Open Doors in Zambia
By Ben Doomy
I got to witness the faithfulness of God, firsthand, in Africa. A missionary who was not with Source of Light (who we will call John) had been using SLM materials for over twenty years. John’s mission began in Kenya where he was using the materials for about a year. He continued using the materials in Zambia for a time, until the connection that was supplying the courses had disappeared. While in Zambia, John started a university to train and equip pastors and missionaries. Currently, the university has around one hundred students that are active in ministry while in school (as a requirement). John realized that many local pastors and even the students at his university could benefit by using Source of Light’s materials in discipleship. The only problem was, John was not able to get the courses anymore.
John’s only option to use Source of Light’s materials was to contact the president himself, Ron Barnes. Finally, after pandemic restrictions were lifted, travel to Africa became a priority, so Ron and I got on a plane and flew to Zambia to meet with John and the university students. Upon arrival, we informed John of the many changes SLM has gone through over the years, because it had been a decade since John used the courses. He was so excited about having the courses in his country that he wanted us to share about SLM with a neighboring orphanage.
This orphanage houses over three hundred children ranging from kindergarten through twelfth grade. This orphanage is also a trade school where the children learn many different trades. These trades range from auto mechanics, carpentry, and brick laying, to sewing and culinary arts. There are two campus pastors at the orphanage who graduated from the local Christian university started by John. The person who runs the orphanage was ecstatic about the idea of using the courses with the children. So much so, that he wanted a neighboring orphanage to use SLM courses as well.
Back at the university, John had over twenty local church pastors come to hear a presentation about Source of Light. We gave each church a sample pack of our lessons. Each pastor left with twenty-five courses in discipleship. Many of these pastors have no Biblical training and the SLM courses might be the only training they ever get because they cannot afford further study.
The pastors were overjoyed to have a connection with SLM, and materials to use in their churches. We are praying that God will open the door for Source of Light to start a relationship with Zambia where the courses will either be printed locally or shipped from the home office in Georgia.
God’s faithfulness through it all was coming full circle. A man who once had a connection with Source of Light materials and lost that connection is now able to not only use the materials himself, but the churches, orphanages, and university around him will too. There are many around the world who cannot afford a Bible degree or proper training. We are so grateful for people, churches, and organizations that faithfully give so that these courses can be given at little or no cost around the world.
While in Kenya, the schools were open and our SLM missionaries were excited to have Ron and me speak to the students. The local Source of Light missionaries minister, day in and day out, going into the schools, sharing the Gospel, and giving out the materials. Being a youth pastor, formerly at a small country church in North Carolina, I had never spoken in front of a crowd bigger than one hundred people. The first school they brought us to, for me to share the Gospel, had over four hundred high school aged students in the auditorium. The Holy Spirit was moving because about seventy-five of those students said they wanted to start a discipleship relationship with God and begin taking SLM materials.
For a few days, the Kenya missionaries took Ron and me to five other high schools to preach and share the Gospel. School after school, over one hundred students began a discipleship relationship and started using SLM materials.
The local missionaries will continue discipling the students by bringing more and more courses for them. Kenya is just one example, but there are men and women all over the world who are faithfully going into schools and making disciples out of the students.
We are praying that the ministers in Zambia would see fruit and growth from the Source of Light materials. All over the world, there are opportunities such as in Zambia. As the Lord said in Matthew 9:37, “The harvest truly is plenteous.” The Lord opens doors and SLM materials are found in countries even where there are no SLM missionaries. Recently, opportunities in Tanzania and Mozambique have arisen where Source of Light could begin a partnership. These countries are hungry for the Gospel. Like Zambia, they want to use the materials and we are excited to get them there. Be in prayer for Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique, that God would provide a way for the materials to be used in these countries. My experience in seeing SLM courses being used around the world is very small, but I know that God can (and does) use Source of Light to equip churches and ministers in discipleship through the courses.
