Update from Jako and Amber - Zambia 2007

Jako and Amber made it back in South Africa. Thank the Lord that the Landy made it back home and everyone and all the vehicles made it back home without additional problem. We really appreciate being able to use Johan's vehicle for the outreach! Below is an update from Jako and Amber describing in detail the blessing of our mission trip. The big part that Jako left out was how much of a blessing it is for each of us to be allowed to join this journey with them for the Kingdom of God. I have already heard of 3 or 4 new people that have said that want to go to Zambia in 2008. Please pray and see where God is leading you. If you have been waiting for someone to ask you - consider yourself asked. Also seek God's will first in prayer, he will let you know if you are called. I became involved by supporting a friend 3 years ago and it has expanded my walk with Christ. I now feel like I am walking with Christ as a friend rather than following Christ. I pray that you can share in this immense joy.

YBIC, Alex (by God's grace I was able to post this while on vacation)

--- Jako's update ----

We were five people leaving from South Africa and although we had hoped to leave at 4am the morning of the 18th, it seemed that no matter how hard we worked we just couldn’t get going. We were very thankful to have Tunize, as well as Nick and Sheila coming to help us drive. It was definitely a God appointment because 1 ½ weeks out we were still without any help and then they appeared : ) We were eager to get to know them more and Amber was especially happy to have two other women accompanying and helping her host the 12 other men. Packing difficulties and lack of prep time really caught up to us and we were only able to pull out of the driveway around 11:30 but our delays didn’t end there. After a half hour we pulled into our first filling station and discovered some wiring problems on one of the three vehicles which took another hour and lots of patience to fix. Battling frustration but keeping in good spirits, God helped keep our hearts at peace that we were working on His time and not ours. When we reached the border we prayed for God’s mercy in helping us to get our 50 bags of cement through without difficulty. After 3 hours of “friendly” paperwork we were through and rejoiced in God’s faithfulness and goodness to us. We slept just inside Botswana and spent the next day and night there as well, as our traveling with all that weight was slow going. With us being behind schedule we were starting to get concerned that we might not be at the airport when the team arrives but once again God proved faithful with paperwork and we arrived to meet the team from First Baptist Church, Woodbridge Va, just in time. It was a joyous time of reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones. The 5 hour drive to Mukamba gave us plenty of time for getting acquainted.

Even though it was dark upon arrival and we still had to set up camp (including the tents we had to sleep in) the team got to work with great spirits and set things up in record time. Saturday they wasted no time and got straight to work measuring out and digging the footers for the first orphanage home. After the first full day in Mukamba it was evident to see that these guys came out to work and work they did – 110% every day and it showed. Sunday it was nice to be able to sleep in, we all went to a church service at Mukamba church, where Pastor Sergey, a native Russian pastor who was part of our team, had the opportunity to preach. To see a sermon translated from Russian to English then to Tonga was something quite incredible and we all had a blessed time worshiping together as brothers and sisters from all over the world. Just within our team of 17 (including Pastor Petrus and Roster who stayed with us the entire time) we had people from South Africa, America, Russian, Zambia, and the United Kingdom. What a truly humbling and awesome experience. That night we showed the Jesus Film on the soccer field. It was cold but God is good for more people got to hear His word. We pray that those that braved the cold got more out of it than just entertainment.

Monday we were up early to start with the days work. We drove to the river an hour away, where I normally get the sand we need to build with. However, when we got there it was evident that the river had flooded and took all the sand that was there with it. There was nothing that we could salvage. Some of the guys that was with me said that it could be God that wants to show us another river where there is more than enough sand to build with but knowing how hard we had to look for sand before, I was starting to get worried and figured they were saying that just to be nice. We drove back the hour to the camp discouraged. At camp, I spoke to Ronald to hear if he might possibly know where there was sand and he said that he had seen some when he went to the chief not too long ago. We drove and about two hours later we found a river in the opposite side of where I normally go to get sand and praise the Lord Jesus there were so much sand that we can not finish it. Even though it was much further than we previously had to go, now the team could start on pouring the footing. The sand was great for that but it was too ruff for the mortar we needed for laying bricks. The second time that we went to get sand, we took a short cut. While we were driving, off to the side of the road (if you can call it a road) a man stopped us and told me that there was sand here closer than where we were going and he showed us. God is so good and faithful, especially in prompting me to stop because I originally thought he was just flagging us down for a lift. The sand was white of color and perfect to lay bricks with so we started to load that when we had enough of the ruff sand. It was wonderful having manpower, two free vehicles, and two free trailers for each time we went we were able to bring back twice as much in half the time which really freed the rest of the team to keep on with the building instead of having to wait for the next load of sand. I especially enjoyed having other men around to help shovel the sand into the trailers because that is never an easy job.

