Always on our toes.

We have had a number of changes - good and bad - happen in the last couple of months!

Southwest Baptist University made the decision to cancel all university-sponsored international travel this summer, so two of our teams are no longer able to go. This decision came with an indirect increase in our personal financial needs due to taking on a higher burden of some expenses all of the teams would have shared. Our family trip expense has increased from $6,500 to $8,875. As of today, we have $6,910 raised toward that goal!

Ministry Update

Mgcini will be in Zimbabwe for eleven weeks this summer to complete an internship and set some important pieces in motion for the establishment of our family's ministry in Zimbabwe. Julie, our boys, and four others will be in Zimbabwe from May 30-June 12 to host an outreach-oriented conference for a local church and help with projects and discipleship at Ebenezer Agricultural Training Centre.

In other news, we finally have a shortlist of potential names for our organization! (This is way harder than naming our children.) We will share these soon, as well as some key steps we will be taking this summer toward the establishment of our ministry.

Needs Update

God has been providing for us in big ways! We have had 7 tablets, 2 phones, and tons of books donated for the primary school we work with. Our biggest needs, in order of priority, are:

1. $1,965 to cover our family's remaining expenses.

2. $6,500 to purchase a reliable 12-seater vehicle - a specific vehicle from someone we trust is being held for us if we are able to get the funds. We have $1,035 raised for that at this time, $5,465 remaining.

3. $100 to meet our book donation goal for the primary school we work with.

4. Phones and tablets - used or new - for students to have online learning access at the primary school we work with.

5. Toys for the primary school we work with. An Amazon wish list to directly purchase items can be found here.

Praises

• We will be hosting a garage sale fundraiser on April 17th and April 24th. TONS of items have been donated for this.

• We have been given some land in Zimbabwe suitable for farming that we can immediately start working on to help generate funding for the development of the school.

• God has provided mind-blowing connections for us to help pave the way for obtaining land for the development of the school.

• We have plane tickets purchased!