Nancy's Testimony

My name is Nancy Kalonga. My full name is Malo-Malo,Twaambo, Nancy. I live in Livingstone, Zambia. Before I came to this city, I used to live in Magoye District -- Mazabuka. I stayed in this village for 8 years. That time my Mother and Father were still alive.

Mother was a Christian, but Dad was a non-believer. My Mother was a good woman in the sense that she helped me out to do the work of God. But at my age, I thought salvation was about my works. This made me join any church and believe any thing I heard from the preaching. I used to buy sweets with the offering money Mum used to give me. I never believed in giving or going to visit people who were sick.

In 2002 January 20, my Mother died and left me with the sister to her grandmother. With this new life I had it was very difficult for me to live with her, because I had to work like a slave doing works that my fellow children were not allowed to do, because the works were very difficult for little children like a 9-year-old.

In this family I had no say, neither freedom of movement, but all those things did not stop me from believing that I will go to heaven, because of my works. Grandmother did not believe in God but in ancestors and using charms {connected with witchcraft} for anything she desired. To me it was hard since no one used to worship God, and to me since I had a Dad it was still hard because Dad had married another wife with whom he had three children. He boasted around with them, passing by my grandmother’s house and showing me and making me hurt. I was even asking myself why I was born and why did God take my mother away from me. But with God, I guess He did not want it like that, and all my Dad’s three children died in the same month and his wife divorced him. Surprisingly my stepmother was the best friend to my Mom and this use to make her very sick when she thought about it in time when she was alive. Dad tried so many ways to continue denying me, but I resembled Dad’s face, color, and the way of talking. A miracle happened! Dad accepted me as his child at the age of 12 years and bought me school requirements. The same year just after six months accepted me as his daughter, he died.

I was left alone still not knowing the truth about God and still alone, no family, but only anyone was my brother and sister. I did my best also to be good to my grandmother (actually a great-aunt), but she did not seem to appreciate that. She only cared about her real granddaughter, Rachel.
They changed my name to Kalonga, thinking that when I get married they will not get the dowry (money) unless I carried their name.
In 2007 I was taken by the brother to Mum, Mr. Richard in order for him to help me with school. He managed to sponsor me from Grade 7 until half of the Grade 8. I started attending class but I used to be allowed to learn maybe three times a week. The teachers would chase me from school, because my school fees were not completely paid. Once again a miracle happened, the guidance teacher, called me and he asked me some questions which touched my life made me cry on explaining. He called people from USA who used to sponsor people who were most vulnerable (orphans) in both urban and rural areas.
These people only wanted 10 pupils out of 350 pupils. I was one of the ones chosen, and they told me that they will pay my fees for school. They helped me until Grade 9. They paid my exam fees which I had to take after Grade 9, and God helped me qualify for the next grade in school.

Before I wrote my exams I met Pastor Justin Warner and his wife, Mum Preetika Warner preaching the gospel to people at our area and inviting them to church, but for me and my family we used to run away from them. We called them names and looked to them as just wasting our time. Especially the people I used to stay with, they discouraged me a lot and made sure that I got convinced that the Pastor was telling lies. I used to hide the gospel tracts because I believed that when I looked at them or read them I would vomit blood.
At the end of all this I began to remember - my belief about good works taking me to heaven. I started greeting the people from church, and I promised them that I will attend the church bible study.
Sunday afternoon they came to pick me up that day that I decided to visit. The thing that happened was I had to write the number plate of the vehicle and give the number to my uncle with my neighbors because I was afraid that they might not bring me back home. The church were friendly and I felt more comfortable than at home. I heard the preaching and also the truth that I did not know for a long time. I couldn’t wait to join them, I had no doubt in my heart when the service was ended. They invited me to a big service on Sunday morning. When I reached home I told my family all about God and a little information about the church but they did not believe me.

Sunday morning came, and I made sure that I could be the first one to reach church so I could be the first one waiting for the people and get to know other people there. That day I received the love of God and I was saved.
I felt good to be a member of my own church for the pastor’s preachings are all from the Bible. This was also the day I held the Bible in my hand for the first time. I thank God and want God to continue sending Bibles and people to preach the Gospel in my town.
I thank God for blessing me with Pastor Justin and Mum Preetika. For they help me with my school and treat me as their own daughter, I had no hope of going to school but now I know that God loves me very much. He has given me all the joy, love and peace; and has protected me from sickness and death. May the Lord be with all the people in the States. I can’t write it all because the Lord has done a lot which I cannot even list. I hope you will get to know how the Lord has blessed me.

