Some Things Don’t Make the Book

Posted on October 25, 2013

One of the things we enjoy reading are stories of great missionaries from the past. Stories of struggles and great victories on the mission field. Stories of incredible miracles and the moving of God among various people and in various places. We read of days filled with a great harvest of people coming to know the Lord. But you know what? I am sure there are many days that didn’t make the book.

We would love to write a blog and send an update about the great move of God we saw among the people of Mongu or about the hundreds of souls saved as the result of a big evangelism crusade we put on or about the converted witch doctor who is now the leader of his church and, while we may write of such things some day, there will be many more days which don’t make the book. Days like today.

Today was not a glamorous day on the mission field. Today was about doing the work. This morning Paul went to work with students from the Bible College. They weren’t doing door-to-door evangelism, but making concrete blocks. Digging sand out of the ground, shoveling it into a trailer, shoveling the sand out of the trailer, mixing it with bags of cement, adding water, and shoveling the mix into block molds.

From there, Paul and Rich went to help a group of men from a local church move a wood planer from out of the church sanctuary to a small building just a short distance away. The planer weighed close to one ton and had to be rolled on poles and maneuvered out the door onto Rich’s trailer.

Velda’s day was similar. Today was laundry day. Before we came to Zambia, laundry day was quite the chore. Now that we are here and do not have a washer or dryer, laundry day is work. Once the clothes were hung on the line, it was time for language study and trying to remember the difference between greeting someone in the morning as opposed to greeting an elder person in the afternoon. This followed by the sweeping up of the sand that always finds its way into the house. Our day was filled with the kind of stuff that doesn’t make the book.

But here is awesome thing about today. Those Bible school students making the blocks….they are on break from school and the money they are getting paid to make blocks is helping pay their fees for the next term. These are young Zambian men called to serve God who are being trained to be the next generation of pastors and possibly missionaries themselves. And the blocks that they are making…they will be used to build the Mongu Youth Center, where young lives will be transformed as they are discipled, taught life skills, and they hang out in a Christian environment. The local church with the one ton planer…I don’t know why the planer was in the church and what purpose it will serve in the other building, but we did get to work together with these brothers as we pushed and pulled as a team to accomplish the task, then celebrate with clapping and cheers of congratulations to one another. And learning the language…the more we know of the language and culture, the better and deeper relationships we will build, enabling us to better evangelize and disciple the people God puts in our paths.

That’s the thing. Not all days are going to make the book. Jesus had days that didn’t make the book as well. John 21:25, says “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written.” But those days and things Jesus did that didn’t make the book were no less significant. When you serve God, and He asks you to shovel sand or do laundry it is not insignificant—it is extraordinary.

It’s not the size and scope of the task, but the size and scope of the one who you are doing it for. To me that is why the Bible says in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.”

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Some Things Don’t Make the Book

Posted on October 25, 2013

One of the things we enjoy reading are stories of great missionaries from the past. Stories of struggles and great victories on the mission field. Stories of incredible miracles and the moving of God among various people and in various places. We read of days filled with a great harvest of people coming to know the Lord. But you know what? I am sure there are many days that didn’t make the book.

We would love to write a blog and send an update about the great move of God we saw among the people of Mongu or about the hundreds of souls saved as the result of a big evangelism crusade we put on or about the converted witch doctor who is now the leader of his church and, while we may write of such things some day, there will be many more days which don’t make the book. Days like today.

Today was not a glamorous day on the mission field. Today was about doing the work. This morning Paul went to work with students from the Bible College. They weren’t doing door-to-door evangelism, but making concrete blocks. Digging sand out of the ground, shoveling it into a trailer, shoveling the sand out of the trailer, mixing it with bags of cement, adding water, and shoveling the mix into block molds.

From there, Paul and Rich went to help a group of men from a local church move a wood planer from out of the church sanctuary to a small building just a short distance away. The planer weighed close to one ton and had to be rolled on poles and maneuvered out the door onto Rich’s trailer.

Velda’s day was similar. Today was laundry day. Before we came to Zambia, laundry day was quite the chore. Now that we are here and do not have a washer or dryer, laundry day is work. Once the clothes were hung on the line, it was time for language study and trying to remember the difference between greeting someone in the morning as opposed to greeting an elder person in the afternoon. This followed by the sweeping up of the sand that always finds its way into the house. Our day was filled with the kind of stuff that doesn’t make the book.

But here is awesome thing about today. Those Bible school students making the blocks….they are on break from school and the money they are getting paid to make blocks is helping pay their fees for the next term. These are young Zambian men called to serve God who are being trained to be the next generation of pastors and possibly missionaries themselves. And the blocks that they are making…they will be used to build the Mongu Youth Center, where young lives will be transformed as they are discipled, taught life skills, and they hang out in a Christian environment. The local church with the one ton planer…I don’t know why the planer was in the church and what purpose it will serve in the other building, but we did get to work together with these brothers as we pushed and pulled as a team to accomplish the task, then celebrate with clapping and cheers of congratulations to one another. And learning the language…the more we know of the language and culture, the better and deeper relationships we will build, enabling us to better evangelize and disciple the people God puts in our paths.

