In my last newsletter I mentioned a new ox-drawn sowing machine. This is the first one in Zambia which has three hoppers. The extra hopper is for lime which means we can now sow the seed, apply the base dressing and the lime all at the same time. For a quarter of a hectare when digging holes, applying the inputs and sowing the seed all by hand it takes around 45mlabour hours. Using this new machine we can do the same work in just 5 hours. The FGW land management principles remain the same so now we can demonstrate these principles on a larger scale. The cost of the machine is not within the means of a small scale farmer but maybe there are possibilities of sharing or hiring. We also need to practice using the machine to improve the seed depth application and then to monitor the harvest compared with doing the work by hand. But overall it looks encouraging and the crop is looking comparable at this stage.

Jackson and Grace

Jackson Kasolo finished his probation period at the end of November and it was good to be able to offer him a full contract as our Agricultural Missionary and to welcome his family to CC. His wife Grace and their two boys Asher and Nathan are now settling in. We hope that they will give a long term commitment to the Farm thereby continuing to develop this Ministry for many years to come. A requirement of our Zambian Work permits is to train a Zambian citizen to fill our positions. Therefore the future aim is for Jackson to take over my position as Farm Ministry Leader here at CC.

CC Dam Project

This one has been sleeping for too many years now! Back in 2005 we produced a full design report to construct an earth dam on the farm border which is a perennial stream. The report proved the long term viability of such a project but the development of the farm has taken up all our time and funds. The area is low lying, with a high water table and the stream bed carries a large volume of water during the rainy season. The potential of creating a large reservoir and the benefits of vegetable gardening and fish farming is proven. Pray that we may have the wisdom to know how to take this project forward if it is the Lord’s Will for us to do so.

Christmas in Zambia

Thursday before Christmas I went down to the Lower Zambezi, just a three hour drive from Lusaka to the Chirundu border. Before going into Zimbabwe you turn left off-road, take the pontoon over the Kafue River and then a dirt track drive along the mighty Zambezi River. I stayed at Kiambi Lodge for three nights and just relaxed! A good book, stunning sunsets, hippo’s snorting in the river, beautiful birds. Creation at its best. Wonderful!!

I pondered the truth that Africa has so much going for it, a continent full of incredible wildlife, stunning scenery, fertile land, rich in minerals. God has given Africa so much but man has not been faithful with His richest blessings and that is why there is poverty! And that is probably the shortest thesis ever written!!

Prayer Points

• Praise God for ‘countless’ blessings received during 2011
• Pray for Jackson and his family that they may settle well at CC.
• Pray for faithfulness in Africa

I wish you a Blessed New Year,
Love Phil

At the end of August we received our new Farming God’s Way shirts and caps. A friend in the UK organized these for us and at the same time designed a new logo for FGW. Looking smart from right is Bilison, Jackson, Samuel and myself. The FGW team!!

Violet Zulu a work placement student from one of the local agricultural colleges stands next to the new FGW logo. She is also seen below in our broiler chicken unit, these birds at 6 weeks old and 3kgs are ready for sale.

It’s a myth that farming in Zambia is just for the five months of the year when the rains are with us. The last seasons harvest was brought in during May, shelled and bagged in June, sold to the Food Relief Agency during July for which payment was received in August. A little time to rest? Just a few weeks! Early September we were back in the fields preparing the holes and by the end of the month putting in the lime and the fertilizer or one of the organic alternatives such as manure, compost, sunflower cake or maize bran.

The students that stay over for the weekends were busy helping in this preparation work. We have about 5 hectares to prepare and this has always been done by hand to provide work for the men and women in the villages around us. But things have changed, harvests in the area have improved and this year we have struggled to get enough people to come and help us. This is a good sign and we must adapt. We have therefore adjusted one of the ploughs to make a ‘ripper’ which rips open a furrow in the soil into which we place the fertilizer/lime etc. This is much quicker than digging holes as it is pulled behind the oxen but the important thing is the principle remains the same, we are NOT turning over the soil (as with ploughing) which damages the soil structure and layers within the soil which leads to killing off the living organisms and bacteria which God placed there to keep our soils healthy. The next step is to try out an ox-drawn sowing machine which has three hoppers, one each for the seed, fertiliser and lime which means we will be able to do the whole operation in one go when the big rains arrive.  More about that in the next newsletter!

