December 2016

I spent the day checking in on our  Global  Orphan Relief  school programs in the valley to be sure how the year would end for the kids.  Seems they are doing well and maybe only 3-4 might not make it.  I did not find all the children becasue of the time I visited but it was a good group I got to share with.  I am looking forward to seeing them again in Jan 2017 when the New School year begins.  The Lord is so good!

 Our second trip to Lusaka for Victor' Adenoid surgery went well even though they canceled the surgery at the last minute   becasue of his breathing.  House mom Mary was told to return in 10 days.  When I arrived thinking Victor should be out of surgery any time I found them packed and ready to depart.  What is happening...  I ask.  I sat and waited for the Dr to speak with me after all the other morning surgery.  He told me it was found his breathing was bad and they felt he could not be put under.  I shared with him his breathing was really good and he had just come off an antibiotic  just Monday before the Wednesday surgery, If this was not good for surgery then maybe he can not have the surgery. He checked his file and found no fever  two days before  surgery and no fever now.  He shared a little boy was fighting for his life becasue he had a throat condition   that Victor was thought to maybe have.  It would be dangerous  to put him under.  I shared I did not  want him to be put in any danger but if they were waiting for his breathing to become better It did not get any better than this right now today.  He share he would give a bit of meds to check his throat before putting him under to make sure the tube for surgery would not give him any trouble and if things looked ok they would go forward  at the afternoon surgery session.  Mama Mary and I prayed and waited and waited.  He returned about 5:00pm very sleepy still and the surgery was a success.   His breathing sounded better already.  The Dr was very busy and Michael needed me to pick him up at the Church Conference He was attending so I will need to get details of what they found in Victor's throat on our review appointment in Jan.  When we first received Victor the Dr thought he had a rare case of Tract .  Thankful to get this updated from the Dr in Jan and so Thankful he is not a CP child...  Pray for this little guy to keep moving forward. 

Just before the rains you can see popping out all around the bush the most beautiful red  snowballs.  As we travel from place to place  I look to see how many I can spot.  I found these on the way to the children's home :)

I have met again with Olivia this month and she is improving nicely .  I shared she needed to thank the Lord for her life, she could have departed this earth with her blood so low.  I was very happy to find her and her sister in Church Sunday.  I know the Lord has a plan for her...  praying she will see it what ever it may be. 

Remember that shipment of clothes from The Celebration Center?  Well we have started passing them out to the children.  I was so blessed  with the truly amazing gift that we have received.  So many items that were sent are so hard to find at the market still in good condition.  I am even set for our winter months June July and August with the hooded sweatshirts, socks, underwear and winter PJ's. What a blessing.  A huge box of cloth diapers plastic pants and baby clothes of all sizes....  The first pictures are at House of Hope receiving their clothes. They will be looking so nice for Christmas  Thank you Celebration Center for this huge blessings of NEW Clothes for our children.  

Michael had to go and check in on a project by the Lake and said lets take the children...  I thought the Discovery was  not big enough but there is always room for one more here and we got every one in.  They  had a great time playing in the sand and the water.  Seems we could tell this was something they missed that Sheri did with them each week.  When we arrived back to the children's home they requested to have their Christmas party Lake side...  So we said Lake side it will be :) 

Many of our House of Faith children are visiting relatives for their holiday month so I started giving out clothes from The Celebration Center and then decided to wait until Christmas when all the children would be there.  Here are a few pictures of what we did do.  The rest will happen just before our  Christmas party. 

We have upgraded our chicken shelters for the rainy season and are proud to say we now have over 60.  We are just doing it the village way and that number does not count our little ones :) 

Not sure how this guava tree survived  it was planted  years ago and the cows and goats ate all the rest but this one right beside the garden is finally producing  Fruit! We are so thankful for the fence all around us now that keeps the animals out and we have more trees planted...   

While in Lusaka for Victor's surgery our kids at House of Faith plowed and planted with our first rains.  So excited the children are learning first  hand what is needed to grow a crop.  This past week we took a look at their field and we saw Green corn popping up all over their field.  The will plant  sunflower  after Christmas. 

Michael and Justine cut some BIG branches in the tree near our solar pump house. I just missed them up in the tree sawing but you can tell this was a big job.  Michael is happy we will receive the most sun possible on our solar panels now.

Royal seems to be struggling to wear his new leg braces more than 20 mins at a time.  Mama Daisy said maybe once a day he can for wear them up to 40 mins or so without complaining.  Mama Daisy now has a book to log into what is happening each day so we can report to our PT our first week in January visit.  I found some leggings in town to help protect his legs from the braces and he loves his new shoes we got him in Lusaka.  Keep Royal in your prayers as we try and move him forward in life.

After we returned from Lusaka I started shopping for our Christmas Celebrations at both House of Faith and House of Hope. Treat bags full of sweets and goodies. Staff gifts and shoes for all the children. 90 treat bags total.  I put their names on the bags so the children know if it is theirs.  I learned this lesson the hard way one year.

