What a Difference a Year Makes

I must confess. Last year at this time, I was really struggling. I missed our American home, family, friends, church, and traditions. It was the first time we didn't have our own tree or the decorations Jason and I have collected over our 33 Christmas's together. I even missed the commercialism, something I normally detest. Yup, I was about as homesick as one can get.

This year is different. I can truly enjoy much that makes Christmas in Zambia unique. Don't get me wrong; I still miss everything listed above, well, EXCEPT the commercialism that is. But I can also embrace the simplicity of our celebrations here. Our tree is all of two feet tall. We bought it last year at the grocery store. The church we attend, Ndeke Foursquare, will enjoy Christmas together. Plans are still being made and in true Zambian style, probably will continue being made as the day unfolds. We are looking forward to it all.

But my favorite part of Christmas in Zambia is the ability to focus on the real reason for the season. Lorraine Simons of Cottage Grove, Oregon sent me a link to this beautiful version of Mary Did You Know which gave me goose bumps as I listened. You may have heard it before but I hadn't. I clicked on the link and read the words as it played through many times taking me back to the Sunday before Christmas twenty-nine years ago when I held my newborn son during his first church service.

Our pastor spoke about Christmas from Mary's perspective. As he shared insights into the mother of our Savior, I gazed into the eyes of my own son savoring every breath, every movement of his tiny body. For the first time, the magnitude of Jesus' birth began to penetrate my soul. Oh, I had given my heart to Him two years before but struggled to really comprehend His birth, His death, His resurrection.

At that time, Jason was not a Christian. We were very poor and had no money for presents. Marriages that we thought were rock solid disintegrated around us. I felt lonely and uncertain about our future. Yet in that moment, I had true peace in the midst of it all.

I returned home with new perspective. Even though my circumstances hadn't changed a bit, my vision had. I placed my precious son under our sparsely decorated tree and whispered, "Merry Christmas."

Our adorable two-year old daughter joined him jabbering in her sweet toddler voice about the "pwitty lights". For the first time in my life, I cherished the true meaning of Christmas.

***

Listed below are favorite songs that I've been listening to over and over these past days (more than 20 times each according to iTunes). I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Mary Did you know: Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd
A Baby Changes Everything: Faith Hill
It's the Messiah: Wynonna Judd
Luke2:7-14 as Told by Shaoey: Steven Curtis Chapman

I hope you have opportunity to close out the world for just a few minutes to let these songs transport you to the miraculous events that took place in a stable more than 2,000 years ago. My prayer is that you will experience Christmas in a new way this year that will touch your heart both now and ever more.

For me, the true meaning of the season became very real and spiritual that last Sunday before Christmas, 29 years ago.

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

Jeremy Mickel 1974-2008

Once again we were stunned to hear that another young man in our Central Oregon community has passed away quite suddenly.

I was fortunate to spend time with Jeremy while our children participated in classes for homeschoolers a few years ago. Jeremy told the best stories and had a charming sense of humor. He was a natural with his boys and adored his wife. I know he will be sorely missed.

We extend our deepest sympathies to Jeremy's wife Jaylynn, sons Jacob, Jonathan, and Josiah, parents Glen and Rosemary, his brothers Mark and Steve, and sister Kim along with their families.

Though Jeremy's life on earth has ended, he is now living in heaven free from the pain and limitations of his physical body. It is often the loss of a loved one which causes us to realize just how precious the gift of eternal life really is.

For us, the events surrounding the birth of Jesus aren't the ingredients of another holiday story or family tradition but the inspiration of hope and peace even in the midst of our deepest sorrows and fears.

Love and peace to you all,
Beckie

We Lived 20 Miles Apart...

but it was Zambia that brought us together. I am talking about our dear friends Marlena and Carmelo Bellavia. It all started in 2007 when a local newspaper ran a story about our family. I received a phone call from Marlena shortly thereafter and our hearts connected immediately.

Marlena teaches French and German at Central Oregon Community College. Carmelo teaches French and Italian at one of Bend's high schools. During our first visit with the Bellavias in our Redmond home it became clear that we shared similar passions.

Both are part of an amazing organization Vima Lupwa Homes. Instead of building an institution for orphans to grow up in, a home was constructed where 14 children live and work together as family with a mom and dad. I can hardly wait to visit next week and meet them all. I encourage you to click on the link above to learn more.

