What a busy week it has been for our family. We continue to settle and unpack into our new home which is such a blessing given the extra space it affords us. Elise started up home schooling again this week (much to the dismay of our three kids) and has enjoyed getting back into the swing of things.
On the ministry front, Action Zambia has had a short term mission team here from Vacaville California for the past week. This team has focused on doing construction projects at Action Zambia's Ciyanjano Center in order to help develop it for future minstry use. For those of you who might not remember Ciyanjano is a piece of property just outside of Lusaka that Action Zambia has owned for about four years now. The current plan is to develop this property into a retreat center for local churches as well as a venue to hold conference for pastors or other church groups. Facilities on the property include a walled compound areas where there are a few residential buildings as well as a main bunk house where the current team is staying. There is also an orchard, a soccer pitch as well as a large thatched buiding called an insaka which is meant to hold large gathering and even baptism services as it also has an in ground batismal. The future vision is to fence off almost all of the 20 acres with an electric fence in order to provide more security for those using the facilities and to create a camping grounds where churches could for fellowship.
This past week Luke has spent almost everyday out at Ciyanjano with the team constructing a new soccer pitch. It has been a familar throw back to his days spent as a superintendent of construction back in the States. The only differences this time were the constant delays encountered due to faulty equipment of a machine running out of diesel (who sends a machine to a job without enough diesel to complete it -- TIA (this is Africa)). Payton also spent a day out with Luke and was so excited when the bulldozer unearthed a spitting cobra which was promptly killed by the young Zambian children and Payton throwing stones at it. Payton proudly posed for a picture with the head of his first real hunting trophy, although his involvement did provide an almost unbearable experience for a couple of the ladies on the short term team. Over the courese of four days earth was moved, a large ant hill was leveled and the development of a better than average soccer field was accomplished. What a blessing this field will provide for the youth of the area and what a great venue it will be to be able to conduct evangelistic ministries through sports.
Elise was also pleasantly suprised to find that the Bible study she invested so much time into during our first term here in Zambia is still thriving. During a recent trip out to Ciyanjano she met one of the ladies from the study who informed her that on their own, several ladies had continued to meet in each others houses each Wednesday for about two and a half hours. Elise was so touched to see that the seeds that were planted in these ladies lives have, through the Holy Spirits involment, blossomed into a practical desire to grow togethers as sisters in Christ.
Please continue to pray for us as we get back into our routine of ministry and continue to adjust to live here in Zambia. You all are such a blessing to us and remember that without your involvement we would not be able to function as Christ hands and feet here in Zambia. We love you all and continue to think of you often. May God bless and keep each of you in His perfect will.
His Servants
The Whitfields
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