We started off the week in the hospital on Monday with Jackson. (Which also was my birthday!) Sunday night he woke up at midnight throwing up and did not stop until Tuesday afternoon. I have never seen a child so sick with a Stomach infection. Poor little guy. We went to the clinic on Monday morning and then were later admitted to the hospital. He was severely dehydrated and even after being on an IV for several hours things were not looking good.
Thankfully he has been feeling better and Tuesday evening about 7pm we left the hospital. The nurses actually remembered us from being there with Emma.
He has still not been back to normal though certainly much better. I took him today again just to be looked at by another friend.
He said he should drink 4 oz every hour to not only maintain fluids but be back to normal. For some reason he is not drinking much. We made popsicles last night so he had one of those, but it is not like I can go run and buy a box of them at the store. We have to make them.
So if you think of him please continue to pray for full recovery.
I too have been sick for about a week with sinus and sore throat, etc. I finally decided it wasn't going away and got an antibiotic today. So hopefully will be on the mend in a couple days!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Welcome to Zambia / Welcome Home
Katryn Belke arrived safely this morning.
The girls and I went to pick her up at the airport.
Please thank the Lord for blessing her travels. The visa entry went smoothly and all her luggage arrived in tact.
We praise the Lord that he has provided another laborer for the Harvest!
The girls and I went to pick her up at the airport.
Please thank the Lord for blessing her travels. The visa entry went smoothly and all her luggage arrived in tact.
We praise the Lord that he has provided another laborer for the Harvest!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Back to the Clinic
Friday I met Fanny in Kabanana. We went to pay the school fees at two of the schools and then to pick up a few kids from different homes and take them to the clinic. As we were taking one girl, we said hello to her brother who was outside playing. We asked how he was doing and he said not good, he had a rash again all over his head, which looked like ringworm. So I said let's bring him too.
We had the follow up for the 8 yr old girl who we just found out was HIV positive. Her test results were good so for now she does not need to be on any medications, but to just try and increase a good diet. In 3 months she will need to go back for another test to check her levels.
The doctor then saw the boy and prescribed medicine for the infections and cream. Then he asked Fanny and I if he could do a blood test. We said yes that was fine, and so he did the HIV test. Then brought just us back in to the office to give us the results.
He was positive.
I think this caught us off guard because we were not even thinking it was anything other than a fungal infection. This boy is a teenager and so now we have to follow up on Monday with him and ask his mom to come to the doctor visit as well, in which point the doctor will then do further testing. This will be the first time he will hear the news along with his mother who also is positive and has AIDS.
It has been surprising though to hear in the compounds that even if a mother has it, and her child gets sick she does not necessarily think that it could be related.
In talking with the doctor who is aware of the orphan sponsorship program he suggested we bring all the kids in to get tested. And maybe do a routine exam in which the blood test will be taken as well. I think over the next few weeks and month we will try to bring all the children in.
Please pray for these children that are positive, the family members and the other children that will soon be tested.
There are other family members in the homes that very likely could also be positive.
It is a sad thought to think at the end of all the visits and testing, out of 11 kids, how many will be positive.
Please pray as well for wisdom as we deal with the children and their guardians, and emotional stability and Christlike love.
We had the follow up for the 8 yr old girl who we just found out was HIV positive. Her test results were good so for now she does not need to be on any medications, but to just try and increase a good diet. In 3 months she will need to go back for another test to check her levels.
The doctor then saw the boy and prescribed medicine for the infections and cream. Then he asked Fanny and I if he could do a blood test. We said yes that was fine, and so he did the HIV test. Then brought just us back in to the office to give us the results.
He was positive.
I think this caught us off guard because we were not even thinking it was anything other than a fungal infection. This boy is a teenager and so now we have to follow up on Monday with him and ask his mom to come to the doctor visit as well, in which point the doctor will then do further testing. This will be the first time he will hear the news along with his mother who also is positive and has AIDS.
It has been surprising though to hear in the compounds that even if a mother has it, and her child gets sick she does not necessarily think that it could be related.
