Newsletter September 2019

So, I give up, I have started this letter I don’t know how many times now, and it just doesn’t want to work. I try to look for a common theme in our month to pull it together, but this month has been full of little unrelated excitements and wonders. All for which we are thankful. That works- we are thankful.

Thankful for:

A new family who has moved onto the project to take over as manager. Carl worked hard to re-arrange our house to become a home for them.

The children’s rooms have become their sleeping quarters. Our outside veranda has been changed into a lovely outside kitchen for Pamela. Our lounge, kitchen, school area has been opened up into a large area as it once was. Our prayer is that Obed, the new manager would start a small house church in this area. As mentioned before, the area around the project is a Seventh Day Adventist stronghold, and we really pray that Obed can make a difference. His wife, Pamela, was SDA when she married her husband, which gives them a heart of understanding, not judgement.

Obed has studied through Hope Builders Ministries, under the leading of Pastor Justin Chiweela, the district leader in our district. We pray that Obed can find the correct people to disciple in our village. May Jesus be wholeheartedly served in Ntola!

Obed and Pamela

We are thankful for:

The opportunity for Ilne to go to Uganda.

My mom had spent four weeks teaching discipleship and deep Bible principles in 8 different locations spread over Zambia. For her final conference she was invited to Gombe in Uganda by Pastor Aloysious Kinaalwa. She met him many years ago in Tanzania, and they have kept in contact. In the beginning of this year, he said he really felt that she should come speak at their church. She needed a second soul, and asked me. Carl released me, and I could get on the night flights through Rwanda in the direction of Uganda.

It took a miracle to get us into the country. I had my yellow fever card with me, since I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to look on the internet the previous week, but Mom’s card was safely in America. As we entered the airport in Entebbe Uganda, our first stop was the gentlemen who checked all the yellow fever cards. He checked my card, and then waved us passed without asking for Mom’s card! We could scarcely believe it, but was praising God from there on. This was really a God-thing.

I felt like I had taken a time travel back into our days in West Africa- a beautiful green mild-weathered country. Fruit trees everywhere, small red dusty roads taking you into the green bush. Nothing like the brown thirsty land we left behind. We stayed in the pastor’s house, overwhelmed by their hospitality and really getting to know their family- a lovely couple with four great children. (That sounds like the correct thing to say, right? It was not like that, these were children that sat through the conference literally drinking in every word, so soft spoken and loving). They have an open house and almost always have some orphans living with them. They are trying to build some rooms to house the kids. They don’t go out and fundraise, they just share whatever they have. And all these children are also involved in the church. It truly was an example to me of making your whole family live ministry.

The conference went well- we had an average of 100 people per day for 2 and a half days. My mom does it like it is second nature, I am definitely the amateur. I shared just what God has placed on my heart and it really fit so well with what Mom was teaching. It was so wonderful to just watch people listen intently, as we talked about digging into the Word of God. It was obvious to us that the people were well taught, they showed such insight. Also wonderful to see churches all around that was planted by this pastor. It showed me again the strength of the local disciple maker. It is so much more effective to invest in people in the area, who already know the language, to reach their own people.

 Ilne teaching

 Traditional Gomesi's

This specific area is called ‘Butambura’- the place of the covered one. When the government were settling people, this is where they settled the Muslims. The area is about 80% muslim. 15 Mosques around to say: Good morning. What is this Pastor’s first line of defence: Love them. There is no tension between Christian and Muslim- just mutual respect. We really pray that God draws the Muslims to Him because of what this family is doing.

New mosque being built

Food being prepared at conference

My only word I picked up: Webalinyu- Thank you!

An extra thank you:

On the way out of Uganda we could spend the afternoon with old friends of ours who have been working in Uganda as missionaries for the last 7 years.

I hadn’t seen my friend since 2011. We had a lovely meal together before a midnight flight back to our own land of dust and honey.

We are thankful for:

Carl could move his trip up with one week to be at his brother’s 50^th birthday. We miss so many family special occasions, that we were really thankful that he could stop over on his trip to the US to see his family. Most of them being together for the birthday, made it possible to see a lot of them together. Carl could also spend time with his mom- her Alzheimer’s means that it is not possible to talk over the phone anymore. This thankyou goes to my sister and brother-in-law that made the trip and stop-over possible.

And a thank you then also for:

Carl’s trip to see the farm in the US. More about this next month.

As mom and dad have been jet-setting, we have also been so thankful for friends who helped out with our children, all helping out with housing and feeding our brood. Man, I will miss Mazabuka so very very much when we leave!

I’m thankful for little arms that hug me because they’re happy to see mom.

I’m thankful for warm water that run out of shower head over my head.

I’m thankful for being safe enough to sleep with doors open.

I’m thankful for every person that makes it possible for us to be here.

Thank you!

This is a long letter, I see that, but I need to mention just one more thing. On Friday I was doing Carl’s chores- go to all the places where I am just known as Paalman. I was struck to the point of despair with the incredible need. Our province is in a drought, and the food is almost finished. People are hungry, and there are few plans to make. Every little bit of help feels like a drop in an ocean of need.

Please pray with us:

·         That the government will spread the food that is available in the North to feed the South.

·         For early rains this year

·         For the rain to continue through the season

·         For a good crop

·         To know where to help

I am daily aware of how blessed we are- blessed to bless.