Dear Family and Friends,

I can finally report with great joy that we have begun construction of the first permanent building on "our" land - the camp pavilion. Our excitement grows with each visible sign of progress. The site is leveled, the stone foundation wall is complete, and several teak poles are set in the ground. As we set the first pole in the ground, there was a feeling of significance. As an ex-Marine, I couldn't help seeing images of the monument to the flag raising on Iwo Jima. We are officially establishing our base of operations in enemy territory. We have planted the flag of King Jesus and claimed the area of Ilwendo in His Name.

It is no coincidence, then, that our most recent preaching session in the village faced open spiritual opposition. We returned to a village that we last visited in June. At that time, they seemed very receptive and encouraged us to return. Since I was preaching a familiar message in a friendly village, I strolled into the village happy and relaxed. Not smart. The next 2 hours of teaching felt like trudging through deep sand carrying a heavy pack. Dark spiritual forces opposed us in the form of 5 drunks who arrived one by one, evenly spaced throughout the entire teaching time, disrupting the teaching over and over. I walked out of that village exhausted, chastising myself for my casual attitude and lack of preparation for spiritual warfare every time I preach.

Nevertheless, we saw some encouraging signs from that lesson. The majority of the group was not amused by the drunks, but irritated, and even rebuked and chased away the most obnoxious ones, so that they could "hear the teaching of God's Word." Some of the young adults listened with some of the most intense concentration I've seen. Afterward, they followed us to the vehicle and said that they would find another meeting place away from the village where we wouldn't be disrupted by the drunken older adults. Despite the difficult teaching time, I felt excitement at this sign of spiritual hunger.

Mutemwa Lodge is 30 minutes drive from our land (only about 8 miles). The J.'s have allowed us the use of an inactive tent-camping site about a mile from the lodge. The greatest advantage of this site is the bush-toilet facility. There is a water storage tank on a tower filled from the river by a pump, a real flush toilet, a vanity sink and deep sink for washing dishes, a shower, and a wood-fired water heater (for hot showers!). All of this is a welcome break from hauling water in buckets up our hill from the river, digging our own toilet every 4 days, and sponge baths from a bucket. This makes staying in the bush for weeks at a time much more tolerable for everyone, especially our wives.

In addition to these comforts, Mutemwa camp provides some unique enjoyment of nature. A long, narrow island in the Zambezi, just 40 yards from camp, offers incredible bird-watching opportunities. At night, the hippos are so close that you can hear them blowing bubbles when they come up for air or splashing as they walk along the island grazing. When they grunt, you can feel it in your chest like a huge bass sub-woofer. The little girls are still a bit unnerved by that. But they sure enjoyed the troop of a dozen monkeys that visited the camp one morning!

Please pray for the construction efforts. It's so much more than a building, but a tool that enables us to preach the Gospel more effectively in our area. All the Lozi men who are helping us must begin working in their fields in a couple of weeks. Farming will keep them busy for the next 2 months as the rainy season begins. Shannon and I are not sure how we will continue building without them. We tried to start building earlier in September, but the Lord providentially allowed delay after delay. So we will trust His timing and watch what He does. Thanks again for your interest and your prayers.

In His Care,

Sean