SoMacha.com

MICS computer lab opens today in new building!

2009-03-06T16:55:00.003-06:00

We are so excited to report that the MICS computer lab opened for instruction today. The team of computer teachers had fifteen computers up and running for the occasion. With the fifteen computers up and running the classes can come all at one time and even the teachers can have a computer to learn on with their class.

MICS has two new computer teachers this year. Beverly Chisanza and Justin Milolandu completed the computer course offered at LITA last year and thus qualified to be a computer teacher in training at MICS. We are very happy to have them working with the students. LITA is the adult computer school that Jon Backens helped to start and Nic Novelly taught at last year. Both guys are from Virginia(-: Their program really helped MICS as we found it difficult to find teachers that had computer training. We are blessed to have them and thankful for their help as the students have their daily computer lessons.

First Graders go on a field trip!!

2009-03-06T16:54:00.004-06:00

The first graders took a short field trip to visit the NINE kittens born in the MICS house a few weeks ago. Our two mother cats had kittens within 24 hours of each other. They are all one big happy family. They do know which kittens belong to what mother ...... but they share the responsibility and feeding times.
The first graders enjoyed holding and playing with the little kittens. They were afraid at first as the children are not used to house pets. They tend to treat animals in a rough and tuff manor so it is good for the children to learn how to care for a pet and be kind and gentle. They check on them often and look for changes in them.
They told me they are not afraid anymore(-: Yes...... they all want one to take home!

First Valentine Luncheon for MICS teachers

2009-02-17T19:07:00.006-06:00

Valentine's Day was quite the event last Friday at MICS.

The teachers attended their first ever Valentine celebration.

It was also the first party held in the new MICS house.

Everyone enjoyed the games, food, special Valentine's, and fun.

Love and Blessings to all!

MICS SCIENCE classes

2009-02-17T19:07:00.004-06:00

MICS science classes for grades 3,4,and 5 went on a fossil hunt last week.

Mr. Hammes a Flying Mission volunteer who is teaching grade 5 and science for the three classes took the students on an interesting dig.
The students are really enjoying the fun..... and learning much!!

Science is alive and interesting.

Thanks so much Mr. Hammes!!

MICS students have Home Economics Classes

2009-02-17T19:05:00.003-06:00

Another blessing for MICS!!

Amy Hess will be volunteering at MICS for the next month. She is a Home Economics teacher in the US. She came to Macha with her husband while he is doing a rotation as a medical student. She got a leave of absence from her school to so she could teach at MICS while she is here.

Mrs. Hess began the Home Economics classes right away. She is currently teaching the children how to sew on buttons. They will make a bag and we are working on getting crochet hooks flown in so they can learn how to crocket. They will do some beading projects as well during this time.
We are keeping Amy very busy as she is also teaching reading and English to the third graders. She has taken over the weekly library classes which gives me a bit of break. It is fun to have someone else come and share their creative ideas with the children.

We are thankful for her time here. The children are excited and love her and all she does for them.
THANKS AMY!

MICS begins school year with royal visitors

2009-02-17T19:04:00.003-06:00

We are back in Zambia and the 2009 school year for MICS is off to a great start.

On Friday the school had an official visit by the Ambassador of the Netherlands and the Zambian Chief of Chikanta a village close to Macha. The students welcomed them with a very special grogram. They sang songs, recited Bible verses, and presented a traditional Tonga welcome as well as the MICS traditional welcome song and greeting. Our guests visited the classrooms and toured the new MICS house while they were here.

It was an exciting day for all of us. We felt honoured and privileged to have such special guests!

MICS to be on TV in US

2009-02-17T19:02:00.004-06:00

As you may remember last year Orphan's Promise helped MICS complete the MICS Boarding House. While we were in the US we were blessed to spend some time in Virginia. While we were there we met the staff from "Living the Life", the program that sponsors Orphan's promise. We did a short taping at CBN while there and we just saw in the schedule that our segment will air on Feb 3rd.

The program is Living the Life. It is on the family channel and seemed to be just before 700 Club when it is on the Family Channel. You will have to check your area's schedule.

We are excited to have a clip of Macha for all to see and thought maybe you would like to find it in your TV guide. We are hoping to get a copy of the program. It looks like Tim Conway will be on that day too. He was there with us the day we were there for the taping.

School began on Tuesday and all is going well. The MICS house is coming along....we have water in the kitchen....a new tub with water in the bathroom and even an inside toilet that flushes.....ahhhh the good life(-: The electricians are wiring the house and school and a new bigger generator just arrived. So soon we will have power for a few hours a day!!!

Thanks for all your prayers!

Playground is in use

2008-11-06T22:25:00.002-06:00

We are very excited at MICS. The container bringing the PlayMart playground arrived and the "Wonder" is now in place. We tried to document the installation of all of the playground but could capture/send only a few of the stages for you.

Everything is in place with the exception of the layer of river sand that will cover the area (6-8 inches of sand).

The children do not quite know what to make of this beautiful structure in the middle of "the bush". They will get safety/play instructions on Monday 27 Oct. and then the fun begins!!

Fun Cap Day!!

2008-07-23T12:50:00.005-05:00

MICS students enjoyed a fun day when they all wore a fun cap or hat at school. Everyone wore their hats in class....They sat on their desks, instead of on their chairs and we all marched around the classrooms and campus for everyone to see.
The best part of it was that EVERYONE Participated!! It sure if fun to be silly once in a while!

The best part, and what is made it so much fun, was the fact that everyone participated!!!

It sure is fun just to be silly sometimes(-:

MICS teachers start computer lessons

2008-07-10T09:34:00.004-05:00

It was a happy day for the teachers at MICS when they started their computer lessons recently. We suddenly realized that most teachers do not get training in computers during their education to be a teacher. Only one in our current group of ten had any idea of how to turn a computer on.

The MICS students really did know more than the teachers in this case! BUT.... the teachers are catching up quickly as they come for lessons on Thursday afternoons. They are eager and willing learners

Update on the 4X4 MICS Mobile

2008-07-01T18:33:00.004-05:00

We recieved the notice listed below of a very generous donation from Harkins Builders in Maryland..... thanks to our good friends Sue and Pete Penno telling the MICS story. One day the Harkins employees all wore jeans for charity and donated $357.00 towards the 4X4 MICS Mobile.

We are so thankful!

Our fund is growing.......

We also recieved $200. 00 from our wonderful friends Ruth and Lee Ditmer from Canada.

A huge thank you to all of you!!!!!!

The fund is growing....... as we already have $1.300.00

(announcement from Harkins)

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR VERY GENEROUS DONATIONS TODAY.

WE'VE RAISED A RECORD FOR THE MACHA ZAMBIA ORPHAN SCHOOL!!

SPECIAL THANKS TO CRAIG STEPHENS, ROBIN MINNICK, AND RAY SPRADLING.

Gladys Hyman

Benefits Administrator

Harkins Builders, Inc.

2201 Warwick Way

Marriottsville, MD 21104
Again....

Thanks for having such generous hearts and giving to help the children in MACHA!!

Gil, Ronda, the MICS Team and most of all the MICS boys and girls

MICS house gets roofing sheets

2008-07-01T18:32:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update on the progress of the MICS house. Finally after a few months of waiting to see if the same color of roofing sheets could be obtained we found out they truly were permanently out of stock. There is strategy here that is: when you see something and you think you might want it..... get it... as most likely when you go back it will not be there. I guess that is what happened with the roofing sheets. When we went back to get the rest of the roof it was not there (-: SOOOOO we used a color in the same family and in a day the roof was put on the house. We are very excited and happy to see the great progress the men made in such a short time.

As they were putting it on one of the students looked up and commented .... "oh, the old stuff is dirty and the new is clean". So I guess that about sums it up. Most of you know me and my "matchy matchy" (-: but even I am happy with the progress. We are sooo anxious to get the house done!
The doors are almost all on....and we are hoping the ceilings will be going up next week along with the installation of the windows and plumbing. Please pray with us that the men continue to work as we really want to be able to open the boarding house for third term.....third term begins in September so we will have to move and set up by late August. We are really seeing that the orphans that are enrolled in MICS struggle so much to get here each day due to distance and no one is really supervising them where they stay.
Thanks so much for your prayers.

Zaka the Cat

2008-07-01T18:27:00.003-05:00

Zaka the Krause's Cat of the Wooden House

Zaka is a red cat with a fluffy tail. Her name means LION in Tonga. Now if you know us well you might be wondering what the CATalyst would be for us to get a cat??? CATegoricallyy we are not cat lovers. It definitely was a CAT-and-mouse thing! Not long after we got her we thought we might have CATaracts as she surely seemed to be a CATch. So we checked the CATalog and sure enough we found she was the CATsmeow.

From young on she was in a CATegory of her own. She attended school and tried to CATch up with the other students. However, the teacher would have to give out a CATcall now and then as she dearly loved her CATnaps during class.

As you can see from the pictures she CATapulted herself right into a job in the school office as the copy-CAT where she CATered to the needs of the students seatwork papers.

Gil and Zaka are often found in this CATatonic state as they take CATnaps together. Surprisingly it is not even a CATastrophe for Gil when she jumps on the bed.

She loves to chase the CATtle that come to visit our yard and she definately is a CATbird. She can CATch and eat one in 60 seconds.

Now, not to be CATty....but....she found a friend that lives CATtycorner from the wooden house. One day she was out on the CATwalk and you guessed it, there was going to be a need for a CATscradle. This was indeed a CATastrophe for the inexperienced owners. The CATastrophic event occurred in Macha when Zaka CATapulted FIVE little CATs into the wicker CATchall she had CATegorically chosen the week before.

Her CATcall is different now but mother CAT and her five little CATs are all doing fine(-:

MICS is registered!!!

2008-07-01T18:25:00.003-05:00

MICS IS REGISTERED with the Zambian Ministry of Education!!!!

We are so excited!!! After two years of filling out papers, visits from the local, district and national levels we have received our registration certificate as a private school.

We are so thankful for God and what He can do in His timing ...... this is wonderful news and makes the school very credible.

First Contributors for MICS 4x4 Car Fund!!!

