The Snapshots from Chande

The Chande Orphanage Project…
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Here are a few photographs of the Chande Orphanage, taken by one of the many mission teams from the Inglewood Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, TX.

Click the first thumbnail to begin viewing the photos at full size, or view as a slideshow.

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Mission Stories from Chande

The Chande Orphanage Project…
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Report from Ed Miller:
Former missionary in Kitwe and current missions pastor at Inglewood Baptist, from the trip September-October 2009:

Thank you so much for your prayers for our team that went to Zambia and Congo from September 27 to October 8. Below is a brief summary of how we saw the Lord work.

We saw your prayers answered as we went through customs and immigration: We had the privilege of seeing how your prayers were answered as we made it through immigration and customs at the Zambia/Congo borders with no problems both going into Congo and returning to Zambia in less than an hour. There were over 250 eighteen-wheel trucks backed up awaiting permission to get through the border. We made it through in less than an hour each way. Considering we were walking through what is called “no man’s land” we really sensed your prayers. This was above and beyond even our imagination to move through the confusion of so many people waiting with no difficulty.

We saw your prayers answered as we saw people responding to the gospel: We had the privilege of seeing over 260 people come to Christ. We saw one new church started while we were there as well as heard the report that the number of new churches in Southern Congo had grown in number. When I wrote to you before going, I reported that there were 28 new churches there. However, we found instead the number had grown to 34. We saw church leaders committed to reach out to unreached areas and start ten more new churches this year. We traveled about three hours north of Lubumbashi as we traveled in a van to see a new church and got to preach to that church. We also preached in 5 churches in the Lubumbashi area.

We saw your prayers answered as we taught: Each day, we got to teach about 25 men and ladies who were excited to receive all that we shared with them. After teaching 8 or more hours a day, they were always eager for more.

Thanks again from each of our team members (Pastor Shawn Barnard, Chris Zink, Jim Potts, and Ed Miller).

Yours in Christ,
Edward Miller (on behalf of Zambia/Congo Team)

Report from Shawn Barnard, March-April 2009

Blog post – Surrender – April 10, 2009 at 5:36pm

Although I was hoping to blog each day while in Zambia, it just wasn’t going to happen. Needless to say, it’s Africa. There was an “internet connection,” but it was like riding a slug when you’re use to a Ferrari. The first day I tried to load a page, it took 10 minutes . . . just for the text. As a friend of mine says, “Africa wins again.”

So . . .

There is much to be said in the upcoming posts simply because it cannot all be said now. For those of you who have had the privilege of engaging in missions, especially in 3rd world countries, there is always much to be processed. One thing that I’ve learned, after my sixth trip to Africa, is that no trip is ever routine. It is never mundane, or typical. It is always unique. If you listen, and go with eyes-wide-open, and your heart equally receptive, there is much you will learn; and question; and chew on; and cry over; and be changed by it all.

People often ask me, “How was it? Tell me all about it.” And I try. But there are no words that could ever adequately describe the experience. You just have to go . . . and quite honestly, you should. Maybe not to Africa, but somewhere. Whether it’s in a third-world country or across the street visiting with a neighbor, the location of your mission engagement is not what makes the experience indescribable. It’s the activity of God in that place that makes the experience impossible to put into words. Wherever it is, you should go. And the reason you should go is because, as Christ-followers, we are called to do so. It really isn’t an option if obedience is the desire of your heart.

For the past five years, I have had the privilege of spending time in Zambia, Africa. My heart, it seems, is drawn there. As a matter of fact, I often tell people that my second home is Zambia . . . and I mean it. I can’t put my finger on why, but my heart is wrapped around the people; and what God is doing there resonates deeply within me. Perhaps it’s working with orphans at the Chande Orphanage in Ndeke township. I’m not certain of all the details of Heaven, but it seems that God gives me a glimpse and a taste of what it might be like when I walk into a room of 260 children who are singing “Here I Am to Worship,” and they are smiling and singing with angelic voices like they truly mean it.

