Christmas Letter

Christmas 2016

Last year Christmas day found us in Madagascar. Our very dear friends Pam and Gideon Peteresen invited us to climb the mountains to the east of the Zurcher Adventist University (UAZ) campus. We had a student along since none of us speak Malagasy so he could translate for us. We crossed the highway and walked down into the valley where we crossed a very angry looking river on a couple narrow logs.

Sylvia Crossing the River on Logs

Then we hiked along a narrow mud ridge separating two rice paddies. We passed several homes and some communal graves. We climbed the steep slopes of the mountain until we finally came to a grass covered meadow that sloped fairly steeply back towards UAZ.

Wil in Front of Our Flat at UAZ

While eating our delicious lunch we idly watched a tropical thunder storm pouring rain on the UAZ campus then realized that it was coming directly towards us.  However there was nothing we could do to escape its path. In due course we were soaked to the skin. The trails were all on red clay, which now became extremely slippery, and our shoes built up great layers of clay.

At the University Gate

We spent three months at UAZ as English teachers to the freshman and sophomore students. We also toured a rain forest and a dry forest, both of which sported several Lemur species.

Ruffed Lemur

In many ways our stay in Madagascar reminded us of our 5 year stay in Tanzania way back in the late 1960s. If you wish to read more about our experiences in Madagascar, please see the Sojourn to Madagascar entries in December 2015 and January to March 2016 blogs at http://wils-thoughts.blogspot.com.

Two Ring-Tailed Lemur Babies Riding Piggy-Back

We found the people to be very friendly and helpful. The 150,000 Adventists in Madagascar are quite conservative and often spend all day Sabbath at their churches. UAZ is serving an essential role in providing leaders for the church and its missions in the Indian Ocean and increasingly to the Francophone portion of worldwide Adventism. It was a great privilege to have a brief chance to help their program. If you are interested in volunteering in Madagascar, contact Pam Petersen at headinghomesoon@gmail.com

One of Several Churchs Founded by UAZ Students

Allée des Baobabs in Madagascar at Sunset

Returning From the Trip to See the Baobabs and Lemurs With the Bairagees

On our way home from Madagascar we spent 17 days in and around Cape Town, South Africa. We spent most of the time with long time friends. We toured Butterfly World on our way to climb Paarl Rock. Joy didn’t feel up to climbing, but then, spurred on by our example, she and Rodney joined us at the top where we had a grand panoramic, if smoggy, view of the Western Cape including Helderberg Mountain and Table Mountain.

Rodney & Joy with Sylvia on Paarl Rock

Joy and Rodney are Pam’s parents. On Sabbath Lincoln, Rosemary, and Gwen hosted a potluck with his Sabbath School class. Many of the members are our friends, so it was a great reunion.

African Penguins

The first part of the next week we tried to visit Cape Point but picked a holiday to do it, and half of Cape Town was also trying to get there, so we watched kiteboarding at the Cape’s most popular beach instead. We also stopped at a breeding colony of African penguins. They were called jackass penguins when I was a kid because their call sounds like the braying of a donkey.

With Rodney & Joy in Kirstenbosch Gardens

We reveled in the beauty of Kirstenbosch Gardens that specializes in the beautiful and rich Cape flora. Heather took us out to a posh resort in Arniston where we were able to tour Cape Agulhas and the area surrounding the southernmost tip of Africa.

With Heather at Arniston

The next Sabbath Gideon had invited us to his mother’s home in Ottery, a suburb of Cape Town. Gideon and Pam had come from Madagascar especially to see his mother since she was very sick with cancer. The whole Petersen family showed up, and we had more excellent food than we could eat. We toured Cape Town in the afternoon with Pam and Gideon.

Lincoln and Rosemary took us around to their special sites during our last three days. We drove through four beautiful mountain passes and stopped for lunch at Gideon’s Famous Franschhoek Pancake House, not to be confused with the Gideon in previous paragraphs. We also got to pet alpacas and llamas. Now it’s your turn to figure out what the difference between them is.

