(Far Left) Kimani & Malaika in the corn field at the village.
(Below) The oxen at the village. The red one was not happy that Kamau was taking its picture.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
February & March Update
These last two months have been very busy yet an exciting time for us! God has been doing wonderful things in a variety of ways! We have received lots and lots of rain which begin in November last year. The landscape is a beautiful rush green as far as the eye can see! Quite a far cry from October when we first arrived here and the vegetation was scorched brown and the heat intense.
We would like to share some of the things which the Lord has been doing this month:
Village Construction:
The walls and the roof on the fourth and the last cottage of the first phase have been installed Kitchen counter tops on the first and second cottage are already in place there is yet a lot to be done but we are encouraged to see the beginning of this process.
We are very grateful to God for the provision of $12,000 towards the installation of the power lines and the transformer which will enable us to access power into the children's village! We made the necessary payment to Zesco, the local power company on the last week of February.
The Farm
The Farm is doing great!!! Thanks to God for the rains and the 11 conservation farming students who have been working diligently. The corn has matured and twice we have gone to the farm to obtain fresh honest to goodness corn for meals! Being a city girl, Kamau had to show Kimberly how to break off the corn from the stork. In our January update you may recall a picture we sent of Kimani and Malaika next to the corn which at that time was up to their ankles, now however, the corn is much higher than even the adults! The other crops we have on the farm such as sunflower, cassava, soybeans and groundnuts are also doing very well.
Another addition to the farm are two oxen which we obtained during the beginning of February. We plan to use the oxen to plow the farm in readiness for the next planting season this year. They will need to be broken and trained before we can use them. We figured that this would be a more cost effective way of plowing the farm instead of using the tractor because fuel is outrageously expensive here. One gallon of diesel cost $5 dollars(petrol $6 a gallon) we usually spend $75 round trip to Lusaka which is only an hour away, you can bet we don't go often! Another reason we decided using the oxen is a win win situation is that we can “eat them” when we are no longer able to use them at the farm. But don't tell this to Kimani and Malaika, they think it would a terrible tragedy to eat such cute things, Kamau though begs to differ, he thinks they are palatable.
Another wonderful blessing we received on February 24th is a machine called Vitagoat designed in Canada but manufactured in India because it is cheaper to build it there. The beauty of this machine is that it was designed for use in a village setting without the need to use electricity nor generator. All one needs to process soybeans into milk is a simple bicycle like pedaling machine to grind soy which has been pre-soaked the previous night for 6-8 hr. The soy beans are then put inside a specially made cooker which is heated upto110celus using either firewood or charcoal. Two Canadians technicians came to help setup and also trained the Conservation Farming students on it's use. We have since been using this machine to process soy into milk, it really tastes good! The milk is also rich in protein! We also make tofu from the milk processed from the beans. We have also used the Vitagoat machine to make peanut butter and tomato paste. The machine can also be used press the sunflower seeds into cooking oil and to make mango puree including grinding corn into flour which can be used to make Nhsima, a local staple food in most parts of East and Southern Africa. The abundance of the food at the farm and now the machine to process it means that there will be plenty of food available when the children finally arrive at the village.
Community Outreach
We have been so grateful for the opportunity that the Lord has provided for us to begin to have a weekly Bible club at the local community school close to where our children's village is located. Once a week on Tuesdays, Kimberly teaches two classes of students. One group is fourth and fifth grade students and the other group is seventh and eighth grade, each class has about 30 students. The pastor's wife of the church that we attend, Mary Zulu, team teaches with Kimberly in order to translate into the language of Bemba. Kimani and Malaika have been attending as well so that they can have the opportunity to learn about proclaiming the Good News.
The excitement and attentiveness on the faces of the younger children as the lessons are being taught is very evident. At first they were very shy as we began to interact with them and many still are, but more and more we are able to engage them, especially during game time. Both Kimberly and Mary have been experiencing great joy in being able to share the Gospel in this way to the children. We have noticed that the younger group is more eager to hear, where as the older group at times seems less so. This convinced us even more that there is a sense of urgency to reach young children with God's truth while their hearts are still tender.
