Daily Field Assignments

DFA's occur just about every day during 40/40. This is a time when two participants go out with a Zambian helper to observe and learn culture. DFA topics consist of things like observation skills, what is a missionary?, African health and medicine, funerals, basic biography, witnessing and evangelism, etc. The purpose of these DFA's are not necessarily to share the gospel. Of course, if an opportunity arises we encourage the participants to witness. However, the purpose of the DFA's is for them to learn the right way to witness. They cannnot know how to witness effectively if they don't know the culture and the people. For instance, the first day's assignment is observation skills. They are encouraged to go out into the compound, boma, or village and just observe the people and the culture. They are then to formulate questions and concerns about what they saw, and discuss this with their Zambian helpers. After getting answers to their questions, they are then asked to list what barriers and bridges to the gospel they saw in their observation time. The premise is that we don't know enough, fresh off the plane, to be able to effectively stratagize and reach our people group. We think we know all the answers, but have yet to learn the questions(problems). Another good example is the DFA on basic biography. This teaches them how to meet and greet in an African context. It teaches them the importance of relationships and how to develop them in Africa. All of the DFA's follow a progression towards a gospel presentation. However, by the time they do this the participants have been exposed to the questions that are important to the African heart and have learned an effective way to communicate the gospel in their context.

While in Lusaka they take taxi's or minibuses to reach their area. When we are at bush camp they take this truck into the boma for DFA's. Then as they go into the villages that are close by they walk.