From The Field

January 2012

2012-01-28T01:53:00.001-08:00

From The Kitchen Table

~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~

“Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust...” Psalm 40:4

January 2012

Greetings from all the Schaefer’s! We pray you had a Christ filled Christmas and wish you every blessing for the year ahead.

And so we find ourselves in a new year, wondering how last year went so fast and amazed at how the Lord got us through it!

We are so blessed to be in a place where each day we are forced to rely on Him. Many people can go through a day without having to trust in the Lord, or know that He really is in control. But each day, we come face to face with his provision and His love for us as He provides for our needs!

Family Visit

It was great to have some of my family visit over Christmas! My mom, my sister Emily and my brother-in-law Richard and kids came for a couple weeks. It was so great to have them on our own turf and for them to see how we live up here. Our kids loved having their cousins all to themselves!

Sebastian

Sebastian arrived the day after my family flew out of Lusaka. After such an amazing experience of having Jack for 2 months we did not know what to expect with Sebastian. Having someone in your home for six months can potentially be a good or a bad thing! We were praying for another good experience like with Jack. Well, Sebastian is wonderful too! We have been blessed again with another young man who is such a blessing to us. He is so relaxed and really loves kids. He spends so much time playing games and doing fun stuff with them. His first day here he slid down the huge ant hill outside our kitchen with them. They were pouring water down it and literally sliding down having a blast. All I can say is that we are so blessed to have him here. The Lord knew what we needed.

Prayer Needed

Our son Joel, who is now 14, is in desperate need of braces on his teeth. We are praying that we will be able to get them fitted this year around Easter time as Grant heads down to SA. He is not a vain boy, and does not care at all about his looks but on the practical side his teeth jut out rather a bit like bugs bunny and hinder his eating with a closed mouth! We have been told that it is going to be a very costly job, and so without medical insurance that would cover it, we are asking for you to pray with us that the Lord would provide this need.

Another need is tyres. After the last bad tyre experience with Grant actually trying to “sew” up a tyre, we still sit with a tyre problem. We bought 2 second hand tyres, one of which has been rather useless too. So again we trust the Lord to provide on this matter.

Praise and Provision

We praise the Lord for providing Joel’s school books for next year. I was able to borrow everything we needed from a friend. I hid them “safely” in our school room cupboard for a month. When I got them out, I found that termites had got into the cupboard somehow and had completely devoured 9 of the books! I was horrified! I am so thankful to a friend in the USA who has reordered and sent me new ones. School can continue...

Thank you to you all, for your prayers and for your encouragement and your support!

God bless,

Lynne Schaefer and family

PO Box 420032

Mbala

ZAMBIA

FROM THE KITCHEN TABLE AUGUST 2011

2011-10-03T03:02:00.001-07:00

From The Kitchen Table

~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~

July/August 2011

“Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.” Psalm 112:1

Jack Straw!

We have been blessed to have Jack Straw come and stay with us. He’ll be here for 2 months and has already been such a blessing to our family! He is a seriously laid back, fun young man. He has been such a big help to me and great company for our son Joel. He helps me with the kids schooling and basically is willing to do anything you give him to do! And it is wonderful having another person with a drivers licence! You can follow his blog of his stay here at: http://jackgoestozambia.blogspot.com/

Mwenda Conference

Grant was asked to be the main speaker at the annual Mwenda conference of the church we attend here in Mbala. It’s held in the bush, where everyone just kind of camps out. Each year at the conference, believers are baptised in the nearby river. Our son Joel, Jack, and Stevie got baptised by Grant that Sunday. It was a memorable experience for all.

Stevie

Stevie is a remarkable young man. We first met him about 8 years ago. He was troubled by demons and it literally physically stunted his growth. His Grandmother had been heavily involved in witchcraft and when she died the demons went into Stevie. Jonas, our evangelist, is related to him and lived next door to us at our old farm. He took Stevie to his house and kept him there, praying for him. Eventually, Stevie was set free from his demons and Christ has done an amazing work in his life. He is still small for his age, but he is a delivered, free man in Christ! He was baptised along with Joel and Jack! Steve has been a part of our lives for all those years now, and it was very emotional seeing him baptised.

Six kids

At the moment we have 6 kids. Our friends who are also missionaries here in Zambia had to take a trip down to South Africa. Their youngest, who is home-schooled, has stayed behind with us for a month. So we have a full house at the moment with Joshua and Jack here too. He is doing the same curriculum as our daughter Charley and has slotted in with her for school.

Visitors

We often have visitors passing through our home either for a meal or to spend a night or two. The past few weeks have been a busy “visitors” time. It is always enjoyable meeting and chatting with various folks. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our “peace corps” friends who often stayed with us and have now gone back to the USA. Kate and Meera had become very special friends to us and our children.

Clean Bath Water

We are very blessed to have been able to purchase a new hot water cylinder!!!!! Grant’s toe nails were actually turning orange from the water that came out of the farm cylinder (it was clogged with dirt and we were unsuccessful in getting it open to clean it out. After tirelessly trying to fix our old one we brought with from the other farm, it finally burst its seams for good. With water pouring out and spewing everywhere. The only solution for a while was to boil water on the stove. But, we thank the Lord that Grant was able to get a new one when he made his last trip to Lusaka to fetch Jack!

The Spotted Pig

One of our pigs gave birth to the cutest little “orange” spotted piglet! We have never before had a piglet that colour born in our pig sty. He is terribly cute and strange all at the same time!

Praise the Lord for:

· For Grant’s teachings at the Mwenda conference and all those who God saved and were delivered from demons

· Jack!

· For a new hot water cylinder

· For supplying our needs to feed all those who stay in our home

· That Grant’s entry permit was approved

· For Stevie and his amazing testimony

Please pray for:

· For the conference Grant will be teaching at next weekend

· The 4 seminars Grant will be holding and teaching at on the collage land next month

· For the children and my entry permits which we now need to apply for now that they have approved Grant’s

Thank you and God bless you all!

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke

PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

May 2011

2011-06-07T20:24:00.001-07:00

From The Kitchen Table

~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer~

May 2011

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.” Psalm 62:5

It’s a Madhouse Sometimes...

Sometimes and sometimes can mean “quite often” in our case, things go on in our house that would freak other people out.

Our missionary friend Steve, who also has a vast knowledge in vet nary skills, neutered our 2 male cats on our kitchen table. Of course, I could not watch, having the kitchen as a surgery was a bit strange, but he did the job and did it well. Out here, it’s is great to have such handy people close by.

This past month we slaughtered an ox of ours which has supplied us with meat for quite a while. It is a hard thing to do, but it has to be done in order to feed our family and the numerous visitors that we get. We now have biltong (beef jerky) hanging in the pantry to dry too. One year Joel even had some drying above his bed – under his mosquito net!

We often have chickens waltzing into the house, and even a calf or two have been seen clip clopping down our passage. A friend was standing talking to me one day and asked, “Um, is there supposed to be a calf walking down your passage?” The dogs who are supposed to be outside are not as obedient as the kids and are often found in the house in totally forbidden places! We have a cat that is constantly opening the fridge, and a sheep who wears a red studded dog collar around her neck.

Sometimes, things happen and I think to myself, “Thank goodness there was no one around to see that”. It is not impossible to exit the kitchen door, skid on chicken poop, fall and sprain an ankle! Of course there is no GP to pop down to get it checked out at, the hospital is a very, very last resort, so its bandage it up and pray that it heals – FAST!

Of course, the worst always seems to happen when Grant is away, and many times I am left scratching my head wondering what to do or how to solve it without him.

But, God supplies our needs, often in very strange ways. He looks after us and provides for us way beyond our expectations. He gives us joy in the lonely times, bringing many visitors who provided good fellowship and laughter. At the end of the day, it’s a blessing to be able to lie down to sleep at night and say, “in spite of it all, God is good!!”

Other News

We are slogging away at getting the language into our heads. It is a slow, but steady process.

Grant did a trip on his motorbike to Lusaka to submit our “entry” permit. We have been here enough years to apply for one instead of a work permit. We are praying it will be approved. It will save us having to apply for a work permit every 2 years.

Grant was invited to traditional ceremony by one of the chiefs. Although a real cultural shock, it was a great learning experience for him, enabling him to understand the culture better. He was given the best seat, right next to the chief!

Praise God For:

· Grant’s safe trip to Lusaka and back on his motorbike

· For his provision

· For his protection from creepy crawlies ( a friend was recently bitten by a snake and had to be air-evacuated out of Zambia)

Please Pray:

· That our entry permit will be approved

· As we try to learn Bemba

· For Grant’s students

Grant is blogging his daily life as a missionary – A Missionary Diary at the web address: grantschaefer.blogspot.com.

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here.

God bless.

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke

PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

MARCH 2011

2011-04-02T21:27:00.001-07:00

From The Kitchen Table

~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~

March 2011

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer 29:11

We are blessed!

It is amazing how one phone call can send you into a spin, create chaos, and doubts. When our landlord phoned to say he wanted to move back to his farm, we were distraught. The kids sobbed. But, now a few months later we can see that God had something so much better for us. The farm that we have moved to is amazing. We are blessed, and thank the Lord for providing a place far better than what we had before. It has been a very stressful time, but now we can see God’s hand in the chaos, and are grateful to him for making our plans!

Language

Pray for us as we seek to really learn Bemba this year. We are finding it much easier to learn now that we have been hearing it for so long. Our ears are tuned to the language, we now just need to get our heads to learn it and our mouths to speak it. We know the basics, but we want to really make an effort this year so we can be more effective in ministry.

Olivia’s Sheep

Little Olivia turned 6 on the 20^th March. She is the organiser in the family. She is the one who remembers everything and is like my “memory card”. She always wanted a lamb, so we organised a pregnant ewe for her from a friend. “Ma” arrived and we all fell in love with her. She was such a funny sheep and kept us all entertained as she wondered around the yard. She gave birth to a cute little lamb which Olivia named “Noodles”. But, Ma got really sick and we tried everything to keep her alive, but sadly she died. She was buried with tears and flowers on her grave. Noodles has been adopted by our other sheep, “Mean Ma”, whose name describes her character! To be fair, she is not as mean as she was when we got her.

