Fires around our house!

fire just down the hill
the water fight - amazing we had enough water!!

As I am writing this Donald and Katie are outside having a water fight! I hope they don’t use up all the water! Oh Donald has now decided to have the soap outside with him and is having a shower under the hose! Katie is giving hem instruction on how to wash his armpit!!! I guess it is rather hot at the moment. They are having a lot of fun!

This morning at 7am we had a call on Donald’s mobile phone from our church back in NZ. It was so nice to talk to people from home and I must admit had a tear in my eye as I watched Katie smile from ear to ear as she watched us talking and then when she was able to talk to her friends. It was certainly a lovely way to start our day.

Today we went to the English Speaking Church which is at the Bible School. It is like going back in time with no music (just a brother to start the hymns). They also have the old redemption hymnbook and the Mission Praise Book. At least they were songs that we knew and for once could sing along. They have two services in the morning. At the first one everyone is there and then when ministry starts the children go out to Sunday School. The second one is the breaking of bread and it is really weird as there is hardly anyone who attends! It is also a very short service.

After church Donald decided we would go and check out the lodge in Samfya. He was thinking that maybe in the future teams could stay there. It was very nice and even has a restaurant (Samfya style). While we were there Mr and Mrs Fuller pulled up wondering what we were doing. We ended up all having lunch together there which was really nice. Then we headed off for a Sunday drive. We saw another beautiful lake but couldn’t figure out how to get to it which was a shame. There were lots of people living out there which was also a surprise. There was even a great big SDA Conference centre. The conference centre just had lost of sticks that people tied reads around to make themselves little huts to sleep in.

Well we are back home now and as I said Donald and Katie are having a water fight! I am now typing up recipes for us to use while the EMI team are here. The reason I am typing and not just taking the books down there is that Patricia (my interpreter) wants to learn all the recipes that I am doing. She is really lovely and really wants to learn – not only cooking things but anything that will help her with her walk with God and how to look after her family. She is a wonderful godly woman whom I have a lot of respect for. I think she is thirties. I have written about her and her family before.

Today I spoke to Lucy and told her that it is not long before we leave and told her that every time Donald comes home from Zambia people ask how she is. I also told her that she is not forgotten. She told me to tell everyone that she is happy!

Copper has just decide to have a stroll through the house! He is wet from the water fight! He is just checking out what we are doing!

Copper the dog is still causing havoc! Yesterday Donald and Katie went down the hill to the lake for a swim and tied copper to the tyre but didn't put the tyre around a pipe in the back yard. Well he dragged the tyre half way down the hill. I saw him with some children and not realising that he was still tied to the tyre called him to come home. He tried but then i realised that he was tied to the tyre and the kids had the tyre. Ummmm I wondered what was going to happen. The kids heard me call Copper and so decided to roll the tyre up the the hill to me! They just about go the tyre with Copper attached home when Copper heard Katie scream. Donald had picked her up and dunked her in the water. Well that Copper (we still don't know how he did it) he got off the leash and took off down to the lake. He had a blast swimming in the lake. On his way home he chased the kids who were trying to get him home and when they were out of his range, they giggled and squealed with delight! I gave the boys a drink and some biscuits for their efforts.

People have been asking for prayer points from me and Katie and so here are a few for our final weeks in Zambia:

• As Katie and I are working with women serving the EMI team that we would be a good example – for me as a Christian woman and also for the both of us as they see a mother and daughter serve together.
• We would like to be able to leave Samfya with the team so that Donald doesn’t have to do another trip from Lusaka and back. So we need to be able to organise another vechile. Katie and I would like to see if we could find another game park to go to... We really want to see a lion in Africa. I know, I know it isn’t a ministry thing but we would REALLY like to see some.
• For me as I prepare to leave that I don’t become frustrated with the way things happen here – like the power and water situation. I have been coping fine with it so far but I don’t want to blow it in our last few weeks.
• That I will be a good example in front of the other women as a wife, mother and servant as we serve the EMI team. (I know it is sort of a repeat of the first one but it is a bit different).
• As you know Katie and I reacted to the Anti-malaria drug and so have not been taking any. Please pray for the three of us and our general health but also that in our last days here we won’t get malaria! The mosquitoes are starting to come out a bit more at the moment. We have had a few tummy bugs but not many and none of any consequence so we are very thankful for our good health so far. My diabetes has been great with my readings between 5.5 and 5.7 (for those who know about the readings!).
• For safety in our travels. Donald has to go and pick up the EMI team from Lusaka which is about an 8 hour drive and then (hopefully) we will all be going back with him. Then we fly to Joberg to Port Elizabeth and drive to Jefferies Bay, then back to Port Elizabeth and back to Joberg. From there we fly to Heathrow, London and hiring a car and driving to Scotland and back. Then it is to Los Angles and then home to NZ. So as you can see lots of travelling to do between now and actually getting home to the Hawkes Bay!

Well I had better to and finish typing these recipes. We are going to meet at 10.00am on Monday to start baking. I have been so thankful for my Rally Cookbook, the HCS cookbook and my Alison Holst muffin book. They have been so great. I did bring a diabetic book here as well but can’t get most of the ingredients here – ummmmm oh well that hasn’t been an issue.

The neighbours have lit a fire just across the road to get rid of the long grass etc. The fire is quite big and we can hear the crackling noise it is making. I sure hope it doesn’t jump across the road and come up the hill to see us.

Oh well time to go. Again it was soooo nice to hear from church this morning.

Love
Gwen