Some of you are aware of this and others are not, but these last 3 months at the Esther School have been my last. It’s been the most incredible unexpected adventure. I’m so very grateful to all of those who have supported me spiritually in prayer, emotionally, and/or financially; you’ve given me a great gift that I will never forget and can never repay. I thank God for all the beautiful people I was able to know in Zambia, and pray that somehow we can still connect in His timing and blessed plan. Realistically, there’s no way to express my overwhelming gratitude for what the last 3 years have meant to me, especially for the individuals I’ve encountered in them.

I’ll give a brief overview of what exciting developments the last few months have held for the Esther School, then I want to thank various groups of people for their impact on my heart.

Firstly, our 4 new secondary staff members have been so flexible and eager to learn the ways of teaching at the Esther School and have been a great asset to our staff overall and students. The grade 9 students took their exams (the first Esther School class to do so) and are awaiting their results, but are hopeful. We celebrated as a staff Zambian Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Black Panther 2’s release, and Christmas. It’s been wonderful to have all these celebrations with colleagues. I was even blessed with opportunities to lead a couple swing dances for our staff and community for a marriage conference. The buildings for the grade 10-12 classrooms and administration offices are nearly finished. Also there’s an exciting vocational path being implemented for our older students to learn skills such as electrical, plumbing, agricultural, hospitality, and more. I’m eager to see how the Lord moves through all these great efforts to build up our students and community into Christ-honoring servant leaders.

Thank you…

…my North American co-laborers. You have been my favorite people to come home to after the work day, a shoulder to cry on, the most fun post-dinner cleanup team, prayer warriors and much much more. You accepted me and loved me so well despite all my silliness, flaws, and occasionally obnoxious mannerisms. I pray for your continued bonding as sisters in Christ and that God would provide in abundance the wisdom, peace, and support you need to keep faithfully blessing and being blessed by Nyangwena and Zambia as a whole.

…mamas who clean, cook, and serve our students and their children in countless ways. You have inspired me with what great love and involvement look like even in sometimes challenging circumstances.

…working men on campus who continue to build, grow, maintain, and work so hard to make the Esther School a place where students can come, feel safe, and learn. You have great friendships with one another and I know inspire our kids to work hard too.

…my secondary teaching staff. I never imagined I would have so much fun at work or bond with a group of co-workers so quickly and deeply. God truly blessed our relationships and time together though short. Know I’m praying for you to keep building one another up in the Lord as you pour out love and knowledge into our older students.

…all other staff at the Esther School. From administration to classroom teachers to accountancy to communications, I’ve so much enjoyed getting to know and work alongside you. It’s a rare and blessed thing to be a part of a community of workers who are so dedicated to a mission, kind to one another, and a joy to be with.

…students for putting hundreds of smiles on my face even on some of the hardest days. You are my inspiration to keep pressing towards the goal of displaying Christ-likeness and passing on any wisdom I have gleaned. I pray you continue to grow deeper towards our loving Father and study hard to apply the skills and knowledge you’ve gained for His glory and the betterment of all people around you.

…God. I never would have gone to Zambia on my own accord. All I’ve been blessed with in this place is worth more than a lifetime of praise and worship. I thank you Jesus for leading and guiding me to such an amazing place where your presence clearly dwells. I pray Nyangwena and the Esther School would continue to be blessed by your right hand and fall under your protection and care.

I hope and pray the Lord will make a way for me to go back to visit the Esther School in a few years time, but until then I would encourage you to keep supporting and following the mission of the Esther School as I plan to do. God is great and is surely doing great things in Zambia. Praise his holy name!

Here is my enduring prayer for the Esther School, coming from Colossians 1:

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you…we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy…”

In Christ Alone, So Long for Now,

Erika Lichtfuss

Hallelujah! I have so much to praise the Lord for and I thank you for all of the prayers. I went on my furlough back in Wisconsin during August and September. It was honestly such a refreshing period of time for me and there were many sweet reunions with friends and family as well as time to simply be with Jesus. My parents put up with me the whole time. I got to fish and play cribbage with my dad and go biking and play Scrabble with my mom. I owe so much to the people that support me consistently; may the Lord God bless you abundantly if you’ve played any role in supporting my journey thus far.