With Lincoln & Rosemary Feeding Alpacas

Against my better judgment, I allowed myself to be elected the president of the Fellowship of Adventist Missionaries to Africa (FAMA) at the meeting held in 2014 at La Sierra University. Just before we went to Madagascar, our very capable editor passed away. So in Madagascar I spent a lot of time and energy trying to get the FAMA address list. Then I sent out several Newsletters mainly to apprise our members of our next meeting in Fletcher, NC.

We left home on May 17 to drive to the FAMA get together which started on June 2. We headed towards Indianapolis and then south to Tennessee and eventually our niece’s home in Roanoke, Virginia. En route we got to visit relatives and very good friends. When we didn’t overnight with people we knew, we “camped” in Walmart parking lots. We were driving our F-150 pickup with a cap on the back that covers our bed. We suffered from some very cold nights as well as some extremely hot nights in these parking lots.

FAMA Meeting in Fletcher NC 2016

Thanks to excellent help from many sources, our FAMA meetings were very spiritually rewarding and allowed us to form new friendships as well as renew many old ones. The meetings lasted from Thursday night until Sunday morning, the first weekend of June. When we left there we drove south from Fletcher and paid a very brief visit to new FAMA Newsletter editor, Lorna. She is proving an excellent editor with lots of new ideas and artistic talent.

We continued south to Orlando, Florida. In April we had spent a weekend with a group that facilitates Bible translations in many parts of the world where the Bible is still not available to people in their mother tongues. We stopped at Wycliffe to see firsthand what was happening. Wycliffe Associates has pioneered a radical new translation technique that relies on native speakers of these languages. The average time for translating a Bible has been around 25 years per language and is very expensive. The old technique is too expensive because translators must be supported by others all this time.

 The new technique produces a very passable gospel of Mark in the target language in about two weeks. It uses a computer printer to produce a copy that is passed out to Christians who speak the target language. These critique it and then encourage and support their translators who, with due diligence, can turn out the New Testament in less than a year and the whole Bible in two years. Since the expenses are borne by the local churches, they feel an integral part of the whole production. We are very excited by the obvious blessing of the Holy Spirit on their efforts. Their goal of having a copy of the Bible in every language that people want a translation in by 2025 now seems to be a real possibility.

Wycliffe Associates Bible Translators

We got home before our 51^st wedding anniversary on June 27. A month and a half later I, Wil, came down with West Nile Virus (WNV), a mosquito borne disease. It originated in Africa but is now found in almost all of the states in the U. S. The county health department here keeps close track of the spread of the disease. WNV hit me very hard. I remember taking a group from the church to the San Bernardino County Museum on August 18 to see their new mastodon exhibit. I was feeling sick on that day. Then I remember essentially nothing until the second week of October. I was in hospital for three weeks before they finally diagnosed WNV. It is a rare disease in Riverside County, where I was the fourth person diagnosed with it this year. I hallucinated a lot and spoke absolute garbage. Then they put me in a rehabilitation center for another 6 weeks, where I slowly regained my senses and learned to walk again. I lost 30 pounds (14kg) of muscle during those weeks in hospital. I just wish the loss had been around my waist!

Sylvia Supporting Wil in Rehab

The picture was taken after a total of eight or nine weeks in hospital and rehab.

A headache and dizziness have haunted me constantly ever since my memory kicked in again in early October. Recently I had another MRI done on my head to try and pinpoint the cause of the problem. From reading on the Internet it appears that these symptoms may be with me for a year or longer. My family has been very supportive, especially Sylvia and Elwood who have spent long hours day after day with me. I returned home the end of October. Since then I have been to Joshua Tree National Park three times. I don’t have the muscular strength to climb anything, but I do enjoy the hikes that are somewhat level. I also spend time almost every day hiking in the hills around our home. Our dog, Cleopatra, who has been with us for over 15 years, is ailing and has a hard time doing the longer walks.