2008-07-01T18:24:00.003-05:00

The blessings for MICS just keep flowing in. About two weeks ago we began to think about starting a fund for a dependable school vehicle that could provide transportation and carry supplies for the boarding school when it opens in a few months. The roads around here have proven to be really hard on any and all vehicles soooooo ....... we decided it will have to be one that will hold together and not get stuck on the muddy roads of Zambia....definitely a 4 x 4.

Then........one week later we got our first contribution to the "MICS Mobile"!!!!!!!

A wonderful group of people in St. Rose Illinois participated in a "School Scavenger Hunt" organized by Cheryl Timmermann with her help of her wonderful Jansen Family!!! From all reports fun was had by all!! This by the way is the second annual scavenger hunt Cheryl organized for the people of St Rose. The first year I believe about 30 people participated but this year the total was around 60!!

Can you imagine teams had to find a teacher that taught them during their school days and then bring the teacher to cross the finish line with their team.....Most teams by the way crossed the finish line around midnight!!! This would not be an easy feat for any of us. What a challenge!!

This fabulous St. Rose group is the very first to contribute to the new school vehicle fund for MICS. They contributed $735.00. This even included the prize money from the winning team. After they won the scavenger hunt..... they gave their winnings to the school vehicle fund.

The boys and girls of MICS are saying a BIG THANK YOU to St. Rose and the Jansen Family in the attached picture!!!

Cheryl THANKS to you too!!! What a great idea. Thanks for all your hard work!!

We will keep all of you posted on the progress of the vehicle fund and its growth.

School is out....well for a few weeks at least

2008-04-22T18:37:00.002-05:00

First term 2008 at MICS is over....... and we survived!!! Actually we made great progress!!! School closed yesterday for a three week break.

What a fun last day we had!! Art lessons, a PE dance recital for parents, library class and computers!!! Yes, all on the same day! Who says school is not fun!?!??!?!?

We are so thankful as we look back to January when we arrived from the States. The school was not finished....there was no roof, windows or doors. Things looked hopeless as we had no money to complete the school building/house at that time.
If you remember MICS classes started late and we met in the rooms of our wooden house apartments. After a month or so we made the decision to move into the still unfinished school building. Little by little we are settling in and each day another classroom ceiling or window is finished (-:

Ruth worked hard to get the library up and running before she returned to Canada. Gil spent hours repairing computers and setting them up in the Hammes' flat at the wooden house....... Since they are in the US on furlough it was the perfect spot as it is the only unused room connected to the generator.

Again and again and again... we "Stand in Awe" of what the Lord is doing around us each day. He has showered us with so many blessings it is hard to comprehend.

We are so thankful! We are thankful to all of you that have helped in so many ways...and especially thankful for all of your prayers......please do not stop.

Showers of Blessings for MICS

2008-04-01T10:12:00.002-05:00

When it rains it pours!

Jon called to tell us MICS is going to receive a Playland Jungle Gym from a company in the United States. They are designing it to fit into a 20 foot container and will be shipped by the 1rst of May for the school. When you look at the picture of the school try to imagine a beautiful piece of equipment for the kids to play on!!! We are SO blessed and so thankful for this wonderful FUN thing God is providing for us. Yes it truly is SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS. Thanks Jon and company for organizing all of this!!!

MICS held it's first Open House in the new building this week. The parents were so happy to come and see the new classrooms. The library and computer lab ( in the wooden house) were open for viewing too. We did manage to get the grounds cleaned up a bit so that it did not look like a construction site, as you can see from the picture included.
It was a fun and memorable day for all of us.

Things are going a bit better as we have our car back and a new generator that even runs my hair dryer....you know that is something that is key to life for me(-: SOOOOO that to is a good thing.

Keep us in your prayers as we close the school in two weeks for term break.

"This is the Story of My Friend Named Ruthie"

2008-04-01T10:06:00.003-05:00

This is the Story of My Friend Named Ruthie who came to Macha for three months from Canada.

My ANGEL Friend

This is the story of my friend named Ruthie
She came to Macha to do her duty

So special she is
Doing the work that is HIS

She's and angel in every way
Who takes care of me every day

God sent her to me
So please...let her be

Cooking, sorting, organizing, crying
In-putting, listening, laughing, and coke drinking

One day this lovely Ruthie
Ask me to tell the truthie

Now, you know I would
If surely I could

She needed a job
And I had one...sob sob

Library books of all kinds!!
For the good of kids minds

Five hundred!!!!!..... not more???
We started to explore

Soon her house was really full up!!!
Hardly room for them to sup

For weeks she did not quit
Yet....it never gave her a fit

The quietly one day
I must tell you if I may

Ruthie told it all
Out loud she did call

Almost......FOUR THOUSAND books in all!!!!
How will we ever get them on the wall??????

We love her soooo
From her head to her toe

We thank her too
For what she DO!!!!

The new MICS library
Was done by a fairy

Oh no! an Angel it was
I know that for sure...cuz

God sent her to me
To help me to see

That each step of the way
HE was with me each day

With love to my Angel Friend
And many thanks too!!!

Website problems

2008-03-06T20:31:00.003-06:00

We are having problems with our website hosting. Sorry for the downtime.
Many new updates from the past 3 months have just been added...so you can catch up with the news from MICS and Macha.
We hope to have SoMacha.com up soon, so please check back often!

Feb 27, 2008 - When the Saints Go Marching In!!!!

2008-03-06T20:11:00.003-06:00

As the MICS students marched from the wooden house to the new school building on February 25th they sang "When the Saints Go Marching In". It was sooooooooo special to hear them harmonize and add special echoes as they marched......and ..... see them smiling from ear to ear all the way. The excitement was high!! The work crew stopped what they were doing and watched in amazement.

Our first day in our brand new school!!!

God is Faithful!!!

It was amazing how much the students enjoyed their desks after sitting on the floor for three weeks(-: and ..... even though the building is not finished the "little saints" thought is was beautiful and the best school they could possibly have.

As we unpack materials and supplies that were stored for the new school we are again reminded of the generosity of all of you. The container that was shipped from Arizona held materials and supplies beyond anyone's imagination. Some of you have shipped supplies that seem to arrive at the exact time they are needed. We are so thankful to each one that has helped. We pray the Lord will bless you as He is blessing us.
Celebrate with us as we begin this new chapter of MICS in this beautiful new school building(-:
Please keep praying for us as we still need funds to finish. We know He will provide just as He has each step of the way.

WAHOOOO !!!!!!!!! (as I love to say when some one comes to Macha or something special happens

Feb 24, 2008 - It's bubbling!!!!

2008-03-06T20:10:00.002-06:00

Yes !!!!!! the water is running into our kitchen sink in the house!! This past week we were also able to get water into the toilet house and flush the toilet too!!!! What a relief that was to not have to carry water for toilets, washing and drinking for 50 kids and 4 families!!!! The tap was about a city block from our house.

THANKS IOWA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANKS LEE AND RUTH from CANADA!!!!!!!!

We could not have done it without you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for your prayers. Little by little things are happening.

Feb 24, 2008 - MOVING day AGAIN!!!

2008-03-06T20:08:00.002-06:00

On Thursday we decided to move into the new school .....even though it is not finished. The roof is on and most classrooms have doors that lock. All the windows are in and some have glass in them.

On Friday after school we started to move the supplies and desks and tables and chairs. On Saturday we set up many rooms between carpenters that suddenly began putting the ceilings in and the women that were there waxing the floors. So.... all in all it still looks like a construction sight but if you look closely you will see a real school in there some where.

We are excited to be in the new building and will send a report of our first week.

Please keep praying for the workers to finish and funds to complete the building.

Feb 11, 2008 - MICS had first week in Wooden House in Macha

2008-03-06T20:06:00.005-06:00

MICS had opened it's 2008 school year in the Wooden House in Macha. Another day of rejoicing as the students returned to classes.

They were all in their places with bright shiny faces(-:

God blessed us and showed us favor as we had a week of sun shine so the parents and boys and girls could get used to the new route to school..... a ways away from the Macha Mission Hospital building on very muddy trails. Some biked, some walked, some came in trucks, some in cars. One bicycle had the adult driver and three kids on it....that taxi got its moneys worth.

School began with 36 students present on Monday and by Friday we had 46 with 50 children enrolled for next week.

As the classes started we had no teacher for the reception (Kindergarten) class. A class of 6 or 8 students.....should be a piece of cake...right??? Wrong!!!! It is one of the things I really like to teach...right??? Well, we started with 6 children...4 boys and 2 girls. Thankfully 2 of the boys spoke English! The other 4 spoke NO English and most had seen very few white people. One little boy kept calling Elmo ( a Dutch student) and me "Mazungu" which means white person. We kept telling him our names and his name but he just kept yelling and bossing everyone with a very loud voice in Tonga....by the way the other kids called him the baby, that is how small he is. One little girl just laughed at me ...no matter what I did to correct her she would laugh at me. She was pulling hair and pinching other children and if I would talk to her or stop her she would laugh in my face. She would run away if I put her in time out, even when I just tried to hug her, she would just laugh out very loud...... The first day I finally just took her to another class as the rest of my class was going wild and watching to see what she was getting away with. The second day the same thing happened but we did stay together for about 15 minutes not just 7. By the third day she was with me the entire time!!!!!! and by the end of the week she wanted to hold my hand and sit next to me....and was not calling me Mazungu any more. She did not laugh at me all the time either.....miracles never cease. She and the other little girl in the class started to speak English. Imagine in just one week!!! It was so funny they both started saying "Thank you very much" and so .....randomly on Friday all day they would say or blurt out "Thank you very much" and then again" Thank you very much" They thought they were so special and clever!! Pretty cute...and sure made me smile.
I have hired a teacher to teach this class but she starts on Tuesday. They are Kindergarten age but about at three year old preschool level. I had planned way over their heads and really had to scramble to keep them under control. Joy Mutepfa....I have empathy for you with your three years olds as they came in to the new school year with you! I think they have a 30 second attention span. That is a lot of activities in a morning from 7:45 to 12:30 (-: It has been good for me to get to know these little ones and know their level of instruction. I am sure they will learn English well in the next few weeks and will progress by leaps and bounds this year.

