“Be fruitful and multiply…” Genesis 1:28

How do you measure success? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately since Abby and I still cannot get into Zambia. And who knows when we will?

Now, it has helped that our mission is both in Zambia and here at home. So, we’ve stayed productive by writing curriculum, developing podcast overviews of our training, leading a mission small group, mentoring, connecting with our amazing ministry partners, establishing a new working relationship with International Business As Mission (IBAM), preaching, and talking regularly via WhatsApp with our dear Zambian friend and colleague, Percy Muleba.

But, despite all this, we’re still not able to go to Zambia and we long to. We long for Percy and our students. And, according to Percy, they long for us. As he put it to me recently, “This isn’t about mission anymore, Doug. Your clan needs you, and is calling for you!” And, we need our clan.

One thing that has been encouraging to us recently has been reports of our training multiplying through our students. The apostle Paul put it like this: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

Dan Mayeya was the director of New Vine, a ministry to young people (16-35 yrs.) in Mongu, Zambia. New Vine connects, encourages, and trains youth ministry leaders from fifteen area churches. (New Vine was founded by another dear friend, Pastor Yuyi Blessing Mundia, whom we have trained over the years.) Last year, Dan and his team arranged for us to train fifty key leaders from these fifteen churches. We spent a week with them using our “Discovering My S.H.A.P.E. for Ministry” curriculum.

Dan has since moved to Mumbwa where he has begun using Percy’s biblical worship and our S.H.A.P.E. training in his new church. He now has requests from seven other churches to train them in biblical worship, and he plans to train them using S.H.A.P.E., as well!

News like this is exciting because, even in our absence, it means we are continuing to “give birth” to spiritual grandchildren, and who knows, maybe some great grandchildren! According to the Bible, the principle of multiplication is built into the creation and the Gospel. It is wholly natural, or should I say supernatural, for spiritual life to multiply through the 2 Timothy 2:2 principle. And we continue to see this happen in Zambia. For this, we are profoundly grateful!

Please continue to pray for us as we await the opportunity to return to Zambia. And, please remember that, whether we are here or in Zambia, you go with us!

Dan Mayeya is actively multiplying our training in and around MumbwA, zambia!