teams coming home

The team, Dave, jim, and jane left Saturday afternoon for their journey home. They flew from Lusaka to South Africa, to London, England, to Texas, to Wichita late Sunday night! Praying for a safe flight(s) back!! 

pics

Update

Sorry for the long break… internet hasn't been working but now we are back in Lusaka at the Kalembos house. We visited 12 schools in 6 days all over southern Zambia. Some in the cities, some way out in the African bUsh. Lots of miles traveled on bumpy dusty roads. Thanking God for His safety. On our last day we had to push the bus downhill 6 different times to get it started again at 3 different stops. Last night we were really able to stop and reflect on all of Gods plans, even ones that started over 6 months ago. He is a Big God!!!  At each school we met with the head teachers(principals), PTA chairperson, and teachers. We were able to see some progress that they, along with their community, are making but for the most part there list of challenges are so much longer. They have a lack of teachers, and teacher housing, some no water, most no electricity, textbooks and materials, even not enough classrooms for all of their students. The average school has one teacher to 45 students, and then maybe one textbook to those 45 kids. Makes you think about all the blessings that we have in life, and most of those we take for granted. So please spend time thanking God for each blessing He has given you. 

Today we are meeting with the OVCs that we missed on Sunday and working in the containers some too!! 

SUNDAY

Today we woke up, had breakfast, loaded the bus up and headed to Sinasowa PWC to attend church. Before church we stopped by to visit with an elderly woman who is 104. We were able to give her a wheelchair so that her relatives can help her into it and push her outside to get her some fresh air from time to time! We also got to visit a family that just had a little baby and were able to give her a blanket that was made by some children in 4H. Then we attended Sunday school and church. Dave and Jim both shared their testimonies and the Education Secretary gave the message. After church we passed out 28 hygiene kits to the families and 50 activity packets to the children. After church we hopped in the bus and headed back to Kalomo for the night. Tomorrow we will be visiting more schools, an orphanage, and also the farm in Choma!! Please keep everyone in your prayers, for safe travels and also for health! 

Update

On Friday, we only made it to 2 out of the 4 we were suppose to visit because of time in traveling! We were greeted by a singing choir at Malima Basic School. They have 895 students with 18 teachers and only 10 classrooms. They thanked us for all of the supplies that have been given to them, 2,000 textbooks, 20 desks for children, 78 chairs, 3 bikes for teachers to use to go to meetings, a desk for the principal, toys and other educational supplies. They also had a list of challenges that they are facing for ex. not enough houses for their teachers (they have 11 houses but 18 teachers), finishing their library, desks for grade 8 and 9, a science lab, and also a computer lab. We toured all the rooms and even had a small program with head men from the villages,and PTA members. We were excited to see all the work that the community is helping to do with the school. We also visited Sinajola where we got to see a lot of classrooms that have been painted by the paint that has been donated and sent on the container! They were looking very nice! 

We made it to Sinasowa around 8pm and checked in to Kariba Bush Club, ate supper, and took HOT showers! It is cold season here in Zambia and when the sun goes down we definitely feel it! 

Today we woke up, and ate breakfast together then took a tour of the crocodile farm. They have over 90,000 crocodiles on the farm. It was very interesting to see and learn about them. Some of them can live to 120 years and weigh up 1,000 kg which is over 2,000 pounds. In the afternoon we visited the other 2 schools that we missed yesterday. We didn't get to see any kids but we were able to meet the principals and a couple of teachers as well! They were very thankful for the items that have distributed to them and very excited for the school items that are coming!! 

Schools we visited

Sent from Samsung tablet

yesterday

Thursday the 5th

Yesterday we were able to sleep in for a little bit and then met the National PWC Education Secretary , Pharnwell Hadinke and headed to Zimba to visit a couple schools. The first one, Nakowa, was a basic school with grades preschool Up to Grade 9. They had 1,229 children that attend with 33 teachers. We talked with the principal, and he also gave Us a tour of the school. We were able to see one block of classrooms that have been painted with paint shipped over on the containers. Also we saw desks, chairs, toys, textbooks, and library books that all have been sent over on the containers! They were also happy when Dave told them more supplies were on their way! One container is in Lusaka already and the other one is in Tanzania at the border. We handed out backpacks for the grade 7class (122 children) They were very excited to receive them, claps, whistling, and cheers were all heard!! It was a humbling moment that made our hearts all warm and fuzzy!!!  We ate a mexican lunch at the Zimba mission house and even got some homemade cookies! The second school was 12 km away in the village of mUnkolo. We were met by 6 headmen and shown the school. This school had a lot of problems with space. One building had 3 classrooms but it no roof, the wind blew it off in 2008 and they have not been able to fix it yet. So they only have 6 classrooms for Grades 1-9 wit h 740 kids and 12 teachers. They would be able to get more teachers but they have no accommodations for them. They also said that they have to turn down children for enrollment as well. The community has made 120,000 bricks and has brought sand to use to build classrooms and/or houses for teachers but do not have fiancee for the doors/windows/roofing..ect. We also handed out 400 or so backpacks at this school! 

