Young adult agriculture students from Kabombo, Zambia, who completed internships at Mujila Falls farm. Students receive solar lights, which symbolize the ways they will shine the Mujila light wherever they go. (Photo: Temba Nkomozepi)

But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33 (NRSV)

KANYAMA, ZAMBIA – After a night of deep sleep, I wake up to a calming natural white noise from a waterfall known as the Mujila Falls, which is not too far away from my house. At around the same time, the golden Zambian sun rises and peeks through the old curtains on my window which were sewn by members of a Volunteers in Mission (VIM) team that visited many years ago. Before I can gather myself together, I hear the ensemble of animal noises; ducks, layers, turkeys, pigs, cattle and goats, as if they are making a case that if we do not immediately attend to them, then we should release them to enjoy freedom in the vast untampered forest that surrounds us.

Not long after, my colleagues start to trickle in from the Kapundu and Kanyama rural wards and at 7 a.m. sharp, the farm is thriving with people going up and down our meandering dirt roads and animals being herded to pasture. It is common to see a few motorbikes and bicycles belonging to customers already waiting in line to buy reasonably priced eggs and vegetables. A stone’s throw away from the farm, two classes of about 50 young pupils each are getting ready to play and learn at our Mama Roxanne Community School and Mujila Falls Mission School.* This is how every day starts at the Mujila Falls Agriculture Center, and the work goes on until about 5 p.m. when we are all very tired and retire to our homes for yet another night of deep sleep.

Making desks for the Mujila Falls classrooms – Faston and Precious. (Photo: Temba Nkomozepi)

It feels like a dream and indeed it is a miracle how we manage to carry out our duties seamlessly day in, day out, despite all the real and potential challenges that we may encounter. I am very grateful to many supporting churches in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. In recent years, we have focused the activities of the farm toward early childhood education, primary school education and practical training for youths and young adults.

The community is quite supportive and engaged, and we are blessed with success. This year we had the 6th graduation ceremony at Mama Roxanne Community Center. We have completed the first grade at our primary school and we are on our way to complete building a new trade school/vocational center. We have received generous support for the vocational center from Antigo UMC in Wisconsin. With the new teaching and training infrastructure we have been empowered to reach out to more lives than we have ever imagined and to be part of a more sustainable development.

6th grade Mama Roxanne Community School graduation – Back row: Elijah (teacher), Temba Nkomozepi (missionary) and Mr. Mulusa (Kanzhiwu head teacher) pose with the graduating pupils. (Photo: Courtesy of Mujila Falls Ag. Center)

This is my seventh year as a missionary, and many Christians around the world believe that the number 7 is significant and has meaning, with some alluding to an interpretation of perfectness and completeness. In the past 7 years, I have enjoyed a front seat view of a transformation of our small community.

Please pray with me with the Scripture in mind:

Dear God: We are motivated by Mathew 6:25-33, where you encourage us not to worry. I invite all to join with us, whether in Zambia or anywhere else in the world. May we stop our worry and instead, may we have the strength to step out in faith to help those in need. And all things will be given to us as well. Amen.

*Missionaries Roxanne Webster and her husband Paul Webster founded the agricultural training center that became the Mujila Falls center in Zambia. The school and community center are named in honor of Roxanne who died of cancer in 2004.

Temba Darlington Nkomozepi, from Zimbabwe, is an agriculturalist with Mujila Falls Agriculture Center in Kanyama, Zambia.

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