Happy New Year!

As this year comes to an end and another one begins, I would like you all to meet Lucy. Lucy is a chicken with much personality. She brings us many smiles - something we could use a bit of these days. On Christmas morning we went out to find our beloved Plumpy, the matriarch of our flock - the oldest, the boss and the friendliest - had died at the hands, er, claws of a very large bird (probably a hawk or osprey or ...) We were devastated and Riley and I spent the first few hours of the morning digging her grave. How wonderful it was to be able to bring to mind our Christmas verse - Habakkuk 3:17-18 - no matter what loss we suffer we will rejoice in the Lord and we will joy in the God of our salvation. What a comfort God's word is! And, as we bring to mind all of our fun Plumpy memories, we realize that joy does come in the morning. What a joy Plumpy was - she was part of our family. And now Lucy has stepped up into the role of boss of the flock. But she, too, is friendly - eating out of our hands, allowing us to pet her and getting awfully close to coming inside when we are not fast enough with the front door! Just so you know: not all chickens are created equal - they all have their own personality.

As you say good-bye to 2010 and hello to 2011, may you show love to those you care about, be them human or chicken, while you have them in your lives. My mom had a poem on her fridge while I was growing up and although I do not remember it to quote it I do remember the jist of it. I would rather have one flower now than bouquets at my funeral - I would rather have a kind word said to me now rather than a lengthy tribute when I am gone - etc.. You get the idea. So here is me wishing you much joy and a ....

Happy New Year! Philippians 1: 9-11!

SIM Zambia

Our purpose of staying in Lusaka a few extra days was not simply to hang out and explore - however, we are so thankful for our afternoon to get refreshed! We stayed to meet the SIM Zambia team. And although one family was about to leave for home assignment and a huge church celebration was going on the same weekend, the team so graciously took time to meet with us. We were able to go over to the SIM property and have dinner with the team one night, attended church together and then we were able to spend the day we left with them. The team leadership is in transition but we are so thankful for the time we had to ask them questions. We were able to ask them anything about Africa, SIM, ministry - anything. We learned a great deal during our time with them.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Merry Christmas!! from our family to yours!

(Yikes, if I would have waited one day to take the tree photo it would have had lots of snow on it! Oh well!)

As you celebrate the birth of the King let everything point you to Him. He is the Light of the world - so all the Christmas lights you see point to Him - He is the Star of Christmas - so all the star decorations point to Him - (you get the idea).

Some people think it is odd that we have never had a Christmas tree. We try to decorate a tree outside for the birds but our tradition is to celebrate advent - the coming of Christ. We have an advent wreath that we decorate differently each year. In addition to the candles we also have our children pull strings. Ok, let me explain. We don't do stockings - instead we do stings. Each child has a bucket and we put little things tied to curling ribbon strings in the buckets. The items range from pencils, band aids, toys, etc.. Starting the day after Riley's birthday the children are allowed to pull one string each night - ending on Christmas Eve. My parents started this when I was young (and they still do a bag for me). I'm not sure how, when or why they did it but it is a very creative tradition that our children love. Another thing we do is to memorize a Christmas verse. We all memorize a verse or chapter - we did Psalm 23 one year. This year we are memorizing -

Habakkuk 3:17 & 18 - "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." NIV

Please feel free to memorize it with us - and may we all be joyful in God our Savior - no matter what!

Merry Christmas!

Baptist Mission House

This is a photo of an add painted on a wall in downtown Lusaka. It caught our attention and caused many smiles - we still giggle when we see the photo. But back to the mission house....

The Baptist Mission House is located in downtown Lusaka next to an international school and behind the fairgrounds. It consists of a fenced, guarded and gated property with several places to stay. There is, what looks like, an apartment building and a large building with several 'homes' connected by halls with a common sitting area and a large meeting room or two. We were able to rent one of the homes - three bedrooms, a bathroom and kitchen. Outside there is a large children's playground, large gravel parking area and places to walk. The parking lot was right outside our place. I'm sure I already mentioned this but since I am writing about the mission house I will go ahead and mention it again - so please bear with me - and thank God again for keeping us safe.