And I noticed that without the pastor and his wife I would have been a person who has no home and know nothing of the love of God. I thank my pastor with all my heart and let them continue to be a blessing as they receive your blessing,

God bless you all,
Sincerely,

Nancy Kalonga Psalm 23v1

Fallsview Bible Baptist Church Video

This is a 7 minute video highlighting some of the minstries of Fallsview Bible Baptist Church.

First service on the new church property

Under Construction--Church Foundation - From June to current

June 2010 Prayer Letter

June 2010


Dear Praying Friends,

A big “THANKS” to all who prayed for our Second Anniversary on June 6, 2010! To say it was successful would be an understatement. As many of you who received our e-mail prayer request (or saw it on our website) know, our prayerful goal for the day was to have 300 people in attendance that day. We have been consistently having between 150 and 170 people attend services every Sunday for most of 2010. Also, if our goal was reached, Fallsview Bible Baptist Church would have set a new attendance record. As we prayed, planned, and organized, the believers worked hard at inviting visitors for the Big Day. As we prayed for 300 in attendance, we planned to be able to accommodate and feed as many as 400 people. Perhaps our faith was too small, or maybe the LORD just decided to go above all we could ask or imagine; but whatever the case, the LORD saw fit to send 630 people on that day, including 170 adult visitors! We had 49 people trust Christ as their Saviour during the service, and we have already begun following up on the other visitors and presenting Christ to them in their homes. We anticipate being able to win many to Christ in this manner. Please keep this endeavor in your prayers.

One of the tools that helped to bring so many to church on our anniversary was our new large truck. It made a couple of trips to some of the more distant areas of Livingstone and was able to carry more than 200 to the services. My wife and I and the people of the Fallsview Bible Baptist Church are greatly indebted and appreciative to those whom the LORD used to answer our prayers for this vehicle for use in our ministry. Many of you, our praying friends, also remembered us faithfully in your prayers in this matter. The vehicle literally came just in time! We finished all the paperwork for the purchase and had the vehicle road ready on the Friday afternoon before our anniversary. On Saturday another driver from our church and I acquainted ourselves with driving it during visitation and the preparations for the next day. Then on Sunday the vehicle performed admirably – even being used in an unforeseen way! Our ladies served the meal from the truck’s open bed. The height gave the servers a much needed buffer zone between themselves and the hungry masses.

I have been racking my brain for how to accurately describe this scene, but it is so unlike anything I have ever seen in the United States that I simply cannot find the words. Suffice it to say that it is closer akin to the feeding of desperate people in a third-world country after a war or natural disaster than to the orderly lines of a potluck meal after church in America. I am just pleased to have survived it without any major injuries . . . I write this only semi-jokingly. One might wonder what it takes to feed over 600 Africans. Our menu might give you some idea. We cooked nearly 30 gallons of stew, consisting of 40 pounds of ground beef, 25 pounds of potatoes, and over 40 pounds of other vegetables, all served with the Zambian staple of nshima made from 250 pounds of cornmeal!

Though incredibly grateful to have seen God’s hand at work that day, I am relieved that our anniversary comes around only once a year! To see some pictures of our Second Anniversary, please visit our website at http://www.warnersinzambia.blogspot.com/ or find us on Facebook at my wife’s page.

In His service,


Justin & Preetika Warner

Two Year Church Anniversary

Update on FBBC 2 -Year Anniversary

Please pray for our upcoming 2-year church anniversary on June 6! We praise God for His provision of a vehicle to use for church transport on both that day and every Sunday! I have seen and test-driven the vehicle as well as gotten a mechanic’s opinion. All seems good and I am currently in the process to finalize the purchase this week. That should give us just enough time to get the vehicle registered and on the road by this weekend. I also need to get a few hours of driving practice in as it is the largest vehicle I have driven in quite a while! Not to mention the extra challenge of navigating the narrow, pot-holed roads that are typically packed with pedestrians who are not always the most cognizant or concerned about vehicles that share “their” road.

In addition to the transportation aspect of our Big Day, we are actively preparing for the more than 300 expected people that day. We are organizing teams of church members to serve in the different duties on that day – including greeters, ushers, cooks, children’s workers, and soul winners. Not only are we looking forward to breaking our highest attendance record that day, but are also excited to see the interest and hard work of many of the believers. Many came on or since last year’s anniversary, and it has been a privilege to see their growth in the LORD. Several have been learning how to be soul winners and have won their first souls to Christ over the last couple of weeks. Please pray for our church as it seeks to grow – both numerically and spiritually – this week.

