Stepping out of the cars at the small, dusty village of Matengu, the 23 of us were totally unprepared for the life-changing experiences that awaited us over the next 10 days.
Together we had just enjoyed all the lavish luxuries a tourist can enjoy in Zambia: going on safari, dining with giraffes and zebras, and visiting the majestic Victoria Falls. But arriving in Matengu village was like stepping into an entirely different world. There were no showers, no cooking facilities, no running water, no shops and access to drop toilets only (which had been built especially for our arrival). We were sleeping in tents, showering with a bucket and making the most of what we had. Our meals were repetitive and simple—rice, beans, cabbage, potato (or taro) and soy meat chunks, with the occasional treat of pasta. We had well and truly left familiarity behind to experience a taste of what some people in the world live like every day.
Greater Sydney Conference, in partnership with Pastor Joel Slade, organised a mission trip to assist in building a new health clinic for the community of Matengu. Pastor Slade shared that “by Australian standards this is not a remote community; they are only 16km from the main road, but when you are travelling on foot or by ox cart, this is very remote. And for those who are needing medical assistance, this distance can mean life or death. I met a man walking with crutches because he broke his foot 10 years ago and couldn’t access medical services.”
Prior to our arrival, Bible worker John Mubiana—sponsored part-time by Riverside Farm Institute—had built the foundations and walls of the new health clinic. Our team assisted in fixing the door frames and window frames, laying bricks, building the roof and rendering the building. Alongside this, the nurses and medical professionals among our group also provided health checks and medical support to the community. During our 10 days in Matengu, our medical team were able to provide medical support to more than 230 community members and transported dozens of patients to the hospital for treatment.
Each afternoon, our mission team would divide into three groups and run kids’ clubs across three sites in the nearby communities: one in Matengu, one in Silelo and one in Siamalange. This involved organising crafts for the kids, singing songs and playing games, and teaching the kids stories from the Bible—with the help of translators. Following this, each site ran an evangelistic campaign focusing on fundamental Adventist topics such as the gospel, the Sabbath, the second coming and baptism. Many of the missionaries volunteered to preach these sermons.
On the final Sabbath, 29 individuals from the community were baptised in a font built specifically for the occasion in Mr Mubiana’s backyard. It was a beautiful occasion which brought tears to the eyes of many from the mission team and the community, with all voices lifted in song, in both English and Tonga (the local language).
None of this would have been possible without the dedicated work of the ministry team leading the mission trip, as well as the preparation of the selfless Bible worker Mr Mubiana. Mr Mubiana must be recognised for the immense sacrifices he has made to serve as a Bible worker in the Matengu region, forsaking job security and loved ones, and suffering great losses for the sake of sharing the gospel. But through his resilient and steadfast faith in God, he has been able to plant six churches and win many souls for Christ.
Many of the people in Matengu and the surrounding villages have no money, no education and no jobs. Most don’t have access to modern technology or devices. But what they do have they give freely—their love. Their smiles are as vibrant and bright as the African sun and the depth of their relationships, generosity and selfless love touched each of us in unique and deeply moving ways. Their faith, devotion and dedication to the gospel is an inspiration to us all.
Serving on mission trips is a greatly rewarding experience that can deepen our faith and bless us as we serve. Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” It was certainly the experience of all those who attended the Zambia mission trip that in serving others, we were richly blessed by God.
Olivia Fairfax is a production assistant at Adventist Media.
