The conditions were right for this family photo. The late afternoon sun lit up the trees to provide a natural backdrop. Rev. Kamwata and his wife and three daughters gladly posed for this amateur cell phone photographer. We were pleasantly surprised how the picture turned out–a beautiful snapshot.

During my two weeks in Zambia the last week of April and the first week of May, I also got a beautiful snapshot of Rev. Kamwata’s ministry at the Lusaka Lutheran Seminary. In addition to teaching at the seminary, Rev. Kamwata is pursuing a Master of Theology degree through Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. As a part of that pursuit, he served as a teacher’s assistant (TA) for a class I was teaching to eleven pastors of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa (LCCA) who are pursuing a Bachelor of Divinity degree.

Because this was my first teaching trip to Africa, I was in some ways an amateur teacher. Thanks in part to Rev. Kamwata’s assistance, I was pleasantly surprised how the class turned out. He helped me tailor our study of eschatology (“end things”) to suit better the pastors and their situation. Already in January, he previewed class materials and gave suggestions for making them more useful. Before classes met, he helped me develop the goals and objectives of the class. During the eight days of class, he gave regular feedback and provided ideas for making classroom activities more meaningful. He taught part of the lessons, with an emphasis on practical application. He helped me assess the written assignments of the students. He encouraged the students to do their best and gave them helpful suggestions for improvement.

It was a privilege to work with Rev. Kamwata. Please pray for him, his family, and his ministry at Lusaka Lutheran Seminary.