That’s the thing. Not all days are going to make the book. Jesus had days that didn’t make the book as well. John 21:25, says “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written.” But those days and things Jesus did that didn’t make the book were no less significant. When you serve God, and He asks you to shovel sand or do laundry it is not insignificant—it is extraordinary.

It’s not the size and scope of the task, but the size and scope of the one who you are doing it for. To me that is why the Bible says in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.”

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Just a few observations

Posted on October 21, 2013

Well, we have been in Mongu for almost a month now. Here are just a few observations:

1. You can get two T-Bone steaks for about $3 but a can of shaving cream cost about $10. I may be growing a beard as soon as it cools off some.
2. The kids love to ask, “Hi, How are you?” to which I love to reply, “I am Fine. How are you?” To which they reply, “I am fine. How are you?” to which I reply, “I am fine. How are you?”…and it goes on and on. Occasionally I like to throw in, “I am FANTASTIC!” just to help expand their English vocabulary. 
3. There are a lot of cashew trees. I love me some cashews and have enjoyed them as an evening snack.
4. Staying clean is an impossibility. They say to wear light colored clothes in hot weather, but by the end of the day whatever I am wearing is usually gray from the black fine soot that is in the sand.
5. Locally grown pineapple is a whole new ballgame!
6. There is the Atkins Diet, LA Weight-loss, but I am on the, “It’s too hot to eat, Mongu Diet. Not sure how much I have lost, but my pants button a lot easier. 
7. Driving is always an adventure. I have learned where the majority of the 237,491 potholes are and actually miss a few of them occasionally.
8. Language learning is a challenge. Good news is, “Eni Sha” and Ni itumesi” go a long way. (Yes and I Thank you) And people really appreciate you trying to learn their language. We laugh at ourselves and they laugh as well, but when we finally get something right, they are so happy for us.
9. Hospitality and fellowship of the Zambian people is wonderful.
10. God is working! We see all around us, God working in the lives of men and women in various ministries. We heard a sermon this Sunday from a Zambian layman who challenged the congregation to truly be the image of Christ to the lost people in the community. We have taken a group of local Pastors out to the villages, where they spent 4 days teaching and evangelizing. We attended a banquet at an orphanage called Kids Alive and saw and heard how God has provided for them and how they are caring for 51 children and their vision for building a school, not only for the orphans, but for the community. We have seen lives touched by the events we have held at the youth center and how the youth are getting involved in the building and development, so that they can have a safe, fun, Godly place to hang out and grow in their faith. God is doing great things here in Zambia and we are humbled and excited to be here joining Him in what He is doing.

Oh yeah, I know.

I am learning rather quickly that I do not know as much as I think I do.  It’s going to be hard living in Africa…oh yeah, I know!  Mongu is extremely hot…oh yeah I know!  You will miss your family…oh yeah, I know!  Guess what…I didn’t know.  Experience is the best teacher.  Only people who have been married know the commitment it requires to stay married.  Only women who have been in labor know the pain/happiness it brings.  Only the ones who have nothing to eat know, starvation. I am realizing that even as I  witness the poverty here in Africa, I can’t honestly say that Americans are any better off.  I haven’t ever been to the deep Louisiana bayou, or the slums of Detroit, or the inner city of New York.  What do I know?  My prayer is this, I will love people no matter how they live or what they believe.  I will not make assumptions based on ” what I know”, but I will love people based on who I know!!   Jesus loves us, this I know!!

What a beginning! We have been in Zambia for 18 days and each one of them has been rather unique. In the past 18 days, we have visited and shared in two different orphanages, were welcomed by a Zambia Government Cabinet member, purchased a truck and learned to drive in Zambia, saw a few elephants,

moved to Mongu, helped with a big event with over 80 youth at the youth center, ate a traditional Zambian meal as well as Chinese, Korean, and Curry (serving with a multi-cultural team has many advantages), celebrated a birthday, our anniversary, attended some great church services, and got extremely hot…

The heat has been one of the biggest adjustments for us. The two weeks we were in Lusaka, were not too bad as the elevation there is high and the temperatures are cooler. But now that we are in Mongu, it is a different story. Saturday, during our big outdoor event at the Mongu Youth Center, it was over 108 degrees. Mongu is located just on the edge of the Kalahari Desert and is very sandy and dry. It hadn’t rained here in many months, so it just draws the moisture out of you. When we got home, because we have no air conditioning, the only relief we could find was to wet a Chitenge (a piece of material women wrap around there waste and wear as a skirt) and lay in front of the fan. I have heard people say, “You’re about as fun as a wet blanket.” Just let me say, we were thankful for a wet blanket that day.

Setting up for the Skills Challenge event at the youth center

Trying to provide protection from the sun

Today we were waiting for Laurie while she did some work at the Bible College and Velda quickly made a few new friends and began to play. Children seemed to just come out of nowhere and began marching, jumping, twirling, and saying, “I love Jesus!” as she invented new games to play. I am always amazed at how although their is a language barrier, the children can understand Velda’s heart and love for them. It’s a beautiful thing. I am a blessed man!

