Another important lesson learned from this trip is just how easy it is to start a Bible study with people. I know it's a different culture and all but the villagers were definitely open to having a Bible study. They were so enthusiastic about it that I can't help but think that people in the United States would be at least open to the idea of it. And it helped me realize that the worst that could happen is they would say “no” when I asked them. It's really encouraged me to just be open to the Holy Spirit's leading to just ask people if He prompts me.
There are some particular memories from Zambia that really stick out to me and I'll probably remember the rest of my life. Early in the trip, we prayed for a young girl about nine years old who was, as we felt being oppressed spiritually (she was suffering seizures and was always just very confused and it had come out of nowhere about two years before we got there). We prayed for her and by the end of the trip, we saw her completely transformed. She was in her right mind, hadn't had a seizure since we prayed, and was laughing, talking, and playing again. It's so very encouraging to know that we could help set a little girl free that Satan had kept bound for two years.
Another thing that really sticks out was toward the end. My group went out to Komaniana, the village where we spent most of our time, and stayed the night. We made some popcorn (for some of the people it was the first time they had ever eaten it) and shared childhood stories (like the tortoise and the hare and they told us some African ones). It was just a fun time and it opened my eyes to just how much we had impacted the people in the short time that we were there. One guy, Mofet, kept talking about how he was going to miss me and how the time was different because he felt like Jesus had visited when we came. It was really inspiring and affirming to know that we had made a difference in peoples lives in just under six short weeks.
