Adusting To Life in Zambia

Our hearts are full of praise and encouragement from the Lord as we have seen many answers to prayer. Here are just some:

Kimani & Malaika...

They have been adjusting very well to their new home. We have settled into a daily routine of homeschooling and are provided with an abundance of fascinating creatures to observe in our yard which is a great outdoor classroom. This is the first opportunity that they have actually been able to spend a great deal of daily time outside exploring their surroundings. It is fun to see them with smudges on their faces as they examine strange new insects and bring in flowers and fresh lemons that they have picked from the trees.

God has answered the prayer of courage for Kimani as he fearlessly handles frogs, caterpillars, lizards and the tails of lizards so fresh off its body, that it is still moving (without the lizard!).

Malaika has been taking great delight in digging into dirt and making mud creations after being introduced to geology during school time.

Both children have befriended a stray cat whom they've named Butterscotch (otherwise known as “Scotch the Butter”, by Kamau). They had been praying for a pet even while we lived in the U.S., but they were not able to have one because Kamau, true to his African culture, did not want an animal living in the house. Only the Lord could answer this prayer in such a way that all parties involved are satisfied. The children have an animal to play with that does not live in the house. Perfect solution!!

Kimberly...

Has seen God begin to strengthen her concerning her various fears, especially as it concerns spiders and insects of which there are many. There is a definite sense of a new level of trust in the Lord and growing pains that have to take place in order to adapt to the challenges of living in this new country so very different from the U.S.

Some of the challenges include almost nightly power outtages that often take place during the preparation of dinner and stay out for a couple of hours or sometimes for the whole night. It becames especially difficult because if the power goes, then so does the water since it has to be pumped into the house. This usually means that we cannot cook, bathe,wash dishes or even flush the bathroom.We are learning the importance of preparing the dinner meal in the early part of the day, especially when guests are coming. And speaking of guests, it is customary here in Africa for visitors to drop by unannounced so Kimberly has had an opportunity to strengthen her hospitality skills.

We are also adapting to life without hot water for bathing, doing laundry or dishes, unless we heat the water on the stove. Laundry is done by hand and dried on the clothes line. We have recently learned that during the rainy season, clothes must be ironed if they are hung out to dry outside. This has nothing do with neatness but everything to do with killing the eggs of the putsi fly which likes to lay its eggs on damp clothing. If, by some unfortunate chance one happens to wear an article of clothing that has the eggs on it, the eggs make their way onto one's skin and implant themselves there so that they can feed and develop into maggots. All of this takes place just under the surface of the skin and they are quite painful to remove. Needless to say, some of us that have had a casual, come what may attitude about ironing, have now become quite diligent in performing this vital task!!!!

She praises the Lord for signs of answered prayer concerning the balancing of homeschool, managing the household tasks and ministry. He has provided a very capable team member in Marika Galanis who is gifted in organization and doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done. She is helping to keep Kimberly on task!

Health

We are very, very grateful to the Lord for strengthening our bodies to resist illnesses that could easily plague us. With the exception of some upset stomachs for a couple of days, we have been feeling great! We have also befriended three physicians and they all attend our new church! (How awesome is that!)

Spiritual Growth & Fellowship

The very first Sunday that we arrived in Zambia, God led us to a church where we could grow and develop relationships with local believers. Along with the local Zambian Christians that we have have been meeting, we have also met Christians from Zimbabwe who moved to Zambia after having their farms seized by the government there. Although they have gone through a very difficult and painful time, their hearts are tender to the Lord and they are open to what He is doing in their lives. They are excited about what God is doing in Zambia and desire to take part in some way. We are so grateful to the Lord for answering this prayer of finding a church home and new friends.

Miscellaneous...

We were somewhat apprehensive about driving on the left side of the road before we arrived in Zambia. It turned out that our concerns were real. It really took some getting used to because everything was opposite from what we were used to. We shift gears with our left hand, the turning signals are located in a different place so we kept turning on the windshield wipers by mistake, making turns felt strange, etc. Then add to the mix, speeding drivers on a two lane highway, large slow moving trucks that make it necessary to pass (overtake) frequently, fast moving trucks coming in the opposite direction, people (children as well) walking or bicycling alongside major roads and a nervous wife shouting “WATCH OUT!!! It most certainly makes for a harrowing experience!

Now, due to your prayers and God's faithfulness, we are zipping up and down the highway to and from the city of Lusaka for shopping and hunting for car parts on the infamous Cairo road in the downtown area where underworld and shifty characters hang around, attending church in Liteta, and taking the children to play on the trampolines at a lodge in Fringilla! We are feeling quite comfortable with our new driving skills. What a gracious, kind Lord we serve!

Kamau...

Well, he is here contemplating the ways of God. All he had wanted to do was return to Africa and bring hope and encouragement to orphan and destitute children. He thought he had a fair idea of who and what he is or is not. He knows very well that he is not a construction supervisor or a mechanic, he is not a commercial farmer nor is he one to consult when a road needs to be to be widened and graded. He is just a simple guy with a burden to join the Lord in rescuing and rehabilitating orphans who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS and bring them up in a loving environment conducive to spiritual growth.

He is finding out that in order to rescue the orphans they will need houses to live in and since there are no houses they will have to be built. The children will need food to eat, so the fields will need to be cultivated, seeds will need to be planted to produce crops for the village. In order for the farming and the construction of the cottages to proceed, the road leading into the construction site and the farm will need to made passable, especially now that the rainy season has began. These activities require machinery which has tendency to break down, sometimes too often . With all of this going on, he is asking himself why God, fully aware of his inadequencies, placed him in a position to oversee this undertaking. This is not what he had in mind when he started out, he would never have wanted it, nor would have gone looking for it.

