DNS RELIEF FELLOWSHIP
Distributing to the Necessity of Saints
Romans 12:13
Sent forth with the hope that someone will feel the nudge to
keep praying, keep trusting & keep going
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NUDGINGS – July 2012
Since our last letter the nudgings from many of you and a few mentioned below have resulted in more clean water, electricity and lights, urgent and necessary medical care, and gospel outreach for so many who need it so much. Those are the kinds of things we rejoice in sharing with you.
Haitian Believers – Funds have been sent to the Dominican Brethren [48 assemblies in the Santo Domingo area/9 are Haitian] so that a beautiful property that the Haitian brethren have already been using can be purchased for a new meeting place. This place has been used by the fellowship for a couple of years as a place where: they teach new mothers hygiene as to their babies, pregnant women’s clinic, daycare consisting of Bible choruses, stories and feeding of malnourished young children. The new location will enable the fellowship to grow both numerically and yet increase again it’s influence in the community as a whole.
Ken Wagler was busy with new wells and sends this update – In February 2012 I took another well drilling team back to Chitokoloki. The first couple of days were spent getting the rig serviced and ready for drilling with the spare parts we brought along. It was decided to spend the next few days doing maintenance and repairs to several wells that were not working. We also installed the new solar pump at the hospital and plumbed it into the hospital water system and eliminated the need for the old river water system, which was left for a back-up in case of emergency. We also installed check valves in the other two solar wells drilled last year to prevent a recurrence of the sand damage. We also worked on repairs to five other village wells that needed repair. We then drilled two new wells. The casing and screens and filter sand which are now being shipped via the ACCTS containers from Canada have made a huge difference in the success rate of the whole drilling procedure.
Don McKay shares this update on the solar power installation – The solar panels sent down in the last ACCTS container arrived, and in February 2012 we went to work installing them on various missionary residences in Chitokoloki, rewiring the houses for solar power, as well as installing solar heated water systems.
The hospital solar panel bank was relocated from the roof to a ground mount column location just east of the kitchen to eliminate some of the cleaning necessary as soot from the kitchen fire was causing some trouble. Twenty-one new solar panels were added to the hospital as well. We are looking for 33 more solar panels at the hospital to complete the requirements there and service the new equipment better. As our Lord provides, I will return to install this additional equipment. The “street lights” DNS sent down in the last container have been installed to help make night travel on the station safer.
Future Plans for Zambia – There is a possibility of another drill-rig being purchased for the Kalene-Sakeji area. This would allow for more water ministering to thirsty souls. As the Lord provides we hope to obtain pumps, casing and spare parts (for future repairs and maintenance.)
Gordon Hanna the director of the Chitokoloki Mission Hospital writes – We are also so blessed with all the power improvements in the solar installations that are working just great. It has revolutionized the hospital as far as upgrading. Last week they did another complete hip replacement that would not have been possible without the necessary power, and we are very grateful for the help of DNS and those who have made it possible. We keep reminding staff and ourselves that the hospital brings people from far and wide for medical help but while they are there it is the opportunity that God has given them to hear the gospel.
June 2nd – “It is with profound sadness, shock still, a tremendous sense of loss and with very heavy hearts that we are letting you know that we have lost two of our dear missionary colleagues this afternoon. Lost to us and their families but with the Lord. Jay and Katrina Erickson went to be with the Lord this afternoon at about 4:30 PM after the plane that Jay was flying crashed into the Zambezi River right at Zambezi town which is approximately half way between Chitokoloki and Chavuma.” They leave two little girls Marina aged 3 and Coral age 1.
The funeral service was delayed by 45 minutes to await for a large delegation of Government officials who were travelling. By 11:00 AM the church building was filled, more outside than inside, not sure of an accurate count but in the thousands. Many of our co-worker missionary colleagues from around the country came to support and we appreciated that. It was not easy to realize and come to grips with the reality that two of our dear friends who just Saturday were so full of energy, enthusiasm and an intricate part of the team here at Chitokoloki, now while we still had their bodies in coffins before us but they were no longer here. We thank God that we know with full certainty that they are with the Lord and while we grieved, they were rejoicing in the Father’s Home and experiencing before us what we too shall some day, see our blessed Saviour.
The Erickson family had been at Chitokoloki for a couple of months. Jay was a pilot and they came from State of Washington and had committed for at least one year. He was kept quite busy with a lot of flights including a few drastic emergency ones.
On one occasion Jay went to Dipalata and collected a man who had been bitten by a snake. He arrived back at Chit just as the man stopped breathing, and we were able to resuscitate him and give him anti-venom and he lived….minutes counted. I also went with Jay to Chavuma to collect a man who had been stabbed and again, amazingly, just as we got him to Chit he was about gone but he was taken right to surgery and he also survived. These are just a few examples of how much the plane has meant to people who otherwise would be in eternity now.
The plane reduced travel time to Lusaka to a few hours instead of a very long day trip by road. In travelling across large expanses of land in Zambia the plane has been a great blessing. We had to fly over Congo to get to another mission station and if we had driven it would have been a 4 or 5 day trip but we were able to do it in 2 days with the plane.
The plane is no longer in use as a result of the tragic accident and the future of the Lord’s work and air travel in Zambia is always in the Lord’s hands. The girls are with family in the USA.
Psalm 139:9,10 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me and Your right hand shall hold me.
A nudge has been given and the board of DNS asks you to pray for the Erickson children and their family, as well as the workers in Chitokoloki.
John Adams is still very much involved in DNS Relief Fellowship. However, please send all correspondence and gifts for DNS to the following new address:
DNS Relief Fellowship (or simply DNS)
4721 Hwy. 7 East
P.O. Box 64611,
Markham, ON, L3R 1MO
John Adams’ personal correspondence continues to go to 301-34 Swansea Rd. Unionville, ON L3R 0W3
For Nudgings by email instead of regular mail please send your email address to peteraceti@hotmail.com