On a sad note, we accepted two girls from the village on a sponsorship from a family from Canada. They attended school for 2 days last week. We heard that on Friday night their hut burned to the ground. No one was hurt.....thankfully. They were all sleeping and a candle set the fire. The thatch roof really burns fast and falls into the room. They all got out but lost everything. Even their new school uniforms and shoes they just received the day before. I am sure they are emotionally stressed as they begin a new school and can not speak English, then lost their little home and place of security and all their possessions especially their new school things, Please pray for them.

The building is still not done. We are still waiting and praying and doing things one day at time while we wait. In talking with parents, the kids had a great week and it seems like they think the wooden house is a great school. SOOOOO we will continue as long as needed.

Please continue to pray for us daily. The teachers and students are holding up well under difficult times. We are anxious to be settled into the new school.

We also have a prayer request. Our car is out of commission because of a leaking seal on the fuel injection pump. The nearest parts are in Lusaka (5 hours away) and we are not certain whether to have a local mechanic take it apart and then go to Lusaka for the spares or have the car trucked the 360 km to a mechanic in Lusaka. Always something to challenge our ingenuity.

Feb 3, 2008 - "God WILL Make a Way"

2008-03-06T20:05:00.003-06:00

Well, after many long delays, the 2008 school year at MICS will finally begin!!!! The rain has delayed delivery of building supplies.....unfinished roof, no doors, and no windows......BUT.... the windows and doors are waiting for the road to dry and should be delivered sooooon(-: So, as you can see from the attached pictures the building that was to house the classrooms is still not usable. However, God has provided the insight to convert some of the rooms in the wooden house for classroom use. As you know, there are to be 5 classes this year (Reception (Kindergarten)and Grades 1, 2, 3, and a 4/5 combination. Soooooo .... our dining/kitchen room and living room will be 2 of the classrooms, as will the 2 corresponding rooms at the Sakala end of the building. The room that was Hammes's kitchen/dining area will be the 5th classroom. The two bathrooms that are outside on our end of the building will become the "Boy's and Girl's Restrooms" because the rains have caused the soil to collapse into the holes dug for the toilets at the new school building.

God got the first truckload of rafter lumber and roofing sheets through the muddy road from Choma one week ago today.... and today and a good portion of the roofing is now in place. The "big truck" went to Choma on Friday to collect the remainder of the roofing sheets, window panes and doors but has yet to return. (Word has it that even the road between Choma and Lusaka is getting worse because of the rains, and of course all supplies come from Lusaka ultimately).

Today is sunny and the teacher from near Lake Kariba was finally able to get here......two bridges and part of the road between Batoka and Lake Kariba have washed out making her travel "very interesting". We are so glad she made it as it was a rough trip for her. We have had at least three teachers come for interviews, accept positions and then go home and decide it is too wet, muddy and rainy to come every day so they have failed to show up for the starting of school.

God is making a way as we begin this week. Early this week we saw no way to begin but now the classrooms are ready in the MICS Wooden House and the children will arrive tomorrow. We are an "innovative school".....innovative is in our name and we are excited to be using an innovative plan to begin the 2008 school year in Macha.
Please continue to pray for us as we walk through this interesting and challenging process.

January 28, 2008 - A Day of Rejoicing!!!

2008-03-06T20:03:00.003-06:00

Another update on the happenings of Macha.

Yesterday the school roofing sheets arrived!!! You may not think that is a very big deal.... but...... for us it was surely "A Day of Rejoicing!!". We had a welcoming celebration for the guys as they brought the truck in after many, many delays and lots of hard work.
When we arrived in Zambia a few weeks ago we found out that we had no roof on the new school building and no money to purchase the roofing sheets. We were finally able to order some sheets last week when some money was being transferred from Holland.....which by the way got lost when it was transferred to the bank in Zambia. This seems to happen quite often when money is transferred????? The bank just says it is lost????? SOOOOOOOOO on with the story......the sheets were ordered and we found out that they were making them in green instead of the requested color, brown. Our first delay(-: They then began to make them but in brown.......but.... the entire country of Zambia was having major electricity problems. Lusaka has been "load sharing" for many months now but last week South Africa stopped selling power to Zambia. At the same time Zambia was having trouble with their Lake Kariba and Victoria Falls power stations so the entire country had no power. This affected the company that was making the roofing sheets and MANY other companies in Zambia .....soooooo..... they closed the plant that was making the sheets as they could not produce anything without power....another delay. FINALLY on Friday we got a message that the roofing sheets were finished....on the truck ........and on their way!!! YAHOO and Hallelujah!!! We also heard that the bank found the money they said was lost...PTL that was a VERY good thing!!!! Everyone was very excited and it gave us hope that maybe the school could start on the 4th of Feb after all!?!?!??! You see, we had delayed the start of the 2008 school year from 23 Jan to 4 Feb. because of the roof situation. About an hour after the truck left Lusaka we received a message that the truck with the roofing sheets on had a flat tire. In the mean time our big truck left Macha and headed for Choma...the closest town on the tar road..... where they were to meet the truck coming from Lusaka. The company that makes the roofing sheets did not want to drive on the dirt road coming into Macha.....very smart people!!!!! don't you think?????(-: The next message we got was that the Macha truck was loaded with the roofing sheets and headed to Macha....again we rejoiced and knew soooooon and very soooon we would see them on the roof at the school!!!!!!!.......only to get another message..... that it was taking them one hour to go five kilometers because of all the mud and rain and water and muck on what they call a road(-: At one point we heard that the road from Choma was closed and it surely seems like a God thing as with a few phone calls..... where some of the words were dropped ....or .....the call was totally dropped we some how got permission to go through and they opened the gate and let our truck through but all the other trucks and vehicles were sent back to Choma. Soooo, again the excitement was high!!!!!!!....they were getting closer!!!!!!....only to hear they were stuck!!!! along with four other trucks. Thankfully we have cell phones in Macha now and a team of about 30 guys were sent out to help. The team worked all through the night to get the truck out. They actually had to totally unload it to get it out. By lunch time on Sunday we had another message that the truck was out of the mud....fully loaded...... and they were moving again!!!!! By this time none of us actually believed that we would ever see the roofing sheets in Macha soon, but we knew that if it did arrive we needed to have a HUGE celebration.!! Finally at about 5:00pm we gathered a large group of people together to welcome the truck and crew into the school site. There was much shouting, cheering, jumping up and down, and thumbs up as the truck pulled in. We had some volunteer visitors from the US here that are "city planners" and they said they never saw a group of people so happy to see a truck arrive(-: I guess in the States we would not have had the OPPORTUNITY to experience all these challenges to make us appreciate it's arrival.
The sun is shining today, the first time in many days, and the men are busy putting the roof on the building. We have hope again that the school may be ready to open one short week from today. We have lots to do to get ready but God knows and His timing is perfect. He is so faithful and His provision is so great.
We thank you for your prayers as we know He does hear them and answers them. He is so faithful and even when the going gets tough or we don't see a way clearing we know He is in control and He will work everything out.......even better than we could imagine or plan. BUT the waiting and working things out is not always easy(-: Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to try to get the school open by next Monday morning. We will continue to keep you posted. Keep in touch with us. We do not have internet at the house but we do try to collect it each day.

Back To Macha!

2008-01-08T11:47:00.000-06:00

The Krause's left Milwaukee this morning for another year in Macha. Please pray for safe travel, on time connections, and no lost luggage!
It has been a whirlwind trip here in the US. We visited many places and saw many people. While in the US we stayed most of the time at Ronda's mothers house (Edith). She was willing to give up much of her living space for all of our suitcases and donated items. It was wonderful to be able to spend so much time with her! Our Daughter Jill came all the way from California to visit us in early December. We went to New Hampton, Iowa to visit some of our friends and faithful supporters of Macha (Thank you!). Our Daughter Kris, her husband Kenny and their two boys James and Kaleb came From Georgia to visit over Christmas. Greg came up from Chicago several times while we were here too. We spent time in Fondulac, Wisconsin visiting friends and additional supporters of Macha (Thank you too!). Christmas was fun and exciting...we packed 22 people in Edith's (Ronda's mom) 2 bedroom condo for the day. Everyone was a great sport about the crowded space and it was great to spend time with our family celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Packing up to return to Macha this year was quite a big project (it always is!) Between all the donated clothing and school supplies we packed our bags to the limit. Can you imagine seeing 2 "retired old folks" (I say that...because that is what we are!) lugging over 425lbs of baggage though the airport?!
This year we will face many new challenges. We will have to assess the situation regarding the November fire when we arrive. The new school building is far from complete and we will need to figure out how to start classes with the current structure. Probably the most difficult challenge (or as Gil likes to call it "adventure") will be living in our new house without running water or electricity. We are hoping that running water will be available sometime soon (thanks to generous contributions from the people of First Baptist Church in New Hampton, Iowa). The electricity is another story. Please pray for the progress of these projects.
The school is growing rapidly. We are encouraged by the positive response from the people in the community. Please pray for us, for the people and children of Macha and that God would continue to guide the progress of MICS.
Thank you!

Pizza Making Party

2007-11-16T15:22:00.000-06:00

The first grade students gathered at our house for a cooking lesson/pizza making party.Mrs Mono made the pizza dough for the students. They then shaped the dough into pizza crusts and added toppings.While the pizzas baked, we watched a video. When they were done...we all enjoyed delicious fresh baked pizzas!

MICS 2nd Annual family Picnic

2007-11-09T21:32:00.000-06:00

Wow! Things sure are happening fast here in Macha!
The school is growing very fast and we are quickly out growing our 2nd temporary space.
We recently hosted the MICS 2nd annual family picnic at our home.We had games, food and plenty of activities for all the family members of the school.
Everyone had a wonderful time celebrating the progress of this new school.It is amazing to see how God has blessed the school. It is a long road, but we are slowly making progress with this huge task.
Thank you to all the MICS parents and students, and thank you to all that have supported and prayed for us this past year!

There Is Joy In Macha!

2007-10-06T10:39:00.000-05:00

Although we do have many things to be joyful about, this is a different kind of joy!
Ronda's sister, Joy, arrived this week for her annual visit to Africa (her 5th visit!) She arrived on a Flying Mission plane safe and sound. The first grade students made the trip out to the airstrip to greet her. While she is here, she will be helping us with the school and our move to our new home at the site of the new school. We are SO excited to have her here!!
We love visitors...so check your schedule and book your flights!

