Dear Friends and Family!
Since end of January we are back
home (in Zambia).
It is good to be back in familiar
surroundings. After being gone for a year there are many differences that we
are noticing.
For the many years of working in
Zambia we got used to the way of life and "differences" and did not
notice them as we do now.
Why is that?
The best way to explain this is
with the following experiment:
The
Frog in the Water
The Experiment:
In
this experiment scientists took a frog from it‘s cool waters and put it into a
tub of cold water. The temperature of the water was slowly raised.
Surprisingly, the frog stayed sitting in the water even when it reached a life
threatening temperature.
The experiment was repeated with another frog taken from it‘s cool waters. This time the frog was dropped into a tub of hot water. The frog immediately reacted to the extreme temperature and jumped out.
The experiment was repeated with another frog taken from it‘s cool waters. This time the frog was dropped into a tub of hot water. The frog immediately reacted to the extreme temperature and jumped out.
The
Conclusion:
In the first attempt the temperature change was
never life threatening. The frog got used to the slow rising temperature.
In the second attempt the change was so great that the frog immediately reacted!
In the second attempt the change was so great that the frog immediately reacted!
http://www.leapfrogging.de/der-frosch/der-frosch-im-heissen-wasser.html? d772ea7e7999330a918d2dc7aa3b87d1=3487f406665c4a6aa3cf2915542abdb3
Ø Sometimes we are like the frog in the slow rising temperature.
We don’t notice how much
syncretism exists in the church and in the lives of individual Christians.
Syncretism in this context is understood as the mixing of biblical values with
traditional (animistic) and/or modern western values (post modernism).
Ø What does this look like?
While we were in the USA, two of
the local church leaders (Zambia) were unfaithful in their marriage and put
under church discipline. The lack of commitment in marriage is not uncommon in
this culture.
A Zambian proverb highlights
this well:
„A
Chief never commits adultery, he only enjoys himself with all the women that
are part of his kingdom anyway“. (Bemba Proverb)
Traditionally, this can be
accepted for a chief. The wife/wives have to deal with this …
Now the church leaders in the vernacular
speaking churches often take on the status of a small chief in their own little
tribal chiefdom (the church they are leading). Sadly, they often act like a
traditional chief by “enjoying their subjects.
We could give a lot more
examples e.g.: Witchcraft, belief in ancestral spirits, burial rites, etc… Life
values and behavioral patterns from the animistic worldview including practices
and traditions are mixed and bonded with the Christian life and therefore a
modern Christian lifestyle is born.
As Westerners with a long
lasting Christian heritage we tend to look down on such behavior. Yet in our
own context many of us have started going the same route. We use values and
beliefs from our own culture (Post Modernism) and blend them with biblical
values and create a modern Christianity acceptable by society. Individualism,
tolerance, materialism … are just some of them.
Ø
What
can we do against this?
For thousands of years society has tried to improve
ethically, but it has not worked. These problems are still present although
they have been “labeled“ differently and become acceptable in society.
How good that we have a living faith that is built on
the unchanging, flawless, and irrefutable Word of God that saves and changes
lives.
Ø The Answer that Jesus Christ gives to us through His Word:
1.
Therefore go,
2.
Make disciples of all nations:
o
Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit
o
And teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you.
3.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end
of the age.
(Matthew
28:16-20 NIV)
In our mission work here at AMANO
School we strive to full fill this command.
We have the opportunity to make disciples
out of these students throughout their fourteen years of school. Wesley L.
Duewel put in in the following words:
“Every Christian leader,
whatever his official title or role, should be characterized by a passion to
lead others to Christ. We all give nominal adherence to winning people. We seem
to be a little embarrassed to speak about “souls” since we hear the constant
emphasis upon treating people as “whole persons” – body as well as soul. But
every human being has a spiritual aspect of his nature which will live forever.
When the body dies, the soul will live on. It will be eternally saved, at home
with Christ, or eternally lost to Christ and heaven, lost in a Christless
eternity in hell.”
Jesus reminds us of this:
„Whoever believes in
the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life,
for God’s wrath
remains on them.“
John 3:36
Ø Syncretism in World Missions
Just like we wrote about the syncretism
in vernacular churches at the beginning of our letter we could speak about the syncretism
in the “modern mission-work” out of Europe or North America.
