My Updates So Far

So I'll try to put all of my updates on here... These are the one's I've emailed out so far:

May 18, 2009
Hi everyone!
It's good to have the internet back. I haven't been able to get online for the past few days. Something else to get use to in Zambia. Random water, electric, and cell phone outages apparently are common place. It's been an adjustment, but it's teaching me to be more grateful for the simple basic things, which I've taken for granted for most of my life. And compared to some of the people here in Zambia I know that we really do have a lot.

For those of you following me on Twitter or on Facebook you know that I had an incredible opportunity this past weekend. I got to speak at the local youth conference in Kalomo this weekend. I had been praying that God would open the right doors at the right time for the ministry He desires for me to do while I am here. Most of my time has been spent getting adjusted, learning the lay of the land, and getting supplies and furniture. But about the middle of last week I started to feel like I really wasn't doing much. Then, Friday afternoon Rob Murphy, our country director, came to me after I had taken my first hour long Zambian bike ride (main difference: lots and lots of sand to try to pedal through in some places! It was definitely a great workout though!) and told me that I was speaking at 10:30am the next day at the youth conference. The theme of the weekend was a youth that God uses, but other than that no specific topic to teach on. He said I'd have a translator and that I had been given an hour to speak! So I went Friday night to se what it was like. The church was packed! There were at 200 youth there... maybe 300 or more! The lady who was the guest speaker for the weekend was Pastor Josephine from Livingston. She was great and about 45 youth came forward that evening to receive Christ. I do not know if it was their first time or not, but it was so powerful to see how hungry these youth are for Christ and for hope in their life. I had been looking over old talks and my books that I brought with me earlier Friday evening before the service and felt like God was calling me to speak about choices. Then, Pastor Josephine talked about the choice we have between the narrow gate and the broad gate. I felt like what God had put on my heart lined right up with her talk. So I prepared late into the night on Friday. One of my favorite Biblical characters is Joshua so I decided to use his story to illustrate how we need to consistently make choices that line up with God's will. I was nervous and excited as Saturday came. Pastor Josephine taught on the Lord's prayer for about 2 hours in the morning and then I was up. The youth were so attentive and my translator worked his hardest to translate what I shared in a way that made sense to the Zambians. I shared about how Joshua was only one of two who stood up against the rest of Israel and said they should cross the Jordan and take the land because God promised it to them and how the Israelites didn't listen. And Joshua stayed with the people. He continued to follow God and wandered with the people for 40 years! 40 years!! And not once is it recorded that he ever turned on God. His faithfulness through all those years finally paid off in the end when God kept His promise and took Joshua into the promised land as the leader of the Israelites! For a lot of the youth it was their first time hearing the story of Joshua and they seemed to really understand it. I ended by tying it into the new testament where God calls us to abide in Him and only then will we bear fruit. I challenged them to make choices continually that please God and trust in Him that He will bring blessing into their life in His perfect timing. Rob came and videotaped me. As nervous as I felt, it was one of my better talks I felt. I pray that the youth took away what God desired them to and that in some way it will help them in life. Rob debriefed with me later on in the evening. He said I did a good job. We talked a little bit about topics for the future so I have some more material to work on now. He said a lot of them need to know about how we receive faith through grace and not because we earn it as well as the fact that we are all God's masterpieces - that we are unique and special and that God wants to do incredible things through each of us. I'm excited to dig into The Word to create a message that hopefully contains all those pieces.

The rest of the youth conference was good, but it made me really tired. They translated the speakers for the most part, but my brain was hearing everything in Tongan and in English, which was said with a very heavy Tongan accent, so it really wore me out. I didn't fully realize it until I came home and was just completely exhausted. It was good though to see all the youth and to meet more people. I had n'shima for the first time too! It's the Zambians staple food. It's a corn product I think, but has the consistency of really really dry mash potatos. It doesn't have much of a taste to it by itself, but they have relishes you dip it in. It's all finger food. There's cabbage or other vegetable they cook up and then usually chicken or goat and there's broth with both of those you can soak your n'shima in. It was interesting. :)

