In the middle of a pandemic, we have a choice. Who do we listen to? What do we look for? Who are we taking our cues from? God did not cause Covid-19 to happen, but can you see Him moving in the midst of it? I can. Let me show you how, and give you a bit of good news amid the craziness.
For over three years, I (Libby) have been ministering to ladies who make their living as prostitutes at a local brothel. There have been moving testimonies of lives changed one-by-one over these few years. Although, these past couple months, there has been a WAVE of testimonies too many to even share. I’ve seen a change in the atmosphere, in their countenances, in their prayers, in their determination. You see, Covid-19 has meant less money in people’s pockets, less travel over country borders, and more desperation. While these things are not good, God has used the situation. All of these things mean that the ladies have had less men coming to them. They’ve had less money for alcohol, so they’re not hung over. They have less business, so they’re getting more sleep. They are less clouded by darkness and are seeing His light more clearly. And they have more time on their hands which means they are coming to Bible study! Our meetings have been full of joyful singing, challenging messages, and times of prayer full of tears and restoration.
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One week, they just kept singing and singing after the meeting while we were eating lunch! Another week, we walked around to other houses with prostitutes (appearing as bars or boarding houses) to invite them to our Bible study. “Don’t we need to pray for them before we leave?” they asked? Yes—prostitutes praying for prostitutes! This may seem strange to you… How can they minister and pray for people while they are still living in sin? Well, they have finally come to the same conclusion themselves as they asked, “How is it that we can we go to Bible study and also stay here (at the brothel)?” They are finally ready for change, and it all came to a crux this week. Five of them have decided to move out! We are now making plans this week for where they will stay, how they will earn money, etc. Pray for these ladies—Mildred, Sarah, Chanda, Ida, and Irene.
But that’s not the end!! Just this week, a friend of Mildred’s named Lorane (below) was extremely desperate. She was being kicked out of her family’s house. She has two small children and no money. She went to the witch doctor, and he said he would pay a large sum of money if she sacrificed her child to be killed. She was about to have her child killed when our ladies stopped her and told her about another sacrifice that was already made—Father God sacrificing His only Son Jesus. She came to the Bible study and prayed a prayer of repentance and dedicated her life to God. Her child is spared! Not only have the ladies in our ministry made the courageous decision to start a new life, but they are bringing others, like Lorane, along with them into God's freedom. The enemy can use hopelessness to convince us of terrible lies. He can make us believe that we are trapped. Don’t give in to Satan’s desperation and lies. If you find yourself in desperation, turn to God and He will not turn you away. Let Him show you how He can make good come out of even the most terrible of situations.
We arrived back in Zambia at the beginning of June. After our two-week quarantine we were able to jump back into our life and ministry here! Silas has adjusted well and is quite the charmer with everyone. He loves being passed around, and his playfulness has brought many smiles as the group cheers him on in crawling for the first time or makes him giggle with their goofy faces. He loves seeing his mom lead worship in the mornings too. This is a great environment for raising a family!
 
Everyone was VERY relieved to receive Pete back so he could contribute his expertise to a variety of logistical problems the base was having. Everyone loves a guy who can fix most anything. For example, he's been able to finally rebuild the internet network and repair some audio equipment after a damaging lightning strike months ago. He's also building four water towers to help mitigate water shortages around the property. Also on his plate is maintenance and improvements to our Jeep and projects around the house. There's a lot to do to get ready for this next season.
Many of you are probably wondering how COVID19 has affected our ministry. Our two-week expeditions, large conferences, and ministering at Chiefs' ceremonies have been postponed to next year. We are also being diligent to follow Zambian regulations in getting permission from the Ministry of Health and local Chiefs for our ongoing ministries while practicing handwashing and mask-wearing. Be assured, ministry is still happening. In fact, with 150+ Overland missionaries around world, NO ONE chose to repatriate to their home country. Everyone stayed on the field to minister to people in this crisis even though many would be "stuck" with travel bans popping up continuously, airlines shutting down, and no guarantee of being able to return home soon. The call of God requires obedience and faithfulness, and we are proud to be a part of this Overland team within the Body of Christ. More good news is that our Advanced Mission Training course is still on for this month. About 50 people from all over the world will be coming to our base in Zambia (only flying after receiving a negative Covid-19 test and doing a 14-day quarantine upon arrival) for our biggest AMT class ever. We have word that their visas are being approved and that travel to Zambia, while significantly less convenient, is still possible. Please pray for all of this to happen and go smoothly.
We hope this was encouraging to you and assured you that God is moving, both in your home country and abroad. If you seek Him, you will find Him, if you search for Him with all of your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Choose to move past the noise and seek Him today. Choose to make Him known.
Much love,
Pete, Libby, and Silas.
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