At last I am able to take a few minutes to update our blog. Again sorry to all of those waiting to hear from the team…communication has been challenging to say the least!
The ladies are more beautiful than ever and it is so good to see them all so full of joy! The team finally was able to meet them on Monday morning and there was quite the celebration! Equally as exciting was getting to meet the five new widows; Marina, Perusi, Jacqueline, Felecite and Belancila. They are learning so fast and have been very well received by the original ten! It is such a miracle to look at all of them busy at work as they sing and take care of each other. I love my job!
We are so thrilled to be preparing to receive 20 merino ewes from Kenya in the next couple of weeks. They will join 2 South African rams already residing on our property here. Naturally, we expect our flock to be flourishing in about 5 months! However, it has become quite apparent that we will need more sheep as soon as possible and more land before this time. This is definitely a prayer request!
Our goal is to get a shed/shelter for the sheep by next Monday or Tuesday. The pen is approximately 28’ x 12’, with a concrete foundation, 3 doors and skylights! I’m sure it will be the best sheep pen in all of Africa! I’m told it would be a great pen in Texas – so that works for me! We hired some local folks to build and pour the floor and this first stage should be finished by tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile most of our team has been focusing on further securing the fence that last summer’s team built around the property.
A few of us, on the other hand, have been expanding our “core-competency” by trying to determine the best method for cleaning this beautiful wool which does not really start out so “beautiful”. Actually it is pretty disgusting and I was told that washing “sheep poo” out of the fleeces was not in the True Vineyard Ministries documentation anywhere. We’ll have to work on that… Clearly it’s going to be a needed skill-set for any TVM employee or volunteer!
Tonight, my friends Jock and Max (Team Rwanda) took the team to Virunga Lodge, which sits high upon a mountain that overlooks some of the most amazing views of the seven volcanoes and area lakes. I had never been there and it was just gorgeous and such a wonderful and deserved treat for all of us. Wow! So amazing to see how many details God put into his creation. So cool to know he is who created us too!
As always, I am blessed to have a team that is so knowledgeable about so many things like fences and leading worship (KP Rocks) and so surprised to watch our 73-year old teammate, Janette thoroughly beat Rachel and me in arm wrestling... Sweet, sweet Tammy is keeping me centered and Jaimy is keeping the group on task. Please continue to pray for a spirit of cooperation and for lives to be changed over our time here! Thank you for your continued prayers!
Blessings,
Diana
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