Greetings from the HEAT..
Yesterday the temperature reached 115F in the sun and 98F in the shade, summer is upon us… It has rained a few times, which is unusual, as the rains don’t start until November. The heat just zaps the energy out of you and the only place in town that has air conditioning is a bank, difficult to just go and cool off like in the states when we would go and escape to the mallJ
The last month has been quite eventful. David was riding his bicycle at dusk back to the compound and had a head on collision with another man riding his bicycle. The impact was major, bending the rims on Davids’ bike, splitting the other bike into two pieces and David had a terrible cut under his chin which required stitches. Fortunately the Zambian gentleman was only shaken up and not seriously injured.
We lost one of Wilmas’ kittens, he stopped nursing and had problems breathing. I tried feeding him with a syringe and keeping him warm but he just wasn’t strong enough to make it. It was so sad and Wilma just kept walking through the house crying. The remaining kitten, Betty, is growing like a weed and is so funny chasing everything and everyone. Socks and Wilma are both in heat again, it must be the climate hereJ
We have been blessed to be part of what appears to be the beginning of another great ministry in Zambia. A team from New York was here last week and participated in the first marriage seminar based on the movie “Fireproof”. A number of couples (Zambian and American) gathered to watch part of the movie and then participated in roundtable discussions on what they had seen. It was great to listen to the interaction between all the couples and listen to sharing of what their marriages and customs are in their respective countries. The second half of the film and another seminar was held this week and was a great success. What really impacted me was how surprised the Zambian couples were that “we” (Americans) have the same problems they do. The misconception that all of life in America and in our homes is ideal. Please pray as God continues to work through this ministry.
One of the things God is teaching David and I constantly is life is about the small things. During a home based care visit last month our team asked how far the family traveled for water. They explained that since the old well on their property was not working they had to walk very far to get water. A few of the men spoke up and asked to see the well. The reason the well did not work is the rope had broken on the crank that was attached to the bucket that was used to haul the water out of the well. They could not afford the cost of a rope and/or bucket. That evening the team purchased heavy duty rope and a new bucket and repaired the well the following day. The families in that small area gathered and were singing and praising God for guiding us there.
Another Zambian first… a staff member came to me for assistance with their office desktop computer. It kept shutting on and off and making very strange noises, upon further inspection I found a very intricate wasp nest built from the outside vents (for fan) to inside the computer housing. How do you kill the wasps without “killing” the computer? We found most of them were already toasted. Only in Zambia…
For those who have been here and lived to tell of the “Livingstone” road… They have continued to create more and more detours as they rebuild the road but have finally opened part of the new roadJ Only a 5km stretch outside of Zimba but it’s heavenly!
We are due to travel back to the states on furlough December 9th, can’t wait for that cold and snowJ God has presented us a few different options in how to serve in the future so we are praying for guidance and direction. We would like the opportunity to share what God is doing in our lives and here in Zambia, if you would be interested in having us speak to you and/or your church please contact us and we would be happy to schedule a visit. If you wish to learn more about our ministry or would like to become a prayer partner and/or financially support our ministry, please visit the website (www.thewattersfamily.blogspot.com) for detailed information.
This past month has held many challenges and through them all we have had a peace that God is guiding us, he never leaves us or forsakes us. What a comfort to know that he is in control and he knows the plans he has for us.
Blessings to all,
The Manzi (Watters) family
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