Other News

The good news is we found the other “Boomslang” snake that got away. It was huge. He dropped out of a tree only to meet a huge club swung by our gardener.

We are in the process of starting a new veggie garden. It makes life quite hard not having one, as we rely so much on it for our family’s veggie needs. So our meals have become even more basic, as we start over here on the new farm.

We are blessed to have many great walking paths here on the farm. So in the afternoons, the kids and I take relaxing walks to de-stress from the day, pick wild flowers and examine fungi and other interesting things we come across as we walk.

We have had a lot of power problems since we moved in. Our transformer got struck by lightning which left us without power for 9 days. The first month of being here in the new house, we had about 17 days out of 30 without power. I am grateful for the little wood stove that we have in our kitchen.

Our driveway has also become a 4 x 4 vehicles only driveway, as cars continue to get stuck! It has got so bad and any attempt we make to fix it just makes it worse. With the rains coming to an end, it has dried up a lot, so we look forward to the dry season where we will try to mend it in time for the next rainy season.

Praise God For:

For providing a great new farm for us
For His love for us that he provides beyond our expectations
For his provision during a very costly move
For his protection
For all of you who continually pray for us and support us

Please Pray for:

· His protection from snakes and other creepy crawlies

· For our financial needs, as the cost of living continues to increase

· For wisdom for Grant as he continues to minister to folks

· Grant and I as we really try to tackle learning the language this year

Grant is blogging his daily life as a missionary – A Missionary Diary at the web address: grantschaefer.blogspot.com.

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here.

God bless.

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke

PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

February 2011

2011-03-31T06:00:00.001-07:00

From The Kitchen Table

~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

February 2010

A Really Interesting Move...

The past 2 months have been spent trying to get the move done. We first had to help Mrs Silungwe whose farm we have moved onto, to move out. Then we had to fix up the new farm house, and move us, our stuff and all our animals. We had to catch our chickens at night, while they were half asleep. The pigs got loaded into the back of the truck, and getting them out into their new sty was very interesting! The cows are still at the old farm, while we continue to prepare a kraal for them. They will be walked here.

We have had many challenges, but at least we now have water coming into the house as Grant managed to rig a pump up to the well. The well gives really good clean water. We need not even boil it for drinking. It tastes so good!

The house is huge and there is so much space. We have a guest room and a school room and a laundry room.

The kitchen has a separate scullery. The yard is very muddy, we have got stuck a number of times in the driveway. The road to the farm is a bit of a mud bath, but only a km long. We are still fixing things and finding a place for everything. The windows still need to have mosquito screens fitted to them and we still need to find curtains for a few windows.

We don’t have a landline, only cell phone. The cell phone signal is very bad on this new farm. The best place to get just a low signal is in the kitchen. So doing email etc is quite a challenge at the moment. The best signal is actually on top of the huge anthill outside the kitchen. Grant says I should change the name of this newsletter from “From the Kitchen Table” to “From the Anthill!”

Why the move to another farm?

People have asked why we moved to another farm and not back into town. The reason is that the farm supplies so many of our needs. We get almost all our vegetables from our garden; it provides a lot of our meat and other needs. Our cows provide all our milk, butter and some cheese. We have a huge strawberry patch (which we have planted here too) that provides jam. When we first moved to Mbala we had some very tough times where we ran out of food and money. It was then decided that we should live on a farm where a lot of our needs could be provided for.

More Snakes

We are grateful to our friends who came to help us paint. While painting one day, our friend, Mike, spotted two huge Boomslang snakes in the tree just outside the kitchen. He managed to kill one, but one escaped. They are a very poisonous snake. Grant also almost stepped on a small Cobra just near where the gate now is.

Praise God For:

· For providing a great new farm for us

· For all the help we received during the move

· For his protection and provision

Please Pray for:

· Us to settle in well

· For our safety

· For continual provision for us as a family

· Grant and I as we really try to tackle learning the language this year

Grant is blogging his daily life as a missionary – A Missionary Diary at the web address: grantschaefer.blogspot.com.

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here.

God bless.

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke

PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

December 2010

2011-03-31T05:53:00.001-07:00

From The Kitchen Table

~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~

December 2010

“Christmas – When God gave us Jesus!!”

Dear Family and Friends

We’re Moving...

Those of you who have visited us know that we are very settled here on our farm. So, it came as a shock to all of us when our landlord phoned us and said he wishes to move back on the farm – giving us 3 months to move. Moving a house is hard, but moving a farm, well, that is a bit of a challenge.

Part of the shock was that Grant had spoken to our landlord before we started to build our guest house, and he told us that he never plans to move back on the farm. Basically, telling us we can stay on here long term. We know that God must be in it all, so we got over the shock, and we found another farm to move to only a few days after we heard we had to move. It is only a few kilometres from this farm. It is much bigger and has a well, and the house has enough space for us to have a guest room. We will move in the middle of February, cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, rabbits, kids and all!

I just want to ride!!

Grant has had a really busy year of ministry. He felt the need to get some spiritual input for himself. He needed to refresh himself after a bus y year of ministry. He travelled on his motorbike to Fiwale where he was the guest speaker at a graduation service. Then he rode on to Lusaka and flew to the REAP conference in South Africa where he was able to sit under some excellent teaching and get spiritually refreshed. Travelling on his motorbike was also a time for him to relax and have some much needed time-out and away.

Power Problems

Every time the rainy season begins it brings electrical black-outs. Since the rain started, the power has been terrible. It has gone for days at a time. While Grant was away, it went for 4 days. Grant is the one who makes sure that the generator works to keeps the fridge and freezer cold for a few hours at a time. Whenever Grant goes away, things go wrong. But, as Joel has got older, he has developed into a Mr. Fix-it himself. And has proved to be a very capable substitute for when Grant is out. He fixed my car, fixed the generator, lit the wood stove, and made sure that any problems got solved. He is only 13, but I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me a son who is a very capable and hard working. He never complains about all the extra work loaded onto him.

Merry Christmas

We pray you have a wonderful Christmas, remembering what Christ’s birth means to us. We pray you have a joyous time with family and friends celebrating His birth.

Praise God For:

· For Grant’s safe travels.

· For providing another farm for us to move

· For his protection daily

Please Pray for:

· Us as we prepare to move

· For us to continue to be a witness her in Mbala

· For continual provision for us as a family

Grant is blogging his daily life as a missionary – A Missionary Diary at the web address: grantschaefer.blogspot.com.

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here.

God bless.

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke

PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

October 2010

2011-03-31T05:51:00.001-07:00

From The Kitchen Table

~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~

October 2010

“Do not worry about your life...” Matthew 6:25

Dear Family and Friends

Funerals!

One of the most important events in the Zambian culture is a funeral. We have attended many in the years that we have been here. But, the last month we had to organise one. Sadly, we had to bury the old white man Chris. He had been part of our lives for many years, and died on September. He had no family that he knew of, lived alone on a farm here in Mbala and Grant was basically “his family”. For years Grant looked after his needs and we had a trustworthy young man live with him to care for him the past year. He went blind, lame, and was very ill at the end. His wish was to die on the farm and be buried there. He got his wish.

A few days later, one of the chiefs died in a village where Grant does ministry and Grant was asked to preach at the funeral. It was a huge cultural eye opener, with many traditional practices taking place at the burial.

Zanzibar

With the past year being rather hectic, and with all the responsibilities that I try to keep track of, I came to the point where I really needed a break as a mom. My good friend Renate and I had the opportunity to go by train to Dar es Salam and then on to Zanzibar for a few days. We had an amazing time, meeting wonderful people and just reading, relaxing and site seeing gave me energy to continue to be here, school the kids and be a hostess to many, many people passing through our home. It was a break I really needed and thank the Lord for providing it.

On the Home Front...

Grant has been very busy with various ministry opportunities. He has preached many Sundays at our local Baptist church, shown the Jesus film in the village, taught at seminars and continued with his evening classes. He is also training to run an Ultra-marathon with our missionary friend, Steve. They run early in the morning, trying to fit it into their busy day.

The children are all well. School is going great, but difficult to do in this incredible October heat. Here in Zambia, October is known as suicide month, because it gets really hot from early morning! It becomes difficult to achieve anything!

We have started to build our guest house where we will be able to accommodate all our visitors. We have started to pour the foundations. We still have not finished the house painting – but really hope to do so....sometime soon!

We thank the Lord that I was able to sell some vegetables from our garden today, to help with the many financial needs we have. We are grateful to the Lord for always supplying our needs and more. We have fresh organic veggies, milk, eggs and meat just from the farm. Our children are happy and have a life that they enjoy. We have lots to be thankful for.

Praise God For:

· Good health

· For the various ministry opportunities Grant has had the past months.

· For my R & R trip to Zanzibar

· For his protection daily

Please Pray for:

· Our financial needs

· Protection against sickness

· Grant’s students

Grant is blogging his daily life as a missionary – A Missionary Diary at the web address: grantschaefer.blogspot.com.

See more great pictures at grantandlynneschaefer.blogspot.com

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here.

God bless.

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke

PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

July 2010

2010-07-18T04:00:00.001-07:00

From The Kitchen Table

~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~

July 2010

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31

Dear Family and Friends

They Came, They Played, And They Painted!

For nearly two weeks we hosted an amazing team from Hilton Baptist. Five amazing people filled our home with laughter and joy as they sanded and painted our rather dilapidated house. It was hard work, and there were some rather funny paint “incidents”. They ran a 5 day Bible club at the Luse Orphanage; the children were so blessed to have them. Our children had so much fun accompanying them to the orphanage and playing with the team in our yard. These were 5 very gifted people, with hearts that serve the Lord in all that they do.

The Early Birds Show the Soccer

The World Cup did not go by unnoticed in Mbala. Grant and our missionary friend Steve teamed up and decided to show the soccer World Cup evening games on 2 big screens for the local Zambian folks. Few people have TV’s and would miss the games. Zambians love soccer so they decided to show every evening game in the location area where most folks live. The only down-side being, that both Grant and Steve are very early nighters and get up very early to run together and get other chores done. But, they did it and survived a month of late nights and it was very much appreciated by the locals. They used the 15 minute half time as an outreach, where various people preached a short message or gave their testimony. On average there were about 300 -500 people watching and hearing the testimonies.

