Today we are writing from Windhoek.

Hi! Today we are writing from Windhoek. We came down to renew Jeffrey and Meghan’s passport. We had an UNEVENTFUL trip down! Yeah!

Last week Stirling was still in such pain (going on 3 weeks) that we booked an appointment with the orthopedic doc for this week but in the meantime his back started steadily improving we think do to prayer, hot water bottles and regular messaging! The receptionist was reluctant to make the appointment (our field leader called) because the people from Angola often don’t show up. So in spite of feeling better Stirling went to his appointment. When the doctor heard he was feeling better he said, “Then why didn’t you cancel!”

Today we go to a game farm for Jeffrey to hunt an impala. We told him last year if he could maintain a “B” average that we’d arrange a hunt for him. So this is the big weekend!

We have several prayer requests:

· Aimee is holding down the fort at Tchincombe! The generator for our house has broken down!! Bummer & of course – it seems inevitable! Peter and Shelley will be driving out today to fix it as well as to give Aimee company on the weekend!

· Aimee is also helping the teachers & foremen study English while at the same time they are helping her with Portuguese

· Imbondwe this weekend – that God’s word would penetrate hearts!

· Rol and Lil are faithful supporters from MI. Lil has pneumonia! Please pray for strength and health.

· May 11-20 SIM leadership will be visiting our field. On May 12-15 we will be evaluating the ministry at Tchincombe. Pray for good understanding between the UIEA leadership and SIM leadership.

· Our good friend Brenda and her son Brandon will arrive on 13 May. Brenda will be with us at Tchincombe. Brandon is keen on studying medicine and will be following Steve Foster around CEML.

· We are hoping that we can receive the kid’s passports on Thursday and head back on the weekend. Otherwise Friday and Monday are holidays and we’ll have to stay until Tuesday!

THANKS as always for your faithful prayers!

Donna for all of us!

We got up this morning to NO WATER! A

Every day seems to be just that! The kids, Aimee and I got back to Tchincombe last night. We got up this morning to NO WATER! A pipe had burst. What should be a relatively quick fix took all morning but we do have water now!

The Cavango clinic project has a large Ford 550 but it’s down and in need of parts which have to be gotten from the USA. Peter and Shelley have been anxious to get out there to begin work so we as a community got together to help out – us from SIM/UIEA and Brent from MAF. Peter and Shelley are working with AGA (Advancing the Gospel in Angola)/UIEA.

On Wednesday at 4 AM we left Lubango loaded with 400 liters of fuel (2 drums), two 100kg gas bottles, 50 kg of salt, 50 kg of cement and one generator. We were a 4 vehicle convoy headed to Cavango Mission where Peter and Shelley Duplantis well be helping to develop the clinic. The other three vehicles were also loaded to the max! 16 hours and 500 km (300 miles) later we arrived! The road was challenging! Good rains have improved the crops but not the roads!! Tents were thrown up and supper made in a hurry as a storm was approaching and did it rain!? YES! It was a damp night!

Along the last 150 km there are 31 villages – at each people ran to the road to see who was coming and to wave greetings! When we actually arrived at Cavango despite the darkness many came out to greet us with huge smiles of welcome!

Thursday we drove 45 minutes to the airstrip at Chinhama to transport freezer, fridge and citrus trees that came on the MAF plane. Steve Foster also came and did clinic on Thursday afternoon. Friday morning Steve along with Shelley assisting performed 4 surgeries! - an amputation, 2 umbilical hernias and a saphenous vein ligation. The people are so grateful for even the least thing you can do for them. It was quite moving to see how much some of them had suffered without access to healthcare. One 13 yr old girl fell more than a year ago and fractured her hip - now she can hardly walk and the affected leg is 2in shorter than the other. Her pelvis will be malformed and she will be a cripple, unable to bare children or work and so of no use in this culture. Without surgery to repair this hip, her life is ruined - over before it got started. Steve has asked her to be brought to CEML where he will operate and try to repair the damaged hip.

Friday’s return trip was not uneventful! Rain a lot of the way. I got stung 4 times by some pesky tiny bee like creatures that somehow got in the car. Brent’s vehicle had minor electrical issues. Despite all these things we did get back in 12 hours!

Stirling held down the fort here at Tchincombe – baling hay, etc. He came to town on Saturday. We had a lovely day at beach on Sunday – Stirling lying down on back seat most of the way! Though he did drive the last half because there was a big rainstorm and yours truly does not like to drive at night in the rain! It took one hour to drive the 2 km up the hill to the compound where we stay in Lubango. The road had become a river and many vehicles were stuck!

PRAISE that 2 visas have been issued for missionaries planning to come to Angola! The Verhoefs and Frances Gralow – Frances will be working with translation of Olumhuila (very close to Olungambwe)!

This update from Sheila about Mum Foster:

“The big praise item is that Mum was transferred today to the special rehab unit where they will work intensively with her on speech, physical therapy and occupational therapy. The plan last Friday was to give her a week's worth of rehab- now that she will only really begin her week's worth tomorrow. I'm not sure how everything will pan out in terms of when she can come home.

