Friday, April 29, 2011

The Water... STILL!!!!

We left for the Missionary conference in Brussels in the water (well, the boat). We traveled from boat to car (and had a safari on the road on the way to Botswana), 3 planes, 5 countries and 24 hours later, we arrived in Belgium!   We came home in the water.  BUT, the water is starting to go down!!!  BIG PRAISE!!! 

It is pretty interesting to plan trips when every time you go, you have to have a driver for the boat because we cannot dock the boat at the other end (where the car is).  It would not be safe and we would likely come back and there would be no motor.  The boat runs at 6:30 am and 5:30pm. 
Other runs are more for emergency transport (like hospital runs and food runs on Monday and Thursday).  The reason is that after every 3 trips we need to buy more petrol for the boat.  This becomes quite expensive so being the penny pinching people that we are, we say “no” a lot to the “in-between” runs in the boat. 
  

Even with the water going down, it might be several weeks before we can get out cars back to our village.  The sand will be very wet and we could get stuck quite easily and not get out easily.  Even the dogs are having trouble!  Also, the bridge was sand so it is washed away. 

You can see in the picture that there are bricks there but work will need to be done.  I am sure that we will join with our neighbors to fix up the bridge and the road.  Good relationship building, right?  Good opportunity to witness and share the love of Christ. 

Now that most of us have crossed the bridge in the water, we have been warned:  There is a BIG crocodile so stay clear!!  Well, NO more crossing for us until we can get better footing on ground instead of pushing, rushing water.   
 


In spite of the challenges of the water, God continues to bless us with His grace and Glory.  The sun sets in the boat are even more  beautiful than from the shore.  Thank you Jesus for reminding us that YOU are in charge and YOU are taking care of us and YOU are providing for our every need and YOU ARE!!!!
There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one GOD and Father of ALL, who is over ALL and through ALL and in ALL!  AMEN!!  Ephesians 4:4-6

Saturday, April 16, 2011

The Road is the River


Well, the water has come up around us. We are an island. We are using the boat to come and to go from the village. Trying to get all of the food for 59 children and staff into the village is a tight squeeze and takes 3 boat trips from the car. Well, at least if we do not get back any time soon, we will NOT be hungry!

 OK, check out this new little friend!!!!!



Soccer from COZV

Two great weekends of soccer and hard training brought the COZV teams to great wins and a tough loss.
The girls competed and won a tough and exciting match against a team on the Botswana border.  They went out with nerves and came in with confidence and a win. They sang the entire way home (over an hour trip).                                                                
                                                                                     Maybe the visit from a stranger helped them ???

By the last weekend, two matches were scheduled (one girls and one boys) and the road was flooded.  Soooo, some started out on foot and some went by boat.  We left at 9 in the morning and got home by 8 at night.  It was quite the journey.  Travis and I came back in by foot, in the dark, through the bush, through the water.  Scarey but God kept us safe and we were glad to be home! 
SORRY about how spread out the pictures are.  I cannot get them to move anywhere!








Scarlet, the dog, followed us the whole way out of the village (since we were walking) so we just loaded her on the truck and she became our mascot dog that day :)