Covenant College

September was the last month of lessons for this year, which culminated with the usual end of year graduation ceremony on Sept 29^th. I was able to complete the 2^nd year of my three year agricultural curriculum which included subjects such as ‘natural pest and disease control’, beneficial trees and Christian work ethics.  Seven more students completed their three years of Pastoral training and graduated with Diploma’s or Certificates depending on the level they reached. Details of all seven graduates are posted on the ZMS website. 

Taonga

Meet Taonga, a young girl of 9 who has cerebral palsy. She has a twin sister, Thandiwe who is fine and doing well in school. She is the daughter of one of our students, Kenneth Siwale and his wife Edah who has been carrying Taonga on her back everywhere since she was born. I heard of an organisation in Lusaka called Disacare who make wheelchairs specifically for the size and needs of the patient. Taonga was quite nervous about her new chair at first but has been getting used to it and now her mother’s back can be rested.

Prayer Points

• Pray for Bilison our farm manager who is very sick at the moment.
• Pray for a replacement CollegenPrincipal as Rev Heinrich Zwemstra has recently resigned this post.
• Pray for Taonga and her family.

Thank you for your continued support.

Love Phil

July was the time for the regional agricultural shows. We put up a stand at the Petauke Show for the first time to promote Farming Gods Way and some of the products we produce at CC Farm. Our ‘home’ produced coffee and chilli powder was recommended by our local MP Doris Siliya as a means whereby local farmers could earn extra income. Overall there was a lot of interest and Jackson and Bilison were kept busy  answering questions and explaining FGW. As it was our first attempt we were pleased to get 2^nd prize for our stand and Jackson is seen below receiving our award from Doris Siliya.

By the end of July the Government Food Relief Agency had opened its maize market at a nearby village. We heard one afternoon at 5pm that the market was opening the next morning. So it was a big scramble to get there as quickly as possible to get close to the front of the queue. This meant starting immediately and working through the night to transport the 500 plus bags we had at the farm from our harvest and that of Bilison and Samuel our farm workers. By 10am the next morning all our maize was piled up waiting to be checked and weighed. Bilison and Samuel were exhausted having not slept for 24 hrs but still managed to raise a smile and their thumbs! This is the final result from planting the seed last November. 

Boys Camp at OMF

Then in August the team from Hesketh Bank Christian Centre near Southport arrived at Old MacDonald’s Farm to run an activities camp for the boys. Everyone was presented with a nice red OMF polo shirt. The boys were split into three groups and the activities included daily sessions of computer lessons in which they learnt how to write a letter, do spread sheets in excel and make a power point presentation.

Then they would move onto the music and drama sessions where junk material from the farm shed was used to produce a musical ‘stomp’ and stories from the Bible were acted out. Pastor Carl was faced with many serious biblical questions from the boys. Their third session was sports training with Nic and Jenny, and later in the afternoon they organised ‘Team Challenge’ at a nearby sports field, where the boys were split into five teams and competed against each other in many different games.

Points were given for results of course but also for gamesmanship which added an interesting aspect to the events! The two weeks were a real blessing and the effort put in by the HBCC team was tremendous and must leave an impact on the boys lives for which we give thanks.

Prayer Points

• Give thanks again for the harvest and the funds raised from selling the maize.
• Give thanks for the HBCC team and that the boys will remember their Christian witness.
• Pray for Don and Christine in all they do for the boys at their home.

Thank you for your continued support.

Love Phil

On May 6^th the College closed its first term for 2011.  It was time for the students to say ‘Goodbye’ to the Molenaar family.  After five years at CC they are moving on to a new ministry in Malawi.  The students gathered around them as they stood in the new pulpit Cees and Joas had made as a leaving gift for the students preaching practice sessions.

Brother Justin Phiri who used to work for CC as librarian, managed to come back for this special occasion and also receive his farewells.  Ill health meant that he had to retire from work last year but it was good to see him again.  Here he is with Bro Bilison who is also back to reasonable health after being ill early this year.

