April Update!
Determined to update this blog at least monthly I am making time on April 30th to do the April entry. I can’t believe we have only been back for 2 months as it feels like we have been so busy and here forever again. Risking boredom I have decided to do bullet points to give updates on what your prayers. encouragement, finances, and other support have been growing in Africa!
-We were blessed with Dr. Brian Whitlock coming to help with breeding cows and teaching this skill. Everyone loved him and learned much and we travelled to 4 villages and bred 120 cows and taught during his time here.
-We had a cooperative board meeting the other day and in one year membership has grown to 113! We are breeding 400 cows this year, doing devotions in the bush, providing access to medicines in bush areas by placing small refrigerators in strategic villages that have power, teaching about various human and animal disease prevention, bringing a mobile tick sprayer to the area, and investigating the building of a small shop where they can sell medicines and operate out of. They are making great strides towards self sufficiency and the future looks bright in many ways.
-Dr. Paige Pongratz and her 2 children will be coming in a couple weeks to do devotions and goat clinics in the bush areas. The people are excited about her coming and we will have a busy week teaching and doing labs in the bush.
-I have been preparing my curriculum to teach an animal science course to seminary students at the International Bible College of Zambia (IBCZ) outside Lusaka in June. It is 45 hours of class time over 2 weeks and something I have never done before. The purpose of the class is to equip new pastors and evangelists to be able to bring physical knowledge to their congregations to accompany the spiritual. I am enjoying the preparation and really looking forward to this opportunity as I think it is a great use of a missionary vet!
-Alicia has daily visitors with the formula program and has loved assisting these women in the ministry. It provides such a help in a time of need for these struggling mothers and families.
-The devotions at the farm have been going well and are transitioning to being mostly Lozi led now. We are going daily through the New Testament and are now just starting Romans.
-Homeschool is moving along and we hope to finish up the year just before we have Alicia’s family come to visit in July (a bit behind from our US stay!)
-Alicia’s Mom, sister (Shannon), 3 nieces, and cousin will be coming in July! Thank God for a bigger house to be able to host teams and family!! Everyone is of course super excited about their coming!
-Please pray for Zambia as a nation as elections approach in August. There has been quite a bit of national tension building and we pray for a peaceful election and process. There has also been a series of witchcraft ritual killings this year in the country that have resulted in violent and misplaced retaliation against Rwandan immigrants in the capital city. Pray for calm and that these evils could be overcome peaceably.
-It is so great to hear from so many of you and what is going on back home! We miss you all and look forward to hearing more!
Until next time,
Paul
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| Dr, Whitlock and Fred teaching in the bush |
