A Time of Growth and Abundance

All around us people are busy harvesting their fields, building the structures that store their maize(corn), and many are bringing their sunflower to the property here to have it pressed into cooking oil. In Zambia, the rains will typically start in October and go through possibly April, but when it starts and stops exactly is different each year. As many of the farmers know in this world, some years are good and some can be very challenging due to the elements and circumstances of the year. If the community here receives little rain, it does present a great challenge for the families as they are so dependent on a good crop. By God's great mercy, they had an abundant rainy season this year.! This year we received close to 1,000 ml of rain which is 40 inches! Yes, some days it made drying or washing clothes difficult, and the roads can get more challenging and new routes around the flood plains have to be taken, but seeing the beautiful green foliage, flowers, cooler temps than normal for this time of year, and colorful sunsets were just a few blessings from it. The machines used for the grinding of maize and the oil press are working hard every day here as the locals come with their maize and their sunflower. Jako's crop looks really good this year. So we are praising the Lord for His provision. The harvest process looks a lot different than what we Iowans are used to seeing but it has been fun for us to watch and learn and the kids have loved helping them when they bring the maize back from the fields.

Here are some pictures we have taken so far of harvest.  

Rainy Season Pictures and Update Continued

 Our last update was in January. Since that time we have been learning a lot as we had to assume some more responsibilities as Jako and Amber left in mid - March to visit with family, friends, and supporters in South Africa. They hadn't been able to travel there in about 1.5 years due to the Covid restrictions/lockdowns. We are happy they are able to have this time away, and it also allowed our family to learn more about how the ministry functions.  It has actually been a neat time for us as we continue to build relationships with the community, the children at the children's home,  and workers that are here daily helping complete the tasks necessary to keep everything running smoothly.

Before Jako and Amber left Nate tried to learn the roads better so that it would make his trips to town a little easier. Thanks to an app called Pocket Earth, he was able to track the road. It is such a cool app that we are thankful we can use as we learn the different ways around here. About 1 time a week or once every two weeks Nate will make a trip to Kalomo or Choma to gather supplies we would need for maintenance, farming, feed for pigs, fuel, or medical emergencies. We are  thankful God has blessed us with the Land Rover to be able to get the supplies necessary for the ministry. This road is very hard on the vehicles but that is why we are beyond grateful God led us to this vehicle. Nate has had a few things to figure out with the Land Rover electronically which is not his favorite, replacing the starter, calipers, and the intake for the turbo. Nate is tested at times with patience and long suffering as he tries to diagnose what the problems are, but each time he takes it apart I know he is learning more and more right?  😉 we are blessed to have Jako 's knowledge base and a mechanic in Livingstone that specializes in Land Rovers to call upon to help and guide us well.

Medical runs: Nate has had two medical runs. On both of these runs Obby has gone with him. God used both of these runs to bring about darkness to light. Obby and Nate were ministering to these families together which was so valuable. Nate is learning more and more about how people here view God and about the practice of witchcraft which can be so intertwined with their culture and way of thinking.

From the beginning, Nate has desired to take time and study the Word with men in the community who are seeking to know more about God. Nate has started a bible study on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6:30 to 8:00 in the morning with the workers who are interested. They are going through a curriculum called- Firm Foundations. It has been neat to see how many of the workers are committed to learning more about Jesus. Before starting the bible study Nate said to me, we have to give this bible study a try as life is too short to not care to know where these men are at in their faith journey. Please be praying for these men that their eyes would be opened to the truth and their need for a Savior. 

Nate also has been teaching Firm Foundations on Sunday mornings while Jako and Amber are away. He has really enjoyed rebuilding his relationship with Obby ( the pastor of the church). He also is the translator during the bible study time. We appreciate the love and devotion he has for the Word of God to be preached in its fullness. As the truth continues to be preached we pray that those attending will receive it and go and share what the  Lord has done in their life. Please continue to pray for Obby and his family as they shepherd the flock God has given .

