Life Going On

Sorry for not writing for a couple weeks! Things here are going well and we have been very busy. The cattle AI program is in full swing with trips nearly every other day into the bush to work cattle in places that have been difficult to reach at times with the rain. Home school is in a good routine and Alicia and the kids are starting to get more involved in the OVC. We have a wonderful couple from Canada in for a couple weeks to help with the AI project also that we have been spending time with. Life is slower here but only because it has to be- there is no shortage of the work or things to do!

Isaac has been staying up late to get his school done so he can go with me to the bush to work cows and has been so very helpful drawing up vaccines and being a runner for the team. “Isaac, Isaac!” the men call out and keep him busy. He wears his huge Bear Grylles knife and someone always needs to borrow it. I am so proud of him and he seems much happier now that he has been helping with the project. This morning as we headed out he and I saw a huge croc in the river by our house- the first we’ve seen in Mwandi, pretty awesome!

Ethan is always happy and has been perfecting his donut recipes with Mom. He and Alicia have made donuts a couple times that rival anything at Crispy Creme. The rest of us are in heaven- we all benefit from Ethan’s sweet tooth sometimes. He has been on a couple close to home farm calls with me and loves the work and animals.

Rachel is doing well too. She had a close encounter with a dog one morning and has been a little nervous around them since. There are dogs everywhere here and they are generally nice, but intimidating to a very short 5 year old. She is whittling now all the time with a small knife and has not cut herself yet. The things she does at 5 that we would have never let the older ones do…

I am starting to see a scratch beyond the surface of the culture and people here. I am seeing the needs around me and slowly beginning to think about how to be part of solutions. The drought is so bad that there will be people dying this year with the combination of malnutrition and HIV. Anything we can do to help the animals survive the people are extremely interested in and thankful. The men I have been able to work with have been great and getting to know them has been wonderful. As I get to know individuals I see more ministry opportunities open up talking about family and issues that affect them physically and spiritually.

The other day coming back from the bushes we picked up a lady who had been in labor for 2 days with her first child. As we drove for 2 hours in the potholes and river beds of the bush we often had to stop for her to vomit out the window. I felt so bad for her but the only thing we could do was drive on. We dropped her off with her mother at the hospital in Mwandi and I heard the next morning she had her baby and both were okay. I am thankful for daily simple opportunities like this to be a blessing to someone. When we have so much it is so easy to help in major ways. Ephesians 2:10!!

I think I will end there- look for an addition from Alicia soon!

-paul

Isaac at his vaccine station in Mugumwy

The family walking to church

Kids in Mugumwy in school?  I told them to do the pose, nothing cultural here.

-Cats update…I had a dream the cats lost and I was giving Cal a hug in the parking lot and he wouldn’t let go. I woke up at 4:30 am and turned on my phone and they had lost, weird huh? Can you really bleed blue? Glad we are here, it was depressing but easier to forget about. Sorry to all my cat fan friends in the states- I know it was harder for you, no one here reminds us about it.