Sunday, April 28- Tuesday, April 30: Traveling home and future plans...

On Sunday morning we left New Day for Livingstone with Protashow driving, John, Whitney, Caro, and me. We stopped in Choma at Children's Nest Orphanage to drop off Caro, who would stay through the end of the week there. She is part of the German board for Children's Nest and very involved in that ministry, so she was excited to spend some time there as well. We were so glad we were able to spend another trip with Caro, and we hope to be able to work with her again on a future trip as well! We would love for you to join us in prayer for her as she continues with school to become an orthotic and prosthetic practitioner. 

When we arrived in Livingstone, we were able to go to Victoria Falls and the market downtown on Sunday before flying out on Monday. Our flight path home was from Livingstone to Johannesburg to London and to DFW, arriving in Dallas on Tuesday. 

It was an awesome experience to share this trip to Zambia with Whitney, who's been a lifelong friend. She said before we left, "What would our 5 yr old selves have said if someone told us we would be traveling to Africa together on a mission trip in 26 years?" 

 We were so thankful for Whitney's amazing photography skills to capture the moments of our trip for us. She took this stunning picture of the Falls with that glorious double rainbow....God's promise.

We saw 49 prosthetic patients, 5 orthotic patients, and 25 eye patients this trip....that's 79 people who we had the honor of being able to help with the skills God has given us and through the provisions God continues to bless Prosthetic Promises with. We pray that each person, whether patient or family member, at the clinic heard and saw the love of God through this work.

We are already in preparations for our next trip, which is planned for September 2019! We have 3 orthotists/prosthetists, 1 technician, 1 physical therapist and Protashow planning to make up the team in September. God has made provisions for us to expand to two trips in a calendar year last year, and we are seeing him make that provision again with returning and new team members. 

We are looking at a fundraising goal to make the September trip happen and be able to do another trip in April next year. Each trip costs about $25,000-30,000...this includes travel, food for the team while we're there, all the supplies/components needed, extra baggage fees to get supplies there, transport money for patients, gas money, hiring the ladies who cook lunch and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things.

I often tell people, "It's not just those of us who go to Zambia who make up the ministry of Prosthetic Promises. It's the entire body of believers who join together to make this happen." Whether that's going on a trip, being in prayer for PPIHN or supporting the ministry financially, it's being used where God is calling us to contribute to this ministry He is using for His glory.