John Shrader 21: Nine Years in Zambia and Still Failing

[Howl]

On 7/31/2023 at 2:32 PM, Xan said:

I sense a disturbance in the force...

I'm thinking multiple possibilities. 

The Mears are so gosh darn busy getting settled in,  helping and getting to know everyone and it's all so amazing -- they just don't have time for social media!  Wade and Vickie are socializing with congregants, treating them as equals and having fun! 

 

Bro. John is being difficult.

Here's one thing that just occurred to me.  I suspect that John uses his size + a loud, angry voice to intimidate/menace people when challenged.  I suspect Bro. Wade  isn't a back-down kinda guy. 

Wade and Vickie are in culture shock,  coming to terms with what they thought it would be like and what it is actually like.  Did Wade have some cultural sensitivity training if he was stationed overseas during his military career? 

Bro. Wade is all, WTF Bro. John, no theological purity tests! Just let these people be saved already! 

So many questions. 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Howl

[NoneIsEnough]

I'm really curious as well. I think it's likely a variety of factors. 

As you said, getting settled (we know they had to wait a while to even have a liveable house), getting to know everyone, learning the ropes, and also some culture shock. No matter how prepared you think you might be to live somwhere else, you can never be fully prepared for day to day life is a place you've never lived before, and only visited once on a vacation. I live within an hour's drive of the border with Canada and I've been there more times than I can even begin to count, but living there fully day to day would take some getting used to. Getting a bank set up, navigating a different healthcare system, how to do my taxes, learning to use the metric system (haha), all those kinds of things. As similar as the US and Canada are culturally, there are many things that operate differently. It would be that much harder going to somewhere so different from the place you left. 

I also suspect there is some power struggles going on with John. I think at first Wade would let John lead as he is the "senior" and knows the people, but Wade has to learn to do things on his own and how is John coping with that. Wade can't go to John for every issue that comes up forever. What's going to happen if the people start going to Wade if he's more likeable? (not saying he is more likeable, but compared to John, it's a real possibility). 

I guess we'll just have to be patient and time will tell. 

[Xan]

There are two posts on John's page -- both reposts of things of Timothy's.  

Spoiler

And Wade has one preaching-type post.  (It also tags Timothy.)

Spoiler

Has John already taken to his bed again and is letting Timothy work with Wade to hold down the fort?  I know he's posted Timothy's stuff before so you can tell he's grooming him to be a preacher/evangelist.  But there are no pics of John recently and no bragging about how long he has harassed someone about the state of their soul.  There's nothing about his outreach to other villages.

I strongly suspect that the locals do like Wade better and that Wade isn't as easily controlled as John would have hoped.  Maybe he thought Wade would run errands and do repairs.  After all, Daddy Rick had Wade doing all sorts of manual labor.  Unfortunately, Wade has arrived in Zambia ready to be a missionary and John doesn't need that.

I guess the other possibility is that John is actually ill and Wade was sent over to prop up the whole weird enterprise.  Somehow, I don't think it's likely.

[gustava]

Timothy's grammar definitely reflects homeschooling.

[NoneIsEnough]

I saw Wade's post about WHERE ARE ALL THE MEN, and I wanted to direct him to Jill Rod's sons!   

Edited August 18, 2023 by NoneIsEnough

[Giraffe]

Is Timothy Shrader John and Esther’s son? I don’t follow them closely but I haven’t heard the name before. 

(Whats his dad’s name??)

[Xan]

2 hours ago, Giraffe said:

Is Timothy Shrader John and Esther’s son? I don’t follow them closely but I haven’t heard the name before. 

(Whats his dad’s name??)

Timothy is, I think, the third born and second oldest son.  John's dad is Rick Shrader.  He still is in charge of Tri-County Baptist in Katy, TX.

[NoneIsEnough]

Wade finally posted a regular update. Mostly info about the house (it does look much better) and lots of issues with the water in the house, and some other projects going on around the property. I hope he's paying these people well. 

No mention of being robbed. 

