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Michelle Shin: Face to face in Zambia

At the end of 2004, Michelle Shin spent 7 weeks in Zambia doing a programme called ‘face to face’ with CWM. Here she reflects on her time there.

After seeing how Africa suffers from poverty and diseases for so long through the media, I wondered how the Christians in Africa make sense of their faith with such enormous challenges and tribulations and I was excited about the opportunity to see where God is in such places. In Zambia, we, the 10 ministry students from all over the world spent the first week with United Church of Zambia theological college who gave us lectures and seminars on some of the issues the church is facing, like AIDS/HIV, gender and sexuality and count-cultural issues of the Gospel. There were also opportunities for group or individual discussions and debates with the Zambian students of the college. From the second week we were divided into groups of three and placed in churches in the Eastern, western and Northern provinces.

I was placed in the East and stayed with a Zambian family. I saw how they struggle with life in poverty, how the AIDS/HIV is affecting every household leaving orphans and widows everywhere. There is so much to say about my time in Zambia - maybe because I feel that I have met so many people and each one has a unique story to tell. Among other things, I had an amazing time with a youth group in the East, sharing songs and talking about some of the challenges growing up in Zambia. As we prayed and sung together it was like seeing God face to face.

I hope that you all take and seize the opportunity to go or pray for your Zambia with the understanding of your part in which God has called you to.