Thank you for your prayers for our well being and my healing. We covet your further prayers on our behalf. We pray that you will have a lovely Christmas and a prosperous New Year, 2017. We treasure each of your greetings.

Our Address is still:

Wil & Sylvia Clarke

5547 Wentworth Dr.

Riverside, CA 92505

Phone: 951-687-4556

e-mail: wil.clarke@gmail.com

Sabbath in Pisa Italy

Mark 2:27

King James Version (KJV)

²⁷ And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath

[i]

My family stood on the Piazza dei Miracoli (the Square of Miracles) in Pisa, Italy. This Sabbath day was indeed a miracle with some white fleecy clouds in a deep blue sky. It had rained for days, and now it seemed that God smiled on us. We had visited the Cattedrale di Pisa, a magnificent church with an expensive marble façade. I love the great cathedrals of the world. I love their splendor, but even more I love the reverent silence gracing the old stone structures.

As we walked into this cathedral, our voices had automatically hushed to awed whispers. I touched my finger to the holy water and made the sign of the cross, not that I believed it had any redemptive effect. I was too far gone for that. But it seemed to be the thing to do. My family watched in silence with skeptical smiles on their faces. They made no attempt to do likewise.

Outside again we entered the famous Campanile and climbed up to the bells. The tower leans precariously away from the church, and climbing its stairs is almost like climbing a ladder of a ship in a storm. This tower was made famous when Galileo simultaneously dropped two spheres of the same diameter but different masses. The experiment demonstrated to the watching crowd that Aristotle’s claim that heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones, was false.

Dad owned the only camera in our family. I suggested he take a picture of the beauty of the church and bell tower. He adamantly declined to do so by saying, “It’s Sabbath, son.”

“But Dad, it’s the only time we’re ever going to see it!”

“Yes, but a picture of this tower is found in every physics textbook.” Dad had taught physics for years and had a masters degree in physics, although at this juncture he was actually the president of a university.

Dad had taken pictures before on Sabbath. He took pictures on Sabbaths afterwards. Sabbath was wonderful day of family togetherness. We walked beaches, climbed mountains, explored gardens and other places of beauty. However, to Dad the physicist, this tower represented work, and as such he distanced himself from it to the point that he wouldn’t even take a picture of it on Sabbath. Otherwise, Dad worked hard all the time, night and day. His good health lasted him past his hundredth birthday, and I attribute it at least partially to his celebrating every Sabbath by not working on it.

Thank You Lord for the Sabbath rest You made for us!

#California, #IE, #SABBATH, #PISA, #LEANINGTOWER, #GALILEO, #PHYSICIST, #WORK, #TENCOMMANDMENTS, #CATHEDRAL, #ITALY, #GRAVITY, #HOLYWATER, #FACADE, #PHOTOGRAPHY, #CENTENARIAN

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[i] http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2012/05/precariously-leaning-towers-of-world.html

Green Earth and Creation Stamps

Isaiah 45:18

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

¹⁸ The Lord created the heavens.
    God formed the earth and made it.
    He set it up.
    He did not create it to be empty
        but formed it to be inhabited.

This is what the Lord says:

I am the Lord, and there is no other.

 On July 24, 2016, I went down to the Quality Anaheim Sunday Stamp Show. Claude Abraham waved at me and said he had some things he thought I might be interested in. He knows more about stamps than anyone else I know, and I sat down at his booth to see what he had to offer this time. One of these was a stack of souvenir sheets.

This Palau sheet immediately caught my attention. Initially I decided I wouldn’t buy it. I don’t collect Palau, an tiny island east of the Philippines and north of Papua New Guinea. But I do collect some topics, like Mathematicians on Stamps, Giraffes on Stamps for Sylvia, Famous Writers, and so on. So I bought this one and have included a copy of it.