Tuesday I went to Kalomo to go and buy building goods and found the last 10 bags of cement and once again God answered our prayers. I also got the telephone sorted out and when I got back to the camp I put it on and not even a half an hour later First Baptist phoned us. Our very first phone call in the bush! That was so amazing for us to get a phone call and that even out in the middle of no where we could speak to them. Praise God and God alone for giving us this way to communicate to the outside world. The team also helped us set up our permanent tent which was exciting as well. Our fist permanent home there! Tuesday night we showed the Jesus film at Fanwell’s house (our security guard) since he had to look after the camp on Sunday night when we showed it at the soccer field and to our surprise what was suppose to be just a private viewing for his family, ended up being a gathering of more than 30 people. God is good!
Everyone worked very hard the entire 9 days, working 6 days in a row and their effort paid off. Not only did they complete the footings and lower foundation of the entire first orphanage house and lay up to 3 bricks high on some parts– they were also able to lay the foundation for a new store room, put up and ground our permanent tent, make a brick bread oven for Amber and help trim and remove trees around the permanent tent . We are so excited about all that but especially the foundation for the first orphanage house. Things are really happening!.

Just to give an idea of how hard the team worked here are some statistics that we worked out.. All in all the team did - We did 12 sand runs – shoveled in and shoveled out 20 tons of sand and drove 212 miles(339.2km) to get it all. - pumped over 2184 gallons of water (8400 liters) for mixing cement, mortar etc- - loaded bricks and unloaded bricks over 1025 - laid 1025 bricks - spent 232 man hours on digging footings - 176 man hours on mixing concrete and pouring the footings - mixed 24 tons of concrete And that was just on the orphanage house – I get tired just writing about it! That was just some of the things done and when and when we totaled the hours and the work accomplished we realized that it would have taken Amber and me more than 8 months to do.

Apart from all the physical work that was being done there was also a lot of work being done within the community? Apart from building relationships with some of the local men that came to help, some of the team members spend three days at the local school teaching and playing with the kids. They loved the Bible stories and songs. Friday night we were asked to show the Visual Bible Book of Acts on the soccer field and despite the cold, there was a good turn out and the people brought coals and small fires to keep them warm. Even though the film was in English – the people seemed to enjoy it and we pray that it bore some good fruit. Saturday we had the privilege of showing the Jesus Film at the governors house. He is a very important official under the chief so when we were asked to show it we couldn’t refuse. Even though we were all exhausted that night, a full car full of us toughed through and were so glad we did. The response there was really good and they have asked us to return again so more people can see it.

Midway through the week, the Land Rover’s back diff broke and bent the one side shaft. Luckily we were near the camp when it happened but it still took three of us an entire day and half to work on it and see what we could do. For those that don’t know vehicles, anything having to do with the back diff is not an easy job. Not only did we have to take apart the whole back diff and take out the side shafts (no easy job because it was bent so bad – it took a lot of prayers and a few crowbars at one time to pop it loose) – we also had to clean all the millions of metal shavings from it. We had hoped to find a new shaft but when all attempts at that failed we decided to use the bent one. We had to take out the front diff to exchange some parts (which included stripping the whole front suspension), then put it all back together again once again cleaning everything of the metal shavings. Even though we had now lost our 4 x 4 ability and we had to drive very carefully for fear the shaft would break completely, at least it was running and we asked God to bring us back to South Africa with out any problems and once again God did. Thank you Abba Father.

Sunday, we enjoyed worshiping with the Mukamba church once again and this time Richard, the American team leader had the privilege of preaching. We were just as blessed with the worship as the first time, if not more. After church we were able to show the team the cattle and goat farm so they could see the fruit of their labors last year (they were the ones that built the goat pen). This time there were 26 goats enjoying it.
It was a wonderful way to end our last day in Mukamba. Early Monday morning we left to spend a few days relaxing, recuperating and enjoying God’s beauty in Livingstone and Chobe, Botswana.

Prayer Requests: Pray for our transition over to Zambia. Pray for cement in Zambia that we would get more with out any problems. Pray for the building that I would find a local man skilled and willing to build with me. Pray for the project that God will lead us in everything that we are doing. Pray for we are planning to leave for Zambia on the 15th of August to go up there for about a month that we can get a lot done please.

Enjoy the pictures of one of the days at the school, finishing out the footers of the foundation and how far the team got with the bricks being up to 3 high at places (there’s a lot more brick and work underground that it looks!) For more pics you can visit First Baptists Zambia Outreach website/blog at <http://www.missionzambia.blogspot.com/> www.missionzambia.blogspot.com

Thanks for all your prayers and support. With love and thankfulness to God for making all this possible, Jako and Amber Joubert Mission of Love Community Orphanage