Report On The Last 6 Months

I know numbers are not all important but they do give an idea of what is going on and recently I had to complete a report to renew a grant and I thought I should share.

We have artificially inseminated 170 cows in the district with a 58% pregnancy rate expecting about 100 calves this December/January. Our hope was a 50% rate. This was spread out among 57 families in the bush.

The new cooperative started by Dr Toby Hudson has grown to almost 100 members and is now bringing medicine and supplies to farmers in the bush in an ever-increasingly independent manner from outside help.

329 men and women have attended educational meetings in the bush on topics including artificial breeding, anthrax, blackleg, lumpy skin disease, and giving injections. This education is continuing in each of 10 areas monthly and attendance is growing.

@400 dogs have been vaccinated for rabies in an area where human rabies cases are not out of the ordinary.

45 dogs have been spayed or neutered on our dinner table to keep populations under control. A spayed or neutered dog is not multiplying and is a more loyal animal to the family that will keep other animals (unvaccinated dogs) away from the home and children.

Through individuals in the US we have been able to send or assist 4 individuals through educational programs in teaching, medicine and trade school. This has been a wonderful example of the Church helping brothers and sisters who are so less fortunate to be able to help themselves and become a blessing to others in their community and families.

We have started morning devotions on the farm with all the workers and it has progressed to being mostly Zambian led now and even continues on days when I am not around. I learn so much from these humble servants and praying with them about how to reach their community each morning.

The Church in the bush has been strengthened through the programs and we are discussing with UCZ about areas where new church plants are needed that we are working in. During each teaching or workshop we discuss that it is the love of Christ flowing through His people that brings us to each other.

Many relationships have been born and grow here. We have had hard conversations about adultery, alcoholism, dependance, faith, witchcraft, child abuse, and wonderful conversations about people growing in their faith, learning skills and trades, becoming educated, loving children, and leaving patterns of destruction. God has used these relationships to grow us, other missionaries, Zambians and Americans alike.

Thank you for your prayers, interest and support this year. We have not done any fundraising ourselves and yet all of our needs have been met here though our friends and family back home. The things that are happening here are a result of the whole Church following Christ. We feel we are where God wants us for now and we are planning on coming back after a short stay in the US this winter. Often it just feels like such a simple assignment of connecting people with each other or with information or ideas. Truly it is that God does all the work and we are just obedient to what small part He has for us to do. Such a joy to be doing this work. We miss you all in the States though and look forward to being with you soon!


Love,

Paul and Alicia

Ephesians 2:10

Teaching in a bush church

Alicia playing with kids during a rabies clinic