Lee Traveled to Zambia as planned. There were a few changes along the route, but, many blessings! Here are some updates from the work trip, along with some pictures. We were excited and blessed at the way that the Lord has confirmed the work of our hands, and the heart felt prayers from your lips! One friend sent us this word of encouragement, which is also the prayer of my heart!
Psm. 90:17 "May the favor of the Lord our God Rest on (Lee & the NesTeam); establish the work of their hands, Yes, establish the work of their hands."
We truly felt the Lord's guidance as He confirmed His work in people!
- April 10-11, travel to Africa through Amsterdam. Lee will be meeting at the Schipol airport in Amsterdam for 8 hours with Gracewell Mwansa, who will be travelling from London. Gracewell Mwansa and I ask you to pray for vision, and wisdom, as we go over developing the site at Mapalo. Mapalo Centre Plan
..... Problems with Gracewell Mwansa's visa did not allow our meeting to happen. We did make plans and worked via email. Lee took the 8 hours and visited Kuekendorf and the beautiful tulip gardens that were in full bloom. It is only a short distance from the Schipol airport. I was stand amazed at the beauty of God's creation!
- April 11-12. Lee will fly on to Lusaka, Zambia, via a connection in Nairobi. On the 12th, he will be meeting with Dr. Chipeta and getting supplies for the trip north. Pray for safety, and productive times with the Chipeta family.
..... On to Lusaka, and a good dinner with Dr. Chipeta in Lusaka. His wife, Julliette, was sick at home, but James, Joshua, Caleb and I had a good dinner and time of sharing to catch up on things. Dr. Chipeta is a lecturer at the University of Zambia in Pediatrics, and a major worker in the treatment of malaria in children. He is a faithful brother in Christ, and it has been a blessing to have him with the Training Centre.
- April 13th. Lee drives the MCLTC pick-up from Lusaka to Chengelo at Mkushi, where he will meet Kathrin Hitchcock. He will also pick up a hammer mill there that we will carry to Mbala for ministry. Pray for Kathrin as she prepares to go north for the first time to meet our ministry partners in Kasama and Mbala.
.... After a few hiccups with the VW Pickup from the Training Centre, I drove the 4 hours to Mkushi where it was a blessing to see Kathrin, tired after her first term of work at Chengelo, but excited to see someone from home! The hammer mill was picked up by David Moffat, our friend, and he brought it to the farm. Praise God for a great friend! I was a bit troubled that it was about twice the size and weight of the last hammer mill we purchased some years back. Too big for our little Kaddy VW!
- April 14th. On the road to Kasama via a short stop at a farmer that has seeds for the center at Mapalo. Please pray for safety as we travel the often treacherous roads of Zambia. Safety, freedom from breakdowns and accidents.
.... A restless night thinking about how to get the hammer mill, and us, safely to Mbala, praying about how to best do this, was answered in the morning when David offered to allow us the use of his heavier Toyota Hilux diesel vehicle! What an answer that was. We set off for Mbala after getting things packed up at Kathrin's place. The truck fit everything nicely, and gave us no problems as we drove to Kasama. It was nice to have a travelling companion, keeping me awake for the 8 hour drive. We caught up on family, friends, ministries, frustrations and songs! We arrived safely in Kasama and sunset, and were met by the Powell family, and their many animals and pets! Had a good night of rest.
- April 15th. Worship with our partners at Reach and Touch in Kasama. We are saddened to learn of the death of Benjamin and Jennifer Chibale's first born son. Pray as we mourn with them, and comfort them in this loss.
.... We drove around Chitamba villages meandering paths and finally re-located the house of Benjamin, and the church. Things change so much in the villages! We worshipped with this young church, started by one of our graduates from MCLTC. They are ministering to a very poor community where drinking, prostitution and witchcraft are the main business. God has used their faithfulness to light a beacon of hope in a dark place. We learned that the child who died was the firstborn daughter of Benjamin Chibale by his now deceased first wife. We are thankful that Benjamin and Jennifer's children are well. Kat shared some music with the church, I preached and did a simple committment ceremony for two young people getting engaged! That was a new experience for me!
- April 16th. Kansato Coffee farm survey, and on to Mbala. We will spend some time in the morning at the coffee estate where Thorn Tree coffee imports coffee from. Pray for our time with the Powell family.