One of the nights we stayed there we were woke up by an extremely loud alarm around 3 A.M.. The alarm lasted about 20 minutes - long enough for us to get up, make sure the door was locked, look out the windows into pitch blackness and wonder what was happening. When the alarm went off we went back to bed. In the morning Rob went to the office and found out what had happened. One of the guards had noticed something by a car in the parking lot (right outside our window) and had approached. The car was in the process of being stolen. One person pulled out a gun, threw a bag over the guards face and threw him into the back of the car while another person got the car going and drove the car out into the night. The other guard must have sounded the alarm. We are so thankful to be able to let you know that the kidnapped guard was released across the city and was returned via police escort. We saw the man and he was very shook up - but safe.

Not only does the Baptist Mission House provide temporary housing to missionaries, it also is the meeting place for a Chinese church and on Sunday nights it is home to a Bible study that is attended by missionaries to Zambia (all different sending agencies are represented - it is a time for them to connect with each other) and their families - there is an adult study and time of fellowship as well as a youth group complete with games and study.

We were thankful to have time as a family to simply be in and experience Zambia together. And we were thankful to have been referred to the mission house by SIM Zambia.

A couple extra days

After saying good-bye to the rest of our team, we had the opportunity to stay in Lusaka, Zambia, a couple of extra days. We stayed downtown at the Baptist Mission House and had several adventures. We experienced first hand the whole run-across-the-super-busy-road-because-no-one-stops-at-crosswalks thing. And we did it more than once! We did actual grocery shopping, explored an area of town on our own and experienced Zambia taxi rides. After attending a Chinese church on Sunday morning we were able to spend Sunday afternoon as a family. We walked (and walked and walked) to the big Sunday craft market and did some shopping, had lunch out and were simply able to be together. It was absolutely wonderful! (except by the end of the day my feet were really hurting!) One of the vendors remembered Riley, had a long talk with him and gave him a gift. Hayley found a vendor she really liked and bought several carvings from her. And Rob and I enjoyed being able to relax and enjoy - and I got to eat some ice cream!

Back to the Chinese church - yes, there is a large Chinese population in Lusaka. We were surprised to learn that there are many Chinese investors investing in property, mines, hotels, and more. There is also a growing Indian population there.

We were invited to attend a new Chinese church plant that meets at the Baptist Mission House. It was a completely different experience than we had at the Zambian church led by Pastor Bruce. But worshipping God in any language is a wonderful thing!

HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY RILEY!!

Today (December 16) is Riley's 16th birthday. Yikes! Where has the time gone? And what can I say? I could write about the way he never really put things in his mouth as a baby but he was always putting things on his head - soda boxes, plastic peanut butter containers, lunch sacks, etc.. Or how as a young tike (4 or 5 years old) he decked the biggest bully around (he was at least twice as big as Riley) because the bully was not being nice to Riley's friend. Or how he would bring a cardboard guitar he made to church, stand in the aisle and play and sing during worship time. How about the times he got stitches, broke his arm, spent the night in an oxygen tent in the hospital, or had cream cheese type stuff all over his head keeping testing wires in place. I could share how as a three year old he got a cut in Sunday School but told the teacher it was ok because his platelets would come and make a wall and his white blood cells would fight off anything that tried to get in and when I went to get him he ran over to show me how his platelets were working. I could tell you about his amazing gift of words - he is a brilliant writer. Riley has written numerous short stories, has a novel or two in progress and has a huge vocabulary - but not just that, God has given him the ability to put words together, to weave a story together making a beautiful tapestry of words. Ok, maybe beautiful isn't the right word as he has been known to add graphic descriptions to his stories - bones crunching and blood dripping. If I mention his writing I had better tell you he is also a great artist. He has been drawing for so long and he just seems to get better and better. Riley is a fast runner and an amazing soccer player - he played for nine years and has what is called 'true soccer sense.' And did you know he also makes a mean gluten free chocolate cake? What about his heart for others? Riley has always wanted to make people smile. He volunteers his time helping others, writes and performs in skits and lightens the mood wherever he is. I could write about all those things - and much more. But I am most proud of Riley because of who he is becoming - a man of God with Christlike character. We are all fighting against our sinful nature and we do stumble but the desire of Riley's heart is to honor God and be a true Christ follower. What else could I ask for? Nothing - because nothing else matters.

