The Great Physician, the great physicians who serve here, and our encounter with malaria!

Oh the life-giving work of missionary doctors! This past week, my heart was full of thankfulness for our friends who work so hard as doctors here in Angola ... as we came face-to-face with one of the realities of life in Africa--malaria!

Last weekend, we noticed Ethan catching a cold, followed by a fever, vomitting, lethargy, shallow breathing and a rapid heart rate. Fearing the worst, we took him to CEML, a missions hospital here in Lubango, to get checked out by one of the incredible doctors that we are blessed to call friends. Sure enough, the malaria test came back positive--and we were admitted to the hospital.

Malaria is not difficult to cure if it found early and treatment given. Ethan made a quick recovery, and after only two nights, we were home, where I could give him the ongoing treatment. We were so thankful for CEML and particularly, our awesome doctor friend, OB-GYN Sarah Hudgins, from Canada.

Needless to say, this experience opened my eyes for the first time to the realities of life in Angola. Even though it was just a glimpse, as any parent can attest, seeing your child helpless and sick will never cease to break your heart. I KNOW this is the same for North Americans as it is for Angolans. So I can only imagine how much heartbreak the average Angolan goes through in their life--as sickness and death are so prevalent here. Does one ever get used to it? I don't think so.

We were blessed to have the finances and the ability to access quality healthcare. Not all Angolans do. Those way out in the "mata" (rural areas) may never see a doctor or any reliable source of medications. (Although MAF flies some doctors who do incredible work in these areas.) Even those in the city frequently lack the money or transportation to get to a good hospital or buy the needed medicine.

Hospitals like CEML are a huge ministry--delivering quality healthcare in the name of Jesus Christ. The doctors, who come from Canada, US, Europe, and Angola, as well as the nurses, other staff, and administrators, work so hard. They are fighting in a battle that frequently lacks victories. This rainy season has been particularly rough--malaria abounds, as well as cholera, yellow fever, and other illnesses. The economic crisis has limited the ability of people to pay for healthcare. This, on top of the regular everyday occurrences which bring patients to the hospital--motor cycle collisions, for example, or children swallowing coins, or the ever present problem of cataracts and blindness.

Thankfully, in this battle against all the terrible woes of life in Africa, we serve the Great Physician, Doctor of Doctors. Prayer is our powerful weapon. God sent His only son to experience the joys and pains of life on earth, and He is sympathetic to his people. He is capable of healing us physically, whether through miracles or modern healthcare, but more importantly, He is capable of healing us spiritually. Regardless of our present health, our bodies will perish, and the state of our spiritual well-being with God is what matters most.

So this week, I am thankful for doctors, and nurses, and healthcare professionals who serve in Jesus' name everywhere--in Canada, but even more so, in areas of great need. They are the wonderful hands and feet of Jesus. Please lift up the doctors here in Angola in your prayers, as they fight through a terrible rainy season, working as hard as they can with whatever resources they have available.

If you want to learn more, may I suggest a few awesome websites? The first is the incredibly interesting and insightful blog of Dr. Tim, one of the missionary doctors MAF flies around to rural clinics. His blogs are amazing! Here's the link to his most recent blog: http://kubackisinangola.com/2016/03/20/miracle-blame-two-men-purposes/ He is an incredible witness for Christ in some of the MOST isolated places in Angola. If you feel led, please donate towards medications--as the places he visits are in DIRE need of basic medications: donate here through SIM Project "Rural Health Care--Angola." This goes directly towards his flying doctor ministry.

Second, here is the link for CEML hospital here in Lubango. Get a sense of what our awesome colleagues and friends are doing and what life is like in Angola. Check out what they are doing--and if you really like it, donate or COME HERE TO VISIT! We can personally attest to the great ministry of this hospital.

Arrived at the hospital and got Ethan hooked up to some oxygen. 

Family bed and breakfast time. Ethan got really used to his carrier in the hospital,
as it was the only way to get him to sleep. 