Other than the youth conference and riding my bike to explore the area, I've mainly been working on settling in. My room is painted, but the bathroom still needs another coat of paint and I need to repaint one of the walls in my room since I ran out of green towards the end of it. hehe. I got a couple of carpets and a thick blanket since it's starting to get a little chilly at night here. It's starting to feel like home other than all of you not being here. I'm still looking forward to meeting more people and learning Tongan. Rob is picking up out vehicle tomorrow so we'll start to be able to get out to the villages more and I'll start to really be able to do ministry. Please pray that I would be patient and have open eyes to the ministry in which God wants me to really invest in. I've been so blessed already by being here. I have really been able to devote large amounts of time to just being with our Lord and feel an awesome sense of peace. I feel that I have grown so much in Him. I pray that the habits I build here will stick with me for the rest of my life.

I would love to hear from you all... to know what is going on in your lives and how I can be praying for you. Email helps me not feel as homesick. :) I miss you all and hope you are doing well!

By His Grace & For His Glory,
Abbie Morehead

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May 9, 2009
Hi everyone!
So I've been in Zambia for a week already! While we spent most of the week just adjusting and learning how to live in Zambia, I have had a couple of neat opportunities. We walked around downtown Kalomo, which is pretty small. They do have a main street though and a market area. The people all smile at us and they try to speak as much English as they know as we try to learn Tongan and speak Tongan to them. It makes them laugh. They're quick to learn my name too. I'm assuming it's because I'm one of the few white people so they work hard to remember it. It make me laugh to hear them yell my name when we drive by. I'm learning just how much relationships mean to them.

We also went to Choma one day which about 45 minutes towards Lusaka from where we are. We did shopping there and just looked around. I was able to pick up a metal shelf/rack so I unpacked my books, toiletries, and art work onto it because I just couldn't take living out of my suitcases anymore. I'm still not living in my actual apartment/room yet. The boy that was living there finally moved out after us asking him several times. We cleaned it today and I painted the main room. I haven't tackled the bathroom yet. And I need a little more paint to actually finish painting my room as I ran out at the very end. :( It's a very light green. I really like it. It made a lot of difference in the room as it definitely needed paint because at one point there were 6 boys living in the room together! So anyway, I'm learning to live without having everything organized, moved in, or in place, which as you all know is very hard for me. It's a growing experience though. :)

Yesterday, I got to go with Joann, another missionary lady from Virginia living in Kalomo, to an orphanage she helped start. I got to hold some of the little ones this morning and then this afternoon got to play football (soccer) with some of the older ones. It was so much fun. Just to see how happy they were to have someone hold them and play with them. When we walked from place to place they all clamored to hold my hands. It was so precious. It was uplifting to feel like I actually did some sort of ministry work. I'm hoping to be able to go back in the next week or two to visit with them again. It's about an hour and 45 minute ride through the bush to get there though so it's pretty much an all day activity when we go.

We're going to church on tomorrow here in Kalomo so I'm hoping to meet more people then. Rob says we'll all be introduced and that I'll probably even be asked to speak at some point since they'll basically consider me a pastor! I'll have a translator and everything. I'm kind of excited and kind of nervous about that!

This next week Christa has to take her medical examination to get her Zambian medical license. Mike and Linda Jones are taking us again (they are the ones that picked us up from the airport). They've been so much help as we've been getting settled. We have a vehicle that we're suppose to pick up on Wednesday if everything goes right. Please pray that all of the vehicle stuff will work out as our team does need a vehicle to start being able to do ministry in the bush. Once Christa takes her test she has to wait for the results and then has to take it to the medical board to get his license AND THEN she has to take it to immigration so we can get our permanent work visas. Apparently it can take 2-3 months to get a permanent work visa. If we don't get these in time then we will only be able to stay for 3 months so please please pray that God would work in this process so that we can stay here for the entire time that God desires us to! I will be going up with them on Tuesday, but coming back with Mike and Linda most likely. I need to pick a few more things up in Lusaka that I cannot get here so I'm grateful for the opportunity to go.

I have been blessed though not to get the welcome-to-africa-sicknesses. :) We'll see how long that lasts though. I have gotten the cold the little kids had when we first came, but it's not really slowing me down too much. Please pray that God would continue to keep me in decent health and that I will be able to handle when I do get sick (everyone here says it's inevitable so I'm praying hard that it'd only be a short time that I'd be sick).

