Weeping With Those Who Weep: Hope for Kitwe
By Andy Robinson
This week, the unthinkable happened.
A fire tore through the main church building of our dear friends and long-time partners, Joseph and Lilly Mwila, in Kitwe, Zambia. In a matter of moments, what had taken years of sacrifice, prayer, generosity, and obedience to build was reduced to rubble and ash.
As I watched the footage Joseph sent me, my heart broke. I sat in silence, feeling the weight of the loss. This wasn’t just a building. It was a place where heaven touched earth. A place where the presence of God was tangible. I have preached there many times and witnessed God move in power. It was a space where children laughed and learned, where the sick were prayed for, the oppressed set free, the broken restored, the lost found, and Jesus lifted high.
To Joseph and Lilly, and to every member of that church family who has wept over the loss of this sacred space, I want you to know: we are weeping with you.
We are not distant observers. We are your brothers and sisters. We feel it. We grieve with you. We pray with you. And we stand with you.
But we do not grieve without hope.
Because we know the God who brings beauty from ashes.
We know the One who rebuilds what was destroyed.
We serve a Saviour who conquered death itself, and if He can raise the dead, He can certainly raise a church building from the ashes.
This is not the end. This is the beginning of something new. Something greater. Something stronger.
I believe with all my heart that this is a “build back better” moment for the church in Kitwe. Not just to restore what was lost, but to rebuild with vision, with fresh anointing, with new wine and renewed strength.
Joseph and Lilly, we honour you. We thank God for your faithful leadership through both joy and heartbreak. And we commit ourselves, as your wider church family, to walk with you in this next chapter—not just in word, but in action.
To all our friends in the UK and beyond, now is the time to respond.
Not just with tears, but with generosity.
Not just with sympathy, but with faith.
Not just to rebuild walls, but to restore hope.
We can be part of a miracle in Kitwe.
Let’s give. Let’s pray. Let’s believe.
Let’s help rebuild what the enemy tried to destroy and watch God do more than we could ask or imagine.
With love, faith and fierce hope,
Andy
If you’d like to donate to help rebuild this church home, please click here to give
Help Rebuild in Kitwe
Your gift today will help restore what was lost and bring hope to a church family rising from the ashes.