Or, it could be that I am so drawn there because the taste of death is palatable, both physically and spiritually. These people, not unlike the other 1.6 billion unreached people in the world, are in need of the life that is only found in Jesus Christ. I am humbled that God allowed me to see 313 people give their lives to Christ while we were there. And I have been changed by one in particular, whose surrender will be forever etched in my memory. The story goes like this . . . I was asked to preach a three night crusade at a “soccer field” in a township called Wusakile, just outside of Kitwe–a city of close to 1.2 million people. On the second night of the crusade, the crowd gathered as two choirs from local churches began to sing on the make-shift stage that was constructed by men from local churches in a matter of just a day and a half. If you had seen what they had to work with, and what they built, you would be amazed. By the time the music had finished, and just before I got up to speak, there was a moment where I caught just a glimpse, perhaps, of what it must have been like for Jesus when the crowds would gather to hear Him speak. From the stage I could see those who had gathered in front of the platform, but on the fringes people were sitting on logs; leaning against trees; standing outside bars; even across the highway people were standing and listening. It was an amazing thing. As I finished the message, and desperately tried hard not to worry about the bugs that were flying in my mouth and the grasshopper that had taken up residence on the back of my neck during the sermon, the invitation was given to anyone who wanted to come and talk with a counselor about giving their life to Christ. And this is what I’ll never forget: an middle-aged man, from the back of the crowd, began to walk forward. But as he was coming to the stage, both of his hands were held high in the air. His head was somewhat bowed down. Out of all the people that were coming down, he caught my attention. This man understood what it meant to completely surrender. As a matter of fact, as he approached the stage to talk with a counselor, he was led to a grassy area just to the left of the stage, and even then he still had his hands up. The counselor was the one who lowered this man’s hands. Talk about fighting back the tears. In all honesty, the song that kept coming to my mind was, “All to Jesus, I surrender. All to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, in His daily presence live. I surrender all. I surrender all. All to Jesus, I surrender. I surrender all.”

For me, the take-away is this: Everyday should be lived with such surrender. It’s impossible to cling to that which steals our affections when we come to Jesus with both hands open, and lifted high. So, here’s to living today with open hands, lifted high, so that we might embrace the one who is worthy of our surrender.

The Testimony of Charles and Jan Van Norman:

Charles and I are very proud to be Christians and members of Inglewood Baptist Church, Grand Prairie, Texas – a church with a vision for missions.

In 2006, when we decided to go to Zambia we knew we would see things Ed and Linda Miller and the 2005 IBC Team had described but we didn’t know the eagerness of the people to learn about Jesus nor the severity of the poverty.

We always heard that God doesn’t call the equipped but that He equips the called. We are not teachers, but we do know that God held us in His arms and that He stood by us during these two mission trips and gave us courage to speak His word. It didn’t seem to matter to those precious children that we had a funny accent. What mattered was that we were all there to love them and to share about Jesus. We were thrilled that 77 made professions of faith in 2006 after Holiday Bible School and 103 in 2007.

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The Statements of Chande

The Chande Orphanage Project…
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This is the statement of faith from pastor Patrick Chanda, Kitwe, Zambia:

We declare and establish this statement of faith to preserve and secure the principles of our aims and objectives in line with the statement of faith and belief as is common among Baptist churches. Our Structure: We hereby do believe that, having been led by the Holy Spirit of God to join together in our work, we believe that: Chande Baptist Orphanage shall run as an indigenous body.

There shall be no authority to be imposed by any church or organization but that all cooperating partners will have equal vote.

All cooperating partners shall have equal participation without any form of coercion from any quarters, but that:

Our Statement of Faith:

  1. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and that the Bible is the only authority in the governing and exercising of our life and the orphanage ministry.
  2. We believe that there is but one God. We believe that, He is the maker, the keeper, and ruler of all things. We believe that He is perfect God and to Him all people owe their highest love and obedience.
  3. We believe that God is revealed to us through the father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person of the trinity has a distinct personality, but there is no division of purpose.
  4. We believe that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God. We believe he is born of the virgin, lived a life free from sin,
  5. We believe that, salvation is a change of heart, brought about by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and that salvation is a work of God’s free grace.
  6. We believe that those whom God has forgiven through His Son, and sanctified by His spirit will never totally or finally fall away from the grace of God
  7. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, which is composed of all His true disciples
  8. We believe that baptism is an ordinance of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that it is of every believer wherein he is immersed in the water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Our Strategy:

In light of the foregoing statements of faith: The Chande Baptist Orphanage shall endeavor to take care of orphans and street kids who are in need, by providing shelter, food, education and medical care.

Such children will have to be approved by the management that they are orphans and are in dire need of assistance.

Any orphan or street kid regardless of race, religion or creed as long as they meet the conditions of the Social Welfare Department in the republic of Zambia and those of Chande Baptist Orphanage and its cooperating partners will be enrolled in the orphanage if and when a place is available and that he/ she is not over the age of sixteen.