In talking with the doctor who is aware of the orphan sponsorship program he suggested we bring all the kids in to get tested. And maybe do a routine exam in which the blood test will be taken as well. I think over the next few weeks and month we will try to bring all the children in.
Please pray for these children that are positive, the family members and the other children that will soon be tested.
There are other family members in the homes that very likely could also be positive.
It is a sad thought to think at the end of all the visits and testing, out of 11 kids, how many will be positive.
Please pray as well for wisdom as we deal with the children and their guardians, and emotional stability and Christlike love.
Diet of Worms
Martin Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms, and asked to recant his books and teachings.
This is where he famously said, "I can not, I will not recant. Here I stand!"
Many times we have explained to the kids this story, and that he was not actually eating Worms. That was the name of the place.
SO this morning with Breakfast we had our diet against worms.
Interesting trying to explain to the kids why we were taking the de-worming medicine. That then brought about a host of comments and funny and gross statements and questions about the whole thing at the breakfast table.
Sarah was discussing how they gave it to the horses when she worked with Kayla and how that was every 6 weeks and the end result, etc.. Emma told of how she ate an apple and then saw a worm crawling on it, and so maybe she has worms! She said it rather cheerfully.
I had to say, "ok" a few times, thankfully we were just eating muffins. The kids all took the medicine and we cheered on the little boys. Grace took hers easy and I think that motivated Caleb and so we gave the zambian cheer to him, singing and clapping, "Well done, well done such a good boy. Excellent, Give a clap, whoo ooo. Superstar".
Jackson took much longer taking tiny sips running back into the kitchen to tell me he had a sip. Finally I had to have him just down it and then we sang the song and cheered for him as he held up his little medicine cup high in the air.
Depending on who you talk to every 3 or 6 months it is recommended to take it and "clear out your system", just in case.
This is where he famously said, "I can not, I will not recant. Here I stand!"
Many times we have explained to the kids this story, and that he was not actually eating Worms. That was the name of the place.
SO this morning with Breakfast we had our diet against worms.
Interesting trying to explain to the kids why we were taking the de-worming medicine. That then brought about a host of comments and funny and gross statements and questions about the whole thing at the breakfast table.
Sarah was discussing how they gave it to the horses when she worked with Kayla and how that was every 6 weeks and the end result, etc.. Emma told of how she ate an apple and then saw a worm crawling on it, and so maybe she has worms! She said it rather cheerfully.
I had to say, "ok" a few times, thankfully we were just eating muffins. The kids all took the medicine and we cheered on the little boys. Grace took hers easy and I think that motivated Caleb and so we gave the zambian cheer to him, singing and clapping, "Well done, well done such a good boy. Excellent, Give a clap, whoo ooo. Superstar".
Jackson took much longer taking tiny sips running back into the kitchen to tell me he had a sip. Finally I had to have him just down it and then we sang the song and cheered for him as he held up his little medicine cup high in the air.
Depending on who you talk to every 3 or 6 months it is recommended to take it and "clear out your system", just in case.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Prosperity Gospel
The prosperity "gospel" is believed by many here in Zambia.
Sadly, their role models are often those from America and the television brings these false teachers even into their own home.
(Think Benny Hinn, Kenneth Hagan, in the line of the Tammy Faye Bakers, etc.
Touch the screen and you will receive healing, only after you of course send your money in to me. ) It truly is sickening.
This is one of the very reasons that good pastoral training is needed here.
Many are deceived, confused and at best untaught. At worse, unconverted and they are out to get money and wealth for themselves and teach this to their congregations to achieve that. They use the name of Jesus to get what they want and throw in as many "Hallelujahs, Amens, Yes, preach it brother etc. ".
James was invited a couple weeks ago to preach at a "revival" service that was held in one of the churches of his student at Lusaka Ministerial College. The service was pretty much an all day event, and so we came in about an hour before he was scheduled to preach thinking maybe we would be there for singing and leading up to the sermon.
