He and his wife, Shirley, have four boys and one girl. Two of the boys are grown, and the two younger boys are still at home. Their daughter, Tine, is baptized and now lives in the United States. She attends the United Church of God congregation in Elmira, New York. Mr. Banda qualified as a chartered accountant in the United Kingdom, and has worked in that field for many years. He came into contact with the Church of God when he saw The Plain Truth magazine in 1971. He was baptized in 1978 in England and was ordained an elder in July 1996. After leaving our former association, he kept the Sabbath alone for six months. "I never heard about United. It was just before Passover in 1997 that Mr. Chichaya, Shirley's father, introduced me to United." The Bandas serve the congregation in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, where attendance ranges from 45 to 50. "We also take care of eight churches and one Bible study. Our circuit is about 3,000 kilometers," Mr. Banda said. André van Belkum, the regional pastor, helps with the circuit, as do some other men. Positive Changes "I love my work because the gospel dramatically reverses the ill fortunes of people who respond to God's calling," Mr. Banda said. "In our part of the world, when a person responds to the call of God and faithfully keeps His law, the positive changes that take place in a person's life are beyond belief," Mr. Banda said. Mr. Banda also coordinates the Zambian efforts of LifeNets, a charity founded by UCG Council member Victor Kubik. "The Church works hand in hand with LifeNets," said Mr. Banda. "The Church teaches spiritual values while LifeNets teaches vocational skills. LifeNets also provides small loans to finance small farming ventures. In Zambia, LifeNets...is managed by the Church and works exclusively with Church members. "The results from this two-pronged approach are phenomenal, if not staggering. Infant mortality is nil and our members enjoy 100 percent food security." Special Attributes Mr. van Belkum, chairman of United Church of God–Southern Africa, said: "Kambani and I have worked together in Zambia for the past 11 years, and I have noticed a number of special personal attributes. To name one, he has the ability to calmly and patiently confront and meet head-on the most perplexing and grim situations or circumstances. "There have been times when he was forced to spend nights cooped up in his motor car when it became bogged down in mud, travel for three hours to traverse a 25-mile stretch of rugged dirt road (on a regular basis), sleep in his car at border posts when customs officials were difficult, borrow a bicycle from local inhabitants in order to get help when his vehicle broke down in a remote region, being hijacked at gunpoint while waiting at a member's home (the thieves took his car, but left him unharmed). "And his reaction to such incidents? 'Well, I guess we have an easier time than what the apostles experienced.'" UN