At the moment, Dad and I are concerned that one or more of the anti-hypertensive drugs is causing some negative side effects like being out of it and with less ability to walk and use her right side. It's all very strange. They are giving her 3 different meds for her BP so I will try to see the docs tomorrow morning first thing. We talked with the rehab doc today but of course he hadn't seen her before so had no way to compare. Anyway, pray that this will get sorted out quickly so that she can make the most of the rehab program.

Seeing her regression today was discouraging for both Dad and me- and I'm sure for Mum as well.”

With Love,

Donna for all of us!

Please PRAY for Stirling’s parents.

Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

Please PRAY for Stirling’s parents. Stirling’s Mum had a stroke on Sunday. She has difficulty speaking and right sided weakness. She is to come out of ICU this morning. I think the hardest thing about missionary life is being away from family during these times!

Our life has been almost out of control in the busy department! HELP! Stirling’s back is not happy that it spent almost 24 hours in the car! As long as he lies down or stands up he’s good but sitting is difficult! Fortunately repairing machines is a standing up job! He and Firmino have gotten the Chevy up and running!

PRAISE!! All the fencing is at Tchincombe!!! Many miles and tons safely transported!

PRAISE!! Imbondwe was a blessing! There was a good crowd and many interested people! PRAY for hearts to be changed! Here’s a quote from a book I’m reading called “Walking with God” and our prayer for the Believers at Imbondwe and Tchincombe:

"What I am describing is a heart that is present and engaged with God, bringing our desires to him, yet submitting our wills to his, genuinely trusting that what he says is best."

We came into town after Imbondwe. Stirling returned to Tchincombe yesterday. The kids and I will be helping Peter and Shelley Duplantis move their belongings to Cavango where they will be helping to develop the clinic there. Stir would love to be on this adventure BUT it would not be good for his back and there’s so MUCH to do at Tchincombe! Please pray for safe journey. We will be a 4 car convoy leaving at 4 AM. Our plan is to return to Lubango on Friday.

Please continue to pray for the $10,000 needed to finish paying off the transport of our vehicle! We are not sure why the Lord hasn’t supplied this need. Please pray that He will show us what needs to be done!

THANKS for your partnership in the Gospel!

Donna for all of us!

good time and had no hassles (thanks for praying) at the border

Stirling, Jeffrey and Aimee were up at 3:30 am Friday. Out of the drive at 4 and headed north. They made good time and had no hassles (thanks for praying) at the border. We expected them between 9 & 10 PM. Sure enough around 9 there was a call on the radio which I expected to say, “We’re just coming on to Tchincombe be home soon.” BUT Stirling said, “We’re stuck! Please come with tractor!” They were only 25 km from here! One section of the neighbor’s road had been torn up by a truck, a tractor and bull dozer getting stuck when it was very wet.

Peter, Shelley, John, and I set out on a rescue mission with about 7 guys. The getting them out went well and we were back at 12:15 and then S, J & M had to have supper! They were pretty tired having been up about 24 hours!

Unfortunately the loading of the vehicle and all that time sitting in the car has give Stir quite a back ache so he’s taking it easy!

Aimee is fitting right in and has already worked with Strider a couple of times! She will bring lots of fun, laughter and creativity into our lives. Meghan will be thrilled because she plays piano beautifully and draws!

The grass is growing tall and strong!

Greetings from a very green and very wet Tchincombe! We are still getting rain every day or every other day! The grass is growing tall and strong! As well as the millet! Each of the workers grow their own staple food which is millet. It’s eaten two times a day with sour milk (similar to buttermilk) or with sometimes with a meat sauce. The two previous years there were slim harvests so that people have had to spend most of their income on buying food. We are all looking to the fields of tall, healthy millet that is rapidly making beautiful heads - with grateful hearts!

Stirling and Jeffrey went down to Windhoek last week. They are picking up the last of the fencing supplies – pliers and fasteners, etc. And having the alternator for main generator repaired. It’s stopped until their return. They will also pick up Jeffrey’s rifle that he bought last year! He saved his own money to buy it. He has had to learn a great deal of patience as it’s taken about a year to get the import permit! But permit was in hand last week.

PRAISE – Aimee got her visa!! She’s in Windhoek and will return with Jeffrey and Stirling. Thanks for praying for her visa!

Pray that Jeffrey, Aimee and Stir’s time at the border on return will be minimal. They hope to travel back on Thursday. In spite of all that might happen pray that they will be salt and light! (We normally travel through a border post that’s not busy but with the rains that border post is not accessible. He must go through the main border post and it’s usually horrendous in terms of waiting in lines.)

The other passenger on the trip is a German Shepherd pup named Bella that belongs to Shelley and Peter. A six week old pup ought to be quite fun!

Meghan is in Lubango for two weeks to do school with a ‘real’ teacher! Elizabeth is a teacher from Toronto who’s hear with a team from People’s Church. I’m grateful for the time to be at home for a bit on my own.

