Saturday, June 27, 2009

We got the tent yesterday!

HI! We got the tent yesterday! Traveling north today. Will cross border tomorrow! Please pray!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Another of our horses has died...

Hi to you all from Windhoek!

Stirling and I came down to bring Aimee to catch her flight back to Canada and to do shopping for our annual missionary retreat. We are currently waiting on the large tent we’ve ordered as the meeting tent. It should be here on Friday! Please PRAY that it will come on Friday as we are anxious to get home – NO – PRAY it will come early! Like tomorrow – that would be better!

We got word from Tchincombe today that another of our horses has died. SIGH. It’s the horse that Jeffrey had chosen as his own. They found ‘Trinity’ dead in the pasture. It’s hard to be here when we know the kids are feeling sad! So we’d appreciate your prayers for them that the enemy will not be able to use this to turn their hearts away from God or make them afraid to love!

Please continue to pray for Fran Gralow who’s coming to work in Bible Translation. She hoped to be here by the end of May but actually lacks about $400 of monthly support!

Pray for the meetings at Imbondwe this weekend. We’ll not be attending but a team from Tchincombe will go and so will a team from Lubango! Continue to pray for open hearts!

Pray for our missionary conference which is July 13-18. That we would experience rest and renewal!

Thanks for partnering with us in prayer!

In Him,

Donna

Friday, June 19, 2009

We do feel loved!

Dear Friends All,

THANKS so much for all your prayers and for the many hugs that have come our way! We do feel loved! The biggest shock about Strider is that he didn’t look sick. One minute we realized he was sick and the next 5 minutes he was dead so we had to preparation time mentally. The greatest loss is for Stirling because Strider was big enough for him to ride. He was one of the few large horses around. On top of everything he was very gently even though he was a stallion. Again we do appreciate your understanding.

PRAISE! On a positive note Aimee has made wonderful progress with the other horses that we have. We received 8 horses from a farmer friend. Our idea is to choose 4 or 5 to keep and four to train and sell (in order to pay for the 4 we keep). The horses were delayed on end arriving (nothing new for Angola) but in the two weeks since they came Aimee has managed to catch and halter and lead them all. One is ready to ride and another will be ready soon.

On Saturday Stirling and I will drive Aimee to Windhoek where she will wing her way back to Canada. Please pray with her and with us as she contemplates the possibility of returning to do more horse work and to work with youth here. Our desire would be YES, YES, YES please do come back!! But we know that it must be the Lord’s YES first!

While in Windhoek Stir and I will be shopping for Spiritual Life Conference which is July 13- 17. Please pray for Pastor José Abias who is our speaker that God will prepare him to share with us what’s on His heart! SLC will be held at Tchincombe again. It’s a joint retreat for missionaries from various organizations and for our Angolan colleagues. Pray for Stir and I to be able to plan well so that we can enjoy the retreat as well. Pray too for the team coming from Canada who will be doing the cooking and leading the children’s worship. Pray that we’ll all REST and have FUN!!

Jeffrey and Meghan will be staying with our MAF colleague/friend, Brent. They will be holding down the fort and taking care of all the critters and keeping on with school!

PRAISE! Herbs got a two year multiple entry visa. This means that next year they will be able to plan their trip and come without the uncertainty of waiting for a visa.

PRAISE! At the Bicuar preaching point there were 40 people. Our church here is excited about this outreach. Since it is closer than Imbondwe it is feasible to send a team every week.

PRAY for the Angolan Embassy in D.C. Visas delays are costing lots of time and money for those wanting to come and be a help here in Angola. Dr. Nick Comminellis is supposed to be coming to relieve Dr. Steve Foster so that he can participate in SLC but Dr. Nick still doesn’t have a visa!!!

Thanks for your partnership in the Gospel!

With much love from Angola!

Donna for all of us

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Sometimes the adventure isn’t fun

Dearest Friends and Prayer Partners,

Sometimes the adventure isn’t fun - one never knows what the day will bring - our horse, Strider, suddenly died this morning!

I feel a bit worn out so here is the story in Shelley’s words –

a sad thing today - and it may seem a bit frivolous to some of you - but it is a real part of the warfare for our joy here - my brother Stirling's horse died suddenly this morning from what appears to be African Horse Sickness. What is especially sad other than losing a family friend and pet, is that the horse had just finished being trained to ride and Stirling had just ridden him twice. It is a big blow to our sense of joy when such things happen, but we know it is, as I mentioned, part of a warfare . . . Please pray for Stirling in particular during this time of grieving over this loss.”

Aimee has spent many hours training Strider and done such a wonderful job – pray for her too – she was at the beach this weekend and will only be finding out now as she returns from the beach and then here to Tchincombe tonight.

We only realized Strider was sick after Stirling left to go to town for fuel. Stir will only be back late tonight. There are long line ups for fuel. The fuel company is having a hard time keeping up with demand in terms of transporting fuel from the port.

Someone also just came and said that one of the ladies here (Cristina) has just started with a miscarriage. Please pray for her and her family. Pray that the bleeding will stop. Pray for wisdom and strength.

The Herbs were granted a visa but it was too late and so they have postponed their trip till next year. Pray for their peace of heart and mind. They lost quite a lot of money because of cancelled tickets, etc.

Pray for us too as we work through these disappointments!

I will praise him – though the mountains fall into the sea and all around me is dark – I will praise his name!

Donna for all of us