From Luanshya, Zambia to Okemos, Michigan, USA!

Meet Joyce Kaoma from Luanshya, Zambia, and Richard Craft from Okemos, Michigan, USA, (above) both Guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient, our regular Sunday night radio show, airing for an hour at 20.30 hrs on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. Joyce is the Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship in Luanshya, and Richard leader of a group of 15 people from Michigan visiting Zambia to give assistance to Joyce in the construction of a building for meetings as well as sleeping facilities in Luanshya for up to 100 people. “Why?” We wondered. Joyce explained that their centre trains Sunday School teachers in Zambia across all church denominations explaining that the philosophy behind the Fellowship was that the training of individuals multiplies their ministry and enables them to reach many more children with the Gospel than they otherwise could. For the past eight years worldwide the organization had trained over 250,000 teachers annually.

“Why are you in Livingstone?” Milli Jam asked, and Richard Craft explained that Livingstone was the start and finish point of their trip. They had flown into Livingstone some 10 days before the show, had spent a couple of nights at Chanters Lodge in order to recover from their very long journey, and to see Victoria Falls. The group had then taken a 13 hour journey by bus to Luanshya, spending their time there tiling, painting and helping Joyce and her colleagues, before the bus journey back to Livingstone. The Americans would be heading back home the following day, whilst the Luanshya contingent would spend another day or two in Livingstone. Asked why they had chosen Chanters Lodge, Richard explained that this was on the recommendation of Steven and Beth Kabamba from the Fellowship – Beth, previously a missionary in Zambia had also provided the link between Michigan and Luanshya.

Both our Guests said that their favourite musical genre was Gospel but we had nothing to offer of that ilk on the show! Instead we opened with latest smash hits from Tinie Tempah ft 2 Chainz then Miley Cyrus – long gone from her Hannah Montana character these days. Milli Jam dropped great Zambian tracks from Pentagon and T-Sean. He also chose Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Cruise’ and Passenger’s latest ‘Holes’. The prize we give each week to the first person to text us the name of the artist on our oldie of the week was quickly snapped up. The track ‘Lonely’ – the artist Akon. We also played Drake’s latest and a new track from Beyonce.

Richard said that he and his group had loved Victoria Falls and one of their number had even braved the bungee jump. Joyce and her team had had no time for such issues! Richard told listeners that he’s an accountant by profession and has his own business staffed by five members of his family as well as himself. The group’s trip had been financed by fund raising and donations in the States and we told him we really admired the contribution they were making to the development of Zambia’s youngsters.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Richard said that he hoped to be retired and travelling, Joyce that she hoped she would have continued to contribute to every child in Zambia having heard the Gospel.

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