The Lodge...

A couple days after the team left, we got a desperate phone call from our friend Rone who runs the Lodge on Lake Tanganyika. She had to rush to South Africa with her husband, Sean, as her mother was very, very sick. Sean also needed some urgent medical attention. They asked if we would be able to run the lodge while they are away. It is a very busy time at the lodge with many guests. The children and I are busy running things for her while Grant continues with ministry in Mbala. We brought all our school books and are enjoying a different perspective to our usual Mbala life.

Praise God For:

· The work done by the team from Hilton Baptist, and for their safe travel

· For the Bible messages and prayer given by the team at the orphanage

· For the World Cup Soccer outreach

· For his protection daily

Please Pray for:

· The Bible school grant is running this week on the college land

· For our continued protection as a family

· For the Lord to continue to provide for the Luse Orphanage

Grant is blogging his daily life as a missionary – A Missionary Diary at the web address: grantschaefer.blogspot.com.

See more great pictures at grantandlynneschaefer.blogspot.com

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here.

God bless.

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke

PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

From The Kitchen Table May

2010-06-01T23:53:00.001-07:00

From The Kitchen Table

~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~

May 2010

“Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.” Matthew 5:41

Dear Family and Friends

Twazwane

A couple of weeks ago I was able to deliver a load of goods to the Luse Orphanage from the community of Mbala through the Twazwane project. We have initiated the project to try and involve the community in the orphanages. Too often they are supported by well meaning folks overseas, but too often those well meaning folks withdraw their support leaving vulnerable, hungry children who have been dependent on their support. This is exactly what has happened to Luse Orphanage. Now the orphanage has no food or means to support the children. Through Twazwane, business men and individuals can give to the orphanage knowing that what they give is definitely going to the children. It is Zambian tradition that the community look after children in their community. That everyone is responsible for the children not just the parents. It is on this tradition that we feel the community is also responsible for the orphans, not just well meaning foreigners.

Snake Skinning Boys

We got home from a really great lunch at our missionary friends the Schwarz’s house, only to find the man who looks after our cows had killed a huge Puff Adder just by our pig sty. We had two extra boys, Tobias and Matthew who are both very good friends of Joel. Tobias had just got his first pocket knife ever for his Birthday. The boys were all very interested in the snake, but I was rather upset about it. The kids are often out by the pig sty and this was a huge, dangerous snake. I recalled a friend who grew up on the mission field telling us one day how his mother made him and his brother get to know snakes well, because they were always out catching them etc. She made them read a lot about them, and get to know the different kinds. I thought what a better way for these 3 boys to get some snake experience than to skin it and see its fangs, insides and so on. I gave them the challenge and in a short while they had the snaked skinned with their pocket knives, researched how to cure the skin, and had it curing in a jar!

Flat Out!

A really strange looking mosquito bit me at a friend’s place out by her gate one afternoon. Exactly 10 days later I came down with a really bad dose of malaria, and was literally knocked flat by it. I shivered and shook for a few days and when I was feeling better I went outside and tripped and sprained my ankle. We thought it was broken from the loud cracking sound it made. But, we thankfully discovered it was not after having to drive 160km to the nearest working x-ray machine.

The Team

A team of 5 will be coming this month from the Hilton Baptist Church in Natal, South Africa. They will be going to the Luse Orphanage to play games and do various activities, and to encourage the staff there. They are also giving us a tremendous gift – they will be painting the inside of our house! They are bringing the paint and supplies. Our house is in a serious need of a paint – with the ceiling paint falling off, the mud walls showing through etc. Please pray for them as they prepare for the trip up, they will be driving.

We also praise God for a donation from a church in SA for us to be able to purchase ministry materials, to be able to finish fixing the boat, and to be able to build a small guest house here to accommodate all our visitors.

Missionary Diary: Grant has started a blog diary. He will be recording the events of his days and his ministry, you can check it out at: grantschaefer.blogspot.com

Praise God For:

· The donations for the guesthouse, boat and materials

· For my recovery

· For the team that is coming

· For His protection daily

Please Pray for:

· The Team to travel safely

· For our continued protection as a family

· For the Twazwane project to really take off and the community to take full responsibility of the orphanages

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here.

God bless.

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke

PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

From The Kitchen Table March 2010

2010-04-03T06:40:00.001-07:00

From The Kitchen Table

~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~

March 2010

Living the Dream!

As a child all I wanted to be was a wife and a mother. I knew that someday I would live on the mission field. Not a grand thing really. Not a Scientist or Doctor, or a professor of this or that. Nope, just a wife and mom, with a house full of kids. A nightmare to some, but a dream to me!

We just got back from a long hard trip down to South Africa. We broke down on the way down in the desert in Namibia. Our good friends convoying with us had to tow us for 300km. It took us the whole day. We then left our car in Namibia and took the bus to Cape Town where we continued with our deputation trip around South Africa. We were so blessed and encouraged at the different churches we visited. We then spent a long time in Cape Town trying to get our vehicle back in shape. And after some weeks we headed back up here to Mbala.

Seven days on the road in the heat of Namibia with the kids trying to keep busy in the car. With a sucker sweet stuck to the shoulder of my shirt. A huge heat headache and a piece of sandwich stuck to my shoe, I remind myself that, actually, I am just living my dream! It certainly is not an easy road, but “I took the road less travelled by.” We have had our hills and valleys, thunderstorms and sunshine. After 8 days on the road we arrived home to no electricity, but missionary friends had left bread and biscuits in the kitchen for us and welcome home notes and signs were everywhere. It’s good to be back, and with God’s help I will continue to live the dream!

This trip we brought a young man back with us. His name is Robert Martin and he is here with us for 5 weeks and will be making a DVD for us of our ministry here. He is a very talented young man, but his health has not been good the past few years, please pray for him.

Praise God For:

· Our vehicle that is running well again

· For a safe trip

· For his provision while in South Africa

· For the encouragement and support from our supporting churches

Please pray for:

· Us as a family as we adjust to being back in Mbala and get ready to start ministry and school again next week.

· For our vehicle to continue to run well

· For Robert’s health and for him as he helps us here for the next month

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here.

God bless.

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke

PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

Blog spot: grantandlynneschaefer.blogspot.com

From The Kitchen Table November 2009

2009-11-25T07:39:00.001-08:00

From The Kitchen Table

~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~

November 2009

“Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.”

John 16:24

Dear Family and Friends

Something...was ... Stolen...from me!

Have you ever felt like something is missing, but you don’t quite know what it is. You know it is gone, you can feel it! I have known that feeling for some months now. It became my friend, reminding me each new day that I have been robbed of something. It took me a while to discover what it was. And then it dawned on me, it was my joy - and it was completely gone! The past year has been so stressful, so painful, and so terrible that I stopped enjoying our children. Stopped appreciating what I have and the wonderful place where we live. I took my eyes off the Lord during a flood of difficulties and felt myself drowning under the strain. Where I usually loved life and looked forwards to each new day – I felt myself getting annoyed and irritated at the smallest of things. A friend advised me to get some time-out, basically to have a break – and get some good time in with the Lord. That is not easy as a full time mom, living where we do, not having anywhere to go to get some much needed time alone. Our home is a very busy place with loads of visitors and activities continually happening in a constant stream. Then God provided us with a solution, a place where our family could go and recover from a difficult year. Our children needed their happy mom back; Grant needed his cheerful wife to surface out of the storm. We needed time as a family, to just laugh, play and enjoy each other. Eleven years on the mission field with many ups and downs, many hardships and stresses, we needed a time-out! Not to do deputation, not to speak at churches, not to do ministry or fix the car or do admin etc. Just some time to recover.

God has given us this time. A friend, who runs a lodge here on Lake Tanganyika in Zambia, asked us if we wanted to babysit the Lodge for her while she goes on leave. There are no guests here, no bookings for November. Our mission board agreed and we have had the time of rest that has been so needed. While we still do school with the kids, we have a cook to do all the cooking, a cleaner who refuses to let us clean up, she even complains if we make the beds. God is wonderful. He has provided for us in a way we never dreamed of. We can relax, spend time with Him and enjoy our children and each other. What a special time – we are not taking it for Granted.

A Time to Live... A Time to die

Towards the end of September, we got news that my dad was very sick and in hospital, and that we should come to Cape Town if we wanted to see him again. He was diagnosed with Asbestos Disease and was getting worse daily. We raced down to Cape Town hoping to see him, only to discover that he had died two days before we arrived while we were still on the road. It was a record 5 day drive down – but still not fast enough. It was heartbreaking to discover that we did not make it to see him one last time. It was thrilling, however, to hear that my mom lead him to Christ 10 minutes before he died. She had no idea he was going to die that day.

While in Cape Town, Grant was able to redo the engine on our vehicle. It was in bad need of an overhaul and the long 5 day drive to Cape Town put the engine on its last legs. Praise the Lord for a practical husband, who saves us so much money with his practical abilities. By redoing the engine himself, he saved so much money. God provided a wonderful workshop through a farmer in Grabouw, who also financially helped with the costs of engineering work that needed doing on the engine.

We lose our Life Jackets

Part of Grants ministry is teaching in a village right next to the Lodge we are staying in. The people asked him to come teach there. We are still trying to get the boat going again after discovering a problem with the gear box. We have a bag of life jackets we use when on the boat as the lake can be rough at times and because Grant has a strict policy of all on the water must wear life jackets. Unfortunately, the bag fell off the roof on a trip to the lake and we lost them all. We did not know they were missing till we got to the dock. As soon as we discovered it we decided to drive back up the mountain to see if we could find them, but I had locked the keys in the car!! It took 40 minutes to break into our car, and by that time the bag was gone. So, if you know anyone with any life jackets that they don’t use please let us know. We lost eight of them. At the moment our friend here at the lodge fetches us in their boat and we just pay the fuel costs for Grant’s once a month trip across to the village to teach.

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here. We pray God’s blessing on you as we get to the end of the year and look forward to a new year ahead. Please continue to pray for us for:

Prayer Needs:

· New Life jackets

· For the spares needed on the boat

· For God’s strength for us as a family

· For renewed joy in the Lord

· For Lorna at Bible College

· School books for next year

Praise the Lord for:

· My Dad’s salvation

· For a time of rest

· That our vehicle is going well again

· His faithfulness to us during a difficult year

God bless.