At the end of June I was blessed to receive my new vehicle, a Mitsubishi Sportero twin cab pick-up.  The old one was over six years old and had done 195,000kms.  I thank the Lord for those that helped to make this possible and for this provision.  A reliable vehicle is vital in the work we are doing, much of which is ‘off-road’ - and there is no such thing as the RAC or AA!

Petauke Baptist Church

Harvesting is in progress everywhere and on our new church plot we have harvested the maize which will be sold and the proceeds put towards the building of our church.  You can just see the foundation wall which is completed. The next stage is to lay the slab and then start building.  It’s going to be a slow process as bit

by bit we will build as funds allow.  We pray that after a few years we will have a church and a house for the Pastor on this plot.  Each year we will demonstrate ‘Farming God’s Way’ maize production and will plant beneficial trees to show what has been given in God’s creation to provide natural nutrition. Everyone from the church has been helping, even the children!

Old MacDonald's Farm

The last two months at OMF have been a time of joy and sadness.  Two lads being baptised and two others professing faith mixed with the tragic death of Kondwani after breaking his leg playing football. The Lord moves in mysterious ways which are beyond our understanding.  Pray for everyone at OMF that they will remain strong and that more will hear His calling.

All the boys are busy at school and many face important grade 7, 9 or 12 exams this year, so are busy studying even during holiday times.

The new Ibex Hill Baptist Church has been formed and meets under a tent at a nearby school.  This is the church that has been meeting in the living room at Don and Christine’s home for the past few years.

CC Camping Trip

In the middle of June, myself, Marjanne, the Lachman’s and Zwemstras joined together for an adventure camping trip into the North East of Zambia.  We headed up from Lusaka to Kasanka and the Banguele Wetlands area. Visiting Shoebill Island, home of the famous shoebill stork and many other rare birds and wildlife.   There are only a few hundred Shoebill’s left in the world and this area is one of only two places where they can now be found in the wild.  We had to trek knee deep in swampland in the search for them, or as it turned out ‘it’ as we only found one!

We also visited Lake Wakawaka, the Mutinondo Wilderness, Shiwa Ngandu Africa house (you need to read the book) and ended at a most beautiful spot where we could relax in the Kapishya Hot Springs. It was truly good to be together, enjoying the wonderful sites, trekking through the swamp and the camping!! Plus the fellowship we could have in a completely different way than when we are together working at Covenant College.

Prayer Points

• Pray for the Molenaar’s in their new work.
• Pray for Heinrich Zwemstra as the new Principal of Covenant College.
• Pray for the Petauke RBC church building project.
• Pray for the boys at OMF in their school work and examinations.

Thank you for your continued support,

Love Phil

Since April 2011 we have been praying and seeking for a Zambian to come and work alongside us on the Farm. The position is as an Agricultural Missionary with the aim of helping to spread the message of Farming God’s Way and to develop the farm further. The long term aim is for this person to eventually take over as Farm Ministry Leader. This is part of the ‘Zambianisation’ process for all of the Ministries of Covenant College.

The Lord led us to Jackson Kasolo during November last year. He has, uniquely, training in both Theology and Agriculture which is more than we had hoped for. Jackson joined us for a trial month last December and came with his wife Grace and their two boys Nathan and Asher.

In March Jackson returned to the farm to continue his trial period working up to the CCZT Trust Meeting on the 1^st and 2^nd April at which his appointment was approved. He has quickly shown that he has good agriculture knowledge that will enable us to develop the present farm and add new projects. Already we have added a new livestock unit, broiler chickens. He has expertly maintained this new unit.

He has also quickly got into the swing of FGW and here he is explaining it to the Petauke District Commissioner who joined us for our March Open/Field Day. 230 farmers visited CC that day and the DC spoke enthusiastically about FGW and advised them to use this way of farming.

Covenant College

The College has received a new lecturer, Pastor David Lachman from Scotland who is seen busy preparing his lectures. He has come with his wife Katie and their baby Elijah and they are settling in well.

The College opened this year with 31 students which is the highest in-take since it opened in 2000. Many are coming from the Chipata area and usually stay over at the College for the weekend. When I visit Chipata for a weekend they eagerly climb aboard so they can go and visit their families and churches. However we are still having rains so it’s not always dry in the back!

Another CC Resident

Our resident Giant (Verreaux’s) Eagle Owl has been showing his face recently and most days we can hear him grunting like a young pig in the trees around us.

Prayer Points

• Pray for Jackson that he will see his work at CC as a calling rather than a job.
• Pray for the Lachman's as they settle into life at Covenant College.
• Pray for all that have witnessed FGW and that this year they will do it.
• Pray for health as many of us have recently had bouts of Malaria.

Thank you for your continued support,

Love Phil

On October 8^th four more students graduated bringing the total to 52. They are led to the ceremony by Pastors Cees and Heinrich. Our local Chief attended once again and spoke wonderfully declaring his Christian faith.  He told the audience that when dealing with disputes etc in his Chiefdom he only used the Bible as his guide.  He didn’t allow witch doctors or witch craft in his palace.  Imagine if all those in authority took the same stance as him! He also had what looked like a Blackberry!

During the last week of term I had eight hours of teaching, and continued the new Agricultural curriculum we started this year teaching FGW and Integrated Small Scale Farming for rural farmers based on what we do on the CC farm. Here the students are gathered during a practical session out on the farm.

The last few months have been busy preparing the fields for the new rain season.  We have prepared 5.5 hectares for maize this year and many local ladies and men have been helping and we trust learning at the same time about Farming God’s Way. We are still trying as much as possible to reduce the level of chemical fertilisers we use.  In the field below the ladies are putting in various ‘organic’ base dressings. We use different manures, composts and crop waste, like sunflower cake and maize bran, all of which have reasonable nutrient levels. Our trials over the past two years have shown that we can still produce good yields without using so much expensive fertiliser. 

Petauke Baptist Church

This is my local church when in Petauke. Presently we meet in a school classroom but this year we have obtained our own church plot. Roger and Jenny from my home church in Cambridge viewed the plot during their recent visit to Zambia. Roger as treasurer and Trustee of ZMS was able to see all the projects we are involved in and meet many of the people.

Work has started on the foundation trenches for the church and the first batch of bricks has been delivered. The rest of the church plot land has been prepared for FGW maize including organic base dressing trials.

God's Creation

I was able (a duty I willingly suffer!) to take Roger and Jenny to one of the game parks and we witnessed an incredible sight.  Oct/Nov is the breeding time of the Carmine Bee Eater. They migrate from the coastal areas of Africa and make their nests in the banks of the Luangwa River. Thousands were flying in and out of these nests catching food to feed the young.

Prayer Points

• Pray for the CC graduates as they now go out into their churches fulltime
• Pray for Chief Mumbi in the faithful guidance of his people and that it will bear fruit
• Pray for the rains, which are expected soon, to water the prepared fields

For the last two weeks of August a team of 14 came out from Hesketh Bank Christian Centre to run a ‘Youth Camp’ for the boys at OMF. The team included 6 adults and 8 youths and ran three sessions a day teaching art and crafts, music and physical education. In the evening they organised the worship time and shared their Christian faith. They came with a new OMF logo and polo shirts for everyone. Yvonne and Kaye did the art and crafts and showed the boys how to draw and paint, make saleable items from various beads and how to sew and repair their clothes. It was wonderful to see the boy’s smiles as they realised unknown and unexpected talents. Nigel with the help of some of his home church music team showed the boys basic skills on the guitar and keyboard. The greatest achievement however was making music from pieces of junk found in the farm shed. The so called ‘stomp’ was certainly a surprise to me as well as the boys, as tunes and beats emerged from what looked like a chaos of pipes, water cans and drums and other scrap metal and plastic. The boys love to play football and Nic and Jenny, both athletes, showed them how to train properly to avoid damage to ligaments and muscles and taught them how to lift weights in a safe way. Later in the afternoon we went to a nearby football field and Nic and Jenny split the boys into five teams and organised many games and team challenges. I found myself on one of the teams and learnt one thing for sure ‘my body can no longer do what my head thinks it can’!!! The HBCC team was professional, focused and invested a lot of time and effort into these two weeks. We, as the OMF family, are extremely grateful for all they did. THANK YOU HBCC. Even the little ones were given ‘OMF Team’ shirts and also teaching and art work based on Noah’s Ark.

FGW Teaching

Early in August I had an opportunity to teach FGW at Nsobe Game Park and farm which is near Ndola. We shared the teaching with their employees who are also small scale farmers.

Livingstone

In July I was blessed by the visit of Tony, a friend from the UK. This meant another trip to Livingstone to see the great Victoria Falls, one of the most spectacular examples of creation. The sheer magnitude of it is best seen from above and whilst up there I thought I’d give you all a wave!

Prayer Points

• Praise God for the wonders of His creation
• Give thanks for the HBCC team and all they did for the boys at OMF, and that the boys will be affected by the Gospel messages shared with them
• Pray for more opportunities to spread the Word through ‘Farming Gods Way’

Thank you for your continued support,

Love Phil

I started off June at OMF in Lusaka. As usual plenty of things were happening and building developments are continuing. The house for Mr Banda, their long term worker, is making good progress. It’s at the roofing stage and hopefully in a few more weeks Mr Banda and his family will be able to move in. Down on the farm we were also building, This time an extension to the piggery of three more pens to provide space for the increasing production of piglets. They enjoy being outside but do not grow sufficiently fast enough and are more prone to illness. The production of pork will hopefully be the main source of farm income, and along with the sale of eggs, eventually become enough to fund the rest of the farm production which mostly goes to feed the boys.

We are also producing coffee which is dried in the sun before shelling to get the beans and then oven roasted and ground. The red things at the front are birds eye chilli’s which we grow for chilli powder (very hot!) and we also pulp some to make a ‘chilli’ insecticide for spraying on the vegetables.

Visitors

The highlight of June was the visit of my parents and my brother Paul and his wife Paddy. After six years of being out in Zambia I really didn’t think Mum and Dad would make it out here but plans were made in January and we praise God that health was maintained and their visit was possible. We took the time to see the beauties of Zambia as well as the various projects I’m involved in. Here we are seen relaxing on the African Queen sunset cruise on the upper Zambezi enjoying the amazing sunset. 

The Victoria Falls are spectacular at this time of the year, just after the rainy season and water proof clothing is necessary, especially for the elderly!! From Livingstone we went back to Lusaka to OMF and then onto Petauke. As usual I was fully loaded; amongst their luggage we had two bicycles for Pastors in the area and two ducks for the farm at Covenant College!

On the Sunday we went to my Zambian home church, Petauke Grace Baptists. The congregation welcomed my visitors and made them feel at home. After a few days at Covenant College we left early one morning (5 am) to travel east to Chipata and then north on 100 kms of dirt road (it’s  a bit bumpy which was confirmed by the noises from the back seat!) to Mfuwe and the South Luangwa National Park. We had some excellent game viewing including lions on a buffalo kill. Dad has some fantastic pictures of leopards!

Prayer Points

• Praise God for the continued development at OMF
• Give thanks for Mum, Dad, Paul and Paddy and their safe visit to Zambia
• Pray for the team of 14 coming from Hesketh Bank Christian Centre to spend two weeks in August with the boys at Old MacDonald’s Farm

Thank you for your continued support,

Love Phil

During April we taught FGW at various venues. In the picture we were at the Farm Training Centre in Petauke where we had planted a demonstration plot of FGW maize. At their Open Day, attended by many local farmers, we had the opportunity to explain the details and encourage many small scale farmers to take up FGW. Bilison (centre) makes an impact with his enthusiasm and the field itself spoke volumes. Pastor Lovemore Banda has been practising FGW now for three consecutive years on the same field and is really seeing the long term benefits of the soil improvement. At Pastor Eric Shumba’s church in Chipata we taught FGW on May 8^th. Eric a graduate of CC has been faithful in following the FGW method and has become a great ambassador in his area. At Covenant College it was a time of administration preparing for the Annual Trust Meeting, reports, accounts etc etc! I suppose it’s necessary but I prefer being in the field!

Two Ladies

In April a very good friend of ours, Nisi Tembo, passed away. We knew her and her husband, David very well when they lived in Petauke. He was the District Commissioner for three years and a great help to us at CC. Nisi also helped with the ladies meetings. She passed away suddenly of a stroke at the age of 56 after a severe bout of malaria. The burial took place in David’s home village outside Chipata. She also leaves behind a son and daughter in their 20’s.

Early May we visited Dorothy, widow of the late Matthew Sakala who used to work with us on the farm at CC. Together with her children she is living back in her father’s village 40kms from CC. We took various groceries, school uniforms and shoes. Maggie (rhs) is 16 but only in grade 6 at school. She desperately wants to reach grade 12 so that she can become a teacher. It will be a real struggle for her and the cultural expectations on her to get married will make it even more difficult but it would be wonderful if she were able to achieve her aim.

Good Friday!

We headed off to our usual church in Petauke but on the way received a call to say the Pastor was unable to take the service so it had been cancelled. Instead of turning back we went to a nearby Baptist village church. Here we received the blessing of witnessing the baptism of six new believers. This took place in a pond close to the church and afterwards a service was held under a large tree.

PTI Chipata Conference

During April we held the third and final PTI conference in Chipata. Pastor Peter Seccombe from the UK came over again to do the teaching. Over the three years it’s been good to get to know the Pastors from the Chipata area and a few of them will be coming to Covenant College for extra studies. www.pastor-training.org

Prayer Points

• Pray that even more hearts will be moved by the Spirit to follow FGW.
• Pray for the pastors that they might faithfully preach the Gospel.
• Remember David Tembo and his children, Rebecca and Caleb, as they come to terms with their loss.
• Pray for Dorothy and her family, especially for Maggie in her ambition to become a teacher.

Thank you for your continued support,

Love Phil

On returning to Zambia early Feb it was straight into visiting the fields of those who started to practice FGW last year. It’s the most rewarding part, seeing the result of the hard work we asked them to do according to the FGW method and then to see their smiles as they stand next to their crops and hold the large maize cobs.

Pastor Bernard Sakala runs Flying Angels School in a poor area of Lusaka and the children all helped in the school field.

Charkes Mwanza also took up FGW last year after inviting me to teach his church members. He is a graduate of Covenant College (CC) and now Pastors the Reformed Baptist Church in Nyimba. His maize looks excellent and he will be persuading his farm neighbours to take up FGW this year.

Another area I visit regular is Chiperamba, 20 kms outside Chipata. This is where Ntimba Ngulube, another CC graduate, is the Pastor of the RB Church. Last year he and his members planted various FGW trials on their church plot right alongside their church. This was a great demonstration of their practical faith in their Saviour and a reminder every week of His faithfulness to those that trust in Him. We hope to encourage this strategy of planting trials and demo plots alongside other churches. 

Covenant College Farm Open Day

On Friday 19^th we held our Farm Open Day. Over 150 people came, mostly farmers, from throughout the district. Encouragingly two District Agricultural Co-Ordinators (DACO’s) came along as well. One from Petauke and the other from the next District, Katete. These men are the Head’s of the Districts Agriculture and both were enthusiastic for FGW. Below Bilison is extolling the virtures of manure and compost pits. Not the most pleasant place to stop and view but a very important part of conservation farming and in overcoming the escalating price of fertiliser. Then we moved onto the maize trial fields where the benefits of FGW were shown.

Covenant College Farm Workshop

Building of the new workshop is well on the way. It will comprise two large rooms, one for carpentry and one for welding/metal work. We aim to rent these out to a local craftsmen to provide services to the local community and to the College. In time we hope that this facility will also provide training in these trades for the students of Covenant College. The tools to equip the workshops are being sent out from the UK by Tools with a Mission. www.twam.co.uk

Off to School!

This is Lydia Mwanza, the youngest daughter of Bilison the farm manager at CC. Last year she started going to the nearby pre-school called Kuunika. This school is being supported by the Christian Education Ministry of CC Zambia Trust. Marjanne Hendrikson the Ministry Leader for CEM has targeted this school for special help to set up a Christian pre-school as a model for others to follow. She spends each Monday showing the teachers how to run a pre-school and prepare the children for infant school.

Prayer Points

• Praise God for those that have faithfully taken up FGW and that they will continue.
• Pray that even more hearts will be moved by the Spirit to follow FGW.
• Pray for the children of Kuunika pre-school that their tender hearts will be affected by the simple Gospel message they hear at school.

Thank you for your continued support,

Love Phil