Happy New Year from Chipata, Zambia!
We started 2009 with equal amounts of work and play with little time to rest. Needless to say we look back on 2008 and express our gratitude to the Lord for is faithfulness. It is a miracle from the hand of God that we have arrived in Zambia. We are thankful to all of you who have supported us in this process. You have used the gifts that God has given you to bless and encourage our ministry and answered God's call to give when He moved in your heart. Without this obedience we would not be here. We pray that God blesses you more in 2009 as you continue to listen and follow Him.
Overall these past few weeks have had some growing pains in our work. Below are a few updates about what we have been doing...
Chipata Christian School
On Saturday, I spent the day as one of three presenters in a workshop for the teachers and staff. I was assigned two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon; it was a long day that started there at 07:00 and ended at 17:15 (5:00pm). My segments focused on the importance of establishing and enforcing boundaries in the classroom; with emphasis on positive and negative consequences. The teachers seemed to enjoy a more interactive approach to presenting and readily participated in the activities. On Thursday of this week I intend to hold a follow-up session for the teachers to ask more question about putting these ideas into action. Please pray that God would move in the hearts of the teachers to grasp the concepts and empower them to put the concepts into action.
CBI
On Saturday afternoon Kyle also participated in a day meeting with members of CBI who wished to continue with the organization in the future. Although the day started with some frustration, the Lord was faithful and worked to bring things together in the end. A leader seemed to emerge from the group and there are plans for the group to continue to meet on Saturday mornings. Kyle has tentative plans to begin business trainings for future trainers in the next few months. We ask you to pray for a focused vision of what CBI can become.
The Next Week
It looks like Kyle will be headed back to Malawi to visit a Partners Worldwide project in Lilongwe that will be hosting some students from Trinity Christian College. And I will probably join a tour that arrives from a North American NGO that will visit the Farmer to Farmer project. Farmer to Farmer is a Partners Worldwide project that works alongside many other NGOs to improve food security in the Eastern Province of Zambia. Responsibilities for communication with this project will officially be handed over to us from the CRWRC in the next month.
Prayer Requests for the New Year
1. For God to clarify our role and open our eyes to our purpose in ministry in Chipata. We can often be pulled in multiple directions.
2. For leadership to be strengthened among our projects.
3. For hope and faith that God is working even when we cannot see things happening. Below I have included a quote that I recently heard that continues to have an impact on me.
"HOPE is hearing the music of the future...FAITH is to dance to it" --Ben Patterson quoting a Latin American theologian
We started 2009 with equal amounts of work and play with little time to rest. Needless to say we look back on 2008 and express our gratitude to the Lord for is faithfulness. It is a miracle from the hand of God that we have arrived in Zambia. We are thankful to all of you who have supported us in this process. You have used the gifts that God has given you to bless and encourage our ministry and answered God's call to give when He moved in your heart. Without this obedience we would not be here. We pray that God blesses you more in 2009 as you continue to listen and follow Him.
Overall these past few weeks have had some growing pains in our work. Below are a few updates about what we have been doing...
Chipata Christian School
On Saturday, I spent the day as one of three presenters in a workshop for the teachers and staff. I was assigned two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon; it was a long day that started there at 07:00 and ended at 17:15 (5:00pm). My segments focused on the importance of establishing and enforcing boundaries in the classroom; with emphasis on positive and negative consequences. The teachers seemed to enjoy a more interactive approach to presenting and readily participated in the activities. On Thursday of this week I intend to hold a follow-up session for the teachers to ask more question about putting these ideas into action. Please pray that God would move in the hearts of the teachers to grasp the concepts and empower them to put the concepts into action.
CBI
On Saturday afternoon Kyle also participated in a day meeting with members of CBI who wished to continue with the organization in the future. Although the day started with some frustration, the Lord was faithful and worked to bring things together in the end. A leader seemed to emerge from the group and there are plans for the group to continue to meet on Saturday mornings. Kyle has tentative plans to begin business trainings for future trainers in the next few months. We ask you to pray for a focused vision of what CBI can become.
The Next Week
It looks like Kyle will be headed back to Malawi to visit a Partners Worldwide project in Lilongwe that will be hosting some students from Trinity Christian College. And I will probably join a tour that arrives from a North American NGO that will visit the Farmer to Farmer project. Farmer to Farmer is a Partners Worldwide project that works alongside many other NGOs to improve food security in the Eastern Province of Zambia. Responsibilities for communication with this project will officially be handed over to us from the CRWRC in the next month.
Prayer Requests for the New Year
1. For God to clarify our role and open our eyes to our purpose in ministry in Chipata. We can often be pulled in multiple directions.
2. For leadership to be strengthened among our projects.
3. For hope and faith that God is working even when we cannot see things happening. Below I have included a quote that I recently heard that continues to have an impact on me.
"HOPE is hearing the music of the future...FAITH is to dance to it" --Ben Patterson quoting a Latin American theologian
May 2009 be a year that you get up and dance!
3 comments:
After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for. ECCLESIASTES 12:13 TEV
Great quote from Ben! I often hear that on one of the old Hope chapel CDs...maybe that's where you got it from as well? Glad to hear about and see all you both are doing.
It has been great following your blog. God bless!
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