Project Zambia

Project Zambia is an outreach program that is based on

• two premises concerning time
• two methods of outreach
• three means of kingdom development

In the first phase (first one to two years) we are concentrating our efforts in Southern Zambia, in what is termed the “Lower Zambezi” region. This is the border area between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Zambezi River and Lake Kariba constitutes the border line between these two countries. Economic development has been slow in coming to this region and the Tonga, who represent the majority of people in this area, are poised to become recipients of Gods ability to prosper an entire region. We are experiencing great favor in Zambia and over the past several years we have been blessed to receive trust by civic and tribal leaders in this tremendous harvest field. With that trust we are able to be welcomed and received in ways that many are not. But with being trusted and received comes the responsibility of bringing the truth of Gods word about His desire to increase the people of the region, the nation of Zambia and Africa as a whole. In the next time phase the concentration will, while still keeping activities in the south, move towards Western and Northern/Eastern Zambia. Already ground has been laid for outreach in these areas. Once again, favor is preceding us, as civic and tribal leaders have requested that we come to their areas also to bring the Word of God which produces life, hope and sure increase and to the people of their regions also

Concerning the two methods of outreach, we are utilizing a watercraft and vehicle mounted transportable preaching platform as the major tools. As large numbers of people in this Southern area are located on the waterways (Hundreds of miles of Zambezi River and Lake Kariba, which is approximately 150 miles long) it is imperative that a watercraft be utilized. The watercraft was custom built to accommodate medical and evangelistic teams for this River and lake system. Many people live in areas with no roads and the only access to them is by water. (One village is approximately 81 kilometers over the most horrendous of roads, (if you can call them roads!) But only 18 kilometers by water)) Approximately once a month we will traverse one section of the river or lake, stopping at “fish camps” that dot the banks of the river and lake, presenting the Jesus film in the Tonga language, having smaller open air crusades and strengthening and equipping local pastors and establishing churches. A part of Project Zambia is at the same time to bring proven and working programs of general medical care, an AIDS program, and at times food programs, to these wonderful people. The vehicle mounted platform will be used to conduct larger crusades approximately every six to eight weeks in different larger land based cities and towns that have road systems. With this vehicle the huge cost of renting/building platforms in different places and preparing venues, has been eliminated. And, as the vehicle and watercraft are basically self-contained with sound equipment, generators, extra tanks and such, we need only to fuel up and go.

Kingdom growth and development is the primary focus of all of our efforts. It is the driving force behind all that we do. Kingdom growth in a numerical sense, will be accomplished by:

1. Crusade activity (numerically adding to the kingdom). All the equipment has been placed in Africa to deal with this type of activity. A system built to accommodate 50 to 15,000 has been especially designed to operate from the land or water born vehicles.

2. Pastor/leadership conferences will be conducted in partnership with the crusades, to strengthen, encourage and equip local leaders with tangible and non-tangible tool to help them accomplish their mission. The tangible would be related to Bibles, books, training aids and access avenues to mentorship support and a covering through a larger organization. Non-tangible would be in the area of how to be led by the Holy Spirit, how to be a minister of and operate in and from the Kingdom of God. No one from the “outside” can win a nation; we must do all we can to equip and train the indigenous leaders so they can be the most effective they can be to accomplish the tasks that the Lord gives them in their own country.

3. Church planting is a major focus of the outreach so new and older believers can become rooted and grounded in the faith. Getting new and older believers into positions where they can grow, become vibrant believers is accomplished only by having access to the Word of God. Not by church attendance or learning denominational doctrine or religion, so establishing churches that can fulfill that need is of a primary nature.

“Part of the vision of Project Zambia is to reach the people that don’t get reached with regular methods. Even in Christian circles the concept of “more bang for the buck” is an over-riding influence on the decisions that are being made. It only makes sense if you only have “x” amount of dollars to spend; spend it where maximum return can occur. I have watched as crusade teams and leadership programs come and go into countries, that usually only the top three cities would be impacted. Nothing wrong with that, but it leaves the vast majority of a country and thus the vast majority of the people unaffected. The Lord has directed that WSM, at this time, is to concentrate efforts on these people that are not getting reached. One may hold a crusade in the major city but on average you’re looking at better than 80% already being Christian. There is a place for these things, but I don’t want to fish in my own bathtub. If you take the program to outlying areas you can reverse the numbers and better than 80% will be those who haven’t heard the message, but the catch will be smaller. But is that one life in the rural area of any less value than the life of one in the urban area?” WS