Left to Right: Steven, Carlin (holding Cora the hen), Beckie, Shauna, Marlena, Sia, and Isata. Jason captured this photo just before Marlena left for Lusaka.

Marlena is here in Zambia to see the family at Vima Lupwa and to celebrate Christmas with them. We are thrilled at the opportunity to enjoy a few days with her in our home. What an encouragement and bundle of fun she is to us.

Above, Marlena and I sip cool drinks while sharing our experiences and ideas. Ahhhh, there is nothing more refreshing than warm friendship and stimulating conversations. What a gift Marlena's visit is to us.

We look forward to Friday of next week when Marlena will return to us for a last visit before she begins her long journey home to Bend, Oregon.

To my precious friends and family, I love and miss you all very much. May God bless you with lots of love, joy, and peace during your Christmas celebrations.

Lots of love,
Beckie

Crashing Tweetie and Chicken Update

Carlin carefully scooped up this adorable little guy off of the driveway after it smacked into our kitchen window. We were happy that it wasn't mortally wounded and the accident provided a great opportunity to inspect one of our favorite creatures up close.

Do you know what kind of bird this is?




Chicken update: We knew a lady who often talked about how much she enjoyed her chickens. I just didn't get it back then. I mean, how does one "enjoy" a chicken?

Now that we have chickens of our own, I must confess that we enjoy them very much. They constantly talk to each other although they are not loud or obnoxious. They follow us around like puppies and if we leave a door open, Annie (Shauna's hen) comes right in. Although she comes in uninvited, at least she is considerate to leave nothing behind.

I thought you may enjoy seeing our hens. I snapped these photos yesterday. The other two "ladies" were foraging in another part of the yard.



Does anyone have snow yet? I know that my mom and brothers in Colorado certainly do.

I need to get back to math. I am brushing up on my algebra skills. Boy am I rusty!

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

Quick Update

Hello everyone! I've missed blogging something fierce. Life has been extremely busy around here as I'm sure it is for you as well. Our school days are always full and it seems that I enjoy our classes more and more with each passing year. I love to learn right along with our children. I've heard it said that if you really want to learn something, you need to teach it. Truer words were never spoken.

Which brings me to another update. We now have five laying hens (pullets). Several months ago, we had the joy of watching a pair of chickens increase into a small flock. We were pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was to watch the little chicks grow all the way from hatchlings until they began to disappear one by one around the Matambos supper time.

Not only are chickens fun to watch, they devour loads of bugs and lizards. We have really missed having a pet since leaving our golden retriever Scout behind. So these new chickens of ours are kind of red like Scout's mother (I know, that's kind of a stretch but you learn to do that while living on another continent).

We didn't want a rooster because they are LOUD all day and all night. So after taking everything into consideration, we decided laying hens will still give us food in the form of eggs AND they will eat lots of bugs and small critters which we have an abundance of now that the rains have come.

The only problem is. . .their beaks were chopped off! We were stunned to discover this. I guess the purpose of that is to keep the birds from hurting each other while confined in small cages as they are on commercial farms. But obviously we are not a commercial farm! It is extremely difficult for our hens to forage around the house without most of their beaks. Actually, it made us all very sad.

Of course our children named all five hens. They are Cora (Carlin's), Penny (Isata's), Annie (Shauna's), Shirley (Steven's), and Lucy (Sia's). Jason put different colored bands around each bird's leg so we can identify them. So far Cora, Annie, and Penny are laying eggs daily. The other two haven't started yet.

We want to add to our little flock as there is nothing like farm-fresh eggs but we do not want de-beaked birds. I will keep you posted if we find any laying hens with their beaks still attached.

It's getting late so I must make this post a short one. I miss you all so much.

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving full of feasting, fellowship, and of course giving thanks to God for it all. We celebrated a day early with the Mwila family and ohhhh did we have a glorious time as you will see by the following pictures.

Our meal was made extra special by the spices so many of you lavished upon us during my trip to the USA. I now have enough sage to last for several months and trust me, I treasure it greatly. I use it almost every day and vow to never take the precious herb for granted. Although I returned with many jars and bags of various spices (all of which are heavenly), sage is one that is not available in Zambia at ANY price. It just doesn't exist here. Well it does now thanks to several of YOU.

