John Shrader 21: Nine Years in Zambia and Still Failing

[Giraffe]

I’d love to hear Mear’s side of getting robbed several times. What were the circumstances surrounding being robbed? What were they doing at the time? How obnoxious were they being at the time? In what ways were they standing out from their neighbors? Were they coming across as the white saviors they’re trying to be?
 

I’m fully aware these are victim blaming questions. They’ve gone into an area with the goal of colonizing. In this one instance I’m feeling justified in asking all of the typical shit questions. 

Edited July 21, 2023 by Giraffe

[apandaaries]

Has John ever been robbed? How has this happened several times? Is it a problem with John’s diction and the container (or house) was burgled repeatedly? Neither is great, but there is a difference. 
 

Of all the time for radio silence, why now? I suppose Rufus is testing the faithful right now. Sigh.

[Ozlsn]

My guess would be that John has also been robbed but either sees it as an attack from Satan or embarrassing. The mention of the Mears being robbed almost felt to me like a "look at these newbies, getting robbed on the street like a tourist". 

The bit in the prayer letter that annoyed me the most for some reason was the reference to "Mommy's Rita", one of John's "most faithful converts". From other people I might take it as an affectionate nickname, but... it's John.

[KnittingOwl]

4 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

My guess would be that John has also been robbed but either sees it as an attack from Satan or embarrassing. The mention of the Mears being robbed almost felt to me like a "look at these newbies, getting robbed on the street like a tourist".

The way John says is almost like “well what did you expect? Did you see what they were wearing?” It feels very victim blamey to me. He’s just so blasé about it. If it was him was robbed several times in the span of a month or two, he’d take to his bed and write shitty poetry. 

[Howl]

On 7/20/2023 at 3:14 PM, NoneIsEnough said:

New prayer letter from John. The poor Mears have been robbed several times. John doesn't say whether this was at their home or while they were out and about. That must have been scary though. I guess that explains the lack of updates. Maybe not wanting to draw attention to themselves online. Or just too much to process. 

Not much else in the way of updates from John. More of the same. 

 

  Hide contents

 

 

 

This sentence from Bro. John's letter chafes my chaps to no end:  "It's hard to believe we've now started into our Tenth Year full time on the Field here in Zambia."  John never talks about deeply caring for the people he's trying to convert from Christian to whatever it is that John demands.  He never talks about being in an amazing place with amazing people, or that Zambia feels like home. 

Rather than being a pastor ministering to is flock, John still has this fantasy of being a missionary IN AFRICA.  The subtext is "in darkest, exotic Africa" although he's in a suburban environment in a Christian-dominant, mostly English speaking city in a country of almost 20 million people living and doing their thing. 

I wonder if the rental they found for Wade and Vicky is in a terrible, rough neighborhood, and their prosperity is making them instant targets for robbery.  Whichever, it's very scary. 

 

[Gobsmacked]

On 7/21/2023 at 1:53 PM, Giraffe said:

I’d love to hear Mear’s side of getting robbed several times. What were the circumstances surrounding being robbed? What were they doing at the time? How obnoxious were they being at the time? In what ways were they standing out from their neighbors? Were they coming across as the white saviors they’re trying to be?
 

I’m fully aware these are victim blaming questions. They’ve gone into an area with the goal of colonizing. In this one instance I’m feeling justified in asking all of the typical shit questions. 

The rules for visitors in Zambia is pretty much the same as in any large country with large gulfs between rich and poor- don’t wear/flash expensive watches etc. don’t carry expensive phones openly, watch out for pick pockets etc. just the same as in many European cities. I would love to know what the Mears did/ said. 

[Howl]

On 6/18/2023 at 3:17 PM, Bastet said:

Or does John think his time in Africa will come to an end soon,

I do not think that John will ever leave Africa on his own initiative; his deal there is too sweet.  I think he knows that he can't make it in the US.  He alienated everyone at Rick's church -- the church he grew up in.  And we know he is incapable of keeping a j.o.b. 

However, when Rick passes on I think the spigot will dry up -- maybe Bro. Wade can save the day?  However, John is fanatically invested in counting the angels on the head of a pin -- if you guess the wrong number, you fail the theology hurdle.  

[Ozlsn]

On 7/24/2023 at 3:05 AM, Gobsmacked said:

I would love to know what the Mears did/ said. 

Quite possibly just arrived with a shipping container of stuff. Word got around - obviously these guys have money! 

[Howl]

Just now, Ozlsn said:

Quite possibly just arrived with a shipping container of stuff. Word got around - obviously these guys have money!

Zooming around on a huge motorcycle would make them a vulnerable target.  I do hope they are OK.  If the neighborhood isn't safe enough to be feasible, not sure where they'd go. 

[Ozlsn]

Just now, Howl said:

I think he knows that he can't make it in the US. 

I think you're granting him a level of self-awareness I'm not sure he actually has. If Rick passed on the church he might take it, but I think he's far too welded to his Great White Missionary Saviour fantasy to go back. I wonder if the back up plan is for one of his children to take over and keep the money going.

[Howl]

1 minute ago, Ozlsn said:

I wonder if the back up plan is for one of his children to take over and keep the money going.