Well it was more like a tag team or relay "preaching". We walked in as one man was finishing up. A lady took our bibles and my purse to carry in for us. They meet in a school classroom as is very common for churches here, and the windows were all boarded up and it was very dark inside. It took a little bit to adjust to the light before I could see everyone around us. There was maybe 50 people. Zambians like their sound systems and microphones and amplifiers. It doesn't matter if the group is small, if you have any of those things you use them and crank it up!
We sang one song and were introduced as "very good friends". Then the next man was called upon to "preach".
We have been in a couple pentecostal churches here, but this one is the first time I have so clearly heard the prosperity talk.
The belief that God wants to bless you with Wealth and Health and Opportunities to advance your name and place in this world.
So unlike the Jesus we serve who came to die and serve others and humble himself for our sake.
The man stood up to preach and asked to move the pulpit. Then they moved flowerpots out of the way as well.
He was given about 30 minutes, and the entire time he was yelling into the microphone and moving all over the place.
"We need to get into our position" for God to bless us.
"The doors are not yet open".
Then every few minutes he would say, "Am I communicating?"
At one point he said that he realized a black and white tv was not good enough for him because he is a child of the king!
He said "we shouldn't have to meet in a classroom, you deserve better and should be in a better situation. The early church didn't have to suffer like this, they had faith. "
Here is a short video clip.
The ladies will run up to the "man" and shine his shoes or wipe the sweat off his face in the middle of the service. Especially when they are hyped up to a certain level.
It was so awful the things he was saying and so wrong. As we sat and listened, I started praying for James. I knew he had to preach the Word, and I was starting to get nervous for him.
As soon as it was his turn, someone came and carried his bible up for him. He then stood up and said, "I have a Word from the Lord for you" To which there were many cheers and Amens! He then opened up The Word and turned to the passage in Hebrews and preached about Moses and Jesus choosing to live a life of suffering. As he was referring to Moses he explained that he had everything and was living in Pharoah's house with all the treasures of the world, and he laid it aside. (Hebrews 11 )
Then he spoke of Jesus, who left the glory of Heaven and came down to suffer and sacrifice for us. He had no where to lay his head.
Then he said there is a FALSE teaching out there that says, "God wants you to be rich, to be successful, to always have good health and never suffer..." he continued on. At each point there were many "yes" and "amens". He got to the end of the list and once again said, "This is a FALSE teaching". It suddenly got much quieter in there as he continued on.
The Lord blessed the preaching as he sought to be faithful to God's Word and try and teach the people the error of the prosperity teaching.
Please pray for the people that heard the message.
The student that is in James class in Lusaka was evidently different in his preaching, but still not good, he seemed confused in his preaching which we heard after this man. He was pointing people to Christ, but it seemed like the difference was you have to be truly saved and trusting only in Christ and living for Christ, ...then the Lord will bless you as you are first seeking the kingdom. And by blessing you he was referring to some of the same "types" of blessings. (Money, status, health
Just this week though James was at the family conference and spoke with a man he knows named Marshall who is a pastor in the Copperbelt. He started attending the Copperbelt Ministerial College the first year it started. As James was explaining the situation where he had just been preaching, Marshall told him "Yes, that is what I used to be like too, except it was worse! "
It was shocking at first but then inspiring James said because to see the change God has done in him.
Then he talked about when he first came to the college, he was all proud that he was "Reverend" Marshall. They really like the titles here. (whether its Rev. or Bishop or Apostle...) The Reverend has his bible carried for him, his shoes shined, his face wiped off..
Pastor Jim Savastio was preaching on the Call and Character of the man of God. He said that we should not want all these titles or be seeking a name for ourselves. Marshall said that when he heard that he started discretely pulling his name tag out. That had the title, "Reverend".
From that point on things started changing in his life and ministry. He had 200 people in their church and went down to 15 committed people and now have 30 and are building back up.
Here is a picture of him at his church.
The concrete blocks are his "pulpit".
Sadly, their role models are often those from America and the television brings these false teachers even into their own home.
