Victor, Lorey and Victoria

here is a mixed couple form our FCd school, Victor is from Congo, and lorey is from USA.

Victoria is their baby girl, she just woke up here, so I will post a happy picture of her later!

the ugly foot

This is kathryns foot (my foot), it's soooo ugly right now, all puffy and brused...

it is getting better even though it doesn't look like it.

I am getting cabin fever though, I was pacing the sidewalk to get some energy out.

vinj and the girls so sweet!!!!!!!

Update

Well thats basically what i look like most of the day, outting my foot up everywhere I go. I ahevn't had to ice it for a day now, although we usually do at night because it might be sore from the whole days activities (orientation).

Anyway, it's the weekend, and monday is our frist day.

We now have internet in our room $50.00 USD later, but it is worth it to keep in touch with you peeps.

Tomarrow I kathryn am getying my hear braided with extentions! Yeah there are africna chicks here that can do a good job!

Yeah,

andyway, will write again on the weekedn with some photos

Money update! Sprained Anckle.

We figured out our school fees now.

We only need $100.00 USDollars for the rest of our fees to be paid!!!!!!!!

Now we are climbing the next mountain of $5800.00 for the field Assignemt, please contune to pray with us about this, we have had a major increase in faith in the last week!

ON a dicouraging note.... I kathryn sprained my anckle last night while playing volly ball... Cozmore and I were even kicking their butts! I went running to the left to get the ball and my anckle gave out. It hurt ALOT... I went into shock it was so bad, I looked white as a ghost and wanted to throw up... I was looking everwhere for somthing to throw up in, and the only thing I could see was my shoe they had taken off... fortunatly I didn't vomit after all.

Anyway, it really sucks and I am locked up in my room with ym foot up...

Talk to ya'll later,
Kathryn

Montana and Support.

Hey guys!

We have made it to Montana U.S.A.

MOm and dad drove us down here on Saturday, it was a BEAUTIFUL drive! Although tough to find a bathroom at times. I think all of us enjoyed the ride, vinj drove for a while, but dad drive most of the way.

The YWAM base is right in the mountains, there is a huge lake about a 15 minute walk form us. It is SOOOOO amazingly beautiful, seriously can make you cry just looking at it.

Our room is cozy, it's actually about 4 feet bigger then I imagined it, and our bed is comfortable!

It's cute, I think mom is going to post a couple photos on her blog.

Anyway, orientation starts on the Wednesday and goes to Friday, Monday is our first day of school. We're pretty excited. I (Kathryn) am already started on our first assignment, they gave it to me to do if I wanted to, although they are not due till early April.

We've met alot of awesome people already, we're really enjoying our selves so far.

We have an update on our support for the school.

We now only need about $400.00 USD for the lecture phase! Thats is great it came down from $2000.00 and something, so we are soooo greatful for those of you that supported us!

We are still in need of $5800.00 by mid may for our field assignment. We are so blessed our lecture phase is almost paid for... just a little more, and are believing for the rest of the money to come in for the field assignment.

Again, if you feel like you'd like to give towards our training let us know via e-mail and we will give you what ever details you need.

Bless you guys, and keep in touch!
I will post our address here just in case you'd like to send a letter.

Luv, Kathryn

Life Update- Montana update

We are leaving on Sturday... as far as I know. We were going to take the bus but found out it would take us 3 days to get down there as apose to 9 hours... so mom and dad are driving us down to the base.

We have orientation for the first three days, and our first day of class is March 26th!

Our friend from Zimbabwe is one fo the staff on the school! We havent' seen him since 2004, so it will be great to see him again. His name is Cozmore.

We are still in need of funds for the school, please read the letter below!
Thanx guys and see ya'll in the fall.

To our friends and Family,

Kathryn and I will be leaving for Lakeside, Montana in 12 days! Time has flown by since Christmas!!!

Baby
We went through quite a hard time in February, we were very excited to find out we were expecting a baby, and in the second month we lost our baby. And so have gone through a very hard time in the last month. Although we were asking questions of why, we know we did learn somthing from it all, and that was love.

Update on Permentnat residency- Still getting all the required documnets gathered from around the world... we are hoping to send it out by the end of March. Will keep you posted.

Personal Need
We have been raising support and working to go through training with Youth With A Mission since September.

To complete the Community Development School with YWAM, it costs : USD $11,400
This is for both Kathryn and I.