Recent Building Project -church foundation

March 2010 Prayerletter

March 2010

Dear Praying Friends,

In Job 1:21 we find the words, “…the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” The verse could very well have been the motto for our life and work in Zambia over the past few months.

During this rainy season, the rains were coming, and then they weren’t. For about a month, we did not see even a drop of rain, and there were talks of a drought and famine. Over the last week, the LORD has sent the rain again . . . in buckets! This is a relief and blessing to most in Zambia and is well worth the inconvenience it poses to the work of the ministry. In fact, Sunday, the 21st of February, was the first time this season we have had rain falling during the time when people are on their way (nearly all walking, of course) to church. We were extremely encouraged with our attendance that day. We had just under 115 that day, with one visitor braving the elements to be with us. Though this is a relatively small group compared to most Sundays lately, it is still a good picture of the growth of the Fallsview Bible Baptist Church, both in numbers and in their commitment of faithfulness to the Lord. I was taught in Bible college that you can see the growth of your church not in the high days but in the low days. On our first anniversary in June 2009, we had a goal to break our record for attendance up to that time. We prayed for 100 people to come to church that day. We have seen very few weeks since then—and none so far in 2010—where we have had less than 100 people in church on Sunday. Thank God that even the rains could not hinder people from coming to hear God’s Word!

Many of you know and have been praying about our need for a larger vehicle in our “bus ministry.” A special thanks to those who have sacrificed and given toward the project. We have had a vehicle in mind . . . twice . . . and even started the process of getting the vehicle into our name, only to have the deal fall through at the last minute. It seems that all the vehicles in our price range are not up to the mechanical standard we need them to be, and all those in good running condition are out of our price range. I am sure we are not the only church ever to face such an issue. We are confident that each time the deals fall through, the Lord has something better in store for us. Please continue to pray along those lines for our vehicle need.

Finally, thanks to all who have been praying for Pastor Kebby this last month. In accordance with the verse at the top of this letter, we thought we were looking at our Zambian preacher on his deathbed, but the LORD has graciously given Pastor Kebby more days to live and serve Him. We took no pictures of him during those days he was in the hospital out of concern for offending others, but how I wish you (and Pastor Kebby himself) could see what a change God has wrought in his body. Outside of a few scars that are shrinking every day, there is little evidence of the brutal attack he suffered. His stamina is returning, and he is back to teaching and preaching in the ministry. Our plan is to search for the “Good Samaritan” who found him and took him to the hospital and invite this man to be a special guest in our church. Just as the Lord used him to give Pastor Kebby a chance at life, we are trusting the Lord to allow Pastor Kebby to present this man with a chance to accept Christ’s gift of eternal life. Please pray for this man whose name we do not yet know. Lord willing, we will have good news concerning him in our next update.

Also, please be aware of the change in mailing address for FBMI, our mission agency. The new address is 507 State Street, Hammond, IN 46320.

In His service,

Justin Warner

Update on Prayer Requests

Thanks for your prayers about both Preetika’s father and Pastor Kebby. In both situations we have seen evidence of many praying people around the world.

First about Preetika’s dad, just about every report was encouraging good news. All 3 stints put in 3 ½ years ago are clear and doing their job. Despite passing out due to the overexertion, there does not appear to be any indication of another heart attack nor any new damage to the heart. For all this, we are extremely grateful. Her dad will just rest and recuperate for a week or so at home before getting back to his normal routine. Thanks for all your prayers and emails of encouragement. It sure helped sustain us through a trying time.