The Mwila family thoroughly enjoyed mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, and baked chicken all cooked American style. After dinner, well actually even before dinner, the music played and everyone danced as is customary in Zambian gatherings. We laughed, sang, danced, ate, and thanked God for our friendship and all His goodness. A glorious time was had by all.

Pastor Mwila tapped the side of the drum as Charity pounded an African beat. The rest of us clapped our hands as some of the girls danced a traditional step.

Carlin and Steven shared their camera with Emmanuel. He enjoyed watching all the action through the view finder.

Above, Idoxi dances to the beat of the drum. Notice the wrap around her hips? These are attached in preparation for the dance.

Immanuel never let go of the camera. Very few Zambian adults own a camera particularly one that is digital with immediate playback. So this was a big deal.

Finally, it was Jason's turn. Pastor Mwila vowed to teach him everything he needed to know about dancing like a Zambian man. It was loads of fun and tons of laughter filled the room.

Now it's time for careful instruction. (below)

Let the fun begin!

We laughed until our sides hurt.

I wish you could hear these pictures. We had loads of fun watching Jason "find" his rhythm.

I captured this group shot (below) just before the Mwilas returned home.

Back row left to right: Sia, Katherine, Naomi, Nancy, Idoxi, Jason, Pastor Mwila

Middle row left to right: Isata, Shauna, Charity, Gloria, and Sarah

Front left to right: Charles Jr, Carlin, Steven, and Immanuel

I thank God for each of you for your love and generous support of our family and ministry. We are filled with gratefulness and thanksgiving for God's abundant blessings of genuine friendships that continue to deepen with each passing year. Truly we are rich in all the ways that matter most.

Love and prayers,
Beckie

One word best describes my six weeks in the USA (part 1)

INDESCRIBABLE! But I will try anyway.

First of all, it broke my heart to leave my hubby and four of our children in tears. All who know me will remember that I wouldn't even leave our little ones in the church nursery if it upset them to do so. Imagine how difficult it was to leave them for six weeks!

I was grateful for the privilege to globe-trot with 10 year-old Sia and 7 year-old Caylie. The girls are terrific travelers and enormously helpful. We managed to have extra seats for both transcontinental flights (Jo'burg to London then London to San Francisco) giving us more space to stretch out and even doze a bit. Honestly, I cannot imagine embarking on such a long journey alone. I know people do it all the time but I'm glad I didn't have to.

Finally, we landed in San Francisco found our luggage without incident and started for the Customs area where we were greeted by a huge sign "Welcome to the United States of America". I choked up at both the sign and the friendliness of the officer. He handed over our passports and said cheerfully, "Welcome home".

Still teary eyed over that experience, we rounded a corner and saw another sign with "Sibley" hand written in blue Sharpie (of course) held by my oldest son. Next to Justin capturing the moment on camera was my daughter in-law Lisa. How do I describe that emotional scene? Indescribable!

As if I wouldn't know him! It was absolutely wonderful to see Justin and Lisa after all this time! I so appreciate Lisa capturing these moments. The photos bring back joyful memories.

We brought six empty suitcases. Trust me, they didn't all fit onto one cart when I returned to this same airport six weeks later. They were far from empty thanks to so many of YOU!!!

Together at last!
Left to Right: Me, Justin, Caylie, Sia

Our first days were spent recuperating from our long journey and purchasing clothes for Sia. She had grown through several sizes and had nothing that fit. So off to Target we walked. (Justin and Lisa were temporarily living in Sunnyvale, California while they waited for their new house to be finished).

It was great to find terrific deals on summer clothes since the States was well into fall weather. I found several tops and shorts under $5 for both girls and boys. In one store, I asked a clerk if the items were mismarked as the tags read $1. Yippee!!!

That Friday, Lisa had scheduled an appointment with her favorite hair stylist for ME! The whole salon experience was heavenly and came complete with pink lemonade on ice.

While I was being completely pampered, Justin took Sia and Caylie to Jamba Juice where they met two of his co-workers at eBay. They laughed and shared a few "Justin" stories between them.

Lisa shared every free moment she could with us and we savored each one. However, without any vacation days left for this year, her time was a bit limited. That said, the fact that she put so much effort into being with us and making that time extra special touched my heart to its core. I am blessed with a very dear daughter in-law whom I treasure.

