Merry Christmas from Zambia

Christmas week was a full week for our family, with lots of fun and joyful relaxation as we celebrated the birth of our sweet Ellie and most importantly the birth of our Savior!  

Here are some pictures of our week!

Ellie turns 4!

Christmas Eve Dinner and celebration with our families and Zambian workers 

Dancing under the lapa

Precious kids!

All "the littles" as we call them

It was our honor to serve dinner to these faithful friends who mean so much to us!
Dailes, Pauline and Patronella

The young wives and children of our new workers

The gentlemen!
Movet, Terran, Luke, Lloyd and Tyson

Watching a few fireworks!

Opening a few gifts

Fun around the table

Early Christmas Morning

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Ellie excited about her presents!

Thomas and Gracyn

Caleb and Maddie

Showing off his Zambia Jersey

New Princess Dress and accessories!

Cool Wig!

Scary Elf??

 What a great day!  And so blessed!  Happy New Year Everyone!

A Large Visitor

Merry Christmas everyone!  We hope your holiday season has been a good one spent with family and friends.  Christmas here isn't the same as Christmas back home in the States, mainly because our family isn't here to celebrate with us.  But we did have a rather enjoyable Christmas day.

I just thought we would share this picture with you as it was an interesting addition to our holiday season.  Some workers here on the farm brought this little (I mean Big) guy over the other afternoon.  This is a monitor lizard.  The Lozi (a tribe located in western Zambia) call it Opani.  It's actually a delicacy in their neck of the woods.

Don't worry.  We didn't hurt this little guy.  Just kept him in the fire pit for a bit so the kids could see him and then let him go.

Mechanic?

Something I never thought I would do: mechanical work on my car. I've never attempted much more than changing a tire or maybe my oil. So, today was a stretch.

About a week or so ago our car started acting up. It seemed as if we might have been the recipients of some dirty fuel. So, today I decided to remove the fuel tank to clean it out. I would normally prefer to send it to a mechanic for such a job, but here in Zambia that would leave us without a car for at least a week. So, I decided to do it myself.

It took half a day, but in the end it was a success. It turns out that the filter on the inside of the tank came off it's mounting allowing the grunge in the tank to pass to the engine.

Never thought being a missionary would require me to become a mechanic too!

Rainy Day

Sometimes serving God overseas is fun and exciting. And others it's difficult and sad. This is one of those days. Our best friends, the Ballentines, begin the long trek home to reunite with their family today. We will miss them dearly, but are so glad for our short time with them.

Kids and Farming?

Two weeks ago, planting season finally arrived.  So, to say it was a busy time would be an understatement.  In addition to some of the demonstration plots we have here at the house, we were also busy assisting the school next door to us and planting a field at our ministry centre in Ngangula.  The kids got involved as well.

We decided that it would be good for them to learn the same program that we are teaching the village farmers.  We are proud at just how hard they have been working.  They literally spent two full days getting their small plot ready and planting the seeds.  And it was awesome seeing the excitement on their faces as they began to see the maize seed begin to sprout through the soil in the last few days.

When the maize is fully grown in a few months, we'll let them harvest it and sell it to a mill just up the road.  Great homeschooling project huh?

Welcoming the Ballentines

We're sorry for the lack of posts lately, but we've been busy spending time with our close friends John and Carrie Ballentine.  They decided to take some time out of their busy schedule and come and visit us here in the bush in Zambia.  And we are sooooo happy to have them here!

John and Carrie are very dear friends who we've known since our days in college.  We've really grown up as families together.  We were married within 6 months of each other and then had all of our children close to the same times.  So, to say that this we've been looking forward to their visit would be an understatement.

Below is a slideshow of the rest of the trip to Livingstone and Botswana.  We hope to add more pictures and stories during their visit.

Link to Slideshow:  https://picasaweb.google.com/mzungubwr/BearAndCarrieLivingstoneTrip?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Asking for a Nation

In many Zambian circles, the Tonga people are considered to be a very simple people, not always respected, never expected to amount to much and definitely a group of people that could never be used to change a nation.  But as my friend and collegue Luke would say, that's a recipe for God to show up and do what He does best: "use the simple to shame the wise."

So, this past week, we met with Chieftainess Mwenda and that was exactly what we were praying for and believing God for.  Our hearts cry is that God would use the Tonga people to change Zambia and that he would use these same people to change Zimbabwe and beyond.  And we're extremely excited, because there is evidence that this is exactly what God wants to do.

Would you join us in asking for a nation?

Let the Little Children Come

Today, as I was busy organizing in my little girls' room, Gracyn came in and sat down saying she needed to talk to me about something.  She told me that she's been feeling like God wants her to teach the kids in the compound behind us to read.  I thought that was great.  However, I immediately started to tell her that she would need to have a plan, some help, a schedule, etc.  - Mom, and her plans.