Since September we have raised- USD $3457.00

We are still in need of - USD $7943.00

On March 23 we need to make a payment of- USD $2050.00
By Mid May we will need- USD $5800.00

We sent out a DVD giving a better perspective on what God has called us to and why we feel this training/school is a big part in the foundations of it all. Out of the 50 DVDs we sent out, we only got one responce.

If you did intend to support us we would ask that you e-mail us as soon as possible. We arw trusting God and know that He has spoken to some. May be to you. If on the other hand you havent considered supporting us, we would apreciate if you did. We respect that not every body can give and would apreciate any kinda of support ( encouragement, prayers e.t.c).

Message from Wendy

hey my friends. Hope the suns shining that side.Im
sure its not working the same miracles as it does
here. I guess having the glimpse is what matters.The
sense of it not being all dark and bad.I tell u,its a
gift and Gods a clever oak,a genius. There u r wearing
several layers to keep warm,ure wet and cold almost
all the time,and then bang,ure hit with hope,a promise
that this too shall pass.And thats the beauty of who
God is. Our picture of Him,our view and even our
personal experiences and convictions come in2 question
when tragedy occurs.Emotion vary,we reach extreme
highs and lows and through it all He is there,taking
count of every detail whether we acknowledge His
presence or not.Cause ure thát important.His banner
over us is love...despite the season we find ourselves
in.And if not now,the sun will shine again.
Wendy

wendy has been a close friend for 5 years now. First friends with Vinjelu, and then I kathryn met her in 2004... it was an amazing day when i met her!
We are so blessed to have Wendy as apart of our lives, shes been a treasure we couldn't even dream of God giving us. She is planning on moving in with us from Namibia early next year!

Wendy we love you, thank you for all your thoughts, encouragment, and love... you always know what to say, even it's it's nothing.
Love you always, Kathryn

My Bride, My Love,my wife, Best friend....

Today,

Some one was taken from us.
Paid us a short visit. It felt like we've known them forever.
In this visit we learned so much, I fell in love with you again, I saw such light in you.
Our visiter reminded me about how precious breath and life is. Your love for our visitor was so real, I could taste it. We both saw more love in this time then most people do in a lifetime.
This baby was a gift from the Father, a gift that taught us love.
I love you more today more then I have loved in a thousand years.

Vinjelu
Wednesday,February 21

Our baby Temwika

Where to start...

We lost our baby Wednesday morning.

I just want to write out everything that happened, I think it will help me process, and gives people opportunity to know in some way what we're going through.

On Sunday just after lunch we were in Louie Bull at church with the Abt family. I went to the bathroom and found I was bleeding. I freaked out at first, but settled down and just enjoyed some of the conversation we were in at the time. I went to the bathroom again and found blood again, I was then quite concerned, and about to bust into tears infront of a bunch of poeple I had just met for the first time. So I wispered to vinj that I was bleeding and thought we should go. We went striaght to emergency, they got me into a room with in 30 minutes.

They booked me in for an ultra sound for Tuesday afternoon. So I had to wait at home in bed all day monday. I was quite hopfull because the blood was gone for most of monday. We though everything was ok.

We went in for the ultrasound on Tuesday, and got the results that afternoon, the doctor said the baby was fine in the womb like it was suppose to be. the only thing was it was 2 weeks smaller then it should have been, but he said it could have been them miscalculating ovulation. So we still had hope the baby was growing and everything was ok.
I got home and found I was bleeding more then I had yet... while watching American Idol I started to cramp quite badly, I was in alot of pain by 11:00pm, and the bleeding was not letting up. I was very upset and couldn't stop crying, at the same time trying to controle the pain. The pain was going right into my back, when we told the nurses over the phone they said I should come in right away.

So we go to the hospital I think at 12:45am, They got me into a room right away. the doctor came in to see me, he said we could still be hopfull for the baby. We would only really know after I had another ultra sound. By this time I was had very sharp pain, and although the doctor was trying to be hopful, I could feel my self loosing my baby...

More the physical pain was my heart, I could't believe I could be loosing my baby and not be able to do anything about it. My heart was broken, at the same time trying to cling to the hope the doctor was trying to give. Vinj was holding onto hope very much. I was worried about him because he couldnt feel what I was feeling physicaly. They put an I.V into my hand, after that they told me vnjelu had to go home. I was SO SCARED and burst into more tears, I kinda freaked out actually. In the end the nurses ended up bending the rules a bit and let me stay in a different room and let vinjelu say all night with me. (I can't imagine not having him there beside me at such a time). I sleped quite well through the night. I even woke up feeling good, I had some real hope then.