In “modern” mission work we come
across the intentional “change of the bad circumstances” e.g. the fight against
poverty, fight for democracy, freedom from abuse … These are all good and noble
attempts. In focusing on these, missionaries become developmental workers, diplomats
and politicians. Home churches collect vast amounts of money for developmental
projects and the “eternal soul of the lost” is no longer the central focus of their
investment and mission-work.
Values of our secular society
take over, leaving the focus of the great commission on the sidelines.
2 Peter 3:9-14
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as
some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should
perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the
day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away
with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and
the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.11 Since
all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to
be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and
hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and
the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But
according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in
which righteousness dwells.14 Therefore, beloved, since you
are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or
blemish, and at peace.
|
Jesus said: „See, I will make
everything new“. With His return He will make the world a new. He gave us the
command to make disciples of all nations. These disciples will be the salt and
light in their own spheres.
In mission-work the focus should
not be on building the kingdom of God on earth, but that people will be saved
for the eternal kingdom of God.
Hugh Thomson Kerr reminds
us:
We are sent not to preach:
sociology but salvation;
not
economics but evangelism;
not
reform but redemption;
not
culture but conversion;
not
progress but pardon;
not
the new social order but the new birth;
not
revolution but regeneration;
not
renovation but revival;
not
resuscitation but resurrection;
not a
new organization but a new creation;
not
democracy but the gospel;
not
civilization but Christ.
We are
ambassadors, not diplomats.[1]
|
Ø AMANO - School
In July we celebrated the 10th
anniversary of the school. Today, 135 students attend grades 1-12 through to A
levels. Over 12 nationalities from five continents are represented. Even the
faculty and staff come from all over the world.
The goal of Amano Christian School is stated in the
school mission statement.
Mission Statement
Amano Christian School aims to provide a high standard of education
in the most densely populated province of Zambia, enabling students to
develop their full potential.
By teaching from a Biblical worldview all students are encouraged to
establish a lasting personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and
become responsible members of their community.
|
We
desperately need staff from all the world that Jesus has called, and who would
enjoy working on the dynamic Amano team in the heart of Africa.
§
Dormparents;
§
Elementary School teachers;
§
Secondary / High school
teachers;
§
Fit retirees with building
experience for the building site;
§
Projectmanager (building & maintainence);
§
College students & Graduates
as volunteers (6- 12 Months time period);
Ø
Family
Michael & Barbel
Barbel is still in charge of
running the school kitchen. She is also a classroom assistant for first and
second grade. When the girl‘s or boy‘s dorm-parents have a weekend off, Michael
and Baerbel jump in as weekend dorm- parents. On Thursday nights they are kept
young by monitoring the students during their homework hour.
Frank Wittmann (Administrative
Director) and Michael share an office in the administration building. The overall
management and Sunnybrook Christian Trust (school trust) are now Michael‘s
responsibility.
Developing the spiritual input
in the life of the students in the everyday life is a challenge. Devotions and
bible studies are among some of the spiritual inputs in the lives of both
students and staff
This past July one of the main „projects“ was the
planning and execution of a outreach project helping the poor of the poorest
that live within a 3 mile radius of the school. One of six mini-projects was to
put a metal roof on the home of a woman in need. On a afternoon four students
along with the help of a leader built a metal roof on the home replacing the rusted
roof dapped with rags.
The goal is to show our students
the poverty in their own community and to develop their relationship with
Christ and take on the responsibility of being a neighbor to those in need.
In April, Aaron & Andrea welcomed their firstborn Olivia.
(http://aaronandrea.blogspot.com)
Christine & Ryan with Naomi moved to a new area in
the suburbs of Chicago.
(http://stine-07.blogspot.com)
Martin graduated beginning of May with a degree in
Mission Aviation. He was hired on by the University as a flight instructor. (LeTourneau,
Longview, TX)
Gabi is a senior at Judson University (Elgin,
IL). (http://www.gabiotg.blogspot.jp)
How great it is to have SKYPE, so that we can
communicate often with our children and grandchildren.
We thank you for all your support through prayer and
donations.
May our Lord Jesus bless you and
keep you.
Blessings,
Michael & Bärbel Pflaum
[1] Wesley L.
Duewel, Ablaze For God, Francis Asbury
Press, Grand Rapids Michigan USA, 1989, page104-105.
