Mission Support Zambia
Our History

When Muriel’s father, Ken Barker, came out to Zambia in 1946 he and his uncle Bertram Rudge, started a transport business Balovale Transport Service. The lorries transported dried fish from Balovale (now Zambezi) to Chingola and then returned with food and household items and building materials. Supplies to mission stations were transported at a reduced rate. Buses were built with 32 seats and a compartment at the back which took 2 ton of goods and then fuel tankers were also added to the fleet.  Ken married Doreen Geddis in 1952 and together they ran BTS until 1966 when they returned to UK for the education of their family. On their return to Zambia in 1980, Dad worked for the Copperbelt Power Company until taking early retirement to concentrate on work amongst the assemblies. Mother, having been born in Zambia and speaking Lunda fluently, was involved in the revision of the Lunda Bible.
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              Handmade truck                            Crossing the Kabompo river                   Passenger bus
Fuel arriving at Balovale Transport
Ken Barker loading truck    Loading mission goods
Stephen has been in the motor trade since 1973 working accident repair. He was the body shop manager of Minden Motors (Bury St. Edmunds), a main dealer for BMW Land Rover, Jaguar and Saab, for 20 years before setting up his own business building custom Harley Davidson motor cycles until coming to Zambia in 2004. Having to fabricate ‘one off’ parts has proved invaluable working here in Zambia.
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My other bike’s a Freightliner