Lovely nurses took care of us. Here, measuring his vitals.

Community building!

Hello! As I sneak in some blog "catch-up" while Ethan is sleeping, I am filled with thankfulness for the past few weeks. I am working on writing two very different blogs--this one, about our school/Mitcha picnic, and another about our recent run-in with malaria. I will post up both blogs today or tomorrow.

Last weekend, we enjoyed a wonderful picnic and friendly soccer match at the Mitcha compound. All the missionary families from the compound were invited, as well as the families from the international school, which is located on the compound. The goal was to foster community between those who live and work at Mitcha, and the families whose children attend the school. Myself and a few others collaborated to run the event. I must personally give credit to Graham Buchanan, our dear Community Connections pastor back in London, for always inspiring me to try and build community wherever we live. God has given him a great gift for community building--and I thought, "What would Graham do here in Lubango to build community?"

The picnic was a lot of fun--both kids and adults played, and the younger kids had the own giant soccer ball to play with. We had a great turn out--at least half of the school families, and most of the missionary families! We also enjoyed a dip in the pool! The school kids LOVE the pool, and even though it was raining, it was a party!

Here's a few pics from the event, thanks to our friend Isaline. Pray for the ministry of the school, as well as the ministries of the missionaries on the compound!

Guys this is AWESOME!

So, two weeks ago, MAF folks went crazy posting this video ... and for a good reason! I confess, I just watched it now (I, being Kelly) ... and I wish I watched it sooner. What a great way to explain the importance of MAF's work--and how anyone can use their "super powers" (aka. money, time, energy, abilities, gifts, opportunities, etc.) for good. MAF pilots and mechanics are awesome, and they really truly do some incredible flying and fixing--but so are the people that fly with MAF. In my opinion, they are the REAL superheroes. One of the greatest pleasures of working for MAF has been meeting some of our friends here who daily use their "superpowers" for good. Over the next few blogs, I'd like to profile some of them, as well as some of our MAF Angola staff, so you can get to know our friends here.

In the meantime, enjoy this video. It does a GREAT job explaining the legacy of MAF, why our flights matter, and if this doesn't inspire some of you to want to become pilots (or mechanics, wink, wink), I don't know what will!

I still have a lot to learn ...

This blog might be a bit scattered ... it's a collection of thoughts I have had the last few weeks, and after some contemplation, the only common theme I could find for them was: "I still have a lot to learn ..."

Disclaimer: if you're looking for an update about our life over the past few weeks, that is not what this blog contains. But I will update Facebook with some of those details!

National Crisis
Angola is going through a crisis ... it's all over the news, it's all that's on anyone's minds. As a country with a primarily oil-dependent economy, Angola has taken a huge blow this year with the drop in oil prices. Sadly, this has made life more difficult for a lot of people, particularly the poor. I struggle with my role in all of this: what does a "rich" Canadian do? What on earth do I say? It's easy enough for me to say "God will provide ..." but it doesn't seem genuine considering the crisis hardly changes much in my lifestyle. What is a missionary's role in such a time?

I still have a lot to learn ...

The Hardest Part in Being a Mom ...
Probably your immediate response to the above question was: you can pray. I know I can. But I've discovered something that perhaps many others have discovered: being a mom is hard. In many ways, but in one of the most challenging and underestimated ways: it's desperately hard on my relationship with God. Do any other moms agree? Or am I the only one?

My life is so "busy"--changing diapers, feeding the baby, working at school, finding time for myself ... that it seems like a task to make time for God. The love and time and energy that I once only spent on Christ and Marcel seems to be split three ways now. I have lost my first love--how my heart was so enthralled with Christ for all He is and does.

I get so caught up in loving my son, but fail to acknowledge that "every good and perfect gift" is from God--especially my son. My prayer life is weak--at best. And I'm a missionary! Isn't that my job?

I still have a lot to learn ...