The next day Justin drove us and our empty suitcases to Redmond. It had been a full year since we had the pleasure of taking a road trip. With Zambian gas prices ranging between $9-10/gallon, we only travel when we have to and the longest distance is a one-and-a-half hour bumpy ride to Mufulira. So Sunnyvale, California to Redmond, Oregon was absolutely spectacular. I enjoyed that one-on-one time with Justin, Sia and Caylie along with viewing the beauty all around us.

There is no way to fit my whole six weeks into one post as every day was full. So I will post a little bit each day in between filling you in on life in Zambia since our return.

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

(The rainy season has begun which means everything is beautiful BUT our internet service is interupted with each down pour. That said, I'm trying to get all of my posts done on Word so they are ready when service is restored.)

THANK YOU!

Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you who made my and Sia's six weeks in the USA some of the most treasured experiences of our lives. Truly, I was completely unprepared for all the love showered upon us. We were treated like royalty.

To the congregation at City Center Church, thank you for your never-ending love, prayers, and support. I was pleasantly surprised to feel not an ounce of nervousness each time I was called upon to share. Instead, when I approached the front and turned around, I saw "family". The love, acceptance, and genuine interest radiating from your faces melted away all anxiety and panic. For someone who has always suffered a fear of public speaking, this is nothing short of miraculous.

I was overwhelmed by all of your cards, letters, and gifts which we will enjoy for months to come. These are tough times and yet you gave abundantly and sacrificially. We are honored and humbled by your generosity.

To the congregation at Cottage Grove Faith Center, thank you for welcoming me once again into your fellowship even though I was 15 minutes late AND in my haste forgot to turn off my cell phone! Yet no one rolled their eyes or darted dirty looks my way as I tried desperately to "sneak" out of the service, cell phone ringing wildly--at least not that I could tell (said with a grin).

Thank you also for your faithfulness in prayer and in finances. Again, we KNOW these are difficult times and are continually honored by your faith in what God is doing through us in Zambia. Your steadfast commitment gives us great courage to accomplish our part of God's plan for this beautiful country and it's amazing people.

And to New Life Fellowship in Madras, Oregon: I regret there were not enough Sundays in my Central Oregon schedule to allow a visit to one of your services. Jason and I continually thank God for you and your partnership with us. We so enjoyed our visit to your church shortly before we left for Zambia. Pastors Todd and Kim offered godly wisdom as former missionaries, which we have referred to many times this past 14 months. Thank you for your faithfulness in communication as well as in financial giving. We are enormously grateful and honored.

To loving friends and family who enthusiastically opened their homes and guest rooms to us, THANK YOU for your generous hospitality, warm friendship, and oh so yummy food. We thoroughly enjoyed each and every scrumptious meal and treat along with communicating face to face for the first time in more than a year.

At the market today, our friend Partner looked at Sia and announced, “You are fat!” This is not considered rude in Zambia. Sia was not impressed however and didn’t say a word. I tried to smooth things over by telling her that Partner did not mean to hurt her feelings but meant she must have enjoyed American food. I don’t think it worked as Sia is quite sensitive these days.

I can hardly wait to share some of our adventures and pictures so stay tuned. Until then. . .

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

Mulberry Pick'n Fun

One of our favorite things about living here in Kansenshi area is that we meet people from all over the world who come to serve the people of Zambia in many different ways. A few weeks ago, we met four young teaching students working on their internships at a local primary school. Christine Louise and Alburt arrived from South Africa while Tanya and Anna Marie are both from Namibia.

All are part of the same school and will graduate November 29. We soooo want to attend their graduations and represent their families who aren't able to come.

Last week, they popped in to invite our children to the guest house where they lived during their internships to pick mulberries and play games. All had a glorious time of it while I enjoyed rare moments of tranquility at home for a couple hours. Jason was teaching MTI in Ndeke.

In the photo below, Caylie has looks for the best mulberries. One of her favorite places in the world is in the branches of a tree. And a tree with fruit??? It just doesn't get any better than that!

And now it's Carlin on higher branches.

Shauna and Anna Marie playing some sort of game. Since I was at home enjoying the quiet of an empty house, someone else captured all of these images.

Christine Louise, Isata, Sia, Shauna, and Alburt enjoying the fruits of Carlin's, Steven's, and Caylie's efforts in the mulberry tree.


