buried. Out of that physical death came a new life, a resurrected life. Because of His death and resurrection, we have hope for our own death and new life. We do not have to wait until we die physically to experience the new life. As we receive Him as our Lord and Savior, we die to our sin and gain a new spiritual life while still on earth. 

After His resurrection, He ascended into heaven. However, He didn’t leave us on our own. He left us with a promise. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:18) His Spirit came to indwell us. His Presence lives within us.

What is like to be an orphan?

An orphan is someone who has lost one or more parents. We both had two wonderful parents, who loved us and gave us direction as we grew up. Now, we have each lost one of our parents. We no longer call them up or spend time with them or ask them for guidance. We miss their presence in our lives.

Jesus was saying in John 14:18 that when He left earth He would send someone to be with us, someone to talk with us, someone to give us guidance, someone to express the love of the Father to us. We don’t have to wander around, feeling alone or lost. We don’t have to rely on our own resources to make it through life. When He comes to live in us, we become a child of God. Each of us is truly an orphan in this life until God becomes Our Father.

As we prepare for our next mission trip to Zambia, this concept becomes especially meaningful. Part of our mission is to minister to 160 orphan children at Wisdom Community School. Our theme for the week is God as Our Father. We will focus on different attributes of God each day - loving, forgiving, kind, compassionate, and merciful.

Because a person forms his view of God from the characteristics of his earthly father, someone who doesn’t have a father may see God as distant or uninvolved or even unloving. When the father is present in African households, he is often emotionally and physically harsh to his children. He is not involved in their lives and doesn’t express love and kindness to them. We want these children to know God as He truly is - as a perfect Father who loves His children.

We are excited to have on our Zambia 2012 team: (l-r, bottom to top) Karen Russell, Lois Jeffries, Norma McKinney, Donna Edwards, Mary Kay McCormick, Darla Holinsworth, Kathy Jackson, Ed Edwards, John Holinsworth, and Ron Jackson. Part of the team will do physical work (painting, etc.) on the school and the others will be ministering to the children with Bible activities, music, crafts, reading, and games. [read more about the mission]

By faith we have already shipped 160 Children’s Bibles and 50 Study Bibles (for our pastors conference). We have already sent funds to have cement plaster put on the outside of the school, so it will be ready for paint when we arrive. We are shipping crafts, children’s books, and musical instruments this week.

We are responsible to raise the funds for the school project, for both the physical work and for the Bibles and other materials, as well as funds for the pastors conference, and our own transportation, lodging, food, etc. We have already purchased our plane tickets!

Please pray with us for this mission - for the planning, preparation, people, and for the funding. We still have about $14,000 to raise before we leave.

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards