Knock Zambia Team comes together
This summer, for the first time in the history of St. Columba’s Parish Church, Knock, a team of 10 parishioners will travel to Zambia, leaving on 27th July and returning on 11th August.
Ian Noad, editor of the parish magazine, The Columban, interviews Team Leader and curate, Robert Ferris, about the mission team – what it is hoping to achieve and how preparations are going.
Ed: Robert, take us back to the beginning and tell us how the idea of a team to Zambia developed.
RF:
The idea of a team was first mooted in the Rector’s Annual Easter General Vestry Address in April 2011, and a Select Vestry sub–group was formed to look at various locations, projects and partner organisations. Following a subsequent report, the Select Vestry decided to further examine the prospects of Zambia. We contacted the Church Mission Society of Ireland (CMSI) who were extremely supportive of the idea of an all–age team from our parish. I was very keen to renew links with Zambia which had not hosted any teams from Ireland since my last visit in 2007.
Ed:
So the decision was made to go ahead – what has been the process from then until now?
RF:
At the very beginning we contacted the Bishop of Northern Zambia, Archbishop Albert Chama, who had originally invited me to come back at any time, and he was delighted to issue an open invitation to St. Columba’s. Last autumn we publicised an open meeting to which parishioners were invited, where CMSI and I presented the idea of a team, handed out application forms and arranged interviews. Since the selection of candidates last December by CMSI, the team has embarked on a training regime including topics such as cultural awareness, songs, drama, group discussions, language, health issues, child protection, games, learning about the geography of Zambia and the Church in Africa, as well as many other topics..
Ed:
How is the team coming together?
RF:
We have an absolutely fabulous team with first class complimentary skills and gifts. I am really looking forward to seeing what they will achieve during the two weeks that we are out in Zambia, as well as what they will accomplish when we arrive back home.
Ed:
What exactly will the team be doing in Zambia?
RF:
This project is very much about developing the foundations of a relationship with the Diocese of Northern Zambia. Whilst in Zambia the team will be extremely busy. We will be meeting people in churches and helping out at the Educational Facility the Archbishop is currently developing, which includes primary, secondary and adult education. We will be undertaking lesons in classrooms, visiting homes in townships around Kitwe, surveying development projects and hopefully assisting in some manual work as we see how people live in Zambia and how the community are lifting themselves out of poverty. We will be experiencing firsthand the issues of living in one of the poorest nations in the world.
Ed:
A great deal is planned for this trip … do you think it can all be achieved?
RF:
I have big dreams for this trip which I hope will provide a spark for something really exciting! Firstly, for the Zambian’s we meet – I hope that our team will bring with them enormous enthusiasm as we share what gifts we have (talents, finance, generosity, understanding, kindness) with our partners in Zambia. I also hope that the same enthusiasm will be sustained when we arrive back home and tell our story to ensure this new relationship will develop long into the future. I am also hoping over the next month to develop a team at home who will be able to help support the Zambian partnership for years to come.
I have big dreams for our team members as well! I hope that as we build up our experience of Zambia the many issues encountered will be discussed and that the team will develop an understanding of global problems. I hope that they will be able to make use of this positive experience to demonstrate how they can make a real difference to people on the other side of the world, as well as learn the importance of using resources purposefully to benefit individual lives. I also hope that their newly found experience of the global church will have a major influence on all of their own lives.
Ed:
Finally, what else needs to be done before the team boards the plane on Friday, 27th July?
RF:
Ian, there is so much… we have visas to acquire, forms to fill in, more training to complete, tee–shirts and hoodies to design, prayer news to write, songs to practice, games to learn, lessons to plan – and we are still fundraising which, I’m happy to say, is very much on target. If anyone would like to help in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me at the Curatage or any member of the team. I know they will be very appreciative of the extra support!
With thanks to Ian Noad.