Phil's ZMS Newsletter - August 2007

Dear Friends

My apologies for the delay in sending this newsletter. I lost the use of my computer for six weeks due to a virus picked up from the internet cafes. My laptop had to be ‘cleaned’ and in the process I lost all my hardware and software. Thankfully I had a back up of most of my documents but I did loose all recent pictures.

Covenant College and Farm

During July and August I have had three girls visiting and helping in various ways. Ruth from my home church, Eden Cambridge, helped with children’s work at Covenant College and with the McDonald’s boy’s. Then Abigail and Bex came out and also worked with the children at CC and had a lot of fun with the boy’s at OMF. They also did some very practical things like making curtains for my chalet and helping me complete the painting. They probably wish I lost these pictures as well!

I appreciated their female touch in improving the décor of my chalet and now with African pictures etc it looks more like a home than the farm shed it resembled before! Actually I am truly thankful that I now have a place which I can call ‘home’ for the first time in three years at Covenant College. Although any ‘home’ on earth is temporary it is still a blessing. Unfortunately Zesco still haven’t provided us with a new transformer, the first one failed at the final point of installation so as yet we have not been connected up to mains power. All in God’s time and in Africa one is reminded of this constantly as the clicking of fingers doesn’t make things happen as easily as in the West!

The dormitory building at CC is progressing well, the roof nearly finished and plumbing and electrical work started inside. Unfortunately Miriam has had to return to Holland with the children for health reasons. Cee’s will, GW, join them once the term finishes mid October and we hope that Miriam’s health problem will be resolved and that they will all be able to return to CC next February.

On the farm the new Hammer Mill building will soon be finished and work has commenced in preparing the land for the rain season crops. We hope to prepare, all by hand, about four hectares for growing maize using the God’s Way of Farming method.

Fun with the Street Boy’s at Old McDonald’s Farm

For the past two weeks we have been at OMF and the girls have been very busy teaching the boy’s and playing games with them. They have painted letter and number games on one of the walls and showing them how to play volley ball.

One afternoon we took some of the teenage boy’s to an animal sanctuary called Munda Wanga. The boy’s kept their distance with the elephant although it was a tame one!

Another afternoon we took the school boy’s, 29 in all, to Dream Valley swimming park where they had great fun playing in the various pools and even throwing each other in whilst still having their clothes on, not sure where they got that idea from!

I organised a knock-out table tennis competition which I supposedly rigged so I could win it, if I did then it didn’t work as I only reached the semi-final. Lucky beat me with great joy!) and then went onto win the senior competition. Wisdom won the junior competition, his winning smile showing why Don and Christine spend so much time trying to help these boy’s despite the difficulties they bring.

At People’s Bible College, Lukwipa there are only a few students attending the College which is disappointing. However the pre-school now has a permanent teacher, Martha who is helping 20-30 young children to become ready to start grade one at the nearby government school. Here the children were eagerly waiting to accept exercise books and pencils etc.

However not everything is running smoothly. At present we are experiencing some real difficulties with the Titukuke Children’s Day Care Centre project. We hoped the local members would be co-operative in setting up a proper Board of Trustees. However they are refusing us the influence we require to ensure it is run in a sound Christian way in the future. They seem more interested in grabbing the land than in the immediate and future welfare of their own children. This is a very frustrating and even depressing situation and we are unsure how God will resolve this matter and even if we will be able to continue working with Titukuke.

PRAYER POINTS

• Remember Cee’s and Miriam at this time of being apart from each other.
• Pray for the Titukuke Project and that we may have patience and wisdom.
• Thank God for our recent visitors, their help and encouragement.
• Pray that the boy’s at OMF will be led to give their lives to Jesus otherwise all the practical help will in the end be in vain.
  

Thank you for your continued support.

With Christian Love Phil

Since Phil wrote this newsletter he has had meetings with Titukuke and they now have agreed to set up the Trust as required by ZMS and Kimon. Although further meetings are still necessary before this is finalised it does seem that there is a way forward with this project. Praise God for answering much prayer concerning this matter.

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The McLoughlin Family visited Zambia in South Central Africa from 1994 to 1995 to build relationships with African Christians and reach out to the local people with practical helps in business and primary health care. We lived in the city of Ndola in an area in northern Zambia called the Copperbelt.