Saturday, May 30, 2009

Stirling and Jeffrey are haying today

Stirling and Jeffrey are haying today – we are dreadfully behind because of breakdowns. Aimee, Meghan and I are getting life organized to go to Imbondwe! Stir should come at noon to eat then we pack and leave!

PRAY for hearts to hear and receive God’s Word and love into their hearts! Brent, our MAF colleague, is coming as usual and he is bringing a new MAF family along so that’s exciting and encouraging. PRAY for Steve & Peggy Foster – they are crazy busy these days with med students and other medical visitors coming and going!

PRAISE – the Hall Family got their visas and are here in Angola!

BUT please CONTINUE to PRAY for the Herbs – they still don’t have received their visas! If they don’t come by next week they will have to cancel their trip - L!

In Him,

Donna for all of us!

Monday, May 18, 2009

The Herbs and Halls DID NOT receive their visas last week!

Greetings from Tchincombe! The Dry season has come! It was 11º C (52º F) this morning! The air is dry. Harvest and haying are in full swing!

The Herbs and Halls DID NOT receive their visas last week! Please PRAY that they would be granted this week!

Today we go to Lubango to meet with the rest of the SIM team, SIM Int’l leadership and the UIEA leadership – meetings are tomorrow.

Jeffrey and Matt will stay here and take care of the critters and do their school work. PRAY for them as they take on this responsibility.

Aimee is making great strides with Strider! She is riding him now and helping him to be confident. Meghan is enjoying her lessons on Star very much. Continue to pray for safety! Aimee is a great blessing to us!

At the end of February a mapping team came from SA. Their project is to map the national parks in Africa. We ‘happened’ to meet them at the petrol pumps in Namibia and gave them our contact information in case they needed help or advice on mapping Bicuar which is a national park that is 45 minutes from us. They contacted us and Stirling accompanied them to Bicuar for two days. On that trip the game guards of Bicuar having heard that Tchincombe was a mission asked Stirling if someone could come and do services there! Stirling took a group from Tchincombe Church twice before we went to Namibia. A team went while we are away and another team went yesterday – Stirling didn’t go because we are traveling today. Yesterday there were 30 people that came to the service! We are excited that the Believers here at Tchincombe are excited about this outreach. Pray for open hearts!

Now there are two preaching points to pray for!! Imbondwe and Bicuar!

Thanks so much for your partnership in the Gospel!

In Him,

Donna for all of us!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Please PRAY for visas for two families

Hello again from Tchincombe! Please PRAY for visas for two families:

Brenda Herb and her son, Brandon are dear friends of ours from Raleigh. They were supposed to be traveling Monday to start their journey here BUT they have not received their visas! They have had to delay their departure please PRAY that their visas are granted on Monday or Tuesday.

The other family, the Halls, are a family from Greensboro that are coming out to visit Peter and Shelley Duplantis. They fly a little later this month but they too have not yet received theirs visas.

It’s always a huge encouragement to us to be visited by friends and supporters so please do PRAY that these visas will be granted! We know that nothing is impossible for God!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

New Pictures!

Sandals for a real man! Notice the long horns!
First Potluck at Tchincombe Church
Bridge! We decided not to use it!
Lunch on the way to Cavango
Camping at Imbondwe - sleeping on roof rack is easier than putting up tent!
Meghan & Aimee
Village elder from Imbondwe
Hay field at Tchincombe
Wire for fencing
Poles for fencing
Strider #3
Aimee & Jeffrey working with Strider
Meghan and her piano
Strider #2
Strider
Strider #1
Strider under saddle
We spend a beautiful sunny day at the beach. Encountered this rain on the
way back to Lubango. Rain in the desert is always welcome!

Around the bridge - YEAH we made it!
Going around and not over the bridge
Going around the bridge looked safer than going over!
Into the Land Rover and then on to Cavango where Peter and Shelley will be
working
Out of the plane
Waiting for the MAF plane to arrive at Chinhama. The Land Rovers are
waiting to take people and supplies to Cavango.
This young monitor lizard dropped in for a visit. He likes warming himself
on the top of our wood fired hot water heater!
Waterholes on Tchincombe are full!!!
Benches in the bush.
Fueling up in the bush! This is the fuel pump that has been half way between town and Tchincombe. You can imagine how long it takes to pump 1200 liters! These pumps have recently closed so we are back to driving 4 hours for fuel!

Here are two photos for you!


Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

Here are two photos for you! One is a proud Jeffrey after his impala hunt! The other is a photo of us as we drove out to Namibia in April! This was the most sketchy part of the trip but the 130 came through with flying colors!

Jeffrey and Meghan have their new passports. We returned to Tchincombe on Monday and have spent the week getting life organized and recovering from the trip.

The guys were not able to bale any hay because the baler broke shortly after we left! Stirling spent Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday working on it but it’s not right yet. And of all things it rained on the cut hay yesterday!! Bummer! Rain in May – very unusual!! Stirling went to Lubango to get fuel today and was able to get the pieces to put baler running again.

HOME ASSIGNMENT

In 2007 we set up with SIM to put aside funds to travel back to USA every two years. We did this for several reasons

  • To stay better in touch with our supporters
  • To visit our aging parents more often
  • To be able to leave Tchincombe for only short periods (difficult to leave a farm for long!)

We were anticipating a short HA at the end of this year BUT have decided in conjunction with mission leaders to use the funds in our passage account and our furlough housing account to cover the ministry account deficit (transport on 130). We thank each one of you that gives and prays! We have the money to do this in our passage account because of your faithful support! So far this year we are 100% supported! Now there is only a $1,666 dollar deficit in ministry!

We are disappointed to not be able to go to the USA but feel right now it’s the best thing to do.

Sheila will be coming to Angola Sept/October to teach an intensive course at the seminary and we are planning for Donna to travel to the USA to be with Mum and Dad Foster while Sheila comes here. But we are holding all our plans loosely to see what the Lord might do or want us to do! So pray for wisdom!

Stir’s Mum is home now and doing better every day! Thanks for your prayers!!

In Him,

Donna for all of us