Foorprints Harvest

Wow life is busy here. Every day I am seeing at least 5 patients. There is no medicine at the local clinic so I am transporting people to the next clinic about 10-15 kms away. We have found another 3 people with HIV, most of the other patients have malaria. One man had very severe symptoms. The people are bringing the difficult illnesses as well like huge lumps in the groin and infected scalps. Oh, and last night we took a woman in labour to deliver her baby.

Kitwe Hospital

On Saturday I discovered the Eye Clinic from Chingola was coming so I rounded up 3 patients and they were successfully treated. They even took one man all the way to the Kitwe Hospital to have cataracts removed all for free. This is a wonderful initiative by the people for the people.

Many people have been coming to welcome me back. Some bring food, like ground nuts, potatoes and pumpkins as gifts which is lovely. I bought a new gas stove and it is wonderful to be able to make a cuppa in a few minutes and my hands are not black from charcoal all the time. (Thank you Simon for your encouragement to do this)

Pastor Laston invited me to preach on Sunday but he only came on Friday evening after I’d driven to the school to pick up the girls and then all day Saturday I was at the clinic but God is good and He inspired me with what to say and gave me the words. I gave my first ever altar call and 15-20 people came forward. It was blissfully exciting like a milestone and it was also very exhausting. Many of the people came with Pastor and I to pray for a sick man at his home and we sung him a chorus about Jesus. Pastor Laston and I are keen to call the pastors together to form united teams to visit the sick and the widows. We plan to do this next month.

Then it was off to football in the afternoon. I had bought my team uniforms this week and they were proud to show them off. They played well but they lost 3-1. It’s wonderful how the whole community turns out to see them play which makes it a very social occasion.

The difficulties I was experiencing with Rabi have completely disappeared and I am so grateful for answered prayer that he would come back to God. It makes life here so much easier and we are able to work together a bit. Also another man, Langston, who left the church about two years ago, came back this Sunday. I am so happy.

Lots of people are coming to ask for ‘piece’ work or odd jobs to earn some money so our place is looking good with lots of people cutting grass, making a fence, gardening and the women cleaned the driveway and fixed the base of the houses. The fence reminds me about boundaries which are an issue here. People have time on their hands so they gossip, some of it malicious all of it hurtful.

Another bright piece of news is that the women are back at sewing classes. They are making some place mats with crochet edges and embroidery. They look very nice.

So my entry back into Mupitanshi has been delightfully easy and very satisfying. I am even enjoying sweeping the dirt!!! All the students are doing well this term and are now on holiday for a while month.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I am reading my chronological bible, which the whole of Goodlife my home church, are doing, and this makes me feel very connected. I love serving God here and enjoy being able to make a difference for a few but I can’t do it alone so thank you for supporting and encouraging me. May God richly

bless you.
Durelle