A letter from Nancy Collins, regional liaison for East Africa
March 2013
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings to you from Lusaka, Zambia, during this Lenten season. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Dr. Nabil Abadir with CHE training participants
Last November or December I found in one of the Presbyterian News Service news articles an announcement about an online devotional Advent series, "Following the Star" from Passport at www.d365.org. Daily devotions are a challenge to me—I really struggle to keep them in my program. So I was very happy to find devotions that I look forward to each day.
I have continued with the Passport Lenten series that began on Ash Wednesday. Each week has a new theme by a new author. The two that have touched my heart the most are Vulnerable by Luke Fodor (week of Feb. 17) and Reconciliation by David Schaefers (week of March 10).
The introduction to the series on Vulnerability begins as follows: “To grow up is to accept vulnerability… to be alive is to be vulnerable…” and the author encourages the reader to “journey into the wildness of the wilderness and find the power of vulnerability.” The ending benediction includes “May God the servant cultivate abundant love in you, allowing you to display your truest and most vulnerable self.”
Nancy sharing a laugh with CCAP Zambia partners
The power of vulnerability?? Isn’t that an oxymoron? How can vulnerability make one powerful? Your truest and most vulnerable self? What is that all about? Is it because vulnerability is related to honesty and love? Is it that when you love you must be honest and open—you allow the possibility of pain and hurt?
The introduction to the Reconciliation series indicates: “Reconciliation is always a good reason for celebration. The first step is letting go of the past…God is always able to offer us a new ending.” And the author indicates, “We have a teacher who is not content with us being broken.” Reconciliation is wonderful when it happens but it can be so difficult. There is something in me that fights very hard against seeking reconciliation. Perhaps it is the fear of being vulnerable, being rejected.
How do vulnerability and reconciliation relate to partnership and to my work here as regional liaison in East Central Africa? As we journey to partnership are we somehow journeying toward vulnerability and an ongoing process of reconciliation by being honest and true with our partner? Scary idea!!
Recently I conducted an orientation for a small delegation from a congregation of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Synod of Zambia who were travelling to visit their partner congregation in the U.S.A. Synod Office staff participated along with the delegation members. We used one of the wonderful resources in PC(USA)’s "God’s Mission Matters" series, the one entitled “Ask and Tell” as a basis for discussion. The introduction to the study indicated: “In every human relationship we assume certain mutual commitments. Partnerships in mission, like other social contracts, depend on mutuality and interdependence. This includes mutual nurture, mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual correction, and mutual accountability. In all relationships we must hold each other accountable.” Initially I was focused only on the congregational partnership, and I was stressing what I thought the delegation members needed to hear. But then it occurred to me that I was sitting in the room with my Synod partner, and everything being discussed applied to me and to our mutual relationship. I commented on that, and those comments allowed us to deepen our conversation and broaden the discussion. In retrospect it was, I think, a moment of vulnerability and reconciliation—a small moment that was deeply meaningful to everyone in the room. Please pray for the work of the Holy Spirit in those partnership moments of vulnerability and reconciliation.
Charles at Christmas 2012
Shifting to more concrete matters—excitement is building here in Africa as all the PC(USA) Africa mission co-workers and families anticipate the Mission Co-worker Gathering that will take place outside Cape Town, South Africa, April 2-9. It will be an educational event, but there will be time for informal conversation and recreation as well. It will be wonderful to become acquainted with all the mission personnel from across Africa. Please pray that this will be a joyous and meaningful event for all participants.
Last October during the Regional Liaison training program in Louisville, Ky., Regional Liaisons were advised that most/all issues related to mission personnel were shifting from the Area Coordinators to the Regional Liaisons. I love this new piece of my job, but in the first four months of this responsibility, there have been multiple significant issues that have surfaced. Please pray for wisdom, courage, love and energy as I continue to relate to the mission co-workers and address these responsibilities.
In February Dr. Nabil Abadir, General Director of CEOSS, my Egyptian partner organization during my decade in Cairo, came to Zambia to conduct a four-day training in participatory community development for CCAP Zambia’s program of Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Dr. Nabil is a terrific trainer, the program was very well received, and it was a blessing for me to see him again.
Son Charles is now halfway through the second semester of his sophomore year. He turned 20 in February. My goodness, that seems old!! Please pray for him in his studies and in his friendships and in his dreams for the future.
May the Easter season be a joyous one.
Nancy
The 2013 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 115
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