Gracyn was not deterred and asked me if she could just please go over there, ask one of our friends to interpret for her, and just do one lesson with whatever kids were around.  She had already made handwritten alphabet flash cards and had ideas for games and songs.  Precious.  So, of course I told her to go.  I decided I would just stay out of it and let her do her thing!

I went back there about half an hour later and found her there happily teaching this little group of kids.  She stayed there for over 2 hours and came home glowing about her lesson and telling me all about the kids who were there.  It left me just feeling so thankful.  We're always looking for ways for our kids to be involved when actually God is more than capable of laying things right on their own hearts.  Maybe we're seeing the first glances of the passions that He had placed in Gracyn's heart.

Saturday Field Day

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This weekend marks the beginning of a week of training.  This morning, at 8:00 am at our place we had over 100 visitors.  They came to learn more about Foundations for Farming, and more importantly how to honor God through farming.  We were encouraged by the excitement expressed by everyone there.  We spent about 3 hours walking them through how to lay out a field, mulching, digging and fertilizing the planting stations, planting, thinning and weeding.

Above is a video of the afternoon.  Our prayer is that some of those in attendance will take the principles in this program and start practicing it on their own farms.  To that end, we'll do follow-up as the growing season progresses.  So, the first one is down and we have 4 more through all of next week.  Pray for our sanity as we prepare and teach many people over the next week.

Something New

(If you are receiving this post via email, view the video by Clicking Here)

We've been busy over the last several months.  So, we're trying something new.  Here is a video update of everything happening with the ministry here in Chikankata.  We hope you are all doing well.  If you get a chance, take a look.  It's a little over 3 minutes, but very informative.

Doctor Whitfield

This afternoon little Gift was brought to our gate. He was playing with some other children when he had a small accident. He was cut right above the eye. His parents didn't know what to do, so they walked nearly 3 kilometers to bring him to us.

We are humbled at how much the community here has grown in their trust for us. And this was just a small example of that trust. This evening Gift's parents brought him back to clean and dress the wound again. Hopefully this little guy will get healed up soon!

Bad Hair Day

Note to self or should I say note to Thomas. Never start the process of a hair cut late in the day in Zambia. You just never know how long the power will be on.

We'll fix it this morning, but we were calling him George Jefferson all last night ; )

UK Visitors

The past 10 days we've been hosting some visitors from the UK. Trevor and John (2 on the right) were here constructing a percussion drilling rig for water well digging. And then Norm and Allison joined us the last few days of their visit. These are our friends from Honiton Community Church.

It turned out to be a very pleasant trip. Trev and John finished the rig and we began digging a well for the workers here on the farm. We even have been able to use our hand drilling system that was donated by a Sunday school class at Chapin Baptist. So far we've drilled between 3-4 meters and are hoping to find water at 20+ meters.

It was also nice catching up with Norm and getting to meet Allison. We're already looking forward to their next visit!

Short Term Team Development

One of the things that resonates with both the Whitfields and us is having Short Term Teams visit us here in Zambia to see and be a part of the ministry first hand. With that being said, we've begun development on the facilities for housing these teams. The first project: a shower house.

Here is a picture of Movet working on the soak away for the toilets. We've also just about completed our outdoor dining/meeting area. (pics to be provided in a later post).

If you or your church wants to come and visit, we'll be ready for our first teams this coming May. Contact us at Robertsinzambia@gmail.com to find out more. Cheers!

It's Hot

Kerri took this picture and posted it to her facebook account.  But just in case you missed it and were wondering if it gets hot in Zambia during their summer months, just take a look.  October is turning out to be a scorcher!  I'm soooo looking forward to the November rains!

Drilling Rig

This week we have some friends visiting us from Honiton Community Church in the UK. These two men, Trevor and John raised the support and came up with the plans for constructing a percussion drilling rig that is affordable for villagers and effective at drilling water wells in excess of 100 meters in depth.

So, they've begun the construction. We hope to test the rig here on the farm later in the week and then begin to teach zambians how to fabricate similar rigs. Today, I've been learning all about welding.

On another note, it looks like our Internet situation isn't going to be resolved anytime soon. It appears like our provider is going out of business. If you need to get in touch with us in the meantime, please send emails to krosings@gmail.com. Thank you c

An Autopsy

Firstly, please pray for our Internet situation. Our satellite Internet provider has been experiencing a nationwide outage for the past 4 days. I'm sending this update via phone.

Now, back to the intent of this post. The Whitfield's and our kids were invited to our friends (who is also our vet) home the other day for a very unique homeschooling lesson. They were invited to come and observe the dissection of an ostrich! This baby ostrich was being cared for by a local farmer and had died. So, Noleen had to determine the cause of death.

