A still small voice & WATER!

Some of the children at our primary school

I started substitute teaching at the primary school here at Kibidula last week on Tuesday.  I started the day with a little bit of a sore throat.  I asked for prayers and was able to teach each day.  Sunday I lost my voice completely on and off!  This is an unusual experience for me.  I prayed and asked God to help me, and I taught anyhow Monday and Tuesday of this week.  The head teacher was afraid that I would lose my voice completely again for a week or more if I keep trying to use it.  God blessed though and I often had more voice by the end of classes than at the beginning, only to loose it again when I got home.

Standard 4 class - 6 girls and 5 boys in the 4th grade

And as I am having to whisper, I have talked to the students about "what kind of voice does God speak to us in?"  It is a still small voice.  just like they must be still and listen very much to hear me when I can not speak much, we must quiet ourselves to hear God's voice.  I am encouraging them and myself to take time to be quiet and listen for His still small voice.  He LOVES to direct us - now if we will only listen!




NOTHING TAKES GOD BY SURPRISE!  So God knew that I would have this issue right now, and He already had a solution in mind.  God brought to the school just in time to take my place a young man that needs work and enjoys teaching.  I will still teach the Bible class each day until the regular teacher returns, but that will take a lot of stress off my voice.  God is WONDERFUL!  So, I taught only two classes today and I am home to rest for a while.

It is amazing how many times in so many subjects I have had an opportunity to share spiritual things with the children.  History and Civics often have opportunities. All the subjects are important, but it is even more important that each child understands how it fits in with the Bible and God's plan for our redemption.  Bible class always gives many opportunities, too!  I hope that we are reaching their hearts and minds for Jesus!

Fletcher, the man that is volunteering from the states to assemble Kibidula's larger airplane, bought a new soccer ball for the school.  They were SO excited to get a new ball that would hold air.  I hope it lasts for a long time.  They all love to play so much during lunch and break times.  One of the children was kicking around a volleyball yesterday or the day before.  I asked him if he knew what kind of ball it was.  He said it was a volley ball, then he bounced it into the air at me.  I returned his bounce, and then soon a large crowd of students came and we were bouncing it to each other through the air.  Then another teacher joined us, and even another teacher.  The children enjoyed it so much, having the teachers out with them, playing, even for just a few minutes.  A couple of times I asked for the ball and would gently throw it to the new Russian student (1st grade) we have at school.  He is just now learning English.  He enjoyed being part of the play.  He is the only Caucasian child at the school.  That along with not knowing English (the school's language) or Swahili (the country's language) can make it seem a bit awkward for him.  All of the teachers are working to help him adjust and make him part of the school.  We are also praying very much for the characters of the children.  They are precious little people that all belong to God.  It is amazing to have 90 new children on my heart.

Many of the students from the primary school.

The school has been without water while the solar pump install continues.  There have been things that have come up that have delayed here and there.  Yesterday the tower was brought up into place and the cement was poured.  So hopefully, if all goes well today and tomorrow morning, we may have water at the school again tomorrow!  It was a lot of hard work for the men that were hauling cement down the hill for the tower base.  Then they would push their wheel barrows back up the steep hill.  Some of them worked barefoot!  Even Beltina was telling me how tired Douglas was in the afternoon.  They all worked very hard.  It was a LOT of cement hauling, and a very steep hill.  It is tricky for me to walk up or down the hill not carrying anything.  When we took the tower pieces down, I often slipped.  The height of the tower doesn't even reach the top of the hill that they had to climb and descend each time.  After the pipe is raised the solar panels will be even higher.

Since I started this blog entry, Doug and Jason hooked up the water pump and did a test with the solar panels on the ground instead of on the tower.  It is a VERY overcast day, and...  WE HAD WATER!  We were all elated!  The lines were hooked up and water was pumped up to the clinic.  The pipe is not hooked to the tank yet because we want to make sure everything is working.  It is.  The primary school students came over to see the new water system working.  They very much enjoyed testing the water. 

Primary students very happy about the new solar pump and water

We hope to have water coming out at the primary school tap by tomorrow if all goes well today.  Doug hopes to run enough water into the tank at the clinic to supply their needs for tomorrow.  Then he will finish the dangerous part of the install tomorrow (putting the panels way up high on the tower to expose them to the most sun, and to reduce the possibility of theft.)  Please pray for safety for him and the equipment.

Joshua gave the sermon this last week at church.  It was about Trusting God even during Troubles.  It was a simple and good message about things we can learn especially from the story of Joseph in Genesis.  The graduation for the Lay Evangelism school went well on Sunday, along with Doug's medical missionary training for them the last week.

The rainy season is almost completely gone.  We have not had rain for several days.  Today it did mist a little bit, and it is very windy and cloudy.  Soon there will be NO MORE RAIN for 6 months!  Yes - really NO RAIN.

I looked in the garden yesterday and I have little lettuce plants coming up.  I am SO EXCITED.  The pea plants, kohlrabi and kale look like they may also grow.

We have NO WORD on our container at the moment.

I am needing to get well, and the head teacher at the school started to have a sore throat today, too.  PLEASE pray for her.  If she gets sick, she looses her voice easily.  I hope to have more good news to report later this week.  God is faithful.

Yesterday at prayer meeting, I  looked around the room at the mix of people that were there.  There were people from Tanzania, Zambia, Switzerland, Canada, South Africa and the United States.  I feel so at-peace with these wonderful people that are in our lives.  It was wonderful.  There is no happier place than to be in the center of God's will.  No matter the struggles, the challenges, missing friends and family - it is the best place to be.  I praise Him for His marvelous grace and love!