February 2015

We are blessed that February started out with rain and more rain....  It does make traveling out more difficult but we need the rain to grow the crops so people can eat.  Our last House moms meeting went well at House of Faith and we are already planning what we might plant with the children next year.  We might try planting our own beans.  We have our plan into place for harvest and how we will do things writing everything down so we know our amounts and if we should do it again.  If everything continues to go well we might not have to buy groundnuts (peanuts) for a year!   There maybe even enough left for roasted snacks each month which means more protein.  They have been struggling with the garden and the way they plant is more like a seed bed they normally don't row up their gardens.  I am trying to encourage them and we will see soon if it paid off with all this rain.... I am learning so much myself and what we should plant in the garden during rainy season and what we should not plant.  As soon as the rains stop we are hoping to expand the garden. The grass wall is truly keeping out the animals well the chickens get in sometime. :) which brings me to another praise we are eating chickens and now have over 60 counting our babies.  The chickens won the battle and do now get out during the day but we won by having a secure place for them at night keeping them safe. 

Michael continues to travel out each Sunday to a different church in the Kalomo District. I'm posting some pictures below to show the excitement he is finding.  

Our last visit in to Kalomo with Royal to see his physical therapist it was decided for us to continue to do all we have learned since October when we started his new routines.  Frances said he had made a 50% improvement but has now slowed.  We are praying he will jump ahead again in a few months.  Pray for our Royal...    

I'm not a morning person but I am learning to love my early morning drives out for Royal's therapy so still and peaceful.... Just one of the sights I saw that morning.  

Well I cant remember the last time we could not cross a river or stream near House of Faith but it happened this month. It was not worth damaging our vehicle to try.  We were on our way out to take payroll and food supplies and wow we could not believe our eyes.  Kalomo did not receive rain at all. We waited for 2 1/2 hours thinking it would go down enough to cross but it actually increased a bit.  We drove back a ways so the cell phone could get reception and called our mom's.  They told us they would come on three bicycles to collect the small items and we would bring the big items our next visit.  Michael started hauling the items across so they would be ready for pickup.  Sibjane one of our 8th graders came on a bicycle to tell us a ox cart was coming.  Another 30 mins later and it arrived so all the items we brought out could be transported to the children.  Thankful for our Moms who get the job done when we ask for their help.

Our new teacher at House of Faith Crytone has a big job.  He has taken a couple of weeks to get to know our kids their strengths and weaknesses.  It has been decided that we should separate our  grade 1s and our 2nd and 3rd graders.  Our grade 1 are so wide open they need direct attention :) Keep them in your prayers to be all the Lord would have the to be and Crytone in your prayers to teach them

February is a hard month to travel out to area churches because of the rains but Michael has been blessed and no travel problems have happened.  Churches have been packed and the Lord is blessing HIS people.

Micheal spent the week out teaching MOT MOT and I spent the week out with the House of Faith kids.  I've started preparing for teams, organizing spaces and working with our moms on more and more organization into theirs and the children's lives.  It has been interesting but I was so blessed to sit with the children in the evenings and hear them recite memory verses.  I was so proud of Momma Rita's house they really knew them and her girls are mostly 7 and under. 
Our field work with the children with the help of the moms and our night workers is really doing well.  I am finally seeing CORN on the hugh stalks.  Our sweet potatoes were a bit late getting planted but should produce something...  We have not had days and days of rain but receiving what has been needed.  Keep praying for good rains at the right times to finish off our crops. 

Early Sunday morning I woke up from the sound of Thunder..  I got up and switched things off  so nothing would be damaged by the Lighting and ask the Lord to LET IT RAIN! Our power went out soon after and it sounded as if it rained very heavy for a couple hours.  Michael was preparing to go to church when I received a call from one of our  moms  that Lemmy a night worker had been injured by an AX and needed to come into Kalomo to the Hospital for stitches.  I don't do well with blood and accidents so I ask Michael if he could go out to pick him up and also I don't like driving in the mud :)  We knew the river would be flooded and we would not be able to get across from the rain so it was planned for him to have someone cycle him to the river for pickup.  Michael called and he could not cross one of the dips in the road going out.  He tried to walk it and he was not even in the middle and it was at his thighs.  He felt the middle was above his waist.  I called and told the housemother to send word to Lemmy at the river Michael could not get out to them that way.  What should we do....   About 30 mins later they called us back and ask that we go a different way and they would again cycle to meet Michael.  It took two friends  2 hours taking turns to cycle Lemmy to a place he could be picked up and carried to the Hospital.  Lemmy was chopping firewood under the children's play shelter becasue of the rain and accidentally his Ax  hit a clothes line under the shelter and bounced  back up hitting his face.  I was so blessed it did not hit his eye and the Hospital stitched  him up very quickly for a Sunday.  Pray for his healing.... I just never know what will be on the other end of a call from our moms. 

Royal had a good visit with his therapist this month and   slowly we are seeing  improvement.  He has changed his whole routine with only chair time for meals.  He wants him to have mat time so he will learn to crawl.  I saw first hand the new strength in his hips, legs and upper body yesterday.   Keep Royal in your Prayers HE will walk one day. 

Our crops the children and moms have planted are doing well but we need more rain soon !  Please keep heir harvest in prayers and for encouragement for all their hard work on this.  Everyone is excited to see how the Lord will bless.  

Sunday church visits have also been blessed.  It is wonderful visiting friends in so many areas.  The rains have not been heavy this year so traveling out has not been a problem. 

Hand washing the children's clothes always takes it toll but it seems this rainy season has been much harder than others.  Our moms took the afternoon to look and dig for items to get us through until May when we give out Winter clothes.  Always something to do or get done.  I'm thankful for our Moms.... 

We spent a day at House of Hope so Michael could check in on the project there and I needed to buy Kapenta (small fish)  for the children.  It was a long HOT day there has been no rain there for a month....  It was so nice to see Sheri for a short time she was teaching English at a nearby school,  Momma Lizzy the children and the Lake.  The 4th Bicycle that was donated from our friend and Pastor from Livingstone went to House of Hope.  It is such a blessing for her  to cycle to buy veggies instead of walking :) The first picture is of the Kapenta fish drying in the sun then a beautiful view of the Lake and then our sky view traveling back to Kalomo and then Mamma Lizzy with the bike.