In God's strong hands

I have no words of my own, except for thank you for the love and compassion you have poured out on our family. God bless you all.

May God speak to your heart through the following passages:

Romans 8:35-39

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

37 No, in all these things we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through him who loved us.

38 FOR I AM CONVINCED that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, WILL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.

2 Corinthians 4:7-8

7 But we have this TREASURE in jars of clay to show this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

8 We are hard pressed on every side, BUT NOT CRUSHED; perplexed, BUT NOT IN DESPAIR; persecuted, BUT NOT ABANDONED; struck down, BUT NOT DESTROYED.

Ups and Downs

Hi everyone--Just wanted to update you on how Adam's flight training is going. It's been a wet, cold week with very few opportunities to fly. The clouds finally lifted high enough that they could complete a cross-country flight and check another "must master" off the list. Adam came home very encouraged, feeling like things are really starting to "click."

God is making sure that we rely on him for everything. There are only 10 days left and Adam has 9 more flights to get in! Please be praying for clear weather, wisdom for Ron to organize the schedule in a way that will get all the training in before we have to leave, safety, and complete understanding and retention of all the knowledge Adam is getting.

The kids are doing really well. Micah is working hard at Kindergarten and is loving math--we started money this week. Holly is very intrigued by this whole school-thing and so wants to be part of it too. She draws while I work with Micah.

Tomorrow 10-18-09 is my dad's 80th birthday. Have a great day dad, we love you!! We'll enjoy cake and ice cream with you when we get back :)

Thankful for God's great love and mercy for us,

Carrie

No flying today.

At 9am I was on the porch praising God for the beautiful weather He sent for Adam to fly his cross-country lesson. I asked for a safe flight, for God to guide Adam's mind, hands and feet, and to give Ron wisdom. An hour later, when Adam was supposed to be in the air, he calls. Uh oh, I'm thinking the worst. Turns out they didn't go up at all because there were very strong winds at the altitude they needed to fly. A bumpy ride is not conducive to good teaching. They will try again tomorrow. Back to prayer for good weather and all of the above.

Why We're Here

Well, the reason we're down here is to get some additional flight training in the kind of airplane we'll be using in Zambia, the Cessna 206. The airplane we're using here, N120MS is actually owned by a man in Chicago who leaves it here specifically for this purpose - training missionary pilots. My instructor is Ron Royce, a retired Moody Aviation instructor for 40+ years. In fact, the airport here, Elizabethton Municipal Airport (0A9) was the home of Moody Aviation until about 3 years ago when they moved to Spokane, WA.

So far, we've had about 3 lessons. The day usually starts pretty early with going over the lesson plan, doing the preflight inspection, and then going at it. A big emphasis on these early lessons is controlling the airplane in all flight configurations. For example, flying at a constant airpseed, altitude, and heading, while adding or removing flaps. Or, putting the airplane in a 30 degree bank to the right or left, at a constant speed, altitude, and bank, and adding/removing flaps. After the flight is done, comes the post-flight briefing - going over what went well and what didn't. Then we usually spend some time looking at the next days lesson.

This is really an incredible opportunity to get this kind of one-on-one training from an instructor of this expertise. Most pilots who go into missionary aviation get their specialized training from their flight schools, such as MAF, Moody, and JAARS. So this has been good for me to get this specialized training that doesn't necessarily always come from the common, run-of-the-mill pilot program. I can only praise God for his provision in all this!!

Our disciples

Since we got down here, God has really been impressing on our hearts the need to teach our young kids, Micah (5) and Holly (2) as much as we can about the Kingdom of God, specifically, the parables taught by Jesus. So as I was pondering how to do that, God gave me a concrete idea while I was in the shower (where most of my good ideas are born). Micah has been on this pirate kick lately and while I was in the shower he rushed into the bathroom and announced that we need to do a treasure hunt TONIGHT. Ah ha, the little boy wants to seek

for hidden treasure. We can do that. Below are the pics from the occasion.

Sometimes you have to literally get on your face to search for that treasure. Here Micah is looking under the bed.

Sometimes you have to crawl into those dark, lonely places to search for the treasure. Here is Micah under the covers.

Sometimes you have to get search in high places to find that treasure.

Here are our cuties with their treasure map. Micah insisted that a treasure map is essential to any serious treasure hunt. He is right--our treasure map is the Bible.

Sometimes you have to really dig around and push things out of the way to find the treasure. Here is Micah tearing apart the contents of the closet.

