On the 28th August we were sitting down to do our family bible time. After a few minutes, zack asks Andrew and I what makes somebody a Christian and how does one become a Christian. We told him that they would need to accept that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and to have a relationship with him by praying to Jesus, reading the bible regularly and trusting in him as you go through life finding the right path that he wants you to take. I asked him if he meant he wanted to become a Christian and he did. I was so excited!...... Andrew prayed for him and it was such a special time. since then we found out his cousin became a Christian on the same day. Gods timing! I was so excited I told family and his teachers at school. A few days later, he shared his news in class. It opened up another discussion about how the children need to commit their own lives to Jesus and being in a Christian family where your family has moved to Chad to serve Jesus here doesn't make you a Christian. It has to be an individual personal relationship for each person with Jesus. Zack continues to want to learn so much about his Christian life and the bible it is a joy to see. We pray that this continues and god will help Andrew and I as his parents to help him in his Christian walk. His teachers are a massive inpact on his life and we are so very thankful for them and the small missionary school, wellspring he,and Esther, attend.
Other news from Chad doesn't really come close! We continue with our daily lives of schooling, Andrew either flying or in the office, and I am at home with Jacob and doing lots of hosting of maf visitors helping us in this programme from other maf programmes whilst we are short staffed.
Jacob is now fully better and just loves toddling about the compound, sitting with the guards and being with Saratou. Each morning he comes with me in the car to drop Zack and Esther at school. As we return and turn into our little dirt road, he gets all excited to be back home. I open the window and as the guard opens the gate to let us drive into the compound, Jacob gets animated, and he shakes hand with the guard as we stop and they talk to him, in French! He smiles and after pulling up by our house and I get him out of the car, he now goes over to them to be with whoever it is is working. He is so sociable and a real cheeky chappy with a love of people, food and being outside, not to mention totally adoring a doting big brother and a fun and caring big sister.
In John 1verse 12 we read "yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God ." I think that sums it up for Zack. I am reminded as I read a daily devotion based on this John 1verses 1-14 that faith is not just to merely believe but it needs to also include active trust. Something I am working on in my walk with the Lord and guiding Zack in his walk with the Lord too.
Monday 12 September 2016
Saturday 13 August 2016
Home for month now.......
The kids and I returned to Chad four weeks ago now. It feels like we have never been away,except the lovely memories that we have of our recent time in the uk. It is hard to explain how when one returns back home to Chad, life in the uk seems all but a memory very quickly, but the feeling of missing family and friends is a few ache and hurt. A friend today, over a cup of tea, described it as life here in Chad gets put on pause when you return to the uk and when you come back to Chad, U.K life gets put on pause.
So when we returned to Chad,Andrew and Saratou had moved most of our belongings over to a new house on the compound from our old flat. We are now in a house enjoying having more space and a garden. This week we ate our first bananas off our banana tree, the kids and I have been planting seeds so we will see how things go and one of the guards is helPing us to keep the garden nice. We feel very thankful to have this new bigger house, even though last night at midnight I spend an hour mopping up rain water from the bedroom. Although I didn't at the time have a totally thankful heart at my situation, God blessed me in only having one room to sort out unlike many Chadians here whose houses are destroyed with this rainy season.
Why you may ask did Andrew not help. well,last Sunday he flew the Ugandan caravan plane that we have been using here whilst our plane has been updated, back to Uganda. He remains there doing medicals and flight test and returns with our Chadian plane on Tuesday. It is hard him being used to do this and leaving me and the kids here again. However, at least it is not six weeks like last year. God has been my strength and comforter this week as just thirty minutes after Andrew left last week, I found blood in Jacobs nappy. They hadn't been the best for a few days before this,but the seeing the blood and owing that Andrew would be away for ten days sent me in a spin for a bit. But God gave me good friends and neighbours in my team and they got us to the clinic to see the dr who gave us medicine for Jacob.he has been so lethargic and tired this week and still poorly, but a bit better. It has been so hard to go through this without Andrew here, and we have had limited email communication as social medical is shut down for security reasons, but again, I find myself calling out to God to walk along side Jacob to heal him and help me look after him, and zack and Esther on my own. God has pleaced people in my path just when I have needed them and a trust in him that is needed with a sick child here in Chad. Jacob has improved but still has a way to go and perhaps another visit to the dr this week, when Andrew is home to be with us and help translate! The challenges of Chad!