Climbing trees, eating freshly plucked berries, playing games, and then cooling off in the sprinklers. . .it just doesn't get any better than that!


Below, Caylie hides behind the tree as the water hose and sprinkler came out. By the time she returned home, those cute little curls were long gone.

A glorious time was had by all!

Well, this most likely will be my last post before leaving for America on Tuesday. I will continue to update my blog during my six week visit but instead of giving you a picture (literally) of our life in Zambia, I will be updating my loving family back in Zambia.

I look forward to seeing many of you very soon.

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

Fun Fridays

We have designated Friday afternoons "Fun Friday". The kids work all week to get their classwork done before lunch on Fridays and then it's party time! Would you like to join us?

Above, it's manicure time. Kiara Janman paints Isata's fingernails while Shauna applies a different color to Gloria's. You can see that this is serious stuff.

Caylie and Gloria show off their beautifully manicured fingertips in the picture below.


On the other side of the house, the boys play a game of American football. We are officially in the "hot" season down here in the southern hemisphere so with a little improvising of the rules, it is possible to play the game and be refreshed all at the same time.

Daniel Janman has grown to enjoy the American football game as much as our boys.

Pictured below is an example of a common Zambian "sprinkler" system. It works great! Jason did manage to find a Rainbird type of sprinkler but knew that it would most likely suffer some accident during the game. And this actually works better for play anyway.


Last year at this time, the heat seemed unbearable. I am happy to report that I have climatized! Hip, hip, HOORAY! And now I get ready to head to the cool fall weather of the USA. You don't suppose I'll have to get use to the heat all over again when I return to Zambia do you???

I so look forward to see many of you very soon!

Blessings and Joy,
Beckie

Look Out USA, Here We Come! (Me, Caylie and Sia)

It gives me great pleasure to announce that I will once again walk on American soil when my plane lands a week from Wednesday!!! No words can describe the emotions churning within as I prepare to see my country and loved ones after one of the most intense years of my life.

Although the purpose of this trip is to return Caylie to our oldest daughter Jessica, I plan to soak up time with my loving family, faithful friends, my most amazing and supportive home church (City Center Church in Redmond, Oregon), and the beauty of my homeland. Our wonderful friend Katie Hartley provided the way for Sia to join us for which I am enormously grateful as I knew that our youngest daughter would suffer the most from my absence.

I look forward to seeing everyone and everything through a renewed vision gained from living a year in Zambia. I have instructions from all of our children and even my husband to get pictures of Safeway (our favorite grocery store), Mrs. Keller's home baked cinnamon rolls, a Costco cake, and our old neighborhood. And then of course, they want pictures of our beautiful Cascade Mountains and the McKenzie river. The list goes on and on.

Sia said she plans to return to Zambia fat. For those of you who know her, you will totally appreciate that statement. She wants to enjoy all the varieties of food available. A real treat for me will be to celebrate Thanksgiving (a month early but who cares?) with my mother and brothers. Can you tell I'm just a tad bit excited???

Oh, and another really big event that we all have missed as a family: FOOTBALL!!!! So I will represent the entire Sibley bunch when I watch Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Actually, it doesn't even matter what teams I see. I just want to view a football game on a Sunday afternoon! Woooo Hooooo!!!

But most of all, and this is very serious, I look forward to nurturing the relationships we are so privileged to share with the most loving people on the planet. Truly, living in another culture makes one appreciate the easiness of conversations with someone who knows your history, your culture, your language. That's not to take anything away from our Zambian friends. God knows they have all had their hands full trying to teach me Bemba as well as Zambian culture. And it isn't something I would have thought about before living half way around the world.

Anyway, I know I have rambled through this post. I look forward to seeing many of you VERY SOON! Your love and support during our time away has made me appreciate you even more than I did already, and that was TONS!

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

Pastor Carlin

One of the many benefits of Zambian churches is that everyone is encouraged and expected to participate in the services. Last Sunday, Carlin taught the sermon at Ndeke Church. The Sunday School Choir sang during worship including the song, He's Got the Whole World in His Hands. I wish you could have been here. It was awesome.

Caylie was recruited at the last minute to sing in the choir. She was happy when they started singing He's Got the Whole World in His Hands as it is a song she's known since toddler days.

Carlin began his sermon in the traditional Zambian way:
"I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!"