Happy Birthday, Riley! I am so thankful God has allowed me to be a part of your life - may you continue to grow in Him and may you continue to build your future on Christ alone. I love you, Bubba!

(And you can thank me later for not posting any really embarrassing photos!)

more random photos by Riley

And believe me, there are plenty more!! Thanks for bringing so much fun into our lives, Riley!

random photos by Riley

For most of the trip Riley had one of the cameras to use. And, let's just say, he can have a unique photographic eye at times. But what fun it was to see his photos.

Abigail

We had the privilege of meeting and spending time with lots of children. But one little girl named Abigail captured my heart. She lives at the farm because her father is one of the caretakers. She has a loving family and a gentle spirit. Although she could not speak English (except Hello and How are you - which were spoken often) we seemed to connect. I spent my free time pushing her on the swing, listening to her sing, walking around the property, and hopping on one foot with her - not as easy an accomplishment as it used to be. During the campfire on our last night at the farm while the other children were singing and laughing she got off her chair and came over to sit on my lap. My heart soared. Thank you, Abigail, for bringing a smile to my face and love to my heart.

Zebra Crossing

On our way to the airport to send part of the team home, we were able to spend one last meal together with Steve and Stephanie Allen. They took us to a wonderful little restaurant that was off the beaten path, so to speak. It was down a dirt road and next to homes - not in downtown Lusaka. It was an internet cafe with the seating outside - but covered. Local artists furnished the decor and the stocked the gift shop. The atmosphere was very relaxing and fun and the food was great. If we lived there I'm sure I would become 'a regular.'

Stew Pot

Ok, I know I must explain this photo. My angle was not the best while taking this picture but we had a hoot getting it ready. Before our trip Dianna's husband, Scott, was playfully sharing that all missionary comics are similar in the fact that they all show missionaries in stew pots. So needless to say when we had the big fire going it was a great opportunity to have fun with Scott and the whole stew pot scenario. We took a stock pot out to the fire and grabbed some vegetables. When Dianna stepped into the pot we couldn't stop laughing. It was just too funny!

Campfire

When we got back from our amazing day in Lusaka we were treated to a campfire, marshmallows and music. The families of Jilos, Boniface and Richard all spent the evening with us around a large campfire. We roasted marshmallows - but let me tell you, the marshmallows in Zambia do not taste like Jet Puffed marshmallows. They were good but different. Jilos also brought out some drums and led the others in worship. Although we could not understand all of the songs - we were all transported to the feet of our King through their passionate worship. The women and children danced for us before the fire went out. All in all in was a super great way to spend our last night together.

Happy Thanksgiving!

No matter what is going on in our lives may we truly cultivate a heart full of thankfulness.

"IN EVERY THING GIVE THANKS: FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS CONCERNING YOU." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Orphans

After lunch we said good-bye to Joseph and Patson and then spent the afternoon visiting two different orphanages. The first one we went to was run by the catholic church. The property had several buildings and one was set aside for orphan care. The children who lived there ranged in age from newborn (we actually saw newborn twin girls) to upper teen. And, yes, there were a lot of children in the small facility. We spent the most time with the babies/toddlers. There were only two caretakers there - not nearly enough for the number of children. As soon as we walked in the children wanted us to hold them and if we didn't - and when we put them down - they cried. And cried. And cried. It was heart wrenching! There isn't anyone to kiss these children goodnight or hold them when they are scared to read them a story or ......

The second orphanage we visited was called House of Moses. It is run by an American woman and was located in a large, private two story home. The woman also runs two others and the children are separated by age. House of Moses is home to babies upstairs and toddlers down. Immediately we noticed huge differences. The home was clean and the babies were not starved for attention. There were three caretakers for the ten babies and a few more for the toddlers. The children had clothes that fit and toys to play with. However, like the children at the other orphanage, they, too, have no one to love them. And they will soon be transferred to the next orphanage to make room for more babies.

