Much To Do About Water

Today during our weekly visit to the villages around Ngangula, Brent and I spent time talking with local villagers about the water issues affecting the community. As with anywhere, water is a means to life and health.....yet for the villagers of Ngangula and Chikombola is is not easily acquire. Some reports we have heard estimate that there are two simple hand pumps servicing the water needs of a couple thousand people.....one of those pumps recently failed. Pray as we continue to explore how our presence in these areas can serve as a blessing....not only providing physically drinking water but also everlasting living water found in the Gospel of Christ.....more to come....

New bikes from America!

Thanks to great grandma & grandpa and mimi and papa for sending new bikes after all the bikes were crushed in r car accident in July!

Mazabuka Community Church

We are so blessed to have a great, growing, encouraging "family" here in Maz! The kids enjoy Sunday school and their friends and the fellowship is so wonderful! Just another way that God has provided for us here in the bush!!


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Construction on Container is underway!!!

The doors and windows being marked and cut!

First cuts were made today in renovating the container to our team house!!!

Construction continues on the bathroom/shower house

Baby Hope!

Sweet little Anne!

Our first Tonga Tea!

Kerri and I share the desire to get to know the ladies that live in the villages around us! So, we decided to have tea and dessert and see who would show up! The word spread quickly and 58 of our neighbors came! We were pleasantly surprised and so we are going to continue to meet monthly!!

Our neighbor friends and babies!

58 ladies joined Kerri and I under our lapa this afternoon!

It's A Blessing In Disguise

This is the exact same spot as the photo above less than 24 hours later

Above the Kaleya bridge

Below the bridge...notice the girl at the upper right corner....we estimate the water was four feet above her head when the river crested

Maize along the river

Complete destruction of a rural farmer's maize plot

A blessing in disguise?

Have you ever heard that phrase……….we say it to others going through something we can’t fathom….and if we are honest, dread having it said to us. Well, we currently find ourselves in such a situation....

 As we posted yesterday we received, what some farmers are saying is, the most rain Chikankata has seen since records began back in the 1940’s. To be precise we receive almost 2 ½ inches of rain in a matter of forty five minutes…….we were the lucking ones as some outlaying areas received as much as 4 inches in the same time period…..couple that with the fact that we live at the bottom of a huge valley…..you get the picture. The small Kaleya River swelled to unprecedented levels…….I have included pictures from above and below the Kaleya bridge……..we are estimating that when it crested the rivers was almost 4 feet over the head of the young girl at the top right of the picture from below…..that is roughly a 25 ft wall of water.

Our neighbors the Kirbys, who have one of the largest dams on the river, reported that the water had spilled over the top of their dam and dug a huge hole on the back of the main wall…other reports are coming in that dams that have not had water in them for years are being filled…reaction as a whole has been mixed. While many of the commercial farmers will sustain some crop damage the real victims are the impoverished rural farmers who, in some cases, could have lost the majority of the small field they planted. Some of the fields I photographed were completely decimated…..the maize plants being completely uprooted (see pic). For these families the coming year has gotten off to a very desperate start…….or has it.

Living in the midst of so much lack is at times extremely overwhelming…….I mean, in comparison to the overall need that exists…what can I do. This is where I have to smack myself back into reality…..to remember that my outlook on the situation is not based off earthly limitations but rather, on my Father’s capability. In essence from Heaven towards Earth……not the other way around…..

 ²⁶ Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

Matt 19:26 (NLT)

Would you join us in asking the Father to reveal the blessings in all of this…………that maize would be resurrected….dams would hold……..and a platform would be created for His power, love and amazing grace to be displayed to the hearts of those without hope…..oh, by the way we are all ok…………will keep you all posted…….

We are thankful for and love our Macie Moo! She chose a "flip flops" cake to celebrate this year!!

Macie's Party!

Having bday lunch with Mazabuka friends! Kids had a fun day swimming and playing with water balloons until a huge rain storm came and flooded the river/fields on our landlords farm! It's a big mess! We are all safe but not sure if we will be able to get to church tomorrow! Never a dull moment!

Emma made "M" cupcakes for the bday girl!

Big kids

All the gang!!

Macie is 12!!!!

Morning celebration w pumpkin muffins and eggs!!!

Healthy baby @ 28 weeks!

Waving hi!