Pastor Emmanuel once journeyed across Lake Bangweulu to visit remote congregations in Zambia. After a devastating accident claimed the lives of 14 church members, a new mission boat was launched to offer safer travel and carry the gospel to those there.
Lake Bangweulu in Zambia is vast—about the size of the US state of Connecticut—and home to thousands of people living on its islands. For them, boats are the only way to connect with the rest of the country. And for Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Emmanuel, boats are the only way to reach the 18 Adventist congregations scattered across those islands.
Emmanuel has embarked on these waters many times when he pastored here for years, to encourage the 1,300 Adventists who worship here. But one journey stands out for him—a heartbreaking day when he attended the funeral of 14 church members who drowned in the lake.
My mind was like, ‘These today have died. Tomorrow people will die. Oh, my God, Oh, my Lord, You created waters for life. You created waters to give You the glory. Today, the same waters have swallowed the lives of young people.’
The tragedy occurred when 42 Adventists were traveling on a church-rented boat to do mission work on a nearby island. A sudden wave overturned the boat, and while 28 people were rescued, 14 others, including a 2-year-old child, lost their lives.
This accident shocked Zambia and raised concerns about the safety and availability of boat transport on the lake. Regular boat services are rare, with the government ship only crossing once a week. Anyone traveling at other times has to rent a boat, often in unsafe conditions.
But the people here have no choice but to travel across the water for their livelihood.
“In this area, it’s a very big challenge, especially crossing to the other side. You cross the lake with the understanding that people before you have died on the same lake. And then you have to cross.”
At the funeral, a government leader asked the Adventist Church to help prevent such tragedies in the future. The church accepted the challenge, committing to provide a safer, more reliable boat service for the community.
A bigger boat where people will cross this lake. That boat will be a means of evangelism, will be a means of healing, will be a means of encouragement and fellowship. People will come and see Jesus because of that mission boat.
The new mission boat will carry up to 60 passengers and offer a safe, affordable way to travel.
“It’s going to help them move from one place to another, from one island to another island, from the mainland to the swamp areas of Bangweulu.”
But it’s not just about transport—this boat will have television screens showing Adventist programming, such as singing and preaching.
With your help, we can make this vision a reality. The boat will help spread the gospel and save lives, turning a tragedy into a blessing for the people of Lake Bangweulu.
Your generous offering today will help fund this mission boat and support projects throughout the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division. Together, we can make a difference.
Thank you for planning a generous offering for!