We were only able to visit two of the many orphanages in Lusaka and the many, many, many throughout the country. Aids has ravaged the country and poverty is everywhere - and these are but two of the reasons for the ginormous number of orphaned children.

God's Word tells us to care for orphans - it is not an option - it is a call to every Christ Follower. Please pray for the children without families, for those working to care for them and for God to reveal to you how you can get involved.

School

Several times in past posts I have mentioned free schools but I don't think I ever shared their true importance. In Zambia public schooling is free - however, each child needs a uniform, shoes, books, transportation, supplies, etc.. So the free education is not really free. There are a lot of private and boarding schools, as well, but these are also not free. Most children who live in the compounds do not attend school, do not get an education, have no hope of breaking the poverty cycle. This is how the muslim community is getting a foothold in Zambia. They saw a need and are providing a solution. Several muslim schools are popping up in the compounds. If my photography skills would have been better or if we wouldn't have been in a moving vehicle you would be able to see that the photo above is of a free muslim high school - and it is free. In downtown Lusaka we saw a muslim temple/church/mosque/building that is being built - and it is huge and extravagant. This is why free schooling is so important in Zambia - not only for education but for Christ. Please pray for the Christian men who saw this need and are sacrificing much and doing all they can to provide Zambian children with a Christ-centered education.

Patson

The day we prayed with the tiny, fragile babies and their mothers at the hospital was also the day we met Patson. He is truly putting Christ first in his life. Patson's story starts in neighboring Mozambique where he was born and grew up. He grew up there during a time of war and when Bibles were not allowed. His sister had one hidden in her suitcase and told him never to read it because it would get him into trouble. Well, he confessed that her proclamation just made him more intrigued so he snuck and read it - the whole thing. He fell in love with Jesus and the Word of God. As a teen he and his family escaped Mozambique and he has been in Zambia ever since.

Patson is now married, has five children, lives in a compound and is in Steve Allen's pastor training class. The humblingly remarkable thing is the way he lives. He is passionate about raising up children in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. His passion is evident to all who live in his compound because, you see, Patson has given up a huge portion of his lot and home in order to provide free education for the children. Patson and his family live in a very small one-room plus one bedroom home and he has built an addition onto it that includes three classrooms, a library and an office. His neighbors wonder why he doesn't use the space for a large home. But that is not all. On the lot that they live is an individual well, a rarity in the compound as there is a community well. However, Patson was excited to share with us that they are going to be closing up their well and putting in two toilets - one for girls and one for boys - for the children who come to school. Again he is giving up another Zambian luxury for the love of Christ and the children. When others ask him why he is living like he is he simply shares Jesus with them. What a testimony. Patson was so genuine, humble and joy-filled - he had a huge impact on all of us!

For lunch the day we met Joseph and Patson, we went to a strip mall type restaurant. The strip mall included a grocery store, music shop, book shop, internet cafe, a few restaurants, movie theater and more. The place we went had a bit of everything - pizza (yes, pizza in Africa), Indian food, burgers, wraps, ice cream, just a huge variety. We were able to sit and visit with Steve, Joseph, Patson and each other. And then we all stood in front of the fountain for a photo.

Sons of Thunder

The day after we got back from our 'team time' was probably the busiest day - as far as doing tons of different things. We were able to visit two different pastors who are in Steve's class, minister at the hospital, visit two different orphanages and in the middle of it all we were able to take the pastors out to lunch. Joseph and his brother Peter were nicknamed 'Sons of Thunder' and although Peter was out of town we had the great privilege of being able to meet Joseph and spend the day with him. And let's just say Joseph spoke with such power and conviction I can see where he got the nickname!

