Marley Anne Taziona Whitfield

Well we did it, we finally agreed on a name that the fam could live with. Her name is Marley Anne (for Elise's grandmother Barbara Anne) Taziona (Tazi) Whitfield. The spelling on Taziona could change but thats why it take so long to get a birth certificate here. Elise and Tazi are doing fine although you could be praying for Elise as her spinal injection seems to have produce a persistant headache. As promised here are some more pics, enjoy. Love all of you and look forward to sending more info and pics in the near future. God Bless

She's Here!!

Dear Loved Ones We are so excited to share with you that we have been blessed with a little baby girl. We have not decided on a first name but have chosen 'Taziona' (spelling will probably change) this is a Zambian name that means 'we have seen it'--we have seen the Lord's faithfulness. She was born at roughly 6am (CST) 2pm our time, and was a whoping 5lbs 9 oz. and measured around 18in. A tiny baby compared to our first three. Although small she is perfectly healthy and took to breastfeeding like she had a nipple in the womb,hah! Mom and Tazzy are doing fine and Elise is recovering very quickly. For those of you praying for power cuts it worked, praise God!! As we were getting ready to walked into the operating room the power came on, He is so faithful. I have attatched some photo, more will be on the way but it has been a hectic day. Praise God for our new addition and we will keep you posted on the name game. More details and pics to come soon. Love you all and PRESS ON & INTO HIM!! The Whitfield <><

A few pictures of the kids!

Baby Updates

As we should have expected there has been a slight change to the schedule time of the C-section for Elise. Because of some afternoon power cuts (in recent days) the doctors had suggested that the operation take place @ 6am, which was not manageable as one of the doctors was not available. So we have just found that we are back on for the afternoon of the 20th at 1pm instead, with or without power (yes, they still deliver in those conditions). There is a saying here in Africa that we often use and apply to this situation—TIA (this / is / Africa)! Please know we are at complete peace and have sought the guidance of our pastor (and Doctor) and he feels we are in no danger (we agree). Mark 11:24 reminds us, Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and will have them! Would you join us in praying and believing that there will be no power cuts and that the presence of God would exist in the studio tomorrow. That the spirit of deception and fear would be bound from the situation and that that God’s protection and provision would be loosed. Lastly and most importantly that our family would bring honor and glory to His name at all times. I will send out baby details as soon as I can get to a computer (no there is not one for use at the hospital). Thanks for your prayers and know that I am writing this, not to raise concern, but because some of you would never forgive if you found out after the fact. He is GOOD and more than ABLE all the time. We love you guys and would love to have this request sent to any pray chains you are part of!

NIU SHootings

As most of you know, before we did, that there was a shooting at the college I (luke) graduated from in 2004. Not only did I graduate from NIU but it is located in the town where I spend much of my childhood. I have attended many classes in that lecture hall in Cole and can picture exacltly what must have transpired. Elise and I are asking each of you to be in prayer for our community in Sycamore/DeKalb, Illinois in light of these recent events. We have many individuals in our church that in someway shape or form are connected to the NIU community. Some of our friends work in buildings near to where this tragic event transpired. We would like to petition specific prayer for the Batiste and Graham family who are family friends that work on the NIU campus with Christian ministries. Elise and I participated with the Batistes (who are campus directors for Campus Crusade for Christ at NIU) during my time at the school there. Brent and Stephanie Batiste have served for years and no doubt are face with a huge opportunity to witness for Christ in the upcoming weeks and months ahead. Byron and Michelle Graham (campus leaders for Intervarsity at NIU) also will need prayer as they find ways to bring the healing power of Jesus Christ to many needy student on the NIU campus. We would also you to pray for our dear friend Drew Wells who, as a paramedic, was one of the first responders to the scene. Most importantly pray that this would be a catalyst for revival at NIU and in the DeKalb County area. Elise and I were commenting at how some people were concerned for our safety coming to Zambia and yet a tradegy like this happens in a place where I have spent substantial amounts of time. These recent events show us that our lives are finite no matter where we are. We, as Christians, should look at each day as our last and be feverishly looking for opportunities to share the hope and assurance we have in Christ with those who don't. Our lives are but mists and vapors that will soon pass, let's make sure we make the most of them for His Kingdom's sake. To our EVFREE family back home grasp this opportunity to proclaim His goodness! Don't wait for witnessing opportunities to come your way, create them! as you stand in line at Wal-Mart, eat dinner at Tom & Jerry's, or simply talk to the teller at the bank drive through. You all have something the world (especially DeKalb County) needs right now!! Thanks to all of you for your continued prayer for our family. To those who are wondering about our new arrival Elise will go under the knife (he,he) this coming Wed 20th around 6 AM (your time)CST. We would treasure your prayers and will look forward to sharing the Lord's provision in this matter. We love you all dearly and (though not physically) are with you in His Spirit. God bless and PRESS ON & INTO HIM!!!!