Also, each day during the week, morning devotions are held for the 36 farm workers and the 11 Conservation Farming students. What a wonderful blessing that every day they are able to hear the Word of God before the begin their work day!
Fellowship
There is a very dear group of believers from Zimbabwe that have befriended us. During the month of February we formed a care group and began to meet together every other Friday. Currently, we are reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren which is a wonderful study on understanding and applying the truth of why we are here: to glorify God and honor Him through the use of our gifts, abilities, talents, resources, everything that He has given us.
Animal Encounters
Lions & Hyenas
We have also enjoyed some interesting animal sights as well . We were able to visit a local game reserve for the first time. There were two memorable sights that stood out during out visit. The first was seeing lionesses and hyenas interact with another. They were each in their own fenced in enclosure but they were still able to come face to face with one another. It was fascinating to watch them as they irritated each other. Actually it was very amusing to see that all the hyenas did to provoke the lions was to walk back and forth in front of the fence and stare at them. They did not make a sound but the lions were furious and were roaring at them in a burst of rage!
The guide also brought it to our attention and demonstrated that when an adult person approached the fence where the hyenas were, they backed away in fear. However, when Kimani and Malaika got out of the truck and approached the fence (not too close, mind you!), the hyenas showed great interest in them and began to move forward to get a closer look at them. They were not afraid of the children at all. They were probably thinking, “Hmmm, just the right size for a morsel!”
Elephants
Another delight we received at the game reserve was to see a small family of elephants cross the road just as were were leaving the park. We had looked for them earlier but they could not be located. When we saw them, the guide stopped the vehicle so that we could take pictures and get a better look at them. Kamau got out of the truck to get photos of them and he was able to get pretty close. As he was taking the shots, the baby elephant decided that Kamau was a size that he could handle and he began to charge him! It was very cute to see this small baby of an elephant behaving in such a tough manner!
Monkeys
On our way to church one Sunday, we were able to see a family of monkeys gathered in some trees . They had grayish brown fur on their bodies and white fur on their faces. We believe that they may have been grivets which are very common in this part of Africa. Kimberly was so excited she almost scared them away. One of the monkeys began to fuss quite loudly as we sat there and watched them. It was a great way to start our day as we marveled over the wonder of God's creatures.
Oxen
Once again Kamau found himself as an object of wrath when he and a couple of guys had to wrestle one of the oxen to the ground in order to apply medication to its injured hoof. The next day, he happened to pass by where the ox was grazing and either the ox has a very good memory or he retained his scent or whatever but he seemed to have remembered Kamau as one of his tormentors because he came charging at full blast. After the episode with the ox, Kamau is really glad that he is NOT the one training nor breaking them!
Praise & Prayer Request
Praise: The amount needed of $8000 to install electrical power at the village has been provided!
Prayer: We have read reports of the power company delaying the installation of power for up to three years even after the customers have paid the amount needed for service. This is, of course, most outrageous. Please pray that God will give us favor and cause the process to move along in a timely manner.
Praise: All four cottages are now up.
Prayer: Please for the provision of funds to complete the plumbing, windows, doors and furniture in all of the cottages.
Praise: The outreach opportunities that God has provided among the 36 farm workers, the 11 students and the children at the community school.
Prayer: Pray that the lives of each and every one of these souls will be transformed to become faithful disciples of Christ. Please also be praying for Kamau, Pastor Zulu and Mr. Phiri as they lead the morning devotions and for Kimberly and Mary Zulu as they teach the Bible club at the community school.
Praise: Malaika became ill with high fever, diarrhea, and headaches two weeks ago. We are very thankful that the Lord led us to take her to the doctor in time for him to diagnose her with malaria and prescribed immediate treatment. She is doing much better now. Thank God also that the rest of us have not been seriously ill since we arrived.