(Think Benny Hinn, Kenneth Hagan, in the line of the Tammy Faye Bakers, etc.
Touch the screen and you will receive healing, only after you of course send your money in to me. ) It truly is sickening.
This is one of the very reasons that good pastoral training is needed here.
Many are deceived, confused and at best untaught. At worse, unconverted and they are out to get money and wealth for themselves and teach this to their congregations to achieve that. They use the name of Jesus to get what they want and throw in as many "Hallelujahs, Amens, Yes, preach it brother etc. ".
James was invited a couple weeks ago to preach at a "revival" service that was held in one of the churches of his student at Lusaka Ministerial College. The service was pretty much an all day event, and so we came in about an hour before he was scheduled to preach thinking maybe we would be there for singing and leading up to the sermon.
Well it was more like a tag team or relay "preaching". We walked in as one man was finishing up. A lady took our bibles and my purse to carry in for us. They meet in a school classroom as is very common for churches here, and the windows were all boarded up and it was very dark inside. It took a little bit to adjust to the light before I could see everyone around us. There was maybe 50 people. Zambians like their sound systems and microphones and amplifiers. It doesn't matter if the group is small, if you have any of those things you use them and crank it up!
We sang one song and were introduced as "very good friends". Then the next man was called upon to "preach".
We have been in a couple pentecostal churches here, but this one is the first time I have so clearly heard the prosperity talk.
The belief that God wants to bless you with Wealth and Health and Opportunities to advance your name and place in this world.
So unlike the Jesus we serve who came to die and serve others and humble himself for our sake.
The man stood up to preach and asked to move the pulpit. Then they moved flowerpots out of the way as well.
He was given about 30 minutes, and the entire time he was yelling into the microphone and moving all over the place.
"We need to get into our position" for God to bless us.
"The doors are not yet open".
Then every few minutes he would say, "Am I communicating?"
At one point he said that he realized a black and white tv was not good enough for him because he is a child of the king!
He said "we shouldn't have to meet in a classroom, you deserve better and should be in a better situation. The early church didn't have to suffer like this, they had faith. "
Here is a short video clip.
prosperity gospel from megan Williamson on Vimeo.
The ladies will run up to the "man" and shine his shoes or wipe the sweat off his face in the middle of the service. Especially when they are hyped up to a certain level.
It was so awful the things he was saying and so wrong. As we sat and listened, I started praying for James. I knew he had to preach the Word, and I was starting to get nervous for him.
As soon as it was his turn, someone came and carried his bible up for him. He then stood up and said, "I have a Word from the Lord for you" To which there were many cheers and Amens! He then opened up The Word and turned to the passage in Hebrews and preached about Moses and Jesus choosing to live a life of suffering. As he was referring to Moses he explained that he had everything and was living in Pharoah's house with all the treasures of the world, and he laid it aside. (Hebrews 11 )
Then he spoke of Jesus, who left the glory of Heaven and came down to suffer and sacrifice for us. He had no where to lay his head.
Then he said there is a FALSE teaching out there that says, "God wants you to be rich, to be successful, to always have good health and never suffer..." he continued on. At each point there were many "yes" and "amens". He got to the end of the list and once again said, "This is a FALSE teaching". It suddenly got much quieter in there as he continued on.
The Lord blessed the preaching as he sought to be faithful to God's Word and try and teach the people the error of the prosperity teaching.
Please pray for the people that heard the message.
The student that is in James class in Lusaka was evidently different in his preaching, but still not good, he seemed confused in his preaching which we heard after this man. He was pointing people to Christ, but it seemed like the difference was you have to be truly saved and trusting only in Christ and living for Christ, ...then the Lord will bless you as you are first seeking the kingdom. And by blessing you he was referring to some of the same "types" of blessings. (Money, status, health
Just this week though James was at the family conference and spoke with a man he knows named Marshall who is a pastor in the Copperbelt. He started attending the Copperbelt Ministerial College the first year it started. As James was explaining the situation where he had just been preaching, Marshall told him "Yes, that is what I used to be like too, except it was worse! "
It was shocking at first but then inspiring James said because to see the change God has done in him.