.... We drove out the 30 kilometres to Kansato with Luke Powell. He showed us around the coffee estate where Thorn Tree Coffee gets its great coffee! We also discussed the house in Mbala that we rent from them to use for the ministry programs of orphans in Mbala. We are thankful for this link to Zambia, and ministry! Luke has been very helpful. The crop looks good, and they continue to inter-plant nutritious trees with the new plantings. They also are planting Jatropha in some sections, which has the potential of developing bio-fuel. The Training Centre in Mbala has also been planting this tree for the future! In the late afternoon we set off for Mbala. The road was very treacherous and pot-holed, but, the Lord sustained us, and the Toyota! We met an american missionary family broke down on the road, and stayed with them for a while until help arrived. That made us arrive after dark.
- April 17th-20th. In Mbala! It is always good to be home again. These days will be spent surveying and working on the Mapalo Centre project. Kathrin will also review the financial books of the training centre, and, Lord willing, have opportunities to share in ministries of music with our ministry partners. We will be staying at the Centre, and Tupoze Care Centre. There is much to do! Pray for the time to go well, and for the Lord's guidance in all we do. Pray for our ministry partners who labor under very hard circumstances.
.... Very busy week! Kathrin camped out at the orphan centre at Tupoze, and I settled in at the Training Centre where a constant flow of work and meetings came to me. We spent several days working on the new site at Mapalo, meeting headmen in the village, planning with our board the construction, discussing building plans, and, the most important part, we were successful in meeting with a Zambian farmer who had stood in the way of getting water over his farm to the new site! The Lord opened the door, and we finally secured an agreement with him. The water will serve not only our site, but the village at Makola, and the primary school of 500 students nearby.
We also met with health and community officials to work out details on ministry to Mpulungu and Mbala. We are thankful for Florence Mwale, a wonderful Christian woman, District Health Director for Mpulungu, and her committment as a board member at MCLTC. We will be putting in a community health centre at Mapalo, as well as incorporating a program for the village health workers in the district.
- April 21st ! Graduation Day and dedication at Mapalo! We have the honor of sharing in the graduation of students from the various Training Centre programs. 8 ministry students, 12 orphaned vulnerable children in the Life Skills program, and 12 tailoring students from the community. Pray for these graduates as they go out to transform their communities!
- A Day of Celebration and Dedication! This day is a long awaited one! Church, community and traditional leaders will be coming from all over the Mpulungu and Mbala area, as well as the country, to dedicate the new Centre site at Mapalo. Choirs are coming to join the celebration, and we may spend the night in prayer, asking God's presence and blessings! Pray with us! God is doing a great thing! Pray for Kathrin as she ministers through music and testimony!
.... Truly a blessed day! We graduated 40 from the Ministry and Life Skills program! Rejoicing along with the community and churches of the area. Kathrin and village choirs filled the air with praises! God continues to give direction to the Training Centre to be a catalyst for transforming the communities of Mbala and Mpulungu.
.... We then made our way the 15 kilometres to the new centre site at Mapalo, and committed that place to ministry! We all walked the site praying for what God will be doing here in the years to come as hearts are mended from the physical and spiritual battles that have been depressing the area. I stood at one point where I know children will be coming for healing, and prayed for them!
- April 23rd. Back to Kasama, and points south! After the busy time in Mbala, we prayerfully ask you to petition for the time needed to follow up plans made, and needed ministry details.
.... Zambia is a country of wonderful people, and beautiful waterfalls! We visited the 800 foot hight Kalambo Falls on the Tanzania border with a group of our friends from Mbala. In Kasama is the beautiful Chishimba Falls. After the busy schedule in Mbala and Kasama, we spent a few hours just enjoying God's creation at Chishimba falls. God is an awesome, and wonderful Creator that has given us the ability to enjoy His creation.
- April 24th to 26th. Return travel to Chengelo went well and we safely arrived back at Kathrin's new home. Pray for Kathrin as she gets some break time, and quiet time, to rebuild her energy for the new semester. God is using her in a mighty way among the young lives entrusted to her.
- Pray for resources to complete the Vision God has put on the hearts of hundreds as we build at Mapalo a place where grace can shine brightly in communities that are desperate for hope!