Tuesday, November 27, 2007

I went to Rio de Huila today and participated in Kamati's burial.

Hello!I went to Rio de Huila today and participated in Kamati's burial. There is no way to preserve the body here so the burial is usually the same day or next day. There was only myself, Mena, Zeferino and Kaketa. Please pray for the family.We talked with the farm and Kavaende was taken to Chiulu which is theCatholic Mission Hospital south of Tchincombe. Her leg is quite swollen and blistering. Please pray for that family as well. They are also Believers. We go to the beach tomorrow for a week so we won't be answering e-mails until Wednesday next week. Thanks so much for standing with us in prayer!
In Him,Donna & Stirling

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Whew! That was quite an adventure!

Whew! That was quite an adventure! The rain went before as I headed toward
the main road yesterday! It was WET & MUDDY all the way! When I got to the
main road Stirling wasn't there but one of our workers who is on holiday was
there. He had received a message from a passing motorcyclist from
Stirling! "The bridge at Quihita is not passable. I'm waiting for you at
Quihita".

Before the road work it would have taken 35 minutes to get to Quihita but
since the road had been worked on it took only about 10 minutes. The
permanent bridge at Quihita is under reconstruction. The temporary bridge
wasn't built to cope with the river that was now fast flowing because of the
almost daily rain! The road crew was working hard to try and repair the
gap. What a confusion! Traffic backed up on both sides, trucks bringing
earth to try and fill the gap, and lots of people milling about. Plus the
regular workers trying to hurry along the work on the permanent bridge. A
two board walkway was set up for foot traffic across the metal frame of the
permanent bridge.

Stirling received my passengers and then he headed back to Lubango! He'll
be there today and tomorrow putting together the motor of Pastor Calenga's
Land Rover. We hope he'll be able to return on Thursday.

I made it back to Tchincombe at 9 PM. Everyone here was fine. The kids did
well, the calf is nursing well and has found a new 'mom' in Meghan!

Please pray for Jacob and Maria as they have made the move to Chiange. Pray
for them in these days of transition. Pray for us too now that Tchincombe
Church is without a pastor.

Trust each of you has a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving! Steve & Peggy as well as
Peter and Shelley will come for the weekend and we'll do T-day on Saturday.
It's unfortunately not a holiday here!

THANKS for your prayers!
Donna

Monday, November 19, 2007

This day is not going as planned!

This day is not going as planned! The plan was school for the children and
I; Stirling left early this morning to take meat to Lubango, BUT . . . .

The foreman brought word that a woman who had miscarried on Thursday started
bleeding more heavily during the weekend and even more this morning so now
I'll be taking her to the main road where Stirling will meet me.

We borrowed Steve's Ford pickup to bring the freezer this past weekend.
When Stirling came with the freezer on the weekend he was unable to find
fuel in town so didn't come with a truck full of fuel. Even though he put
fuel in here at Tchincombe he didn't put enough not being familiar with the
truck and so ran out of fuel on his way into town! So he got there at noon
instead of 9:30! Now he'll have to drive right back to meet me halfway
where he'll receive the patient and continue on back into town. I'll return
to Tchincombe. Jeffrey, Matt (a friend from town visiting) and Meghan will
stay with our housekeeper.

A cow died calving and so the calf was brought here to the house where
we've given him colostrum that we had frozen for just such occasions. The
cow was thin and weak because rains were delayed.

Mena and Zeferino's child, Kamati, returned from the catholic hospital and
seems no better than he was!! They said he was positive for malaria and
treated him as such. He looks like the classic photo of a starving child -
he's been so sick he's not been eating.

PRAY for Hopete and his wife that she won't bleed so much on the trip to
Lubango - we'll be taking her to the CEML.

PRAY for Kamati that he'll have the desire to eat and gain strength. Pray
for Mena and Zeferino not to be so discouraged that they give up!

Pray for Stirling and I as we travel back and forth - we've both been up
since 4 AM.

Pray for the kids as they stay here. I'll only be gone 4 or 5 hours but I
still don't like to leave them! Last night there was a snake in the
bathroom (a window had been left open in the house). This morning there was
another snake outside the feed room!
With the rain comes the good, the bad, and the ugly - there have been
beautiful sunbirds and swallows, not to mention gorgeous sunsets but there
also bugs of every shape and description and of course, snakes!

Our dear friend Gary Toews who is with MAF and just left for Canada for home
assignment is having bypass surgery right now as I write. Pray for he and
Doreen!


THANKS for praying!
Donna for all of us!

Friday, November 16, 2007

Yipeee!!! On Wednesday afternoon we had 30 mm of rain = > 1 inch!!

Yipeee!!! On Wednesday afternoon we had 30 mm of rain = > 1 inch!! And
there are still plenty of clouds and heat around!

