“What good is the warmth of summer, without
the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”
―
John Steinbeck
Ah, the mugs of
hot chai tea latte, warm sweaters, cozy blankets, and nights spent cuddled next
to an electric heater. Winter is
gradually finding its way down from the north and the nights are definitely
getting colder here in Mafikeng.
Thankfully, fall stayed quite warm during the days so my garden is still
growing and I’ve only now started to need my comforter to stay warm at night.
Even with the
cooler weather, all is still peaceful on campus and the students are beginning
their exam this month. They finish the term on the 22nd and will
then have 3 weeks holiday. Because they
started exams on the 31st, there are no students at the clinic on
rotation until mid-July and it feels very empty. We still consult and see patients as usual,
but there are no students to teach. I
also have a break from leading the student Bible study and witnessing group as
they are too busy studying for exams to attend.
As much as I
enjoy working with the students, I relish the breaks as a time to catch my
breath and refocus my own spiritual walk.
It is easy to focus so much on training and working with others that I
forget to rest in God. Please pray that
during the month of June my relationship with the Lord will be refreshed and
renewed.
On the
veterinary side of things, I had some visitors from the US last month and
organized a rabies vaccine outreach in a village south of Mafikeng. We
vaccinated 23 dogs in the village and one cat!
The outreach was organized in conjunction with the local SPCA and they
provided dipping for the dogs to kill ticks and reduce the risk of tick borne
diseases. It always amazes me how well the village dogs tend to behave. The owners generally bring them without
leashes or collars, but there is little fighting or running off.
Next month I
have an American veterinary student visiting for 2 weeks and then in August
there will be a small CVM short-term mission team visiting for 2 weeks. During those times I hope to do several more
rabies vaccine outreaches and possibly a spay/neuter day.
Please be
praying for these visits, that the Lord will provide opportunities to develop
and deepen relationships and to share the gospel here on campus. Pray that hearts would be prepared to hear
and accept the good news of Christ’s free gift of salvation.
Please also be
praying over the next month that the return of students for the 2nd
term will be peaceful with no renewal of protests or violence.
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