Coming back was one of the smoothest trips I’ve had yet (and I actually slept on the plane!). Right away when I got back, we were celebrating 10 years of existence as the Esther School with each other, the community, and the school. Our celebration consisted of worship, singing, traditional dancing, testimonies from teachers and students, and gratitude overall for the Lord’s faithfulness to this community. It was extremely fun to sing and dance with our Esther School family in the presence of God!

In grades 8 and 9 there are now four new teachers for me to work with and help get accustomed to our school environment. This is honestly a bit overwhelming, but they each show a passion for Jesus, their subjects, and the students, so it’s an exciting time. Also, our grade 9 students are preparing for their national exams in all subjects at the end of November. They will be needing lots of support from us as educators and prayer as they prepare.

Finally, one of our eighth grade boys has come back to school after having missed a whole month of school last term. We weren’t sure he was going to return. However, we were faithful to pray for him, his family, and for his future, and the Lord answered our prayer. Seeing him back with his friends and learning again is such a blessing to my heart, and I’m grateful to God for this amazing answer to prayer. Too many students drop out of school as they get a bit older in this area, and I pray often for our kids to endure in their studies and dedication to their futures.

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” – Ephesians 6:18

Blessings in Christ,

Erika Lichtfuss

Praises:

• I’m a first-time auntie! Baby Elise Dawn Lichtfuss was born July 29^th in Germany
• A rejuvenating furlough for myself
• Successful 10 year celebration of the Esther School
• Four new secondary teachers excited to teacher and learn as well

Prayers:

• For the grade 9 students as they prepare for their exams
• Our new teachers as they acclimate to the school
• The crew of men finishing construction on our grade 10-12 and administrative buildings
• Wisdom in choosing the new preschool class students

I am incredibly thankful for the luxury of being able to trust in God’s faithful love and companionship. He is steadfast in all His ways and His intentions toward me never change from being good. People change. Jobs change. Circumstances change. Weather changes. But God “does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17), and He promises to “never leave [us] or forsake [us]” (Hebrews 13:5). And the “never” in the original Greek is actually a triple negative, meaning God wanted to be very sure His plans are to  never, never, never abandon his own. These are the promises I stand firm on when it doesn’t seem like I can trust life circumstances to go how I may want them to. I’m not sure what others stand on for a sense of security in this ever-changing, often scary world, but again I am grateful to say I have found the Lord to be my indestructible lighthouse in the tumultuous sea of life.

Term two, which we are coming very close to the end of, is the longest term in the Zambian academic calendar and the coldest. I know what you’re thinking, “How cold does it actually get in Africa?” I’ll tell you: in the nights and early mornings, it can be in the upper 40s and 50s with no heat in buildings made of concrete. Maybe it still doesn’t sound that bad to you. Acclimation is my excuse. Anyways, I anticipated the term to feel as drawn-out as it seemed it would be, and to my astonishment, it has flown by. Even though the weeks have been fast, I’ve been given grace to slow down enough certain days to really appreciate the beauty in my co-teachers, students, and working family members on campus. One moment in particular that struck me was during a devotional for grade 9 students when they started singing with just their voices. The worship song was so simple, yet powerful as the Spirit was filling the space in genuine love towards their Creator. It went, “You are Yahweh, eh eh eh, you are Yahweh. You are Yahweh, Alpha and Omega.” As I closed my eyes a tear streamed downward. Beautiful.

Along with the good, there’s almost always the challenging. A major way my trust is being grown is actually through entrusting our students to Jesus. Although we use every opportunity as teachers to make Christ’s love and sacrifice known among our populace, it can still fall on deaf ears and we know as Christians that it takes a supernatural move of the Holy Spirit to bring someone from eternal death to life. While sharing my life testimony during a morning devotion, I realized more of our students than I was aware of didn’t have a testimony of their own. This saddened me deeply, but also reminded me how much we need to be in prayer for our teens, who face all sorts of temptations and trials of their own. We are in a battle for souls and we cannot neglect the primary weapon of prayer.

In other news, I will be back in Wisconsin between August 8^th – September 25^th. If you would like to meet up to talk, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please enjoy some pictures from my parents’ visit, safaris, and my birthday 😊.

Blessings in Christ,

Erika Lichtfuss

God carried us successfully through the end of Term 1. Near the end, it definitely felt like most of us needed to depend on the Lord’s energy/strength every day as it was an extended term and many of our staff and students were falling ill. We are now celebrating two weeks of holiday break before commencing Term 2 on May 9^th.