He finally found the prize. We wanted the kids to understand that there is a treasure, that it takes work to seek the treasure, there is great satisfaction and reward in the seeking and finding the treasure, and that God promises that we will find the treasure when we seek with all our hearts.

Sharing in the Kingdom of God

One of the ways we have felt God's love for us and experienced His provision for us is through the generosity of our brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers at White Stone. While we dealt with the flooding and packing up of our apartment, we had dear souls help with the following: watch our kids while we worked, sort and pack up our stuff, deliver things to be donated, hold a rummage sale, give us food, let us stay in their home, let us use vehicles to move stuff, store things while we're away, sell our furniture, clean our home, support us finacially, pray with us, listen, talk, cry, and laugh with us.

The month of September has been a whirlwind event in our lives, but it has been a pleasure to watch God work through our little band of believers. Thank you Lord!! We truly have been experiencing Mark 10:28-30 through this time of transition.

Our ride down to Tennesse was really fun. Micah was excited to see mountains for the first time and Holly thankfully slept most of the way. The Graham's cabin where we are staying while in Elizabethton has a stunning view of the mountains. It is quiet and peaceful here, like being on a retreat. People are so friendly here, although I have to really focus on what they're saying--are we all speaking English!? We are so thankful God has brought us here to learn more about Him and His purpose for our lives.

We're still in search of a reliable WiFi to post pictures. I'm doing this post from the pilot computer at the airport. Adam flys with Ron today and it sounds like he will keep a very disciplined schedule while we're here. So much to learn, pray for Adam that he is able to soak every bit of it up.

"Lord have your way with us. Teach us, mold us, change us into your likeness to fulfill your purpose. We love you."

Got Stuff..Need Stuff?

Hi Everyone! Moving day is upon us and we have lots of stuff to get rid of. We've donated 1/3 of everything, are selling 1/3 of everything, and storing 1/3 of our things until we have a better handle on what we need to take to Zambia.

We are having a rummage at Nick and Julie Breach's house Thursday Sept. 17 and Friday Sept. 18. I have lots of baby stuff, little boy toys, and small home furnishings for sale.

We also have some large pieces of living room furniture to sell: Couch, recliner, bookshelves, dresser, night stands with big drawers, coffee table (solid oak), and television. Everything is in really good condition, no stains on the upholstery.

We are also in need of storage space.

If you or anyone you know needs any of the above or have storage to offer, please let us know via phone: 920-206-7633 or westwings@charter.net (until Sept. 30)

Carrie

Macha Innovative Community School

A computer classroom in the middle of rural Zambia?  Why not?  The Macha Innovative Community School is a shining example of what can happen when computers and wireless internet communications are used as a catalyst to transform a depressed community.  The internet brought knowledge and that knowledge showed them things could be better.  

Then the people of the community started to build--a school, community center, restaurant, internet cafe, staff housing, apartments for young people without extended family, and more on the way.  The community is flourishing and the Macha model is now being implemented in several other Zambian communities to see if it will replicate.  The great thing is that it's all led and implemented by the local people, for the local people.  Notice the playground in the bottom picture?  It's the only one that I saw in all of Zambia.  

The Rainbow Kids

Every Wednesday afternoon, the neighborhood kids are invited inside the fences of the airstrip and are treated to a Bible lesson.  This ministry was started a few years ago by Sally Green from the U.K., with a handful of kids.  Now, it's not uncommon to have 80 to 100 show up!  They usually start out with some praise songs she taught them, followed by a Bible story and then some crafts projects or games, then prayer.  These kids have a wonderful time, and it is amazing to watch them interact. 

 Many of them don't understand much english, so there are a few older boys standing by to translate.  On this day, when Carrie and I were 

there, Sally was on a holiday and Christine (a short term helper from Ireland) filled in with some friends from her local church youth group.

This little boy above in the red might be a future pastor.  He was answering questions, confident in who Paul and Silas were and why God protected them.  He was so animated in his gestures and voice!

It is so fascinating to see that kids are kids, all

over the world, and that each one needs to hear

about the sacrifice Christ made on their behalf, 

and the incredible gift available to them wherever they are at.  These kids have nothing. Their job in the family is often to take care of their younger siblings.  Some go to school - which leaves a lot to be desired - but most either can't afford it or don't own a pair of shoes that allows them to attend.  Yet they hear that God loves them, and that there are some adults who pay attention to them, and the Holy Spirit can put a joy in their hearts you can see for miles!

