We’re on the Short Rows Now

A letter from Charles and Melissa Johnson, serving in Zambia

November 2017

For those not familiar with the term “on the short rows now,” we’ll explain:

When farmers plant at an angle, relative to the shape of their field, as they near the end, the rows become shorter. As we write this newsletter, we are nearing the end of our time of interpretive assignment in the U.S.— we’re on the short rows — and we’re beginning to look towards our return home to Zambia in early November.

It’s hard to believe how quickly our time here has passed. When we depart for Zambia, we will have spoken about our work at 55 gatherings, which include churches, presbyteries, seminaries and the Mission Presbytery’s Main Event youth retreat. At each gathering, we’ve shared about our work, thanked those who are supporting us with prayer and funding, and asked those not currently supporting us to consider doing so. We’ve been welcomed with love, a place to lay our heads and good food along the way. Although we shared our work with many people over the past few months, we would have liked to have shared with more folks.

During our Interpretation (IA) in the States, we’ve also spent time with family and friends, and enjoyed some time to ourselves to relax, although probably not enough given our busy travel schedule. Our return flight to Zambia takes us through Amsterdam, where we plan to spend a couple of days sightseeing and relaxing before we continue on to Lusaka. When we arrive there, it will be time to shift gears and resume our work, picking up where we left off in June. After spending several days in Lusaka meeting with church leaders with the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Synod of Zambia (CCAP Zambia), we will then make the 10-hour drive to Lundazi. We look forward to returning home to our friends, church family and our dog, Gus.
Charles will arrive to the impending rainy season, and to the agricultural work at Chasefu Farm. Our partner, the CCAP Zambia, will be naming a new coordinator for Chasefu Model Farm in the next few weeks, and Charles is looking forward to working with the new coordinator, whoever that may be. In addition, Charles will begin devoting more time to working with the CCAP Zambia Lay Training Department to help its department coordinator, Danial Mtonga, build the capacity of that department, which hopes to provide skills training to improve the lives of those who participate in its programs.

In addition, Charles hopes to continue building on the work taking place at Chasefu Agricultural Income Generating Activity (Chasefu AIGA), focusing on growing cash crops such as groundnuts (peanuts), soybeans and pigeon peas. He will continue to look for ways to network and collaborate with other organizations with shared goals of improving agriculture for Zambian smallholder farmers.

Melissa is very excited by all the new developments happening in the CCAP Health Department. Because of the amazing generosity of supporting churches in the U.S., there will be new beds and mattresses for the clinics, and the mother care shelter at Egichikeni Rural Health Center will finally be completed. Other exciting developments include a new one-year pilot program designed to impact maternal and child health through education about good menstrual hygiene. Some of the benefits that we hope to see as a result of this program are girls staying in school longer and women being able to work more consistently. Both of these outcomes may help reduce the poverty level in the community in a variety of ways. We also hope to see a reduction in stigma around menstruation and improvement in the overall health of women and girls, including a reduction in cervical cancer. The program plans to become sustainable through the sewing and sale of washable, reusable feminine hygiene products. The two CCAP Rural Health Centers at Egichikeni and Ndaiwala will also begin new programs of malaria education in the hope of reducing the prevalence of that disease.

This has been an amazing year, filled with new experiences, new accomplishments and new friends. We are very grateful for all who have allowed us to share the work God has called us to do in Zambia, and we want to thank each and every one who has facilitated our visits, hosted us in their homes, fed us and, most importantly, listened to our stories about what God is doing in Zambia. We have made many, many new friends as we zigzagged our way across America. We look forward to our return to Zambia and continuing our work there.

If you aren’t currently supporting us financially, please consider doing so. If you are already supporting us, please consider increasing your support and/or making your gift a recurring donation. No gift is too small—even a small recurring gift adds up! By giving online, you will have the option to make your gift either a one-time or recurring donation. You can give online by visiting our Mission Connections page: pcusa.org/charles-and-melissa-johnson

You can support us in a number of other ways, as well. You can support us through prayers and by educating yourself about Zambia and our partner church. You can send us cards and letters. It is an encouragement to find cards and letters in our mailbox from people just like you letting us know that they are thinking about us and praying for us. You can also follow us on our Life in Lundazi social media sites (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), where you can see what we’re up to and get to know our Zambian brothers and sisters.

Taonga chomene (thank you very much) for all you do!