Friday the 6th

We are saying goodbye to Kalomo for a couple days and heading north a bit and east and will be visiting schools along the way. We did have a flat tire on the bus about and hour into the trip but got it fixed and ready to go again! Pray for safe travels!!! Thanks so much!

Update

We had another very successful day!! PTL=) We packed up all of our tools and supplies and headed to a village called Mubanga. It took us an hour and 50 minutes to reach there. The roads/paths were very bumpy getting us there, but we made it by 1045 and got started. We had lots of help from villagers that attend the church, we counted 20 at one time. We finished all 30 church pews by 530 this evening and everyone was very excited!! The Pastor of the church said that they felt like they were still dreaming and thanked us for all of our hard work in preparing the pews! We had a bumpy drive back to Kalomo, just finished supper and are relaxing a bit before we start our day tomorrow!! WILL POST MORE PICTURES TOMORROW!! 

Church Bench Team

Church Bench Team

Sent from Samsung tablet

Sent from Samsung tablet

Update

Today was the first day of making church pews.  Dave, Jim, Jane,Dana, Boycken,and John  started out the day by counting out lumber for 20 pews and got it all carried into the Kalomo Pilgrim Wesleyan Church. We had 8 men from the church helping us build the pews. The winner of first pew was Dana,Jim,and Andersons team but it wasn't a competition!! We had 18 pews finished by noon and then ran into a problem of no more long screws. So after lunch Dave, Jim, and John went to find more screws in Kalomo town and after 6 hardware stores didn't have any luck, so Dave, John, and Terry (one of the members of the church) drove them to Choma 65 kilometers away to find screws. Their was a truck that came this afternoon to pick up the lumber for the rest of the 30 pews and take them to the Mubanga village about 50 minutes away. Well there is one more trip to go for the lumber, it didn't all fit in the truck. Excited to see how tomorrow goes, thanking and praising God for all of todays accomplishments!!! HE IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!! Everyone is healthy and going strong! Continue to lift us all up in prayer… TWALUMBA (thank you) 

June 2nd 2014

Dave, Jim and Jane arrived on Saturday the 31st of May at the Lusaka Airport in Zambia right on time with only one bag out of the 9 still in South Africa. They were welcomed at the airport by Alfred Kalembo and Dana. We had some trouble finding kwatcha (the money in Zambia) but got it all sorted out soon. Traveled to the Kalembo's house and were greeted by the family. Had a little snack and got to work on sorting out things from the new container! At the farm the corn was in a big pile, they had just finished harvesting it. Saturday evening we started charging batteries for the drills so that they would be ready for making church pews. Sat down for supper with the Kalembos, Muumbe and Alfred and Lumba, Alfreds mother, who was visiting from the village, Boycken and Dana, and Dr. jerry  who was visiting from Nigeria. We had a devotion later from a Psalms and each shared something that we were thankful for God doing in our lives. Made plans for tomorrow, showered and went to bed!! 

SUNDAY 1st of June  

Woke up and ate pancakes that Alfred prepared for us for breakfast and got ready for church. Saw lots of changes happening at Kanyama PWC Church. They are in the process of building a wall fence with cement blocks around the whole property. They have knocked down a few buildings,made the stage area bigger, new instruments, and varnished the pews. We were able to start updating information and pictures for the OVCs before and after church. We were able to meet with 50 children and only have a few left to catch up with later on. Dr Jerry from Nigeria preached and had a very encouraging message for Us. We were blessed! We missed the choir at Kanyama this time, they were asked to sing at another church in the village. Worked at sorting and organizing more items and getting packed for the journey tomorrow. Had a good meal of chicken and mashed potatoes, pumpkin, green beans and cake for dessert. 

Monday 2nd of June 

Got a late start this morning but got the bus loaded with backpacks, hygiene kits and activity packets and the trailer hitched up as well! We had to go to the airport to get the one bag that we were missing and pick up John the carpenter and hit the rode. So Dave, jim and jane, Dana and Boycken and john made Up the team along with the driver of the bus, Victor and his co-pilot Kennedy. We may be small in numbers but we are mighty!!! We made a few stops along the way, In monze to see one of the orphans Dave sponsors and eat some chicken and chips(fries). We met the National Education Secretary Of PWC Pharnwell Hadinke and his wife in Pemba. Dave was able to bless him with a new laptop, He was very appreciative since his previous one had gotten stolen out of his vehicle and he lost all of his information. He will be traveling with Us later on in the week and next to visit schools. We are about 10 minutes away from our stop in Kalomo and its 845pm Zambian time. We will unload all the boxes and bags and say goodbye to the bus as it will head back to Lusaka tonight. Tomorrow we will start building the pews for Kalomo PWC church. Leza Amuleleke (God Bless You)  