But an hour later I was in more pain then I even been in my life, never felt anythign like it. Vinj was really upset, he didn't know what to do. I didn't want to take any pain killers that could possibely hurt the baby. So I had to wait untill my ultrasound. They got me in almost right away.

They had to do an internal ultrasound, it hurt like I can never discribe. I was so devestated.

The doctor came about 30 minutes later to tell us we had lost the baby completly. The good news from him was that they didn't have to scrape my uterus out ( D and C). Wich was going to be scary in it self.

They gave me two viles of morphine after that, wich was pretty much an instant pain killer.

We were both develstated. Shocked, I mean really shocked, everything happened so fast. We though it was ok, and then it wasn't and then it might be...

When we drove away from the hospital I cried and cried, i just couldn't believe we were leaving behind our baby, all the dreams and hopes we had for him/her.

I still feel like maybe it didn't all happen, it might have been a dream and I still have the babay. That thought stays for a few seconds and grief replaces it.

Vinj and I desided to name our baby Temwika (Tem-wee-ka) it means LOVE in vinjelus native Tumbuka. This baby was love, we loved it even before it was concieved we loved the thought of it, we loved every moment we shared with Temwika over the past two months.
Vinj and I have learned about love more then ever. And so our baby is Temwika.

We lost the baby yesterday, I don't know when the tears will stop...

It's hard to talk on the phone at this point...

I am on T3 every 3 hours for the pain. Thank you to those who gave us beautiful thoguhtful gifts, for the e-mails and the phone calls and the visits. Thank you for the love, it means so much.

Kathryn

Muyaba #3!

We are Pregnant!!!

We're so excited! And can't wait! Well we are just enjoying every minute of the babies development right now! Praise God for the gift He's given us!

The baby is due October 6th! We are 6 weeks along and a few days. My first ultrasound is on March 9th.

Will be posting how I am feeling ever so often, and as soon as I have a belly to show we'll be posting those pictures as well!

Any name ideas post them here, for fun!
Cant wait!!!!

Scholorship

Well, we got word late last night that vinjelu did NOT get the scholorship.

So we still need $7700.00 USD.

We are still asking for anyone willing to sponsor us from March to August monthly.

You can send the money through YWAM Calgary and get a tax deductable receipt at the end of the year.

Could it be you?

I would like to shed a bit of light on why we are raising support for this traning school we're accepted to and should be leaving (if all is well) for the school on march 20th to make it for our first day fo classes on the 21st of March.

Vinjelu is not allowd to work leagally in Canada (Yet... that should be changing in the next 5 months) We haven't been able to save all the money for this traning school (because we are volunteer missionaries). And so have been raising support for it since September 2006. We have managed to raise by Gods grace and friends giving- $2200.00. The school costs $6000.00 each.

Prayer Point: Vinjelu did apply for the scholorship thats available, he will be finding out on February 3rd if he has been selected or not. They are having the meeting on February 2nd... please pray on this day that they hear God and choose just the right person for it!

We are asking all of our friends and family if they would concider sponsoring us from March to August 2007 monthly-Which makes managable. If you are wondering you can send your donations through YWAM Calgary and recieve a tax deductable recipte at the end of the year from YWAM calgary.

If you are interested please let us know by phone or e-mail. So far we have $700.00 CND pleadged to us monthly through out this time period.

Thank you too,

Rob & Lana Hutchinson!

Don and Adel Berg!

Mom and Dad Hutchinson!

Shawn & Amanda Adam!

Christopher Stevens!

Hugo & Karla Vandersypen!

Nancy & Tim Beke!

Val Plouffe!

Andrew & Keltie Hutchinson!

Dave Doerkson!

House Church!

Neal M!

Andreous!

Thank you for giving and believing in us and the vision, for standing by us through so many trails, thank you for notes and letters, e-mails and photo's, monthly support and prayer. We do pray Gods abundant blessing upon your lives and hope to become more and more apart of your lives and your families lives!

Visa's & babies!

Here is the cutest picture of Elias Munk! He's is so precious. For those of you interested Shelby is thinking fo gettign a blog set up so we can keep up with their boys!