This week I am reminded that God will put challenges in our way and it is how we deal with this in our attitude that counts. I have been trying to react with courage and confidence in Christ, growing my character and trusting in Gods faithfulness. it is hard and I rarely get it right at the time, but I have a loving and forgiving God who won't give up on me as I keep walking with him and seeking his ways in all things that he gives me everyday.
Tomorrow is Andrews 40th birthday. It is hard being apart for that, although maybe for me more than him as I am not so sure he is keen to be reminded he won't be in his 30s any more. But the kids and I look forward to celebrating with him later in the week and remembering the many blessings he has given to our family.
So when we returned to Chad,Andrew and Saratou had moved most of our belongings over to a new house on the compound from our old flat. We are now in a house enjoying having more space and a garden. This week we ate our first bananas off our banana tree, the kids and I have been planting seeds so we will see how things go and one of the guards is helPing us to keep the garden nice. We feel very thankful to have this new bigger house, even though last night at midnight I spend an hour mopping up rain water from the bedroom. Although I didn't at the time have a totally thankful heart at my situation, God blessed me in only having one room to sort out unlike many Chadians here whose houses are destroyed with this rainy season.
Why you may ask did Andrew not help. well,last Sunday he flew the Ugandan caravan plane that we have been using here whilst our plane has been updated, back to Uganda. He remains there doing medicals and flight test and returns with our Chadian plane on Tuesday. It is hard him being used to do this and leaving me and the kids here again. However, at least it is not six weeks like last year. God has been my strength and comforter this week as just thirty minutes after Andrew left last week, I found blood in Jacobs nappy. They hadn't been the best for a few days before this,but the seeing the blood and owing that Andrew would be away for ten days sent me in a spin for a bit. But God gave me good friends and neighbours in my team and they got us to the clinic to see the dr who gave us medicine for Jacob.he has been so lethargic and tired this week and still poorly, but a bit better. It has been so hard to go through this without Andrew here, and we have had limited email communication as social medical is shut down for security reasons, but again, I find myself calling out to God to walk along side Jacob to heal him and help me look after him, and zack and Esther on my own. God has pleaced people in my path just when I have needed them and a trust in him that is needed with a sick child here in Chad. Jacob has improved but still has a way to go and perhaps another visit to the dr this week, when Andrew is home to be with us and help translate! The challenges of Chad!
This week I am reminded that God will put challenges in our way and it is how we deal with this in our attitude that counts. I have been trying to react with courage and confidence in Christ, growing my character and trusting in Gods faithfulness. it is hard and I rarely get it right at the time, but I have a loving and forgiving God who won't give up on me as I keep walking with him and seeking his ways in all things that he gives me everyday.
Tomorrow is Andrews 40th birthday. It is hard being apart for that, although maybe for me more than him as I am not so sure he is keen to be reminded he won't be in his 30s any more. But the kids and I look forward to celebrating with him later in the week and remembering the many blessings he has given to our family.
Saturday 2 July 2016
Time flies......
So....... After a few years since writing I thought I must get back to updating people on where we are at......
We still are living in Chad where have we have been for three and a half years now(!). And have added to the Mumford family with our Jacob being born last April.... We had him in England and he has been such a joy to us. Zack, now 8 and Esther, 5, adore him, and he them. It is lovely to hear them all giggling together.
Andrew is now flying both maf planes in Chad, learnt to fly the c208 last year and is really enjoying it. As I write this the kids and I are still back in the uk following us all being back for home assignment and a coule of weeks holiday and Andrew having to return back home to Chad. And finds himself very busy with the flying in Chad. It is great to be so busy and how things have changed since I lots us payed this blog!
Zack and Esther are now Ttending the Africa inland mission school in the city. After the summer zack will enter fourth grade and Esther will go to second. The school teachers are Amazing and God has provided them as such a blessing for the kids, zack and Esther love school and area song so well.
Saratou continues to work for us. She is number six in our family and earlier this year had her fifth child which they named Hannah! Saratou continues to show me what it is to be humble, kind, gentle and our she continues to correct my friends and help my grammar. Jacob and her have a very special bond and I am excited to see her when the kids and I return to Chad in a couple of weeks.