 At the end of February, we received our barrels that had the last of the things we sent from Iowa/ curriculum that I managed to gather before we left. The Zoophonics spelling curriculum is being implemented each week and the teachers are noticing improvements with the kids. With 5 or 6 months out of school due to Covid, the kids are needing lots of assistance. The teachers have been doing great trying to get their students caught up, but it hasn't been easy. Here is one example a teacher shared with me - The kids were struggling to understand expanded notation, and she was struggling with ways to help them understand. She remembered that we had Base 10 blocks that were purchased for the school, so she decided to give them a try. Within a short time she could see the kids were finally getting it!  The teacher has given me many thanks, so  I want to extend that thank you to you for partnering with us so that we could provide these learning tools for the kids here.  

In Zambia, the children have a Grade 7 exam which they have to pass to continue on in their education. If they fail, they have to repeat 6th grade and then try again the year after that. This year the government issued new policy that states- children need to attend grade 6 at the school that they will complete their Grade 7 exams. At our current school, we only go to grade 6. So, we would technically have 2 options: Close down our Grade 6 program or build a Grade 7 classroom. The parents and the teachers really desired to have our own Grade 7 program. Please be praying the community that often speaks of acceptance of a building program but then does not follow through in actions, will follow through this time. So far, I am happy to report that the parents, teachers, and local leaders are working together and as a result  you can see some trust building.  We have been planning monthly meetings with the parents, head local leaders, and teachers about preparations for this project. At our last meeting, we were able to determine some work days where parents will come and begin clearing the termite mound on April 27th, and on May 5th they will begin making bricks. As the progress and work continues I will try to capture some pictures so that you all can see the progress as well. If the Grade 7 classroom is built we will be looking for a Grade 7 teacher to fulfill that position. Please be praying for someone that will fit in well with the existing teachers and that they desire to be a part of this ministry to the community.

 We are currently staying in the Jouberts' guesthouse, and we have been beyond thankful to them for allowing us to stay in it. And we appreciate all of the many hours they took to make it ready and livable for us, but we knew when we came that this house was just temporary. As the raining season is coming to a close, we really sensed the desire to start building our own house. By having our own we would be able to have a living space that is better suited for the needs of our family. Nate is learning as much as he can about the building process here, and what materials we will need so that when it is time to build we will have all the materials in order.  We will need to hire people  to make the bricks and a builder at some point. We have talked with one builder, but he asked if we would finalize our plan so that he could give us a price. We currently have  hired 2 young men that have chipped rock with a pick axe. They have completed about 12 tons of rock that we will use to mix with the cement. They have also cleared the land where our future home will sit. They have been excellent so far, and we are considering hiring them to make our bricks for us.  The river sand we would need for mixing with the cement  we are hoping to be able to get  within the next month, but because we had a bountiful rainy season it may be longer than we hoped.  In the meantime, Nate is trying to preorder  or make a list of all the other items we will need so that when we can get the sand all other things will be in place. We have already purchased 80 cement bags(110 pounds each), and put a down-payment on our windows. We have so much to learn about this process but we are really looking forward to having a place we can call home.

Since typing much of this we do have a few prayer requests that have come about- our family went to Livingstone a week or 2 almost 3 weeks ago now. On our way home we starting hearing a clicking sound in the engine. Nate has worked off and on these last 2 months on the Land Rover but neglected to check the oil level. We still had a considerable amount of time before the next oil change so it wasn't on the forefront of his brain to check the oil level. As we mentioned above, he was trying to fix or diagnose  a different problems electronically, calipers, and etc. Checking the oil wasn't needed for those tasks. Nate listening to the clicking sound had the thought of it possibly being low on oil so we limped it to Kalomo and bought 7 liters worth of oil. I think we out in like 3 or 4 liters at that time. We were hoping that the clicking sound would go away as sufficient oil was supplying it but the sound did not change. So, we do not really know how much damage has been done to the engine as it was clearly too low on oil. Please be praying as Jako and Nate will begin the process of diagnosing the damage when they return from South Africa. So currently, town trips  are not able to be had at the moment, we are unable to go and see if the river sand is ready, pick up the rock from the rock piles that have been completed, but God has sustained us. Thanks to the willingness of  Obby- coworker, and  pastor I mentioned above has volunteered to make our runs to town for us on a transport truck. It has been so helpful that he knows where to go and what to get as he has been traveling to town with Jako for years. He has been getting all the supplies we need to keep the farm running smoothly as harvest is in full swing, and the tractors are busy going and getting the maize and bringing it back to the property here. We know that we need to submit all of this into God's hands and continue to be thankful for the provisions He has made as we try our best to steward what He has blessed us with. We will try to keep you updated as we continue to learn more about our housing project and the Land Rover. 

