Fellow Saints,

 

We are back in Livingstone Zambia after our journey into the deserts of Western Zambia. Due to some information and support from our group in Australia we were able to make the trip by 4 -wheel-drive instead of by ox cart and on foot. It was still a grueling journey of over 800 kms on deeply rutted sandy roads and that was before we left the roads to go across a sandy plain to a remote village. The four wheel drive made it possible for us to carry in some huge bundles of clothes and food for the people of the village.

 

Almost 400 believers gathered from isolated local churches as far off as Namibia and Angola. We had four great days opening the Word and encouraging these believers in their faith. As always we learned and gained as much from them, if not more, than we gave. Nan and I stayed in a small round mud hut with thatched roof and dirt floor, where we slept on reed mats. The people here are very poor and living a harsh existance of daily survival. Just this year fires burned through their crops destroying most of them, and the rest were finished when a herd of elephants came through devouring what remained. Yet they are happy and joyful people who were eager to hear the Word taught. On our way out we bogged the four wheel drive to the axles and it was a good opportunity to apply things I had been teaching about thanking God in all circumstances. With the help of our Zambian team who were riding with us we were able after a time to get unbogged and on our way.

 

We are now in Livingstone spending four days teaching a small group here. On Friday we will start our long journey home through Australia. We are so thankful for the prayers and support of the faithful believers in America and Australia who make it possible for us to be a living epistle of the love of Christ to these people.

 

We just received word by email about a young soldier named Samuel Brown. He and his family were in our church in Conway Arkansas. He was fighting in Afghanistan and his humvee was hit by an IED and he has severe 2nd and 3rd degree burns. One soldier was KIA and a number of others were also injured. If you could please make this a seperate urgent prayer request. This young soldier is now in Germany and will be flown back to Texas for continued medical care. Please pray also for his parents, Scott and Tanya Brown.

 

We also ask for continued prayer for Cody and Amy. They are still awaiting a change of orders that would allow her to join him in Japan.

 

In His grace,

Gene and Nan