Lasagna

Cooking from scratch has been a challenge and takes a bit more time than previously, but I have to say I’ve found some excellent recipes. Margaret Fortenberry, one of the other missionary ladies here, gave me her recipe for lasagna. It’s so delicious that I wanted to share it with each of you. I’m always open to new recipes, so send them my way if you have a good one.

Lasagna

You will need: 2 pounds ground beef (1 kg lean mince); 450g mozzarella cheese, grated; 2 x 250g cottage cheese; 1tsp. garlic; 2 x 410g peeled and diced tomatoes (this is 2 regular sized cans); 1 x 410g tomato puree/sauce (this is 1 regular sized can); 1 small can tomato puree; Lasagna noodles; 5 eggs; Italian seasoning (to taste); 1 tsp. salt; fresh chopped parsley (optional).

Instructions: Brown beef and drain. Add chopped tomatoes, salt, garlic, tomato puree, and italian seasoning. Cook until sauce thickens. Pour some sauce in bottom of 9x13” pan. Place noodles on top then more sauce. Sprinkle with parsley. Mix eggs and cottage cheese and place 1/2 of this over meat sauce. Place 1/2 of mozzarella cheese over this. Repeat, starting with noodles for 2nd layer. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Lion Park

This past Saturday, one of the missionary kids, Reid Warner, celebrated his 6th birthday at our local water park called The Lion Park. It is only about 15 minutes outside of the city and it was so refreshing since it has been so hot around here lately. There are 3 water slides and several rides for the kids. Taylor had a blast there with all of her friends. Here are a few shots from the day.

Taylor with her friend Anna Catherine

Relaxing by the pool

Riding the carousel

Lobatse Baptist Church

We have been very blessed to get to work with Lobatse Baptist Church while we are living in Lobatse, Botswana learning the language of Setswana. God is doing great and mighty things through this church. Yesterday we were able to see 3 young people baptized and I think the children’s ministry had one of it’s highest numbers yet of about 40 children from ages 1-12 years old. Keep this church in your prayers that God would continue to work in and through the people attending.

This is a picture of the inside of Lobatse Baptist Church

3 baptisms to testify of the great and mighty things the Lord is doing here!

Here are most of the children from ages 1-12. They love doing crafts, so they were able to make a Valentine card for their parents to tell them about God’s love for them as most parents don’t come with their children to church. 

Women’s discipleship training

The past 2 weeks, we have been very blessed to be a part of an intensive 2 week training for 4 young ladies. Some of them traveled from about 4 1/2 hours away to learn more about how to tell others about Christ and to disciple those in their villages. They each have very unique stories about how Christ has changed their lives. Amanda was able to go out with them witnessing and this truly was such a blessed experience.

If I can tell 50 people about Jesus here in Botswana over the next year, just think what God can do with 4 other people each telling 50 people about Jesus. That’s 250 people hearing about the wonderful Savior that we serve. We are here in Africa to tell people about Jesus, but we need help doing this. Please pray for God to raise up more leaders like these 4 precious women, and pray that God would give these 4 ladies boldness as they go back to their villages.

(From left to right: Theresa, Elizabeth, Nonofo, Onelenna)

Washing the car

Brent decided to wash the car and of course Taylor wanted to help. I am not sure who had more fun-Taylor in the mud, Brent getting soaked, or Amanda laughing while taking pictures. It has been over 100 degrees everyday this last week, so getting a little wet actually felt pretty good.

Taylor has turned in to quite the monkey climbing on everything, so the front of the truck was no exception

Taylor finally getting her chance at the water hose and going after daddy

 

We have a hard time keeping shoes on Taylor. I think the feel of mud squishing through her toes is one of her favorite things.

Friends in South Africa

Last weekend we took a trip to our friends Brad and Georgia Siedschlag’s home right outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. Taylor enjoyed playing with their children-Isabel and Kylie-and jumping on their trampoline. We got to go out to a nice restaurant Friday night where the girls were able to make their very own heart pizzas. On Saturday, Brent and Brad went to a show called “Top Gear” that is produced by the BBC, and then Sunday we went into Soweto which is one of the largest slums in the entire world. Brad and Georgia’s team have been planting some home churches in Soweto, so we attended church at a grandma’s house and they had a baptism where 5 people were baptized.

Taylor jumping with Rachel (a journeygirl) on the trampoline

Here’s a few of our friends playing a game in the back yard

Kylie, Taylor, and Isabel making their heart pizzas (I think the girls ate more of the ingredients than were put on the pizza)

This is one of the 5 baptisms done that day in a blow up pool outside

Bat Man!

Amanda’s Side: I kept hearing something and opening my eyes in the darkness of our room, I see something above me. Yep, it's a bat, flying all around in our room. After grabbing hold of Brent and waking him up with a death grip telling him there is a bat in our room flying over our heads, I quickly ran out of the room shutting the door leaving Brent in the dark to deal with this bat.

Brent’s Side: So last night around 2 am Amanda grabs me and yells BAT! I being a heavy sleeper, pull my head off the pillow and manage to say, what? She then turns and without her feet hitting the floor is shutting me in the bedroom, making the room totally dark; the only light that we keep on is in the kitchen, which is by our bedroom, and when she flew into the other room and shut the door it left me in the pitch black. This left me to ponder the deep questions of life at 2 am; why did Amanda leave the room? What did she say? Did she really see a bat? If she did see a bat, why did she leave me in the dark with a bat? And the most important question of all, what does she want me to do with a bat?

Amanda : I am happy to report that my valiant hunter of a husband wrestled this bat out of the air and got him in a towel and released him outside. I am just praying this bat is so disoriented by being hit by a towel that he forgets how he got in our house in the first place.

Brent : Courage at 2 am is a hard thing to come by, all I wanted to do was go back asleep. I went into the bathroom and found a towel and was able to knock the bat down and able to pick it up in the towel and release it outside. The bat rested a while and then flew off like nothing had happened.

I look at my wonderful wife (inside, barricaded on the sofa) and we could not stop laughing! I was asking her why did you leave me alone in the pitch black with a BAT! She through tears of laughter in her eyes says; With bats, it’s everyone for themselves!

This is about the size of the little fruit bat. We Love Africa!

Taylor

We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful and beautiful daughter. We are enjoying watching her grow, learn, and play. God is good!

Praises and Prayer Requests

We are in the middle of one of the busiest weeks here in Botswana. We have 4 young ladies in 2 weeks of heavy discipleship. They are in discipleship classes learning to share God’s love to other Batswana’s. Twice a day the ladies go out and share God’s love here in Lobaste. Amanda has been able to join them once a day and God is working!

• Please pray for these young ladies as well as Amanda as they go out and share God’s love. They have been blessed with quite a few great home visits and pray that God will convict hearts. Pray for Lobaste.
• Pray for the teaching sessions, pray that God will speak through us to these young ladies, We are both teaching twice next week.
• Pray for a young man named Ernest – Brent was able to share the Gospel with him. Pray that God will convict his heart, he is very interested in God but unwilling to put faith in Him.
• Praises – Thanks so much for all of your prayers! We have truly been blessed here in Botswana. We are enjoying learning the language, we have been very healthy, and we are seeing God work, God is Good, thanks!