Ok, so where I am in Kalomo for those of you searching on Google Earth. :) There is a main paved road that runs west to east through town. If you head east out of town on the main road you'll pass a skinny blue building on the right and then another small rectangular building on the right that's surrounded by trees. The first one is the immigration offices and the second is the courthouse. After you pass the courthouse you take the next dirt road on the right. The road bends a little to the right and then "Y"s. We're on the left road. That road bends a little to the left and then takes a hard right and then you go straight for a little bit and our house is on the right. We have a neighbor that's right next door to us. Our house is in a U shape. I believe their house is a lil bigger and rectangular in shape. Good luck finding it. :) Just remember that the map is from 2006 so my road may not even be exactly on it! But those directions should get you close to where I am.

Well I think that's it for now. I need to get offline as I see my phone time just ticking away. Paul's still working on better internet so hopefully in a month I'll be able to video conference with you all! I miss you all! I'm still working on a PO Box here in Kalomo. I didn't make it today before the post office closed so hopefully Monday I'll be able to get one. But we did just get FedEx in town! It's very exciting, although we're not sure how reliable it is and stuff takes like 20 days to get here! So it's rather slow, but it should work. You'd just have to put my name on it and my cell phone number here which is 0977305826 and then when it gets to Kalomo they'll call me apparently. That's what I've been told at least. We may check it out at the store on Monday to make sure. I hope you all are doing well! I look forward to hearing what's new and exciting in all your lives. Getting emails help me feel like I'm closer to home!

By His Grace & For His Glory,
Abbie Morehead

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May 2, 2009
Hello everyone!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have finally made it to Kalomo, Zambia. It was a long journey and we made it here safely. I will keep all of you updated again as soon as we figure out our internet setup for us here.
Well, I am very tired and need some sleep. Thanks for all your support and prayers. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!


By His Grace & For His Glory,
Abbie Morehead

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May 1, 2009
Hi everybody!
So I'm writing you from the London airport! We made it safely across the pond and have been in the airport for a few hours. I didn't get much sleep on the plane as I had hoped.. I think it was mainly nerves. It still feels surreal. We leave this evening for Zambia and arrive at 6:40am their time! I miss you all and can't wait to talk with you - to hear what God's doing in your lives and what He is doing in mine! I promise to be safe and take care. :) My main prayer requests are for safe travels for the rest of the way, wise decisions on what to spend money on, to be able to assimilate into the new culture easily, and that God would lead me into the relationships He desires me to have there. I will update you as soon as I can which will depend on internet access/service over there. I hope to hear from you all soon!

By His Grace & For His Glory,
Abbie Morehead
Africa's Child Missionary
www.africaschild.info
Telephone: new one coming once I get service there

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April 17, 2009
Hi family and friends!
I hope you are all doing great and enjoying the beautiful spring weather!
I'm actually sitting outside as I write this email. :) Anyway, I have lots
of news to update you on that I hope you'll take the time to read.

Firstly, for those who I haven't told yet, my plans for my time in Zambia
have changed a little. After a lot of prayer and talking with a few close
people I have made the decision to go to Zambia for only a year. I was
really struggling with the two year commitment. The funds were not coming in
and I was feeling discouraged as I was trying to plan out two years of
ministry work. So I earnestly sought the Lord and I felt like He was calling
me to commit to one year. So I started telling myself to shoot for one and
tried to imagine what it would be like. I don't know about you, but I know
that sometimes when I have a lot of time to do something I tend to dilly
dally around until it gets close to the end and then it becomes a mad rush
to get it done. I'm not saying that I would go waste time in Zambia because
I know there is just so much that needs to be done and that I can do while
I'm there, but I felt like if I had two years I might not be as intentional
with my time. I also looked at the length of time I've spent really
mentoring other females. All of this and other factors made me wonder if God
was calling me to just a year. So I started telling myself to look at it as
just a year, to figure out the finances for a year, to look at my ministry
plans and what I could do with them in a year. As I did, I just felt a
complete wave of peace wash over me. I felt like God was giving me the go
ahead to say that I'd go for a year. Now once I'm in Zambia I know that He
could change that and say to stay longer and I am definitely open to that,
but for now my plan is to go for a year.