Well vinjelu got the Student Visa he applied for! Praise God, thank you for the prayers on Friday morning, God is faithful!

We scrambled on Thursday all day getting Vinjelu's papers together and all the right forms filled out, Thursday night I was nervous I didn't sleep even for an hour... I just lay in bed praying and thinking.

Friday morning we got at 5:45am, we weren't sure if we would be caught in traffic for 2 hours or not. So we left by 6am, and got into down town by 6:30... so missed rush hour (Thank God). We went to the Down Town Full Gospel Church to park the truck (Free Parking) We were about to call one of the pastors (Pastor Dan MacNaughton) to ask if we could park there... but right as we pulled up so did he. SO he took us out for breakfast! Was so nice, we got to the building at 8am, and stood in line basicaly untill 11:15am (Even though his appointment was for 9am!

Anyway, he went in for the interview and it was great, the man was very nice and welcoming. We walked around down town for the next 4 hours (very exausted) and went back to pick up his passport and visa at 3pm! So thats the story, very awesome! And Fast.

Zikomo Maningi Mulungu!

Explode or break down and Cry....

As always vinjelu is fighting for a visa.

We need a student Visa for vinj to get into the states to do the Community Development School.

They almost make it inpossible for honest poeple to even have everything together for an interview.

They make you feel like a rat in the corner surrounded by exterminators... maybe if you say the right thing they'll let you go past.

It is seriously the MOST FRUSTRATING TIME EVER! I hate it sooooo much. I am so tired of dealing with stupid immegration officers and voice activated machines that tell you nothing.

Anyway we have one praise report and that is that vinjelu does not have to fly to Vancouver for an appointment. We managed to get an appointment in Calgary this friday, so will hopfully have everything togther by tomarrow.

We are rushing into Calgary tomarrow to get all of his papers ready.

Tyler shows my frustration in this photo. Sometimes you just want to fight it out with immmegration. Aysh, I wish it was that easy. If you read this on Thursday, PLEASE PLEASE remeber to pray for Vinjelu as he's going in for the interview on Friday morning at 9am, and please pray nothing stupid happens with the truck or getting down town. Thanx everyone.

ON the same hand, we are also applying for Permanent residence in Canada... oh ahppy day... not.

Sorry shell and trish for not calling this has been a huge stress on top of that I have been sick. Feel free to call it's my parents number that they've always had.

Feelings & one of my favorite things...

I love this photo of elizabeth. I found it in moms pictures last night. It caught my eye Number one- because Elizabeth is breath-takingly beautiful, but also because the way she looks in this photo seems to capture how i've been feeling latley.

vinjelu and I have enbarked on a journey into missions, which seems to be the hardest start I've ever had, and almost doesn't make sence some times. We've really been struggling through these past two to three months, wondering what we're doing right and what needs to change. I feel I've run off a bridge like in the photo, I am excited and feel free, but a little scared too.

Vinj and I have said many times we wish there was a different way to run the world then with money... it complicates things so much. But thats an obvious fantacy... just sharing that this season of life has been hard and we're trying to figure out how you start out in missions without wondering about how you're going to make the payments every day. I want to ask the quesion too of what God is teaching me through all this...

I don't know

...

If there is one thing that brings me life almost as much as the presence of God it's my three Nieces. Elizabeth-Sophia-and Emma. They are so full of joy, over christmas I sat down with the video camera and asked the girls what christmas meant to them, they're asnwers amazed me! They understand God's love so much, and they give it in all there smiles, hugs, and all there incredible insight into the world.

I love them and miss them. Lana or emma if you're reading this I MISS YOU! And hopfully see you soon.

P.S Emma you promised to come see me in January, I'm in New NOrway now so it's not so far to come!

Sophia looks so incredibly adorable in this photo!

She is wearing a dress that was mine when I was a little girl.
She's so beautiful

New Norway

Low temps. snow turning to ice and strong winds was the reception we got from the weather when we moved in. Kind of the discription of how we felt. Leaving calgary wasn't easy, but i guess it was bound to happen. Moving was done mostly by Kathryn, her mom and I. The Kungs (the family we lived with) eventually came to help. So it was not much of a community effort, just us. On the other end we got help from Daniel , scott and steven, so that made work a little lighter.Today as i'm writing this, the sun is shining bright. HOPE. That is what we feel in our hearts. Anticipation that as we have closed off (temporarily) one chapter , we begin another. We will be in New Norway untill the end of March when we will be headed for Montana to do the Community Development school. We look forward to that so much. We will be back in september and are praying about where we should be after that.