Then he talked about when he first came to the college, he was all proud that he was "Reverend" Marshall. They really like the titles here. (whether its Rev. or Bishop or Apostle...) The Reverend has his bible carried for him, his shoes shined, his face wiped off..
Pastor Jim Savastio was preaching on the Call and Character of the man of God. He said that we should not want all these titles or be seeking a name for ourselves. Marshall said that when he heard that he started discretely pulling his name tag out. That had the title, "Reverend".
From that point on things started changing in his life and ministry. He had 200 people in their church and went down to 15 committed people and now have 30 and are building back up.
Here is a picture of him at his church.
The concrete blocks are his "pulpit".
Thursday, August 26, 2010
God at Work today
We went back to the clinic today with little Memory, the 8yr old girl who tested positive for HIV last week.
We went to her house to pick her up and she went inside to change into a nicer dress. She came out onto the step and was trying to reach behind her to zip the rest of the dress up, so I helped her and then told her she looked nice.
The dress was clean but it had a big tear across the sleeve. Her hair had been fixed into sections and looked nice, though when I commented on it later she told Fanny that it hurt her head. I think it was too tight.
They took 3 vials of her blood to get further tests done. To determine her liver function and her levels to know what type of treatment to start her on.
They had to take it out of her hand and her arm and she did not even wince or cry or move. I could not believe it. We tried to talk to her and get her mind off the blood being drawn. I had an extra cookie that I gave her and that seems to help.
We then went back into the doctors office and he said the results would be ready on Saturday. Then he told Fanny and I that the Director of the clinic wanted to speak with us.
We both though, "oh no...".
It is a small private clinic. And so we didn't know if he was going to be asking us alot of questions about the girl or what.
The director wanted to meet us and ask us about the orphan program and what we did. Fanny mostly explained it and then he said that his clinic is run on God's good will and that if we are helping the vulnerable he can not have a good conscience in making a profit off of us. So then he told us to make a list of the 11 children we are helping and bring that in to him. He will then make cards with each child's name and anytime they need to come in, with or without us, they can come and the clinic will only charge us what something is at cost value. The medicine direct at cost, and bloodwork/labs, only what it costs them to process those labs.
We told him thank you! And rejoiced at what God did for us and the children today!
As I was paying the bill in the waiting room I looked over at the TV and saw a nature show that was on. As I watched for a moment I noticed the beautiful scenery and the bears and knew it had to be something from Yellowstone or Montana. Once you have seen that beauty you can easily recognize it!
I looked back at the man attending to my bill and then slowly looked back at the TV and then back to the man.
It is hard to explain what I was feeling, as I stood there for just a couple of minutes. But I will try...
Last night I was having an especially hard time. Things here are just hard. I was missing my dear friends, and my 1115 Tatum Road house. ( Affectionately called Potato Road by Jackson)
We had some people over for dinner and we were mentioning places in America and that the most beautiful place we have lived was Montana.
Earlier in the day Emma found a little photo album we had prepared when we went to Ukraine of the kids and the bedrooms and our house. And then I saw the nice carpet...And the green grass and our house and it made me sad.
We have seen some amazing things here. But the day to day scenery and what I look at now, just doesn't compare. I used to look out my dining room window at the beauty of rolling hills, pastureland, sunsets. Peace and Quiet. Now I look out my dining room window and see some brown grass and a grey concrete wall. And on some nights we hear loud music from a local bar, dogs and other animals barking, cars whizzing past, and even this past week, two car wrecks late at night right on the road we live on. Not quite "peace and quiet".
But these things do not compare with what the Lord has given us to do here.
In Hebrews 11: 24-26 Referring to Moses it says,
" choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God...considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. "
We are getting close enough to the people here to "share" with them in their suffering and affliction. And that is a greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. ( or the treasure, beauty, convenience and ease in America)
So today my Heavenly Dad showed me this and reminded me again of HIS greatness and worthiness. It was a "God moment" as the phrase goes. Where I so clearly knew this was here for that specific reason and He was using it to encourage me.
