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Rooted in God's Word; Empowered by God's Spirit; Engaged in God's World.

Tuesday, 5 July 2011

Goodbyes and Hello to New Friends!!!


Hi there!! I am once again apologizing as it has been so long since we updated our blog!! Sharon Thompson is out in the garden with Abigail and Joshua and so I have a few minutes to write an update!!

A lot has happened since our last update!! It was hard to say goodbye to Don, Aleta & Zac-Don directs the Seminary and they are our next door neighbours. They left to go on home assignment for a year. A family from another mission are due to arrive soon to fill in as Director of the Seminary in the interim period.
Don, Aleta & Zac in the middle of the photo with our neighbours Todd, Tia and James on the right and Aimee on the left!

The same day Bob and Jan left for the States also. They have been teaching at CAM and also are our neighbours.

In the same week good friends of ours, the Lechner family, left to return to the states also.
Angie Lechner is sitting beside me. The ladies that go to the Thursday Bible study all went out for a meal to a wonderful Indian restaurant!

Abigail Lechner with our Abigail!

Aimee, our colleague and friend, is moving this month to Inhambane to live and minister. There seems to be a constant movement of people on the mission field and this is often difficult for us. We seem to make friends and then they leave, we miss them & feel like we are transitioning all over again. Please pray for all of us in difficult transitions. However as people leave others arrive and we make new friends.

This month Philip and Kyla arrived. They are short term missionaries with OMS on a 1 year term. Philip, from the States, is planning to teach at CAM and also develop a Sports Ministry. Kyla, from Canada is a nurse and desires to use her skills here as well as teach at CAM. Please pray for both Kyla and Philip as they adjust to life here. We are blessed to have them on our team.
Philip with Joshua doing some work on the computer!! (sorry I don't have a photo of Kyla yet!)

We look forward to new people arriving. The Gray's arrive today. They are filling in for Larry and Susan when they go on Home assignment in October. Gary will be helping with finances & administration & Diane will be directing the school. Pray that their transition will be smooth and that they will soon adapt to life & team here. Dave and Ann also return this month from home assignment in the States. They minister in Church Planting. Pray for them as they pack up and make the move here.

We also have had a number of short term people visiting and ministering. Andrew Black, a student at the Baptist college came on placement this month. It was great to have a fellow Northern Irish friend here. He was placed with a Mozambican pastor and was a real blessing to the ministry here.
Joshua enjoying breakfast with Andrew!

Ian and Sharon Thompson have been with us for 10 days now! It has been wonderful to have them stay with us!! Sharon is helping with Abigail and Joshua as Naomi has gone to the North of Mozambique to visit family!! This means that I can still take language classes. Ian is an electrician and he is installing the electrics in the new CAM school and also checking the electric in our houses. We often get shocks from appliances at home so we are so grateful for Ian's help! It has been such a blessing to have them here, to hear from home and also to have fun and fellowship!! We are heading out to Kruger Park with them this weekend for a day and then they fly out on Monday evening. Pray for them as they travel and for us as we say goodbye.
Ian and Sharon-Abigail and Joshua love them!

Melvin is 'flat out' trying to supervise the CAM construction project which needs to be finished for the start of school term in August. Progress is being made but there is also a lot still to be done!! Pray for wisdom & strength for Melvin. Work days are long and often frustrating. Pray also for safety on site and for protection from the enemy's attacks! Pray that the workers will have a mind to work, be loyal and trustworthy.
Melvin going to get Construction materials!

The workers working hard on the new toilet block yesterday!

Mixing Cement yesterday evening!

Abigail helping lift stones!

Joshua helping Susan push the Chova!

My language classes are progressing. I now have 3 classes per week! At times I feel like I am making progress and at other times am frustrated as the words don't seem to come to mind! Pray that God will plant the language in my mouth. Pray for my language teacher Norma. This week her daughter, Watta, is not well.
Norma and I having a lesson on the verandah!

Pray also for the twins!! They were sick last week and we took them to the doctor. However the doctor prescribed medication that is not available in the UK to children under 6 yrs old. Praise God for doctor friends in the UK who keep me right! It is so frustrating and I am often anxious as I feel i cannot trust the advice of doctors here. Please pray for Joshua and Abigail's health. They have recovered although Abigail has once again a bad cough especially at night. It is cold here-well everything is relative!!!!! It is 8 degrees some nights which feels really cold compared to the 40 degrees of summer. I have Abigail and Joshua in lovely fleecy Pyjamas at night which my mum sent them. The Mozambicans say that they cannot remember a time when it has been so cold!! There are so many head colds around as a result of this! Maybe we have brought a bit of Irish weather with us!!!!!! Apart from this Abigail and Joshua are great fun and such a blessing! They are saying lots of words and know exactly what we are talking about!!
Joshua enjoying some fun before bed!
Well must go now-it's time for Abigail and Joshua's lunch! Thank you so much for your patience, love, prayers and partnership!! We are so blessed by you!! You are as much a part of what God is doing here in Mozambique!!
Head & shoulders, knees & toes in Granny's lovely fleecy PJ's

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