just a general update on things...



Beka Mech From One Mission Society sharing in Chapel

 30 March 2011

So much has happened lately, that we just don’t have the time to sit down and write about it. First of all, we had Beka Mech from OMS headquarters come and visit and spend time with our field. She spent the day at CAM and shared in chapel.

New CAM student transport?  



A new addition to the CAM vehicles is a work truck to help haul all the workers and supplies that are needed for the building site. I thought of another way it could be used. One of the greatest concerns of the parents for new school is transportation to the new school site. I had a great idea. How about the new truck? I had all the students stand in the back to try it out for size. Do you think the parents will go for the new CAM transport?

CAM students competing at the Swim Meet

The elementary students were involved in an Inter-school Swim meet. We had 12 students participate and it was good to see them compete against children from other schools in the area.





Larry & Susan leading worship at SNF



One of our ministries is the Sunday Night Fellowship. We help lead worship and set up about once a month. Other missionary families are involved too. This is a fellowship that is for those people who want to attend a service in English. There are missionaries as well as other Christian ex-pats who attend. The attendance hasn’t been that consistent and it seems as though only the missionaries who are busy anyway, are taking the time to keep it going. After a meeting with the group, it was decided to continue on until the holiday time in June and July and determine then if it will continue.  Here we are leading the worship.

Our first night at Boa Nova

17 March 2011

Enjoying lunch in the guest house


We had another work day at the new school campus, but this time it was over Friday afternoon and Saturday. We had seven students that helped out and we actually had a “sleep over” at the new property. The four boys, Larry and I stayed in the guest house and the two girls stayed with Aimee, our team member. We ate our meals together as a group and accomplished lots of work. We were painting again. The primer coat is on the “quad” rooms and now we have to choose colors for the final coat. 

Caris painting more of himself than the walls?



The little guest house is a part of a duplex and has been used for housing various guests and visiting teams. We have been fixing it up little by little, making it a really cute place for guests. It has three bedrooms (beds for seven singles), one bathroom, a small kitchen and a dining/living area. The kitchen has been remodeled and the bathroom and kitchen have been tiled. It looks very cozy. 



Canan painting the High School area

In the next few months it will be in use with teams from the U.K. and the U.S. The work crew has started work on the other duplex. We need additional housing on the campus for missionaries in the near future. We hope to move on the compound as well to be closer to the school.

The tedious job of painting trusses

We have been praying for the “Topographical Drawings” for the property for the last few weeks. Without these, we cannot apply for a permit for any new buildings. Praise the Lord, Melvin was able to get them yesterday. The next step is to finalize the plans we have and to apply for a building permit. We have already been building, but everything is inside existing buildings. We need to build a bathroom block and for this we need a building permit. Pray that this next step will go smoothly and we will get the necessary permit.

 

Pouring the footers for the classroom walls inside the old auditorium

 











CAM Secondary Field Trip Feb 24-26, 2011

2 March 2011

Thursday, the 24th was here before we knew it and we were packing our “soft-sided bag, as small as possible” to take on the secondary school trip. There is not that much room inside the bus and the luggage either has to be inside the bus or packed into the back of Larry’s vehicle. We got everything in and we were on the road by 6 a.m.

This trip was totally different from the elementary trip. The secondary kids went to Eagle Adventures in South Africa. It is a camp that challenges the kids with all kinds of physical activities. It is run by an amazing Christian couple, Roelf (Trompie) and Susan, who physically challenge the kids and spiritually nurture them as well. They have a beautiful mansion-type house that can house 60 people that is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery.

The kids were divided into three teams and completed for points by physical games, archery, javelin, ninja-type weapon throws, canoeing, zip lining, repelling and lots of hiking. They also had to come up with a cheer and team song as well as an advertisement and Bible skit.

All in all, we had an amazing time and delicious food in a beautiful place that was so fresh and cool.

Trompie and Susan have such a great ministry with students and adults as they challenge them to go beyond what they think they can do. Trompie speaks deep words of Truth and the kids listen. We are so blessed when we leave.

We did have an interesting event on our way there. We were just a few miles from the border when we came upon a terrible accident that had just occurred probably a minute or so before we got there. A car was completely crushed on one side and there were people still inside the smoking car. Don, our bus driver hopped out of the bus with the fire extinguisher in hand and Larry soon followed. They were able to pull out two survivors and get them to a safe place on the side of the road. The other two in the car did not make it.

I stayed in the bus with the students and we said a prayer for the people involved and thanked the Lord that we had not been at the site earlier. God is good.

We are glad to be back and have an incredibly busy week ahead of us. I believe we will be busy now until the end of the school year. We appreciate your prayers and emails of encouragement.

in Him,

Susan and Larry