Unfortunately, Sally and her husband Roger have completed their time with Flying Mission Zambia and are on their way back home to the U.K.  They have done amazing work getting FMZ off the ground and their rest is well-deserved.  Hopefully, they will be back in the future for some short-term projects, but until then, their co-workers and these little faces will miss them for a very long time.   Father, grant Roger and Sally a safe journey, and bless them for their lives they've given, and all lives you've touched through them!

Home

Hi everyone--just a quick note that we made it home safe and sound last night.  It was glorious to hold our kids and sleep in our bed.  

Sorry there haven't been more posts this week.  When we took off to visit the remote bases we didn't have a break until we got to London yesterday.  We'll post more soon, hopefully video as well since we have a faster connection here than in Zambia.  

Praise God--we've traveled over 17,000 miles safely, nothing lost or stolen, and no illnesses to report.  God has been so good to us.  

See everyone soon.  Love, Carrie

Short prayer request

Hi everyone--Tomorrow morning (Thursday AM our time) Adam and I will be flying out to several of the mission stations on a vision trip.  The purpose is to gain a clear understanding of the work that FMZ does in Zambia. 

Macha is in the southern Zambia and has been totally transformed by a Dutch couple who are working at a hospital and incorporating IT (computers and internet) into the local culture.  There is also a Christian school in Macha that is all the rage around here. We'll tour the community and then head north to Chitokoloki where we'll spend the night.  We'll see more on Friday then head home.  Adam will probably get to fly the plane some of the way.  

Please pray for:  1)  safe travel into and out of the mission stations 2) Adam and I would absorb and understand the relevant information thrown at us  3) We would start to get a clearer picture of the work FMZ does for rural Zambians 4) God would give Adam and I a clearer picture of what our role will look like and what mission station God may have us at 5) Adam would get to fly the plane. 

We are so thankful to be here and even more thankful that you are reading this and praying for us.  May God's peace surround you as it has surrounded us every mile of this trip. 

Take care, Carrie

God's mighty Victoria Falls

Adam and I just got back from an overnight in Livingstone to see Victoria Falls, one of the wonders of the world.  It is the most beautiful and spectacular natural thing either of us have ever seen.  Below are some pictures, but they can't convey the thunderous roar and tremble of the rocks below as millions of liters of water spill over the edge. 

Joel, FMZ pilot, flew us down to the Falls and circled over several times for us to get a good look from the air.   Once at the Falls, we hiked down a gorge for almost an hour and got to the "boiling pot" where millions of gallons of water swirl around as if boiling in a giant cauldron until it finds it's way down the river.  We hiked back up and got a good look at the falls from a bridge, but as you can see from the pictures, the mist covers most of it up this time of year.  By the end of the dry season the Falls is just a trickle and you can see everything.  Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Holly.  We love you and Micah so much.  Just one more week and we'll be home, kids! 

Encounter with God

Hi everyone.  It's almost midnight here and we are wide-awake.  Pesky jet-lag. 

Adam and I had a great weekend experiencing God's presence in a very intimate and personal way.  We went to "Lusaka Praise" which is on the same order of White Stone's Friday Praise and Worship nights.  For a moment we had to check to see if we were really in Africa.  The worship leader challenged us to step out in faith the same way the Levites had to step into the Jordan river in order for it to part (Joshua 3).  That was huge to both of us, because every step of this journey is a new decision to step out in faith, believing that God will be there to provide, protect, and love us every step of the way.  

This morning we attended a small church plant and again were ministered to in a very personal way.  People worship God with abandon at this church.  Many of them are either full-time Christian workers or Zimbabwe farmers who lost everything to the government and were forced to start over again in Zambia.  The pastor spoke about Isaiah 6 "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us.  And I said 'here am I, send me.'"  The pastor even prayed for us and confirmed some things that we have been asking God about.  

Tomorrow morning we fly down to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls--the largest waterfall in the world.  Later in the week we fly out to Chitokoloki and Macha to see the mission stations.  

Everyday has been spent getting to know the FMZ staff.  They are jewels!  And I can't believe how much we're eating.  The food has been so good. We thought we would lose weight on this trip.  I think I've gained 5 pounds! 

Please pray that we would continue to hear God very clearly in the coming week, and protection from the enemy as he wants nothing more than to steal the joy we have experienced in the last few days.  

More pics coming soon.

Take care, love, Carrie

A Zambian Baby Shower

Baby Anna 

Esther holding Baby Anna 

Yesterday I attended my first Zambian baby shower.  It was held in honor of Gertrude and her new 5-day old baby, Anna.  This family of 6 lives in a 2-room home on the property and Leonard (Anna's father) is the foreman of the Zambian crew working on the hangar project.  