As I am sure you can imagine it hasn't all been easy the past few years. Boko haram attacked the city last year when we were still in the uk following the birth of Jacob and it was hard to return wondering what life would be like, especially with three children, one only few months old. Maf put in security measures and movements were restricted for a bit but life soon returned to normal, even with some additional restrictions to everyday movements. Andrew had to do his training in Uganda on the caravan for six weeks and it was hard to be left in Chad with the kids on my own for those six weeks. But God gave me extra strength and trust in Him during that time as he walked along side the kids and I as we went about everyday life in Chad without Andrew, and to Andrew as he had intensive study and training, thoughout the year , and spent many weeks away from his family. He placed in our paths many to pray for us and wonderful friends in Chad helped and encouraged me on the days it felt lonely and extra difficult. In April we had the presidential elections and we can praise God for it passing pretty peacefully on the surface. Among the tough times God has given us times of laughter with friends and three wonderful children have been give to Andrew and I to look after for Him. He has kept us safe and healthy and remained faithful to us at all times.
As Andrew now is busy flying in. Chad and the kids and I finish off the next ten days here in the uk with family and friends, and face more transitions, I am reimnded that God uses every experience and situation He gives us and He will hold us in his arms and take care of us when times are tough giving us extra grace and strength that often we don't understand. We serve a God who cares and loves for us and has placed us in Chad to serve with maf but also to teach us many things about Him that when everything else is stripped away , God is sovereign and the need to trust in Him is essential.
We still are living in Chad where have we have been for three and a half years now(!). And have added to the Mumford family with our Jacob being born last April.... We had him in England and he has been such a joy to us. Zack, now 8 and Esther, 5, adore him, and he them. It is lovely to hear them all giggling together.
Andrew is now flying both maf planes in Chad, learnt to fly the c208 last year and is really enjoying it. As I write this the kids and I are still back in the uk following us all being back for home assignment and a coule of weeks holiday and Andrew having to return back home to Chad. And finds himself very busy with the flying in Chad. It is great to be so busy and how things have changed since I lots us payed this blog!
Zack and Esther are now Ttending the Africa inland mission school in the city. After the summer zack will enter fourth grade and Esther will go to second. The school teachers are Amazing and God has provided them as such a blessing for the kids, zack and Esther love school and area song so well.
Saratou continues to work for us. She is number six in our family and earlier this year had her fifth child which they named Hannah! Saratou continues to show me what it is to be humble, kind, gentle and our she continues to correct my friends and help my grammar. Jacob and her have a very special bond and I am excited to see her when the kids and I return to Chad in a couple of weeks.
As I am sure you can imagine it hasn't all been easy the past few years. Boko haram attacked the city last year when we were still in the uk following the birth of Jacob and it was hard to return wondering what life would be like, especially with three children, one only few months old. Maf put in security measures and movements were restricted for a bit but life soon returned to normal, even with some additional restrictions to everyday movements. Andrew had to do his training in Uganda on the caravan for six weeks and it was hard to be left in Chad with the kids on my own for those six weeks. But God gave me extra strength and trust in Him during that time as he walked along side the kids and I as we went about everyday life in Chad without Andrew, and to Andrew as he had intensive study and training, thoughout the year , and spent many weeks away from his family. He placed in our paths many to pray for us and wonderful friends in Chad helped and encouraged me on the days it felt lonely and extra difficult. In April we had the presidential elections and we can praise God for it passing pretty peacefully on the surface. Among the tough times God has given us times of laughter with friends and three wonderful children have been give to Andrew and I to look after for Him. He has kept us safe and healthy and remained faithful to us at all times.
As Andrew now is busy flying in. Chad and the kids and I finish off the next ten days here in the uk with family and friends, and face more transitions, I am reimnded that God uses every experience and situation He gives us and He will hold us in his arms and take care of us when times are tough giving us extra grace and strength that often we don't understand. We serve a God who cares and loves for us and has placed us in Chad to serve with maf but also to teach us many things about Him that when everything else is stripped away , God is sovereign and the need to trust in Him is essential.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)