Happy Birthday Skip/Gil/Dad!!

2007-09-11T08:18:00.000-05:00

To celebrate Skip/Gil/Dad's birthday, we went to have picnic on a nearby mountain. We were also there to have a farewell party for Dorien our good friend and valuable helper from Holland.We had a great time...lots of fun. Fun sounds like a funny choice of words, but all of us think it is such a great quiet get away place.....leave the pressures of Macha behind. We all laughed, as when we and everyone else thinks about it, Macha seems like the place where you would come for quiet and peace and to leave the pressures of the world behind. I guess all of us have high pressure jobs(-:???? here. Anyhow we all enjoyed it!On the way home, Doc Phil (no...not the guy from TV!) decided to show us a short cut...during the "short" cut it got dark and we got stuck one time....you would be soooooooo surprised at how many people came out of the bush! Then we got lost a few times and people had to tell us how to get back...Any of you that know Skip/Gil/Dad will know that this type of adventure was the highlight of his birthday celebration!!!!!!

Website Down...Sorry!

2007-09-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

We have had some problems with the website over the past week. Hopefully things are fixed and we will be back up without any more interruptions.
We will be updating very soon...so please check back to see what is happening in Macha!

So Macha Is Happening In Macha!

2007-08-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

With the arrival/unloading of the containers containing the wooden house and the arrival of the men from Holland to assemble the house, we wanted to update you all on the progress.
Everything has gone at lightning speed as you can see from the following pictures...

2 days to go from from a simple slab of concrete to a complete structure with roof!
Now all that remains is the painting of the outside.
Needless to say we are excited!!!!

Week of August 30th preparation of slab for the house "in transit".

August 4 - AM unloading of the house components

August 4 - PM arrival of men from Holland for house assembly

August 4 - PM Inspection of house components after unloading

August 4 - PM Inspection of slab for house

August 5 - AM House assembly begun (floor placed on concrete slab)

August 5 - PM Floor laid and start of assembly of exterior walls

August 6 - AM Raising of "KMB" flag and continued assembly of exterior walls and some interior walls

August 6 - PM Completion of exterior wall assembly and topping roof rafters

August 7 - AM All roofing boards in place and placing of final side of roofing steel

August 7 - AM Interior kitchen work started

The Next Chapter Of "For Such A Time As This"

2007-08-07T12:19:00.000-05:00

About seven weeks ago Gertjan vanStam's father came from Holland to visit Macha. While here he decided to purchase a used prefab wooden house and ship it in cargo containers "For Such A Time As This" because there is such a shortage of housing in Macha and we had to send the head teacher for MICS on an early paid maternity leave because the hospital needed the house the Sakalas were staying in. He returned home with this mission. He purchased the house but first it had to be taken apart. As they took the house apart they found that they had to ship the house in three containers...not one or even two.... Well, the men here began to prepare the foundation and poured the slab in preparation. As things were formulating, two of the men that were taking the house apart in Holland, found out where the house was going and volunteered to come at their own expense "For Such A Time As This" to Macha to help put it together...... They looked at the calendar and the only time they could come was the week of August 5th. Only FIVE weeks from the date of shipping three containers. In all honesty no one thought the containers could or would make it in that short five weeks....at least from the human perspective....but when God is involved in " For Such A Time As This" nothing is impossible. If you remember the container that was shipped from the US in January just arrived last week..... over seven months later plus all the hassles of it being shipped to the wrong port. .... and that was only one container we were needing all THREE containers to arrive in FIVE weeks.

There was much prayer, by many of you, as the containers made their way to Dar es Salaam and then into Zambia and finally to Macha. The Lord definitely brought these three containers in His timing ...and surely it is "For Such a Time As This". The timing was perfect and God is always on time as the containers arrived on Friday evening at 10:00. Saturday morning 37 men unloaded the house parts onto the slab of the schools next site. The slab was just finished this week and had just enough time to cure. The men from Holland arrived in Macha at 4:00 on Saturday by plane just after the containers were all unloaded and placed where they will be used as offices or work shops. Can you believe the men and the house were here and both ready on the exact day????? which,if you remember was the only time they could come....It truly is a "For Such A Time As This" miracle in Macha this year. The house should go up in about a week or two. The house has two three bedroom apartments and two efficiency rooms for singles or visitors.
The house is most definitely here " For Such A Time As This" as we must move out of our current house before we return home to the US in November and we need the Sakala family back in Macha with us at MICS. A wooden house in Zambia is unheard of and everyone is watching to see what it will look like. God truly provided it "For Such A Time As This" and it will fill our needs for housing.

Thanks for all your prayers that the containers would arrive quickly. God is so good and we praise Him and thank Him for His love and faithfulness. He provided just what we needed in Macha "For Such A Time As This" and we give him all the credit as we know He did it!!!!

Unbelieveable! The Container Is Finally Here!

2007-08-07T12:02:00.000-05:00

Well, almost...
On August 1st the container made it to the Flying Missions headquarters in Zambia. It was unloaded thanks to the hard work of many helpers.
There are tons of items (over 14 tons!)to go through. Many of the items are for Flying Mission and their missionaries.
The container will remain where it is and will be used by Flying Mission for storage and work space. The items for Macha have been separated out. We have not scheduled a time for these items to make it to Macha, but we are currently trying to coordinate the delivery.Can you believe it...almost 6 months of packing and prep work followed by over 9 months in transit...and it is finally here!
We are so thankful to Flying Mission, to all that helped with sending items to Arizona, those that helped pack, ship it, and unload it and we also want thank God for watching over it all this time!

Fun Day At MICS

2007-07-31T14:56:00.000-05:00

Macha Innovative Christian School (MICS) had its 2nd annual Fun day!
Students, parents, teachers, and our classroom helpers gathered for a day of games and entertainment.We had clowns, relay races, bingo, marshmallow games, hula hoops, and even a tug-o-war!At the end of the day the children performed for the parents by singing.

Press the large arrow to start the video of the children singing.

Traditional Tonga Party

2007-07-26T11:47:00.001-05:00

Last week, while all our visitors were here, Mrs Esther planned a Traditional Tonga party for all the guests.
The local people that are from the area around Macha are known as the Tonga people (there are many different regions within the country of Zambia)
Mrs Esther served Tonga chicken and nshima (corn based staple in the Tonga diet)We had a bonfire with traditional games and singing.Some of the local women performed for us and danced in the traditional "Tonga style"Kim, Britnee, and Dorien were not afraid to try to learn something new!We had a wonderful time. Lots of eating, laughing and celebrating!

Wesson's Whirl Wind Visit!

2007-07-24T09:54:00.000-05:00

Friends of ours from Modesto, California stopped in to visit us last week. Doug Wesson and his son Aaron were in Africa on a mission trip, they planned their trip so that they could spend a couple days in Macha before meeting up with the rest of their group. We showed them the school, the hospital, local shopping, and the village. Then we took them on a true African adventure. Doug, Aaron, Kim, and Britnee came with us on an extended weekend to visit Chobe national park in Botswana, the Zambezi river, and Victoria Falls (one of the 7 wonders of the world). The trip required traveling by single engine plane, some major four-wheel drive roadways, car ferry, and even a passenger boat. At one point we even saw giraffe while we were driving down the highway! Everything went off without a hitch...we thank the Lord for watching over us!

Midwestern Girls Make It To Macha

2007-07-22T13:26:00.000-05:00

The past 5 weeks we have had 2 Girls living with us and helping around Macha.
Kim is from Wisconsin and is a teaching student concentrating in sports. She has worked with the kids at MICS and at the government school to teach them new games and have fun. She also brought balls and more to donate to the government schools.Britnee is a nursing student from New Hampton, Iowa. She has been working at the Mission Hospital and has spent much time in the maternity department helping deliver babies.It has been a wonderful joy to have these 2 girls stay with us. We are going to be very sad to see them leave!

Picnic and Fishing Party

2007-07-17T12:16:00.000-05:00

The 4th grade boys earned enough points in class to take us fishing at the Macha dam. The boys dug the worms, made the fishing poles and showed us how to fish. We caught about 30 tiny (about 2inch long) Kapenta that the boys ate at home. We also celebrated Christopher's birthday. He is 14 and had never been to school before this year. This was his first birthday party ever! He lives in the village where only bottles of soda are available... he was not sure how to open or handle a can of Sprite! We had a wonderful time enjoying the outdoors and getting to know these boys outside of the classroom setting.

Government Visitors

2007-07-13T07:46:00.000-05:00

We had the privilege of having the Dutch ambassador to Zambia and his wife, visit Macha recently.During his tour of the village they stopped to see the progress of MICS.
The children welcomed them to the school by painting Dutch flags on their cheeks.The ambassador was amazed with the advancements in the village and he was impressed with how far MICS has come in such a short time.

Church In Macha

2007-07-11T14:30:00.000-05:00

We wanted to let you see one of the churches in Macha.This is one of the churches that we regularly attend. It is called the Pentecostal Assembly of God Church.
They just had major renovations with brand new plaster and the floors were redone...they are very proud of the new look. They really did a good job!After the service, everyone goes through a greeting line to say hello to everyone else.If you visit Macha, we will gladly take you to local church service!

Believe It - Or Not!

2007-06-28T09:01:00.000-05:00

We are thrilled to report that "the container" is finally in the country of Zambia! Many of you graciously mailed items to Arizona almost a year ago. Since that time, the container has been traveling around the world, on an adventure of its own. Who knows where it has been all this time!!?? It will take about 2 weeks for it to clear customs. We will keep you posted. We can't wait to see everything that all of you sent! The children of MICS and the people of Macha will definitely be blessed!

Scavenger Hunt Surprise

2007-06-25T07:03:00.001-05:00

We received wonderful news the other day! Cheryl Timmermann (Darla's sister) emailed to tell us about a fundraiser for MICS, that she and her mom (Rita Jansen) had organized. They had a scavenger hunt, with 7 teams (approx 4 people per team) racing around St. Rose, IL and most of Clinton county locating/solving clues and trying to find items - all with an African/safari theme. It sounds like they had a great time. What a wonderful idea!!The winning team, Matt and Lisa Schrage, Don and Pat Hendriks, Cookie and Jim Kuhl and Susie Willis, generously donated the winning prize back to the school in Macha. This brought the total amount raised for the new school to $700!! Cheryl and her husband Brent have offered to take the winning team out on their boat for a day, to reward them for winning and donating their prize back to the school in Macha.
Cheryl and Rita, thank you so much for taking the time to organize this wonderful event! Matt, Lisa, Don, Pat, Susie, Cookie, and Jim thank you so much for generously donating your prize money back to the school in Macha!
We have yet to meet any of you, but we are looking forward to, someday soon! We are so touched by all your effort, time and generosity...thank you very much!