More Updates

How crazy that we find our selves in the middle of February already. I know many of you are ready to be rid of the snow and cold weather and like you we are ready for less rain and more sun. To begin this month we wanted to update you about the flooding and about some of our other friends that we have shared stories about over the last couple months.

The rains have continued and last Monday we evacuated the orphans at Kanyama EFH. Social welfare told them they must leave until the water was dealt with. So Luke and Payton went to pick the five kids and two housemothers up and take them to social welfare and then they would be placed in other orphanages. It was hard for me to think that they would all be separated for who knows how long it would take to get the water situation resolved. My heart was aching for them as most of the kids had not ever been in any other living situation. But praise God on Tue they informed us that they were all placed together with one of the house mothers, Stella. The other housemother, Katherine is getting a little break so she appreciates that immensely. Wednesday Luke went downtown to buy a pump and spent much of the day pumping the water out, only to find out that the water is coming up through the ground itself. So no matter how fast they could pump the water out more was taking its place. This was disappointing and we realize now that this is going to be a long process. Not only is the water affecting the orphans in the home, but also the school has been shut down and so much of the community is affected. It doesn’t look like the school or orphanage is going to be reopened anytime soon. Please continue praying for this situation.
But on a more upbeat note, many of you might remember me telling you about my friend Joyce from the bible study I lead out at the farm. She is a single mother of five kids and has no job and no roof on her home. Over the last couple months we have been praying about helping her with the roof. It is so hard to know sometimes if dishing out our resources actually helps or hinders relationships. The Zambians in general are a very dependent people and once you start giving they expect more and more. But we really felt like God was telling us to be His hands in this situation. Last Friday Luke (with some assistance from Payton) and the short-term team visiting from California blessed Joyce and her family with a new tin roof. Luke was able to use the handy man gifts that God has given him. We are so grateful that God has shown himself so faithful to this needy family. Not only has God provided a roof for her but she also got a job this past month as a house helper for a family in the area. Now she can put some food on the table without having to hustle men or beg. We are praising God that we have been able to actually see His compassion and love in this situation.

Also I wanted to include an update about our previous house helper, Maureen. In August she informed us that she was HIV positive and feeling quite sick. We were advised by her doctors that we needed to let her go so she could seek intense medical aid and rest. It was hard to let her go, but God has allowed us to continue supporting her and her four kids. We have missed seeing her smiling face every morning as she walked in the door but God is continuing to heal her. She has been on ARV’s since September and she is doing better. We saw her 2 weeks ago and she has gained weight and seems like she is on the upward cycle. She will go in for more tests Feb 20th to see where her blood count is and she hopes to get a good report and find a new job. Please continue to pray for her and her family. She is a single mom and has a lot on her plate. Thank you to those who have donated money for her and we are privileged to be the avenue to bless her through your gifts. We will continue to keep you updated on her progress.

We are also going to start our own sponsor program for children that need finances to go to school. Maureen and her four kids, Joyce and her five kids, Pauline (our current house helper) are her two kids and some other children close to our heart will be in this program. We will provide details on how you and your family can sponsor these kids so they can attend school. We are currently getting all the details to send out a very specific e-mail about each family and what their needs are. It is so difficult to be a part of these family’s lives and not to be able to help them in every area. We have been praying about how God can use us in each of their situations. We feel that sponsoring a child will not only bless the student with an education but will also give the sponsor family new incite about Zambian culture. It is also a wonderful avenue to share Christ’s love and be an example to your own children and those around you. Please consider how you might be able to help. In the next couple of weeks we will send out pictures and a detailed e-mail about each family.

We are continuing to plug away as a family and the kids have a countdown to when they get to meet their new sibling…..10days!!!!! Macie had her 7th birthday Jan 11th and she got some b-day money from great-grandma and grandpa and from her Aunty Jen and Uncle Ryan. As soon as she opened the first card and saw the money she said, “ I know what I can do with this money! I can give it to Joyce for her roof!” Luke and I looked at each other stunned and our eyes welled up with tears. It not only reaffirmed why we are here, but all that God is doing in the hearts of our kids. Home schooling and the daily grind of life gets in the way and it was a precious gift to see how God is molding Macie’s heart to see the needs of those around her. We praise God again for His faithfulness and goodness to us. Thank you for your prayers, love and support. We couldn’t do it with out all of you too!!! Thank you for your e-mails and keeping in touch with us. We love knowing what is going on in your lives.

God Bless and keep each of you!