Thank you again Engedi Church for all the footballs you have brought us.  The children love school breaks and play time. 

Michael's Sundays out have been great this month! Testimonies   of the Lord's goodness abound.  With rainy season it gets interesting   traveling out on Sundays with overflowing rivers and slippery paths. Thankful in almost 23 years here we have never been stuck so bad (yes we have been stuck) that we had to stay overnight in the bush :)   He has truly been with us.

Back in November I ask our creative teacher Ronald if he thought he could make a manger or a shelter out of our solar panel cardboard boxes.  He said he would give it a try and see what he could do ...   Well to my surprise   several of our boys helped him come up with just what was needed for our Christmas program!  Complete with animal poop :)

December is always a busy month preparing for everything needed for Christmas at both sites.It normally keeps my mind busy so I don't think of missing family to much but it has been harder this year, maybe I am just getting older and as I look back I am one blessed lady who can work for the King but my thoughts go toward all I have missed in my families lives.  Pray for me this new year that I will have peace where the Lord has planted me.
Back to Christmas.  The children received their new shoes and  more new clothes from The Celebration Center in Richmond VA. They loved showing them off in front of the camera. What a amazing gift this shipment of clothing has been and will continue  to be into 2017. 

 The past several years a donor has sent us $1000 to divide among our house mothers to help with their seeds and fertilizer . They each receive $100 in Kwacha and the left over money is divided   between  our other staff at both sites.  What a blessing this has become and a wonderful help for our house moms who are widow's.  You can see the joy on everyone's faces moms and staff...  Thank you so much for this gift of love for the moms who love and raise our kids.

Our oldest worker who walks each day to wash our children's clothes at one of our houses was  so excited for her special blessing she jumped up to give a shout of praise and Thank you!

We then gave out staff gifts and house mom gifts.... 

Michael opening our time together before our Christmas play with our teacher Ronald.   We then saw Mary and the angel appeared before her and then Joseph. Joseph fell to his  seat when the angel appeared! Then we heard  a noise at the back and Mary and Joseph entered and Mary was on a donkey :)  Such excitement was in the room!

Joseph is our strongest young man and he was a wonderful donkey for Mary, another noise at the door and we saw our young children as sheep with the shepherds seeing the star!

All the children did a great job!  Sacha was a great angel.

Then it was time for treat bags and CAKE.  Christmas here in Zambia has always been a big Christmas meal, a new piece of clothing and maybe new shoes and if you also received Chocolate CAKE and sweets it was complete. Our children are very blessed to receive  them all.  They even have special fritters Christmas morning with powered sugar :)  kinda like a donut.

We had 4 extended care kids come to our Christmas party.  Our young men are growing up fast!  Blessing, Castro and Dereck. Namoia  also atteneded but I missed her for a picture.

My camera is not working well and getting family house pictures was not easy but this is what I have. Mama Mary's house Joseph was not with us . Mackmore was taken to the Hospital after our Christmas party with an infection in his eyes.  Drops were given but he could barely open his eyes for our party.

Mama Daisy's house Chimuka was not with us.

Mama Ethel's house

Mama Rita's house

Our two boys who had been visiting relatives Chimuka and Joseph who missed group pictures.

Our trip was delayed Friday to the valley so we had to go early Christmas Eve to House of Hope.  It's a HOT place so we needed to arrive early for games Lake side before it became to HOT.  The children had a wonderful time running and jumping.  Most of the activities were very close it was girls against  boys :) before we departed they received their Christmas shoes and I passed out staff gifts. Mama Lizzy was also blessed with her Christmas money from the states.

We saw in the distance a few older men watching what we might be doing and then a crowd of about 12 younger boys sat and watched us.  I ask the children if we should invite the boys to also play with us?  They said YES so we did  games again with the extra children.  Then lolly pops and bubble gum for everyone becasue everyone was a winner :) 

After our second set of games had finished Uncle Mike shared the Christmas story with everyone and mama Lizzy made sure they all understood the story.  The boys ask if they could meet us again tomorrow morning for some more Christmas FUN.  It was a special time Lakeside Christmas Eve 2016.

Over the years when our children were small if we were near water Michael would always say just let them get their feet wet! It's  still true today before we departed he said the children need to just get their feet wet.... as always a few got more than their feet wet :)  becasue a splashing event started and well my second camera decided it was time to die so I missed that picture.  One camera at each site this Christmas very strange. 

Mama Lizzy and her kids Christmas 2016 in their new Christmas clothes.

I have been blessed to have Michael in Kalomo for Church services two Sunday's in a row.  Because of camera problems I have not been able to find a few pictures of the new Church plant here in Kalomo but these are of the main Church.  Very different than the grass sheltered churches he normally attends in the village. Christmas service was wonderful. Michael and I were both blessed.