What we found when we arrived back home ( in Zambia)

We left South Africa on January 25th and arrived safely back in on the 27th.  Since lightening had hit and temporarily disabled our phone communication while we were gone, we were quite nervous driving in, hoping that everything was still going well with the children’s home and the kids.  All along the bush drive back we analyzed each field to try to determine how the rain had been but according to the flood rivers we had to drive through, it seemed like there had been a decent amount (at least recently).  Each village we passed brought us more and more excitement to get back and when we finally got there what a sight did we see!  Mom’s and children running up to the car, celebrating our arrival and welcoming in Jeremiah.  It was a truly blessed sight as he got passed all around and as each mom proudly showed us how much each of their babies had grown in the 2 months we were gone.  Isaac looked so different Amber asked if they traded him for another baby : )

Although we knew that God would sustain the ministry and the  children while we were gone, we were prepared for the worst upon our arrival and were happy to find that everyone was doing well and the problems that we had heard about over the phone (the tractor was broken, power and electricity not working due to lightning, etc) were not as bad as they sounded and relatively easy to fix.  Nothing serious had happened while we were gone!  It was a sweet time of being reunited and witnessing how God’s work and will go on, no matter what the circumstances.  Jakob especially loved being back around his Zambian friends once again!

Now that we were back though it was time to hit the ground  running, and between trips to Livingstone and Lusaka to replenish supplies for the orphanage, get Jeremiah added onto our work permit and pick up Alyssa’s (which has been approved since last year but without the official booklet to prove it), we were go-go-go.  It did our hearts good though to see that all the cattle and goats were doing well and that the crops that had been planted while we were gone were blessed and doing well.

And it was neat that God allowed us to be here to be a part of something truly special in Zambia.  The Zambian national soccer team winning the African Cup of Nations for the first time in history!  Everywhere we went (whether in the village or in town)people were celebrating and cheering on their team they best way they could – shouting, blowing whistles, waving their flags,  honking their horns, and wearing special Zambian flag chitenges.  It was really something that God allowed us to be a part of that and to witness all of Zambia coming together for a common cause.  I am sure the celebrating will still continue until next year!