Well it has been a while again since
I've written, but it has been a hectic month! I have almost finished
packing up the smaller stuff in my house, and everything else will be
sold. We will start our new home, wherever it may be, from scratch
when we get back from the U.S.
Sydney has a prospect at a church in
Northern Province on the horizon which we are praying over and hoping
for- it's one we would love. Please pray with us as he goes there
next month and gets to know the place and the people. We pray this
will be where God brings us- and it would mean actually having
somewhere to go when we get back from the US. It's quite
nervewracking to think about the fact that we are “homeless” as
of the 18 of April- but God always has undertaken for us and we know
he will in this area as well.
Things have been moving smoothly- I
have a Zambian residency card and am now on a spouse permit (the
government is discussing making dual citizenship available in Zambia-
and I am waiting to hear their decision on that. I'd rather be
“Zamerican” than choose one over the other!) Sydney has gotten
his immunizations and is ready to go- we are now just... waiting!!
Tonight, Hannah Merck and her father
arrive here for about 2 ½ weeks to work with the orphan ministry and
LMC. We have a boys and girls day, group devotional and a lot of
other activities and tutoring scheduled so we will keep Hannah busy!
Hannah will be staying with here (unfortunately in a house that is
now quite bare bones- but there's a bed for her!!)
Things are going well with the kids.
Alex is stabalizing on his medication and is gaining weight and
rarely ill anymore. He leaves his special ed class at around 11 when
it closes, and instead of going home he goes to join the 5th
grade class at Beulah Land school (at the church/ministry building,
where the other kids go) for the rest of the day- he loves the
socialization and is thriving.
We have has a few behavioral issues
with the 5-7th grade boys (mainly Amos, who keeps skipping
school and has a problem with lying, and Thomas who has been behaving
badly and brought innapropriate material to school and had to be on
punishment for that.) Please pray for these kids- they need Jesus
badly.
Some of the older boys, like Lloyd,
Luckson and Christian, have been meeting with Pastor Chirwa on
Saturdays to have devotionals and consider what salvation is and
means. One of the most encouraging reports from Pr. Chirwa was that
one day Protasho came to him and wanted just to talk “man to man”
they chatted for a while about school and other things and then Pr.
Chirwa asked him if he was a Christian. He said he was, but the
following explination of what he believed salvation was was rocky at
best. Curtis then invited him to come to those meetings with the
other boys and even baptismal clases to understand more fully what
true salvation is. Curtis seemed encouraged by his response- please
keep him in prayer. Patrick has been keeping away from church and
ministry activity lately- and apparently has fallen behind in school
as well. We aren't sure what the problem is but please pray for him
as well.
We still don't have many girls
professing Christ or even showing intrest. Many of them are making
the change from childhood for teen-hood and it's a critical time in
their lives for us to assist them in taking the right path and not
following the other girls who often fall into the trap of teen
pregnancy and dropping out of school to marry young.
Otherwise, everyone seems to have
settled into school- and they actually have a break off of school
this month- which is why Hannah will have more time with them. It is
amazing to think these are my last 2 ½ weeks with them as well. I am
hoping on the last saturday before I leave to have a “farewell”
get together with them just to spend time as a group one last time. I
am sure over the next years I will remain involved and be able to
come help out for camps and stuff- but this will be my last official
meeting with them! Time has really flown.
I will be moving out of this house and
flying out in the same day- April 18. I have surgery scheduled for
April 22- JUST after I arrive back to the states. I want to get it
over with so if there is any cancer or precancer found it can be
dealt with and decisions can be made before the wedding- but of
course we pray and trust I will have a clean bill of health! I have
applied for assistance in paying for the surgery since I have no
insurance so please pray that that application is successful. Sydney
will follow to the US in June, and we will be there til 9 July.
I am so excited to get home, so sad to
leave the ministry I've very litterally put my entire life into for
over 2 years, so overwhelmed and excited at the idea of starting life
with Sydney, but anxious at the uncertainty of our future at the
moment, so tired of packing up boxes that I unpacked less than a year
ago in this house.... but feeling so BLESSED. God has done amazing
things in my life in the past few months and I am just so thankful.
I am sure I won't get to blogging again
til I arrive home but please keep myself and Sydney in prayer as we
transition from life last year to life this year (and there is a huge
difference between the two years!) and as we start our life together-
putting the past behind us and following what we belive is God's plan
for our future ministry here in Zambia.
Happy Easter!!
