Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas from Tchincombe!



Merry Christmas from Tchincombe!

We are having a wonderful cool, wet Christmas! Since 1 Dec Tchincombe has received more than ½ of what we usually get in a year! We have had overcast skies for more than a week! We are very thankful!!

As word of mouth about Tchincombe beef (yum) goes around we have more and more requests for meat! That’s good and that’s bad! It means we (mostly Stirling) spend more time in the car than we would like – must find a different plan! Stirling is delivering meat today in order to fill everyone’s orders! Pray for stamina!

Please PRAY for Sunday’s services at Imbondwe – that the meaning of Christmas would be clear! God came in the form of a babe to restore us to himself - so that we can know Him and enjoy him forever! He wants to be our God, King, Friend, Brother/Sister & Savior!

Please pray for Stirling as he brings the message tomorrow at 8 AM – he hasn’t had very much time to prepare with all the traveling of the last week!!

Early in the New Year we will go to Namibia to organize transport for fencing. We’ll also take a few days of holiday to go to Botswana to visit two of our nieces and to meet Peter and Shelley who are returning to Africa!

With Much Love,

Donna, Stirling, Jeffrey, and Meghan

The catchment basins are full!!! This usually only happens in Jan or Feb! It’s not a remote dog but a remote boat that you can’t see in picture!


Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The Adventure continues here at Tchincombe!!!

The Adventure continues here at Tchincombe!!!

We are having rabbit for lunch. Stirling, Jeffrey and Matt (Jeff’s friend) took our weekend visitors sightseeing and hunting on Saturday. So today we have rabbit on the menu! Rabbit cacciatore!

Last night we had microwave omelets and the boys decided to add a little food coloring! Guess what food coloring each used? Jeffrey had orange eggs! Matt had green eggs (no ham). Meghan had bluish eggs! Stirling and I settled for plain old yellow!

Sheila Foster Fabiano returns to the USA tomorrow. She is returning to help take care of Mum and Dad Foster as well as work on her doctorate. Please pray for her transition and for peace of heart as she knows she’s doing the right thing but is torn because she really does love her work at ISTEL (AEA seminary).

Rains have been good. Crops are getting in the ground. The people are really in need of a good harvest – pray that the rain continues well! People here literally live off the food they harvest!

We are looking into ways of purchasing game animals to stock Tchincombe. There are vast tracks of the 60,000 acres that are too thick for cattle but would be great for game (kudu, eland, and impala). These are good meat animals and will allow diversification of income. Pray for wisdom & patience for God’s perfect timing in all of this. Lord willing, in time, we’ll also be able to help repopulate this area’s depleted game reserves!

Continue to pray for lives at Tchincombe and Imbondwe to be transformed! For all of us to understand that God doesn’t just want to save us from our sins but that he wants an ongoing, daily vital relationship with us!

PRAISE – we were able to distribute 90 treated mosquito nets yesterday! We should see a significant drop in malaria! Nets were supplied by Rio de Huila Clinic (another UIEA/SIM ministry).

Thanks for your partnership!

Donna for all of us!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Raindrops keeping falling . . . . !

Raindrops keeping falling . . . . J ! While we were in Namibia Tchincombe had 109 mm of rain (> 4 inches). Since our return we’ve had 80mm (>1.5 inch) and it’s raining as I write – WOW! What a relief!

We are glad to have Jeffrey back with us! He had a great time at our friend’s farm and learned a lot.

While we were away Perpetua’s nephew stole some things from our pantry. This young boy, Njonjombua is an orphan. He and his two brothers have been living with Perpetua’s family for a few years now. There have been other incidents of petty robbery over the years (within the family as well as in the community). Perpetua and her husband have decided to take the boys back to another uncle. Pray for the boys that they will turn away from this way of life. Pray for Perpetua and Nobrega who feel betrayed by their nephews.

Pray for the ladies at Tchincombe to hunger and thirst to know God better!

Pray for the people in the Imbondwe area to see the futility of a life without Christ. Our next meeting there is the 27th of December.

For your prayers and gifts of support we are grateful!

YOUR PARTNERSHIP IS ESSENTIAL!

Donna for all of us!