Every person has struggled to “fit in” at some point in their lives, but this hardship has been a recurring one in my life. Maybe this is why I was drawn to pursue a career working with arguably the most troubled people in the world in this area: middle/high school students. No matter where you find yourself in the world, the story is the same. Students around this precarious age between childhood and adulthood become hyper-aware of their peers’ approval or disapproval of nearly everything: hair, height, complexion, friends, intelligence, character, family, etc. Anyways, the people-pleasing tendency in me has recently reared its ugly head again.

This tendency for other peoples’ approval or even our own self-validation is nothing new. I’ll admit that sharing the same personal struggle as my students is a bit hard to admit. However, we are encouraged that there is “no temptation [that] has overtaken you but such as is common to man” and even adults in Biblical times wrestled with the same issue (1 Corinthians 10:13). Paul had to spur on the Galatian church by saying:

 “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” -Galatians 1:10

He was discouraging believers from submitting themselves to a gospel different from the one they had first received. Of course, not wavering in our beliefs about Christ and the gospel is of utmost importance. But I think what can be more subtle and also destructive to our faith is allowing others’ perceptions (or perceived perceptions) of us dictate how we live instead of being led by the Spirit inside us. Clearly this verse provides a beneficial reflective question to ask ourselves. Am I trying to impress others with how I dress/look or God? Am I trying to impress others with how I work or demonstrate integrity in all things for God? At the end of a day, do I care more about what people think of me or what God thinks of me? Paul even goes so far as to say that if our primary goal is to please man, which is true of SO many, then we are no longer serving Christ.

One of the main reasons why people-pleasing can be so harmful to us as Christians is not only because it can hinder our obedience to the Holy Spirit, but it can also promote a boastful attitude detracting from ultimately glorifying Christ. As Matthew 6:1 warns, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” Not only are we tempted to look impressive by worldly standards (successful career, beautiful family, sizeable house) but we are also tempted to look “extra spiritual” in front of others. Consequently, the very One we want people to think is pleased with us in these “spiritual” acts is actually not; the Father sees the heart and only rewards those with pure intentions, not those seeking their own glory. In fact, in order to please people, Pilate handed over Jesus to be crucified even though he knew he wasn’t guilty of any wrong (Mark 15:15).

People-pleasing can seem fairly harmless at times, but practicing it regularly can lead one down a dangerous road away from Christ and pleasing God. Being honest, open, and real with people might seem to be a lost art, because we fear what others may think of us or say, but we are called only to fear God and care about His opinion of us. So stay strong dear brother and sister and keep following your Godly convictions despite some people’s responses, because to please God is better than pleasing man.

Prayer Requests:

• Restful and rejuvenating holiday for staff and students; great start to Term 2
• My parents visiting in less than a week!

Praises:

• A relaxing holiday thus far and getting to visit Lake Kariba!
• Grow in students’ character and community relationships

Blessings,

Erika

I can hardly believe it’s been a month since I’ve returned to Zambia! I want to start by thanking everyone who helped pray me over here – my flights were very smooth and much less chaotic than the way back home for holiday. Overall, life has been extraordinarily busy. It seemed like we hopped off the plane and right back into the crazy rhythms of the Esther School life. We’ve added 4 new Zambian teachers to our staff (2 of whom I am privileged to work with), a new preschool class along with a new grade (grade 9 is our oldest now), 3,500 chickens to our second barn, a renovated school library, in progress computer lab, and even a few other things. Whew.

Needless to say, all of the spinning plates can threaten to be overwhelming. I will say I fell prey to those feelings when our house of 4 ladies moved houses after our first full week of school. Amidst other personal obstacles on top of all the major transitions happening, I was rendered useless. I no longer could remember how to function in light of all the swirling activities and spiraling emotions.

In those moments I was most grateful for two things: God’s unwavering, faithful love, and the prayers, grace and kindness extended to me by roommates. When the pressures of life begin to blur your vision, what is most important can suddenly come into focus.

God unshakeable. This is the Esther School’s theme for chapel for the first half of the year. And I’m very grateful for it. Because as much as our kids need to hear this characteristic of God right now, I do too. So do you. So does the world. Especially in recent years, stability has become somewhat of a luxury it seems. But God is not phased. His head doesn’t start spinning round as he frantically tries to gather the broken pieces and put them back together like we tend to do. His countenance is steady. I hear him whisper “I know” when my mind considers all the staggering what-ifs and current circumstances.