A Spider Bite...For Such A Time As This

2007-06-19T09:59:00.000-05:00

I have had a couple of strange bug bites this year with even stranger reactions. First, I think I was stung by a hornet or wasp. I say I think because it stung me on my leg under my skirt while I was outside on playground duty at school. I didn't see it but there were several stingers in my leg when I checked it. By afternoon when I checked it I had a reaction ....there was a big two by three inch patch of red on my leg below the bite. It looked like a rug burn. The doctors said it was an allergic reaction and that the histamine had settled there. It took about three months to go away..... but it finally did.The good news was that the doctor was right and I did not need my leg amputated! :-)
Then a few weeks ago ...in keeping with my "For Such a Time as This" for 2007....I was bitten by a spider. I was at home and I felt something on the top part of my calf just below the back of my knee. I brushed it off and saw that it was a strange brown spider about the size of a quarter. I stomped it...... and did not give it another thought until that night when it started to burn alittle. I put my hand on it and YIKES it had a sack of fluid hanging from the bite spot.....but I did sleep fine! The next morning at school everyone was watching the sack get larger and the spot get redder. The teachers all decided I should go to see the doctor on the way home from work. My wonderful friend and Dutch daughter Dorien decided to walk me home. She knew that if I was by myself I would not stop at the doctor's house....so we stopped and talked to the doctor's wife. She had great advice, "you need to see a doctor". She then began to explain where we could find the doctor at the hospital. She said that we could find in him in surgery, as he was trying to do surgery on a woman, but they needed two units of type "O" blood or he could not do the surgery and she would die....Dorien and I both said we are type "O". Imagine that!
.... both Dorien and I were type "O". The blood bank at the hospital in Choma and Livingstone were all empty. Hospitals are not allowed to get blood from local donors any more due to all the HIV and Hepatitis....So on with the story......We went to the hospital and found the doctor. We showed him my leg and the lovely sack of fluid......yes.....I needed a strong antibiotic and he wrote a prescription quickly for me. We then said "Oh, by the way we heard you need two units of type "O" blood. We are both type "O"". He rushed us to the lab to have them check out our type and check to be sure we did not have HIV, Syphilis, or Hepatitis. No other questions were asked about medications or anything???? Imagine that?! Our test results came back quickly and we were both type "O" and were negative for all of the above by the way(-: PTL!So then ..... it was just please come in and pull up your sleeve!! Dorien gave first and was very brave as she had never given blood or even had blood taken for tests before....she did get white lips and felt dizzy about half way through.....it got me thinking. WOW!!! What am I doing??? I have not given blood for more than ten years. Having been in Africa you are not allowed to give in the US anymore. Well, my turn then came and I stepped up " bravely"??? Guess What??? Piece of Cake!!! My blood filled the bag in record time and with no reaction!!!! They treated us to cookies and orange Fanta. For a minute there we felt like we were at the blood bank in the U.S.
The question of the day is, sooooooo....."What did you do on your way home from work?"
I loved answering ...." I Saved A Life".
So....you see, I know I got that strange spider bite so I would be at the right place at the right time with the right type of blood... "For Such A Time As This".

St. Rose Church Reaches Out To Macha

2007-05-23T08:51:00.000-05:00

We wanted to say THANK YOU!! to the St Rose Church Catholic Youth Ministry (CYM), located in St Rose, IL.
This past Sunday, the students presented Greg (Gil and Ronda's son) with a check for $100 that will go toward the new school in Macha.
During the Lent season, the CYM held Friday night fish frys. They have generously decided to support the construction of the new school in Macha with the proceeds from their weeks of hard work.
It continually amazes us how the Lord works and how He has gotten so many people from so many different places involved with MICS. We have never been to St Rose, and we have never met any of the people involved in this donation, yet they were generous enough to want to help the children of Macha. A special thank you to Rita Jansen (the mother of Darla, Greg's girlfriend) for telling the people of St Rose Church about Macha and also a special thank you to Pat Henrichs and Lisa Schrage, the leaders of the CYM for their commitment to these young people of St Rose.

2nd Term Begins

2007-05-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

The second term for MICS has begun. On the first day, the 2nd grade students were introduced to their new teacher, Mrs. Hammes. Mrs. Sakala has taken an early maternity leave and will return after the birth of their new baby. Fortunately we have Deb (Mrs. Hammes) here to help and fill in during this time.
We also have a new student in grade 1. Her name is Sevina and she had previously been at a school without books, desks or supplies. She is an orphan and is currently living with her grandparents. MICS goal is to have 30% of the students be orphans. If anyone is interested in assisting with the orphans of Macha by sponsoring a student, please contact us. Thank you to all who have been assisting with all the aspects of the new school. Without you...we would not be able to contiue!

They Made It!

2007-05-18T07:39:00.000-05:00

Our friends from Botswana, Doug and Deb Hammes, finally arrived in Macha after an extended stay in the border city of Livingstone. There were problems dealing with customs and immigration...so they were delayed and their car was impounded. You never know what is going to happen when crossing a border here in Africa. Perhaps the immigration officer just did not have his morning cup of coffee that day or maybe he was just bored and wanted a little excitement. Whatever the reason, they chose to make things very difficult for Doug and Deb.
Initially they had to leave their car and belongings behind. Then they traveled by taxi to Macha (Yes, by taxi! who knew you could get her that way!!).
Finally after 2 weeks of prayer and patience, their car and belongings were released and they are now able to get settled into their new home in Macha.Doug works for Flying Mission and will be the 1st full time FM employee in Macha. Deb will be teaching and helping with the school. It is truly the Lords timing on all of this, as Mid Sakala has just left on maternity leave. Deb will be able to take over while Mid is gone.
After all the difficulties over the past couple of weeks, Doug and Deb finally get to join us for a relaxing dinner at the Macha Vision Cafe.

Sakala Family Takes Leave

2007-05-17T06:06:00.000-05:00

Our good friends and helpers with the school have taken a leave of absence from MICS. We had a staff farewell party for them at our home. Mid Sakala is pregnant and has taken some time to return to her home village of Ndola for the birth of their new child. They will be returning later this fall. Our prayers are with them during this exciting time for their family. Their assistance with the school will definitely be missed during this absence.

Queens Day

2007-05-17T05:59:00.000-05:00

We have had the deWinter family staying in our home. Joel deWinter is an IT expert from Holland working on the internet and computer system here in Macha. During their time here, we helped them celebrate the Dutch holiday "Queens Day". Our friend Dorien (also from Holland) got into the festivities by painting the Dutch flag on her cheeks!

Rocky Road

2007-05-01T09:42:00.000-05:00

We just wanted to show you just how rough the "Road to Macha" really is...The village of Macha is a 2+ hour drive from the closest paved road. This is supposed to be a bridge on the road from Pemba to Macha. Fortunately the water level is low and good thing we have 4 wheel drive! This also explains why we have had to get the car frame re-welded and the gas tank replaced so many times. No matter how careful you are, the car takes a beating...
It is always an adventure!

Tutor Time

2007-04-25T08:23:00.000-05:00

We have accepted a few older students into MICS. There are the 2 main classes of 1st and 2nd year students, and then there is a collection of older students at various levels. Some of these older students have not had much education and have had little to no exposure to activities which we would consider part of everyday life.
During this term break, Ronda has been working with 2 of the older boys. She is not only tutoring them to get them caught up to an appropriate academic level, she is also teaching them many other skills and exposing them to many different day-to-day activites. They have learned about making popcorn, baking cookies, putting together puzzles, coloring and even playing with playdough.The boy in the picture is Mutinta. He is the son of Mrs. Esther (you might remember her name, as she is helping distribute seeds that were sent by our friends from New Hampton, Iowa). Mutinta is 11 or 12 years old (record keeping has not been a priority in Macha). This was his first time playing with playdough. He decided to make a computer, just like we have in the classroom...complete with chair, keyboard, mouse, and even a pair of headphone over the computer monitor. Pretty amazing and detailed for a first time sculptor!

Term Break Travels

2007-04-23T10:12:00.000-05:00

When we decided to make the move to Macha, Zambia, we wanted to make sure that this new school would be truly a Zambian school. One that would be able to continue to operate under the leadership of Zambian people for many many years to come. While living in Botswana, we worked with a Zambian teacher named Mid Sakala. Through one of Gods many miracles, it worked out that Mid and her family were willing to move to Macha and help with the new school. This is allowing us to train a very talented and capable Zambian to run the school and eventually keep it going without outside help.During this term break, we set out to obtain higher levels of government certification for the new school. We currently have the licence to operate the school, and we have the equivalent of county level certification. We were all set to get the next certification level, from the province (similar to state level), but the multiple offices that we visited were unable to coordinate exactly what they wanted and/or needed, so in true "African style" we are still waiting. But we are very optimistic...it is just a mater of LOTS of patience and many many hours (miles) of crosscountry travel and legwork.During our trip, we got to take Mid and her daughter Hope to Victoria Falls, one of the seven wonders of the world. Something that they had not seen before...even though it is in their own country. The water level was high enough to create a constant mist cloud and the beautiful rainbow that you see in the picture. It is easy to see why this is considered one of the seven wonders of Gods beautiful creation!

Jumping For Joy!

2007-04-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

It is time to celebrate the end of the first term for the 2007 school year!We want to thank all of you that have gotten involved and helped with the many aspect of MICS and the village of Macha during this term. Without all your support and prayers, we would not be moving along as we are.
During the break, we have been very busy trying to get the next stage of government certification for the school finalized. We will update you more on that later.The last day the term, we had a special entertainer from Canada. Lee sang some songs and played some games with the children. A great way to wind down the term!

Happy "Belated" Easter!

2007-04-14T15:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter....He is Risen!