Now about Pastor Kebby, the news is also pretty good but he has a longer road of recovery ahead of him presumably. He was discharged from the hospital on Saturday morning (too quickly for my liking) though he still had trouble walking, had severe head aches, and was seeing double out of one eye. According to the doctors though, the swelling on his head had gone down and he was therefore ready to go home. (They actually took a tape measure to his head to determine that. I don’t know if that is standard medical procedure, but it looked a bit strange to me.) He was told to come back Tuesday to have the estimated 40 stitches removed from three separate gashes on his head. He was sent home with no medicine, but told to purchase our equivalent of Tylenol for pain. Needless to say, that has not done much to take care of the pain. Today, Monday, we took him to a private doctor for a second opinion, and his advice was to ask the hospital for a referral to the hospital in Lusaka, our capital city, to have a ct scan done. There are no such machines in all of Livingstone. His educated guess is that it Pastor Kebby either had a concussion or a blood clot somewhere between brain and skull. I don’t remember the medical term he used, but that is my understanding of what he said. He said the concussion will go away on its own while the other can be treated with drugs but only after being confirmed on a ct scan. He also mentioned that a symptom of the “blood clot” scenario was falling asleep suddenly. That has not been occurring according to Pastor Kebby’s wife, so we are encouraged that it may have been a concussion – serious enough but the best case scenario all things considered. He is still quite weak and a bit unsteady on his feet, but is much better than a few days ago. His voice is rather weak, but he is talking and seems to be understanding and remembering most anything we talk about (though still very little about the specifics of the attack and afterwards until waking up in the hospital).

Please continue to pray for his full recovery as well as wisdom for us on the best way to help him recover. Also do keep the people of the Fallsview Bible Baptist Church in your prayers that many of the members will take up the slack during the recovery. God is in control and it is apparent to all of us here in Livingstone that the LORD still has further plans for Pastor Kebby. Praise God.

Prayer Request

Dear Praying Friends,

Preetika and I would like to bring two matters of prayer to your attention.

First, we were informed on Monday that Preetika’s father was in the hospital undergoing some heart tests after he passed out on Saturday. We have since been informed that there is no apparent heart damage and the brief loss of consciousness may have simply been due to overexertion. All other results from the tests have seemed encouraging as well – Praise the Lord! Please pray for him and the doctors as they attempt to determine the health and condition of his heart, especially in light of his previous heart attack. God has been comforting and encouraging both Preetika’s parents and us here in Zambia though it is tough to be 10,000 miles away at times like this.

Secondly, we had missed calls on our cell phones while on the phone with Preetika’s parents this morning. After returning those calls, we were informed of another serious problem. Pastor Kebby, our Zambian pastor, had been beaten and stabbed severely and was in the hospital. Upon visiting him, we saw he was in pretty terrible condition. He has loss much blood as well as several cuts and huge knots on his head, so much so that his head looks incredibly misshapen. He is extremely weak and cannot speak much. It is quite miraculous that he is even alive. The thieves left him for dead and he was found by a real-life Good Samaritan who loaded him in his taxi and took him to the hospital. The thieves had taken his phone, and he was so out of it that he was staggering in the direction of a house he used to live in thinking he was going home according to the man who found him. Without that man, we may have never found him before he died from his injuries. Pastor Kebby remembers nothing of what happened.

The next hurdle, as is often the case in a third-world country, (as evidenced by some of the reports coming out of Haiti) is the substandard medical care. When we first saw Pastor Kebby (early this morning after being admitted in the wee hours of the morning), he still had on the same dirty and blood-covered clothes on. There were a pile of bloody sheets in the corner presumably soiled from when he had first been brought in. We were finally able to take his wife to get some clean clothes from their home. Please join us and the believers of Fallsview Bible Baptist Church in praying for Pastor Kebby, his wife, Etambuyu, and their 2 young daughters.

We are to always trust God with every need, but the condition of the Livingstone General Hospital seems to really drive that point home in this case.

Thanks for your prayers.

In Christ,
Justin & Preetika

THE BAPTIST CHURCH GETS A BAPTISTRY

On the last Sunday of 2009, the Fallsview Bible Baptist Church had the privilege of seeing 24 new converts baptized. This was the first time that we were able to perform the baptism on church property. The second structure built, after our storehouse, was a baptistry. It was such a blessing for the new converts to see the work going on at our church plot as many had never seen the place before. It was also nice not to have the thought of crocodiles in the back of your mind as had been the case previously when baptizing in the river.

One of those new converts baptized was a man named Trevor Rabson. He is one of the builders we hired to supervise the building of our church. He and his wife, both Zimbabweans, have been attending church for the last 6 weeks since receiving Christ. He also helped us construct the new baptisty. During that project, he expressed his desire to be the first convert baptized in the new structure. It was our privilege to fulfill his desire of being baptized and to see him be the first to be “raised to walk in newness of life” at the future home of Fallsview Bible Baptist Church

We have now baptized 60 adult converts into our church since its inception in June 2007 with 50 of them taking that first step of obedience over the last 9 months since our return from furlough! Praise God that His work is marching on.