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
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