Not every day you get invited to an ostrich autopsy huh? The kids had a great time and learned a lot. And yes, they did determine the cause of death. It met it's first Georgia Bulldog Fan ; ). Just kidding. It actually ate some particular kind of hay that it couldn't digest and got all clogged up. Sad story for this little guy, but a great learning opportunity for for the kids.

The Holy Spirit is Always Speaking

Christmas (left) and his friend (right)

I wanted to share an encouraging story from our trip on Lake Kariba last week.  On our last day visiting the second fishing village, we had the opportunity to do some teaching.  As one of our friends was teaching about faith in Jesus and people were responding, I caught this guy out of the corner of my eye and felt like the Lord gave me a word for him.  His name was Christmas.  It was the first time that something like this had happened to me.

After finishing with the teaching, we headed to the lake to baptize those interested in professing their faith to their community by this act.  Christmas, was one of the few who were baptized that afternoon.  So, as he came back out of the lake, I grabbed an intrepreter and shared with him what I felt the Lord had laid on my heart.  I felt like God wanted him to know that he was being raised up to be a leader of faith in this small community and that he would be a strong pillar for Jesus.  And he received it with joy.

Now, jump ahead to the evening.  After some more teaching that night, I noticed Luke pointing at Christmas and grabbing an intrepreter to talk with him.  What you have to understand is that Luke didn't come with us to the village earlier in the day.  So, he had no idea that Christmas had made a profession of faith and been baptized.  And he didn't have any clue as to what I had shared with Christmas before this evening meeting.  But when I saw Luke heading his way, I kind of drifted his way to listen in on what he had to say.

What did I hear?  As Luke was listening to the teaching and looking at those in attendance, he felt like God had given him a word for Christmas.  As he shared, I heard the exact same encouragement that I had given Christmas earlier in the day.  He told him that God was raising him up to lead the people in this village.  I know Christmas must have been encouraged to hear this again, but I was encouraged as well.

But then as we got back to the boat and began to share about our experiences in the village, we were even more encouraged.  Because we learned that earlier in the day, before me, one of the other guys Harold, shared the exact same word with Christmas.  Three guys, unknowing of the others comments, sharing the same message to a new believer in the faith!  Isn't the Holy Spirit awesome?

As we talked about this experience, I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, the Holy Spirit is talking a lot more than I think.  And maybe the reason I don't hear Him, isn't because He's not talking, but because I'm not listening.  Lord, let me be a listener!

Flying by the Seat of Her Pants

Must Read!!  Extremely funny story!!

During their visit recently, one of our friends here in Zambia shared a story that I couldn't resist sharing with you.  Now, let me set the scene.

Her and her young daughter were visiting some Zambian friends in Kalingalinga compound in Lusaka. Kalingalinga is like most other compounds.  Housing is in brick buildings with metal sheet roofing.  There is no running water.  Some have electricity and some don't.  And there is no indoor plumbing.  Meaning you use the toilet in a pit latrine (hole in the ground).  It is equal to one of the poorest and dirty environments in all of Africa.

Now, our friend (she'll remain nameless for protection ; )) was getting ready to leave from visiting one of their Zambian friends when her daughter told her that she had to go pee pee and couldn't hold it.  She planned on just opening the door to the car to shield people from seeing her daughter and letting her pee beside the car.  But her friend, being the gracious host that many Zambians are, offered to let her daughter use his family toilet.  So, they headed back to his home and into the back where the pit latrine was located.  As they entered, our friend picked her daughter up and just tried to hold her over the hole and let her do her business.

Immediately, after she started peeing, hundreds of flies began to fly out out of the hole.  Her daughter began freaking out because there were so many.  Then it happened.  As our friend was trying to keep her daughter calm and saying consoling words, she accidently inhaled one of those flies coming from the depths of the pit latrine!!!  That's when she began to freak out.  As she explained it, she was running through a million different ways she could expel the fly and cleanse her tummy.

As she told the story, we were all dying laughing, including her.  I know that everyone doesn't share our same potty humor, but I knew there would be a few who would appreciate this story.  So, here it is, shared with you.  Blessings ; )

Lake Kariba Video

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I just finished putting the final touches on the video from our trip on Lake Kariba.  During this trip, we were able to visit with two different fishing villages and share the gospel through the Jesus Film and through other teaching.

It was such an encouragement to see the Lord work over the course of this trip.  Not only did he reach quite a few Tonga speaking Zambians and change their lives for the better, but he also touched several of the team members in very specific ways.

In each village, we saw key individuals give their lives to Christ, individuals that we believe God will use to change their village and beyond.  It was also neat to see how God used the different giftings of the team members involved in the trip to reach these dear people.

If you get a chance, take a look at the video.  It's only a little over 4 minutes, but gives a very good highlight of our time on Lake Kariba.