We may live in the bush, but things have been hoppin' around here! At times it has felt like 1 step forward, 18 steps back, but we are thankful for what the LORD has allowed us to accomplish, and want to be enthusiastic while trying to inculturate our local African phrase, "slowly, slowly is still motion." Hmmmm...
SUNFLOWERS!
We planted two acres of sunflowers to experiment with. They are a good crop for Mavuno because the monkeys, porcupines and bush boar leave them alone (these animals destroy MANY of the people's crops). After harvesting more than 500 kg of seeds, we were able to press over 140 liters of oil! This was super exciting and may be promising for a cash crop for us in the future..jpg)
Drying out the seeds
BUILDING!
Unrolling pipe for the water line
After completing the Mbugua's house, placing our first three children in it, we had a HUGE rain. The next morning, water was coming up through the FLOOR of the new house, due to all the drainage from the hill. Water filled all the trenches that had been dug out for the big drainage field, for water pipes to the house, and filled up two outside toilets as well. Thankfully, the water drained off and no permanent damage was done to the house. We don't often ask God to stop the rains!
John and Milka and their three new kids
LICENSING!
I would love to report that we have our license, but after several reports that it was almost ready, we heard that social welfare in Dar had lost our paperwork, and then they changed their mind about what else they needed from us. At the moment we are waiting for the local social welfare to send out a medical officer so that he can sign the paperwork that goes back to Dar. Please pray that our license would be processed quickly. We have seven open spaces in our home, children waiting to come, and all the other orphanages we know of completely full.
PEOPLE!
Wayne and some of our staff
We have been enjoying the people coming in and out of Mavuno. The LORD provided JUST the people we have needed for this time. We have a couple and their baby here for three months, Wayne Stolzfus who was here last year and has come back for two months, Taylor Balian who was here at Mavuno for a year and came back to visit this week, and my mom and dad, who just left on Monday (they were here three weeks). We are so blessed to have such amazing people around! I am continually thankful for the incredible people that our children are exposed to living here, and then when we go back to the States. Having mom and dad here was SUCH a treat, and they were able to minister to others while they were here as well.
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Mom and dad and the gang :)
Thank you for your prayers! We really need them and know God is using them in ways we see and don't see!
P.S. Thank you for praying for Kate!
The LORD healed her hand so completely that we are amazed!