Gratitude
Mercifully, God has been working in my life to experience more gratitude. The life of a missionary is one of paradox: amongst those who are poor, it is so easy to be thankful for all that I have (especially in this time of crisis). Yet, when I hear from home, when I scan my social networks ... I feel like we have so little compared to others back at home.

Thankfully, God has truly filled my heart with peace about being here in Angola. And there is nothing like inner peace to make you grateful for all that you have. I am so grateful for life here: the big and the small things. That being said, please always pray for our hearts to be full of gratitude--because life is still quite easy here ... and it may not always be this way, as those well acquainted with the mission field know.

I still have a lot to learn ...

Prayer
This I can truly say has always been one of my biggest struggles in life--to take time and pray. To spend genuine time talking with God. Listening to God. Lifting up my petitions to God. Thanking God. Being still with God.

In a time and a place where I have no idea what to do about a national crisis, how to be a good mom and love God, how to fill my heart with gratitude ... I know prayer is the answer. I WANT to pray. I know the power of prayer. And yet ... and yet ... it's somehow so very difficult to make the time, to focus my attention. I know I'm not alone in this struggle ... can I hear an "Amen"?

So here's my plan of action for this week ... just one little step. It just occurred to me now. It wasn't preplanned, it just came to mind as I was typing. I'm going to commit half an hour each day to prayer until the next blog. I need the accountability and I need motivation--so there it is. A push in the right direction. And who knows how God will work in this ... what little miracles I might see, what changes in my life might occur. At the very least, one very, very good thing will come of it ... time with God.

I still have a lot to learn ...

The "Daily Grind" ... the double entendre of those words seems
to perfectly describe my life.

School! Waterfalls! Pictures!

Last week, I, Kelly, started a new and exciting chapter of my life: teaching at the Mitcha School! For those of you non-Lubangans (hmm ... not exactly sure what you call someone from Lubango) ... Mitcha is an area of Lubango where there is a missionary compound. We do not live on the compound, but several of the missionaries here do--MAF missionaries, SIM missionaries, CEML staff, and a few Angolan families. There is also a little school there, run by Ms Helena, wife of one of the MAF pilots. The school has about 20 kids, and is one of two English schools in town! And now there's a new (volunteer) teacher there ... me!

I was pretty pumped to see the school when we first arrived in Lubango with the thought that one day, I would help out there. It's five rooms in total (including the bathroom) and the kids study using the A Beka and University of Nebraska distance-learning curriculum (that's homeschooling curriculum, in case you were wondering.) All but two of the students speak Portuguese as their first language--so not only are they pushing through some pretty tough independent learning but they are doing it all in a second language! WOW!

Needless to say, they sometimes need help--especially when the kids are all different ages and all different grade levels. I've been helping out three times a week in the mornings, which is not a lot (I'd like to be there every day), but with Marcel working every day and Ethan still so young, it's a start. That being said, we are open to more teachers--so if you want to come teach short or long term on a volunteer basis, LET ME KNOW! We WANT YOU! Added bonus: you can learn a new language while you're here!!!!

While I'm at the school, Ethan hangs out with Siena (Helena's daughter) and Tia Bemvinda, our lovely Angolan caregiver! He has actually adapted super well to being away from Mom--better than I could have hoped. He naps and eats well, and doesn't cry when I leave him. Hooray for small victories!

Over the past months, we've had some awesome opportunities to see just how beautiful our little corner of Angola is. We've seen waterfalls, termite mounds, spectacular lookouts, sunsets, and even chased a zebra (not in the wild, but it was also not behind a fence!)--all within <100 km of Lubango! Angola is God's country--but don't just take our word, come see it!

Finally, Marcel has been very busy at the hangar! It's amazing just how much work is needed to keep three planes running! As Marcel likes to remind me, he's the plane doctor--just like our surgeon friends here, he's got a very difficult and specialized job--and sometimes he has to get right inside the plane! This week's scars and scratches prove his dedication to the job.