Our Sense of Responsibility:

We are compelled to doing good works, which are redemptive in nature, namely,

  1. Evangelism
  2. Discipleship
  3. Edification
  4. Works of service

Our Scriptural Foundation:

  1. Mathew 28:19–20, “Go then, to all people everywhere and make them my disciples; baptize them in the name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you to the end of the age”
  2. James 1:27, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is to look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Our Society of Friends:

The Chande Baptist Orphanage will work with other cooperating partners of the same and alike faith from within and outside of the republic of Zambia. Chande Baptist Orphanage will be eligible to engage expert personnel from within and outside Zambia.

Since we have been created in Christ Jesus, we shall endeavor to maintain pure worship of our God and fellowship with one another in love, by performing the above beliefs and tasks. And that every partnering Church/Organization shall be led by their Pastor/Leader. And each church shall appoint such people as they deem fit to serve on the International Chande Board.

Rev. Patrick Chanda, Kitwe, Zambia

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The Support of Chande

The Chande Orphanage Project…
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Perhaps you have already decided to support the Chande Orphanage Project. It’s easy to do… so many people use online bill payment these days; just set up a monthly payment, sending your tax deductible contribution to this address:

For sponsoring the orphanage in general, send your tax deductible check to:

Inglewood Baptist Church
1901 S Carrier Pkwy
Grand Prairie, Texas 75051-3756
Put “Chande Baptist Orphanage” in the memo line

If you are interested in sponsoring a child from the Chande Orphanage, or would like more information on what $30 a month will provide, contact Jan Van Norman at [ zambiamissions @ att.net ]

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How many children need sponsors? There are more than 176 children in the orphanage.
  2. What does $30 a month cover? Education, food, clothing, and medical. $30 can’t cover everything, but is the amount suggested by Rev. Chanda. Supporters are welcome to give more as they feel led.
  3. Chande Orphanage is set up as a trust – why is this important? The orphanage is registered as a trust with the Zambian government which protects it by Zambian law. No individual can take it over as their own individual property and it protects the church in case a church has a split or has future leaders that do not agree. This way, no one can change its purpose to something else. Being a “trust” gives the right for the organization to not only be recognized by the government, but also is necessary for tax exemption. The Orphanage has a certificate of registration, as well as being incorporated as a non-profit trust and is governed by a Board of Trustees. Rev. Patrick Chanda and Edward Miller are two of the board members. The Millers have known Rev. Chanda since January 1979, their first week in Zambia and fully support this ministry and have complete trust in him.

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The Story of Chande

The Chande Orphanage Project…
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In 1995, Rev. Patrick Chanda was attending a funeral for a member of his church and heard a boy who had lost his father crying out, “Who will be my father?” The boy had lost both of his parents to AIDS. The Lord impressed Rev. Chanda that he should go to the boy and tell him that God is a “father to the fatherless” and that he would be his father. However, Rev. Chanda realized that he already had nine children of his own and he knew that he could not take care of another child in his home.

Pastor, you must do something…

A few days later, a young lady in one of his churches came to ask the pastor to help a girl in her class that was living on the street. Again, Rev. Chanda thought, “What can I do, I already have nine children.” The young lady replied “Pastor, you must do something.” At her insistence, the pastor called the deacons together and asked them for their input. They went looking around the streets in Ndeke to find the girl. They finally found her and told her the church was going to take care of her. One of the deacons took her into his home with his children and the church began to provide food and school fees. Soon, they found that she had a brother who also was living on the streets. The church got a small house and a lady volunteered to be the housemother and they began to take care of the brother and sister. It was not long until a third girl came into the home. All three of these were supported by the Chande Project through individual gifts until both completed Teacher’s College.

So many children…

During that time, Rev. Chanda became aware that 25% of the population of Zambia was infected with HIV/AIDS and many were dying. The first reported case of AIDS in Zambia was in the township where Rev. Chande ministered. There are now over 1,000,000 orphans in Zambia. The churches began helping 50 orphans with school fees, food and some clothing. They first tried to bring in children off the street and feed them, wash their clothes, and share Christ with them. But at the end of the day, they had no place for the children to stay, so the children received the temporary help, and then were sent back to live on the street. They decided this approach was not adequate to meet the real needs of the children. As the number of orphans began to grow and the need became so apparent, the two churches, Chamboli Baptist Church and Ndeke Baptist Church, where Rev. Chanda served as pastor at that time, decided to commit to an Orphanage Project. The name of the Orphanage project took the first three letters of the name of two townships to make the name of the orphanage ministry. Chamboli and Ndeke churches formed the Chande Baptist Orphanage Project.

Later that year, the churches began to find members that could take in an orphan to live with a church family, and the churches assisted from time to time with food and clothing supplements. This plan however, soon failed as most families became overwhelmed with meeting the needs of the orphans in their own extended family.