When I become disillusioned by setbacks or delays, God’s character and ultimate purposes don’t change, and he is not dismayed. I become impatient with my own spiritual growth, students repeated misbehaviors, and even my co-workers at times. But he is SO patient with me and inspires me to be more so, especially in the face of the unknown. A verse that really speaks to this is:

“My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.” – Psalm 62:5

I pray that whatever you’re waiting for in life, you can look to God with expectation knowing He is for you and your good. Something interesting and beneficial we’ve added to our classroom this year has been a “questions/suggestion” box intended for anonymous questions students want to ask their teachers. I was not prepared. Our students are deep thinkers, yet also very much teenagers at heart. A sampling of the highlights so far:

• Why do we love?
• If we’re told not to swear in the Bible, why do we swear on the Bible in court rooms?
• Why do people fall in love, and then start complaining?
• Who created God?

These questions and so many more always make us smile. Providing a safe, open space for students to ask questions about the topics on their mind though is such a great opportunity, because a lot of our students don’t have other places they feel comfortable going with these queries.

Prayer Requests:

• For our school and surrounding community as a tragic murder of a well-known and loved community member happened this past week
• For North American visitors we have coming next week – for travel and their time here to be a blessing
• For God’s guidance and hand in the many projects being constructed on campus
• For me as I share in chapel for the whole Esther School this week on God’s promise from Philippians 4:13

Praises:

• Our Esther School staff have been bonding more as a family of believers 😊
• The RAIN!
• Students being proud of the positive changes made in their behavior and academics
• As the school grows bigger, God’s provision of what the school needs when we need it

In Christ Always,

Erika Lichtfuss

We did it! Grade 8 finished the school year successfully and all grades celebrated the end of the year with field trips (a purely fun day of games/movies at the school) and gathering for a Christmas celebration. It was such a blessing to our hearts, teachers, staff and the community, as each grade came up and presented a song, poem, skit, or combination of these. These end-of-the-year celebrations were so sweet, however, there was underlying turmoil with travel plans being cancelled and rescheduled multiple times for almost everyone trying to fly home for Christmas.

I know I’ve shared the long version with some of you, but my travels home this December compiled was one of the worst experiences in my life. I went through extremely low moments of feeling alone, stuck and afraid. It took me six days traveling alone to get from Lusaka to Chicago. The short version is I was double booked, parts of flights had been cancelled, I got stuck in the Johannesburg airport for two days, was sent back to Joburg from London, and then finally flew directly to New Jersey, then Chicago thousands of dollars later. It was taxing physically, mentally, and spiritually.

I truly believe the spiritual element of the journey was the most challenging to recover from. Praise God I had friends and family members to call, pray over and care for me. However extremely grateful I am to these people as well as for the kind-hearted strangers who God put in my path to help me, I still had doubted God’s presence/ability to rescue me in transit. Never before had I questioned God more. From my perspective I’d been abandoned in a foreign country with no one present to care about my situation. While waiting an entire day for my covid test in the Johannesburg airport, I had given up trying desperately to improve my situation. So I sang. I took out my phone and started quietly singing worship songs to God, who I knew was still good, but couldn’t understand what He was doing at this moment.

After this, things weren’t perfect but they did start to move in a better direction and my attitude surely improved. Now, am I saying the few tunes I’d managed to peep out somehow changed my circumstance? Not necessarily. But I do believe my heart posture shifting to acknowledge God as good and powerful in the middle of what seemed hopeless may have changed things. I did my best to raise a hallelujah in the presence of my enemy.

Recently God’s repeatedly put in my path the concept of praise being a powerful weapon in the hands of a believer. Acts 16:25 says, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” Paul and Silas were literally shackled in prison and still found the gumption to praise God. And they didn’t do so quietly. The other prisoners heard them! And I can only imagine the confusion that would cause. Eventually, this whole scenario led to the keeper of the prison and his entire house believing in God.

This kind of boisterous praise and subsequent response of faith from surrounding witnesses was not the story of my debacle. But I still learned a good deal from it: challenging situations breed greater dependence on God, SO many love and care for me well, and praise is an effective place to start in the midst of trials for yourself and those around you.

Keeping all of this in mind, I hope and pray you have a grand start to 2022, and if not, I pray there will still be praise found on your lips. Please keep myself and our staff in prayers as we hope to travel back soon even with flights being cancelled and timely covid tests being a challenge to acquire.