Yet, now that he is here, he realizes that in order for a Village of Hope to exist, it has to be built from the ground up. Many times, Kamau has found himself pulled in so many different directions, stretched almost to the limit, one particular week was very trying due to problems with the with the tractor, the farm tractor is very crucial to the operation, without the tractor operating, all activity at both the construction site and the farm usually comes to a complete standstill. This is because all the building material has to be transported from the storage area to the main construction site. Until recently Kamau had to go out to the nearby farms, on what he now calls "begging missions", to borrow tools when the tractor broke down since we did not have tools of our own. it did help that when he went there, either there were no tools or the farmers were very reluctant to lend there tools to strangers. But praise God! Our church provided resouces towards the purchase of tools which Beth and Jason Stabley delivered when they came to visit with us!!!

Here is an example of what one week looked like:

Monday- The tractor stalled while ripping and the battery had to be removed and taken to Liteta for charging overnight.
Wednesday- The exhaust pipe broke which stopped the ripping from being completed, a farm manager who is our neighbour kindly allowed us to use his arc welding machine and asked one of his men to help us repair it.
Thursday-The front right tractor tyre sustained two punctures while ripping, we removed the tyre and took it to Fringilla for repairs.
Friday- The sharp pointed tooth attached to the middle ripper broke right before the work on the entire 4.7 acres being used for farming was completed. Kamau and the workers went looking for the 5-6 inch broken piece but did not find it. He had to call the person who lend it to him and nervously explain what happened. What a week that was!!!
Kamau believes the only thing that keeps him going is the confidence that he did hear God's call and that God has allowed him to be in a situation where he will need to depend on Him for strength and direction every step of the way.

There is also the process of establishing rules and policies for the Village and the recruiting and interviewing of the house mothers and other employees who will work in various capacities once the children are finally here. (Ah, now this feels more like the comfort zone that Kamau is used to!).

Yet inspite of the challenges, God has been gracious to us, for when we first arrived here last Month in October, the foundation of the first cottage was being laid down, now almost two months later, foundations for the 4 cottages has been completed and the walls are already up on the first two cottages! walls on the third cottage is well under way!

Prayer Requests

You certainly can pray for us, we are right now in the process of completing the first of the two cottages where orphans will be living, the walls on both are up but the roof and the windows have not yet been put into place.

We are also in the process of recruiting house mothers who will be the primary caregivers of the children, this is a critical part of the process since the House mothers will literary be the parents of these orphaned children who have suffered so much trauma through the loss to their loved ones. It is very important that we find godly house parents who truly love Jesus and will likewise love these children as their very own. Please, pray that God will give us discernment and clarity of mind as we seek and interview the house mothers candidates, we are not interested with applicants who just want a job but those who have a heart for God including love and compassion for these children.

As far as our needs are concerned, please pray for an increase in our monthly support to help us meet our daily needs. We also need a vehicle to help with our transportation.
In Lusaka, the city where we usually go for shopping is about an hour each way, having a reliable vehicle will help us in a great way. We have saved about three thousand dollars towards the purchase of a vehicle. We found that buying a car can be rather expensive in Zambia since it is a landlocked country and they have to import very thing from outside. We will need between $7000----$8000 for a used vehicle, please, pray with us and believe God for provision of this need. We are also in the process of applying for a phone and internet service to help with communication. This is a dire need because we are not able to receive or send e-mails when we need to, we usually wait until we are able to travel to an internet cafe.

● There is a major problem with corruption in many African countries, Zambia is no exception. Whenever there is a need to conduct business such as obtaining permits or any legal document in order to facilitate programs or projects which require clearance from the government, it has become an accepted practice to pay bribes. As believers we know that we cannot and will not give in to the pressure to pay bribes. Please pray God will go ahead of us when we have to deal with government offices and to break this stronghold of corruption which is widespread in this country.
● On Monday of this week, Kamau will be going to the Social Welfare office to begin the process of identifying the Orphans & Vulnerable Children (OVCs). This is the government office that we must go through in order to obtain legal custody of the children who will move into our village. Please pray that God willl grant us favor and that all the legal documents we will need will be released in a timely fashion without unnecessary hassle.

Kamau asks prayer for discernment and wisdom for the following areas:
● Supervision of the Village of Hope construction phase and especially for peace when equipment breaks down.
● Balancing grace and firmness as he deals with the 31 employees that work on the both the farm and the construction sites.
● Preparing devotions for the 13 students of the conservation farming and also the general oversight of the the project.
● Setting up the terms of service for house mothers and other employees.
● Interviewing and recruiting house mothers and other employees

Kimberly asks for prayer in the following areas:
● That she would cooperate with God as He continues to deliver her from all of her fears.
● Pray that Kimberly and Marika would continue to strengthen their bond of friendship, bear one another's burdens, submit to one another, encourage one another and pratice patience with one another.
● That Kimani and Malaika would receive all that they need spiritually, emotionally and academically from the Lord.
● That Kimani would develop the skill of focusing on completing one task at a time without being distracted from what he is supposed to be doing.
● Continue to pray that Malaika would receive correction without a spirit sulking and pride but with humility (Kimberly needs to grow in this area as well). Pray that Malaika would learn to be happy for others when good things happen to them.

We are encouraged because we know you will pray about these things and the joy will be ours as see the Lord provide for each need.

With much gratitude for your faithful support and prayers,

Kamau, Kimberly, Kimani, Malaika & our team mate Marika