Property from the city council…

Near the end of 1995, the churches made an appeal to the Kitwe City Council for an approximately 5 acre piece of land in the Ndeke township that they could develop a site to provide for a place for the ministry to the orphans. Finally in 1997, the City Council agreed to allow the property to be developed for the project. The churches appointed a management committee under the guidance of Rev. Chanda to lead in this ministry. Also around that time, the church began to develop a pre-school program meeting in the two church buildings that would minister to their community.
Long range planning…

In 1997, the Orphanage management committee contacted an architect to design a long range plan for meeting some of the needs. These included:

  1. a school grade 1-9
  2. housing for approximately 120 children
  3. a clinic to minister to the orphans
  4. an administration block
  5. a multipurpose building for large group meetings and activities
  6. housing for staff and short term volunteers

In looking at their total plan, the total cost was about $500,000. This vision of the pastor became the vision of the two churches. However, these two churches total income in a year at that time was only about $5,000. Realizing that the Lord supplies the needs where he leads, the two churches continued on with their enormous task.

Volunteers made a difference…

In late 1997, a volunteer who served in Zambia gave $1,000 to use toward aiding the three children that were in the home the church was renting. He designated that none of these funds could be used for building, but only for food and support of the children. Some small gifts came in and a stove was purchased from a retiring missionary. They used the stove to make bread and the profits went into the account to build the wall fence around the orphanage plot.

By 1998-99, the churches linked up with a charitable organization that offered to help with books and materials for the school. Then classes were offered up through grade 2 for orphans and neighborhood children. They saw that one lasting thing they could do was to provide for the education of the orphan children. They purchased a storage container to store building supplies, built a small security building on the plot, and began to use the security building as a classroom and began to build a wall fence around the property.

Need of a permanent place for schooling…

By July 2000, it became evident that the Orphanage project urgently needed a permanent place to help with the education of the orphans. A few days later the copper mines in Kitwe began to advertise they were selling some buildings. The mines advertised that they had a “community library building” to sell. It was in bad repair, and they wanted $12,500 for it. Rev. Chanda felt led to make an offer of $3,000. He asked Ed Miller to write a letter to the mining company making an offer. Ed asked, “How much money do you have, and Rev. Chanda replied, “none, but I believe the Lord will provide it for us to get that building.” Ed typed the letter for him and the bid was turned in to the Copper Mining Company. At that time, he did not have any money, but felt it was God’s will to proceed. Rev. Chanda shared his heart with fellow pastors at a Pastor’s Fellowship and asked them to pray specifically that a building could be found for orphan ministry.

Two days after the prayer meeting of the pastors, the mines informed Rev. Chanda that they had accepted his bid and he could purchase the building. About two days after being approved for the purchase of the building, Ed received a message from the Baptist Mission office that $9,000 had been given to the orphanage. We saw this as the Lord’s answer.

The building was completely repaired and members of the church contributed most of the labor. The church members painted, repaired broken windows, installed new wiring and light fixtures, replaced broken pipes and toilets, put up new doors and completely renovated the building. They built a wooden fence to secure the property and make the playground safe and a water tower to provide a water supply when there was lack of adequate water in the township. This building has about 6000 square feet of space has been named the Chande Baptist Orphanage Training Center.

On November 5, 2000, the first day the building was used for a new church and 50 people from the neighborhood attended. Since that time, over 70 people in the area have come to know Christ as their Savior.

Over 400 children in the school, and 176 in the orphanage…

In January of 2001 the orphanage ministry began to open more classes in this building and there were 230 children in grades 1 – 5. The school has now expanded to grades 1 – 9 and there are over 400 children, including 176 orphans being supported in the Chande Baptist Orphanage School. In addition, fifteen children are being supported through the Orphanage ministry who go to public schools for grades 10 – 12. Attendance to the public school for the higher grades is only available to those children who can pay.

There are ten teachers who are teaching in the Orphanage program. They receive a small salary for their work, but do it as a ministry.

At the Chande Training Center, for a small fee, they provide sewing classes to the neighborhood women, a secretarial service to the community, and a certified training course for primary school teachers. Ladies work at tie dying and selling cloth, knitting sweaters and scarves to help support the work as well as some funds are raised by selling buns and bread baked in the Orphanage kitchen. Future plans are to provide training in carpentry and welding for the youth in the neighborhood.

God provides a small bus…

In February, 2005, a 29 passenger bus was purchased. This is used when the school has events that mean transporting the children. It is also used when volunteer teams come and the money received for the use of the bus goes back into the Orphanage ministry account.

