Inward Renewal

I’m having a 2-3 inch finish coat of concrete added to the foundation floor inside every chalet.  The work will hopefully give a nice smooth finish before bunk beds are installed.  The concrete work has taken longer than I initially thought (1 full day of work each).  Key to the success of the job is making sure the concrete/sand mix is strong enough and that an “ice rink” glaze of water on the top surface of the flooring is maintained for at least 24 hours after the pour.  More pictures will be forthcoming.

Our Twin Lakes Church short term team from Santa Cruz, California has arrived.  Kim Breuninger,  Rhonda McEntee, Mary Jean Walton and Linda McCann made it safe and sound after a grueling journey.  Ethiopian Airlines asked them to take four layovers before arriving in Lusaka.  Team leder Kim Breuninger has made the journey numerous times before, but the journey was a first for the other three.  Tim, Megan, Kelly and Tricia met them at the airport and shuttled them into town to see our ACTION Zambia offices.  ACTION Pastor’s College was in session and Steve Allen introduced the group the pastors we work with on a daily basis. The opportunity to see the leaders in training was crucial in that they are coming to working with the wives of those same leaders.  AZ has not reached out to the wives of the APC leaders to date and it is long overdue.  The Twin Lakes delegates will conduct an additional conference for women on the ACTION Zambia field.  We are delighted to finally have them here!

ACTION Zambia welcomed Kelly and Tricia Huckaby and their son Lucas at the airport early this morning.  Making their trek all the way from Seattle, Washington, they are the newest members to join our mission.  Besides being extremely tired they enjoyed their journey, especially the layover they had in London with Madeline and Randolph Melville.  Lusaka welcomed them with cool weather and only one lost piece of luggage.  AZ team members came to our home for a welcome breakfast… and it seemed to be a hit with everyone.  Thank you to all those supporting and praying the Huckabys to Zambia as they follow God’s call upon their lives.  Kelly and Tricia will soon become on-site coordinators out at our Ciyanjano Campground and Ministry Centre in Kasupe.  The Huckabys took their picture alongside Zambia’s first president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda.

In the following two videos Ted Kovarick, from the Crossroads Christian Church team, describes the work that he undertook during his stay out at Ciyanjano.

The entire ACTION Zambia missionary team met at Ciyanjano this evening for a cookout and time of fellowship with the Crossroads team.  Lots of meat was cooked up and everyone brought their own side dishes to pass.  It’s nice to have a big braai toward the end of a team’s visit with us.  It’s a nice way for everyone to take note of the good work accomplished (especially with teams coming to do construction).  It’s also a time to praise the Lord for what he has accomplished in our midst.  George Ripley brought his guitar with him and led us all in a time of worship around the campfire.  George was great with the missionary kids (MK’s) and sung some of their favorite songs.  Here’s a short video from down by the fire:

And here’s a short slideshow of photos of our families participating:

Crossroads Christian Church members supporting their missions team to Zambia have every reason to be proud.  From the very moment they stepped off the plane, we’ve been challenged by these four men.  Their humility, servanthood, hardwork, generosity and heart for people is a tremendous testimony.  Teams like this are a real encouragement to the missionary team here on the ground as well as the Zambians they interact with.  Just to give a picture of what I’m talking about, the following pictures tell it all!  Crossroads has and will play a very key roll in the development of a Christian camping experience in Zambia.

The top of the brick wall needed to fasten to the shade cloth windows so as to create a seal and shed driving rain from sitting on top of the wall’s surface.  Again, a concrete-earth mixture was used to create this top cap by using earth found on our property nearby.

After the brick wall work was finished by the Crossroads team, it was time to fasten shade cloth to the upper half of the chalet frame.  The story of me locating the shade cloth is a story in and of itself.  Without a doubt, God really aided me in negotiating a price for it that was half the fair-market price.  The Crossroads team was blessed to have George Ripley’s carpet laying experience as they pulled and stretched the screening into position without (ripples/loose spots).  Everyone was very impressed at the shade cloth’s ability to cut wind and retain some degree of warmth as well as shade.  Praise God for this work accomplished!

The brick walls that come up half way on each chalet had further need to be water-resistant.  So, we decided to “stucco” the exterior of the wall with a concrete-earth mixture.  Jailos and Boniface instructed the team on how to apply the compound to the walls.  Within 15 minutes the crew had gotten the hang of the process, applying it with their bare hands.  The finished product has a nice earth tone color to it and has hardened quite nicely.

The STT (short term team) finished building the waist high walls under the kitchen shelter in the middle of the campground.  The idea is that the campers will have a central shelter to cook under with braisers (metal containers that hold burning charcoal) made available to them for cooking.  The design is a simple one which allows for a lot of air flow, so that smoke does not get trapped underneath yet still gives sufficient coverage from the intense sun or pouring rain.  I thought that two walls could be constructed parallel to one another which would block excessive wind for the fire and would function as “serving walls” for food.  With the campground designed to accomodate 70 campers, a plan for feeding such a large number was imperative.  Campers can file cafeteria style on either side of the walls to grab a bite to eat.  The following photos show the progression of the wall.