I wondered if Palau was peopled by Adventists who celebrate creation every Sabbath. Did they urge the country to issue a beautiful issue honoring the creation and its Creator? Looking on Wikipedia, I saw that Adventists constitute a mere 5.3% of the population, whereas other Christians constitute over 75%. This stamp issue is rather a part of the great green earth movement that encourages humans to treat our planet with respect.

A couple months ago Sylvia and I returned home from a road trip back east to North Carolina. During that trip, we drove through vast stretches of hot desert where we encountered some amazingly powerful rain and hail storms. Vast prairies contrasted with the might Rocky Mountains that were visible for miles. We crossed beautiful rivers, wide enough and deep enough to allow ocean going vessels on them. Wild donkeys, buffalo, prong horn antelope, coyotes, and big horn sheep, all seeking to live out their own lives, graced our travels. We became almost claustrophobic as we pushed through the seemingly endless eastern deciduous forest where our horizons were less than 100 feet (30m) on either side of us.

Such marvelous and varied scenery and views we experienced, each special in its own way! Throughout our journey, we were often conscious of the mighty Creator who prepared all this for us and all others to enjoy.

Thank you, Lord, for creating a beautiful planet and placing us on it to cultivate and preserve it. Thank you, Jesus, for becoming human and living on earth with us to guide and save us.

#CREATION, #CALIFORNIA, #IA, #SOUVENIRSHEETS,  #STAMPS,  #STAMPSHOWS, #GRATITUDE, #PALAU, #GREEN, #ADVENTISTS, #CHRISTIANS, #ANAHEIM

Conversation Starters

[i]

John 4:27New

International Version (NIV)

²⁷ Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

Recently, at the delightful reception of a beautiful wedding, eight of us were sitting at a table where 6 of us were more or less closely related. The other two were total strangers. For some reason I personally feel uncomfortable ignoring the presence of someone who is in close proximity to me. I guess that in the past I have been snubbed enough times to not like the feeling.

Introducing myself, I asked the couple their names. They told me. Over the next half hour I found out they live in Riverside, where I live. Riverside has close to a half-million people, so it’s no surprise that we didn’t know each other. They’re happily married after some thirty years. They have a 24 year old daughter who might be getting married one of these days and two teenage sons.

They’re hoping to move north and live within 30 miles of the Canadian border once they both retire. Naturally, their children do not share their joy in living in the wilderness. “What are you going to do for fun, Dad?” The couple loves the out of doors, especially hiking, an interest we share enthusiastically. We spoke of places near Riverside that we enjoy visiting. When we parted at the end of the evening, we hugged each other as though we had been long time friends.

Later I couldn’t help thinking of how I had come from being a dedicated nerd and introvert to the point where I could talk to people like these. Many years ago a long time friend introduced us to Amway. I worked Amway hard and lost money consistently. It just wasn’t my kind of life. But I learned one thing from these zealots. They encouraged me to “FORM” strangers. This is an acronym of a way to get others talking, so I don’t have to, and make friends in the process. Ask the new acquaintance about these:

F    their Family;

O    their Occupation;

R    their Recreation;

M    then present your Message.

I was encouraged to listen closely and, as soon as possible, try to write down names and important points for later reference. Although I never sold a box of soap (Amway), I found this FORM acronym of great help whenever I found myself sitting uncomfortably next to someone I didn’t know.

Try it on someone you’re sitting next to on a plane or standing next to in an interminable line. It is absolutely amazing what you’ll learn. Usually the former stranger parts from you thinking about what an interesting conversationalist you are because you let them do all the talking.

Lord, thank You for an easy way to talk to strangers, like You did with the Samaritan woman. And give me wisdom to weave Your message of love into the conversation.

