John Shrader in Zambia Pt 5: Witnessing, Weeping & Wondering

[Gimme a Free RV]

So John had some sort of youth activity with pizza and ice cream and there was a good turnout. The time John bragged about his huge attendance on a Sunday was also the Sunday he provided food. John, of course, thinks it is because he has such a great ministry, I suspect that it is the free food. 

John has a video of him singing with the youth. Looking at that video it is so clear that John doesn't want to blend in and dress like the people he is "ministering" to, he wants to stand out. Nobody else is dressed in those shirts John is wearing, they are all dressed in clothes that wouldn't be out of place here in America. I think John is playing dress up so that people will notice him. 

Free pizza and ice cream...just like Jesus' example of feeding the 5,000.

Oh...that video!.  The young man in the white shirt to the right of the screen kept giggling--just like the rest of us. 

John, imitating local accent is NOT the same thing as learning the local language.   "Unto Thee o Goad, I leeft up my vahysss."

Where in the heck do these fundies learn to "conduct" music? (Remembering The Fabulous David Waller "conducting" the singing at his own wedding. )   Where's your ictus, John?  What's the time signature,  John?  Not that it mattered to the two young men closest to the camera.  I don't think they looked at John once. 

And, yes, what's with the African shirt (that no one else was wearing) with the dress shirt,  tie, and suit pants underneath?  Do your actions, voice, and slicked-over hair not scream loudly enough how unadapted to the culture you are after living there more than a year? 

"Yong peepool, let os thank Goad for thees pizza.  Let os preh."  

**young man in white shirt looks at friends and giggles again**

 

[ILoveJellybeans]

Ha, silly John, thinking hes popular, but no, the free pizza and ice cream is. People will put up with a lot for free food.

[formergothardite]

The best part of that video are the two teen guys clearly mocking John. Every time he talks they start laughing. Whoever is doing the video eventually notices and cuts them out of the last part. 

[Gimme a Free RV]

Yeah, I noticed that the person filming the video cut those boys out of the frame towards the end, too.  But, hey, at least they got free food and a comedy act!

[slickcat79]

I also noticed John crammed about 13 children in his "Truth Carrier", which has seating for like 8. Vehicle safety, he can haz it (again)

Oh, and compare the language in this video with his OMGNEWBLESSING!!!! video. He is not naturally falling into the speech patterns of the people around him, he is putting on an act for his "converts". It's insulting.

[Gimme a Free RV]

I see it as insulting, too.  It's as if he thinks these "heathen folk" won't understand English unless he mocks them.  Now, I don't know that he's doing it to be mean.  I imagine, though, he's so full of himself that he thinks it's clever to imitate their accents--just like he thinks it's clever to wear an "African" shirt over his fundie dress clothes.  Good heavens, why can't the man just throw on a collared shirt and a nice pair of jeans and be done with it?

Remember when they first got to Zambia and attended church?  The girls all wore matching dresses and the boys all wore dress pants, shirts, ties, and matching vests.  Overkill, much?

My opinion: when you are working to serve other people in a culture different from your own, try to dress in their style and try not to live far above their standards of living.  Nobody has a freezer in that culture?  You don't need one either.  Everybody takes public transportation?  You can, too.  All the women wear dresses?  Follow suit.  No one owns a necktie?  Don't wear yours.  Everyone cooks from scratch everyday?  So should you.  The people don't throw out uneaten food?  Then don't you dare!

[nastyhobbitses]

I see it as insulting, too.  It's as if he thinks these "heathen folk" won't understand English unless he mocks them.  Now, I don't know that he's doing it to be mean.  I imagine, though, he's so full of himself that he thinks it's clever to imitate their accents--just like he thinks it's clever to wear an "African" shirt over his fundie dress clothes.  Good heavens, why can't the man just throw on a collared shirt and a nice pair of jeans and be done with it?

Remember when they first got to Zambia and attended church?  The girls all wore matching dresses and the boys all wore dress pants, shirts, ties, and matching vests.  Overkill, much?

My opinion: when you are working to serve other people in a culture different from your own, try to dress in their style and try not to live far above their standards of living.  Nobody has a freezer in that culture?  You don't need one either.  Everybody takes public transportation?  You can, too.  All the women wear dresses?  Follow suit.  No one owns a necktie?  Don't wear yours.  Everyone cooks from scratch everyday?  So should you.  The people don't throw out uneaten food?  Then don't you dare!