Prayer: It seems that Malaika becomes sick more easily here in Zambia that when she was in the States. At the moment she has a rash of fine bumps that turn into sores all over her body. Please pray for God's healing and protection upon her.
Thanks for praying & May God bless you,
Kamau, Kimberly, Kimani & Malaika
We would like to share some of the things which the Lord has been doing this month:
Village Construction:
The walls and the roof on the fourth and the last cottage of the first phase have been installed Kitchen counter tops on the first and second cottage are already in place there is yet a lot to be done but we are encouraged to see the beginning of this process.
We are very grateful to God for the provision of $12,000 towards the installation of the power lines and the transformer which will enable us to access power into the children's village! We made the necessary payment to Zesco, the local power company on the last week of February.
The Farm
The Farm is doing great!!! Thanks to God for the rains and the 11 conservation farming students who have been working diligently. The corn has matured and twice we have gone to the farm to obtain fresh honest to goodness corn for meals! Being a city girl, Kamau had to show Kimberly how to break off the corn from the stork. In our January update you may recall a picture we sent of Kimani and Malaika next to the corn which at that time was up to their ankles, now however, the corn is much higher than even the adults! The other crops we have on the farm such as sunflower, cassava, soybeans and groundnuts are also doing very well.
Another addition to the farm are two oxen which we obtained during the beginning of February. We plan to use the oxen to plow the farm in readiness for the next planting season this year. They will need to be broken and trained before we can use them. We figured that this would be a more cost effective way of plowing the farm instead of using the tractor because fuel is outrageously expensive here. One gallon of diesel cost $5 dollars(petrol $6 a gallon) we usually spend $75 round trip to Lusaka which is only an hour away, you can bet we don't go often! Another reason we decided using the oxen is a win win situation is that we can “eat them” when we are no longer able to use them at the farm. But don't tell this to Kimani and Malaika, they think it would a terrible tragedy to eat such cute things, Kamau though begs to differ, he thinks they are palatable.
Another wonderful blessing we received on February 24th is a machine called Vitagoat designed in Canada but manufactured in India because it is cheaper to build it there. The beauty of this machine is that it was designed for use in a village setting without the need to use electricity nor generator. All one needs to process soybeans into milk is a simple bicycle like pedaling machine to grind soy which has been pre-soaked the previous night for 6-8 hr. The soy beans are then put inside a specially made cooker which is heated upto110celus using either firewood or charcoal. Two Canadians technicians came to help setup and also trained the Conservation Farming students on it's use. We have since been using this machine to process soy into milk, it really tastes good! The milk is also rich in protein! We also make tofu from the milk processed from the beans. We have also used the Vitagoat machine to make peanut butter and tomato paste. The machine can also be used press the sunflower seeds into cooking oil and to make mango puree including grinding corn into flour which can be used to make Nhsima, a local staple food in most parts of East and Southern Africa. The abundance of the food at the farm and now the machine to process it means that there will be plenty of food available when the children finally arrive at the village.
Community Outreach
We have been so grateful for the opportunity that the Lord has provided for us to begin to have a weekly Bible club at the local community school close to where our children's village is located. Once a week on Tuesdays, Kimberly teaches two classes of students. One group is fourth and fifth grade students and the other group is seventh and eighth grade, each class has about 30 students. The pastor's wife of the church that we attend, Mary Zulu, team teaches with Kimberly in order to translate into the language of Bemba. Kimani and Malaika have been attending as well so that they can have the opportunity to learn about proclaiming the Good News.
The excitement and attentiveness on the faces of the younger children as the lessons are being taught is very evident. At first they were very shy as we began to interact with them and many still are, but more and more we are able to engage them, especially during game time. Both Kimberly and Mary have been experiencing great joy in being able to share the Gospel in this way to the children. We have noticed that the younger group is more eager to hear, where as the older group at times seems less so. This convinced us even more that there is a sense of urgency to reach young children with God's truth while their hearts are still tender.
Also, each day during the week, morning devotions are held for the 36 farm workers and the 11 Conservation Farming students. What a wonderful blessing that every day they are able to hear the Word of God before the begin their work day!