Prayers:

• All our students as they have an extended holiday – to have good, safe fun
• For rain and continually over the new sunflower seed program/families involved
• Personally and for all our staff’s flights as we return soon

Praises:

• TES hired two new secondary teachers – one for grade 8 and one for grade 9
• Time I got to see and celebrate with family 😊
• Extended time for all to be with family on holiday

Blessings,

Erika

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” Psalms 127:1-2

We all have our agendas. Most of the time, I believe we try to fill them with good and honorable things: family time, self-development (professionally and personally), entertainment of various kinds, and hopefully some rest. How we choose to fill our days is based on our values and goals we set for ourselves. Unfortunately, so often we are left without enough hours in the day and feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by the very “good” things we intended to accomplish. I think the above Psalm gives great insight into what feels like a universal problem.

First of all, I’m struck by the words “in vain” referencing anything done apart from the Lord’s hand. “Vain” has a couple of meanings: it can mean either “producing no result; useless” or “having or showing an excessively high opinion of one’s appearance, abilities, or worth” (Oxford dictionary). The former definition of vain meaning useless is devasting. To imagine all the effort, toil, blood, sweat and tears we put into our individual activities throughout a day amounting to nothing is a hard pill to swallow. And the latter definition, about having a puffed up opinion of one’s own capabilities to fulfill their purposes, is actually sinful as the root of it is pride.

I’m not sure about you, but I can strongly relate to rising up early and going late to rest in what feels like “eating the bread of anxious toil.” Praise God though that He’s given us an escape route from days of unproductive struggling and striving! The verses say the Lord needs to be the one building the house and watching over the city. That doesn’t mean you stop doing your job of building or watching. Rather we are reminded that without God’s intimate involvement in our work, the purpose behind it is missing. He wants to work in and through us, lightening the load as we carry on. Jesus confirms God’s heart with his own invitation “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

What’s weighing you down today? Dreams, aspirations, work, responsibilities, struggles, hard relationships? I need to remember that God is bigger than all these things and cares about me and my heart’s intentions more than He does my failures and accomplishments. And of course, if that’s what’s most important to God, it should be what’s most important to me as well. Our lives are far too short to waste resisting the truth of our frail and lowly state before an all-powerful, all-knowing God. James reminds us “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring – what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:14-15). Let that be our prayer more and more “If you will it Lord…” and invite him to work intimately with us in whatever we are trying to build or watch over on this earth.

Prayers:

• Final decisions to be made in hiring next year’s new Zambian secondary (high school) teacher
• Energy for everyone (teachers, staff, students) in the last 3 weeks of school before Christmas break
• Grade 8 – for students to learn who Christ is and who they are in Christ and that it would affect their behaviors, attitudes, and work ethic
• Over TES new sunflower seed program for families to participate in making a profit as they grow the sunflowers and we begin to process the seeds for cooking oil
• Our Canadian staff member and her family who are evacuated back home from serious flooding

Praises:

• SO many families have signed up for the sunflower seed program!
• The Roelof family arrived safely back at TES
• Covid numbers are low enough in Zambia, so restrictions are lightening
• I get to visit my family and friends back home in just 3 weeks 😊

Blessings,

Erika

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” James 1:2-3

I don’t know what you’re going through in your personal life right now, but if it’s any flavor of taxing, challenging, daunting, or exhausting, you’ve come to the right place. And may I so humbly say with all kinds of appreciation in my heart that I greatly admire any parents out there who have had or have teenage kids. You are so strong and terribly patient.

All this to say, I haven’t written in a while (my apologies) and would love to share about how the transition has been into grade 8 with our oldest students on campus. And I bet you can guess about the nature of the first few weeks. Coming back to Zambia was like coming back home; since being at the Esther School my heart is in two places always. However, shifting into a new role as one of the two co-teachers in grade 8 has been a different story. Each grade has their own personality, and as only teenagers can, this class has been a roller coaster, exploring the extremes of the whole spectrum of human emotions. In other words: it’s been a challenge. As kids get older, their problems become more complex, and one can only hope that they’ve developed a foundation of truth to underscore their lives.

