40/40 so far...

40/40 is an orientation program for new missionaries coming to serve in our Affinity group. This is probably the smallest group we have had so far since we have been doing it. We only have 19 adults and 5 kids plus staff. We have just completed the first 12 days of the program in Lusaka. In the morning we will head out to bush camp about 6 hours away from Lusaka. While there we will all live in tents, take bucket showers, have no electricity or internet, pump our own water, and have lots of fun learning about African culture. Please pray for us all as we travel and settle into camp tomorrow. You can also pray for good health among everyone. Over in the sidebar is a daily prayer guide for 40/40 if you are interested in seeing what we are doing each day and then praying for us. I have included some pics. below of this first part of the program. Sorry I don't have many pics. of the adults. I will try to get more of them out at bush camp.

While the parents are in class or out in the city the kids also have a program that they are involved in. On this day they went to the crocodile farm and learned about crocs. and snakes. Here everyone is looking down into the Python pit.

Kym is holding Logan in this pic. He was not afraid at all of this snake.

KB holding the brown house snake.

This snake looks like it was posing for the pic. I would much rather see this snake behind the glass than out in the wild.

Karis and Caleb with the turtle.

Olivia

Our tour guide caught this small croc. so that the children could touch it. Here is a pic. of Hannah touching the croc.

There are over 100 of these great big crocs. at this park!

John got out one of the small Pythons for the children to touch.

On another day we took the kids to Adventure City which is a water park. Here Olivia and Karis watched the others go down the slides while they were getting all warmed up in their towels.

KB and Hannah going down one of the slides together.

Renee(our camp nurse) holding Logan as he slept.

Kylie

Hannah and Kylie

KB, Kylie, and Hannah. KB is helping this time with the preschool class and doing a great job!

Caleb and Logan in Jungle Monkeys at Adv. city.

Logan

On another day the kids went to visit a Zambians home.

They tried some Zambian food.

They also learned how to play a game.

Kym is the teacher for this class. She has been teaching at 40/40 for several years. We are so thankful for her sacrifice to come here each time and teach. The kids always love their Aunt Kym!

Kym braids their hair almost every day.

The kids also have to do their school work M-F. So they take the first couple of hours in the morning to do that.

Each morning the participants start the day off with some worship songs and then they get into small groups and have bible study.

On another day the kids went to a local market to practice their bargaining skills that they learned the day before. They each bought something fun.

Random Pics. from this past month

Zach and Justin just went back to RVA today. There flight was delayed a bit so they were able to come back out and eat lunch with us at the airport. The bad thing was that it meant two good-byes. We are so thankful for the month we had together as a family but it always goes by too fast. This time was especially hard as they left because this was Zach's last time here. I imagine he won't come back for a couple of years and then just to visit since he will be graduating high school and starting college soon. This has been his home since he was 5 years old. He came a little boy and he leaves a man. We are so proud of both of our boys. Please pray for them as they study and learn at school and that they would have a good term and finish well. These are just random pics. from this past month.

Zach surfing down the water slide at Adventure City.

Playing soccer with the kids at the seminary.

Sunday afternoon we had some free time during 40/40 so I took the kids along with two of their friends, KB and Luke, to Chongwe so they could see where we live. We weren't there long but we did get to take them down to the river for a little while.

Hannah at the river.

Zach leading the 40/40 group in worship.

One day the Vines came over for some water balloon fun with lots of video and pic. taking. Here are some pics. from the day. These are pretty cool pics. I think. Good job, Lesley!

This one Kenny and Zach were on top of the house. Kenny was supposed to drop the balloon on Justins head and Zach was supposed to video it. Every time the balloon went in front of Justin. It was hiliarius.

I love this pic.. I am just jealous that I didn't get to throw it.

Justin is holding a mug he made at school which is very creative. It is in the shape of his initials, JR. It even has a handle and a straw. Yes, it is a little big!

We planted this orange tree back in 2005. Here is Justin picking our very first orange this past week.

Zach letting Tyler play his guitar.

Kevin, Zach, and Justin

Hannah giving Zach a foot massage. She loves it when her big brothers are home!

New Beginings

This past Thursday when I went out to visit with the women at Chimusanya I had a surprise for them. I was not going to be the speaker on this day. Lesley has been studying Chinyanja since this past July. Today she was going to teach for the first time. She taught on how to lead your child to salavation. As parents we have the responsibility to teach and pray for our children. Even when they are very young we can begin praying for our children's salvation and teaching them stories from the Bible. So that when they get older and can understand the gospel they can receive for themselves the free gift of salvation.
Pray for Lesley as she continues to study Chinyanja these next couple of months. In July her family will be moving to Luangwa to serve.
This was probably my last time to visit these women for a while. I say that because we are about to begin 40/40 this week so I'll be out with that until May 22nd. Then in July we go to the states for our stateside assignment(furlough). After 40/40 I'll probably just visit closer to home until we leave. When we get back from the states(March 2011) we will be moving to the capital city. It makes me very sad to think about leaving Chongwe, our home for the last 10 years. I know we won't be far once we live in Lusaka but it just won't be the same. I have been blessed beyond measure as I have ministered to the women out here. I sure hope that I have taught them a lot but I know for sure that they have taught me so much more. Before I left on Thurs. the women gave me some gifts of corn, pumpkins, casava, bananas, peanuts, and mponda. I was truely humbled by their generosity. Please continue to pray for these women to grow in their relationships with Chirst.

