Absence makes the heart grow fonder…
I could never have believed that after celebrating 17 of Tina’s birthdays together in the US, we would spend the 18th with her in Israel and me in Africa! I can’t imagine being on this crazy journey with anyone else and can’t wait to be together again soon.
Happy Birthday Tina!
Thanks to all of you who have been praying for our travel safety for the past few weeks. We had a great time in Israel and are thankful to our wonderful hosts: Tina’s brother Chip, his wife Barbara and their children Maddi and Bennett. I was only there for a week, but I’m quite sure that there isn’t a square inch of Israel left that we could have covered! (pictures coming soon I hope!)
It would be difficult to do justice to the experience in words, but I can say that Israel is a beautiful country filled with very gracious people. I’m afraid that we, in the West, are only afforded a skewed perspective of this Holy Land. While conflict and difficulty definitely exist, it is largely a beautiful place where most people co-exist peacefully.
We were also blessed to visit the many Holy Sites and historically significant places. No experience can match the reading of Scripture in the very place where the events occurred and to literally walk in the footsteps of Jesus!
After a whirlwind tour, I am now back in Zambia and already deep into the final two weeks of school. We have selected our new students and are preparing for a new preschool and for advancing the school on to Grade 1.
Please continue to pray for Tina and the boys and the rest of the extended family as they finish their time together in Israel then travel back to the States. Tina, Mack and the boys leave on Sunday the 26th and are expected to arrive in Chicago on Monday the 27th. I’m looking forward to arriving on June 4 following the conclusion of our school year here and hope to see many of you in person during my short visit there.
Other prayer requests:
– For a successful end to the current school year. The last day of school is May 31.
– For wisdom and clarity as we finalize the selection of the new Zambian teacher and other leadership roles.
– That a 1st Grade teacher would come forward quickly from North America. They are due on campus in less than 80 days and are still hiding from us!
– That God would begin (or continue?) to stir in the hearts of new leaders now to prepare them to come and serve in the future.
Again it’s been some time since we’ve updated you here (sorry mom!) but that’s not for lack of activity on our part. In fact, things have been very busy in our family and around campus as we juggle the competing tasks of finishing the school year and preparing to travel to Israel and the US to visit with family, friends and our many supporters.
We have also been blessed to have Tina’s father here for the past 3 weeks helping and visiting and giving the boys some much needed Grandparent time which they’ve been without since January! Mack will travel with us to Israel and then with Tina, Lindsey and the boys back to the States.
In the meantime, things are as hectic as ever as we wrap up PTA, the volunteer program, harvest and sell crops, and prepare for the end of school. We are also just ramping up for an incoming work team, new construction projects, interviewing new teachers, building them a new home, and selecting next Year’s preschool class.
Thanks for your prayers and we look forward to seeing you soon!
The DeKam Family in Zambia 