Another school is started…

In February 2006, another school was begun in a rural area approximately twelve miles from Kitwe. There are 150 children attending, many who had never had a school. The Orphanage ministry is seeking to get the villagers in that area to help build a school out of homemade brick made in the local community. Two teachers that have been trained and worked in the Orphanage school have transferred to the rural community to get the school started. At present, it is a large one room school and the teachers are assessing the children’s’ abilities to determine what grade that they should be in. Recently the villagers came to Rev. Chanda and asked him to start a church. He met with twelve men for a Bible Study in the village and they are praying for the beginnings of a new church.

The churches making the difference…

Through the years, there have been several churches as well as individuals who have made contributions toward the ministry and capital building. The Chamboli Baptist Church and the Wusakile Baptist Church members support Rev. Chanda. He does not get a salary from the Orphanage Project.

Partners in the States…

There is a small garden plot on the property that will be used to raise vegetables that will contribute toward the care of the children. The building that will house children needs approximately $76,000 to complete it.

In 2006, Inglewood Baptist Church, Grand Prairie, Texas had a team of ten members who led Holiday Bible School for grades 5 – 9. Seventy-seven of the children accepted Christ as Savior. In March, 2007, fourteen team members from Inglewood led their second Holiday Bible School and 103 children made professions of faith. There are other churches and teams that come to assist with building, but Inglewood is the only church that provides Holiday Bible School for the children. More stories will be posted as teams share what God has done.

From a small beginning and with trust in God’s leadership, the Lord has used Rev. Chanda to attempt to do something that seemed impossible. God is doing great things through the efforts of the Chande Baptist Project.

Prayer requests for The Chande Project:

  1. Pray for Rev. Patrick Chanda and the Board of Directors that plan and direct the orphanage.
  2. Pray for the teachers at the Chande School as they teach the children.
  3. Pray for the new school that has been started in the rural area.
  4. Pray for the new churches that have come from the work of the Orphanage Project.
  5. Pray that God will lead others to give and support this project: sponsoring children and even teachers.

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Chande Orphanage in Need

The Chande Orphanage Project…
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Kim and I are a part of the Friends of Chande, a group of people who are committed to supporting and promoting the Chande Orphanage Project in Kitwe, Zambia. I learned of this need only this morning (11/29/2010) and want to pass it on in an appeal to those who are able to help.

SOS!

Dear Friends of Chande,

Strong winds ripped the roof off of the Chande building this afternoon around 17:40 hrs Zambian time. The damage is extensive, we have lost 60 roofing sheets and timber, and it will take about $5000 USD to fix. See the pictures (below) of the damaged roof. I’m therefore kindly appealing to all well-wishers to come to our aid. This is an emergency. The cost of one 7-meter long roofing sheet is $70 USD. We need 60 sheets. There may be someone out there who would want to buy a sheet, we would be very grateful to such a one. It would take 60 people giving $70 each to buy the replacement sheets.

Patrick Chanda
Pastor of Chamboli and Ndeke Baptist Churches
Director of the Chande Orphanage

Here is an Update on the Roof Situation, from Ed Miller:

This past week (early December), our church members and friends gave $2150 toward the roofing damage at the orphanage. In addition, I received confirmation of $210 more coming in the next few days. Also, two other churches have contributed $2500 so we are near our goal of $5000.

In addition, I heard from another church that said they were going to help. I’m excited to see how God continues to bless and be a testimony that even in times of trouble He can and will provide for this faith project.

I talked to Patrick on Saturday and they have the roof covered with tarps in order that they protect the ceiling boards over the damaged areas while they are repairing. I praise the Lord for the quick response to this emergency.

Send your tax-deductible donation to:
Inglewood Baptist Church
1901 S Carrier Pkwy
Grand Prairie, Texas 75051-3756
Put “Chande Baptist Orphanage” in the memo line

Roof Damage at Chande Orphanage

Roof Damage at the Chande Orphanage

This ministry is much more than just caring for orphans; missionary Ed Miller sent me this information about how the Chande ministry has been involved in church planting:

Linda and I will be taking a team to Zambia in April. We have 14 others signed up. Also have two other churches that have enlisted teams that will be going. Also wanted you to know that the orphanage ministry has expanded and in the last four years those from the orphanage ministry have been responsible for starting 40 churches in Congo. I went last October to help train pastors. There are a couple of teams going this coming year to help train the Congolese pastors and church leaders.

Amazing impact on the children, and on the world around them. God is so good!

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