Fellowship
There is a very dear group of believers from Zimbabwe that have befriended us. During the month of February we formed a care group and began to meet together every other Friday. Currently, we are reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren which is a wonderful study on understanding and applying the truth of why we are here: to glorify God and honor Him through the use of our gifts, abilities, talents, resources, everything that He has given us.
Animal Encounters
Lions & Hyenas
We have also enjoyed some interesting animal sights as well . We were able to visit a local game reserve for the first time. There were two memorable sights that stood out during out visit. The first was seeing lionesses and hyenas interact with another. They were each in their own fenced in enclosure but they were still able to come face to face with one another. It was fascinating to watch them as they irritated each other. Actually it was very amusing to see that all the hyenas did to provoke the lions was to walk back and forth in front of the fence and stare at them. They did not make a sound but the lions were furious and were roaring at them in a burst of rage!
The guide also brought it to our attention and demonstrated that when an adult person approached the fence where the hyenas were, they backed away in fear. However, when Kimani and Malaika got out of the truck and approached the fence (not too close, mind you!), the hyenas showed great interest in them and began to move forward to get a closer look at them. They were not afraid of the children at all. They were probably thinking, “Hmmm, just the right size for a morsel!”
Elephants
Another delight we received at the game reserve was to see a small family of elephants cross the road just as were were leaving the park. We had looked for them earlier but they could not be located. When we saw them, the guide stopped the vehicle so that we could take pictures and get a better look at them. Kamau got out of the truck to get photos of them and he was able to get pretty close. As he was taking the shots, the baby elephant decided that Kamau was a size that he could handle and he began to charge him! It was very cute to see this small baby of an elephant behaving in such a tough manner!
Monkeys
On our way to church one Sunday, we were able to see a family of monkeys gathered in some trees . They had grayish brown fur on their bodies and white fur on their faces. We believe that they may have been grivets which are very common in this part of Africa. Kimberly was so excited she almost scared them away. One of the monkeys began to fuss quite loudly as we sat there and watched them. It was a great way to start our day as we marveled over the wonder of God's creatures.
Oxen
Once again Kamau found himself as an object of wrath when he and a couple of guys had to wrestle one of the oxen to the ground in order to apply medication to its injured hoof. The next day, he happened to pass by where the ox was grazing and either the ox has a very good memory or he retained his scent or whatever but he seemed to have remembered Kamau as one of his tormentors because he came charging at full blast. After the episode with the ox, Kamau is really glad that he is NOT the one training nor breaking them!
Praise & Prayer Request
Praise: The amount needed of $8000 to install electrical power at the village has been provided!
Prayer: We have read reports of the power company delaying the installation of power for up to three years even after the customers have paid the amount needed for service. This is, of course, most outrageous. Please pray that God will give us favor and cause the process to move along in a timely manner.
Praise: All four cottages are now up.
Prayer: Please for the provision of funds to complete the plumbing, windows, doors and furniture in all of the cottages.
Praise: The outreach opportunities that God has provided among the 36 farm workers, the 11 students and the children at the community school.
Prayer: Pray that the lives of each and every one of these souls will be transformed to become faithful disciples of Christ. Please also be praying for Kamau, Pastor Zulu and Mr. Phiri as they lead the morning devotions and for Kimberly and Mary Zulu as they teach the Bible club at the community school.
Praise: Malaika became ill with high fever, diarrhea, and headaches two weeks ago. We are very thankful that the Lord led us to take her to the doctor in time for him to diagnose her with malaria and prescribed immediate treatment. She is doing much better now. Thank God also that the rest of us have not been seriously ill since we arrived.
Prayer: It seems that Malaika becomes sick more easily here in Zambia that when she was in the States. At the moment she has a rash of fine bumps that turn into sores all over her body. Please pray for God's healing and protection upon her.
Thanks for praying & May God bless you,
Kamau, Kimberly, Kimani & Malaika
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)