I put the text of his update and pics of the bathroom and kitched in the spoiler. There's more pics in his post, but I didn't want to post them all here. 

 

Spoiler

 

Chapter 41:

Well, it’s been a little while since our last chapter update. Lots of things happening since mid-June and so grateful to those who have been helping us. We were able to renovate the two-bedroom guesthouse that we showed you in chapter 38. The bathroom was completely gutted and redone from top to bottom.

While inspecting the sewer lines, it was discovered that there were a couple spots where the PVC pipe was broken. I contacted a plumber who has attended our church, Mr. Mitchello, and he came out right away and looked at it. He told me that the sewer line was damaged and needed to be replaced all the way to the main house. He came out and ran all new PVC piping and also replaced some of the old water lines going into the bathroom and kitchen.

The Shraders lent us two large metal tables, a large metal shelf unit, and a small refrigerator for our kitchen until we could get cabinets. We were able to install cabinets in the kitchen about a month later which has been a real blessing to Vicky. Something interesting happened just before we had the kitchen cabinets installed. The day the people were coming out to do the install, Vicky noticed water leaking from the wall in the corner of the kitchen! Oh no! I called Mr. Mitchello and he came out and had to knock a hole in the wall to find out where the leak was. The bathroom and the kitchen are next to each other. I found out that the man who put in the water lines in the new bathroom, he glued one end of an elbow but didn’t glue the other end. The water line blew out at the elbow and leaked into the wall and then into the kitchen! We prayed that the cabinet installers wouldn’t arrive until we had this issue fixed. And guess what? They were three hours late! Praise the Lord! Mr. Mitchello was able to fix the line and cement up the hole in the wall before the cabinet folks arrived!

In chapter 40, I let you know about our container arriving and being put on a slab. I brought a motorcycle in the container because I didn’t know how long it would be before we could get a car. Problem is…how do I get it out of the container? The slab the container sets on is a good 1 ½ foot off the ground! So Brother Agrey from our church built a ramp for me. He is also in the process of building us a garage for the car that God so unexpectantly provided for us! God is so amazingly good! We are also so very thankful to Bro Agrey for all the hard work he has done!

When we were in Mississippi, I had built Vicky an above ground garden so she could plant her herbs and vegetables. Vicky has had both of her knees replaced so she can’t kneel on the ground. So, I got with Bro Agrey and the same time he is building the garage, he is also building a 36-foot long but 6-foot wide above ground garden! We can pretty much grow things year round in Zambia so Vicky is very excited about getting her garden started. We have named it the “Mears/Shrader Victory Garden!” The Shrader girls are so excited about coming and helping plant the garden as well. I don’t eat rabbit food so what is grown will be mainly for my beloved wife and the Shraders. We also have several mango trees, a pomegranate, a lemon, and two banana trees on the property!

When we sold our property in Mississippi, we had several fruit trees to include a lemon tree. But something else…we had a tree in our front yard that had beautiful red blossoms all over it. I don’t know what the tree is called, but when we got the property here, there were two trees in the front yard that had the exact same beautiful blossoms on them! God has given us, in Africa, almost everything we had in Mississippi! The only thing we are missing is the two-acre lake. I was told that we get a lot of rain during the rainy season. I told Bro Agrey to dig a big hole in the back yard and when the rains come…we will have our lake! Our God takes care of His children in so many ways!

After the guesthouse renovation was completed, we noticed the water pressure was very low so we had a pressure pump installed. We also wanted to have hot water. Hot water tanks are called “geezers” in Zambia. In America, old men are called geezers! So, this old geezer had a new geezer installed on the side of our house! It’s very interesting how such small things mean so much here. Most Zambians don’t have hot water or a pressure pump. We are truly spoiled…even here…and yet, we are so grateful for all God has done for us!