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke

PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

From The Kitchen Table.

2009-09-05T01:23:00.000-07:00

From The Kitchen Table
~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~
August/September

“God’s call to a task includes His strength to complete it.”

Dear Family and Friends

I am sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of tasks we have to get done in a day. The above quote is really what gives me strength to continue in our work here for the Lord. He has called us here and knowing that gives us the strength to continue in what he has called us to do – that is what keeps us going.

We have had a month full of wonderful visitors. John and Nikki Bowmer from Cape Town came and spent the month of August with us. John’s days were full of ministry while Nikki spent her days washing dishes, doing pre-school with Olivia, helping the girls with their music and making bread etc. She was a huge help to me and great fellowship. Although I am sure our noisy family was a huge adjustment for her. We are so grateful they made the effort to come visit us.

(Note the snake Joel is holding in the picture on the left- don’t worry - it was dead – it was killed on the college land near the kitchen)

At the moment, we have Greg Phillips here from Cape Town. He will be the guest speaker at our college graduation on Saturday and will also be preaching at our local Baptist Church. We are really privileged to have him here with us.

New Friends – Great Fellowship!

A new Southern Baptist Missionary family has also moved into Mbala. They are a truly wonderful family and it is so great for our children to have new friends. The Schwarz’s have four children, three boys and a girl. The bonds of friendship have already been tied. Steve and Rita are wonderful fellowship for both Grant and I. They have come with many talents that we do not have, and we can already see that they are going to do a great work here in Mbala.

Steve, Rita and kids joined us at the Baptist Convention Conference. It is held out in the bush where they set up a temporary camp and have days full of fellowship and meetings. John and Grant preached at the conference, while we all went out just for the Sunday service. We all sat on a grass mat and ate the food that they had prepared for us for lunch. It was a long day for the kids as we only ate around 3pm – but a good time was had by all.

It is great seeing our lives through the eyes of others. We often find ourselves with a live pig or chicken in our car. We no longer find the roads bad or are disturbed by things that happen around us. We are so used to the way of life here now. So when others come and laugh at things we do or have to go through it is always funny to take a fresh view of our lives here.

Dog Bites, Raw Ankles and a Stuck Calf

I was so blessed to have Nikki here when we had some medical emergencies to deal with. Our neighbour’s little boy got his ankle stuck in a bicycle’s spokes which left it with a large, raw gash. It was bleeding heavily and as usual we were called upon to help. Thankfully Nikki is unfazed by such things and helped me to deal with it. While Joseph was being nursed, our dog bit a young lady, Ruth, who is helping me by “plucking” our broiler chickens that we grew and are selling for the college fund. She got bitten right on her shin and did not want to go to the hospital, so she got in the cue for doctoring! Nikki took the little boy down to our hospital and got to spend some time there as they helped fix him up. Both Joseph and Ruth are doing fine.

Our prize cow, Lucy, went into Labour and did not seem to get anywhere. The calf’s hoofs stuck out for hours and she never got any further. We soon realised that we had a challenge on our hands. Steve Schwartz has quite a bit of vet training so he came out and delivered the calf. He had to get his whole arm inside the cow to turn the calf’s head into the correct position. Grant helped “catch” the calf as she came out. We praise the Lord for Steve’s talents and for bringing such a humble, gentle man of God to work for Him right here in Mbala. Both cow and calf are doing well. We named the calf “Miracle”. If not for Steve’s expertise we might have lost both mom and baby!

The Kids

The kids are all doing great. While most in Zambia are on School Holidays, we are still doing school. They are always busy with lots of activities. The girls have made an “outside” kitchen behind the pagoda in my garden. They cook and clean and play there for hours. Luke also enjoys it out there, playing in the mud with all their bottles and stuff! He is definitely going to be an over-stimulated kid with all the attention he gets from his siblings. He is usually in the thick of things and is chuffed to now be able to sit by himself on the bench at the kitchen table and eat his food with the “big kids”!

While Dad’s Away...

While Grant went down to Lusaka to take John and Nikki back to the airport and fetch Greg – it all began to happen here! It always does when Grant is not around. I got very sick and had 7 kids to look after as I also had another missionary family’s boy here for the weekend and Friday! Fortunately, our kids took over and cooked and did the necessary and basically had a free reign of the house!! (Scary actually) Joel, who had just sharpened his penknife, had to cut something he was making and the knife slipped and he slit his wrist in the process. He came in my room with it all cleaned and bandaged up. I told him to show me the wound so he unravelled the bandage and I saw a gaping wound that needed stitches. I was so grateful that he had not cut a main vein! We closed it with “Aunty Di’s” supply of stitch plaster (I did have the super glue close by...) and it has healed well.

Later that evening, Hope also had an accident and managed to get a wood board fling up and smack her in the face (like as “punch” as Joel put it!) She ran into my room screaming; with blood pouring out everywhere! Well, just another day in the Schaefer house while dad was away...

Praise God For:
· John and Nikki Bowmer and the work they were able to do while up here
· For the various conferences and Bible school Grant and John were able to teach at this past month
· For God’s continuous provision
· For protecting Joel from what could have be a very bad accident
· For the Schwarz family

Please Pray for:
· Grant as we prepare for another graduation of students on the 5th of September.
· For Greg Phillips from Cape Town who is with us and will travel to Zimbabwe from here to do further teaching
· For the protection of our children and ourselves from disease etc.
· For the Swartz family as they adjust to life here in Mbala (they are from America)

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here.

God bless.

Lynne Schaefer and Family
Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke
PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

From The Kitchen Table.

2009-09-05T01:13:00.000-07:00

From The Kitchen Table
~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~
June/July 2009

“The closer you are to God, the more you will have a heart for people.”

Dear Family and Friends

Although the past 12 months have been a fantastic year of ministry, one of the busiest and best we have had, it has also been a very stressful time for us. We have had a lot of added emotional stress and pressure, which has left us both drained and quite stressed out. I can tell that it has affected our relationship with our children and we both felt that we need to stick our heads out up above the water! For me, it is hard not having time-out as a mother where I can just sit and catch my breath for a time. So, I headed down to Cape Town with my Austrian Friend Uli and little Luke, to have a little time out. We were there only 6 days, but it was a break that I really needed and it gave me time to reflect on life a bit and have a change of pace.

Grant took the kids camping and was also able to have a lot of fun with the kids and have a much needed time-out from life!

One great thing that has happened this month is that the terrible road to our house has been graded by the road works company that is re-doing the Mbala/Kasama road. They asked us if they could store some of their diesel tanks on our farm and would grade the road for us. We now have a wonderful road to our house!
Lorna, who has been down in Cape Town for the past 3 and half months will not be coming back to Mbala. She has decided to go study at Bible College for one year. So, we are looking for someone who would be interested in starting the resource centre and possibly helping us with the kids Math.

More “Charley” Stories

For those of you who enjoyed the Charley and the chicken giblet story, here is another one for you. She was outside helping to milk our very feisty cow “Mother Lucy”. But she was pulling a little too hard on the cow’s teat so the cow got very cross and kicked her. She landed slap bang in the middle of cow poop and mud. She was covered with it. She started to shout and tell the cow that she was a “very naughty cow” and then ran off to the nearest tap, washed the mud and poop off and headed straight back for the milking stall and carried on milking. Charley is one of those little girls that’s always making us laugh and she truly is a real character! That same cow once chased me around our yard. I had to dive into a flower bed to hide and get away from her. The only time I will go near her is if there is a fence between us. She is not a “real” milking cow that is placid and will just stand quietly waiting to be milked. She is a feisty mama, but she does give us a lot of creamy milk!

Schaefer Coffee…

Grant loves his one cup of good “real” coffee per day. We have got quite a few coffee trees that we have planted here on our little farm. One of the trees is a magnificent tree. It is just by our front door and is producing a very nice crop this year. Grant recons that the lavender growing next to the tree has protected it from disease etc. The kids and my jobs are to pick the ripe cherries and take the process up until roasting. Then Grant roasts the beans himself just the way he likes it. It is quite fun to pick the cherries and squeeze out the raw bean. I hardly drink coffee anymore, so we are making plans to crow some tea. A friend of ours has organized us some tea bushes from Malawi, so now I plan to make my own green tea.

Always “Hope” for the best

For some time now Hope has wanted her own little space. Sharing a room with two little sisters, one of whom is a real junk collector, can be a challenge for her. She has been asking for a long time if we could make her an “attic in their room where she could have her bed and her things. Part of her school language lessons one day was to write a story of how she would like to redecorate her room. I told her to just pretend that she had her own room and then write about how she would like it to look. After she finished, she ended the story with “dream on Hope”! So we decided to make her a loft like she has always dreamed of having. We get off cuts of wood here for real cheap, so we have finally been able to give her a little space of her own. It has also made the girls room have a lot more space with only 2 beds being on the “ground level” instead of three!

Hope has been doing great in Grant’s Wednesday evening Bible classes. In a recent test she beat Joel and Friday by getting 100% for the test! The boys are now out to try and beat her or get 100% on their next test!

Praise the Lord for:
· Our new road
· Bringing Grant back safely
· For all the ministry opportunities Grant has
· For the time I was able to have in Cape Town

Please Pray for:
· Strength for Grant to continue with the on-going ministry
· For wisdom and strength to deal with some personal issues and stresses
· For the various Bible School weeks that are coming up
· For patience and wisdom in home-schooling

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here.

God bless.

Lynne Schaefer and Family
Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke (and Friday)
PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

From The Kitchen Table.

2009-09-05T00:58:00.000-07:00

From The Kitchen Table
~ The Desk of Lynne Schaefer ~
May 2009

“But now, O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay
And thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” Is 64:8

Dear Family and Friends

Math, Chicken Giblets and Beans

Life with Children truly means there is never a dull moment. It is harvest time here in Zambia. The rains have ended and it is now the time for the tiring, yet very rewarding, harvest. Grant has been busy all week training rural pastors and leaders, while the kids have been shelling beans! Math was not done until late in the afternoon, when Grant had time to teach each one their lessons. Charley was outside in the thick of things. Shelling beans and getting real dirty while she was at it. Grant called her in for math, but on her way through the kitchen she discovered a pot of “Chicken Giblets” freshly cooked on the stove. What a treat! She grabbed a chicken foot, a chicken heart and a piece of liver, and headed down the passage for math. Grant nearly roared with laughter as she sat down and neatly placed her “treats” next to her on the table. She then pulled out of her pocket a handful of beans – to help her with her math!