This is Amai Zulu with her twin daughters. She is the pastor's wife at Chimusanya.

Diffusiveness of Life

This is based on Oswald Chambers writing in My Utmost For His Highest.

"Rivers of living water." John 7:38


A river touches places of which its source knows nothing, and Jesus says if we have received of His fulness, however small the visible measure of our lives, out of us will flow the rivers that will bless to the uttermost parts of the earth. We have nothing to do with the outflow - "This is the work of G0d that ye believe. . . ." G0d rarely allows a soul to see how great a blessing he is.

A river is victoriously persistent, it overcomes all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, then it comes to an obstacle and for a while it is baulked, but it soon makes a pathway round the obstacle. Or a river will drop out of sight for miles, and presently emerge again broader and grander than ever. You can see G0d using some lives, but into your life an obstacle has come and you do not seem to be of any use. Keep paying attention to the Source, and G0d will either take you round the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of G0d overcomes all obstacles. Never get your eyes on the obstacle or on the difficulty. The obstacle is a matter of indifference to the river which will flow steadily through you if you remember to keep right at the Source. Never allow anything to come between yourself and Jesus Christ, no emotion, or experience; nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.

Think of the healing and far-flung rivers nursing themselves in our souls! G0d has been opening up marvellous truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is an indication of the wider power of the river He will flow through us. If you believe in Jesus, you will find that G0d has nourished in you mighty torrents of blessing for others.

Correcting our children

I continued on with the theme of teaching our children, at the womens meeting. This week we focused on correcting and punishing our children. Sometimes our children will disobey the rules we have set in our home. So when this happens we have to correct and punish our children. We punish them because we love them and we want to show them the right way. Even the Lord punishes sometimes. He corrects us and shows us when we do something wrong(Prov. 3:11-12). God reproves those whom he loves. God expects parents to punish their children too. How else will our children learn to obey? We do have to be careful that we don't punish in anger though. When you punish in anger you are not thinking of the child just yourself. Your child should know that you still love them. Your punishment must be firm but just. It should not be too harsh.
All children will rebel from time to time. Even if parents are wise and kind, children will still try to get their own way and disobey. This is because of the sinful nature in each of us. Proverbs 29:15,17 says, "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother...Discipline your son, and he will give you rest, he will give delight to your heart." I told the women that I know that it is not easy to teach our children when they rebel. Sometimes we feel angry and discouraged. We feel like letting the child just go and do whatever. We don't like to argue and we feel tired sometimes. I encouraged the ladies to not give up on thier children. They need to pray each day and ask God for his help and strength.

There really doesn't seem to be a lot of discipline in the home here in Zambia until the children get older. Like I mentioned before it is often a beating-not time out, spanking, taking away something, etc. One time this past year a boy a little older than Hannah was not treating her right. I went to the mother to let her know and right there in front of me she started beating her son. I was horrified and felt so bad! While I did think he needed to be disciplined and instructed in the right way to treat a girl I did not want him to be beaten like that. Please pray that these women I am teaching have learned the correct way to punish and will do it out of love for their child.
It was so sad because during the question time one of the women asked me what she could do with her child who was drinking. She went on to explain that he was 16 years old. He doesn't go to church with the family. When she tries to discipline him in any way he will beat her. Can you imagine? If you would right now, could you pray for this woman and her son.

Are you teaching your children when they rebel, or do you let them get their own way?

Livingston trip-part 3

After all the excitement from our morning adventure we went to see Victoria Falls in the afternoon. We have been several times to the falls but this time was the most water and spray that we have ever experienced there. We all got soaked! Enjoy the pics. of God's creation!

Isaiah 44:3b-4 NIV “I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, arid my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.”

Psalm 93:4 NIV “Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea —the Lord on high is mighty.”

Isn't God mighty to create something so beautiful for us to enjoy?

Ecc.12:1 LB “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and no longer enjoy living.”

The boys drinking in the mighty Zambezi!

This is the bridge where people bungee jump. Zach was going to do this but the power was off one day so they had no way of pulling him back up. Then the next day it was raining. Oh well, next time.

I love this pic. of the kids before they crossed over the bridge with the rainbow in the background.

When we crossed the bridge it was like we were in a tropical storm. There was so much water pouring on us. I was wearing a raincoat and got soaking wet anyway! When Kevin and I crossed back over Justin and Hannah were just sitting in the middle of the bridge enjoying the spray!