The Zambian mission field is breaking new ground in several ways.  This blog is one of them and we are eager to share news and stories about the mission and life.

My name is Amanda Paltzer, and I am working here with my husband Jason in the recently established Lutheran Health and Development Program (www.healthlcca.com).  This program is a ground-breaker in the Zambian mission field aiming to support the gospel ministry of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa (LCCA) and the Lutheran Mission Zambia (LMZ).  It has been growing over the past 4 years into an established part of the Zambian mission field.  Missionaries over the years have dealt with caring for the physical needs of their congregations along with their gospel ministry.  As the apostles assigned other men to this work of “waiting on tables” in Acts 6:1-6 to support their ministry, the Lutheran H&D program works to support the ministry in Zambia by building up the pastors and members of the church in education, health care, and supplying for some physical needs keeping Scripture as the foundation for all programs.  As this program is so new, it has gone through many successes and failures and the staff of 4 often has long meetings hashing out ideas, discussing areas for improvement, and encouraging each other.

New ground is also breaking for the missionaries here.  In January, Missionary Steve Lawrenz and his wife Lori moved to Blantyre, Malawi to begin serving the Malawi mission field.  Missionary Lawrenz has said that the changes are difficult and he is challenged with the language and getting to know the people he is serving.   Missionary John Holtz, his wife Mindy, and their two girls Rachel and Heather will also be moving soon to Lilongwe, Malawi to also begin serving the Malawi mission field.  Both of these families had to wait many months to get work permits to be allowed to live and work in the country, and now the Holtz’s are waiting for repairs on the house they will live in.  Please pray for these missionaries in their new work and the challenges they will face in a new ministry and environment.  Missionary Lawrenz served in Zambia for 21 years and Missionary Holtz for 10 years.

.