Here's a few recent(ish) pics to end off this post:

Our family at Cristo Rei, which overlooks the city of Lubango. 

Next to Cristo Rei, the LUBANGO sign--actually considerably larger than it appears!

There--now you can see the two icons that overlook the whole city.

Forgot to mention, but we've been loving our church. And our church
loves to love people. Sharing the gospel and a Christmas party
in a rural village where one member has formed a close relationship with the people.

Been loving the pomegranates from our front yard. This is Laurindo, one of the MAF staff here.

Great look going on there bud!

Waterfall!

Ethan sitting and picnicking behind the waterfall!

Moving around like crazy!

On a recent visit to a friend's place, we had the opportunity to briefly chat
with this family, of a Southern Angola tribe.

The Mitcha School where I am teaching!

Christmas in Africa and Other Happenings ...

Feliz Natal and Feliz Ano Novo! (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!)

This Christmas was different ... our first Christmas as a family of three, our first Christmas away from home, our first Christmas in Africa!

Thankfully, it was actually NOT as hard as I thought it would be. Maybe it was because it was a green Christmas at home too, or maybe it was because wonderful people invited us in and made it feel like home. Or maybe ... it's because Christmas isn't about snow, or Santa Claus, or traditions, or even family anyway ... it's about Christ.

For to us a child is born,    7 
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,    
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace    
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,   
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness    
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

I can't admit that our minds were always on Christ this Christmas. In fact, at times they definitely wandered back to Canada, and al the lovely times we normally have with family gathered around the table, enjoying opening presents upon presents, even back to Christmas shopping ... something I don't normally enjoy, but with the lack of "Western" stores and malls here ... I admit I even missed that!

However, these last few weeks have brought a lot of glimpses of the true meaning of Christmas. For example, I (Kelly) had the opportunity to go out with a group from our church to deliver Christmas hampers to a rural village and preach the gospel. Wow ... it was so cool to be a part of a group so passionately about Jesus. Not only that, but I got a glimpse at how many Angolans live--rural, remote, and materially poor. Their Christmas was a far cry from the ones I've known--and much closer to that first Christmas than I'll probably ever know or experience.

We also had the opportunity shortly after Christmas to "get away for a few days" and camp on the beach with friends. Believe me, we felt so blessed to be able to do this and escape the city for some much needed fresh air and swimming! Though it's hard to say we're "tired" already, we have been told that recharging is a very important part of missionary life and long-term survival in a different culture. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the beach --Angola has some incredible coastline with a plethora of marine life, incredible landscapes, and virtually no other people! The highlight was definitely the snorkelling, spearfishing, and sunsets on the beach. Sigh ... but back to business now!

2016 is here, and though we don't even know half of what will come our way, there's a lot already to be excited for! A growing MAF ministry in Angola, a new teaching job, a maintenance conference in Kenya for Marcel in February, two weddings in July for Kelly, and a first birthday for Ethan!

Thank you to everyone who is consistently praying for us, or just checking in on us, saying hello via Facebook, Skype, or email! We appreciate it, and we think of you all often in our prayers and day-to-day life!

God bless your 2016, may it be a year rich with God-moments!

Trying to get Ethan and Siena to pose under the tree ... 

... but Ethan had other plans...

... and Siena wasn't thrilled!

Showing the kids his catch while spear fishing.

Beauty of a catch!

Found a scorpion, apparently they glow under a black light.

Our get up on the beach. 

Salome was being so sweet with Ethan (even if it doesn't look like it)!

Amazing sunsets! 

Finally using the toilet mug for coffee!

Moving, ministry, and manual transmissions

So we haven't blogged now in a few weeks ... sorry! But if you're wondering why, it's because we are busy! Busy, busy, busy! So we'll take this time to catch you up on some ministry updates and some personal updates before another week sneaks by without a blog!

