Oh how we need You!

"I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."  John 10:11

Paul and I have come across so many needs!  Today, I found out more about my kids’ best friends, here - the Congolese refugees. Eighteen months ago, they and their parents were put in prison because they crossed into Zambia without passports.  They were fleeing their country out of desperation for safety.  The father was a driver for the opposition in the Congo.  They fled to the Rwandan border where the corrupt leaders found and captured them.  Their mother was 9 months pregnant.  They raped her and beat her.  Her baby in the womb did not survive.  The father was badly beaten.  The kids witnessed all of this.  The family fled to Zambia.  Once they crossed the border, they were put in prison because they did not have passports.  The children were put in prison along with the parents for 3 months. (The parents are STILL in prison. This is unjust!)  After the 3 months, the social services department called the missionaries about the 4 boys, and they began fostering the kids.  Not only did the kids have the emotional difficulties to deal with, they were also physically neglected.  Because of the terrible prison conditions, the kids had tapeworms, ring worm, and were not cared for properly.  The parents are scheduled to be out of prison in a month.  As of now, the Zambian government is wanting to send them back to the Congo, where the father will be executed.   The missionaries here are trying to go through the UN to keep this from happening and the magistrates in this country.

This morning after I heard about this, I went to my living room and got on my knees and prayed!   There is so much need in this world!  So much heartache and pain!  I prayed for this family with so much sadness and so much awareness of how much I need a Savior in this dark and desperate world!   Please pray for this family, that they will not be sent back to the Congo but to a safe environment. 

Also pray for this region with the upcoming dry season after the drought.  There is no maize crop and the people will be depending on food aid this year.  This is especially hard on HIV patients already struggling with poor health.  It is not for lack of effort, the people work so hard to sustain life here, but food does not grow without rain and whole maize fields stand withered and dry.  Pray that God's people will love and help each other and that more will be drawn to Him and drawn together in this time of need.  

Another need that has come up three times so far is the need for scholarships for education.  Many people here have a genuine desire to do for themselves and help their community but lack the funding for school fees.  One young woman dreams of becoming a teacher in Mwandi and two others of getting an education in agriculture and coming back to help Mwandi cattle farmers.  With better education, these families can improve their livelihood and help their community.  By our standards, their tuition costs are inexpensive - about $600 per year for a teaching degree.  We are going to get some advice on how to help people with university tuition.  This is a very big need here and could easily be met through either loans or scholarships.  We are interested in this because it seems it would build lasting changes here in the community.  Of course, let us know if you have any interest in being involved with this.  Please pray that we can help with these needs in the best way for them.

-Alicia and Paul