We had a great day. Went to the sunrise service at 6 o'clock, that lasted just over and hour. Lots of good singing, a few shared, and Jon (one of our "adopted children" that worked with us back in Botswana) gave a short message. Then they had their first ever sunrise breakfast, I took some cinnamon buns and oatmeal cake. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

We then had a 10:00 regular service and finally....at 2:00 (you see church lasts over 2 hours) we had an Easter brunch at our house for about 30 people. It was fun, as we are all away from home. Even the people who are Zambian are most likely at the mission hospital away from their family.
The trick was to cook the food for these thirty people with no power for the 24 hours before they came. (this happens all the time, but in this case, it was a scheduled outage) It was a little like "Survivor" meets "Amazing Race" for me! Some people did bring things and I used my camp burner. But God was good, the power came on about an hour before everyone arrived. I even got the quiche cooked in time. Dorien and I had an egg decorating contest and had to have different categories for prizes. It was fun to see people get into it. Some chose partners and some wanted to work on their own. We all laughed alot and that is good for us to do here.
It was a wonderful day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus!

Happy Birthday Ronda/Mom!!!

2007-04-07T10:56:00.000-05:00

Today is Ronda's birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
If you get a chance, send her a quick email to wish her a "happy day" and to let her know that you are thinking about her, praying for her, and how much we all love and miss her! It sounds like some friends in Macha have planned an "adventure day" for her, so we will keep you posted about how the day was celebrated.This Picture was taken a couple of years ago in Kenya. We all know how much Ronda loves giraffes, so it is an appropriate picture to celebrate the day!

An Easter Song For All

2007-04-05T15:57:00.000-05:00

We thought you might enjoy watching some of the MICS students singing a song called "There is No One Like Jesus"
As we approach Good Friday and then Easter Sunday, we are reminded that there really is "No One Like Him."
Happy Easter!

Click on the large arrow in the center of the picture
to start the video
Be sure to adjust the volume on your computer
so you can hear them sing!

A Box Full Of Blessings

2007-03-29T14:19:00.000-05:00

This past week we received a box from the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church in Menomonie, Wisconsin. It could not have come at a better time. The contents of the box were amazing and greatly appreciated! The reminder that there are people back home supporting us and remembering us in their prayers was even more important. The past few weeks have been pretty stressful and extremely busy for us. Things in Africa are not the same as they are in the US (by that, I mean that it takes alot more work and patience to accomplish some of the things that we would normally take for granted in the US). It is easy for us to get bogged down with the problems of what isn't happening here and to forget all that is happening here. Everything happens in Gods timing. We just need to keep trusting and allow Him to do what He needs to do. This box of goodies really was a wonderful reminder to us that God is in control and that we have many special people back in the states who are praying for us and supporting us and the MICS project.
We will definitely enjoy all these special treats that we are unable to buy over here!
Thank You Very Much!!!!

Island Getaway

2007-03-27T17:34:00.000-05:00

We had the opportunity to have a weekend getaway. On the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, lake Kariba is formed from the damming of the Zambezi river. Through some contacts that we have made, we found out there is an island with lodging and wild animals.
We spent the weekend with 2 other couples that are currently doing short term work (3 months) in Macha. Lee and Ruth are a couple from Canada, and Lee and Les are from the US.The island did not have that many wild animals, but we didn't mind. We have had many other opportunities to see animals, so we were really looking forward to relaxing with some friends and taking a break from our busy schedules in Macha. We even had the opportunity to take a sailboat for a spin around the lake! What a wonderful weekend!

Seed Update

2007-03-26T21:36:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to give you an update you on the progress with the seeds that were sent by the people of First Baptist Church in New Hampton, Iowa.
Here is a picture of Mrs Esther sorting the seeds. This past week, she visited 26 families that are having maize (corn) crop failure due to the rains coming so late. These families will now have the opportunity to grow an alternate produce crop, which will play a major roll in helping to feed their families. It has truly been a blessing.

Seeds For Macha

2007-03-22T12:01:00.000-05:00

A wonderful package arrived this week!
Our friends from First Baptist Church in New Hampton, Iowa (we lived there 25 years ago) wanted to help out the farmers in Macha. Many of the people in New Hampton are farmers themselves, so they wanted to help in a way that was very personal. They sent a large box of seeds. There are all different types of vegetable seeds. We were not sure which ones would grow best here in Africa, so they sent many different varieties as a test to see which ones would do well.
We have been talking to people here, and the maze ( corn) crop will not be good this upcoming year. Although the most recent harvest is ok, it has become of evident that there will be a shortage of maize with the next (current) growing season. The rains came late, altering the growing season, so most of the people will not have a sufficient harvest. They eat maize 2 times a day, once as porridge and then as nshima (it looks like grits or mashed potatos) for the main meal with a soup of some sort. We have enlisted the help of our friend Mrs. Esther who is a local resident of Macha. She said the seeds will really help, as it will give the people an alternative to maze, to plant and then eat. She and Mrs. Grace will go to the surrounding local villages and pass them out to the poor and non working people. She will show them how to plant them and then go back for check ups to see how they are doing and even help them save the seeds to replant. Mrs. Esther will also go to the churches and ask the pastors for names of people that are not working and need help.
It never ceases to amaze us how God works through such a wide range of people. Who would have thought that people that we haven't seen for more than 20 years would be so generous and helpful toward the people of Macha. We are blessed to have such wonderful faithful friends. Thank you very much!...from us and the people of Macha!

Student Spotlight

2007-03-20T08:53:00.000-05:00

One of the goals of MICS is to have 30% of our students come from the local population of orphans. This semester, we would like to introduce you to a 12 year old boy named Christopher.Christopher's father died about a year ago and his mom abandoned him a long time ago. He currently lives with some relatives. He has never been to school. The mission school and the local government school said that he had missed his chance (he was too old) and they would not take him in at school. Everyone pretty much had written him off.
An American that lives here in Macha collected donations to sponsor a scholarship for him at MICS. We put him in grade one the first few weeks then moved him to grade two. He is now reading one vowels words and is picking things up pretty fast even with limited English and experiences. He has trouble doing some of the work as he does not know what some of the things in the pictures on the work sheets are. We hope to advance him to another level by second term when Deb comes (Deb and Doug Hammes are Flying Mission missionaries from Iowa, we worked with them at Dayspring School in Botswana) and Mid can tutor him more. We are very proud of Christopher and the rapid progress he has been making.
The other day was surely a Kodak moment...Christopher came to school with a pink sweat shirt and a pair of bright orange shorts! New and clean takes priority over color coordination when it comes to clothing here in Macha. Colors are not specific to boys or girls. Often, the brighter, the better. He loved his outfit and thought it was great that he had on nice new clothing to wear to school...and we could not be happier to have him as a student!

MICS and MACS

2007-03-16T12:49:00.000-05:00

Menomonie Alliance Christian School (MACS) has done it again!
We want to thank them so much for their generous support of MICS (Macha Innovative Christian School)! The students held a fund raiser to help with the building of the new school in Macha. The student council also matched the money that was raised. This event brought in more than $200 for MICS, bringing the total amount that they have donated to $550!!
Thank you, to all the students and staff, for your willingness to support this amazing project in Africa. We are continuously blessed by your financial support, your words of encouragement, and your prayers.
We wanted to post a picture of the students from Menomonie, but unfortunately we do not have one. If you have a picture of the students that we could use, please email it to us!
Thank you again!!!!

"Design On A Dime" - Zambian Style

2007-03-13T14:35:00.000-05:00

Well, as many of you may or may not know, the Macha Bed and Breakfast (otherwise known as our home) had to close one of its bedrooms due to a problem caused by pesky bats in the attic. The picture below shows the big gap between the walls and the roof, where they were flying in. Can you believe it...Ronda lived in a home with bats???? This problem was getting progressively worse and worse as time went on.
With the help of Lee and a couple of our brave Macha friends, they went up into the attic and cleared the bats out (believe it or not...there were hundreds of them!). We then sealed up the gaps as much as possible to prevent them from retuning. The bats had caused quite a bit of damage to the ceiling in the bedroom, so we needed to come up with a clever way to fix the problem.
Ruth, Lee's wife, helped us hang some Zambian chetengies (sheets of printed traditional fabric) to help redecorate the room.
You can see that the guys (Gil and Lee) even got involved. All those hours of watching TLC and HGTV decorating shows while in Wisconsin sure helped out! We are happy and thankful to say that the bedroom is in great shape and open for guests!

Standing In A Sea Of Bricks

2007-03-02T12:21:00.000-06:00

Just how many bricks does it take to build a school? Well, I don't have the exact answer for you right off the top of my head...but I can tell you that it sure takes alot!Ronda, along with Greg Smith are surrounded by about 1/2 of the needed bricks. Thank you to all who have so generously contributed toward this project. The rains of rainy season have put the brick making and construction on hold, as the weather is a very important part of the brick making and drying/curing process. We are also trying to raise some additional funds to continue with the building. We hope to resume the brick making and construction in the very near future. Thank you again for all your support and prayers.

The Smiths Go To Macha

2007-02-26T08:47:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks back, we were blessed by a visit from our Wisconsin friends, Greg and Kathy Smith. They were in Zambia on a mission trip. During their travels, they made the time to stop and see us and to see the wonderful things that are happening in Macha.The Smith's generously brought an extra suitcase packed with items that are not available in Macha or Zambia. It was just like Christmas...Thank You!
We are always excited to have visitors! There are so many things to see in this tiny Zambian village. There is always something new happening. If you are interested in stopping by the Macha Bed and Breakfast (otherwise known as our home!), we would love to have you!

Birthday Party and Valentine's Day Party!

2007-02-23T09:08:00.000-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICS!!

Last month, with the start of the new school year, MICS turned one year old. (In Zambia, the school year starts in January.) We decided to have a birthday party to celebrate this wonderful occasion!

Valentines day has become a favorite holiday for the children in Macha. We introduced them to this day last year and they have been waiting anxiously for the day to arrive again. We threw a Valentine's day party for all the students with cookies, treats, and plenty of decorations! The students from last year were very excited to share this new tradition with the new students.

Now just so you don't get the wrong idea...we do have actual class time too...its not all party time!

