Staff Blog

I believe in daily fruitfulness. I believe that everyday is an opportunity given by God to live his manifest Presence, to act in His stead, and in  His power.  These daily opportunities may come in the simple things of daily life. They can come in the face of friends or strangers, business and even in the comings and goings of regular church life.  Our lives as missionaries here in Africa is filled with events that rock the place. The salvation's, the healing's and the Kingom preaching's impact on their culture and world view is the stuff of books and legends. The supernatural becomes a daily experience and the motion of Kingdom events are common.  Our supporters and others ask us from time to time if all of it really happens.  They ask if the reports are true and not stretched for the sake of press.  I have to answer that the testimonies that flow from Overland Missions are true and factual.  Its our daily bread.  God always provides  daily opportunities for those who are listening and have a preset disposition to  obey.   Its a daily occasion to live what we believe to be simple Christianity in it's most basic form, or as CS Lewis would of stated it:  Mere Christianity.

From time to time tho, God opens the door to do something really grand and far reaching in terms of souls and society. Last weekend we were invited to attend and minister at the yearly traditional harvest festival of the N'Coya people of Western Zambia.  Overland Missions was asked to take the traditional dancers and equipment from Livingstone to Moomba Central Village where the palace of the Chief is. We also took Friday night's dinner; 2000lbs of semi-fresh Hippo meat... Along with this came the invitation for me to open the celebration with a public prayer and blessing.  This is the first time in their history that a missionary or preacher was allowed to speak in their traditional celebration.  In the presence of 1500 people, I was able for he first time to face their chief in his own  celebration with the gospel, and speak into him concerning his soul and the souls of his people. To say the least, we were all simply overwhelmed with the presence of Jesus.

Our team arrived in Moomba late Friday evening after a bruising 8 hr, 320 km drive.  Some of the road is like driving along railroad tracks crashing over the railroad ties. Some is deep sand with bush scraping both sides of my land rover.   When we arrived, Shannon Rally began to prepare the fire and food for our meal as the others began to set up tents. As nothing in Africa happens according to plan or schedule, the other two trucks bearing the dancers and hippo arrived many hours later.

The celebration was twofold; It was the annual Harvest Festival  as well as the 40th anniversary of the Chief's rule. The harvest celebration was a traditional one, meaning lots of  home made beer, drum's, wild dancing, witchdoctor activity and other things that occur at night when everyone's lost, drunk and whipped up with dancing and revelry.  It went on almost all Friday night, and Saturday.  The day ended that way Sunday.  In the middle of that kind of atmosphere our team took advantage of the opportunity to live the Kingdom life in their presence.  I am so proud of our team.  They are all hero's of faith.

The Chief arrived with great pomp as people danced, played drums and zylophones.  They all clapped and bowed for him as he came in and sat on his leopard skinned throne.  He is diabetic, and walks with crutches only having one leg.  The celebration began with wild dancing and music.  Several hours later, it was my turn.  As I began to speak to him that Saturday morning,  I first noted that he was very afraid. Fear was all over his face.  No one had ever spoken to him this way publicly, especially a white guy!  I very respectfully but boldly spoke into him for  about 20 min. I spoke about the call of God on him to be chief, and to do it well. I told him I sensed changes coming in Africa that would effect the nation of Zambia and the chiefdom's in general.  I told him that he would need to be the catylyst for the change, and that God was going to grant him wisdom and understanding of the times so he could respond.  When I was finished, the fear had changed to conviction. I then prayed for him and the people and was done for the day. One of his men later told me that he was about to cry. That should be the effect of good news on the heart of an old diabetic man who does not know God. It's the Holy Spirit's job to convict the world of sin, our job is the message!  I believe we need to master our trade.

Some of us left the "party" soon after the prayer, and went back to the camp area the village began to refer to as "Overland Missions".  The response from the chief's leaders and visiting pastors was immediate.  Several followed us over to the camp to express their thanks to God for the message I gave the chief. There was such an impact on the few words I got to speak that morning, that all were moved.  Thank you Jesus!  They said also to remember that there were at least 4 other chief's there listening to the message.  Only Jesus can set up a meeting to speak prophetically into 5 chiefs at once during a very dark celebration.

Later that night, missionaries extraordinaires Steve and Coleen Thornsen showed the Jesus film, and let 125 of the people to the Lord. This is while the village danced, ate, drank and drummed.  God drew the spiritually hungry into a place of feasting! After the alter call, Steve and Coleen laid their hands of the ones who came for healing, and demonstrated the power of Jesu

Sunday morning I went to the palace area with Pastor Steve, and we asked to see the chief personally. We spent about an hour with him and his key men. After pleasantries, we spoke to him about the 5 year time I spoke about the previous day, and some of what that would mean. To make a long story a bit shorter, Chief Moomba asked us to do in his cheifdom what we had done in others.  Agreeing that it would be a  work of years, we agreed to come back and take a couple of days with he and his headmen.  I had not seen any pastors there from his Chiefdom, but some had come from Livingtstons. I later found out that there are only 3 churches in his chiefdom.  Two of the three are cultist, and one is centered in total legalism. Not much of a witness! We are working toward the second week of Sepetmber for that meeting.

There had already been a plan to have me speak Sunday morning during the festivities. However I was only supposed to be one of the speakers.  God moved it so that the Guest of Honor did not arrive to speak, making me the only speaker of the day. The time began around 10:30. and I had them for as long as it took.  The chief and his family and court was seated behind where I was to speak, and he was fully attentive.

After teaching them as song and bonding with the crowd a bit, I began spoke for 45 min. and took them for a short walk through the scripture.  We started with the creation, and moved from there to the fall, the origin of Lucifer, Noah and sacrifices, Abraham and covenants into the virgin birth and why.  We gave an alter call and 59 people joined me in the sand lot that served as the "convention floor".  When I looked up the Chief sent two of his three wives down to represent not only themselves, but him as well.  It was quite a moment as it was the first alter call in their history! After they all came down, we laid hands on them all, and encouraged them. We prayed for their newly born again lives, and dismissed them.  What a moment you say, and yes, it was a good beginning.

Now the real work of the ministry begins. The discipleship, mentoring and teaching needs to continue on from this point.  That will take years of dedicated service and sacrifice for young missionaries to go and work/live among the people in Moomba.  We will need many thousands of dollars for products such as bibles to those who can read (not many!) as well as for the constant transportation going there and back. The young Overland Missions people will need off road motorcycles and the parts and fuel to maintain and travel into the places that have been closed up till now!  We also need hundreds of more missionaries to come through our training, and pay the price for these people and the others to follow.  We need you for years to come. I cant promise you anything but the joy of the Lord and favor in His presence. I can promise you best job in the world. I can promise you favor with Jesus and the fulfillment of finishing your race with honor.    I also promise you dirt, bugs, snakes, animals, sand and sun.  I promise that it will freeze you in the winter, and broil you in the summer. This work is not for the squeamish or fainthearted. Its for people like you that have the LION of JUDAH in your heart, and  are in turmoil living outside of your true calling. Its for people who are tired of reading whats happening in the nations, and are ready to be part of the groups that are making it happen.

If this makes your heart pound (as it should), give us a call, and come see the great things God is doing in the Nations.  I heard someone  recently pray that God  give us the nations as our inheritance. I believe however, that God has given us the nations in the power of His resurrection, and guaranteed us the nations with the great commission to Go. I do not think God is asking us to pray for the nations, I believe He is waiting for us to take possession of the nations, and give the nations back to Him as an offering.  Come on over and check it out for yourself...

Dr. Jeff Martin