Now for a more serious note. We are so thankful for those who faithfully pray for us, for our needs, for our protection, for God to use us in a great way for His glory. On August 7th, around 2100 hours, I was in bed talking with a man on Facebook Messenger for about 20 minutes. Vicky was sleeping when I finished the conversation. I normally stay in bed and go to sleep. But this time, I was pressed to go to the bathroom. I walked into the hallway and stepped into water! I turned on the lights and saw water pouring out of the bathroom into the living room! I ran into the bathroom and saw one of the water lines had ruptured and because of the pressure pump being engaged, the bathroom was flooded. The water ran out of the bathroom, into the living room, flooded 1/4th of the carpet, and ran down the end of the carpet into the hallway. If I hadn’t gotten up, the whole house would have been flooded by morning! I was able to shut off the water, Vicky and I soaked up the water with towels, and we put a fan on the carpet to dry it out. I want to praise our God for His divine hand!

But something I didn’t know…when the water ended up in the hallway, it had also completely encircled a power strip that was on the floor. My electrician told me later, if the water had gotten higher and had entered the power strip, the water would have been electrified with 240 volts. If that had happened, and I had stepped into the water, I would have been electrocuted! God’s protective hand is all around those who belong to Him. The spiritual battle here is very real. It’s very possible that one of Satan’s angels broke that water line hoping I would be electrocuted. But God led me to the bathroom to stop that from happening. We cannot see the battles that are going on around us in the spiritual realm! The Shraders had a light fixture explode in their kitchen while they slept. The house they live in is very old and very flammable. There should have been a fire and lives could have been lost but God put the fire out! Praise God for that!

Please keep praying for us and the Shraders! Satan does not want us here and will do anything he can to discourage us. Your prayers matter more than anything else you can do.

Thank you so very much and as usual…the saga continues!

 

 

 

[Howl]

Quote

Bro. Wade:"...If that had happened, and I had stepped into the water, I would have been electrocuted! God’s protective hand is all around those who belong to Him. The spiritual battle here is very real. It’s very possible that one of Satan’s angels broke that water line hoping I would be electrocuted. But God led me to the bathroom to stop that from happening. We cannot see the battles that are going on around us in the spiritual realm!"

also: 

"Satan does not want us here and will do anything he can to discourage us."

OK, this is a side of Bro. Wade I wasn't aware of. 

On the other hand, the tile work in the bathroom is hella nice. 

[anjulibai]

I disagree about the tile -actually, I don't think it is tile, just vinyl.  At first glance, it looks okay, but it's cut badly in places.

[Xan]

I guess I'm not clear on why he needed a ramp.  Wouldn't you just get the motorcycle, roll the front wheel off the slab, and then roll and lift the second wheel down?  Also, he's in Zambia.  I think it's insulting to call vegetables "rabbit food" and say he doesn't eat them when there are people who rely on vegetables as a main component of their meals.

The whole business about the devil causing a water leak but God letting him find it before serious damage was done was over the top.  Sometimes plumbing leaks or breaks.  It has nothing to do with the spiritual realm.  And, if it did, wouldn't God have awakened him earlier?  Why would God let the carpet get wet before telling Wade to get up and pee?

[Howl]

14 hours ago, Xan said:

The whole business about the devil causing a water leak but God letting him find it before serious damage was done was over the top. 

This is true.

14 hours ago, Xan said:

Sometimes plumbing leaks or breaks.  It has nothing to do with the spiritual realm.

Also accurate. 

14 hours ago, Xan said:

And, if it did, wouldn't God have awakened him earlier?

Mysterious ways and so forth. 

14 hours ago, Xan said:

Why would God let the carpet get wet before telling Wade to get up and pee?

Devil and God were in the midst of an arm wrestling contest.  God wins this one, but he's a little late for Wade's situation. 

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

Brains Trust - I remember his sister, Sarah, passed away several years ago. Do we know how her little girl is doing?

[Xan]

John's posting again.  The big news (although he didn't act as if it were big news) is that Esther is pregnant again.  She's due in February.  John had a major preaching event along with an anniversary for one couple.  He was unnecessarily blunt about the man's behavior before he was "saved".  There's also a children's event.

Spoiler

John and his "real, Biblical salvation" makes me feel stabby.