Snakes Alive!

Grant, Joel and Friday (Joel’s best friend and our “Sixth Child”) went to Chisanza village to teach and show the Jesus Film. You have to go by boat to get there. Grant had been teaching for a while and decided that they would have a little break before carrying on. The villages started to sing a song and as they began a snake came right up out of the ground right where he and his interpreter were standing. It was quite a large snake, but sticking its head out was the biggest mistake of its life. In a matter of seconds the villagers chopped it in half, one half went back down the hole! Then, when they were eating in one of the small village huts, Joel looked up and saw another snake slithering through a small hole in the wall. It wove its way in and out through various holes in the mud bricks. There were hundreds of people who came and watched the “Jesus Film” and many were reported to be saved that weekend. Chisanza is a village where witchcraft is heavily practiced. So we praise the Lord for the work he is starting to do there.

Luse Community Orphanage and the Mbala for Mbala Project.

Now that we have been on the mission field for over 10 years, we have observed how often people come to start a project and then some years later they abandon it. Most missions started in the past have not been able to be self sufficient or run by the locals when the missionary leaves, hence, all the mission station ruins that scatter Africa. One such abandoned project is an orphanage here in Mbala that was started by a well meaning foreigner. Only now a few years later, the funds have dried up! Who suffers in the end – the orphans! So, after giving it loads of thought, I came up with a plan to start the “Mbala for Mbala” project. This will involve the local business men, churches and people of Mbala to look after the Luse Community Orphanage. I have approached some of the prominent business men asking if they would be willing to give something every month to the orphanage. They suggested that we get together and hold a meeting and discuss the project. We plan to do this when Grant gets back from a trip to Lusaka in a few weeks time.

The ladies group in our local church went to visit the orphanage last Tuesday. They all took what food they were able to spare. On my way there I stopped and asked a few shops if they would be willing to give something. I was given Maize Meal, sugar and cooking oil. It was a very encouraging start. There are, however, many obstacles that we will need to cross in order to get such a project up and running effectively. But, our prayer is that the community will embrace the orphanage and start to look after the orphans without outside support from the West.
Yummy, Yum!
Just in case there are some of you out there that feel sorry for us living up here – DON’T! Guess what we ate the other day. Fresh (Organic) strawberries from our garden, waffles and whipped cream with Hope’s home- made maple syrup! Yum! Eat your heart out - or come visit us!

Praise the Lord for:
· The showing of the Jesus film in Chisanza village and also Kawama village
· Those that accepted Christ on those occasions
· His protection from snakes and those things we do not see
· The discipleship course Grant is holding this week on the college land

Please Pray for:
· Grant as he travels to Lusaka next week
· For the Mbala for Mbala project
· For the Luse Community Orphanage and its orphans
· That God will guide us as we try to find a solution for the orphanage
· For our protection each day as we serve him here

Thanks for your encouragement, your prayers and support of our ministry here.

God bless.
Lynne Schaefer and Family
Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia, Luke (and Friday)
PO Box, 420032, Mbala, Zambia

From The Kitchen Table.

2009-03-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

From the Kitchen Table
The Desk of Lynne Schaefer February 2009

Luke and Joel
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

Dear Friends and Family

It’s hard for us to believe that we have now been in Mbala for over 10 years. Joel was just a bit younger than Luke when we moved here and he is now eleven. We came with just a trailer and only a few possessions and now we have a house full of stuff! Every time another missionary family or ex-pat leave we gain and now we are getting short of space! It is amazing to see how the Lord has provided for us over the years. It was about 15 years ago that Grant felt called to come and minister here in Mbala. It took 5 years before we could come. He first had to go to college for 4 years and then we worked with our church for a year. We praise the Lord for his provision and faithfulness to us over the years.
Grant's calendar for the year is filling up with all the various opportunities he has been given to minister. He no longer has to seek out places to minister they come to him to ask him to teach.
On March 6th, our little Luke will be a year old. Praise the Lord for this little boy that was added to our family and been a true joy to us all!

Lightning Strikes

With the rainy season comes the lightning! This time it was our house that got hit. Praise the Lord that it was only our printer that went up in smoke. This is very frustrating for Grant, as he has to print out his sermons and tests etc for his classes. Our kettle also blew from a power surge or something like that, but that is not as devastating as our printer going up in smoke. We were able to buy a new kettle right here in Mbala.

Funny Stories from the Past

Looking back to our first years in Zambia, we can see just how much we have learnt and grown over the years. We were such city slickers when we first came. When we started our first vegetable garden we had no idea what we were doing! We can remember planting carrot seeds one by one. If you have ever seen carrots seeds you will have a good laugh about that - they are tiny! You never plant them one by one!

When we were given our first chicken we were so excited, especially Grant, who loves eggs. He asked a Zambian, "When will this chicken give us eggs?" The man looked at Grant with a strange look and sadly told him that it would not give us any eggs. Grant was so disappointed and asked him why? He said, "Sorry Mr Grant, this one is a male!" Yip, we must have looked like such idiots to the locals.

It has taken many years to learn the culture and see just how many mistakes we must have made over the years. We are still learning and are just grateful to the Zambians for being patient with us. They have taught us a lot and we can only pray that God will use us in spite of ourselves. That is the great thing about God - He uses us while He continues to change us. If He had to wait for us to be perfect before He used us, He never would be able to! We no longer feel like foreigners or strangers, Mbala feels like home.
We now have an auto bank machine here in Mbala. This is a truly terrific thing! We used to have to travel a 320km round trip to the nearest auto bank and if it was broken Grant would have to get on the bus and travel a 2000km round trip just to draw our support! Now, we just have a five-minute drive into town – life is so much easier!

So, we praise the Lord for providing for us, keeping us safe, restoring us to health when we have been sick and allowing us to serve Him here in Mbala for the past 10 years.
Thank you to you too for praying for us and supporting us over the years. We are most grateful!
God bless, as you too continue to serve him.

With Love,
Lynne Schaefer and Family (Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia and Luke)
For more photo’s go to grantandlynneschaefer@blogspot.com

2009-01-23T09:56:00.001-08:00

From the Kitchen Table

The Desk of Lynne Schaefer
January 2009

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself"

Matthew 6:34

Dear Family and Friends

Tornados, Fireworks, Accidents

and

Mama Mechanic

The Tornado!

Christmas! A day most people are feasting and celebrating. We as a family went out to the Coffee Estate to have Christmas lunch with good friends. But, for others here in Mbala, the day turned out to be a day they will remember forever. At 3:30pm a tornado swept through a new housing area here in Mbala. Ripping the roof off a church and demolishing many houses. A widow lost almost everything she owned, but was happy that her children were safe and unhurt. Her house was ruined, but through the generosity of her church, they have tried to rebuild a small section of her house. It was like a funeral for those who had just finished building their houses. They sat, looking at their demolished home, crying. It was heartbreaking. The government has provided some tents for shelter and World Vision provided blankets and food. Our Mbala Baptist Church that we attend has just finished putting the roof on their newly built building. The tornado missed by metres! We praise the Lord, as the church has saved and struggled for many years to build this new building. Unfortunately, the church just next door lost its entire roof! There is no record of there ever being a tornado here in Mbala in the past!

The Fireworks!

We were invited out to a farm for new-years eve. Our friends there were going to have a fireworks evening for the kids. They invited all the children of a nearby village. Our children were so excited and were not let down when it started. The display was magnificent. The village children were clapping and shouting with glee. They would have never seen such a display ever before. It was wonderful.

The Accident!

Grant had to go down to Lusaka just after Christmas. We were left holding fort here. Boy, did everything go wrong once he left! We had no power for a few days! My dryer broke and with the amount of rain we get a dryer is very useful! We would also have to iron absolutely everything if we never had a dryer as we get Putsi Fly here. It's a fly that lays eggs in your wet clothes and then when you wear them the egg hatches a maggot which burrows under you skin and basically stays there feeding of you! It is very painful! I also broke down in my little Trooper on a day that I was extremely busy. And then, one of our calves's died. I was thinking it could not get worse, and then, it happened. The awful accident.

It happened on the 2nd of Jan. Steven, a young man that works here on weekends to pay for his school fees, fell off the pigsty roof. His arm caught on the broken glass on top of the surrounding wall. His arm was very badly cut, severing main veins and ripping the flesh into an open, jagged gash! There was blood everywhere. It was the worst accident I have had to deal with. I bandaged him up and took him to the hospital, not knowing if they were going to be able to stitch him up. But they did, and they did a very fine job of it! It has actually restored my faith in our hospital here. His arm seems to be healing well, and he has now returned to school doing his last year. He has worked hard to pay for his school fees, books, uniforms etc. We are very proud of this hard working young man.

Mama Mechanic!

While Grant was still away, my oven also broke and the breaks on the Nissan Patrol failed on our way to church. Lorna was driving and when she tried to brake at the junction, there were absolutely no brakes. She had to swerve to avoid hitting an on coming car. We had to drive the rest of the way to church very, very slowly. The roads are also very slippery and muddy because of excessive rain! After church, we decided that it was not a good idea that we would now have no transport. The Isuzu Trooper was out of action after breaking down and we had towed it back home. We decided that we needed to fix it as at least it had brakes. I sat thinking about it all, and decided that it must just have a blocked fuel filter. How hard can it be to change a filter, surely not that hard? The battery was also dodgy. So, we slowly drove to town in the car with no breaks, and I bought a new fuel filter. I fitted the new filter, we took the battery out the Nissan and put it into the Isuzu and it started first time! No problem! We now had transport. Well, Grant came back and everything is now fixed. He fixed the leaking seal on the patrol that caused the break fluid to leak out. Fixed the oven, the dryer, and boy are we happy to have him back!

Praise God that:

- Steven's arm has healed with out any infection

- He has continued to provide for us

- We have had good health

- Hope has now started Bible school too on a Wednesday night

Please pray for:

- Our continued protection and good health

- For Grant as his ministry grows and expands to more remote villages

- For me as a mother to have patience and wisdom in dealing with the children and family issues

Thank you for your prayers and support. God bless you all.

