WOW – what a week!

WOW – what a week!

Monday, the circumcisions went well – 18 boys done – no complications! Lots of logistics to get set up but once set up things went very well.

Jerry & Louise, Daniel and Steve arrived on Monday night with Stirling. Jerry and Louise are doing well. It’s like they never left! Jerry was on the bulldozer Tuesday afternoon for a bit!

Daniel and Steve had a great week with the kids doing the soccer camp. It’s not the norm for girls to participate when the boys play soccer but for this camp a good number of girls participated – quite a new thing for here - Meghan was thrilled.

Tuesday, Steve and his team got away just after lunch for their return to Lubango so around the table we went from 16 to 9.

Wednesday the veterinary services for Ag fair came to TB test the 20 cows we are sending to the fair – all tested negative.

Thursday – I (Donna) took meat to town – planning to stay the day and return in the late afternoon to Tchincombe – only to find no fuel available! It seems there is not enough fuel because of the large number of machines (bulldozers, dump trucks, etc) that are working on rebuilding the roads! There are l-o-n-g lines where there is fuel. On Friday morning I got up and went to pumps at 5 AM and was THANKFULLY able to get fuel. PRAY that we can get enough FUEL in stock at Tchincombe so that while we are away in South Africa in August (Stirling’s parent’s 60^th) Jerry will have the fuel he needs to keep bulldozing! Not to mention for the general needs of the farm. (I was able to leave town at 10:30 Friday am)

Friday Sheila, Sara (Sheila’s daughter and a pre-med student), Hannah (med student), and SIM colleague, Karen came for the weekend. We went from 9 to 13 around the table.

PRAISE – Tchincombe was donated a Land Rover!!!! The Kammers, German colleagues, are returning to Germany after 6 years in Angola. They have a Land Rover and their organization, CFI, has agreed to donate their Land Rover to Tchincombe to be used for the mechanic who will be coming out (Lawrence & Cynthia Fox). Continue to PRAY for their other support needs.

Sunday just after church – neighbor comes to tell us that one of our retired herdsman was found dead! He had gone to the neighboring farm to visit friends and find drink (moonshine). ‘Njalakambala was quite elderly – it seems that in his drunken state he got turned around and headed down the road (bush track) the wrong way and so walked way more than he should. It was quite clear from the tracks that he became quite agitated realizing he was lost - most likely he had a heart attack. PRAY for his family. His wife is quite elderly as well. PRAY for opportunity to speak of the hope we have in Christ! On Monday Firmino and Tuciale took the body back to the village where his family live.

Monday – I hitched a lift with our friend/colleague Karen to Windhoek in order to bring the Kammers/CFI Land Rover back to Angola! We are grateful to have had an uneventful and pleasant trip down!

Stirling couldn’t leave on Monday (too much to do!) but will fly down here tomorrow and then we’ll drive the Land Rover back together! I’ll have my husband to myself for 3 whole days :-}!

PRAY for the Foxes!

PRAY for our road trip back to Angola (Saturday or Sunday)

PRAY that we get enough fuel to leave the farm well supplied during August

PRAY for wisdom and strength to counsel and encourage at the farm

PRAY for Brent, Daniel and Steve who will go to Chiange to show the Jesus film this weekend – Chiange is where Pastor Jacob is starting a new outreach to the Ovangambwe.

THANKS for your faithfulness in prayer!!!

Donna