Today was my first day back out in the markets of Chipata since traveling to South Africa. Zeria, Easton, and I got out of our truck and walked across the road to Saturday Market, my favorite place to buy vegetables. Zeria and I were talking about how Mr. Mwanza was going to ask where my baby was when I saw him. As we walked through the market on our way to his stand, we did not see him and I asked Zeria if she saw him and she said no. We found his stand, it is marked with his name, and we approached the stand to find 2 of his sons running the business. Zeria then began to ask them where Mr. Mwanza was and from the expression on Zeria's face, I knew something had happened. Mr. Mwanza passed away on February 19. He fell ill on February 14. I stood in shock and the tears began to flow from my eyes as I realized that I had not been to see him before I left for South Africa and that all the times I went to see him I NEVER took the time to share Jesus with him! WHAT WAS I THINKING!!?? Today, I am humbled and heartbroken. As Zeria would say, "my head is spinning about Mr. Mwanza".
Tomorrow we are going to speak with his sons about where we can find his wife
and Zeria and I are going to visit with her.
Please pray that I will have the boldness to share Jesus Christ with her. Since we
have been gone, Kendall and I realize that we love the Zambian people and desire
more now than ever to see them come to Christ.
Please pray that our passion to share and our love for them will increase. This reminds me that life is short and I should NEVER waste time or put off sharing with someone who I have befriended or come across that I know needs to hear.
3 comments:
No words, just long distance hugs!
WOW, Joy! I'm sorry to hear about your friend's death. We will be praying for you as you share Christ with his wife (and maybe his sons).
Let God use this to glorify Himself!
Oh, Joy, how hard this time must have been for you! Just reading your blog, I felt terrible when I read this. I immediately wondered if it was the Mr. M. you had mentioned in the 2007 blog. I went back and saw where you had called him your "friend"...how sad you must have been. We are almost all guilty of this awful mistake at some time or other in our lives, but if we're smart and humble, we remember the feeling and grow from it (which I'm sure you've already done).
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