Good point -- a church to Africa money pipeline!  Does Rick have any type of seminary background or formal theology training?  I wonder if one of the boys would consider going to a Christian college.  There are some tiny ones that don't cost a lot of money.  I can only think that maybe having a few of the boys live with Rick wouldn't be a bad thing. 

Sadly, they might end up like Timbits -- the most conservative Xtian church isn't conservative enough, can't fit in, doesn't know how to function away from the family. 

If y'all recall Jaynee Lockhart.    Both Daniel and Jaynee went to, and graduated from Christian colleges.    They have 12 kids, but are far more integrated into their community in Redding, CA and they are part of a local church, where Jaynee was teaching at the church's school.   Kids do activities with other kids.  There are extended family close by. Daniel has a stable, full-time job. 

The oldest kids have gone off to Christian college and one or two have graduated. Yes, the boys do preaching, but they all have actual, full time jobs to support their new wives and families.  The oldest daughter was headed off to Christian college, the last time I checked. 

So yes, mega family.  But so different than Bro. Shrader and the Rodrigii offspring; the kids know how to fledge the nest. 

 

[Botkinetti]

Maybe the Mears are even more aggressively obnoxious than John. If they believe in prosperity preaching and kept talking about how God had blessed them because they were such good christians perhaps they were seen as easy marks.
Or maybe Satan, bored with John , decided to toy with them instead. 

[NoneIsEnough]

Maybe I'm overthinking this, but this seems weird to me. 

John posted their prayer letter. A few likes, and 7 comments, most of which are just people saying they're praying. 

Then Wade shares the prayer letter on his page. No comments from followers, and just 3 reactions. 

No comments on the fact that the Mears were robbed twice. No one asking about them or what happend? No one seems concerned (except us)?

Either no one cares. Or they see this is just something that happens in 'deepest darkest Africa'. Or no one actually reads the prayer letters. 

Is that weird to anyone else, or just me?

[Ozlsn]

2 hours ago, NoneIsEnough said:

Or no one actually reads the prayer letters. 

Given the formatting? Going with that as the most likely option.

They might also have mentioned it in friends locked posts earlier so the commenting has already happened.

[Howl]

 

[NoneIsEnough]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who though of the Shraders when I saw Zambia made it to the Women's World Cup. Too bad his kids probably won't get to watch and cheer on their adopted home team. 

[Xan]

All we've heard from the Shraders and the Mears in July was that prayer letter.  I'm really curious as to how it is all going.  Are the Mears already full of regret?  Are all the valuable items that were in the shipping containers already stolen?  Has John taken to his bed yet due to the congregants liking Wade more?  You'd think someone would post something.  I sense a disturbance in the force...

[Ozlsn]

Hm, wonder if there are Zambian tops in the sports store... I really want a Brazilian women's top, not least for the "CBF" on the front. Work wear maybe?

[thoughtful]

Coming to this thread and being reminded of how John harangues people for hours at a time, for weeks and weeks, and still isn't sure they're "saved," is quite a contrast from listening to the teens in Bro Gary's new church assuring everyone that they led someone to the Lord after stopping to chat with them in a parking lot.

I wonder if the Mearses are deeply regretting this decision yet.

[Xan]

2 hours ago, thoughtful said:

I wonder if the Mearses are deeply regretting this decision yet.

I deeply regret the Mearses decision and I'm not even involved.  (Apparently, I can suffer from second-hand regret just like I suffer from second-hand embarrassment.)

[NoneIsEnough]

2 hours ago, thoughtful said:

Coming to this thread and being reminded of how John harangues people for hours at a time, for weeks and weeks, and still isn't sure they're "saved," is quite a contrast from listening to the teens in Bro Gary's new church assuring everyone that they led someone to the Lord after stopping to chat with them in a parking lot.

 

I was thinking about that after Jill's recent picture of the sweetheart girl in Walmart. Jill hands them a tract, snaps a picture and walks away. She does no follow-up. Just assumes they're good, even if they were just placating her. 

John overwhelmes people with hours upon hours of immediate 'cousnel'. I wonder if he'd have more success stories if he started out slow and let people learn at a more realistic pace. 

[NoneIsEnough]

The Mears have uploaded their own Prayer Letter. I got settled in ready to read the latest, only to find it was basically all of their facebook updates put into this letter. Mostly about the containers travels and getting it to Zambia. 

The only "new" information was they had to wait 2 weeks to unseal their container, and they now have a vehicle. 

I guess we'll have to wait another 3 months for their next prayer letter to know what's actually been happening since they've been in Zambia. 

Spoiler

 

[postscript]

They seem to have copied John’s ugly letterhead, as well as the cultural appropriation shirts. At least they have refrained from John’s overuse of highlighting.

Compared with John’s constant battles with bureaucracy, their administrative procedure seems to have gone smoothly. Not sure I would give John the credit for that. I was hoping for an update on the motorcycle. 

[Howl]

I'm intrigued by the phrase "working with missionaries John and Esther Shrader"

First, I like that they give Esther equal billing!  

Second, they don't elevate Bro. John. They are working WITH him. 

Third, the content of the prayer letter confirms my thinking that Wade Mears is a very hands on guy with many practical skills and he will get sh*t done.  

 

[Botkinetti]

So I wonder how pissed  off John is that they used the word with instead of for.  Maybe he is so distraught that Mears considers himself an equal that he has taken to his bed again.