News from Zambia

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 Greetings from Zambia!

There have been many changes and transitions since we updated you all in January. We assume that it is also true for many of you as you are all seeing and feeling the signs of spring and new beginnings. As the farmers in Iowa are busy preparing the ground in preparation for planting the seed I could not help but correlate it to what I have been learning and teaching recently. On Sundays with the children, we have been learning about the Kingdom of God and how do we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. In our study, we have seen the importance of keeping a heart of repentance.  We have to ask ourselves if our hearts are prepared? Do we have a heart that is ready to receive God's Word? We have been studying John the Baptist and how he warned the people to get ready for the coming Messiah.  Repentance is a word/action that we have tried to help the children comprehend as it is so crucial in them recognizing their need for salvation. 

The maize being put in stacks to continue drying.

 Farming News: The rainy season has come to a close here and many of the people are harvesting their maize and sunflower. We received a few late rain showers that helped some of the crops that were planted later. As we spoke in our last update the drought of 2024 was difficult on the people, but thankfully this year many got enough rain to harvest. 

Beautiful rainbows overlooking the orchard. We have been blessed to see many this year. 
The boys having fun.

Rainy season brings joy and relief of the hot weather leading up to rainy season. The barrels capture the rainfall and become a pool for the children. 

The Lord's rain does wonders in the garden. 
                                                                        

I scream, you cream, we all scream for..... sweet corn!

We were finally successful in planting and growing our own little sweetcorn patch. As you can see, we enjoyed it. 





School News: Term One ended the second week in April. The children have a one-month break before they begin classes again on May 12th. Many times, the first week of the holiday break we use to assess the children at the orphanage to see what areas they need help in. Melanie worked alongside Amber and Virgina to create a plan for each child to see how they were doing in the areas of English, Math, Phonics, and Spelling. It was a very busy week, but Melanie enjoyed spending time with the children and helping them in areas they are struggling with. For the 2 to 3 remaining weeks after the tutoring, the children go and spend some amount of time with distant relatives before returning for the start of Term 2. 

Parent's Day at the Preschool

Parents working together with the children to complete puzzles. 

Praise Reports

The food relief program ended in March of 2025. There were around 120 families in our surrounding area that were blessed with a 25kg bag of ground maize and seeds (cowpeas, tomato, and rape/kale) that they can plant in their gardens and eventually eat. Thank you for your support as you helped make it possible for us to give to these families. 

In March, we had visitors from the States that came to help with a few projects. A carport to protect vehicles and implements from the weather, and they also worked on securing the orphanage kitchen roof so that the solar panels could be installed on the roof. We were so blessed by their visit, and we were so thankful they could come. 

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       This last year we had 3 toddlers that were successfully transferred back to their families. This year we had 1 transfer in January, and one more in April.  There were 5 babies that joined us last year due to the losses of their mothers. We currently have 4 babies at the orphanage and 10 school aged children. We are blessed to be able to love and care for them all. They are all growing and changing so much as many have hit growth spurts and are now growing taller by the minute it seems. Our children love their time with their friends, and don't want to waste any opportunities to play when their schooling is finished.  

       Due to the faithful giving of many, we were able to purchase the Landrover we were raising funds for. We have brought it home and we are enjoying it a lot. There are a few improvements and modifications we will have to make it work better for our family, but overall we are extremely happy for this new addition.  We were also able to build a 2-story shed/ upper flat. It is so good for Nate to have a proper place to store his tools and other items in the shed instead of against the house. As funds allow, we will hopefully be able to make the upper part into a small flat where guests can stay. 


e     Prayer Requests

  •        Nate is doing a Bible Study called Firm Foundations in a nearby village. Please keep Nate in prayer as he faithfully brings the Word of God to the people on Tuesday afternoons. We are to be obedient in sharing the Word of God, but we trust that God will move in the hearts of the people and turn them towards Himself. Unfortunately, many people mix traditional ancestral worship with Christianity to appease the spirits. So please be in prayer that these strong bonds can be broken, and the people can be set free from fear.
  •  Pray that the church will respond to the call to rise up and minister to the needs of their own families, to their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and minister to the brokenness in their communities. 
  •    Please prayerfully consider giving towards the Preschool playground and roof as they are in need of some major improvements, as well as some needed maintenance at the Children's Home.
  •     This little ball of energy went home in April with her father and grandmother. We were so happy to see her comfortable with her grandmother, and her transition went very well. She will definitely be missed by us all. Please pray for Mercy as she adjusts to life with her grandmother. 


Natalie has really enjoyed sewing. When the babies under our care get transitioned back to their families Natale will sew them a little gift. Mercy received a little bag and a new skirt. It is fun for me to see her talents grow and how she uses her gift to bless others. 

 

Lastly, will you continue to keep these children in prayer as they each have their own battles that they are facing. We know that we have a God that loves and cares for His children, and we pray that these children will come to know that love and care from their Heavenly Father. The ways of this world, and the battle of the fleshly desires is strong. Please pray for us as we shepherd these children's hearts. 



What do we do in Zambia

 1. Discipleship         2. Community School        3. Community Orphanage

Read our blog: nathanandmelaniesweerin.blogspot.com

To financially partner with us:

Write a check to: Faith Assembly of God. Write (Zambia) in memo line, and send it to:

5112 Lafayette Rd. Elk Run Heights, IA 50707

Online Giving: www.faithassemblyerh.com

Click on Tithe and follow these steps---To designate funds to us, switch from Tithe to Nate Sweerin in the drop-down window.

Contact Information

E-mail: nmsweerin@hotmail.com                       Nate’s WhatsApp: +260-95-591-6920



































































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