Best Boet!

Today is my brother's birthday! Hope you have a great day, best boet in the whole world! We love you tons and miss you so much. Hugs and kisses for uncle Mart from all the kiddos.

Swiss Family Biedebach

Some of you may remember the Malawian-made bamboo playpen that we used for Benjamin. Well, it has come in very handy, not for Allison though. But rather as the kids' newest treehouse! It has been quite a hit with the kids on the campus. Some boys in the youth group want to sleep up in it, in bug tents. I am so glad the Biedebach boys are only 3 and 2!

So how do they get up there without a ladder? Stay tuned...

Entranced...

We invited the new ABC doctor and his family over for a meal the other evening. This is how we found the kiddos!

Growing Girl

Allison weighed in at 5.8kgs (over 10 pounds) this past week. She is sleeping well (5 hour stretches at night). I am hoping that she will drop her middle of the night feed soon. She is so precious.

Alli Again

Team

This week the short term mission team from Omaha Bible Church in Nebraska returned home. They were a blessing to us and the ministry here. They helped to complete the church office, did a VBS in the village across the road from our campus. The medical pros saw many patients both here at ABC clinic and in two villages. Praise the Lord for these willing servants who have partnered with us for the spreading of the truth here in Lilongwe.

I can do it

For some reason, Bradley has been afraid to ride his bike (with training wheels) ever since he got it, which was last October for his birthday. Now he can do it! He just did it on his own. Both Brian and I weren't around to see the enormous feat- perhaps that's what the poor boy needed- time without over-bearing parents hanging around? All that to say, we're delighted he can do it and now we'll wait patiently for the training wheels to come off.

Just darling!

Allison smiles and "talks" so much now. She's adorable and we've discovered dimples too. The outfit she has on was Ami's :)

God's Grace

On Aug 13th, 2006, my parents were involved in an attempted car hi-jacking at their home in Johannesburg, South Africa. God was so gracious. Not a single artery or bone was hit by the bullet that went through my dad's right thigh. His wedding ring finger was hit by a bullet, but it has healed pretty well. The bullets could've killed him, but we are so thankful that the Lord spared his life and has allowed him these extra three years with us all. We LOVE you so much OPA!!! Glory to God Who is Sovereign over all. My dad had many opportunities to share of God's goodness and mankind's need of a Saviour during this trial.
We arrived minutes after my dad had been shot and I remember Ami saying, "Mommy, why does Opa have all that blood on him?" I explained that men had hurt him and that we needed to pray for them and ask that they would come to know Christ, because He is the only One Who can forgive our sins and the sins of the men.

Our prayer is that the Lord will give Opa many more years so that our children can learn from his godly example.

Funny Face

8 weeks

Allison screaming, while Dr. Walter Wood from the Omaha team, gives her a vaccination.

Falling out

While my hair continues to fall out, (a normal occurence after having had a baby, although if it continues this way I may be seeing a bald patch soon) Ami's teeth are falling out too. She hasn't turned six yet and has lost two already. When questioned by a gentleman in our church about how much money she was going to receive from the tooth mouse, she politely responded, "You do know the tooth mouse is actually my dad, don't you?"

Women's Talk

Rachel Floreen did a sterling job organizing this event! She has many gifts.

Katie Bartlett, our guest speaker, who tragically lost her husband 8 months ago in Malawi. Yet, she praises and gives glory to God Who has been her strength and hope. She is seriously considering returning to Malawi to serve as a missionary.

Some of the ladies enjoying tea and fellowship.

Shannon, Kelsey, Jen, Katie holding Allison and Rachel.

7 weeks already!

Allison Mae is growing well! She is so sweet. We're getting smiles from her and she gurgles and coos when we talk to her.

Family

A quick after church photo, while we're all still clean :)

Roaming in the garden

Bambi? No, just one of the families on campus who picked up a bushbuck from the side of the road. Pets in Africa can be very interesting!

Bradley, wishing he had a pet like this one.

Benjamin thinking, "I need to get in on the action too!"

Until the deer started bucking Benjamin with its forehead. Benjamin got a huge fright.

Brian's grandpa used to help him shoot targets with this pellet gun. Our kiddos were shooting a target too.

The target! Bied's impression of the roaming deer.