February 1

February 1. We left the Kalembo house and headed to the Lusaka airport. The first leg of our return trip actually took us farther from home as we flew to Johannesburg, SA. From there we just completed the 11 hour flight to London. We are currently at Heathrow waiting to head across the pond to Chicago. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Friday

January 31. Left Livingstone this morning and started heading back to Lusaka. The team stopped at a small farm owned by a district superintendent of the Pilgrim Wesleyan church. Next we stopped in Zimba and had brunch at the mission house. Part of the team toured the Zimba mission hospital complex. Our next stop was in Monzi for fabric shopping then on to Mozambique where we ate lunch at a pizza place. Made it into Lusaka without incident, had supper at the mall, then settled into the Kalembo compound for our last night in Zambia. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

January 30

January 30. Today we had a sight seeing day. First, we went to the game park near Livingstone. Saw giraffes, water buffalo, wildebeest, and many other species. The highlight was getting to walk out with the armed guards and get close to the white rhinos that were lying down. The park is the only one in Zambia with white rhinos and they are protected 24/7. Truly a unique experience! From there we went to see Victoria Falls. It is one of the seven wonders of the world. It is an awesome example of the majesty of God. After a late lunch we headed to a park for EternityFocus's sixth performance since we have been in the country. Because it was raining, (it has rained everyday) we had to set up under the only coverage we could find which was an entrance into the park. The staging area faced the main highway, with local souvenir shops extending from both sides. Two choirs, EternityFocus, and powerful preaching. Street evangelism at its finest. Since it was the last EternityFocus performance, they donated sound equipment, speakers, and an electric guitar to the Livingstone Pilgrim Wesleyan church. The rest of the band equipment and instruments are being donated to Kanyama Pilgrim Wesleyan and other churches in Lusaka.

January 29

January 29. After breakfast at the guest house, we started our journey to Livingstone. On the way we stopped at the Kalembo farm project southwest of Choma. Looked over the corn fields and took some soil samples. We'll see if they make it through customs in Allen's dirty socks! Also looked at the progress on the house being built for Darin and Diana. Ate lunch at the Wesleyan mission house in Zimba. Upon arriving in Livingstone we checked into our guesthouse and then set up for the EternityFocus concert at David A. Livingstone College. (Mumbe is an alumni) The concert was in the chapel which was filled with more than 700 students. The excellent energetic crowd was entertained by four other choirs before EternityFocus performed. Their wonderful performance was highlighted by guest singers (Mumbe being one) singing How Great Thou Art in 4 different languages. It was awesome! The singing was followed by some dynamic preaching by a female pastor from the Church of Zambia. Truly a special night of worship. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

January 28

January 28. Spent the night at the mission house in Choma. Got up and headed to Sinanjola school. Treacherous roads from the rain but we made it. Big event at the school as the classroom Brian had sponsored was turned over to the Zambian government. Since the government is responsible for the schools, there were a lot political leaders and parents. The school has 868 pupils and is 13 miles from a paved road! Also gave out soccer balls and dum dum suckers. The event was in the Zambian newspapers the next day. Of course the reporters rode out on our bus with the team. We had to leave before the festivities were complete, so that we could make it back to Choma for EternityFocus to perform. The road back from the school was so severe that 200 yards before getting to the paved road, our bus drug the ground and bent the spare tire holder so it was dragging on the ground! With a little delay and the spare in the front of the bus, we made it back to Choma and put on the concert at the same venue as last night. God is good, all the time! Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Monday January 27

Monday January 27. Left Lusaka for Choma this morning. EternityFocus performed a concert in the courtyard behind the Choma Hotel. It was an outdoor venue with thatched roof over the stage and seating area. Approximately 200 were there. A choir of young people from Choma area churches sang first. Then a local praise and worship band named Fortress. It was a blessed evening. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Sunday in Zambia

Today was our first full day on the ground in Zambia. It was a full and blessed day! We started our day before the sun came up. Loaded all the EternityFocus gear into Alfreds truck and the bus. We had to be set up before church started at 10 am. Mission accomplished! Had a couple challenges with instruments, but God provided solutions. After church we quickly loaded the equipment back up, and went to Alfreds house for a delicious spaghetti lunch. After lunch we went to the University of Zambia and set up for a concert at the Christian Student Center on campus. A student choir provided the opening entertainment. Then EternityFocus put on a two hour performance that kept the 300 University students buzzing. Alika challenged the students with issues that affect young people on either side of the globe. We hit the roads of Zambia tomorrow and head to Choma for two concerts in two days. God is great! All the time!

On the ground in Zambia!

Our 12 person traveling party has settled in to the Kalembo house. Travel went smooth, even though it was our first time to go through the Johannesburg airport. God's hand was all over it! Eternity Focus will perform their first concert tomorrow at Alfreds church. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Kierson Ready to Go