simply grateful

Part of our training included moving in for 3 days and 3 nights with a family in the village. We would sleep in their houses, eat what they ate and do what they did.  If they worked in the field, we would too.  If they walked to draw water from the well, we would too.  If they killed a chicken... It was probably the most rewarding part of our 40/40 experience... living in a village, in a hut, with no electricity and running water. (Heather would tell you that this would be my dream location!) Our family was incredibly hospitable to us... we only wish we could speak more of their language as their English was a little limited.  But they were wonderful hosts and teachers. I love the following two pictures.  When we first arrived a bunch of kids gathered on the other side of the bushes to look at the white people.  Elijah was outgoing and tried to engage them in conversation.  These boys did not speak any English.  (Click on any of the pictures be...

At our training they emphasized the importance of doing "Main Thing Things".  As it is in America, we can get so busy here doing "other" things that we forget to do main thing things.  Our priority is sharing the Gospel message and discipling those who come to faith in Christ.  To do that, we must be out with the people we are ministering to, not behind a security fence, closed gate or constantly locked in our office preparing for our next "study". Part of our training in the village was to rewrite our testimonies so that they would speak to the hearts of Africans.  This was particularly challenging and beneficial.  On the assigned day we went out to share our testimonies.  As we were walking three young men stopped us walking down the dirt road toward a village.  As best we could understand from our translator, the conversation went like this: Men:  Where are you going?  We know, you are going to ???'s garden to share something with them...

We left Lusaka and travelled 7 hours by bus to a village outside the town of Petauke.  We spent the remainder of the afternoon getting settled in to our home for the next 12 days.  Our family slept in the big tent and used the smaller tent for our luggage, bathing the girls, and quiet times.  (You can enlarge the pictures by clicking on them) While at bush camp we had no electricity or running water.  Because of that we had to get our water from a nearby well and heat it over a fire for our showers/baths.  Here is a pic of Makayla helping me get water for our family. The structures of the day were much the same as they were in Lusaka with a daily DFA and afternoon processing time and teaching.  For the next 12 days we were paired with our spouse as we went did our DFA's.   Another difference was instead of riding on a bus we jumped in the back of a big truck and rode about 15 minutes to the town of Petauke. After a few days in the town ...

40/40 Lusaka, Zambia When most people think of Africa they think of village life and are surprised to learn that there are large cities in Africa.  We were able to spend 12 days in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, a city of about 2 million people.  Our family stayed at a guest house and had running water and electricity. Most days we were given a daily field assignment (DFA) that helped us learn about life and ministry in Africa.  The DFA's would typically give us a topic for us to interview Africans about.  There were a wide range of topics from medical care to their religious beliefs.  So we would take a bus to our interpreters part of town and interview people on the streets or sit and talk with people in their homes for about 3 hours.  We could not have done it without an interpreter (which is one of the reasons that we will spend our first year on the field in language study!) On Sunday we went to a Church in Lusaka and were surprised by how modern...

We spent the last month in training at 40/40 in Zambia.  It is a training for missionaries who are new to the field to help orient them to culture and general life in Africa.  A typical day would be going out on a daily field assignment (DFA), coming back for lunch, discussing what we observed and learned, and then having a class on life in Africa.  40/40 was mainly broken up into four parts.  First, urban ministry in Lusaka a city of about 2 million.  Then we moved out to a village and learned about ministry in a village setting.  We also had a 3 day home stay with a family in the village and finished up with 3 days at a retreat center discussing what we experienced as well as attending classes that taught us general principles about language learning.  I will be posting blogs (mainly pics with a few stories and explanations interspersed) in the coming days about each segment of our training.  As always, we thank you for your prayers! Here is a...

Our Kids Love Sweet Frogs.  We decided to do our own version of Sweet Frogs in Africa... much to the delight of the kids.  Hope you enjoy the video!   Want to go to a Sweet Frog?  Click HERE to go to their website. If you like the music, it is by Coffey called "The Frog Song" available on iTunes.  While there, check out his whole album, we love it!  

How great is our God?  According to Job 26: He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing. He binds up the waters in this thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke. By his power he stilled the sea By his wind the heavens were made fair Pretty amazing stuff... but guess what, those are but the fringes!  “And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him!  Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”  (Job 26:14)  What an awesome God we serve that these are but a whisper, the fringes of his power!   On Tuesday (Feb. 28) I will celebrate my 24th year walking with the Lord (albeit some years more closely than others!)... and I’m still on the fringes of understanding his magnificence and power.  As I love God, I’m loving him on the fringes of who he is.  Imagine the love I would have if I knew him to the...