I really hope that all the Zambians he interacts with just smile and nod politely and then get together later and talk so much shit about him. And that he only has people coming to his speeches and sermons and such because enough people have been saying "hey, get a load of this white American douchebag who just moved in and spends his time dressing like a tool and trying to imitate our accents! Come to his church on Sunday if you need a good laugh!"

And yes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Don't completely appropriate/imitate the culture because that shit's insulting, but adapt. Eat the local food. Attempt to learn the language and etiquette (which can be complex). Dress similarly to how you see others dressing (though don't make the mistake I made and buy a cute bracelet you've seen other girls wearing and then find out later that the character charm on the bracelet means "marriage" and is generally something that engaged or married girls wear...and you're on track to die alone with 80 cats). Actually interact meaningfully with people instead of looking down your nose at them.

[formergothardite]

I see it as insulting, too.  It's as if he thinks these "heathen folk" won't understand English unless he mocks them.  Now, I don't know that he's doing it to be mean.  I imagine, though, he's so full of himself that he thinks it's clever to imitate their accents--just like he thinks it's clever to wear an "African" shirt over his fundie dress clothes.  Good heavens, why can't the man just throw on a collared shirt and a nice pair of jeans and be done with it?

Remember when they first got to Zambia and attended church?  The girls all wore matching dresses and the boys all wore dress pants, shirts, ties, and matching vests.  Overkill, much?

My opinion: when you are working to serve other people in a culture different from your own, try to dress in their style and try not to live far above their standards of living.  Nobody has a freezer in that culture?  You don't need one either.  Everybody takes public transportation?  You can, too.  All the women wear dresses?  Follow suit.  No one owns a necktie?  Don't wear yours.  Everyone cooks from scratch everyday?  So should you.  The people don't throw out uneaten food?  Then don't you dare!

I don't think he is purposely trying to mock them either, John is just so full of himself and how wonderful he is to come and "save" these "natives" that he doesn't stop to think about how they might view his behavior. John has a long history of not thinking about anyone but himself, so I really doubt he is going to start thinking about others anytime soon. 

[Gimme a Free RV]

I am very intrigued and bothered by Narcissism.  I have wondered, for years, why my dad is so hard to get along with.  Only recently, have I played armchair psychologist and determined that he is a Narcissist.  He fits the checklist and has the symptoms.  I would venture to say that John is one, too.  The world revolves around him and he seeks to profit, monetarily or fame-wise, from other people.  If it doesn't reflect well on him, he doesn't want a part in it.

A humble missionary wouldn't need to publicly announce what he perceives as his accomplishments.  A monthly newsletter with photos, reports, and prayer requests would suffice.  A report on how the language learning is coming along...now wouldn't THAT be something!

[formergothardite]

I have read enough missionary letters in my life to know that most aren't anything like what John does. I'm still baffled that churches aren't seeing his actions as selfish. Moaning about not having ice cubes that he likes? Wanting appliances that the people he is supposedly serving don't have access to? Always putting himself front and center of every single thing? I wish one of his supporters would drop by just so they could explain how such self-serving behavior is appropriate for a missionary. 

[nickelodeon]

I keep expecting some horrifying Poisonwood Bible outcome to happen here.

[Trynn]

I keep expecting some horrifying Poisonwood Bible outcome to happen here.

And I keep hoping we won't have it. And I really want to know if his family is still sick. You can't just leave us hanging on that, Johnny Boy, people are going to worry and they want to know. Your supporters want to know if your kids are alright.

[Aine]

 

And I keep hoping we won't have it. And I really want to know if his family is still sick. You can't just leave us hanging on that, Johnny Boy, people are going to worry and they want to know. Your supporters want to know if your kids are alright.

The kids' sickness was only important for as long as it got him attention and 'praying for you's. The kids recovering is not news to John because that isn't going to garner him any sympathy and attention. You can assume we would have heard if the kids were still sick- John would love to be giving updates about how Satan is challenging them and what a great father he is being 'caring' for them (i.e. probably taking videos interviewing his ill children asking for prayers). 

[Gimme a Free RV]

If I ever have a chance to visit Zambia or go on a mission trip there, I assume I will go through Lusaka.  If I do, I WILL make it a point to visit Kafue and see things for myself.

 

ETA:  I'll bring presents for the kids and be sure to show up in a low-cut shirt and tight pants...if I can get away with it, culturally.  (Already have short hair.)

[formergothardite]

Well John is digging a well so that he can use it to convert souls. At least it might help people access water even if they have to put up with John to do so. He is a bit iffy about if they are going to be successful at finding water, though. 