It was quite an honor to be invited into Gertrude's tiny home.  A few Zambian friends of Gertrude sang beautiful praise songs, Sally (FMZ missionary) shared the story of Anna from the bible with the women, and then we prayed for Anna to grow healthy and strong in the Lord.  We shared some cake and juice one of the ladies had brought along.  Gertrude even opened some sodas for us (which is a HUGE treat).  

Then we pumped Gertrude for more details of how the birth went.  I guess women world-wide like to share these stories!  Gertrude was almost turned away at the hospital because she did not bring her placenta bucket and bottle of disinfectant.  Women in Zambia are responsible for their own placentas ?! They took her anyway because her friend Esther (our guesthouse cook) promised to go and find a bucket (it was midnight).  They never offered Gertrude a bed, or even a mattress on the floor.  She walked around until the baby was ready to come and she gave birth by herself on the cold hard floor of the hospital.  Gertrude didn't tell anyone this until we started asking her the question "who got to see the baby first, was it the nurse?" 

As we were talking, Gertrude never once complained for how poorly she was treated.  Her joy in having a perfectly healthy baby trumped the sore situation.  Thank you Lord for taking care of this woman and her baby! 

Not strange... just different

<= This is the current 'hangar'.

<= Here is where we're staying, the Guesthouse.  Still too chilly to use the pool.

<= These are the local kids Sally Green (UK) has been working with.  She's a former Phy Ed. teacher and has done an incredible job reaching out to the community.  Here, she was doing 'warm up' & 'team building' exercises before their football (i.e. soccer) scrimmage.  Chaos at it's most beautiful and entertaining finest!

Good morning! Yesterday Gabrielle showed us the shopping areas around town which allowed us to get a feel for how expensive things are and what type of products are available. It is surprising how similar everything is to back home. There are two "malls" in Lusaka - best described as an "upscale" one and a "regular" one - Manda Hill is the regular one that we visited. It is a strip mall, with many stores and a few restaurants. The anchor stores are Game - the African version of Wal-Mart, and Shoprite - a grocery store. The other smaller stores being cell phone outlets (of course - they seem to be everywhere!), satellite tv, furniture, shoes, clothes, etc...

Almost everything we could think of was available. The price of things just depends on how expensive it is to get it here. Everyone jokes about Wal-Mart being "China-Mart". Believe me, we get the good China items back home!

Tonight, we'll be going to Lusaka Praise, a praise and worship concert put on by a couple of churches - at least I think that's what it is. We'll see. Until next time - Adam & Carrie

We made it to Zambia

We have finally arrived in Zambia and the Lord has surrounded us with goodness. Good people, beautiful surroundings, great weather, and delicious food. We are so thankful to be here!

After 48 hours here 2 things stand out to us the most: the incredible people that make up Flying Mission Zambia, and the immense amount of work there is to do.

FMZ (Flying Mission Zambia) is made up of people who love the Lord by working hard everyday for Him and loving the local people who come in their path. There is such a diverse group of people --mostly European working here. Gabrielle picked us up from the airport and has been showing us around town--she is American. Ernst and Susi take care of us in the guesthouse--they are Swiss and their assistant Esther is Zambian. Roger maintains the buildings and is the jack-of-all-trades and his wife Sally has a full schedule of outreaches to the local kids and adults--they are Brits.

Bryan, the director of FMZ gave us a tour of the property and showed us how quickly God is growing the ministry here. He is literally crying out to God "send more workers!" It will take a lot of money and a lot of hard work to finish the current hangar project and he is totally relying on God for every penny. What God has provided so far in a small amount of time is incredible. Bryan is American and his wife Di is British.

We also met 2 of the pilot/mechanics. Rick is stationed at another base south of here--he is an Aussie. Tonight we had dinner with Joel and Sue--they are Midwesterners, but raised in Africa. Then there are some short-termers, Brits and Germans. Several Zambian families live on the property and FMZ at any given time employs 30 Zambians for special projects.

We have pictures to share but have some kinks to work out before we can put them out on the blog. Hope to have some for you soon.

Take care! Adam and Carrie

Welcome

Good Morning!  Adam and I have bravely entered blog-land.  We hope this site gives you some insight into our daily walk with God as we follow Him to Zambia, Africa.  Our first survey trip to Zambia is coming up quickly--May 12-27.  We will post more info as the time gets closer for us to leave.  Adam just finished up his last mechanic's test last weekend--Praise God--and we're trying to switch gears from test-mode to travel-mode.  

Have a wonderful Easter weekend and enjoy Jesus!

Carrie