Awesome Aussies and Fireproofing Marriages

Posted on February 18, 2014

Wow!  We have had so much going on since our last update it is hard to know where to begin, so we will just jump right in. In early January we received a team of 10 young professionals from Australia who spent a week doing ministry at the Mongu Youth Center. Every afternoon and evening they led sessions on a variety of topics such as dating and relationships, Excel, film and theology, photography, and team building games. They were such a blessing to us and generated much excitement at the youth center. We heard many of the youth who had attended every day say that after the team left, they felt a void in their lives. The impact they had and the momentum they generated will continue to be felt for months to come as we continue to build into the lives of the young people here.
This past weekend we hosted a marriage enrichment seminar at the Mongu Youth Center led by our dear friend and local Pastor Lubinda Sikufele. Friday night we viewed the movie Fireproof followed by a time of discussion, and then all day Saturday participants were taught biblical principles on having a godly and fireproofed marriage. Afterwards we heard testimonies of how God had spoken to hearts and changed lives through the film and seminar. One lady reported that after the seminar, her husband cooked nshima for her for the first time in their marriage.
In addition to the youth center activities, we have been invited to be a part of a local youth ministry called New Vine Ministry. We were given their calendar of events and told we were invited to all of them and would always be given the opportunity to speak if we want. This will give us the opportunity to speak to hundreds of young people every month and provide a good connection between Mongu Youth Center and New Vine Ministries as we work together to transform lives by empowering young people to be all that God has created them to be and to live for Him.
Our Bible study group continues to meet every Monday evening and we have begun another bible study in our home on Thursday evenings. Four attendees of the Thursday evening group are students at the Bible College. As Paul was taking them home after our first meeting, they were almost giddy with excitement about the things we had learned and discussed in the group and continued the discussion all the way to their homes at the school.
In addition to all this, we have spoken at a Sunday School workshop for teachers, a Family Matters training graduation, preached at a couple of churches, worked on getting our driver’s license, spent a few days with the Australia team in Livingstone and visited Victoria Falls, played with kids, visited our friend who sells ice cream a few times, and had friends over for movies, games and dinners. Whew! God is so good and we stand amazed at all the opportunities He is giving us to serve Him here.

You Have Made It All Possible

   
It is hard to believe that we have been in Zambia for five months. In some ways it seems like we just got off the plane and in others it feels like we have been here much longer. We have had so many opportunities to share the love of God with the people of Zambia and have touched many lives, but none of this would be possible without the prayer and financial support of so many of you. We receive a lot of likes and comments on our Facebook page from pictures we post of our lives in Mongu. As we try to tell the story of what God is doing here we want you to know that you are part of that story. When you see pictures of Velda holding and loving a young child, those are your arms and your love holding that child as well. When Paul stands to preach or share the Word of God, he stands with all of you and in the power of your prayers. Please know that you are making an eternal difference in the lives of many people as we serve together. Thank you for all the love and support and may God continue to richly bless you.
Please contact us at paul.rikel@sim.org for information on how you partner with us.

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Children are little sponges, we all know that. They are listening and watching everything we do and their little hearts and minds are always learning. We dare not lead them astray. McKinley learned about Jesus from the time he was 2 years old. At age 5, he stepped out into the long isle at Lone Oak First Baptist and headed toward Brother Henson. For those of you who don’t know Brother Henson, he is a large man in stature and voice! The Lord led McKinley to the front of the church where he gave his life to the Jesus!! God called Paul and I to impart His love into our home. McKinley witnessed, and was a part of, honoring God in all our ways. Was our home perfect? No! But God, in spite of our mistakes, used us to lead McKinley to Him.
So I ask you, what are your children seeing in your home? Do they see the love and peace Christ brings to your life? It is our responsibility as Christian parents to instill in our children truth about the gospel. That responsibility is a gift from God and we should cherish it.
We have been blessed countless times to hear of parents and children praying for us. My friend Dena was teaching her daughter Brooke the continents and the moment she showed her Africa, Brooke exclaimed with excitement, “That is where Paul and Velda live!” We have heard story after story of children asking their parents about Paul and I living in Africa. Some of the questions are quiet funny while others are remarkably mature. We are blessed beyond measure to know that God is working in their hearts!!
This is a message we received this week on Facebook:
“On the drive in to school this morning, out of the blue, Owen asks me, “Mom, you know Paul and Velda that live in Africa, do they have different voices now? And are they ever going to come back?” He was asking if you spoke in a different language. So that prompted a 15-minute story-telling session on what language you are learning to speak, having to go to school to learn it, the waterfall you visited, the children you’re working with, the crazy animals you see on the side of the road, whether or not the kids have any toys, what type of truck you drive on the dirt road…. and all for God’s glory! What a great lesson we had in the car this morning! Love ya!” – Kindra
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

