Christmas Day

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our tribe to yours!

What is your gift for Jesus on His birthday?

When I was a little girl, every Christmas morning after we all opened our gifts I would run to the phone and call my neighbor to tell her what I had gotten for Christmas and to see what she had gotten also. Then I would rush to get ready so I could go over to her house to see her things. Christmas is my favorite time of the year because excitement just seems to be in the air. As we were on our way to church this morning(it was an hour away), I began to think about Christmas and what it means to different people. For some, it is Santa Clause, presents, and being with family. For those in a 3rd world country if they aren't Christians it is just another day and for those that are Christians they have a special church service on that day. They don't decorate a tree or have presents yet they are so filled with joy because they are celebrating the birth of their Savior. Whatever Christmas means to you this year, I pray that you will recognize its true meaning and somehow try to focus on others more than yourself. Let's put Christ back in Christmas. In our family we are each trying to think of someone around us that we can do something special for before Christmas day and that is going to be our gift to Jesus this year. What will be your gift to our King?

These are some of the people that make up Chimusanya Baptist Church. Today we went to this church and Kevin was asked to preach. At the end of the service two people came forward saying that they wanted to receive Christ. God is good all the time!

7 and proud of it !!!

Where has the time gone....? Dec. 8th, Hannah turned 7 years old. Here are a few pictures of her special day. Hope you enjoy them.

Zach sent Justin flying through the air!

Kelsey, Hannah, and Dorcas

Hannah loved all her presents she got. She says "thank you!"

Zach finally got to hold the Python and the brown house snake. He loved it!

Eastern Harvest Team

This is a recent picture of everyone on the Eastern Harvest Team. We try to get together every several months and have a meeting, however this is the first time in a long time where we were able to have everyone there. I'll list their names below and if you want to check out what is going on in their ministries you can check the www.bmoz.org website.

From Left to right: Mike and Lindy Howard

Kendall, Joy, Easton, and Lilly Helgren

John McPherson(in back)

Suzie, Kevin, Zach, Justin, and Hannah Rodgers

Dwayne and Betty Mitchell

Van and Mary Thompson

Is this REALLY December???

Yes, it is really December in Zambia too! However, our weather here is quite different than most of the weather in the states I imagine. It is really hot here this time of the year except when we get an occassional rain. We do enjoy the times we can cool off by going for a swim or just running through the sprinkler.

Justin diving from the high dive.

Hannah and her two friends Dorcas and Deborah cooling off as they run and play through the sprinkler.




Who needs skies when you have a big brother to pull you through the water.

Merry Christmas!!!

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! We hope you are having a fun and joyous holiday season, we sure are.... go to the following link to see.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1131031419

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1130832577

What do you do when your big brother comes home?

Yes, Zach is finally home!! We are so excited to have him here. He arrived on Thursday, the 22nd, which just so happened to be Thanksgiving day also. We are so thankful he will have until Jan. 2nd. with us. In the last three months he gained 10 lbs. and grew about 2 inches taller. It has been fun to hear more details about his life at RVA since he has been back. Pray he will have a fun and relaxing time while he is here.

You go for a ride together on the motor bike.

You go down the water slide even though you are a little scared.

then you all have lots of fun.....

You even do a hand stand!

Give Thanks!

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100

As I was having my QT this morning I came to this portion of scripture. I thought of two different things as I read this scripture. 1-How am I like sheep? Sheep are very dependent animals. They need a shepherd to protect them and guide them to good pasture and water. Like sheep, I need someone to lead me. When I follow the Lord, I find spiritual safety and nourishment. However, if I had chosen to follow my own sinful desires, I would risk eternal death caused by spiritual predators. 2-I have so much to be thankful for: my salvation and my relationship with God, my family-both here and in America, good health, good friends all over the world, good food to eat while so many around me have so little, electricity(most of the time), water, a nice home, a great job with lots of benefits, and Zambians to work with and minister to. I could go on and on with everything I have to be thankful for but I won't because sooner or later you would stop reading. Remember all that you have to be thankful for also. Sometimes when we are struggling and going through tough times it is hard to think of our blessings but I would encourage you to do that anyway. Maybe I have listed a few things that can get you started and then you can continue on from there. The next time you go to church enter in with thanksgiving and praise!

Crocodile Farm

Today I took a group of kids aged 5-12 to the Crocodile Farm in Lusaka. It was a hot day but the kids had a blast. We saw snakes, crocodiles, turtles, and a monitor lizard. We ate lunch there and the kids got to swim some too which felt good on a nice hot day. Our family has been here many times but today is the first time that Justin got to hold a snake. He was thrilled beyond words.

Justin and Austin holding a Python

A brown house snake

There was even a trampoline

This is Hannah and Kelsey. Kelsey just moved here from America. She is also 6 years old.

There are some really big Crocodiles here

Mphamvu Baptist Church

Sunday we went to Mphamvu Baptist church(see website for story). This is a fairly new church that meets in this small school room. They said they usually have around 60-70 people in this small room to the left(see below). After church the women asked me if I would come to their women's meeting on Thurs. I was able to go this afternoon and spend some time with these women. I taught them a lesson about the prolem of unbelief. Then we sang and danced some. On the way home I dropped one of the women at her home. She wanted to show me her garden which was full of onions, okra, and corn. I'm always amazed at Zambians generosity. I came home with a bunch of onions. It was a fun day!

Mphamvu Baptist Church

Chimbudzi(toilet)

Power lines that go beside the church. (see website)

These are the women that came to our meeting today.

This past week I was able to attend a home school conference in Joburg. SA. We had two ladies come from the states and one from Kenya that taught us all about the different kinds of curriculum that is out there for home schoolers to use. It is amazing how much material is really out there and it all looks so good. I was also encouraged during this time together with other moms who home schooled. There were about 20 women from all over Southern Africa who had come to this meeting. It was nice to reconnect with those whom I all ready knew and then get to know the others that were there for the first time. Of course, it is always fun to eat at McDonalds and go shopping in a real mall. There was even a Cinnabon in one of the new malls. You know I had to have a little taste of that too(a couple of times). I was also able to get quite a bit of Christmas shopping done which is always fun. Kevin did well with the kids while I was gone. He home schooled Hannah and Justin, cooked, and cleaned. They did just fine without me. Thanks for your prayers.
Suzie

These are the ladies from Zambia that went to the home school conference. From left to right: Tracey, Shawna, me, Linda, Dawnya, and Lee.

One more month until Zach gets to come home for his Christmas break. He will arrive here on Thanksgiving Day around lunch time. As always we will have so much to be thankful for but especially this time we will be praising God for family and being able to be together. He will be with us until he flies back to Kenya Jan. 2nd. Please begin praying now that our time together will be enjoyable for all and that we will make many memories to hold us until his next break.

This is Zach and his friend Stratton on his midterm break.

A fun day at Itope Baptist Church

Today we went to Itope Baptist Church. It was about an hour away from our house out in the bush. This is a fairly new church in our area. Kevin was there yesterday as well, preaching and showing the Jesus film. Four people prayed to receive Christ after seeing the Jesus Film. Pray for this church as they continue to be salt and light in this area.

Justin climbing a Baobab tree near the church.

He got up pretty high considering he wasn't using a rope or anything to help him.

One of the church leaders at this church owns Donkeys so Hannah and Justin decided to go for a little ride. Justin is convinced that we need one in our yard too. Ha Ha!

This is Itope Baptist church. There were about 110 people in this small church. Can you imagine?

Doesn't she look too prissy to be out in the bush??