This has become my DAILY prayer, for every student in our class to first know the value of Christ’s cross and sacrifice in their lives and to make choices that align with biblical truth. Honestly, our kids have a lot working against them. Some are the first person in their family to get to this secondary level of education. Others are in unstable or unhealthy home environments. And many have heightened responsibilities comparative to what a typical American teenager would experience, such as being a caretaker to younger siblings and/or managing different household affairs. Not to mention how other friends their age outside of the Esther School are participating in different kinds of sinful practices, which I’m sure look intriguing. And being off of school for two months because of COVID.

Even with all the crazy teenage changes and harsh life circumstances, our students have SO much going for them. A God who has promised His faithful, eternal love for them, food and water every day, and a whole staff (teachers, administration, parents, workers, etc.) dedicated to spending their time to see them succeed not only academically, but spiritually and emotionally as well. I frequently have to remind myself of these truths after days seemingly defined by behavior problems and low scores. Additionally, I have tried (and succeeded most days) to intentionally seek out moments of joy and good from the Lord, and of course there are countless moments.

This takes me back to the opening verse that God has been laying on my heart. Considering various trials (from the extreme of being thrown into a fiery furnace to feeling like a failure) as great joys seems to be an impossible task. How can I have “great joy” when all I feel is the hurt/pain I’m going through? Our administrator, and my pastor here, Mr. Mwale shed some light on the answer. The last part of verse 3 and 4 clarify what truth we need to focus on in hard times: “…you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” These last characteristics sound so attractive, to have endurance and be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing?! But they don’t come easily, or without the testing of a person’s faith through various trial. However, if we keep our eyes on the promised prize, then we can even do the impossible of perceiving trials as a benefit to us.

Especially in the first few weeks of being with grade 8, my co-teacher and I experienced many things that challenged and stretched us in new and uncomfortable ways. However, through enduring and steadfastly showing up day in and day out, some amazing changes have been seen in the overall attitude and demeanor of the class. I thank God for His divine intervention and for my co-teacher’s partnership in working for the best for our students and pray they continue to grow into Jesus-following young adults. So, keep doing what you’re doing, and leave the results up to God.

In Christ Always,

Erika

Prayer Requests:

• God’s guidance for our students in their teenage years and wisdom for us as teachers to speak words of life and truth into individual situations
• For our administration as they continue the hiring process for new Zambian teachers
• For our families and students in hard situations because of the surrounding environment

Praises:

• Our school has been back in session with no interruptions since August
• COVID numbers are so low in Zambia!
• We’ve been blessed with and are using the new Worship Centre
• My co-teacher and his amazing attitude towards learning and the students
• Allison & Wayne Costley came for a visit to jumpstart the Stoplight Approach for our students, which utilizes psychology to teach them how to be aware of and regulate their emotions well
• Chicken barns are producing thousands of eggs and their all being sold!

I recently finished reading a novel, The Kite Runner, which tells Amir’s story of committing a devastating mistake as a child that haunts him for most of his life. In the face of a military coup, Amir and his father escaped their homeland of Afghanistan to find refuge in America. Extended time and distance away from his childhood country had admittedly numbed Amir’s guilt and pain from his appalling sin. Eventually, he’s beckoned back to Afghanistan in adulthood and tries to make amends for his original offense – a task that proves much more challenging and sacrificial than imagined. In the midst of extreme suffering, Amir finally feels freed from a guilty conscience after years of suppressed shame.

I’ve given this short synopsis because I can’t help but wonder how Amir’s life story would have looked drastically different if he’d have simply confessed his offense right away. He had no idea what the freedom, relief, and joy could feel like until he was on the other side of it. And how tragic that he couldn’t have experienced this sooner! Reality guaranteed for us as Christians though is a thousand times better and more satisfying than Amir’s resolution.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Acts 3:19

We aren’t required to spend our whole lives trying to make amends or undo the countless wrongs we’ve committed because Christ has already done the suffering for us! Jesus made it his life’s mission to completely demolish sin’s hold on our lives along with ALL the accompanying guilt and shame.

Sometimes I forget the sweetness of freedom afforded us through the gospel, through Christ. However, this summer, during precious times of rest in the Lord, He’s shown me in His mercy areas where sin has had a stronghold in my heart. It’s amazing how (like Amir) I tend to suppress sins in my life, trying to convince myself that “it’s not that bad,” instead of following God’s instruction to confess my sins. It doesn’t matter how “small” or “subtle” the sin may seem, because over time it will make you its slave as we are told, “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). I believe one of the devil’s main strategies against us as Christ-followers is to convince us time and time again NOT to bring our dirtiness to the foot of the cross, but rather to play sin off as minor or inconsequential, especially compared to what other people are doing.