Elise,
For all the Whitfield’s

Our First Year At A Glance

Dear friends and family!
What a year it has been and we just want to share in this e-mail some things that we have experienced looking back over our first year here in Lusaka, Zambia.
God has been so faithful to us over these many months of change. We have experienced four moves within the first 8 months and are finally settled for the next year (or so we think!!) We have missed our family and friends more than we ever thought, but God has given us a more extended family and group of friends here in Zambia. God has brought us both locals and other fellow missionaries that we have grown to love and bond with here as we have settled into this new third culture world. We have become a part of a local congregation and have experienced the extension of the body of Christ here in Africa. It is so beautiful to worship with the Zambians here! Even when you can’t understand the words to some of the songs, God ministers to your heart just through His Spirit and the music itself. Knowing that we all serve and love the same God and seeing the expansion of His body of believers is just awesome.
Not only are we expecting our fourth child here in a couple of weeks but we have also grown to love the children at Emmanuel Family Home in the compound of Kanyama. They have become like our own children and God has given us a deep love and concern for these kids. Our own three kids are also quite attached to them and God has opened their hearts for those that don’t have mommies and daddies.
It is amazing to see the changes in the kids and their love for the Zambians. Macie received some money for her birthday in January and the first thing she said is “now I can give this money to Joyce to help build her roof.” Luke and I started crying as we saw in Macie a new sensitivity that God has given her for those truly in need. Emma shows her love more quietly, by loving on those babies and praying for them daily. Payton, being the more vocal one, loves singing his favorite Zambian songs and preaches to the girls while they play church. He loves wearing his preacher clothes and while preaching he continuously waves his one arm as he holds his Bible in the other. They love Pauline our house help and every morning greet her with big hugs and hellos. Our guard, Movetty has a special bond with Payton as they have dug in the dirt over many hours together. Movetty and Pauline have become like family to us and we have learned so much from them culturally. We are so blessed to have them as a part of our family.
Our dog spud is quite attached to the kids and loves their attention, while are two turtles would love to get not so much attention!!!!
Not only is our family growing but our vocabulary is also. We are slowly learning the local language Chinyanja and have found it fun but difficult. Luke is very good at greetings and enjoys making people laugh as he yells out the car window. The kids have learned the names to many animals and songs and love showing off to visitors. We are beginning more language study every Friday and hope to grasp more this year. It is not a necessity here in Zambia, because English is the most used language here, and all the signs everywhere are in English. So while it is not essential, learning the language will bring us closer to the Zambians and is a great example to them that we are trying to adapt to the culture, not just merely exist.
Living in another country we have learned to adapt to many different things. The first would be the food. We have eaten all sorts of different things from caterpillars to dried fish (kapenta), and then some not so crazy stuff like mangos, lots of cabbage, new types of meat, juice, bananas right off the tree, smelly cheese and ice cream (its not quite like Blue Bell for those of you in the south or Culvers for those in the Mid-West!!) We have enjoyed this process over the last year, but always love those packages in the mail that have skittles, muffin mixes, ranch dressing packets, taco seasoning, starbursts or other treats. Thanks to all those who have sent goodies to bless us!!!!
Another thing we have had to adapt to is the weather. We have grown to love the hot Zambian sun and have really realized it now that we are in the rainy season! But with the rains come beautiful flowers and everything is so green and vibrant. The rains have brought the cooler weather, which is a blessing for me and my growing belly!!!! Also, we have gotten used to using the Zambian Kwacha instead of our American currency and find it easy to convert back to dollars. There are no coins and so you can imagine how many bills we must carry around when shopping. The kids have loved learning and playing with the Zambian bills.
The outlets in our house have also been an area that we have had to adapt to. Every outlet needs at least one converter and things have to be moved frequently around the house to get charged. Our toothbrush and razor chargers are on Luke’s desk, kitchen utensils have to be moved and re-plugged daily and the bathrooms don’t even have outlets! I never thought that I would get used to this “inconvenience” but I guess you make due and God allows you to relax with such annoyances. I have found this true in many areas such as power outages, no water pressure, noisy neighbors, ants coming out of every crack, spiders on the walls, lack of Internet access, and Zambian drivers!!!!
The kids have also adapted to sitting through a 2-3 hour church service, and we thought that the day would never come, but it has THANK GOD! God has seen us through so many new and interesting situations and we are so thankful for all that He has taught us this year.
It is still very hard to drive down the streets of Lusaka and see the poverty first hand. The children half dressed playing on the dirty wet streets and men sweating while pushing overflowing wheelbarrows through town with goods to sell in the market. Women carrying their baby on the back, a pile of sticks on their head and lugging buckets of water home to their families. We have nothing to complain about and we are quickly reminded of that as we see our fellow brothers daily struggle. We will never get used to seeing this poverty and we pray daily that God keeps out hearts sensitive to the needs of those around us.
We have been blown away by all of the love, prayers and financial support that you each have given us this year. We could not have done it without you all and the Lord’s guidance. We truly appreciate your e-mails of encouragement and news, letters, packages, Christmas cards, and phone calls. As we have said in many previous e-mails, we are all members in the body of Christ and we are so blessed to be the hands and feet of what God is doing here in Zambia. Thanks to our Heavenly Father and family and friends like all of you!!!!!! Thank you for your continued support for 2008 and we look forward to catching up with you all on our furlough the beginning months of 2009!!!!!!!We look forward to all that God is going to do this New Year and all the adventures ahead of us. We will continue to keep you all posted on the details!!

With Much Love, Elise for all the Whitfield’s!!!Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight”