Busy times in Botswana and Canada

I realize that it has been a very long time since we posted a blog. The only excuse I can come up with is that it has been a very busy time.


After we left for White Rock, BC Gert left early and a few days later left for The Netherlands, Zambia and Botswana. The visit to Apeldoorn was nice and he was able to spend some time with his mother, visit his father in his new home and was able to see most of the rest of the family while there. After two days it was on to Zambia where Lucinda and Humphrey were waiting for him at the airport. After one night at Kapingila the following day was spent in the office of Every Orphan's Hope before heading on to Botswana where Richard Wheatley from Flying Mission picked him up from the airport.


Once in Botswana he got pretty quickly into the swing of things and was able to get a good handle on the financial issues that Flying Mission is facing. It was clear that the organization needed some help in getting their financial processes and reporting improved. After having made recommendations for improvement the time is now to implement many of these activities. All in all it has been a very busy and intense time and with about another week and a half left things are coming to a close. A lot of handover will take place during the remaining days as well as talking to people to make sure they understand the importance of having good financial and operational reporting in place.


The weather in Botswana has been all over the map. From very hot and dry to very wet and cool. For a period of almost two weeks we had almost every day a significant amount of rain. Botswana and in particular Gaborone needed the rain badly since the lake that supplies water to the city was down to less than 10% of its capacity about a month ago. Due to all the rain there were also problems with the electricity supply. According to Botswana Power Corporation due to the rain the coal that is used in the generation stations got too wet to burn properly combined with technical issues (a couple of boilers not working) resulted in frequent power outages. The difference with Zambia is that in Zambia most of the outages were expected and scheduled whereas in Botswana it was a matter of luck whether we had power or not. The good thing was that at the Flying Mission Services hangar at the airport the electricity was almost always on. If not, they have a sizeable backup generator to keep things going. For the last week, the weather has improved again but it is cooler than it was the first couple of weeks. While Canada is heading towards Spring and Summer Botswana is heading into Fall and Winter which means cooler weather and less rain. It will be dry again very soon and then it will not rain until late in the year. So it has been a very mixed bag of weather but clearly easier to handle than the weather back home in Acton.


In the meantime Machteld has been very busy back home. After spending another few weeks in BC she came back to Acton just before it was Anneloes' birthday. A couple of days later it was Gert's birthday and another few days later it was Elise's birthday. So enough things to do and celebrations to keep you busy. It was good to be home again and to enjoy some new (lazy) furniture that we bought just before we left for BC. Machteld also started working at the Holland Shop again for a few days and that is something that she really enjoys. Connecting with people is one of the things she likes to do most.


In about two weeks Gert will meet up with Lucinda in Zambia and they plan on taking some time off together and to have a short vacation in Livingstone. During this time Gert will also spend a few days with Flying Mission Zambia and review their finances as well. He plans on staying at the Esther School with Lucinda for a couple of days before they head out to Livingstone and meet up again with the children and mamas of Every Orphan's Hope in Nyangwena. It will continue to be a busy time for the next few weeks but by the middle of April Gert will be heading back to Canada and about a month later Lucinda will come home. By that time everyone will be home in Acton again and getting ready for the next big event; the wedding of Elise with Jeff Becker.


We have a lot to be thankful for and want to praise God for His goodness. Thanks also to all our family, friends and supporters since without the support we received things would be much different. But above all we thank and praise God.


Blessings to all.

Heading for BC and Botswana

After our last blog post we spent a lot of time discerning what God's plan is for our future. Although it was clear that our work with EOH was done, we are still waiting for the "bigger picture" but for now we feel that God is calling us for the short-term in different directions.


Machteld is in White Rock, BC to spend time with our good friends John and Rita. She will spend there about a month and will come back to Acton after that. Gert spent a week in White Rock as well and is now back in Acton to prepare for his departure for Botswana next week. He will be working with Flying Mission in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, for about two months helping them to improve their financial accounting and reporting. On his way to Botswana he will stop in the Netherlands and visit family for a few days and after that fly on to Lusaka and the next day to Gaborone.


While in Lusaka he will meet with the staff of EOH in the office and maybe even meet up with Lucinda who has been in Zambia for almost a month now. She has had some difficult times with the huge storm that ripped the roof partially off the preschool building and some flooding. EOH lost the roof of homes 3 and 4 and the chicken run collapsed as a result of the damaging winds. It is heartbreaking to see the damage to the buildings but we are thankful that nobody from the Esther School or EOH was injured like some others in the village.


Gert will have to transition from nice and sunny weather in BC (8C) to cold and snowy in Acton (-5C) to a cool Apeldoorn (8C) and then a warm Lusaka and Gaborone (30C). It seems that the rainy season finally started in Gaborone with now almost daily thunderstorms. They really needed the rain badly since the water supply to the city was almost completely out. The whole city of about half a million people depends on rains for the water supply that is captured in a lake. By the end of November the lake was done to about 10% of its capacity and left water for about 2 months remaining. Hopefully there will be enough water when Gert arrives.


Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and are separated for a few months. Thank you for all your support and we hope to post another blog soon.


Machteld and Gert

Back home in Canada

It has been quite a long time since our last post. Things were very busy these last two months in Zambia especially since the three longest serving staff members are no longer with the organization. As a result some activities had to get reorganized and a number of new things put in place.

In this all God made it clear to us that our work in Zambia for Every Orphan's Hope is done. Although it was a bit difficult to accept at first we now feel and see that God had a plan for us in Zambia with Every Orphan's Hope. The staff and mamas are in a better place than they were before and the joy of coming to work has returned.  It is great to see the positive changes that have taken place but we also realize that much more work needs to be done. And that is why we are saddened to have to say goodbye to our friends in Zambia. We would have loved to help them getting back on track and getting started with new ideas and activities but God has a different plan for us.

As part of the goodbye to the staff and mamas they had an amazing surprise organized for us. They had hired a local dance and drum band that performed for over an hour. During this they staff and mamas also expressed their heartfelt thanks to us for everything we had done for them and the organization. It is great to know that we will have family in Zambia forever.

 

It was difficult to leave Zambia and leave the staff, mamas and children behind but at the same time we know that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and that we are all part of the same family. Knowing that God used us to shine light into the organization and show love makes us happy and humble. It was only thanks to His provisioning that we were able to do what we did. To God be the praise and glory, forever and ever. AMEN.


What God's plan is for the future we don't know at this moment. One of the first things that came across our path was a potential position with Flying Mission in Gaborone, Botswana. Gert went there for about 10 days to help out a little bit and to get to know the organization a bit better. But as of now it seems that God wants us to move into a different direction. We are also looking at opportunities in Canada as well as other places. We will continue to prayerfully explore the opportunities and continue to seek His guidance.

For now it means that we will be in Canada for the next little while. There is still a chance that Gert will go to Botswana in February to help Flying Mission improve their financial accounting and reporting. That would also allow us to visit Lucinda (she will be in Zambia again from January till May next year) as well as the staff, mamas, children and some friends in Zambia.

For now we will close our chapter in Zambia and will wait for the Lord to make it clear where He wants us next to serve Him. Thanks for all your support and prayers. It has been a good time, shorter than expected and different from what we anticipated but it was good, very good! We have made new friends for life in Zambia and we will never forget them.

A season of changes

It has been a while since our last post. There have been a lot of changes lately that kept us quite busy. After Lucinda and Anneloes left us in August we had a week of rest in the office. Once we got back to the office we went through some changes in out staff which has kept everyone very busy lately.

At the same time the weather is changing here dramatically. We went from very nice winter weather with temperatures around 25C to a very hot Spring season with a temperature of 37C today. Zambians tell us that it is already very hot early which means that October will even be hotter. The good news is that people expect the rains to come "early" this year which would be the end of October or early November. Maybe we will still experience that before we head back to Canada the beginning of November.

For us the most amazing thing is not that during Spring trees get new leaves and that some blossom but that here in Zambia trees still do the same but without having had any rain for more than 6 months. In Europe and Canada after 6 months of draught trees would have lost all their leaves and nothing would be blooming but here new life starts even without any rain. God did an amazing job creating these trees and shrubs in such a way that even without any rain they still rejuvenate and get new leaves and that they bloom.

Even the fruit trees start to produce their fruit and we are lucky to have some strawberries from our own garden as well although I must admit that we water them regularly unlike the trees. The mango trees are full of fruit and in about 3 months the mangos should be ready.

The change of seasons here in Zambia is very different from what we are used to in Canada and when we talk about it with our Zambian friends they look surprised at us since for them it is the normal thing to happen this time of year. Clearly it all depends on what you are used to. Seeing blooming trees and shrubs after 6 months of draught is amazing to us but normal to our Zambian friends. Clearly God loves diversity but made sure that wherever you are, you can enjoy the new life of Spring with or without rain. It is obvious that the trees and shrubs have their ways of getting water even this time of year and they'll have to wait for another month or two before the rains start.

God clearly knew what He was doing when he created everything. We can only look in amazement to the splendor of His creation and enjoy it.

Camp Hope finished and many goodbyes

The last time we posted we had one more Camp Hope to go and the team would be arriving within a couple of days. Since then time has flown by and we just haven't found the time to put up a new post. The team arrived on Monday August 5 and camp started on Wednesday and ended on the Saturday. It was a very intense camp of only 4 days instead of the usual 5 but with many of the orphans already arriving Tuesday afternoon, we were able to make a quick start on Wednesday. It was an amazing camp with many kids accepting Christ. It was also a very busy camp with about 120 orphans staying over at night which meant a lot of extra cooking, washing, etc. The staff, missionaries and volunteers under the leadership of MaryAnn did an excellent job during camp. The kids enjoyed it and besides the usual stomach aches (from eating more than they are used to) we had no seriously sick kids this camp. we thank God for such a blessed camp.

During this camp we also said farewell to Gary Schneider who had been here in Zambia for 3 weeks. And then on Monday August 12 the team headed back to North America and the next day Jake and Michelle left after about a month here. It was sad to say goodbye to everyone but at the same time it was great to see the enthusiasm of each and every one about being able to serve the Lord in a very practical way.

The on Thursday the 15th Lucinda left us as well and we had to say goodbye to her as well. She decided that it would be better for her to go back to Canada so that she can work for a couple of months and do fundraising so that she might be able to come back again early next year. She had kept her return a secret and was able to create a big surprise for her best friends Kim and Ryan. She had arranged to be picked up from the airport and then immediately go camping with the rest of the Youth Group. Laura Nunn was the one that picked her up and helped her with the surprise and what a surprise it was! And then on Sunday night, after camping, Lucinda surprised Elise with her presence. All in all a very successful surprise to many that she is back in Canada now.

That week Gary Schneider felt led by God's Spirit to call this past week for a week of fasting and rest. Finding rest in the Lord and seeking His presence to hear about the future of Every Orphan's Hope. So the offices in both Texas and Zambia were closed this past week which also allowed us to spend time with Anneloes before she went back to Canada this past Thursday. It was good to be off for a week and to spend time in prayer and reading the Bible and devotions. God has an amazing way of communicating with us as long as we are willing to listen and be quiet.

Then on Thursday we said goodbye to Anneloes who is going back to university and enter her fourth year. As it turned out it was a trip with some hurdles and obstacles. It started out with not being able to check in online so when we tried at the airport she could only get a boarding pass for the trip from Lusaka to Amsterdam, not for the past from Amsterdam to Toronto. When she dropped off her bags she got her other boarding pass and off she went. In Amsterdam she met up with her uncle Hans (Machteld's brother) at the airport and they spent some time together. Then for the final part of her trip they left with almost 2 hours delay because of a technical problem with the plane so that had to change aircraft. All in all an eventful trip and surely something to remember.

So now it is just the two of us remaining here in Zambia. It is quiet in the house without having girls around. It will give us some time to get used to the feeling of being (almost) empty nesters. This wasn't part of the original plan but with Lucinda leaving earlier we now "childless", at least in Zambia. It is a strange thought to have all our kids on Canada right now while we are still here in Zambia. Not sure whether this is what parents are supposed to do and it feels somewhat odd to have the three girls together in our house in Acton while we are not there. We know that our church family and friends will look after them and help them when needed. Without that support we probable would have been on a plane back to Canada as well.

In another two and a half months we will be on our way back to Canada as well and we slowly start to look forward to connecting again with everyone in Acton in person. Facebook, Skype and other means are nice but there is nothing better than meeting in person. Enjoy the last week of summer before school starts again. It's hard to believe that summer (and winter in Zambia) is already over, another goodbye.

A lot to be thankful for

Since the last post two weeks ago, we have been able to solve our challenge with the water tank. We received several suggestions from people as to how to solve our challenge. Peter Greif went even as far as making a scale model of his solution and sending us a picture of his device (with a nice candle as water tank). All suggestions were very helpful and showed us that we are not alone out here. We are supported by a large group of people, many of whom we don't even know personally but we all share the same faith which makes us brothers and sisters.

In the end we were able to hire a crane with the financial support of the company that one of the sponsor team members works for. Thank you Mike! The sponsors team arrived two weeks ago and when Mike heard about our challenge he committed to funding the hiring of a crane so we were able to use a crane to lift the tank into place and to get the water flowing again to the homes. We and everyone in our homes in Chongwe (Nyangwena) is very thankful for this generous offer.

 

 

Under the watchful eyes of many of the kids and mamas the tank was placed on the tower just before dark. For the previous week and a half we had taken water from the tanks at the poultry house (we have no chickens at the moment) but it meant a lot of water that had to be carried so having flowing water again is a great blessing.

 

During the week, the men spent most of their time doing repairs in the homes in both Lusaka and Chongwe. From repairing bunk beds, fixing water leaks to replacing door locks and broken table legs, all kinds of small repairs were done and it was great to see the men working side by side with some of the older boys, showing and teaching them some of their skills. It was an amazing sight to see the delight in the eyes of the boys at what they were able to do and accomplish with the help and guidance of the men on the team. By the end of the week a lot had been accomplished but most importantly an everlasting bond was created between the team members and the children and mamas of the homes. The same was true for the women on the team who spent time teaching the mamas how to use the sewing machines, doing Bible studies, etc. We thank God for the willingness of the sponsors to come to Zambia and see first hand what Every Orphan's Hope is doing to help the widows and orphans. Lives have been changed forever, both in Zambia as well as the United States.

 

The sponsors team and staff had a dinner in the EOH office where the staff started off with some dancing and singing to show how visitors are welcomed. It was a great experience to see the staff welcome the visitors and to see the visitors respond to their welcome. The dinner was plentiful and provided for a nice mix of local and American food. It was great to spend time together and share not only a meal but also stories and experiences. God is the same no matter where we are.

 

The sponsor team left again last Saturday which left this past week for us to prepare for the next Camp Hope. The team will arrive this coming Monday so a lot of time was spent this past week on shopping, finalizing registration, making groups, etc. It is amazing to see how the time flies during these weeks but it is also very humbling to see how God is at work and we feel blessed to be part of it.

Another exciting event was the engagement of our daughter Elise with Jeff Becker last Sunday. Their plan is to get married sometime in the summer of next year and we are thankful and excited about their commitment to each other as well as to God. It is difficult not be closer to them right now and not being able to spend more time with them but I am sure that once we get back to Canada we will have a lot to talk about. If possible, we would love to be in two or three places at the same time but that is not possible so we have to seek God's guidance as to where He wants us to be. Please keep us in your prayers so that we may hear His voice clearly as to what His plan is for us.

Thanks and glory be to God for all He has done for us.

 

 

 

CHALLENGE: Replacing the water tank

This past week has been focused on trying to replace the water tank in Chongwe. The current tank was leaking and the loss of water became more and more of a problem. One of the first hurdles was to determine the size of the tank since there were no visible indications as to how big the tank was. Since it is on top of a metal tower almost 30 feet (9 meters) up in the air there are not too many volunteers to go up there and measure it. After measuring the heights of the rings on the tank and the size of the platform we determined that it is about a 7,500 liter tank.

So we bought a new tank this past Wednesday and got it transported to Chongwe on Thursday. On Friday we bought some ropes and other tools so that on Saturday with the help of about 10 guys we would try to put the new tank in place. Many of the helpers were there when the first water tank was installed a couple of years ago and under the leadership of James and Lucky a plan of attack was put together.

The first step was to bring the old tank down in a controlled fashion since we want to use the tank again for future camps. James took it on him to climb the tower and connect the ropes.

Ropes were tied to the tank and it was brought down relatively quickly although not as controlled as we had hoped. Once the tank tipped, one of the ropes snapped on the edge of the platform and the tank made a hard landing but it is still in good usable condition with some patching.

After that we found out that we had all pieces needed for the connections to the new tank except for one, a 1 1/2 inch female-female connector. With Lucky we went to Chongwe in the hope to find one there but we ended up having to go to Lusaka to buy this one missing part, costing less than $3 but we needed it. In the meantime Humphrey was on his way to Chongwe as well with 2 connectors for the water pipers that we had cut from the old tank so that we could hook up the water lines again once the tank would be installed.

After we had fitted the new connections a plan was put together as to how to get the new tank up onto the tower and platform. Different options were discussed and then James and Lucky agreed on the approach to take. And with even the help of some of the kids from the homes the tank was lifted up but as it turned out, we got stuck just under the platform and had no means to get it up unto the platform. Not completely unexpected, gravity was working against us and made it impossible without other equipment to get the tank unto the platform.

 

 

So after weighing the options, we decided to call off our efforts for the day and look for other options for getting the tank onto the tower and platform. It is better to get some "experts" involved and make sure that the tank gets up there in one piece than to keep trying with the risk of damaging the tank.

 

Unfortunately, the homes in Chongwe have no running water in the homes for now but they have water from the poultry farm. We use a big hose and a tap so that they can get water in buckets, containers, etc. for all the chores in the homes and the gardens. There is no shortage of water, it just doesn't come out of the taps as it usually does. Early this coming week we hope to find the answer to our challenge of getting the new tank up onto the tower and platform in one piece and being able to provide the homes with running water again.

 

Anyone who has an idea on how to do this, please let me know by commenting to this post. Hiring a crane is one, but probably an expensive one. So we're looking for other options with hiring a crane as our last resort.