Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene first became involved in Africa through a Work and Witness trip to Livingstone, Zambia in 2008 to complete a church building started by a team from West Virginia. Our team came home completely transformed by the experience, and what started out as a mission related effort has turned into a 10-year strategic partnership with the Church of the Nazarene Zambia, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, and other partner churches and organizations.

 

In 2009, a small group returned to Zambia to explore ways to partner with the Church of the Nazarene in Zambia and Missionaries Rev. Gary and Rev. Penny Sidle. To help facilitate this partnership LUKA International Foundation was formed in 2009.

Our second W&W Team returned to Zambia in July, 2010. This team helped to begin construction of the “Africa Central Training and Conference Centre” (ACFCTC). This facility will be used for training in the areas of Pastors as community leaders, agriculture, safe water drilling and maintenance. In addition, the facility will be used for Africa Central Field functions, and will serve the Church of the Nazarene in the countries of Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.

 

Our third W&W team returned in 2011 to continue the work at ACFCTC as well as projects in a Nazarene Community School and a Nazarene Child Development Centre, and two safe water drilling projects. In 2012 we will be raising funds to send to Zambia for the project.  These funds will provide building materials and will hire local Zambian workers to continue construction until our 2013 team arrives.  We are looking forward to getting back to our friends in Zambia to partner in the work that is before us.