For more photo's please go to our blog spot: grantandlynneschaefer@blogspot.com

With Love,

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia and Luke

PO Box 420032, Mbala, ZAMBIA

From The Kitchen Table.

2008-11-17T06:37:00.000-08:00

From the Kitchen Table
The Desk of Lynne Schaefer
PO Box 420032 Mbala, Zambia

November 2008

Dear Family and Friends

The end of the year is closing in fast. Where does the time go? I can remember as a kid how the days would drag by. Time seemed to be in no hurry at all. But now, as the years add up - it rushes past leaving me wondering where I will find the hours to get everything I need to do, done!

It's birthday month this month, with Joel and Hope celebrating their 11th and 9th birthdays. My, how they have grown! Joel has become a very hard working lad. Getting up early to first have his devotions and then head out to the garden with his Dad. Hope is rather like her mother who would prefer to stay up late and get up late. But, in the Schaefer house there is certainly no sleeping in. Some of us struggle with that rule - but others like Charley and Luke are happy to get up at 5am and start the day! With the on-set of the rains, the veggie garden needs more hands to keep the weeds out! It looks like we may all be getting out there before breakfast to do a bit of weeding before we begin the rest of the day's chores and school.

Music

Our home is usually filled with music. Sometimes it's the sounds of the kids practicing on their instruments or one of them playing music on the family computer. Charley particularly likes music. She is the one who will usually put music on to listen too. I try to exercise early in the morning when Grant and Joel are in the garden. The girls like to exercise with me. This morning, Charley was sitting next on the bed and Olivia asked if she was going to exercise too. "No", she replied, "I am only here for the music!” Joel is doing well on the guitar considering he has to teach himself. Hope and Charley are coming along nicely on the violin. Hope has a real passion for the violin and is doing very well. She prayed and prayed for a violin for a long time. Joel made her a "pretend" one out of a tennis racket and she would put violin music on and pretend to play for months that way. When she finally got a real one she was so excited, it has become a very important part of her life. We are blessed to have another missionary lady right here in Mbala that is teaching them to play.

Mega Mushrooms

With the rains comes the food. It's the season for growing crops. Most folks are busy preparing their lands to grow their maize, beans, groundnuts and sweet potatoes. It is also the season for gathering wild mushrooms. The first rains bring huge, delicious mushrooms that have a meaty texture and taste. Later in the season more varieties appear and are gathered and sold at the markets. I was given a gift of a very big mushroom, which I just had to take a photo of! It was delicious. Sorry that you never got to taste it.

Grant's Groundnuts

This year we will be growing groundnuts. We will press them for the oil to make our own diesel. We have been plowing our land in the late afternoons using our little Isuzu Trooper. It is such a great little car and does the job so well. Either Joel or I drive down the rows while Grant holds the plough behind. I have to watch that I don't go too fast. Sometimes I forget he is behind, but then I hear him shouting for me to slow down. There he is puffing and panting, running behind the car while I am inside thinking about all sorts of other things instead of concentrating of the job at hand! I do apologize of course for going to fast - with a little grin on my face!

Puppy Power - One More Blow for Evolution!

This month we found ourselves looking after 3-orphaned puppies. We soon discovered that it is an incredible amount of work and a very tiring thing to do. Their mother was unfortunately poisoned when they were only a few days old. We volunteered to try keep them alive by feeding them with baby bottles we bought in town. Every 2 - 3 hours we would all takes turns in feeding them and wiping their bottoms with a damp piece of cotton wool - to simulate the mothers licking - necessary to aid in .... Well you get the picture! After two days and a sleepless night, Grant decided that we needed another plan!! He called in our female dog, which had had puppies a year before, and showed the pups to her. After a short time, she lay down, and the puppies eagerly found her teats and started suckling. And guess what? She produced milk and has been feeding them and licking their bottoms ever since!! They are now fat, active, mischievous little 5 week olds. Isn't God amazing - just by watching and looking at nature we can prove him as Creator. Things like this don't just happen due to a big bang! Nope, only God could create such an amazing world!

Big Boat in Action...

Finally, after a few years of fixing, finding parts and redoing the engine - the ministry boat is on the water. It was a great day for us all to be able to go speeding across the great Lake Tanganyika to a remote village where Grant has started teaching. The people in the village asked him to come and start a Bible study once a month. There are men and women from a wide range of denominations. Grant will continue to go once a month. We as a family only went with him this time to test the boat and spend the weekend camping at a lodge near the village. We had a good time and the children enjoyed swimming and playing on the sandy beach. The boat is running well. We just need to purchase a bigger prop and it will be all set to do further ministry on the lake. The only down side is the cost of the fuel! Here in Zambia, one liter will set you back just over R20.

Other News...

Mbala Baptist Church, the church we attend here in Mbala, have finally finished their new building. I am so proud of them as the have constructed a huge new church building without much outside support. They as a church have given from their own pockets and raised the funds themselves. It is great to be able to go to church without an umbrella to protect you when it rains during the service, and to have space between your legs and the pew in front of you. They have demolished the old building, which was practically falling down and had a threadbare grass roof. They completed the new building just in time. Our rains have started in full swing! Grant has been preaching at the services for the past few weeks. Mbala Baptist does not have a Pastor at this time, but often ask Grant to preach on Sundays.

Lorna is working on setting up the resource center. Annel, a young man from Mbala Baptist Church, will be helping her with all the necessary arrangements to get it up and running.

Luke is growing fast! He has decided he is in no rush to crawl or walk. Why should he be when he has so many willing hands to carry him around? He does have a rather mighty scream that comes out of such a little person, but he will soon learn that it will have a serious negative affect to use it!

We are very grateful to the Lord for his continuous provision through some rough financial times. We know that everyone is struggling with the recession and pray that the Lord will also continue to provide for you all as he continues to provide for us.

Praise God For:

* Good health at this time
* For the cooling rains
* For our boat that is now complete for further ministry into remote areas
* For his continual provision

Please Pray for:

* Us to have a malaria free rainy reason
* For our financial support
* For our Children to grow strong in the Lord
* For Grant as he continues with many ministry opportunities
* For Mbala Baptist, that they will remain strong in the Lord and be a witness to the Mbala community

Thank you for yours prays and support. God bless you all.

With Love,

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia and Luke

PO Box 420032
Mbala
ZAMBIA

From The Kitchen Table

2008-10-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

SCHAEFER FAMILY NEWS
From The Kitchen Table
The Desk of Lynne Schaefer
October 2008

Charley (6) , Joel (10), Luke (7 months), Hope (8) and Olivia (3)

" And they that know thy Name will put their trust in Thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. "
Psalm 9:10

Dear Family and Friends

With the heat and the dust wearing us all out, we wait expectantly for the rains to start in the next few months. It has been so hot we almost feel like we could melt!
We have just recovered from a tummy bug which had us all vomiting! We were wiped out for a few days as we all tried to recover our strength and regain a bit of lost sleep. Fortunately, not all the adults were down at the same time. Poor Lorna was the last one standing and then the last down of course! Luke escaped the whole ordeal - we are all very grateful to the Lord for that.

Motherhood is So Worth It!

The children are all doing well. Luke is just growing so fast and is getting to be a very busy and active little boy! Soon, when he starts walking, life as we know it will be over! Fortunately there are lots of eyes to watch him. He is a very sweet and a very happy, smiley boy.
Olivia is a very sweet little 3 years old. We were cooking in the kitchen and it was just the 2 of us, for a change, there is usually a kitchen full of girls wanting to cook. Everyone else was busy with other things. She was cutting up tomatoes and I was busy telling her how clever and helpful she is, and thanking her for helping me and keeping me company. She then said, "Do you know why you I do it?". I asked why and she said, "Because I love you." Motherhood is so worth it!

Bible School

Grant is busy running a mini Bible School on the college land. There are 7 Pastors that have come in from rural churches to receive teaching for a few days. Grant, Jonas and Pastor Musonda are doing the teaching and we have some Zambian ladies doing the cooking. It is an event that everyone seems to enjoy and the Pastors are always asking when the next one will be.

Weekly Classes

Grant's weekly Bible classes are doing well. Many students or past students bring their children (over 10 years) to study with them. It started when Joel began attending class with Grant. His students then realised what a benefit it would be to their own children, and so his Wednesday evening class has a number of children in it too. The children are all connected to a parent who is currently studying or has done the classes in the past. It is wonderful to see just how much our son Joel has grown in his faith from attending the classes. He is even determined to pay for the books himself with money that he has worked for. Sam is a young boy who is using his late father's books. His father did the courses a number of years ago but sadly passed away. Sam began coming to the classes with another friend whose father was Grant's top student.

Art Classes

Lorna and the kids have started going to art classes held by a renowned Zambian artist here in Mbala. Mr Zulu is quite famous for his artwork and has started giving free art lessons to whomever wishes to attend. At the moment I have not had the time to go, but Lorna has been taking the children on a Saturday morning and they are really enjoying it. Hope seems to be the one that loves it the most and is doing very well.

Orphinia

Last week a friend of ours drove through our gate with a newborn calf! The mother had rejected the calf and they did not have milk to feed it. So they decided to give her to us as they knew that we always have a calf or two living in our yard that is bottle fed by one of the kids. She is very sweet, we have named her Orphinia! She is Charley's calf to feed.

Lorna

It has been a huge help having Lorna here to teach the children math. It has taken a load off Grant who used to do it with them. She is busy trying to work out the logistics of the resource centre. We need to find a shop or place in town where we can start the library, but at the moment we are getting all the resources together and looking at getting everything catalogued. She has got to find her feet in a different culture and to get herself adjusted to life here first though. She seems to be adjusting very well considering she has lived alone for many years and now lives in a very lively, noisy, busy household!

Zambia...and South Africa

With the death of the Zambian President, we are not sure of who will be the next man to run the country. Please pray for Zambia and that the right man will be elected. Zambia has been doing so well and the economy has grown so much in the 10 years we have been here.
Please pray for our home country of South Africa too. We now have a new president after our previous president was forced to resign. South Africa needs our prayers. People are suffering due to the rise in the costs of food and fuel etc. Many people are going through some hard times.