God knows Satan’s trap and tricks, which is why the Bible gives us such reassuring promises on the other side of repentance. After engaging in some much needed repentance myself, I felt a renewed closeness to God that I didn’t even realize had been missing for so long. I marveled a bit at just how full of life and hope I felt after such a simple, yet essential act of admitting my wrongs and asking for forgiveness. It’s no wonder that in Acts Paul practically begs his readers to repent and turn from their ways SO THAT “times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

I know it may seem unnecessary to ask the Lord for forgiveness regularly as we’ve already been justified before God by Christ’s sacrifice and due to Satan’s schemes to numb our souls to the depravity of sin, but a profound sense of the Lord’s presence and refreshing grace lies on the other side. 100% worth your and my time.

I leave tomorrow to return to Zambia. Thank you so much to all of you for your continued prayers and support emotionally, financially, and spiritually. Words can’t express the totality of the blessings I’ve received while on furlough getting to spend time with close friends, supporters, and family.

Please pray for me as I travel and transition back to Zambian life and into a new position helping grade 8 finish out their third term through December. Lift up our students, teachers, families, and workers on and around campus as Covid continues to have higher numbers in Zambia. Keep praising God for the good plans He has in store for all those involved with the school and that kids are back in school again! I pray for a renewed spirit for the Esther School and all of YOU as we head into a new season of the year.

Blessings and love,

Erika Lichtfuss

(Sorry I couldn’t post a picture with everyone, but here are some friendly faces I got to see!)

It’s been 4 weeks since I’ve been back in the states. A month. I’m sure like most of your summers, you can’t believe it’s already the end of July. It’s been a whirlwind; time has flown.

For months and months, I had been anticipating and planning to see so many close friends and family. And it’s here and gone. Two weddings, four birthdays, and numerous meet-ups with friends have filled the weeks. With so much activity, it’s been quite overwhelming emotionally/relationally with seemingly endless hi’s and goodbyes. These brief and intensely emotional moments subtly turned my feelings somewhat numb because I couldn’t process so fast.

However, I didn’t realize my subliminal numbness had come from guarding my heart against potentially painful situations: visiting people I care deeply about, then quickly having to part ways for an unknown amount of time. As hard as these interactions can be, they are worth it because all encounters are an opportunity to reflect Christ to others and/or see the Creator’s hand in other people’s lives. And at the end of the day, none of us really knows how long we have with each person or even on this earth. This is when I’m extra grateful for Paul’s and Jesus’s examples in their ministries:

“But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person not in heart), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.” 1 Thessalonians 2:17

“Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.’” Luke 9:58

With friends settling down in their lives, something I also hope to do someday, the ultimate consolation I have is found in Christ and faithful servants like Paul. These individuals felt deep longing for and separation from their loved ones in different parts of the world, but also had no permanent place to call home.  

BUT GOD continues to be gracious and I’m truly thankful for all the people I’ve encountered and gotten to reconnect with thus far. He is gracious because amidst the craziness, He had still shown me glimpses of Himself, His generosity, His love, His peace, etc. He’s blessed me through authentic, vulnerable interactions with people, his image-bearers, even when I’ve tried to stay closed off. A father/daughter dance at a wedding, an unexpected, defenses-down conversation with a friend, sincere worship with believers, a brother’s words of encouragement. I believe these raw moments draw us close to God, because Christ also chose to make himself authentic and vulnerable to us through his incarnate being and time on earth. I pray for you and myself that God would continue to warm our souls towards a genuine spirit while interacting with others by fulfilling his word in Ezekiel 36:26, which promises “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” It’s easy to become numb, let’s be awake and alive.

I will seek after and ask for this “heart of flesh” as I continue to meet with friends and family, raise support for next year, prepare for the fall, and keep an open mind to what the Lord has for me during this time.

Blessings to you and yours,

Erika Lichtfuss

Prayer Requests:

• For our students as they are out of school until August 16^th
• For our teachers to figure out what the rest of the year will look like to make up for lost time
• For God’s direction and motivation for me to use time wisely while here

Praises:

• Safe travels back to the states for myself and others on furlough
• Chickens are at the Esther School – laying their first eggs!
• So many sweet memories I’ve gotten to make with friends and family