And with a few glances back and forth to the beauty I saw on the TV screen and then to the face of a little girl and the opportunities all around me, I felt the "Peace and Quiet" once again in my heart and soul.
We went to her house to pick her up and she went inside to change into a nicer dress. She came out onto the step and was trying to reach behind her to zip the rest of the dress up, so I helped her and then told her she looked nice.
The dress was clean but it had a big tear across the sleeve. Her hair had been fixed into sections and looked nice, though when I commented on it later she told Fanny that it hurt her head. I think it was too tight.
They took 3 vials of her blood to get further tests done. To determine her liver function and her levels to know what type of treatment to start her on.
They had to take it out of her hand and her arm and she did not even wince or cry or move. I could not believe it. We tried to talk to her and get her mind off the blood being drawn. I had an extra cookie that I gave her and that seems to help.
We then went back into the doctors office and he said the results would be ready on Saturday. Then he told Fanny and I that the Director of the clinic wanted to speak with us.
We both though, "oh no...".
It is a small private clinic. And so we didn't know if he was going to be asking us alot of questions about the girl or what.
The director wanted to meet us and ask us about the orphan program and what we did. Fanny mostly explained it and then he said that his clinic is run on God's good will and that if we are helping the vulnerable he can not have a good conscience in making a profit off of us. So then he told us to make a list of the 11 children we are helping and bring that in to him. He will then make cards with each child's name and anytime they need to come in, with or without us, they can come and the clinic will only charge us what something is at cost value. The medicine direct at cost, and bloodwork/labs, only what it costs them to process those labs.
We told him thank you! And rejoiced at what God did for us and the children today!
As I was paying the bill in the waiting room I looked over at the TV and saw a nature show that was on. As I watched for a moment I noticed the beautiful scenery and the bears and knew it had to be something from Yellowstone or Montana. Once you have seen that beauty you can easily recognize it!
I looked back at the man attending to my bill and then slowly looked back at the TV and then back to the man.
It is hard to explain what I was feeling, as I stood there for just a couple of minutes. But I will try...
Last night I was having an especially hard time. Things here are just hard. I was missing my dear friends, and my 1115 Tatum Road house. ( Affectionately called Potato Road by Jackson)
We had some people over for dinner and we were mentioning places in America and that the most beautiful place we have lived was Montana.
Earlier in the day Emma found a little photo album we had prepared when we went to Ukraine of the kids and the bedrooms and our house. And then I saw the nice carpet...And the green grass and our house and it made me sad.
We have seen some amazing things here. But the day to day scenery and what I look at now, just doesn't compare. I used to look out my dining room window at the beauty of rolling hills, pastureland, sunsets. Peace and Quiet. Now I look out my dining room window and see some brown grass and a grey concrete wall. And on some nights we hear loud music from a local bar, dogs and other animals barking, cars whizzing past, and even this past week, two car wrecks late at night right on the road we live on. Not quite "peace and quiet".
But these things do not compare with what the Lord has given us to do here.
In Hebrews 11: 24-26 Referring to Moses it says,
" choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God...considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. "
We are getting close enough to the people here to "share" with them in their suffering and affliction. And that is a greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. ( or the treasure, beauty, convenience and ease in America)
So today my Heavenly Dad showed me this and reminded me again of HIS greatness and worthiness. It was a "God moment" as the phrase goes. Where I so clearly knew this was here for that specific reason and He was using it to encourage me.
And with a few glances back and forth to the beauty I saw on the TV screen and then to the face of a little girl and the opportunities all around me, I felt the "Peace and Quiet" once again in my heart and soul.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
NEW POST
LMC LUNCHEON
Scroll down and see the post. We had internet trouble and I was unable to move the post, because it is one I started 2 weeks ago and just finally was able to get it up.
Scroll down and see the post. We had internet trouble and I was unable to move the post, because it is one I started 2 weeks ago and just finally was able to get it up.
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