We are moving into the master bedroom, we're ripping out the carpets and painting it up and changing a few things. So that will keep us busy for this week. After we're done that I will be helping renovate some of the living room for kathryn's parents! Fun times!

My best friends babies!

Elias & Wyatt Munk

Wyatt Gideon Munk, Just born!

Shelby, Cory & Wyatt

shelby has been my best friend since I was 8 years old. I am so proud of her and so excited for the new baby boy! And you can see how much Elias has grown up, for those of you who know him.

anyway, I love you shelby, I'll be praying for you while you heal up and get used to two adorable little boys in the house (or is it three with cory...heehee)

Taking part in the emconomy could save a whole continent!

Fact- The whole of Africa takes part in 1% of the worlds economy.

Fact- If Africa was given a chance for 1% more, they would be making more money then the whole continent receives in AID every year!

Africa is tired of AID, they want Fair trade.

Buying merchandise, food, coffee, that has been unfairly traded is actually making billions of people poorer, contrary to popular thinking.

FALSE- Them having the unfair trade business isn't helping them, they barley survive on it. making people poorer doesn't help them.

please find out how you can fight against this.

Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.

Child headed homes in Zambia

Information on some of the problems we face in Zambia, poeple looking for the same answers we're looking for...

Zambia: Help for Child-Headed Homes

Zambia is grappling with the growing problem of thousands of child-headed homes, created by one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world.
Kapiri Mposhi, a commercial hub in central Zambia, about 200km north of the capital, Lusaka, has one of the highest levels of HIV prevalence in the country and a significant number of child-headed homes. UNAIDS estimates the national HIV rate at 17 percent.


The town is situated halfway between the industrial Copperbelt province and Lusaka on the Great North road, the only highway linking Zambia to Tanzania in the northeast, and is a mandatory stop for truckers. It is also a significant stop on the railway line connecting Zambia and Tanzania.

"Because it is a transport hub, frequented by truckers, the town has become a commercial sex centre with a high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate," said James Zulu, a spokesman for the Zambia Red Cross Society, which runs programmes supporting child-headed households.
The UNAIDS '2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic' estimated that Zambia had about 710,000 AIDS orphans, of which over six percent were homeless and less than one percent were accommodated in orphanages. The rest either fend for themselves in their parents' homes or are looked after by elderly grandparents.

According to Charles Mwinuna, district director of health in Kapiri Mposhi, there are over 850 officially registered orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in a population of less than 300,000 but the unofficial number could be higher. "We have not been able to establish as yet how many of these vulnerable children are currently in child-headed homes, but we know that they should be in big numbers because of the locality and socioeconomic nature of this town, which has put people at greater risk of contracting HIV/AIDS."
Many orphaned children end up as sex workers along the highway, but there are exceptions. Memory Kawaya, 16, has looked after her two younger siblings for the past seven years. The family of three lives in a grass-thatched hut on the outskirts of town. She attends schools and sells mushrooms to help support the family, and she and her siblings have twice tested negative for HIV. Kawaya is determined to maintain her negative status by abstaining from sex.
"Many people have been approaching me for sex and [they] promise to give me money, but I refuse to give in because of what I have heard and seen about HIV/AIDS. I want to become a teacher after completing school, so that I can look after my brother and sister - that's why I don't even think about any sexual relationship," she said.
Kawaya was nine when she lost her mother, and her two siblings were aged seven and five. "We do not have any relative to look after us ... we have been living like this and we often eat only once per day - we can't afford three meals. I am only happy that we are all in school, although I am usually frustrated by my headmaster, who is always harsh with me for not looking as smart as other pupils," she said. They grow cassava, beans and maize in an adjoining plot to help feed themselves.
The Red Cross Society has started initiatives working with vulnerable children. "We have identified 734 orphans and vulnerable children in the town, whom we support with groceries, clothing and school fees," said Zulu. The Red Cross caregivers also visit child-headed households in Kapiri Mposhi to ensure they are coping.
Relevant Links

Zulu said the society was also encouraging older children to run small businesses, mostly vending, to support their families. "We do not want to encourage child labour, but we provide them with small amounts of money to buy groceries or other foodstuffs to sell."