Hudson and Gertrude Litana

Hudson and Gertrude’s House

Phil and Sam spent Wednesday out at Hudson and Gertrude Litania’s house fixing up some broken windows. For those that don’t know Hudson – He is a Zambian Baptist Pastor who has been to Australia 3 times since 1980. He has been a guest of the Australian Baptists and has been to a lot of churches to minister to Australian Christians. We met him in 1980 and when he returned in 1985 he stayed with us at our home in Kallangur. Our first son Michael was just 2 years old and I have a photo of Michael and Hudson. After his stay with us, Sue started writing to his wife Gertrude and then she would send off parcels of clothes and shoes to them. They had 12 children so whatever you sent something would fit someone.  The tea chests of clothes would take 6 months to get to Zambia. When Hudson came the next time, he told us that school was to start and many of his children did not have shoes to fit them but the day before school was to start the parcel from Sue arrived and there was a pair of shoes for everyone who needed them.

Over the years in our moves from Queensland, we lost contact with them. Last year, we did a bit of hunting around and found out a way to get a letter to him. Because we knew he was in Ndola we thought we would try to find him and do some work at an orphanage while we were here. And that is how after a few googles we found the Canadians and Seeds of Hope.  (I was just thinking that if we didn’t meet Hudson 30 years ago we would not be at Grace Academy and we would not have stayed a week extra and we would not have been here to finish the roof sheeting on the Buseko House – God knew 30 years ago that the roof supplier in Zambia would not get the roofing delivered when he said he would (I would be lying if I said it would be here today – Joke for the Canadians) and someone needed to be here just a bit longer to do the last few things).

Hudson had a serious car crash 2 years ago and is still recovering. When people saw his car wreck and he was not around they assumed he was dead and broke into his house and smashed about 40 panes of glass and broke some doors. When Marcie and Bill helped us to find their house it was obvious that we needed to help fix the windows and doors.

It has been quite humbling to help them as they are such wonderful Christian people – Hudson is the wisest man I have met. He has a deep and certain faith in Jesus and his life and Gertrude’s have been dedicated to serving Jesus. Now even when he can hardly walk and has trouble speaking for long periods he is organising a new ministry to do evangelistic work in some of the churches that are having trouble in Lusaka. They have raised 12 of their own children as well as 10 orphans (1 would go on to be a President of Zambia) and even now they have 3, 4 maybe 5 orphans they are looking after.

When we left their house one day Phil said, “I wonder how they survive – God must just send the money from Heaven.”

To which Sam replied, “Yes well he has sent Australians all the way here to fix his windows.”

They have made us know that God has sent us all this way to Fiwali Hill in Zambia to bless them and that has been quite humbling for us. We love them dearly and have been so blessed to spend time with them.

Hudson said this morning –

“My wife was so worried about the broken windows and doors, and there was nothing I could do – she was saying we should move – this is not a proper house – now her prayers are answered in a way she never expected.”

Gertrude said “It is like a dream – and a burden has been lifted from my shoulders”

This has been a great highlight of our time in Ndola.