Like the tide...

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 5^th 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 5-7^th 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!!