Day 17

Beginning today we are on a 7 day countdown to our return home. We have been greatly blessed by God while here in Africa. We have spent the past week at the Walker's home, and will leave on either Sunday or Monday to return to Lusaka. We have spent quite a bit of time at the Nehemiah Boys Ranch teaching the staff and also ministering to the street boys that are now living there. It is amazing the transformation that you see in the boys that are now working as staff members at the ranch that were once street boys themselves. What a difference the love of Christ and a hand of grace can make in someone's life. Yesterday Erin and I walked through another compound and had lunch at one of the houses. We had sheema and a relish of vegetables and groundnuts (peanuts). It looked like a mixture of soupy spinach mixed with nuts. We also had some fried fish, and they were even nice even to cut the heads off for us. Most of the time they leave the heads on and enjoy the meat off the head and really enjoy eating the eyeballs. Like I said, we were glad they removed them:) Later that evening I spent a couple of hours with one of the Pastor's on staff whose name is Enoch. I was so privileged to teach him how to develop a sermon calendar, how to preach in sermon series and even how to put together a expository sermon with notes for people to fill in the blanks. He was so appreciative, as he has never received training whatsoever for preaching or pastoring. It is such a reminder of how blessed we are in America to have the opportunities we have.

Today I spent the morning in town and then most of the afternoon at the Ranch where they have a weekly ministry to children that are still living on the streets. They bus the boys in and while they are at the ranch they have a Bible Study, eat and give them a place to wash their clothes (the only clothes they have are what is hanging off their backs) and place to shower. They also give them an opportunity to just have fun playing football (soccer) or basketball. It was fun watching them try to figure out how to play basketball. It looked more like a game of Rugby than basketball. Tomorrow we return to the orphanage where we will bring the gifts that we brought from the US. We are looking forward to blessing these children that have so little. Peggy Eggleston donated a bunch of toys to take to the children, and we also picked up some supplies for them. They have so little, so any gifts they get are so very much appreciated.

Thank you again for all your prayers and we look forward to seeing our friends and family again soon.

Love,

Pastor Wayne and Erin