Kasensa report January 2012

Kasensa report January 2012

Happy New Year! And it is a good year – God is good.

Zambia has many challenges and obstacles. There is much suffering. Health care and education is extremely inadequate for the average person. Infrastructure is very poor and corruption is everywhere. It’s tiresome and often frustrating.

I’m strengthened in quiet times with God and through other brothers and sisters who struggle with attempting to know how to help.

And I’m always amazed at people who have the ability to express themselves so well through writing. It’s a craft – which I don’t have. I’m especially amazed when it comes from a very young person. A few years ago someone shared an article with me written by Adam, a young missionary who died at the age of around 23, while working in Uganda. The following paragraph is an excerpt from Adam’s report.

Adam says “My illusions of solving the problems of this country have long ago left me. They have been replaced with the hope of a risen savior who understands what it means to suffer in this world.  This world refuses to work on God’s terms and thus will always be filled with suffering. And because I live in this world, I am privy to that suffering [whether] I am living in America or Uganda.  While I will never stop trying to eliminate the suffering in this world, the suffering in Uganda, the suffering in losing a younger sister to AIDs, or even the suffering in my own life, I do not believe that is all I should be doing. Solutions are wonderful. Cures are amazing. Answers are great. But in this broken world, I am beginning to believe we need more people who are willing to enter into the suffering of others whether they can help or not. I want to choose to [suffer] for the sake of others. I am not always sure how to do that or what it looks like, but most days I wake up and can’t think of anything else to do. Uganda has problems, I pray that God will solve them, but until He does I will also pray for the strength to suffer.”

So….we press on – not knowing totally how it all makes a difference. This is what we’ve been part of this month.

  • Abraham celebrating his first birthday!
  • Abigail, Abraham, Rozina and Mikey crawling EVERYWHERE and pulling themselves up to furniture!
  • Timmy and Molly – home visits ++, resulting in a plan for them to return to family at Zimba in mid February – Praise God!
  • Visits to Abrahams’ mom and dad. She continues to struggle with HIV and problems with extended family resulting in him not returning home as soon as we’d all hoped. More visits are planned this week.
  • Lumaamba has TB and is tolerating well the treatment: AkuriT-Z Kid, although I’m concerned about a large firm mass in the left parotid area – so I’m taking him to my doctor friends at Kalomo Hospital this week.
  • Cornolius growing! He’s now 4.9 kg. He is a pudgy little guy with a nice disposition. Family are to return next month to discuss discharge plans.
  • Discussing discharge plans with Potius’ family who are to come February 7 to discuss discharge and then likely take him home.
  • As I type this report, Mikey is in the hospital in Livingstone for an inguinal hernia repair. His aunty and dad are with him.
  • Abigail (age 18 – 20) and baby Krista joined us to live in for awhile so Krista can gain weight. We met Abigail shortly after she gave birth to Krista, who was 2 months premature, weighing in at about 750 grams. Krista is now 1.54 kg today. Kasensa is a lot cleaner place than Kalomo Hospital and Abigail gets 24 hour support for her and the baby.
  • Taylor Proceshyn left mid January after spending 3 months with us. His servant heart is missed! He made a big impact on the youth at the farm – leading Bible studies, coaching soccer and just spending 1:1 time with some of the special kids on the farm. As well, he was a friend to all the babies. Timmy tells us daily that Taylor is in “sth”Canada. (Timmy has a lisp!)
  • Two sponsored students who’ve just completed grade 12 @ Kalomo High School, Delphister and Austern have joined us in our new “School Leaver or Gap Year program”. In Zambia and many African countries, grade 12 students do not receive their final grade 12 grades until March which means they can’t apply for post secondary education until later that year or even the next year. Delphister is helping with the babies and Austern works outside. Although, Austern is often seen feeding a baby or carrying one on his hip like the rest of us. Both are very gentle, considerate and hard working young people. They join us in all of the spiritual activities ~ and are often with us at supper time. We enjoy their company.
  •  Carlos Muleya, a 3rd year University of Zambia sponsored student spent this month doing his “attachment” with Kasensa. He is studying demography and economics and wanted some experience with a ngo. His facilitations skills at the meeting with Timmy and Molly’s family at Zimba were excellent.
  • Every Saturday morning we work with about 40 of the Kalomo Secondary students volunteer here at Seven Fountains Farm. The guys work in the garden, gather firewood, fix roads, help with construction, and the gals help me with the inside work and cuddle babies! We end our time with devotion and singing praises! It’s always a great morning!
  • Every 25th of the month we meet at Nalabumba – a village about 30 minutes drive away, to encourage church volunteers in their caring for orphans in their neighbourhoods.
  • Every Tuesday and Thursday we spend an hour and a half teaching English (listening, writing and speaking skills) with about 20 really fun grade 7’s at Siabalumbi school. On Thursdays, we finish our afternoon at Siabalumbi with a community Bible study.

 

I hope this gives you a better picture of the Kasensa work. While it is about providing nurture and support for our 9 babies and their families, it is also about strengthening and supporting the community and government structures where we live and work. It all has to work together.

Thanks for your interest and support for this work! We give thanks for being able to be with God’s people in Zambia and ask for your continued prayers as together we seek to serve!

Sue and Richard