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[i] http://infed.org/mobi/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/conversation_jason_schukltz_cc_by_nc_2_flickr_jdawg_484678361.jpg

FAMA Newsletter v10 n5 July 2016 -- New Editor

NEW EDITOR Please welcome Lorna Dever as our new FAMA Newsletter editor and communications director. She was elected to this post during our FAMA meetings on the first weekend of June in Fletcher, NC. Lorna has experience running the Tryon SDA Church newsletter, also a newsletter for their Thrift Store, and creating their church bulletin. Lorna was a missionary to Malamulo in Malawi some years ago and is a member of FAMA. Please send all Newsletter items to her at the email address she provides you. Wil Clarke, President of FAMA. EDITOR'S NOTES I feel it an honor to follow Rose in providing a Newsletter for each of you. My e-mail address isserendipitykids@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from as many of you as possible and learning stories of your time in Africa that we can share with each other. I plan to stay with the same sections as Rose had, but would love to add a section on MY STORY as you each share fascinating stories from your time as a missionary in Africa. If you have a section you would like to see included feel free to suggest it. Also, with this issue I have created a mailing service through Mail Chimp in order to send a mass e-mail without having to just do a few e-mail addresses at a time to avoid landing e-mails in spam folders. I have never used this particular service, but it came with good remarks. I will be learning their design formats in the next few weeks! I wish you each God's blessing wherever you are still serving Him. Prayers, Lorna WE HEARD FROM YOU Thank you for another interesting FAMA newsletter.  I am delighted to read about Doctors Tom and Alice Nkungula, retired, but willing to work at Matandani in Malawi.  I have now known them for nearly 50 years since they were students at Avondale College in Australia with us - Bob and Joy Butler.  Tom has some wonderful entertaining stories to tell of his cultural adjustments in Australia at that time. Then my husband Bob and myself worked with them in Harare from 1982-1993.  They have been precious and special friends.  God bless them in this new venture and we will be praying for them.  Can someone please share their email address.  Thank you. Joy Butler, 4th Vice President - World WCTU, Coordinator - Joy Safaris, Facebook - Women of Faith and Excellence FAMA BUSINESS Business meeting of the FAMA get together June 2 to 5 in Fletcher. North Carolina. Between 35 and 40 FAMA members met in the Fetcher SDA Church June 2 to 5 in Fletcher, North Carolina USA. We wish to thank The Fletcher Church and Pastor Ivan Blake for their generous and gracious hosting of our meetings. Decisions voted during the Saturday evening business meeting are the following: ·         Next Meeting: We’ll meet in 2018 somewhere in the central part of the U.S.A. Members suggested Centralia, Missouri or Indianapolis, Indiana. ·         Special thanks to Herb Stickle for Supporting Rose Stickle as the long time editor of the FAMA Newsletter. Thanks also for collecting and forwarding the membership email addresses so we could continuing distributing the Newsletter. ·         Officers for the next biennium o   President: Wil Clarke o   Vice President: Charles Schlunt o   Treasurer: Bruce Harvey o   Communications Director: Lorna Dever There was a discussion about the possibility of sending the Newsletter by U.S. Mail to members who don’t have email. We would really appreciate your contribution to this discussion! In times past there was a member who voluntarily sent copies of the Newsletter to these members and paid for it out of his/her own pocket. The name of this volunteer was not available during the discussion. Postage for the Newsletter may run as high as $1.15 per item. We currently do not have an estimate as to the number of members who would need a paper copy of the Newsletter. Wil Clarke< wil.FAMA2016@gmail.com>

Copyright © 2016, FAMA, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: serendipitykids@gmail.com Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

FAMA Newsletter v10 n04 - June 2016

 FAMA NEWSLETTER

Volume 10    May 2016   Number 4

SEE YOU AT FAMA MEETING IN FLETCHER!

A. Program at Fletcher

B. Letters to the Editor

C. We Remember

1.  Anna Houmann

2.  Harold Sheffield

D.  Reports

1.  Fred Wilson - Matandani

E.  FAMA NL e-mail address:  wil.FAMA2016@gmail.com

       FAMA NL member’s e-addresses

G.  Fellowship of Adventist Missionaries to Africa Get Together

1.  FAMA Meetings 2016

2.  New meal arrangements in Fletcher, NC

* * * * *

A.  FAMA Proposed Program. The contents of this program are still in process of being assembled and adjusted, so please expect changes. Bring along pictures and other contributions that you are willing to share with the group. There will be place for you to share in one of the “and …” or “& …” in the program below, please mention your desire to share with us to Wil Clarke.

