2009

Pat (Grandma) worked real hard to get a green house setup for health related plants.

Everybody waves "Bye" after a training. They'll head home down dusty roads for a whole day on the back of trucks and in vans.

They all get a parting gift of an orange with the orange trees on the property here produced.

Talking about dusty and bumpy roads. They can wreak havoc. This will eventually be replaced.

For now though, a little clean up, regreasing, and new boot to seal the dust out will take care of it. Nothing a Mozambican shade tree mechanic can't handle.

The 1st Wednesdya of every month we ride out 45 minutes to get training on 'Farming God's Way'. We love Mike. He spend 30 years as a farmer in Zimbabwe running many farms at the same time. He's very hands on.

This demonstration plot of corn will demonstrate what we'll be doing planting at the end of November.

While we're out at the farm we might as well take the opportunity to get some chicken manure for our compost piles.

Now, back out our little farm. We have a LOT of work to do clearing the land! 10 or so big trees to cut down and remove the stump. All by hand. (Why did I sell my chain-saw before I left the U.S.?)

Melissa always does a great job keeping us workers from getting thirsty and hungry. Couldn't do it without her!

This one will be a big job!

We first have to get all the branches off.

We take advantage of the smaller leafy branches to cover the ground to protect against the torrid heat and give something back to the soil.

All the logs get carried away for firewood. (Actually much of it will go to burn clay bricks for our well.)

Esther had a bunch of girls for a sleep-over.

Every Tuesday night, the English speaking youth get together for some singing, spiritual encouragment, and games. This time, we hosted it and spoke about the dangers of cults sharing the movie 'The Wave' and our experience in the 'Boston Movement' or 'International Churches of Christ' back in 1988 to 1991. What an eye opener.

We invited our property works over for some volley ball and a movie. They rarely play sports so hardly know what to do, but with a little coaching they did great!

They really got into it and we're as shy as we thought they would be.

The kids are ready to eat and watch the MOVIE! What a treat!

Well, I love FRUIT! So, I couldn't resist climing the Guava tree again for nice yellow (and pink inside) guava. Yumm!!

Remember this one from our newsletter? Antonio (the Church planter and co-worker on the property here) as a boy heard his father say that if ever he ran across a rare small snake with white strips to know that would be a day he would have something terrible happen and likely even DIE. The superstition is widely circulated. One day during the war before they went in search of the enemy he saw one. They were soon ambushed. He practically died of fright, certain he would be killed. He survived. Well this month on his way home he saw the snake for the 2nd time in his life. He's no longer superstitious, so he just took his machette and said, "in the name of Jesus I finish you off" and killed the snake.