The Scoop
Unfortunately, not quite as sweet as ice cream… Susie and I both failed.
So, now what, you ask? (And also ask what God is doing as He is always up to something and if we aren't looking for it, we are sure to miss it)
Well, our AZ (Action Zambia) team is going through a lot of transition right now as two families are going home on furlough and our Zambian Board of Directors has recently become more involved as we try and solidify our ministry (and ministries) here. So, we aren't the only ones asking this question. In the next month or so as each of us as individuals review our ministries here and make goals and plans, please join with us in prayer. One thing our board has asked us is: putting aside the ministries we are already involved in, what ministries should ACTION be doing here in Zambia, what are the needs? This is a huge question and allows us to dream and to look ahead past the five years ACTION has already been in Zambia to where God is moving us in the future. And pray for Susie and I, as well, as we look at what our possibilities are being unlicensed in this country- there are more opportunities than we'd have unlicensed in the US- and as neither of our fortes' is in teaching classes we do hope to find a good spot for us somewhere.
Sorry this news is late in coming (but I'm sure they made good use of your extended prayers), the Ts are home with their two new family members and I hear they are doing just great. My roommate Shannon S. (from the team I brought to Zambia in 2004) arrived safely and is going through orientation with our other new family. After I lived with Megan and Susie in their hut during our transition time in January, Shan and I moved into another hut on the Farm property… with a bathroom! :) Lydia has also joined us girls at the Farm to help MKs (Missionary Kids) transition onto the field for the next three months. Blessings all around.
Teaching is one of those things which isn't the most fun for me to prepare for and to get myself to do, but I've been enjoying the information sharing and the soaking up of information that I see. We've had a good dose of information sharing at Venter lately as they are very close to traditional beliefs. And, while the church is combating that, sometimes they 'just do things' the way they were taught or are every day bumping into someone in the community who is going to the witch doctor. Not all traditional beliefs are negative- some are good- but many are steeped in superstition and witchcraft. You begin to realize how sneaky Satan is- how he slips into people's lives and permeates them so subtly.
Kanyama (Emmanuel Family Home for orphans) has been a really neat site to teach at. Both of the house mothers, Yvonne and Catherine, have had some extra training, so it's a challenge to find new information to teach them that will really be applicable and new for them.
Living Waters school teachers: Betha, Patricia, Ernest, Kaiser, Andalika, Lydia, Barbara, Violet are a joy to be with. They have such huge hearts to serve the Lord through their teaching and we've enjoyed teaching them, answering their questions, following up on their lessons and hearing their successes (and a few failures), and just interacting with them each week.
One more month of teaching exactly and then… what? Well, as I said we are still making plans. Susie and I are planning (along with a nursing student who is coming for three months) to do some traveling around Zambia and even into Zimbabwe to observe and interact with different medical ministries as we look to shaping our own. Please pray for Susie and I as we look for a practical vehicle for a practical price. It has been quite a search these past few months and we'd just really love to find something that we are comfortable with.
And… we are going on vacation. Wait a minute- do missionaries go on vacation? Oh yes they do- and not only that, but after living in the Philippines for a year I realized that vacations are absolutely necessary when in full-time ministry. Megan found us a really awesome deal to fly to Dar es Salaam and all six of us single girls are going to Zanzibar for a week of R&R!
Thank you for your constant prayers on my and our behalf. Spiritual warfare is becoming much more real to me as I begin to see how Satan twists good things to cause divisions. This is his joy- please pray for protection over our team.
In His grace,
Stephanie
So, now what, you ask? (And also ask what God is doing as He is always up to something and if we aren't looking for it, we are sure to miss it)
Well, our AZ (Action Zambia) team is going through a lot of transition right now as two families are going home on furlough and our Zambian Board of Directors has recently become more involved as we try and solidify our ministry (and ministries) here. So, we aren't the only ones asking this question. In the next month or so as each of us as individuals review our ministries here and make goals and plans, please join with us in prayer. One thing our board has asked us is: putting aside the ministries we are already involved in, what ministries should ACTION be doing here in Zambia, what are the needs? This is a huge question and allows us to dream and to look ahead past the five years ACTION has already been in Zambia to where God is moving us in the future. And pray for Susie and I, as well, as we look at what our possibilities are being unlicensed in this country- there are more opportunities than we'd have unlicensed in the US- and as neither of our fortes' is in teaching classes we do hope to find a good spot for us somewhere.
Sorry this news is late in coming (but I'm sure they made good use of your extended prayers), the Ts are home with their two new family members and I hear they are doing just great. My roommate Shannon S. (from the team I brought to Zambia in 2004) arrived safely and is going through orientation with our other new family. After I lived with Megan and Susie in their hut during our transition time in January, Shan and I moved into another hut on the Farm property… with a bathroom! :) Lydia has also joined us girls at the Farm to help MKs (Missionary Kids) transition onto the field for the next three months. Blessings all around.
Teaching is one of those things which isn't the most fun for me to prepare for and to get myself to do, but I've been enjoying the information sharing and the soaking up of information that I see. We've had a good dose of information sharing at Venter lately as they are very close to traditional beliefs. And, while the church is combating that, sometimes they 'just do things' the way they were taught or are every day bumping into someone in the community who is going to the witch doctor. Not all traditional beliefs are negative- some are good- but many are steeped in superstition and witchcraft. You begin to realize how sneaky Satan is- how he slips into people's lives and permeates them so subtly.
Kanyama (Emmanuel Family Home for orphans) has been a really neat site to teach at. Both of the house mothers, Yvonne and Catherine, have had some extra training, so it's a challenge to find new information to teach them that will really be applicable and new for them.
Living Waters school teachers: Betha, Patricia, Ernest, Kaiser, Andalika, Lydia, Barbara, Violet are a joy to be with. They have such huge hearts to serve the Lord through their teaching and we've enjoyed teaching them, answering their questions, following up on their lessons and hearing their successes (and a few failures), and just interacting with them each week.
One more month of teaching exactly and then… what? Well, as I said we are still making plans. Susie and I are planning (along with a nursing student who is coming for three months) to do some traveling around Zambia and even into Zimbabwe to observe and interact with different medical ministries as we look to shaping our own. Please pray for Susie and I as we look for a practical vehicle for a practical price. It has been quite a search these past few months and we'd just really love to find something that we are comfortable with.
And… we are going on vacation. Wait a minute- do missionaries go on vacation? Oh yes they do- and not only that, but after living in the Philippines for a year I realized that vacations are absolutely necessary when in full-time ministry. Megan found us a really awesome deal to fly to Dar es Salaam and all six of us single girls are going to Zanzibar for a week of R&R!
Thank you for your constant prayers on my and our behalf. Spiritual warfare is becoming much more real to me as I begin to see how Satan twists good things to cause divisions. This is his joy- please pray for protection over our team.
In His grace,
Stephanie
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on Thursday, March 1, 2007 at 1:28 PM.
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