The Official Move

2007-02-21T05:45:00.000-06:00

The start of the second school year of MICS, means that we have a new class of students. It also means that we have out grown our temporary classroom that we were using last year. We have moved to a new temporary setting in the Macha Vision Community Center Complex. The new set up is large enough to have 2 separate class rooms for teaching both grade levels. This will be the home for MICS until we are able to complete the school campus...which hopefully will be sometime later this year.

Progress On The New Campus

2007-02-07T12:41:00.000-06:00

We wanted to let you see how things are progressing at the new school campus site. The foundations have been poured for the school building and the staff housing. About 1/2 the needed bricks have been made. This process has been slow due to the heavy rains of rainy season. Things are moving along and we are excited with every step forward that is taken. If you would like to get involved in this amazing project, please contact us or take a look at the "buy a brick" program that has been set up at SoMacha.com. To those that have already gotten involved, Thank you for all the support toward the school and the building project. This is a major undertaking that would not be happening without both your prayer support and financial support. Thank You! Thank You!

Ronda, We're Not In Wisconsin Anymore!

2007-02-06T15:29:00.000-06:00

Driving down the highway in southern Africa there are many hazards to avoid. It isn't just the potholes or other drivers that you have to worry about!We have been having problems with both electricity and internet access since our return to Zambia. With the power being out most of the time, we have been cooking on our camping stove and charging the computer batteries in the car with the car charger. One of the internet connection relay boxes was struck by lightning, leaving our home without a connection. Gil has created a make-shift office for checking email that puts him in range of the closest wireless connection. Sometimes you just have to make the best of a situation and follow the "African method". Hopefully we can get all this fixed soon!

MICS Starts Its Second School Year

2007-02-05T12:24:00.000-06:00

The second school year for MICS (Macha Innovative Christian/Community School) began 2 weeks ago. The original class from last year has advanced to "standard 2" and we have started with new class of "standard 1" students. We are still accepting new students and it looks like we will have over 20 students enrolled for this school year!
With the additional new students, we have out grown the temporary classroom that we were using. We have moved to a new temporary setting that is divided to allow teaching of the separate classes. Everything was packed up and moved over the weekend. With the construction of the new school underway, we hope this is the last move we have to make before we get to move into the new building!
We needed plenty of help moving all the furniture and constructing new desk and shelves for the new space. It is finally starting to take shape. We will post pictures soon with everything completely set up.

So-Macha is happening in Macha!

2007-01-30T15:06:00.000-06:00

A quick update from Greg:
Just wanted to let everyone know that my parents (Gil and Ronda) made is safely to Macha last week. It is rainy season right now, so that means that there are many problems with the electricity and internet connection. They have not been able to update the website recently due to these problems.
The new school year has begun, they have moved to a larger classroom to handle all of the new students. The government of Zambia came out to inspect the school and was very impressed. The new school building is starting to progress. They have started construction of staff housing and the classroom structure. Pictures and details will be posted soon, when they get a reliable internet connection.
One additional bit of info is that Macha now has cell phone service! Up until now, there was no phone service at all in the village of Macha. The only way to communicate with Gil and Ronda was to use the internet. I am happy to report, that I spoke with them on their cell phone for about 15 minutes the other day...with crystal clear reception! They are doing well and excited about all the new things that continue to happen in Macha.
Please check back for updates on Gil and Ronda all the new progress!

Krause Departure and Container Update

2007-01-16T13:22:00.000-06:00

We have packed the car in Botswana, and then offloaded and repacked the car to make room for things with higher priority. And then done it again as other priorities appear. Then, to top it off after grocery shopping the rain came and further delayed the final (??) pack prior to leaving for Zambia. We do hope to leave Gaborone sometime on Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.

But our delays have been overshadowed by the great news that the container from Arizona is loaded and has left the port of LA. Best estimate of an ETA is mid-March in Lusaka. Very Special Thank You, to all of you who made this possible. We understand that about 1/3 of the container contents are for Macha. Again, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!

Urgent Prayer Request

2007-01-14T14:13:00.000-06:00

Upon our arrival at Dayspring School in Botswana, we were sad to find out that our good friend Agnes was not feeling well at all. Those of you that have met Agnes know what a hard worker and industrious person she has been, but her illness is making it difficult for her to function normally. We are requesting prayer on her behalf for her to regain strength and vitality. At this point, her brother has been contacted to come and visit her to determine if it is in her best interests to return to her home in Zimbabwe. She does have a house there and her mother and sister are available to assist her.

They Are Off...Again!

2007-01-10T11:40:00.000-06:00

Gil and Ronda left this morning to head back to Africa. They drove from Milwaukee to Chicago, where they caught a flight that will take them on a 30 hour journey with stops in Atlanta, South Africa and on to Botswana. Their first destination will be Dayspring School in Botswana. While there, Ronda will help with teacher training and Gil will work to get the computer lab is shape for the new school year. Next week they will return to Macha, Zambia to begin the second year of MICS.
Thank you all for your prayers, support and encouragement during our time is the US. We are so grateful for your willingness to help and get involved with this new school in Macha.
We will keep you posted on what is happening with us and the school. Internet and power connections in Macha are sometimes unreliable, but we will try to do updates on a regular basis. Please check SoMacha.com often and feel free to email or even call us. We have a Milwaukee, WI phone number that is routed through the internet to Macha, so you don't have to pay international long distance rates. See the "Contact Us" page for details.
We are excited to be heading back to Macha. We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us during this new school year. Please keep us in your prayers.

Visit to Salem UM Church Fond du Lac

2007-01-08T22:47:00.000-06:00

Sunday, Jan.7, we had the privilege of attending and sharing with a Sunday School class at Salem United Methodist Church in Fond du lac, WI. Ronda spoke using our power point presentation about what God is doing in Macha. We were invited by our very good friends, Harry and Bonnie Classen, who had visited Macha for a short time in 2005.
The visit also gave us an opportunity to meet both the parents and grandparents of Kim Brook who is planning to spend some time in Macha this June and July. Kim is hoping to work with the school and help with an after school sports programs in Macha. Kim's grandfather even tasted some of the Mopane worms we had brought from Botswana.
We had a very good visit, with considerable interest in Macha, indicated by the numerous questions regarding what was being done and how they could help.
A big thank you to Bonnie and Harry and all those that attended!

Thank you for all your help in 2006!

2007-01-05T13:49:00.000-06:00

We wanted to say “Thank You!” to everyone that helped support us and the school project over the past year. We also want to thank you for all your prayer support. Without your generosity, none of the amazing things that happened in Macha would have been possible.

We wanted to take a minute to thank a few of you specifically.

Harry and Bonnie Classen
Doug and Debbie Wesson
Fred and Ruth Menz
Gary and Joy Blechacz
Dennis and Donna Carroll
Ron and Rita Jansen
Brent and Cheryl Timmermann
Darla Jansen
Dean and Judy Knoll
Abby Lentz
Phil, Bethany, and Lily Blechacz
Bonnie Keller
Larry and Aggie Wagner
Nathaniel Sabin
Nora Bartlels
Mary Judge
Lee and Ruth Dittmer
Kathy Brown
Dave, Amy and Sammy Arenson
John, Mary and Johnny Stocking
Edith Miller
Bill and Linda Lentz
Barb Stansfield
Cathy Mathwick
Kathy Blechacz
Jessie Channer
Ike and Jean Bell
Mel and Jan Bochman
Ephriam and Joy Mutepfa
Dwayne and Berdetta Byers
Doug and Deb Hammes
Jeff Mashke
Jill and Jim Maxwell
Jill Krause and Scott Stickney
Grace Wairimu
Lydiah Ngiri
Rosemary Akandi
Kent and Judy Wonders
Flying Mission
Bryan and Di Wilson
Greg and Kathy Smith
Yvonne MacDonald
Menomonie Alliance Christian School
First Baptist Church, New Hampton, IA
Neighborhood Church, Modesto, CA
United Methodist Church, Fondulac, WI

Many of you also shipped items to the cargo container. The container is still in transit and will hopefully arrive in Macha by early March. We can’t wait for it to arrive! It will be a true blessing to open all the wonderful things for the school and to share the items with people in the community. If you sent items to the container, we want to thank you as well. When the container arrives, we will have a whole new list of people to thank!

If we forgot anyone on this list, we are truly sorry. So many people have helped in so many different ways, that it is hard to make a comprehensive list. Your support is very much appreciated!

We are less than one week away from heading back to Macha. It has been wonderful spending time with family and friends. Our time here always seems to go by too fast!

This next year looks to be very exciting with the start of construction on the new school campus, the addition of a new class of students and the many other adventures that living in a remote African village brings.

We want to invite you all to come to Macha to see the school, the people and what the Lord is doing.

Thanks again!

A Road Trip Back In Time

2007-01-05T13:35:00.000-06:00

Before Christmas, we (Gil, Ronda, and our daughter Jill) took a week long trip to visit New Hampton, IA and Menomonie, WI. Two cities where we used to live.

In New Hampton we stayed with our good friend Bonnie Keller and her Family. We also got to see her miracle grandson Devon. We loved being able to see old friends like Dean and Judy Knoll and John and Jeannette Kotke. It was a pleasure to meet Rod Ankrom and his family, the new pastor of the First Baptist Church. We were touched to see how the church and people of New Hampton were excited and wanted to be involved in the projects of Macha. We will keep you posted about the progress of the seeds that were sent.

In Menomonie, we spent some time with the Smith family. We are very excited about their upcoming trip to Macha at the end of this month! We also stayed with Fred and Ruth Menz and Gary and Debbie Cowles. Even though we have been gone from Menomonie for almost 20 years, it seemed like it was just yesterday. It was a blessing to be able to spend time with everyone and catch up with friends.

Menomomie Alliance Christian School had a wonderful fundraiser this past year for the school in Macha. It was so much fun to see the kids in person and share with them about the new school, the children of Macha and the amazing things the Lord in doing in Zambia.

Thank you to everyone that opened your homes to us on this little adventure. It was great to see you all! We are grateful for your prayers, support and encouragement.

The Krause Brothers

2006-12-15T23:46:00.000-06:00

While we were in Atlanta, we had the opportunity to take a quick day trip to Florida. Gil's brother, Dick, his wife Brenda, and their daughter Meridith live there. Unfortunately we missed seeing their oldest daughter Erin.
James and Kaleb were able to enjoy their huge yard and great swing set...paradise for 2 boys!
Again, another very short visit, but we were very grateful to be able to spend some time with family. We had a wonderful time catching up and sharing stories!