Please keep us all in your prayers and we remember you in ours. Thank you for your support and for your prayers.

Praise God For:
- His Continual Provision
- - For our wonderful children
- - For Lorna coming to serve here
- - For the Growth in Grant's students

Please pray for:
- Zambia
- - South Africa
- - Our Safety
- - For our Support
- - For us as parents to raise our children right before the Lord

With Love,
Lynne Schaefer and Family

From The Kitchen Table

2008-10-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

SCHAEFER FAMILY NEWS
From The Kitchen Table
The Desk of Lynne Schaefer

September 2008

Lorna and Luke

" Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
James 4:8

Dear Family and Friends

The Joy of Being in Our Own Home

We are so glad to be back into our normal routine and in our own home. It makes a big difference for me as a mom to be back into our school routine and the usual routine of running a home. The children are much more settled and happy in their own environment. We enjoy all the hard work and effort it takes to keep life going here. Grant and Joel are up at 6 am every morning, working in the garden before breakfast to keep the veggie's coming into the kitchen, and we girls keep the meals on the table. We are so blessed to be able to live on this little farm. When times are hard, there is always something to eat. We have pigs in the pen, ducks, cows and chickens for eggs. If there is no money in the purse there is always food in the yard or garden. Last month we ate our turkey. He tasted terrible, rather like eating an old leather boot! But it was food. We lose so much of our support in the exchange rate - but we realize that the Lord still provides for us through the farm.

Aunty Lorna comes to Stay....For Good!

My sister Lorna has come to Zambia on a long term basis. She will start a resource centre in town. Grant and I have had it on our hearts to start one for years but have never had the time to do it. We prayed for someone to come and help us by starting one and the Lord did not just send anyone - he sent my sister who is also my best friend! Our kids adore her and we stand amazed at how the Lord works. Lorna was a very successful financial administrator of a high-tech engineering company but felt called by God into the ministry. She gave up her very "cushy" life to come up here to work for the Lord. We continue to see how God changes lives and uses them for His Glory! She is also helping me with the home schooling by teaching the children maths. I of course welcome the help!! We are looking for donations of books, Christian literature, or sound biblical teachings on CD, tapes or DVD's to use in the resource centre. The centre will be based in town and available to anyone to come and read, listen to sermons or watch Christian DVD's on various issues.

Luke and His Three Smothers... I mean Mothers

Our little Luke is growing like a weed! We all adore him and his sisters can't get enough of him. Nothing like having a live doll to play with!! They dress him, bath him, change him and pour love on him. The poor boy hardly has space to breathe sometimes! He gets smothered! The other day, someone lent us an ancient heat gun type of contraption. It looks rather similar to a genie lamp! We were mucking around saying if we rubbed it and a genie popped out, what would we wish for? Some of the answers were quite funny but Charley said she would wish for mom to have another baby! The kids love having a baby around; they are so much fun. Luke is such a smiley baby - bringing lots of joy to us all.

Working Hard....

We have been working hard redoing our flower garden. It involves shoveling manure and lots of digging. A friend here in Mbala is helping me to plan out a new garden and plant new flowers and plants etc. It is really going to look great when it is finished. We started when Grant was down in South Africa for his mom's memorial service. We were left here, unable to go and feeling rather lousy about it. So we decided to get stuck in and do some hard graft! Well it sure made the time fly by quicker and wore us all out. By evening the kids were begging to go to bed!! I even got to have the evenings all to myself with just the distant snores of the kids to comfort me. We also harvested the onions which was a huge job! The kids worked so hard - we all had blisters on our hands. Yesterday Charley filled a 90kg bag with manure all by herself! Joel and I had a cow dung flinging competition! What fun!

Missing Granny...

We are all missing Grant's Mom so much. She used to regularly keep in touch by email, so the silence is felt. The children and I also had a hard time in the fact that we were not able to attend the service held for her. It was a very difficult thing for us to have to stay here and not be able to honor her at her memorial service. She was a wonderful lady and was loved by all. We miss her.

Enjoying Visitors...

We recently had a team of visitors up from South Africa. Joel was so blessed to have his friend, Joshua, come up with the team. It was such a treat for him. He and his best friend , Friday, enjoyed Josh so much. We never saw the boys until feed time, they were so busy with all kinds of "boys" stuff! Like making bows and arrows and shooting Joel's pellet gun and the like. Josh even helped in the garden each morning before breakfast. My friend Di also came and was such a huge help with the kids and cooking. It's always such a blessing having visitors. Pastor Jonathan and Henlo went with Grant to a conference in the bush and were well received. They were given gifts and Pastor Jonathan was asked to preach more than he had planned on!

We continue to thank God for His provision and help in our our work here. Grant continues to get new students and he has become a real member of the community here. He has become accepted and loved by the people. We had so many visitors come and pay respects to us at the loss of Helen. Fourteen pastors came, church leaders and twenty five ladies came all to grieve with us. They brought funeral gifts and money which is part of their custom. We were amazed. They knew Helen as she had been up here twice to visit us and they felt the need to mourn her too.

Please keep us all in your prayers and we remember you in ours.

Please pray for:

* Us as we continue to grieve the loss of Grant's mom
* For Lorna to settle in well and for guidance as she begins planning the resource centre
* For God's continual provision during the increase in cost of living etc.
* For the safety of us as a family.

With Love,

Lynne Schaefer and Family

From The Field

2008-07-06T02:29:00.000-07:00

From the Field
News Update
July 2008

"The clock of life is wound but once
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop,
At late or early hour."
Anonymous

" Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Psalm 90:12

Dear Friends

We greet you all in the precious Name of Jesus. Wow it has been a while since I last wrote. So much has happened both exciting and tragic that I would probably need to write a book to share all our experiences. This year so far has been a very unsettling and challenging year for us in so many ways. It started out by me driving the family down to Cape Town at the beginning of January. Lynne was expecting our 5th child in March and we felt that it was wise for her to be out of a malaria area during the last few months of her pregnancy. After the 6 day drive (4500Km, 2600miles) we arrived safely in Cape Town.

The Lord provided a wonderful place for us to stay and we thank Christine so much for letting us stay in her home while she was a way. After 3 days settling the family in, I returned to Mbala, by flying to Lusaka, Zambia and then catching the bus to Mbala. I believe that so much can be learnt about a country and its people when you use their transport system. It is both challenging and enlightening. While back in Mbala I was able to leave some work for the Bible Students for while I was away in Cape Town for the birth of Luke. Around mid February I then made my way back to Cape Town to be reunited with my family. On the 6th of March Luke Daniel was born to us and what a gift. We thank the Lord that a wonderful friend of ours from Kasama in Zambia was with us holidaying in Cape Town. She is a midwife in a Rural Clinic near us and often has to give our children their immunizations. It was such a delight for Lynne to have her there when Luke was born. We opted for a home birth and it really worked out so well.

During this time my Mom had a black out due to her blood pressure and smashed her ankle in the process. As many of you are aware she is fighting cancer and has been for the last two and a half years. She has been very brave and has been such an inspiration to me as she leans on God for her daily strength. As a family our plans were that we would be returning to Zambia around April, but due to my Mom's condition Lynne and I felt that it might be best that we spend some time with her. Besides breaking her ankle and having to move into a Frail Care Facility she was also informed that there was no more treatment available to treat her Cancer. Her body was rejecting the Chemo and the Oncologist advised that it may be time to cease the treatment. And so towards the end of April we headed off to Port Elizabeth to spend some time with my Mom. As a family we thought that this may be the last quality time that we have with her. As it turned out it was a wonderful time although mixed with a lot of emotion. Towards the end of June we decided that we had to return to Mbala and so we once again took the long road North. The trip went well and we praise the Lord for no break downs even though we were quite heavily laden. We arrived home to find that our staff had taken good care of the place, but despite this we had a dog and a cat that had died. One of our cows was bitten by a snake, but they managed to save that.

Returning again we were faced with the accounts of a number of folks who had passed away while we had been gone. When you leave they seem so healthy and then all of a sudden after a short illness they die. Every time we return we discover this and it is quite emotional as life just seems to come and go. As a family we took some time out just to settle and readjust. There was lots of unpacking and rearranging to be done. We spent a number of days in our vegetable garden to get it cleaned up nicely. So at the moment we have some vegetables, mainly lettuce and carrots coming in now. We also have a big field of onions which we transplanted before I left in February. Although we lost a number of seedlings due to the heavy rains we should harvest enough for the year.

On the ministry front we are about to get going again. Ba Jonas, our evangelist, went to evangelize in a village about 30Km from us and was accused of being Satanists. This is quite common up here when folks enter and area and are not known in the area. It really is all about relationships. They were told once they are known they will be heard. Other exciting ministry opportunities are becoming available in the rural areas. The struggle that we face is that these areas are not close and require fuel for the vehicle to reach. Our current cost of diesel per liter is R 20.00 per liter or US$ 12.85 per gallon. I want to make some more diesel but my oil source has dried up so I need to find other alternatives. We do pray that we can find a solution to this challenge. The classes are about to resume in the next few weeks. I have just been informed that I need to return to South Africa again to spend the last few days with my mom. As soon as I return to Mbala the classes will begin.

We are still awaiting the result of a project proposal we were asked to submit regarding a poverty alleviation scheme using Soya Beans and manufacturing Bio Diesel. We have had a very positive response from the government, but now just await a formal reply. Fuel has become worth more than gold in these parts. I am sure that all of you are also having to adjust your finances due to the increase in fuels. The challenge out here is that your distances are so vast.

Another wonderful answer to pray is that Lorna Bucklow, Lynne's sister, will be joining us at the end of August on a permanent basis to start a reading and tape Library in Mbala. We have felt that this would be a wonderful resource for the believers here, but have just not had the time to get it going. She has also offered to help us with some of our schooling of the children. Do pray for her as she settles up things in South Africa and begins a new life here in Mbala.

Lastly, while we were down in Cape Town we were introduced to blogging. We have set up a blog site where we will post the newsletters with more pictures. We are restricted in our emails due to our very slow and costly connection speed. So if you would like to see more pictures then please see the link at the bottom of the page.