[KnittingOwl]

Ha, silly John, thinking hes popular, but no, the free pizza and ice cream is. People will put up with a lot for free food.

That's how you know funnies have never had a real college experience. All the best-attended events had free pizza.

[Guest]

Does John know anything about finding water?  I mean, if it were easy wouldn't someone have done it already?  It's too bad Zambia doesn't need him to act like an ass, kill a snake, or impregnate Esther.  These are things he's actually good at.  I'm not really hopeful about the well, though it would be nice if he could do something useful for the people he's annoying.

[Buzzard]

I cant believe she's pregnant again.  I mean, I CAN believe it considering John, but I'm sad she'd put herself and her children in that position again, not that she has a choice.  Its really sad to see the majority of these sisters and what has become of them and their free will... Anna joyfully smiling by her pig of her husband, Priss just smiling along, and Esther dutifully riding along on her husband's delusional adventures. 

[Gimme a Free RV]

I cant believe she's pregnant again.  I mean, I CAN believe it considering John, but I'm sad she'd put herself and her children in that position again, not that she has a choice.  Its really sad to see the majority of these sisters and what has become of them and their free will... Anna joyfully smiling by her pig of her husband, Priss just smiling along, and Esther dutifully riding along on her husband's delusional adventures. 

But for those three sisters, we have the additional two who left the patriarchy.  One went mainstream and is now divorcing and the other seems to have just left it ALL behind.  And I think the two of them are the most beautiful of the five sisters.

[formergothardite]

Does John know anything about finding water?  I mean, if it were easy wouldn't someone have done it already?  It's too bad Zambia doesn't need him to act like an ass, kill a snake, or impregnate Esther.  These are things he's actually good at.  I'm not really hopeful about the well, though it would be nice if he could do something useful for the people he's annoying.

I'm wondering about this too. John has edited his post to add more details. The person next to his church has a well and sells water to the neighborhood. The idea to drill a well on the church property to give it away popped into John's head when he saw a guy pushing a 55 gallon barrel up a hill after buying it from John's neighbor. John helped push it up the hill but he was out of breath in five minutes. After doing that he realized he could totally go dig his own well and give it away as a way to get more people to listen to him tell them that they aren't the right kind of Christian. Yeah, this is probably going to mess up the neighbor's well(we have had an experience with a new well being dug and messing up our well) and destroy his business, but John apparently didn't think of that. 

He could purchase water from the neighbor and use that expensive Truth Carrier to go deliver it to people in need so they won't have to push huge barrels of water up the hill. That way he is helping folks out and not potentially putting a person out of business. 

[GeoBQn]

Would there be any citizenship issues with the children that are born in Zambia?  I can't quite picture John filling out necessary paperwork.

[formergothardite]

I just realized that John is moving onto the property the church has been meeting at and that he says he hopes this new well "blesses" his family. I suspect that the real reason he is digging it is for himself. He didn't do this until he was moving his family to the property. John's ice maker probably won't work if he doesn't have a well and he has to go buy water and haul bring it home in barrels and Lord knows John can't live without his ice cubes. 

[Palimpsest]

I just realized that John is moving onto the property the church has been meeting at and that he says he hopes this new well "blesses" his family. I suspect that the real reason he is digging it is for himself. He didn't do this until he was moving his family to the property. John's ice maker probably won't work if he doesn't have a well and he has to go buy water and haul bring it home in barrels and Lord knows John can't live without his ice cubes. 

That was my very first cynical thought too.  Together with suspecting that he has plans to make people pay for "his" water by attending bible study and working on the church.

In other thoughts: 

- Some of the 13 "youth" that he so proudly took to Lusaka don't look very youthful.  I counted 7 who looked in their 20s if not 30s.

- Who was looking after the children when John and Esther took of for Lusaka in the Troupie.

- He needs to ditch that Zambian shirt and not just because it looks ridiculous over his shirt and tie.  If the people he "ministers" to wear shirts, ties and jackets to show respect then he should be guided by them, especially for a big gathering of that sort.

- Those two boys on the right, especially the one in the white shirts, were practically peeing themselves with laughter at John's conducting!

[happy atheist]

"Praying for Ice Cubes" is our newest Post Count Title!

[Trynn]

I don't even have an ice cube maker in my freezer, or any ice cubes for that matter!

I have suddenly been called to be a missionary in Zambia. Please send money and a freezer.