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Another Step Forward; One Huge Step Ahead

It's still hard for us to believe...in less than a year we plan to be moving to Zambia to serve with SIM as Coordinators of Short-Term Associates. When we started this process a little over a year ago, that seemed like some distant reality. With each step in the process however, it has become more and more real. Last month we took a big step toward that reality when we spent two weeks in training and orientation at SIM USA. It was an awesome time of meeting other folks who are of the same heart, going through the same things as we are. (This includes our new friends Randy and Mary Anna, who will be serving in Lusaka with us, and Missy who is a Doctor who will be serving at Mukinge Hospital in Zambia. See the picture) The experience, training, and wisdom of the staff there was great and we learned a lot about working in a multi-cultural environment, field safety, how SIM cares for its missionaries, and how the whole shebang works. It was a lot to absorb, but we came away feeling well prepared for the HUGE steps that lie ahead.
 So, what are these huge steps? We are glad you asked. You see God has called us to the most awesome ministry. We will  help people come to Zambia from all around the world to serve anywhere from a few weeks up to two years. Doctors, nurses, pilots, aviation mechanics, teachers, construction teams, evangelism, youth outreach, HIV/AIDS education and ministry, Bible college teachers, orphans and at risk children ministry, discipleship, and so much more...coming to make and impact in countless lives and we get to be a part of all of it. Is that cool or what? As if that were not enough...building relationships with the people of Zambia, encouraging those on the field, working in the local church, and handling all the required administration of getting a short-term missionary to the field. (Whew, I just realized how busy we are going to be.)
When we get on that plane and takeoff for Zambia, that is going to be a big step . However, we have a HUGE step to take before we can do that. While we were at training and orientation last month, one of the things we received were our support requirements. You see SIM is what is historically known as a "faith mission". What does that mean? Here is the description we like:  “The Mission looks to the Lord for the provision of its needs. Each missionary acknowledges that his or her dependence is upon God and not upon the Mission. Recognizing the biblical principle of stewardship, the Mission and its missionaries make such needs known to God’s people so He may guide them in their giving. Whatever is received toward an approved need is accepted as a provision from the Lord.” Thus, as missionaries sent by SIM, we are looking to God to meet our needs through His moving in people’s hearts to give.
So what are those needs? We have two major kinds: Monthly Support and One Time Needs.
Our monthly support requirement is $4675. That includes the following;

* Salary–This is the amount of money we can spend on living expenses each month.  These expenses include food, clothing, toiletries,  and household items from cleansers to bug spray (very important!)

* Insurance–This includes medical emergency evacuation insurance in the event that we need to be evacuated to a country with better medical care in an emergency. Co-pays and deductibles are paid out of our salary.

* Retirement–This is a small amount to be contributed to a 403b.  This is something the mission encourages as retirement savings become necessary in the U.S. 

* Taxes–Missionaries pay something equivalent to FICA, called the SECA tax.

* Travel–This portion of our monthly support is set aside month by month, accumulating until we need to buy plane tickets and make travel arrangements for our home assignment in the U.S.

  * Administration & Services–This includes many things, like help in navigating the world of visas, passports, and other legal aspects of international travel and living, team training and consulting on the field, operating expenses for seven international sending bases and an international headquarters office, resources to help us share our vision and the vision of SIM, and attention to our emotional and spiritual needs in the event of a political or medical evacuation…to give you just a sampling! 

  * Housing–This amount is for our rent, both for a home on the field, and provide for renting a place to stay during assignments in the States.  Utilities and repairs are paid out of our salary.  

Our one time need is $42,000. That includes language school and language acquisition course, our first months salary, airline tickets to the field, purchase of a 4-wheel drive vehicle so we can travel to all the various places of ministry, and setup of our home as we have sold  everything we own and will have to purchase furniture, household items, linens, appliances etc. It's more economical to purchase the items there as opposed to shipping them over from here. (It's like starting from scratch)

Well there it is.One HUGE step for us, but the smallest of things to our ENORMOUS GOD. We have a target date of June 2013 for getting on that plane, but that doesn't happen until we have faith promises from people that total $4675 a month and have met the one time need of $42,000.

So how do you get involved? How do you join in what God is doing and the impact we can have serving together? We are extremely glad you asked! First and foremost PRAY! We need at least 400 people committed to pray for us regularly. You can sign up for our prayer letter and updates at 

Subscribe to our newsletter
We also ask that you prayerfully consider being a financial partner as well. You can make a faith promise of whatever God lays upon your heart and be a part of our monthly support. We would love to hear of your commitment at paul.rikel@sim.org. Better yet, we would love for you to start that commitment now. By starting now, your gifts go to meet our one time need until we leave for the field and then it switches to monthly support. You do all this by clicking here.
Maybe you want to help meet those one time needs, you can do that by clicking here
Thank you for praying, thank you for giving, thank you for helping us respond to needs, proclaim the gospel, and equip the church in Zambia to fulfill the Great Commission.
Radically Dependent,
Paul and Velda
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