Hosting

Last night we hosted our first small group in our home! (Which is a big deal for multiple reasons, the first one being that the only other time we hosted people here I served mushy rice and was convinced I'd never host ever again. But I digress...)

Living in a transient expat culture, we are already having to say goodbye to half of our original small group as some start new endeavors in Rwanda, others head back home to Ghana, and a couple others pursue more studies and assignments in Zambia and Canada. We love that our small group has brought a global perspective and are so grateful to have made such wonderful friends with the easy link of living a life by faith in Jesus, regardless of our nations of origin.

So as we say goodbye to over half of our small group, we get to say hello to a new season. A season of rebuilding our small group, inviting others into the blessing of a small group, of sharing life together.

When the few of us got together to discuss a game plan for Small Group Take 2, we felt the pressures of packed schedules, busyness, and stressors from our workplaces, especially in this “summer” aka winter season that proves especially crammed. But we have all witnessed and felt the greatness of a small group, and we can’t turn away. Though it is difficult, we will fight for our community. We will fight for accountability, encouragement, mid-week Truth to our chaos, friendship, and togetherness. And when all else tries to pull us into a corner of busy-driven isolation, we will keep fighting. We were made for community, our souls need it, and being able to have it is just a huge helping of grace.

So with our boxing gloves on, we set a time that can’t be interrupted by anything else, to which we will commit ourselves fully to our small group and the incredible lives of which it is composed. Five of us met last night in our home to pray for the folks we haven’t even met yet but will join us in this walk of life. We thanked God for the blessing of community even in the crazy, and for hearts that are grateful for today regardless if tomorrow means goodbyes with dear friends.

Because every good small group demands good refreshments, and because gatherings in Zambia equal tea time.
(Thankfully the cookies didn't turn out like the rice)

Humbled and grateful to get to open our home to our friends & church family

Would you join us in praying for God to introduce us to people who also desire community for us to invite them into our small group? Would you pray for direction for our small group, that we would be missional and intentional together, building each other up in Christ so we can go out refreshed and refilled?

Thank you for your support that allows us to have a home here in Zambia that we can open up to others living in Lusaka, Zambians and folks from all around the world, to be encouraged and strengthened by community and Christ.

Love,

A&W