Pray that this will be a fun time for Meghan and that it won’t be just school but a new adventure where she trusts God to help her.

Pray that I will use my time wisely! My plan is to study Olungambwe and also to help the ladies with their Portuguese. Pray that I will not fret over the things that interrupt my plans! Like today! I need to go to Lubango to try and get the axle for the Unimog. It should have been ready on Friday but as of yesterday was still ‘getting ready’ – was the message I received! I plan to return tomorrow!

The transport of fencing materials has been stopped since the truck driver for the DAF went to Lubango on Friday. I hope he returns with me tomorrow!

Pray for the outreach at Imbondwe – last Sunday of each month!

Pray for the ladies’ meeting that’s every Wednesday. As most of the ladies are out very early in the morning weeding their fields attendance as been almost nil! Pray that they will hunger and thirst for God!

Pray too for the translation of materials into their language! Pray for them to desire to learn more Portuguese so they can read the Bibles in Portuguese that are available.

Pray for Fox family. They have 100% of their outgoing expenses. They have 25% of their monthly support. They plan to leave for Portugal in December to begin language study.

We do thank you for your PARTNERSHIP in the Gospel here at Tchincombe! Without your prayers and support this ministry would not be possible!

In Him,

Donna & Stirling

We have had incredible rains this year!

Hi again from a soggy Tchincombe!

We have had incredible rains this year! Have you noticed we haven’t mentioned prayer for rain!? It’s been a nice relief to not stress over rain. I suppose we are also learning that whether it rains or not our God is awesome and able to care for us!

We have continued to have challenges with the vehicles. Stirling went to town the day after I wrote last and was able to get another gear box (used) for the DAF in one day! That in itself is a miracle! The driver of the DAF thought that he’d try one more time to get it to go into gear before disassembling it and it went into gear! So that afternoon they set off to get another load and about 5 km out from Tchincombe when Nando wanted to put it into low gear – it wouldn’t go into low gear! So he came back. Stirling, Nando and Firmino worked for two days straight and did manage to get it up and running but now it can run ONLY in low gear. For the work of hauling in the sand low gear is just what we need. When the transport of material is complete the gearbox will have to be changed out because running the DAF in low range on the tarmac would not be fun! Whew!

Stir has spent the last 2 days working on the Chevrolet! With help of dear friends pages of the maintenance manual were e-mailed to us. Today it was running but there are some final adjustments that need to be made tomorrow!

The Unimog’s front axle is in town for repairs!

We have transported about 2/3 of the material to Tchincombe.

Amidst all these challenges there have been various and sundry sick children and people. Pray for a nurse for Tchincombe!! Just now (7:30 PM) the neighbor’s tractor came bringing a small baby who’s quite ill. We’re not sure why they brought the baby here as that particular neighbor has been going back and forth to town almost every day because they are hauling construction supplies from town!

Tomorrow Jeffrey and I will run into town for Jeffrey to do his final exam in Personal Keyboarding (fancy name for typing). We will get food for farm store and hopefully that part for the Unimog.

Stirling and Jeffrey are planning a quick trip to Windhoek to pick up Aimee Heyer – she’s coming to visit and help us with the horses. They will also get some fencing tools that were too small to send on truck.

Pray that Aimee will be granted her visa! We hear that the Embassy in Ottawa is having some technical problems!

Continue to Pray for outreach to ladies and to Imbondwe!

Pray for Fox family. They have 100% of their outgoing expenses. They have 25% of their monthly support. They plan to leave for Portugal in December to begin language study.

Thanks for your partnership in the Gospel!

Donna for all of us!

Hi from a soggy Tchincombe and Foster family!!

Hi from a soggy Tchincombe and Foster family!!

We went yesterday with both Landys and our trailer to bring back fencing and our camping equipment which we had left there last weekend. It didn’t rain in the night though it looked like it would and so most of night in tent we were sleeping lightly waiting for it to start pouring! It only started that in the morning! It rained most of the way here and had rained really hard here in the night. It sure makes things green and lovely thought hot and sticky!

We met Paulo with tractor pulling big farm trailer on his way to get a load. He said DAF was coming behind him so all the way we were expecting to meet the DAF – it’s actually nice to know when a vehicle is coming as the bush tracks of course are single lane! We never met up with the DAF and arrived here to discover that the DAF has broken down – fortunately right here at the farm – it doesn’t want to go into gear! Nando Yuma, the driver, will go into town tomorrow with Stirling to talk to mechanics in town about the problem.

Firmino spent the afternoon taking apart the right front wheel assembly of the Unimog in an attempt to discover where a not good noise was coming from – they found the offending part and Stir will try to get a replacement in Lubango tomorrow!

So all of the machines are down except the blue Ford tractor which is about 20 years old!!

Pray that amidst all the breakdowns and difficulties that we will know God’s enabling and that we will trust Him! He knows all about trucks and cars and EVERYTHING!! Pray too that we will be able to encourage others to rely in God alone!!

In Him,

Donna