Our friend Sydney translated for him. Together, they made a great team.

The topic was the importance of reading God's Word and doing what it says.

The verses he discussed were:

• Psalm 1:1-3
• Jeremiah 17:5-8
• Joshua 1:8
• James 1:22-25

Carlin took this assignment seriously. He worked on his sermon all week and then practiced his delivery several times Saturday and then again Sunday morning before we left for church. Honestly, he did an outstanding job of delivering the message from beginning to end.

Above, Caylie holds baby Shalom during the service. It just doesn't seem that long ago when she was this age.

Once again, it is late and there is still more to tell you. But it will have to wait until my next post. Have a great day!

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

It is ALL Worth It!

This past Saturday we celebrated MTI graduation in Mufulira. Neither Jason nor I were prepared for the incredible honors we received by the students and their families. Although I am not usually emotional, I fought back tears throughout the ceremony, which makes it tough since I am the photographer. I will tell you why in just a bit. There is so much to share that it is going to take some doing just to even recap.

We were presented this beautiful gift by the graduating class.

The first diploma was presented to Jennifer Nkandu, our new National Overseer of Foursquare Zambia! Jennifer is an amazing woman full of love for God and vision for the church. We are thrilled to be working with her. I struggle to get good photos of her since she is extremely uncomfortable in front of the camera. You must remember that most of our Zambian friends have had few, if any, photos taken of themselves. So contrary to how most of these pictures look, Jennifer is joyful and fun to be with.

Above, Jennifer presents the diploma to her husband, Pastor John Nkandu. John is a mighty man of God. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting his church in the compounds. Many pastors will not choose to pastor in the compounds (slums). But John and Jennifer do, and they serve with all of their hearts.

Okay, here is where I started to choke back the tears. When Theophilus Lukonde received his diploma, instead of shaking Jason's hand, he reached out to hug him. His brothers followed suit. You know, some times you wonder if you really make a difference. On this day, we were overwhelmed with learning just how much influence Jason and MTI has had in these lives.

Above is Haggai Lukonde receiving his diploma and thanking Jason for his faithfulness.

Left to right: Pastors Jennifer and John Nkandu, Pastor Aaron Mutale Chimfyende (Apostolic Church of Zambia), and Pastor Stanley Mwaba

Above are the pastors holding their last MTI book. In the States, everyone going through the course purchases their own materials. In Zambia, that hasn't been possible. So, the only students receiving the course are pastors. We are praying that the books will be available to all students. The problem is that the course itself is out of reach financially for Zambians. Add to that the cost of shipping and you can see why only a few can get it.

So far, Sharon and Debbie, and then Dan have brought the copies we have given out to save on shipping. Our home church, City Center Church of Redmond, Oregon along with Camp Sherman Community Church in Metolius, Oregon purchased the materials. And then, John and Sonja Decker, authors of this curriculum gave us a tremendous discount. We thank our dear friends very much for their willingness to do this! You cannot even imagine the impact this course, and Jason's teaching has had on the Zambian church.

Left to right: Pastors John and Jennifer Nkandu, Pastor Stanley Mwaba, Best Chungu, Pastor Aaron Mutale Chimfyende, and then the four Lukonde brothers: John Mark, Haggai, Theophilus, and Elijah.

I included the diploma below so you can see how I designed it. I spent hours of course. Those who know me well are smiling right now. I wanted it to be just right for Zambia and it really is. So the time was well spent. Jason had them laminated for protection.


Below, Jason acknowledges Jefferson Chipopa for his faithfulness every Saturday. Jefferson knocked 20% off his fees to drive Jason the 3 hour round trip to Mufulira. On top of that, he waited three hours while Jason taught the class. Keeping a nine-month commitment of this caliber is rare. We depend a great deal on Jefferson as we do not have transportation of our own.

I include the image below because I thoroughly enjoyed capturing it. This is our new National Secretary, Pastor Charles Mwila and his lovely wife Sarah. We stopped near this grove of trees and I asked if I could get a shot of them together. They haven't seen it yet but I know they will absolutely love it!


There is much more to share with you all about this but I need to get back to my family. I will add more thoughts right here later. So if you want to know "the rest of the story", check back to this post. Actually, I decided to make seperate posts instead of one long one.

It is absolutely wonderful to give you such a terrific report!

Blessings and joy,
Beckie