Chikankata is some place!!!

It's like one big see-saw. It's like depths of depression one minute and heights of elation the next. It's like the best place to work one day and absolutely the worst place the next. It's just too difficult to explain.

This week has been a hard week. The more you scratch, the more you find. It's nearly two years since we came here and we are still finding outstanding (in all senses of the word!) problems. So this week another $10,000 bill. Apparently we took legal action over something or were defending legal action in 2002 and the case was settled in Court early 2005. So when you go to get some legal advice from our lawyers, the state they can't help us because we still have an outstanding bill. What's more they are giving us limited time to pay. An all too familiar story.

There are so many issues to try and sort out and the majority of them are none of my doing and I don't mind admitting, I'm getting fed up with it! You put a vehicle in Toyota Zambia (don't get me started on them!) and it takes them 5 months to fix it. You have to spend $4,000 to pay for a new pump, caused by dirty fuel from somewhere AND THE VERY NEXT DAY IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM IT WENT IN WITH! How does that work?!

My accountant and I did the cash flow forecast for the next three months and basically we are going to have to 'find' about $20,000, (10,000 pounds) just to break even. Not sure were that's going to come from but I believe we'll get by. Not wishing to revel in others misfortune I found a paper from 1991 entitled " Hospital's Financial Survival Plan" which cheered me up a bit. I know from people like Commissioner du Plessis and Colonel Gauntlett, men who are fair more qualified and esteemed than me, that Chikankata has seen it all before when they've been in charge. So I'm trusting the Big Man on this one.

HOWEVER and it's a big however that's why it is in capital letters - this week I have felt really uplifted in prayer. What's more I have been given tangible evidence that the Big Man answers prayer.

Yesterday, we found out we had managed to raise nearly all the money for the ambulance and we will now be able to order a standard vehicle. This has been a mammoth effort and we have managed to raise 25,000 pounds in 5 months for this venture. We have recieved donations from SA Corps from all four countries in the UK. TSA is an amazing organisation, with some really kind-hearted, committed and caring people. Special mention to some individuals Garry, Nick, Clark and Kevin who really pulled out the stops. Special mention to the people in communities around Chikankata who raised over 3000 pounds by donating maize, which we were able to pool together and sell. Special mention to the Big Man for his continued provisions. God is good!

Secondly, after months of persistent nagging and 'persuasion', Zambia Sugar ( a large South African firm based in Mazabuka) brought the plans and the contractors to the Hospital and seem ready to renovate our Maternity Ward. It's a big refurbishment and if all goes well, it'll look fantastic.

Finally, we received a couple of packages that really encouraged us and made us feel that people care and are really rooting for us. We will enjoy listening to the CD's and eating the fruit pastilles and I am sure they will keep us going. We are so grateful fore-mails, cards and care package and thank the Big Man that he has given us friends who care about us.

Please pray for the ex-pat staff here from UK, Sweden and Australia. All of us have our different struggles, both personal and professional and we need people to uplift us and rely on those prayers as we try to the serve at the Hospital and serve the Big Man.

Like I said - It's some place!