Thursday June 2, 2016

Registration 3:00 to 7:30 with a break for dinner.

5:00  Dinner

7:30  Welcome Meeting with the FAMA President

Friday June 3, 2016

8:00  Breakfast

10:00  Fellowship with Jean Mabuto; Wil & Sylvia Clarke-Madagascar; and …..

12:30  Lunch

2:30   Informal Fellowship

5:00  Supper

8:00  Vespers and Fellowship with the FAMA Vice President

8:41  Sunset

Sabbath June 4, 2016

7:30  Breakfast

9:00  Mission Emphasis with Bruce Moyer: Muslims in East Africa; David Dobias: Evangelism in East Africa; & …

11:00  Worship with Barry Bacon- Setting a Place for Africa at Your Table

12:30-(after worship) Potluck Lunch

2:30-Fellowship with Karolyn Leonard and Pastor Ongasa and  …

5:00-Supper

8:00- Vespers and FAMA business including election of officers for 2016-2018

Sunday June 5, 2016

8:00-Worshipwith the FAMA president

11:00-Brunch at Park Ridge Café

* * * * *

B.  Letters to the Editor

1.  Thanks for the invite but my wife Kathy & I are not able to attend.  Blessings to you and all former Africa missionaries at the meeting. Robert Sundin <Robert.Sundin@nw.npuc.org>

2.  Thank you again for the FAMA newsletter. It is good that you continue this communication for all the ex-missionaries to Africa.  I looked through your names whose emails you have had returned. I know many of the names but can’t help you with many details.  ... And just to tell you that I am organizing my 9th JOY SAFARI to Kenya in July, and I only have a few travelers.  If you know of anyone interested - please share this with them.  I am attaching the information. Blessings on you. Joy Marie Butler <joymariebutler@gmail.com>

3.  I will be unable to come to Fletcher next month. I would like to, but I just had my 90th birthday and my children have asked me not to travel any more. I am living with my daughter and her husband in Nashville, TN. 

My husband and I worked in Ethiopia from 1973-1976 and spent the year 1984 in Rwanda as volunteers at the university there. Our daughter and son-in-law (Lars and Janiel Gustavsson) were missionaries there at the time. Ruby Sorenson <nielruby@gmail.com>

* * * * *

C.  We Remember

1.  Anna Houmann I want to let you know that my mother, Anna M. Houmann died March 17, 2016. She served in Ethiopia 1957-1962. Her husband, Dr. Carl J. Houmann, was at the SDA hospital in Addis Ababa. My dad is, at 97, doing quite well. His hearing and eyesight are poor, but he stays connected via his computer. Annette Houmann Grant <revkevfl@bellsouth.net>

2. Harold Sheffield Dr. Harold Sheffield died about 2008 in Madera, CA.  He was a nephew of Elder Robert Pearson.  He served in several places in North Africa in the early 1960s. I last saw him in Madera in 2007 at the funeral of his partner in the Madera Medical Group.  He was an avid golfer and had a house right on the golf course. His big plate glass window facing the greens was broken out by stray golf balls at least 6 to 8 times starting in 1975. None of the people in the room were ever hurt, but they had some close calls. He was a financial contributor to many mission projects during his later years. Marland Hansen <marlandhansen@gmail.com>

* * * * *

D.    Reports

Please send any news or reports to wil.FAMA2016@gmail.com

We rely on your input for the FAMA Newsletter.

1.      February 2016. From Fred Wilson.

   To our faithful 'Prayers' and Supporters; our humble thanks! ! !

  

   Without you, our efforts to bring Matandani back from the dead would have been severely hindered!!! We thank our Merciful Heavenly Father for blessing you so you could assist our efforts!

