A Great Finish & Some Wonderful News

Well, I am now sitting back in Capetown, South Africa after returning with my team from Zambia a few days ago. We had such a great time the last few weeks since my last update as our team got back together and had another three weeks of ministry in Zambia. During that time we held five different seminars in five different locations including training the staff of a newly opened Bible school and finished up with a few days of debriefing before the team flew home. There are endless stories of what God did during these last few weeks that I would love to share, but it would make this update far too long. You can see many photos on my website's photo gallery under "Zambia." So just a couple of the highlights from the last few weeks:

- In one seminar out in the village we were working with a church that belonged to a denomination that did not allow women to preach or lead in any capacity even though the leaders of that church felt their woman could do it. While there, the two women on my team taught each day and on the final day I gave a one and a half hour teaching on women in ministry. During the teaching, the pastors were writing notes as fast as they could and afterwards a few of them came up to me and said, "James, we are taking this to our denomination's regional board meeting this weekend, this is the ammunition we need to finally see the women in this region released to minister." I learned that one of the pastors was the secretary on the board that makes the denominational decisions and said that this coming month the board will be reworking their constitution and now after this week he is confident the women will have the same rights as men!" I couldn't believe it! I had no idea there could be such an impact from a simple sharing of God's Word!

- The following Sunday I was not scheduled to preach when at the last moment I got dropped off at a church of more than 400 people and asked to preach. As I went in and prayed about what to share, I had no idea what to speak on. Finally I was impressed so strongly that I needed to speak on marriage. I tried to ignore this thought for obvious reasons, but it became very clear that it was indeed God leading me to do so. So with great trepidation I stood up to give a 30 minute sermon on marriage from Ephesians chapter 5. As soon as I was up, I felt the Spirit's anointing and proceeded to have the most fun preaching I have ever had that lasted over an hour. The church was divided down the middle between men and women, they even had to tithe in separate baskets to see who gave more. As I shared I would have half the room jumping out of their seats and then the other half as I again shared on the need to prefer one another in marriage and what it means to "love your wife as Christ loved the Church." Afterwards I gave an application for the men to go home and ask their wives what they can do to show them more love. On the way home the pastor we were staying with who had attended told me he was so excited to ask his wife that question and did so as soon as we got home. Later he came to me and told me he was shocked by his wife's response. He said, "I thought she would tell me she wants nicer clothes or better food, but she said, 'just hug me more, kiss me more, and hold me like a baby!'" He responded, "I can do that!" You know, out of all the amazing miracles I get to see God do and all the powerful testimonies I get to see, this is one of the more simple, yet one of my favorites. I love to see God working in people's lives in practical ways that will bring about life change, especially when it is countercultural and empowering the women.

- Overall, one of the things that made this outreach so amazing was the privilege of working with the director of "Every Home For Christ," an international ministry that has a focus on evangelism and mercy ministries. A couple days before we arrived in Zambia they had been praying and asking God how they can do disciple the leaders throughout the country. The next day they heard we were coming and after they saw our first seminar, they were hooked and dropped everything on their plate to travel with us, set up seminars and continually asking us to come back for even longer. This is the group that set up our training seminar a few weeks ago and as we left they even committed to try and raise funds to bring us back and take the training all over the nation. In all the places I have been I have never felt so welcomed and seen people on the ground so aware of the need for Bible Training and willing to do something about it. It is our hope and prayer that we will be able to send more teams back and continue to train up those on the ground to do what we are doing.

As for the best news of all (at least from my perspective), after 10 years of ministry as a single man, God has completely rocked my world and brought the most amazing woman into my life. I actually first met Sarah Avery almost three years ago when I was in Northern Uganda as she was traveling through to Sudan and God recently reunited us as she was one of my team members with me in Zambia. She is from Indiana, has been in missions for the last seven years, and desires to continue in missions for the rest of her life. This season of the life is the happiest I have ever been and it is so wonderful to minister alongside someone I care so much about! More details will be coming.

So that is where things are at over here. I am heading to Uganda on Friday and it is great because another one of my teammates, Nico, will be going with me to Uganda for two and a half months. We will be working with the Bible School there and doing pastor seminars as well. The ministry I am a part of, Titus Project, has helped to sponsor some of the students on the Bible School again this year and I am excited to go back and work more with these amazing men of God. I will be coming home for Christmas and look forward to seeing many of you then. Next year I will be returning with Sarah to Capetown to work with the Bible School here in Capetown.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support (especially for those who have been praying for God to bring a partner in ministry into my life) I can't thank you enough.
Please also continue to pray for wisdom and anointing in the upcoming two months in Uganda, I have a great amount of preparation that needs to be done to teach multiple books on the Bible School there as well as need wisdom in how much external teaching to do in other seminars. Please also continue to pray for health and safety in travel and while living there. I have been amazingly healthy so far and I am so grateful for your prayers in this area.

Thank you again for all your support,

Sincerely,

James Lunn
www.ToMakeHimKnown.com