Joseph and Peter live in one of Lusaka's compounds -see photos above. The top photo shows a bit of their vision and burden for their community - a free school and a Christ focused church. The building is right next to the area dump and the creek that runs through the compound. Although not what we would consider a great location, just think about it for a minute. Everyone goes to the area! Washing, water gathering, dumping garbage, walking through the compound, no matter what someone is doing they are sure to pass by this new building. The plan is to use half for a free school for the children and the other half for a church - with the hope of adding on and expanding by making both the school and church larger. The property was completely overgrown and a total mess but with hard work and determination it is looking great!

We were also given the opportunity to join Joseph and Luke (from Action Zambia) in ministering in the hospital in Lusaka. We spent time in the pediatric ward and let me say our hearts ached for the people there. The hospital does not provide food for its patients, neither does it change sheets or do any other type of care except medical. So those moms who bring their babies in from all over the country have no way to feed themselves nor their babies - they can't run home; they have no money to buy things. We brought in boxes of fruit - bananas for the children and apples and oranges for the moms. We also split up into two groups and went around and prayed with every person there. It was incredible! At first I was completely intimidated but God got a hold of our hearts and the power in that room was evident.

Joseph prayed with such passion and to every woman there he asked if they were going to heaven. If they said yes, he did not stop there - he asked how they knew. And to those who responded because they sang in choir, went to church or could pray, he said no and then proceeded to share the gospel - and four women professed faith in Christ that day!! Just watching the incredible boldness and passion Joseph has for the Lord impacted all of us.

And the children in the hospital, they were so precious and yet so sick. One child, Comfort, was in need of a brain scan but her mom couldn't afford it so she just stayed in bed with no hope. Comfort looked like death, unmoving, flies walking on her eyes, barely breathing. Our group was able to pay for her scan - but how many others will never get help? Many of the children we prayed for were not expected to live and our tears flowed freely. One baby boy reminded us of our son. He was in intensive care and his older sister was there with him because his mother had just died. He was starving to death and his little body was hooked up to IVs and his sister was doing the best she could for him - but there was little hope. Our hearts ached for her.

Joseph was so happy to be able to witness to and pray for those in the hospital - those literally without hope. When we left the hospital we were emotionally drained but he does it every week! Please join us in praying for the 'Sons of Thunder,' Peter and Joseph - for strength, perseverance, a continued boldness and for showers of blessings for their school and church.

Leaving the Lodge

After two days at the lodge it was time to get back to Lusaka. That doesn't sound too difficult, however, you must remember that in Zambia time is almost nonexistent. We were to be at the bus stop before noon and so we arrived a bit after 11:00. And three hours later we were still there - waiting. Fortunately our guide stayed with us. When a couple who had driven to the lodge was leaving our guide spoke to them and they graciously offered to give us a ride to Lusaka. Now, again, remember from past posts that we were a few hours out of the city - and we had no idea who this couple was - not to mention they drove a pick up truck and so three of our team members would have to ride in the back with produce and supplies. However, on the flip side, we had already been waiting for the bus for three hours and if/when it ever showed up there was no guarantee there would be enough empty seats for us. Then what would we do? We took the risk and rode in the truck.

And it was great! It turned out that the man driving was the Zambian Minister of Finance!! Rob asked him tons of questions and so he talked with us most of trip back to Lusaka. He shared his opinion on all kinds of topics. He stopped at a road side tomato stand along the way and bought a ton of tomatoes. He said he and his wife stop at the same stand whenever they are in the area and enjoy buying from the kids selling. Also, an added benefit was the fact that at the numerous police check points we were simply waved through. The trip back was much faster than the bus ride going - even though we had to stop for warthogs crossing the road and for storks and vultures eating in the middle of the lane. So although our plans were messed up and I was fearful of getting a ride with strangers - God had everything under control!!

The Itsy Bitsy Spider...

As I was going through photos I found this one and just had to share it. This spider is on the bathroom wall at the lodge and it is HUGE! Okay, it probably isn't still on the bathroom wall but it was when I took this photo and I'm sure it is still HUGE!

animals galore

Here are just a few more fun animal photos - we have a couple hundred more! The stork with the red beak is, how do I put this... actually GINORMOUS!! And in case you were wondering - there is supposed to be an elephant in the top photo. Hmmm....