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August 29, 2007,
Blessings to our dear Brothers and Sisters, we share with you, a faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
It has been quite a while since we have written to inform you all of the efforts here and ask for your prayers. I am confident that there are many prayers expressed for the work that the Lord is allowing us to do here in Nicaragua. Thank you.
David has been working for 10 months now on the 2007-2010 Farmer-to-Farmer/Land-for-Landless farmer program and it?s finally near completion. We have had numerous meetings with the Three Nicaraguan Agencies and the 2007-2008; Partnership Agreements will soon be complete.
Wendy has continued to work in areas of sewing, health and other small business along side our farm partners and community women. In October of this year there will be a large Nation-wide campaign on de-worming all school age children, Parasites continue to be a problem in a climate like Nicaragua. Along with all of that, there will be great efforts to administer vitamins and immunizations even to the most rural areas. All of the funding comes with materials that allow a teaching component.
While we are working hard on the plans for the next three years of work in Nicaragua, we need to up-date you on "other" Farmer-to-Farmer work literally a World away...... Zambia, Africa.
Sunnyside Farmer-to-Farmer has been involved in Zambia much of the past decade in collaboration with Partners Worldwide, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, the Reformed Church of Zambia, and Foods Resource Bank in a farmer training program, along with a Christian School, and business financings (Eastern Zambia).
Sunnyside F2F's involvement in Zambia is now growing. As you know, last year we spent nearly 1 month with one of Sunnyside F2F's new partners, Benedict Schwartz, on a fact finding mission to see if we could assist in food/crop production. Benedict desired the ability to feed AIDS orphan children in his growing Villages of Hope orphanage 80 km north of the capital city of Lusaka.
Sunnyside F2F is considering the financing of several new projects such as a well and irrigation system, and a new multi-year young farmer training program which will hopefully end with farm ownership by young orphaned trainees. In a nut-shell, they (Zambian partners) need assistance in planning of the Ag trainings, crop production, and design of a new irrigation system.
Lord Willing, David will be in Zambia for 90 days (sounds better than 3 months!) to assist in planning of the new partnership with Benedict Schwartz and several Zambian Nationals. He will depart for Zambia on September 4 and return December 10. We petition your prayers.
Wendy will be staying in Nicaragua to "hold down the fort". Our daughter Laura is here to keep Wendy company, for that we are thankful! (Laura is teaching English and Biblical Ethics at the NCA this year).
Rich Blessings to all as we embark on another 3 years of following Gods Will for Nicaragua.
Please pray for us now as we look to God for discernment in Africa and a possible collaborative work there. Pray for travel safety, health and a peace while we are apart from each other.
Grace and Peace to you all
David and Wendy Van klinken
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