Drew and I had a very fruitful trip.  This was more of a discover trip for Africa Hope Mission and it was very fruitful.  Instead of seeing a lot of patients, we rolled up our sleeves and did a lot of relationship building.  Here we are fitting doors for the pig farm.  There is a lot of work to do in the outskirts of Samfya, not enough non-profit organizations to help.  Mark and Carmen are amazing God-driven people leading the way, a model to all, though they will admit that they have not figured it out totally.  These communities are so different it is impossible to come up with one model, though any way you can build a relationship with them, as many of the leaders as possible, empowering them to grow themselves is a start, using Christ as the model for serving.  You have to go with the flow and it definitely takes time, at least 6-8 years, to see change.  It is culture change for these people, change from generations of doing life one way.  it takes everyone, it takes kids growing up empowered to change the next generation.  And lots of prayer!  Today is our last day here this time, we are starting our journey home but heading to South Luangya national park.  I do know we will continue to see Hudaga's project go through as long as Hudson keeps on pushing forward.  We will see where else God leads Africa Hope Mission.  Follow our journey on    www.africahopemission.org

Hudson's fish ponds are doing well and he has plans to build up to 20 in this area which seems to be perfect for it, with a natural spring continually feeding them, and drainage down the valley to a river.  He was recognized by the Chinese fishery department for his good work and given fish feed by them, which has helped greatly to grow the fish.  The water is a nice green with algae, perfect for fish growth, being fertilized too with manure.  He hopes to have ducks on the pond one day also.  He will need to build a fence and supervise it more in the future to keep local fisherman away but all moving well!

We spent a day on the Hudaga farm, installing a couple of doors on the piggery so Hudson can start the pig farm, which will help fertilize his fields for crops.  The soil needs work on this farm; his crop yield was only 50% this year, but some good pig poop will help!  Once his pre-school is done and running he will be able to spend more time out here on the farm, which is where he and is family will move to to keep an eye on the animals.

Here are Hudson's chicks - he purchased 80 chicks who were 2 days old and need to feed them and keep them warm at least 21 days before they can sell them - the bigger they are the more they make.  But someone needs to refill the charcoal warmers you see hanging on the right of the pic every 2-3 hrs so they will not freeze, especially throughout the night.  Hudson was the one doing it the niught before so he was a bit tuckered out but still raring to go.  He ultimately would like to get an incubator to raise his own chicks from eggs, but this will take stable electricity - a rarity around here.  It would be the only hatchery in the whole province if he could do it.  He also is finishing his piggery which will bring in more income, along with his fish farm, which so impressed the Chinese fisheries program that they gave him feed to help!  He is hoping to grow soy and corn along with other crops like pineapple, sugar cane, and other things on his farm.  He hopes to have the farm going this rainy season better so that by next year he can have his grade 1-4 school built on his farm and start kids coming there by January of 2017.  Awesome!

Hudson's vision for his program is formulating into something very good.  Here is the pre-school building he is almost done with which he is buildling on his land in the Samfya town, with a kitchen to feed them, latrines, and an office/boarding apartment for the teacher.  He hopes to have up to 20 kids here, 1/2 of which will be orphans they will be sponsoring, the other 1/2 will be paying customers to help support the program along with a farm.  His farm is about 13 kilometers away where he will also be building his grade 1-4 school for orphans - a boarding school and feeding center.  Things are shaping up and he hopes to open the preschool this upcoming year.

Hi all!  Spent the last two days working with Hudson, seeing how Hudaga, his project for orphans is going.  Things have been going well for him with Africa Hope Mission's support.  Here he is between his two start pupils from his pre-school, Royd who is 10 and his sister Ida who is 8.  They are both in the same second grade class, Royd is number 1, Ida is number 2 based on tests they give them.  Royd is such a good English reader that he is now tudoring two other kids in his class!  They need much encouragement but both are brave talented kids!

Here, one of Carmen's new Water4 drilling teams is putting in a new well at the Kaishe Orphan Association.  They got the community to chip in, paying for this well with a fat sheep, and created a water committee to have the people using the well contribute 1 kwacha a month (about $2 a year) to a pot to have for repairs once the pump breaks down so the community has some ownership in it.  They are slowly learning the value of clean water.