Here are a few pictures of the work being done for our future home. The grass picture is what it looked like before our workers cleared it and then it is followed by what it looks like after they cleared it. Just have the piles of brush to remove. 

  

Here are just a few pictures of the kids as they dressed up for Easter Sunday. We enjoyed our time at church. I was able to teach the children's bible lesson that Sunday. Here in Zambia the government set aside the Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday all for Easter. So the children did not have school on Friday and Monday that week. I asked the kids about Easter, but they had no idea what their holiday break was for. I was taken back, but so happy at the opportunity to share as best as the Lord led me to walk them through Creation/ Fall of Man to Jesus coming as a baby, fulfilling God's plan on the cross, and shared about the hope we can have in Jesus because He is Alive! 

Nate in his reading time came across these verses in Micah 7:18-20. 

God's Steadfast Love and Compassion

18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity

    and passing over transgression

    for the remnant of his inheritance?

He does not retain his anger forever,

    because he delights in steadfast love.

19 He will again have compassion on us;

    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.

You will cast all our[f] sins

    into the depths of the sea.

20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob

    and steadfast love to Abraham,

as you have sworn to our fathers

    from the days of old.

The Message States it this way:

18-20 Where is the god who can compare with you—

    wiping the slate clean of guilt,

Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear,

    to the past sins of your purged and precious people?

You don’t nurse your anger and don’t stay angry long,

    for mercy is your specialty. That’s what you love most.

And compassion is on its way to us.

    You’ll stamp out our wrongdoing.

You’ll sink our sins

    to the bottom of the ocean.

You’ll stay true to your word to Father Jacob

    and continue the compassion you showed Grandfather Abraham—

Everything you promised our ancestors

    from a long time ago.

When I read these verses I am reminded of how the Israelites often found themselves in bondage as they turned away from God. In the same way, our sins put us into bondage, on our own we cannot overcome or conquer our sins. It is only by the saving grace of Jesus who was obedient to His Father and took upon himself the sins of the world and died in our place. When the Israelites turned back to God, He was merciful to them and he showed great compassion on His people. When we turn away from our sins and repent, He is quick to forgive us. He doesn't keep a score of wrongs, or retain his anger. What a beautiful picture it is to imagine our sins sinking into the depths of the ocean, He can wipe away the shame, the guilt of our past. He will make us new and by His power we can not be overcome by our past sins. Thank you God for your mercy and grace as we do not deserve it, may we all continue to keep a heart that is submitted fully to God and believe that as we continue to bring ourselves to His feet, He will continue to refine us through His power within us.  

Lily is so happy to finally start Big Girl School! Also Known As : KINDERGARTEN 

We pray that all is well with you and your families. Thank you again for lifting up our family in your prayers. We appreciate it so much. 

Below is a reminder on how you can give towards our ministry. Thank you for partnering with us as we do our best to carry out what the Lord has asked of us. 

If you want to partner with us financially you can write a check to 

Faith Assembly of God. Please write Zambia in the memo line and send it to: 

     5112 Lafayette Rd.

        Elk Run Heights, IA 50707

If you are interested in giving online please follow these steps below: 

• Click on this link below and it will take you to the church website  https://www.faithassemblyerh.com/

• Locate and Click on Tithe to follow the steps and make a donation. 

• Important Note: Be sure to switch from Tithe to Nate Sweerin in the drop down window to designate the funds to us.

Love, 

The Sweerins