Back in Full-Team Mode

It’s great to be back in full-team mode as the Ostranders arrived up here on February 5. We haven’t been altogether up here since September of 2019, when Lisa and the girls got very sick and, along with Emilee, left here to get medical treatment; Miles and I stayed behind. One week later, the current “war” began in earnest. Since then, Miles, Lisa, and I have been able to get up here, but not Emilee and the girls. So, is the conflict over? No, but this is where we live and serve.

Offloading the precious cargo.

Grandpa’s happy to have his girls back…

… as is Grandma!

The girls gravity to where the action is. Bella, who turns six in March and Sophia, who turns five in May, picked up right where they left off when they were last here, but Aimee, who turns three in April, was only a year and a half when she left so has a whole “new” world to explore.

This wringer is still ranks as one of the greatest things we’ve ever brought up here.

Ruthie has some new “wheel.”

Miles is immediately going full tilt using his building and mechanical skills to get everything back in order on our property, the school/university, and beyond. Miles will soon begin a training/mentoring program with one of the older orphan boys which might turn into a trial run for something more expansive in the future.

Among Emilee’s passions are healthcare and nutrition so, once she gets her family settled into the volunteer house, she’ll begin assessing the current situation and re-evaluating the plan for healthcare/nutrition awareness and training that she and Lisa had ready to enact just before they had to leave Minembwe.

Lisa is “command central” for most of our projects and is back to juggling her myriad of duties. Lisa is working closely with the university to provide answers/solutions to the needs of the community, especially now that the population has swelled due to all of the refugees. Lisa also directs our own garden program which provides food for our home, and helps to feed the orphans as well as the staff of the university; a good portion of Lisa’s time is actually spent in the gardens. Lisa is also our liaison with the orphanage, as well as our bookkeeper; Lisa never sleeps.

My main role, other than to encourage/advise/walk beside the manager of the orphanage, is to oversee the spiritual development for the students at the university and the primary and secondary schools, as well as to work with these schools to further develop their English curriculum. Along with Miles, I disciple and mentor a group of young men with weekly verse-by-verse Bible studies.

Thanks to everyone for standing alongside of us during our long endeavor to get back up here.

Somehow! - Michael