Our departure date is still April 30th from Chicago with a layover in London
and then touching down in Lusaka, Zambia at 6:20am Zambian time on May 2nd!
I am at 81% with several people saying they are going to still give. I do
not know the total amount of those gifts still coming in, but I know that I
am still in need of just a little more support in order to go! If you are
planning on sending in a gift, please let me know the amount so I can add it
to my donors list so I can share exactly how much I still need to raise. If
you have given, this next part is especially important for you to read.

The big news is that as of this past Tuesday our team is no longer a part of
VoxUnited (note the email address change). This decision was not made in
haste and we passionately searched out God's will for us before and during
the decision making process. There were several red flags that have come up
over the past months in relation to Vox. They are still doing great things
in South Africa and are being used by God there. I do not want to elaborate
deeply into what all went on because Christ calls us to uphold one another's
reputation within the church. I've really been drawn to Ephesians 4 over the
past week and I feel that God has been using it to teach me in so many ways,
but especially with this new development. Our country director gave a great
analogy the other day. He said it's better to call the wedding off 3 weeks
ahead of time then to realize a month after that it wasn't the right thing
to do. For us and for what we feel God is calling us to, we believe that Vox
was just not the right fit for us.

I know that this news probaby brings about a dozen questions racing to the
front of your thoughts! First, yes we are still going. Our tickets have been
purchased and we believe God is still calling us to Zambia! Secondly, we are
still going with an organization. Our country directors have spent several
extended lengths of time in Zambia previously and thus have lots of
connections and networks they know there. We will be going under an
organization called Africa's Child. Africa's Child started out as a family
resale store for which the profits go towards supporting our work in Zambia.
They have a great team of board members and are excited to learn alongside
us as we move to Zambia. Our vision and philosophy of ministry are pretty
much staying the same. Our focus is to empower those we are going to
minister to so that they can take the reigns and be the ones in charge of
communicating the Gospel to their fellow Zambians. Thirdly, Vox has agreed
to release all of the support we have raised to Africa's Child so that is a
huge prayer praise! Any new donations need to straight to Africa's Child
though. Their official mailing information is Africa's Child Family Resale,
415 E Lakewood Blvd, Holland, MI 49424. If you are signed up on
Groundspring.org you need to give a recurring monthly gift you need to make
sure that you cancel it. The directions provided on their website say
"Donors can cancel a recurring donation pledge at any time by going to My
Recurring Donations under My Profile. Click on the edit button for the
recurring donation you wish to cancel and on the following page click on the
Cancel this Recurring Donation button." Please let me know if you have
problems canceling your recurring donation and I will make sure it happens.
We are currently in the process of setting up a PayPal account or something
similar. As soon as I get that information I will get it out to you. For
recurring donors, it would be very helpful to me if you let me know how many
months you plan on donating for so I can make sure I have the right
information down in my budget.

I know that all of this may be confusing so if you have any questions at all
please please call me (814-933-2969) or email me back at this address.
Hopefully Africa's Child and Vox United will be issuing statements as to the
changes and I will forward those onto all of you as soon as I receive them.
I wanted to let you all know as soon as possible though as you all are my
support team.

And finally... the possibly even bigger news... As of yesterday I am
engaged. Most of you have met Paul Uber, the guy I've been dating since last
June. We've known each other for 9 years through both of us volunteering at
Creation Music Festival and other Chrisitian music events. It was definitely
God's timing and completely God-orchestrated. He is not moving to Africa
with me as he owns his own sound and lighting production company so I will
miss him dearly, but I know that God will use the time apart to help us
focus our lives on Him more and strengthen us individually as well as
together. If you want to hear the whole story let me know. I love sharing it
of course, but this email is already quite long. I did attach a picture of
the ring though, which is another complete God story!

I would like to leave you with a few prayer requests though. Please pray for
the rest of the financial support to come in as I now need to pretty much be
at 100% with donations in and monthly commitments before I go. Please also
pray for the transition between Vox United and Africa's Child to go
smoothly. And finally please pray that I will not stress out too much with
everything that I need to get done in the next week and a half! I know that
God has it all under control. I just need to rely on Him. I miss you all and
will update you again as soon as I have more news.

By His Grace and For His Glory,
Abbie Morehead