2013 – Blessed Beyond Measure

Posted on January 1, 2014

To view our year in pictures, click here

What a year 2013 was for our family. It was by far one of the most difficult years we have faced, yet at the same time on of the most blessed. We saw the hand of God working in so many incredible ways. In the good times and bad, he was with us every step of the way. This morning as we looked back at all that happened in 2013 we were overwhelmed with thanksgiving for what He has done. Here are just a few of the events of our year:

• The passing of Paul’s mother – Last January, Paul’s mother became very ill and passed away. Even though it was a very difficult time, we praise God that we were able to care for her while she was in the hospital and be with her in her final days. I blogged about it here http://rikels.with.sim.org/index.php/strength-for-today/
• Raising our support – We began the year with only 30% of our support needed to move to Zambia and yet we knew 2013 was the year we would go. As we met with people and shared our heart and vision for serving in Zambia, we were so encouraged to hear how God was working in their lives as well. Through the process, we reconnected with friends that we had not seen in years, got to know others much better, and made some new ones along the way.
• McKinley graduating – McKinley graduated in early May and began the next chapter in his life. Velda blogged about the prospect of leaving McKinley. You can read more here. http://rikels.with.sim.org/index.php/i-aint-grievin-til-im-leavin/
• Trip to Chicago – We wanted to have one last vacation as a family before we headed to Zambia, so we asked McKinley where he wanted to go. Expecting to hear something that involved sandy beeches, we were surprised when he said Chicago. What a great idea! We had so much fun and are so thankful for the time we had enjoying the city and each other,
• Quitting our jobs  – Both of us resigned from our jobs before we were completely funded.That was quite a step of faith. Here is a quote from our blog about that, “So there it is. 53% funded May 7th. Resign from city July 5th and we are believing to leave for Zambia some time in August. Plenty more reality check points ahead; stay tuned.” You can read how God lead us to this by clicking here. Velda also gave a heartfelt farewell to her co-workers here http://rikels.with.sim.org/index.php/veldas-farewell-to-her-co-workers/
• CIT training – In the early May, we had to make a decision. We were required by SIM to take a second language acquisition course at the Center for Intercultural Training in North Carolina. The courses were filling up fast and there were only a few openings left for the course being offered in July. SIM suggested that we not take the course until we were 80% funded, so that what we learned would still be fresh on our minds when we got to the field. On top of that, I did not have enough vacation time to cover the 2 week course. So we trusted God, set my resignation date from the city for July, and enrolled in the class. When we were at CIT, we reached 78% funding. It was a great course and we enjoyed our time there with some great people who are now serving all around the world.
• Moved McKinley into his own house – This was another hard day. The realization that soon we would be leaving our sweet boy behind and moving to Zambia became all to real. We had several rough times in the following days, but God was always faithful to remind us that we could trust Him. Here is an amazing story of how He did just that .http://rikels.with.sim.org/index.php/from-the-pit-to-the-petals/
• Fully Funded – Our bags were packed and our airline tickets were purchased, all we needed was the remaining 10% funding. Just days before we were to leave, we reached 100%
• The passing of Velda’s father  – This again was one of the hardest times of our lives. He had been suffering from dementia for some time and in August finally took his life. Although it was a difficult time, we were so thankful that we were still in the US and were able to be there for Velda’s mom and family.
• Boarding the plane – The day had finally come. All the packing, all the goodbyes, all the preparing was complete and it was time to board the plane. Tears filled our eyes several times from so many mixed emotions as we left all we knew and headed into the relative unknown http://rikels.with.sim.org/index.php/mixed-emotions/
• Arriving in Zambia – Lots of adjustments and new things to say the least. http://rikels.with.sim.org/index.php/oh-yeah-i-know/ Began doing ministry http://rikels.with.sim.org/index.php/happiness-is-a-wet-blanket/

All in all it has been a great year and we look forward to seeing how God works in 2014. Thank you to so many who have prayed for us, financially supported us, and encouraged us in so many ways. We are blessed to walk this road together.

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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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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!!