Travels Within The US

2006-12-13T11:19:00.000-06:00

We have spent the last few weeks traveling and visiting family and friends.
Our first trip was to Atlanta, to visit our Daughter and Son-In-Law, Kris and Kenny, along with our two precious grandsons James and Kaleb. We had a wonderful time with them. Even though if was only for a couple of days, it was great to be able to spend some quality time and catch up with our family.
While we were there we also got to spend some time with Kenny's mom, Grace and her husband Glenn.
Kris and Kenny moved to Atlanta this past year. The boys helped decorate the Christmas tree in their beautiful new home.
Over the next few days, we will be adding updates on all the other places we have visited, so keep checking back!

Brick Are Being Made In Macha!

2006-11-16T12:23:00.000-06:00

Here is a video of the brick making process in Macha. These bricks are the first ones being made with the new brick machine that Flying Mission has loaned to us.
We are so excited about this HUGE step in the road to construcion of the new school!

Please click on the image below to begin the video

We Made It Home!

2006-11-16T09:34:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,
We wanted to let you all know that we made it safely back to the USA this week! Thank you for all your prayers.
We are currently in Milwaukee. It has been an amazing year and we are so excited about all the things that are happening both in Africa and here at home.
While here, we will be traveling around to visit family and friends. Being so far away for so long, makes us really appreciate the time that we can spend here.
We will be in the states until early January. During this time, feel free to call us!

Our cell number is 414.248.2936
This is only for while we are here in the USA

We will be updating the website with some events in Macha as well as our adventures during our stay here in the states...so please check back often!

MICS End-of-year Family Picnic

2006-11-06T13:44:00.000-06:00

The school year is not just about studying. Learning about and getting to know the families that comprise the MICS campus is important also. Sooooo ... we had a picnic for all family members associated with MICS.
Mr.Sakala slaughtered a goat and fixed it on the grill.
All families brought food to share around a large picnic table.

Then there were "GAMES". For adults as well as the children. There was a bubble gum blowing contest to see who could blow the largest bubble (and not get it all over their face). And everyone played "What time is it Mr.Clock?" where the clock people tried to get everyone close enough to catch when they said it was 12 o'clock.

Pizza Party at MICS

2006-10-21T04:24:00.000-05:00

The students at MICS got a chance to learn how pizzas are made by "Chef Moono". They learned the "special technique" of spreading the dough with their fingertips, adding a special sauce, topping it off with cheese, and "baked lightly". They were all addicted to pizza after they ate their very own pan pizza. Another learning experience at MICS!!

Building Blocks for MICS

2006-10-14T09:22:00.000-05:00

The foundation trenches have been dug for one staff house and the host house at the MICS campus. The picture of the host house was taken from the air and the staff house location is just across the road to the top of the host house picture. These trenches are now awaiting the arrival of the blockmaking machine that we were trained to use, during the past two weeks.
The blockmaking machine uses a mixture of soil, cement and water to produce a block that can be assembled without mortar between the blocks. Each block interlocks with those adjacent to it. The machine is manufactured by HydaForm. (www.hydraform.com)

Large quantities of soil are needed, as can be seen from the size of the hand-dug pit. The soil is then screened to remove large lumps and mixed with dry cement before being dampened and poured into the compression chamber of the blockmaking machine.

This machine is being loaned to the school by Flying Mission-Zambia to help with our mission here at Macha.

Another Bush-Village Experience

2006-09-20T06:16:00.000-05:00

Koster, our yardman, needed to inform his extended family of the death of a relative. He was planning to travel by bicycle, a 5 hour trip each way. We offerred to drive him there with our car to save him time and energy. The car trip took an hour and one-quarter to reach his family. In typical African/Tonga culture, a visit like this is not just to infom. Greeting villagers, looking at homes and general visiting takes place. The total adventure (estimated to take about 3 hours) actually expanded to a total of 8 hours including driving thru the bush in the dark on footpaths in order to reach the home of the deceased.
We had a chance to meet Koster's parents and sisters. We met some of the people of the village while they were busy shelling "groundnuts", or as we would call them, "peanuts".

Some of the boys of the village were playing with home-made cars. The children are very creative in making cars and trucks and other playthings. Scrap plastic bottles work well for car bodies. And wheels come in all types - shoe-polish can size and dried mudball size.

When we were ready to leave with Koster, his Mom and three sisters, we had an added passenger, a live tied-up chicken occupied the rear of the car.

Thank You! Thank You!!

2006-09-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

We just wanted to say THANKS to all of you that sent items to Arizona. The cargo container is full, full, full. We have been told that there was an overwhelming response to our request for items (there is no more room, so please do not ship anything additional to AZ). We are extremely grateful to you for your time and generosity. We also want to thank Kent, Bryan, and Flying Mission for allowing us to share some of the valuable space on their cargo container. The cargo container will be shipped to Zambia soon. It will take several months to arrive...We will be anxiously waiting for it, and all the wonderful things that you sent. We can't wait!
Thank you again!

Rural Living in the Macha area

2006-09-12T14:41:00.000-05:00

We had the opportunity to provide the vehicle to transport some bags of maize(corn) from Mrs.Grace's mother's home to Mrs.Grace's home. While at the mother's home, we also saw some of the additional ways in which the rural villagers suppliment their subsistance living; such as making baskets, mats, and furniture for selling.

Getting water is a hard task also. Children fill 20 litre jugs from residual water in the stream.

Mrs.Grace and her family are making bricks to build a brick house, replacing their present reed hut, before the rainy season starts, also.

We had a "Party", wish you were here.

2006-09-12T01:00:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Gil's 70th birthday at the Vision Cafe. There were games and entertainment before the meal.

Happy 70th Birthday Gil/Skip/Dad!

2006-09-09T11:43:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let you all know that Gil is celebrating his 70th birthday. These pictures are from a sandboarding trip in Namibia. While racing down these giant sand dunes, he reached speeds in excess of 60 miles an hour! Whoever says you have to slow down when you get older, doesn't know Gil!
Happy Birthday! We Love You!

MARS Birthdays and Departure

2006-09-03T04:02:00.000-05:00

While at Lake Kariba we had the opportunity to celebrate Joy's entry into MARS with her 50th birthday.

Then a final relaxing time at the Bolthouse's outside of Lusaka, where we also celebrated Ethan's 11th and the return of the "Lava Lamp".
Finally, sisters always have to whisper, even thru glass security doors.

"Croc" For Supper

2006-09-03T03:39:00.000-05:00

While at Lake Kariba, we stayed at a guest house on the lake, that also houses the largest croc raising farm in Africa.(90,000 crocs of all sizes) So, we had to have "croc stirfry" for our supper, instead of being the meal for the crocs.

Batoka Gorge Swing

2006-09-03T03:35:00.000-05:00

We watched several people "enjoy" swinging out over Batoka Gorge, just downstream of Victoria Falls. Edith looked over the wall and down the cliff and decided that she would do it "next time".

MARS "Cruises" Galore

2006-09-03T03:22:00.000-05:00

The MARS team spent several times on the water. We crused up the Chobe River for lots of animal sightings. We crossed the Zambezi River on the ferry between Botswana and Zambia. And we had a sunset cruise to view the islands of Lake Kariba.
African sunsets are beautiful.

"Real" Lion Encounter

2006-09-03T03:14:00.000-05:00

We walked with some lions in Zimbabwe.
They were 18 months old and we touched and hiked with them. AND we lived to tell about it.

MARS at Victoria Falls

2006-09-03T02:53:00.000-05:00

Livingstone's statue had to be captured by at least part of the MARS team.
Edith and Joy did the proper pose to capture the moment. God provided a wheelchair for Edith, so she could see the full extent of VF without getting too tired.
The "Miller Trio" needed to have the beauty of the falls in the background to show we were all "on site".

Sorry For The Down Time!

2006-08-26T14:50:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!
Sorry for the website problems. The server went down while Edith and Joy were visiting Africa. Since the server is located at Edith's house, there was no one home to reboot the system...so we just had to wait until the big trip was over.
We will be updating soon with pictures and stories from MARS (Most Amazing Race Senior edition) as well as other events and updates.
Thanks for visiting our site and all your support!
Please keep coming back!

MICS End of Term 2 FunDay

2006-08-08T10:44:00.000-05:00

Term 2 is officially over and the beginning of the break was celebrated with a "Fun Day". All of the students met at school and proceeded to the "Party Place". Games started with the African version of "Duck, Duck, Goose" ie: "Elephant, Elephant, Lion". There was face painting by our resident "Dutch Clown" and more games. Eating marshmallows from a string tied to the clothes line was aided by a slight breeze. The final game was a water relay race including parents, followed by treats and drinks for all while relaxing.

Traditional Tonga Party for MARS

2006-08-08T10:12:00.000-05:00

Monday 7 Aug. was "Farmer's Day", a national holiday in Zambia. In celebration of the arrival of the two MARS visitors, Mrs. Esther gave a traditional Tonga party at her house, complete with the women dancing, singing groups accompanied by home-made guitars and a Tonga meal served inside a traditional Tonga hut. It was a great way to introduce Ronda's Mom to the community.

Guess who filled the bag?

2006-08-07T13:19:00.000-05:00

Upon arrival of the FM plane bringing Mom and Joy from Lusaka, Ronda was presented with a little white bag of goodies. Then after things settled down and Mom and Joy got out of the plane, Ronda was given a beautiful bunch of roses from Sue Bolthouse.
The one day delay was a blessing in disguise, as Mom and Joy got a chance to get a good night's sleep in Johannesburg and be fully rested when they arrived in Macha. All of their luggage was with them and they were ready to start the Zambian leg of MARS.

How Does Popcorn Pop ??

2006-08-04T10:06:00.000-05:00

This last day of second term had special events for the MICS students. One of the events was to pop popcorn with the cover off the pan and see how the kernels popped into the air. Everyone sat at the edge of a sheet, with their own pile of popcorn, waiting for the oil to get hot and the kernels to start flying in the air. Once the corn started, there was plenty for everyone to eat.