We are parents of a Baby Boy!
Oh boy! Our lives have drastically changed this past month in the most amazing and exciting way by. We have become parents of a baby boy! We are so grateful to God for entrusting us with this incredible responsibility to raise this boy and help him to thrive.
This is the most exciting news that we have to share with you this year! This is why this month’s newsletter is so late.
In this newsletter, we share with you:
- More about our son, Caleb Sepo Watson
- Adoption Training – Parenting to Heal
- 12-hour load shedding and the need for solar power
- Langham preaching
- A visit from GWC students.
“To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12
Caleb Sepo Watson - our son!
Caleb Sepo Watson is our son with whom we have been matched by the District Social Welfare office of Lusaka, Zambia. We received this exciting news on 20 June. Since then, we have been visiting Caleb at the House of Moses (child-care facility) every day for 2-3 hours in the mornings and again in the evenings. The Zambian adoption process requires that we spend up to 3 months bonding with our child before we can take him home. We have really enjoyed getting to know our son Caleb.
We embarked on this journey to adopt a baby in March this year. God had better plans for our family. We are so grateful for His sovereign guidance in this process. Our hearts are overflowing with joy.
Our son's name
Caleb is the name we chose for our son. The name he had was Hope Moses. Moses is the surname given to all children who are cared for at The House of Moses (child-care facility). However, since he is being adopted by us, his surname now changes to Watson. We have decided to keep the name Hope in the Lozi language. In Lozi, Sepo means Hope. So our son’s full names are: Caleb Sepo Watson.
Please read Michael’s blog here on his experience of becoming a father and the wonderful encouragement he received from Psalm 2. The blog is titled: “Today, I have become your father”.
The adoption process here in Zambia is wonderfully focussed on the best interests of the child (if you are interested you can read more about the Zambian adoption process on our blog). Wow, we have so much to learn as parents. We have learnt that it is in the best interests of the child to first bond with his parents before being taken home.
“You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.”
Psalm 2:7 (CSB)
Parenting to Heal - Adoption Training
One of the requirements for adoption in Zambia is to attend a four-day training called “Parenting to Heal”. The first two days of the training is primarily focussed on the spiritual aspects of adoption while the second part is focussed on the physical and psychological aspects of parenting an adopted child. Michael and I found this training to be very helpful especially since it was our first time parenting.
It is astounding that the Bible is foundational in this training. The first two days were solely focussed on the Biblical Foundations for Adoption. Here we learnt that Adoption is God’s Original Design. We were chosen and predestined for adoption into His family before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-5). This means that Adoption preceded the first family. Wow! This has really been a wonderful time of encouragement.
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world…
In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 1:4-5
Solar Power needed for 12-hour load-shedding
With a baby boy coming into our home, we need electricity. However, Zambia currently is going through an electricity crisis.
We are really struggling here in Zambia under tough electricity load-shedding of over 12 hours every day. Often there are days when there is no electricity for up to 20 hours! Imagine trying to get any work done without power or internet.
The power situation wasn’t going to improve due to the severe drought that Zambia is currently facing. It is only going to get worse.
This power crisis is due to the drought the region is really struggling under. More than 80% of Zambia’s electricity is generated from hydro-electric power plants. The poor rains this year means that the dam’s are almost empty which also means no electricity.
Fortunately, the house we are living in already had an inverter. But unfortunately the almost-dead battery hardly lasts 2 hours (with very limited load).
After considering various backup power options, we opted to install four solar panels to generate power during the day. This enables us to continue working throughout the day and get our near-dead battery fully charged for some power at night too. What a difference this has made in our lives! We are able to work throughout the day with power for our washing machine, computers, printer and internet while keeping our refrigerator cold all day long. It was a very necessary but expensive cost but we are trusting that the Lord will provide what we need to cover the cost in good time.
We are so thankful to be empowered after a few months of being powerless this year. Thank God for solar panels!
Help needed to cover the costs
The solar panel installation was expensive. It cost $825. We have had to use money we have been saving to do maintenance to our vehicle to pay for this advantage of having electricity in our house. Please pray that God will provide to help us recover this cost and get the necessary maintenance done on our vehicle.
If you would like to help us recover the cost of these solar panels, please use this reference 55045/PER. You can find bank details on our support page.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:5
A Welcome Visit from GWC students
It was really wonderful to have our two GWC students come visit us for their semester break. The whole church celebrated their visit but their families were especially happy to see them again after so long. Little Theophilus, the three-year-old son of Titus Chifita, has missed his father the most and it was really heart-warming to see the joyful reunion. They reported well on their first semester at GWC (George Whitfield College) and had no need for supplementary exams. We were so thankful to hear how well they have been received by our church families back home.
They have now returned for their second semester at GWC. Please pray that they will do well in their studies and for their families that they leave behind.
Langham Preaching
Michael was invited to represent our church (REACH-Zambia) at the Langham Preaching Vision Bearers Consultation together with other leaders from various church denominations. We met for three full days to discuss how Langham Preaching can help preachers in Zambia become better expositors of the Bible.
This was a wonderful opportunity for Michael to network with these church leaders. Some wonderful relationships have been initiated through these meeting.
Michael has been included on the Interim Leadership Committee for Langham Preaching Zambia. We are grateful for another wonderful tool that will be effective in helping grow Biblically sound preachers in Zambia.
“Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ.”
Colossians 4:3
Thank You for your support
It cannot be said enough: we are a team. You are a part of this team. Nothing that we do out here in Zambia can be done without the help, the prayers and financial support of people like you who come alongside us to enable us to serve here in Zambia. We do not take it for granted and we are grateful that you give so that we can be here to serve where God has called us. Thank you to each and every one of you that are a part of our team.
Prayer and Praise
Praise God For:
- Giving us a beautiful baby boy.
- The solar panels that provide us power to do our work.
- The encouraging visit from the GWC students.
- Langham preaching coming to Zambia.
Pray For:
- We will have wisdom on how to raise Caleb.
- Pray that Caleb will come home to us soon.
- Finances to cover the cost of the solar panels.
- GWC students that they will do well in their studies and for provision and protection for their families.
- Pray that Langham Preaching Zambia will be well established in Zambia and benefit many preachers.