Stirling went to Lubango on Thursday and got back late but brought the
FREEZER!! It's running and has meat already!!

It's like Christmas - esp for the kids to get the things they were given in
the USA!

PRAY for Jacob and Maria as they will be moving soon. The doors and
windows have been made but not yet transported and taken to Chiange. The
President of the Regional Assembly of the UIEA says they should move on
Monday! We can't see how that's possible so pray that he will be
understanding!

Sunday there are baptisms here at Tchincombe.

Next Sunday is the last Sunday which means a service at the Tchimbolelo
preaching point.

Pray for Jeffrey, Meghan and I as we are in the last month of school - we
are all ready!! Pray too if there is someone out there who would like to
teach the kids that they would step forward!

THANKS for standing with us!
Love,
Donna

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Ahhhh - we had 4mm of rain last night

Ahhhh - we had 4mm of rain last night - a relief!! We still need more but
it's a beginning!

One thing I forgot to mention is that our beloved Jack Russell , Matti,
died. She and Ebba (our shepherd) had been getting out of the yard
regularly despite our efforts to block their escape routes. One of the
herdsman found her - we really don't know what happened since they had to
bury her before our return. We suspect she tangled with a snake. Pray
especially for Meghan since it was 'her' dog. Pray for the Jenkins too,
especially Beth, Matti was their dog before being ours!

The container from USA with our container is FINALLY in Lubango! Stirling
goes tomorrow on farm business so he'll be able to bring back the freezer -
at least that's the plan!

THANKS!!
Donna

Monday, November 12, 2007

Greetings from a dry Tchincombe!

Greetings from a dry Tchincombe! The rains continue to be late. Despite
rains in Lubango (200km from here) we have had no significant rain. Cows
are getting thin and some of this years weanlings have died do to weakness -
i.e. too far to walk between water and food. We are attempting to put water
to the nether parts of the ranch that have grass - dry though it be - though
the distances are great for piping, etc. Please pray for rain! Pray as
well for patience and wisdom until the rains do come.

We had a fun but at the same time tearful farewell for our MAF friends, Gary
and Doreen Toews. They were to go on home assignment in December but had to
leave earlier than planned for health reasons. Pray for them as Gary has
tests in Toronto today to see what intervention might be needed for a heart
condition. Gary and Doreen have been a great encouragement to us as they
have demonstrated that being a missionary is not about what organization we
serve with but about being part of the family of God! Their home has been a
haven for many of us here in Angola!

While we were in Lubango two families had to be taken to the hospital. Mena
and José Zeferino's son, Kamati, has had ongoing diarrhea which initially
responded to treatment for malaria. While we were away he took a turn again
for the worst. At the hospital he was still positive for malaria. What
complicates things even more is that Mena seems to have lost hope. She has
had dreams that her son was going to die and so has been very passive in his
care and treatment. She is a Believer. Please pray that she will know the
peace and hope of God's presence.

Kandaisesa, the wife of one of our herdsman also most likely has malaria.
She has been talking wildly and feeling poorly - not an unusual presentation
for malaria. This family does not know the Lord. They have had many
difficulties in their lives. She needs healing in more ways than just
physical.

PRAISE: On Sunday, November 18 - 5 people will be baptized!! Pray for
them this week that they will be protected from the evil one - he has a
stronghold on the Ovangambwe people. He really trys to intimidate through
fear and doubt.

Please pray for a visa for Jerry and Louise Latimer. They are due to arrive
here on Thursday, November 22 - but they can only come if their visa is
issued! We will be truly THANKFUL if we can fetch them at the airport!

On Sunday, November 25 we'll celebrate the end of the school year for the
Tchincombe Primary School. All of the 4th grade students except one passed
their official government exams!

A BIG ITEM OF PRAYER: Teachers for the new school year! Pastor Jacob will
be moving to Chiange so he will not be teaching. We hope the two government
teachers will return but they have not been very reliable. We really need a
teacher(s) who will come and make their life at Tchincombe. It's a
difficult assignment because primary school teachers are usually also
wanting to continue their education. Pray for us to be creative in this
department. Satellite internet courses? Traditional correspondence
courses?

November 28 - December 5 we will be taking an honest to goodness vacation!
We're going off to the beach! Our time at the beach would be much more
restful if it would rain!

The quote for fencing Tchincombe is $137,000! Fencing is now essential to
protect Tchincombe's grass and water from the neighbors' cattle. Stirling
and Pastor Chiquete have visited the bank. They are offering a 5 year loan
at 8%. It's a somewhat daunting adventure! Especially since rains are
delayed this year. Pray for wisdom and discernment!

Our new vehicle is still in the UK. We were told we needed a certain
document - took the time to get it only to find out we didn't need it! The
vehicle should be shipping soon!

YOUR PRAYERS ARE APPRECIATED!

In Him,
Donna for all of us!