He also posted another quote from Charles Spurgeon.  I have to say that every time I see this man quoted, I feel even sorrier for little Spurgeon Seewald.  Charles Spurgeon is just the sort of insufferable ass that John loves.

Spoiler

 

[NoneIsEnough]

Ugh, I was hoping the last baby was the last for Esther. She's 42, so it was not out of question she could have another. But she's on schedule. She's had one every even year since 2014 (before that it wasn't specifically in even years). 

I would have been more excited to see the baboon than to hear anything John had to say. 

Edited August 29, 2023 by NoneIsEnough

[Ozlsn]

9 hours ago, NoneIsEnough said:

Ugh, I was hoping the last baby was the last for Esther.

Same. I can't imagine going through that number of pregnancies, and that long pregnant or breastfeeding. 

 

[Howl]

59 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

Same. I can't imagine going through that number of pregnancies, and that long pregnant or breastfeeding. 

And that many diaper changes.  

I could easily see Esther having this baby and two or three more. 

[Xan]

9 hours ago, Howl said:

And that many diaper changes.  

I could easily see Esther having this baby and two or three more. 

Esther turned 42 this past May.  Yeah.  I could see her having another one or two babies.

Every time I think of Esther over in Zambia yoked to John, it makes me furious with Mike and Suzette.  They ruined her life.

[anjulibai]

Suzette was 43 when she gave birth to her youngest, so this isn't completely surprising for Esther to be pregnant again. Too bad, though.

Just did the numbers, and there will only be 16 months between this baby and Daniel. That's fast for Esther recently, as Daniel was almost 3 years after Joseph, who was over 2 years after Caleb. Wow.

[Giraffe]

On 8/29/2023 at 4:05 PM, anjulibai said:

Suzette was 43 when she gave birth to her youngest, so this isn't completely surprising for Esther to be pregnant again. Too bad, though.

Just did the numbers, and there will only be 16 months between this baby and Daniel. That's fast for Esther recently, as Daniel was almost 3 years after Joseph, who was over 2 years after Caleb. Wow.

Guess her body’s doing its last hoorah. Just hope this is a singleton! 

Edited September 5, 2023 by Giraffe
It’s ≠ its

[JermajestyDuggar]

Knowing her age, I wouldn’t be surprised if John really tried to squeeze in one more so he didn’t end up with unlucky 13. 

[Bluegrin]

Ok can anyone give any suggestions of who the couple that came from America to visit the Schrader family and Mears family a couple weeks back? Johns facebook has been silent for a long time but Wade has several pictures of this couple who appear to be middle aged visiting them. He’s the taller guy in all the posts with those Hawaiian shirts on. It looks like they were there for over a week. Is this couple coming to work with John? The tall guy will lose that smile after 3 months with John 😝 

[Bluegrin]

I went to the original post of the tagged in pictures and it’s Rick & Karrie Beauchamp. I did a Google search of him as well as went through his Facebook post. He’s pastored in Illinois, Indiana and Texas. They were missionaries in Romania for the orphanage help. His Facebook says he’s a biblical Baptist whatever this means along with Matthew 6 in prayer. His post generally are of an old pastor named George Muller who’s dead, the Bible and on judging people. He has posted against Bible colleges 😝 wonder how John will take to that since he’s all about education with his doctorate degrees. I bet this is the chosen one that will work with Schrader and Mears with his ministry experience. Some of his posts seem like he’s a home schooler as his grammar is as bad as Timothy’s. It doesn’t say where they live currently but I’m guessing it’s Katy, Texas or in a pop-up camper somewhere in someone’s back yard. 

[Pleiades_06]

Is he visiting or has he joined the missionaries? I don’t understand how these people fund this crap.

[Bluegrin]

Rick posted this on Facebook before the trip. This sounds exactly like how John boy writes about himself. John probably wrote it and Rick copied it for himself. They would have you believe that no fundraisers were going on. I’m not exactly sure if the Beauchamp family have signed on the dotted line of working with the Schrader family team but I suspect that they are heavily involved in drumming up donations for Zambians. It’s already a Christian country.