Hanging out at the Hangar: a Ministry Update

Marcel has been super busy at the hangar, doing some necessary inspections on the 182, helping to build hangar doors, and doing general hangar organization. It's been quite a few long days, as Lowell is here from the Canadian office to do some training with the pilots and Marcel as well. Over the past couple months, the planes have seen quite a few hours in the air, mostly delivering doctors to various rural hospitals and clinics.

Last night, we (meaning three out of four of the MAF families) had our monthly team meeting--and this one was a special team meeting with Lowell here to share the MAF Canada report on the future work of MAF in Angola. It was encouraging to hear that the board and MAF Canada staff are behind the MAF Angola team, and have a vision to expand the program in the partners we serve, the hours the planes fly, and even adding new runways! I, Kelly, was also encouraged to hear that the board would like to encourage and promote short-term teachers to come to Angola to serve with the International school! (Wink, wink ... please come and live with us!)

Speaking of the school, last week, I had the opportunity to go in for the morning and see the International school and students. I'm looking forward to starting at the school in January part-time! Many of these students are the future leaders of Angola, and I look forward to being back in the classroom and helping these students to achieve their education goals and learn more about Christ.

Finally, on the ministry front, today was our first staff Bible study without Tammy and Gary here helping to lead both the Bible study and the English lesson after with the staff. Fortunately, the Bible study went very well, as we talked about the Christmas story, and Marcel even hijacked the English lesson away from me, taking on the role as "professor" and helping explain the difference between "see" and "look". We both love these weekly Bible studies and English lessons, as it a time of staff bonding and improving our Portuguese. The staff here truly are amazing!

Moving on up: a Personal Update

On a personal front, it's been a busy few weeks! First, our neighbours moved back to Canada. They were such an important part of our transition over here, and we are going to miss them a lot as our apartment complex feels kind of empty without them. The Goertzens served for several years here, and will be missed by many who knew them and experienced their kindness and genuine hearts! We also said goodbye to two other missionary families, one of the families being the Helmholdts, who were working on the runway project here. We are also sad to see them go, as their energetic family brought such life to Lubango! Between helping them move and then moving ourselves, it's been busy. We moved into the Goertzens' old apartment, directly beside ours, and we're happy to report we are loving the upgrades! Just to name a few: couches that don't scare us to sit on (let's just say our others had seen better days!), mosquito nets that don't hang in our faces, a TV (!!!!!!) and a screen door to let in some air!

Ethan is itching to move too ... crawling that is. He's not quite there yet, but he is definitely more mobile! He's got many new friends here as well, including a recently adopted little girl only a few months older than him! Ethan now sleeps through the night, but has a harder time falling asleep without cuddles from mommy! Having a little baby has been such a blessing for us in our transition to Africa, as he helps us meet new people who are curious about the big, white baby! It's been hilarious at times to hear people's reactions, or to see Ethan react to theirs!

Finally, on a personal front, I, Kelly, have learned to drive standard! This has opened up much more freedom for me, as I am now able to drive our vehicle around town for groceries, visits, or to pick up/drop off Marcel at work. Driving is still quite stressful here, as the roads contain many dangers like potholes, speedy motorcyclists, and crowds of mini-bus taxis, not to mention the fact that I still stall pretty frequently! However, it is impressive how smooth things can run with only two traffic lights in the whole city (yes, that's more than a month ago)!

With Christmas coming, but the weather outside sunny and warm, it's been a weird feeling to try and get in the Christmas spirit, but we're getting there, slowly. First, we put up our Christmas tree ... and no, it's not a GREEN Christmas tree, but a BLACK one! How weird is that? Then, I baked some Christmas cookies with the Hall girls, and I've been playing Christmas music almost non-stop. But the real thing that got me in the Christmas spirit was reading through Luke's account of the birth of Christ with our staff yesterday. What a great reminder of the true meaning of Christmas ... it's not about snow, decorations, or even FAMILY, but about God's Son and His saving grace!

Working late at the hangar on the doors

We were so excited that Ethan was actually awake for Tundavala!

Our little family in great big Angola!