We must take this opportunity to thank each one of you for your prayer and financial support. We realize that under the current economic climate we are all having to readjust our priorities on where our hard earned money should be going. We thank you that you still consider us on that list. May the Lord bless you as you bless others.

Praise God for you!!!

Praise Items:

Praise God for the safe birth of our son Luke.
Praise God for the wonderful time we had with family and friends while in South Africa.
Praise the Lord that we covered so many kilometers without any incident.
Thank the Lord that the ministry continued in some areas while we are away.
Thank the Lord that we were able to spend a month with my Mom before she weakened too much..
We praise the Lord Jonas continues to minister faithfully in the villages.
We praise the Lord that we have good health.
We thank the Lord for each of you who encourage us, pray for us and help us financially, despite also having to face the struggles of daily life.

Prayer items:

Please do pray that the Lord may protect Lynne and the children while I return to be with my Mom.

We do ask you to pray that we may be able to find a solution to the ongoing increasing cost of fuel.
Please pray for Ba Jonas as he continues to reach out to villages with the Gospel.
Please also do pray that in some way we will be able to get to some remote villages on a regular bases for teaching.
Please do pray for Lorna, Lynne's sister as she comes up to join us at the end of August.
We ask you to pray for the new students that the Lord would give them a love for His Word.
Do pray that God may enable us to continue to be a light for Him in Mbala. May our actions and attitudes speak louder than our words.

"Witness for Christ with your life
As well as your lips."

In His service

Grant Schaefer

PS .Please note our new Cell number.

email: mbala5@yahoo.co.uk

blog: http://www.grantandlynneschaefer.blogspot.com/

homepage: http://www.taila.org.za/

Cell: +260976152411

From The Kitchen Table May 2008

2008-05-08T02:51:00.000-07:00

SCHAEFER FAMILY NEWS
From The Kitchen Table
The Desk of Lynne Schaefer

May 2008

"Holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of

Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain."
Philippians 2:16

Dear Family and Friends

What are the Schaefer's up to?

Well, at the moment we are in transit back up to Zambia via Port Elizabeth. Grant's mother, Helen, broke her ankle after a fall from passing out. She has been in and out of hospital a few times the last few months and we are here to spend some time with her. She will no longer have any chemotherapy as it is no longer helping her. She was in a lot of pain from the cancer but the doctor has now put her on morphine, so she no longer feels pain. She is now in a frail care facility where she will most likely stay. We will head back up to Zambia as soon as we feel she is well cared for. It is a difficult time for us as we are both desperate to get back home - and also very concerned for the well being of our mom. We both feel that it is our responsibility to care for our parents when they are unable to care for themselves. But, our situation as missionaries in another country makes this very difficult for us to do. It has been a very stressful time for Grant as he is very concerned for his mother. We will most likely head back home in the next week or two.

We had such a great time while in Cape Town. Before we left we stayed with some very good friends of ours. It was such a joy to stay with them and be a part of their family for a few weeks. We learned so much from them in the short time we were with them. We are now really missing all our friends and family. We are also missing our church and the input from our pastor. We will miss the excellent sermons and the fellowship we got each Sunday.

Motherhood

At the moment motherhood is rather overwhelming for me. We are staying in Grant's mother's little house. It is very small for a family of our size. The kids are all sleeping on a sleeper couch like four soldiers in a row. They are not at all bothered by it as they are used to sleeping anywhere. But, they are also not used to staying in a very small house. The house is in a complex and there are lots of other kids around. Some of the children are rather mean. One boy was rather nasty to Charley and threatened to puncture her bicycle tyre. At least she had the sense to just ride off and ignore him. Joel went out and put a tract in their post box. He also asked them if they go to church. But, now they have got to know the kids and all the kids seem to hang out around our little house. They are no longer nasty to our children. They all seem to come from bad homes. We seem to attract kids and cats. The neighbours cats seems to think he would rather live with us. It can been quite stressful not being in your own home and always being in an "on the move" mode. I am trying to fit school in and keep some kind of routine. It is obvious that the kids are missing their own home and routine. However, we both feel that we need to be here in Port Elizabeth at this time. I know that God will give me the patience and strength as we remain in this transit mode.

Luke

Luke has been a very fussy baby to breast feed. That is something I am not used to as I fed all the others with no problem. I am persevering in the feeding though, as I know it is what best for him and is weight is fine. He is definitely growing. He is now smiling and cooing. He has all his sibling oooing and aaaahing all over him all the time. Poor chap, I am sure he will survive it. He wakes up quite a few times at night. We all love him so much and are so thankful to have him.

What Smells Like That?

Grant has desperately been trying to save us money by making bio-diesel. It has been a noose around his neck since he started. He is now buying used oil here in PE, filtering it, adding some paraffin and throwing it into our tank. It seems to be working and it is saving us money. It costs half the price to fuel. We are driving around here on it. The fuel in South Africa just keeps on going up in price. But it is not nearly as expensive as it is in Zambia. In Zambia it is nearly R20 a liter. Whenever we start the car in the morning it smells like fish and chips! Yum!

Please keep us all in your prayers and we remember you in ours.

Please pray for:

* Grant's mother Helen and her health
* For our long trip ahead in the next few weeks
* For God's continual provision during the increase in cost of living etc.
* For the safety of us as a family.

With Love,

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia and Luke.

mbala5@yahoo.co.uk

P.O.Box 420032MbalaZambia.

Tel +260 9778 69880

From The Kitchen Table

2008-04-28T00:32:00.000-07:00

SCHAEFER FAMILY NEWS

The Desk of Lynne Schaefer

April 2008

"The Future is in God's Hands"

Greetings to you all!

This newsletter is well overdue! I was going to feel guilty and beat myself up over not writing it sooner - but I have decided to give myself a break and just happily write it even though it's late!

It has been a rather busy few months for us Schaefer's. We are still in Cape Town trying desperately to get everything done that needs to get done whilst here. Time just seems to be running away from us and we find ourselves with a back-log of things to do. We are, however, very proud to be parents of 5 wonderful children. We are so grateful for the safe arrival of our little Luke! He is such a sweetie and is getting a serious overdose of love and attention. I am convinced that he pretends to be asleep most of the time just to have a little peace from his siblings who all adore him.

The Birth of Luke

The birth went well. Luke came a few days early which was wonderful. He was born on 6th March and weighed only 2.9kg, a skinny little boy with legs that looked like chicken bones! He is so sweet. He hardly moved when he was in my tummy, he was a very laid back boy while in there. Now that he is out he is just the same. Laid back like his dad! I had a home-birth in the wonderful home we have been staying in. Ester, our German missionary midwife friend, came down from Zambia for a 2 week break in Cape Town. We were so hoping that Luke would be born while she was here - she had done all my ante-natal care while I was still in Zambia. She was with me the whole day I was in labor and Luke was born the day before she was due to leave! God answered our prayers and she got to be at the birth. (She then had problems with her flights back to Zambia and got to stay for a few extra days). It was great. My sister Lorna was also there and we had a wonderful midwife who did the delivery with Ester to assist her. I had another waterbirth and it all went smoothly. The only downside to having a baby at home is that it is difficult to rest with 4 other kids running around and wanting to see the new baby. Olivia walked in the morning after the birth and saw Luke and said, "What's that baby doing in Luke's clothes?". She did not realize that the baby was actually Luke. She had helped pack all the baby clothes in the drawers days before Luke arrived.

Our Stay in Cape Town

We have had a wonderful time whilst here in Cape Town. Grant came down from Zambia on the 14th February. The kids and I have at least had a holiday but he has been so busy since he came down that he has not been able to have much of a break. We have been able to visit with friends and family and attend our own church! The children and I spent many days on the beach when the weather was fine. Joel has been learning to surf and was even given a wet-suit. The girls have enjoyed collecting shells on the beach and building sand castles. We went to a variety of beaches and the children would play while I just sat on my deck chair with my bulging belly! We have so enjoyed having a library to go to, having other moms to visit and friends popping in for coffee. Now that Luke has arrived the beach days are few and far between. Grant had to go up to a church in Johannesburg for a few days and we will soon be heading off to Port Elizabeth to see Grant's mom. We will be in Cape Town for a few more weeks and then we will head back up to Zambia. It's a long drive - with 5 children now!

Happy Birthdays!

Olivia just had her 3rd birthday and Charley will soon be turning 6. Olivia is really talking nicely now. Charley is still very shy and not much of a peoples person. She warms up once she knows you but she is not as outgoing as her siblings. Grant and I just celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary.

How am I Coping?

So, how am I coping? That is a question that so many have asked me. Well, at the moment I am feeling the stress of not being in my own home. The kids not having their toys and all the space around to ride their bikes and just run! Being here is a different kinds of busy that we are not used to. I am also feeling very tired and emotional - a normal state of having a new baby! The children are all missing their Zambian home and looking forwards to going back. I am anxious about the long drive to get there and the rising diesel costs! But, we know that God is in control. He has always provided for us and we know that he will never let us down. Each day I pray for his protection and provision for our little family.

A Big Thank You

A big thank you to all of you for your prayers and gifts for little Luke. We have been so blessed with so many baby clothes, nappies and gifts for him. Thank you everyone! I have not had time to write emails the past few weeks. But, thanks to all those who sent us emails!

Prayers and Praise:

Praise God for:

* The safe arrival of Luke
* God's provision and safely while we traveled to Cape Town and while Grant traveled
* God's provision of baby things and needs while in Cape Town
* For the wonderful House of Christine, Ethel and John, that we were able to stay in while in Cape Town
* For the spiritual input from our Church and Pastor while down here
* For the help from family and friends while Grant was away and while we have been here

Please pray for:

* A safe trip back to Zambia
* For God to continue to provide with the rising costs and depreciating Rand. As the Rand gets lower it affects us greatly in Zambia as we get much less when we change it into Kwatch.
* For the safety of all the children as we go back into a malaria area.
* For Grant's mom, Helen, who has not been well.
* For me as a mother to have patience and joy as well travel and camp all the way back to Zambia

God bless you all.

With Love,

Lynne Schaefer and Family

Grant, Joel, Hope, Charley, Olivia and Luke

mbalamama@yahoo.co.uk
mbala5@yahoo.co.uk

P.O.Box 420032MbalaZambia.

Tel +260 9778 69880