  

   This pictorial book* that we are sending will give you an idea of what has been accomplished up to 2015 when we left In August. The work continues through the efforts of John and Lori (our adopted kids) from Romania. God has moved on hearts in Romania, and without their interest, efforts, and prayers and without John and Lori, we would not be where we are now. I also want to pay tribute to the Matandani staff and our leaders, both in the Union and the Field. We thank God for His help in all efforts and acknowledge that without Him nothing could have been done. We also know that without your help and prayers we could not have done what has been done.

  

   In order to maintain our focus and effort, I want to again state what we see as our goals and aims. I will list these as separate items for ease of focus,

  

   1. Continue Restoration of The Mission: a. There are 11 or 12 houses that need to be renovated, and two or three need to be torn down and replaced. b. The Secondary School Boys Dorm urgently needs to be renovated. c. The Primary School needs to be renovated. d. The Clinic needs 3 units for housing their staff.

  

   2. The development of the Trade or Skills School: a. This school needs to be the principle institution, and the Secondary School, an adjunct to it. Courses should be available for secondary school students to take to enrich their lives. The school needs to be on a work/study program so that a poor student can work and learn a trade or skill to enable him or her to be self-supporting, and enrich their communities and our churches.

  

   3. Income producing programs to enable Matandani to be Self-Supporting. a. Gardens. b. Farm. c. Furniture Making, etc.

  

   I bring this to a close by asking you to continue to pray that God will continue to bless, and that the right leaders can be found.

  

   Here is a list of prayer requests:

   

     a. Pray that the Romanian Union will be able to find a young person or a couple to replace John and Lori — their 5 year commitment will end in September.

     b. Pray that God will bless Drs. Tom and Alice. They will be moving to Matandani, where Dr. Tom will serve as Mission Station Director. They are retired but willing to be used by God. They will be the glue to bind all of our efforts together.

    c. Pray that God will continue to move on hearts to support Matandani with financial contributions.

    d. Pray for the Malawi Union and South Malawi Field as they support the efforts being made; through counsel, direction, and oversight so that the programs started can be the right ones and can be maintained.

  

   Thank you! May God bless you in a big way!

  

   Ongoing Needs at Matandani Mission

  

Renovate Farm Manager's house     $10,000

Renovation of Boy's dormitory     $25,000

Primary School renovation     $10,000

Small Industrial Building     $25,000

Deep Well water system for people consumption     $50,000

Duplex for clinic staff (Lab person and Midwife families)     $25,000

Renovate 11 staff houses at $8,000 each     $88,000

Another 4 wheel vehicle     $15,000

   Projected cost $248,000

  

   Send you check made out to the Hot Springs S.D.A. Church, marked for Matandani c/o Dr Rheta Stecker, 441 Weston Rd., Hot Springs, AR 71913.

  

   Thank You, Pastor Fred E. Wilson, and Marilyn.

*[The Pictorial Book will be at the Fetcher meeting in June. Please take a few moments to look at it. Ed.]

F.    FAMA News Letter e-mail address:  wil.FAMA2016@gmail.com   Wil Clarke

      Thank you for sending to FAMA Newsletter any email addresses for current or former missionaries to AFRICA (and their children) who might be interested in receiving this newsletter.  Any news on your present or past activities will help to make this newsletter interesting to others in the FAMA family.  It would be helpful if you include information on where and when you served in Africa. African mission stories would also be appreciated.    If you do not wish to receive the FAMA Newsletter, please let us know.                                    -   Wil Clarke

      FAMA News Letter e-mail Search:

                                                                                                

Each month we remove the email addresses that “bounce.” Then we add back in the new addresses of those you send to us. Please continue to send the email addresses of any of those below that you have. Also please send us addresses of those who would like to join our mailing list. For your information we currently send the Newsletter to 734 subscribers. 

Newsletter v10 n01 Gilberto Araujo Natanael Bernardo Dilson & Lea Bezerra Arnold & Marilyn Boram Ian & Roger Bothwell Fred D Brandt Nick & Gail Brightman Francis & Retta Chase Nell Davies Ken Flemmer Walter Lacks Helen & Bill Markin Hermie and Daniela Munez Goodwell Nthani Cristine Orillosa Bob Parsons Thomas & Anita Riederer Claude & Farida Sabot Francis Slate Sebastian Tirtirau Jerald Whitehouse

Newsletter v10 n02 Jerry & Helen Cullum Ken Flemmer Lisbeye Luchmun Kevin Maupin' Sharon Miller Diane Mopelle Antti Oksanen Thor Pederson Terry Phillips Mark & Elbie Piotrowski Shirley Pratt Paulina and Usko Rinta-aho Susan Williams       Newsletter v10 n03 David & Veronica Birkenstock Kathleen Ellstrom

G.  Fellowship of Adventist Missionaries to Africa Get Together

1. FAMA meetings, June 2 – 5, 2016.

If you haven’t had a chance to register, come any way

What:       Fellowship of Adventist Missionaries to Africa (FAMA) Biannual Reunion

Where:      The Fellowship Hall of the Fletcher SDA Church in Fletcher, North Carolina.

Housing: In the Boys Dormitory at Fletcher Academy. Bring your own pillows and linen. Or check out hotels and RV parks in Hendersonville, NC.

Registration: Registration starts on Thursday afternoon about 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in the Fletcher SDA Church fellowship hall. You can also register in the same place between 6:30 and 7:30 in the evening.

Meals: Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian are served in the Park Ridge Café in the Park Ridge Health hospital. Sabbath lunch will be potluck in the Fellowship Hall. Pay cash or credit card at each meal. Other meals are served at the following times.

       Weekdays:    Breakfast 6 to 10 am;     Lunch 11 am to 2 pm;    Dinner 4-6 pm

       Sabbath:        Breakfast 7 to 10 am;     Lunch 11 am to 2 pm;    Dinner 4-6 pm

       Sunday                        Brunch 11 am to 2 pm;     Dinner 4-6 pm

2. Registration Form for our June 2-5, 2016 Meetings in Fetcher, NC

Fellowship of Adventist Missionaries to Africa Retreat, June 2 to 5, 2016

Fletcher SDA Church in Fletcher, North Carolina

In July 2014, we had a wonderful time in our get together in Riverside, California. We enjoyed sharing experiences and fellowshipping together. We are looking forward to having a profitable time together in June 2016 and hope that you will be able to come and join us. We are all ambassadors for Christ and His missions, and there are still great needs in the mission field. Africa is dear to our hearts, and we must continue to keep the needs and victories of Africa before our friends. Let us pray earnestly and work diligently so that the missionary spirit never dies in our churches. Please plan to come and join us at this retreat in June 2016.

 Name_______________________________________________ Number in your party_______

Address_______________________________________________________________________

Home and Cell Phone Number(s)_________________________________________________

Email_________________________________________________________________________

Registration Fee: $10 single, or $15 per family. Registration starts at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, June 2, 2016. The first meeting is at 7:00 p.m. These will be in the fellowship hall of the Fletcher SDA Church in Fletcher, North Carolina.

Housing: At Fletcher Academy, next to the church, there will be dorm rooms available in the boys’ dormitory. They have beds and mattresses in them but no towels, pillows, or bedding. Fletcher Academy will let us use the dorm rooms without charge for the FAMA event. But they need to know early how many to plan for. Please plan to make a donation for the rooms. You may contact Marcella, (828)-209-6800, for reservations.

Meals: See the new arrangement described above. We will eat in the Hospital Cafeteria and pay as we go.

Please register as early as possible so we can give the academy a reasonable estimate of the number of rooms needed for their planning. This is important. 

Checks should be made payable to “Judy Harvey”. Please bring your cash or check with you and pay at registration.

If you have further questions, contact Judy at 541-772-0773.   You can leave your number for a call back.  Email her at  <brunju.harvey8@gmail.com>

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