Tucker Times Vol 19 March 2019
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Buying hand made crafts in Tsodilo Hills Botswana
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It was a busy March and I am sorry for being late with the newsletter! I will try and make up for it by sharing our fabulous trip to Botswana! As I mentioned last month we were so blessed by a financial gift that allowed us to travel to to visit our friends at Word to Africa! We spent almost three weeks and it was jam packed with camping in the bush and seeing many remote areas in the north west of the country. We started our journey with a quick few days in Lobatse and caught up with other missionaries friends there. It is so good to know that miles and months don't separate believers! Elie especially enjoyed seeing the other missionary kids again and the braai and swimming was a wonderful start to the month.
We then flew on to Maun and met our hosts, Len and Sanet. They began the adventure that took us to 10 villages in 8 days over rough roads, a ferry and through sand tracks! We learned interesting names like XaiXai (K-eye K-eye), Qanqwa (Kan- gw-ah), Sepupa (sea-poo-pa) and Magopa (ma-hope-ah). Our sleeping arrangements were often on the ground with camp mats and bug nets. Happy to say we didn't have any snake issues, did see a few scorpions and only heard the hippos grazing as we slept near the banks of the Okavango Delta! We
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met amazing fellow believers in each village that are men an women of peace for Word to Africa. Most of the communities are lacking a missionary or regular minister but have had a convert that is there as a representative to the locals. The all seemed happy to have our short visit as a encouragement. Many of the communities have preschools or are in the process of starting preschools on the land acquired by WTA. It was also so nice to visit friends in Maun; as well as meet new friends and fellow believers there. We appreciated both their sincerity and we were blessed to share a small part in their lives!
1 Tim 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful putting me into the ministry.
So many enjoyable moments It is hard to share them all. We saw many wild animals... elephants, giraffe, zebra, springbok and ostrich. In Shakawe we enjoyed a private tour of the crocodile farm. We even played with a few orphaned babies including a bush baby, civic cat, and mongoose!
It was refreshing to be in the more remote bush of Africa and we were as always impressed with the friendly people. We can see their desire for the word.
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1. Pray for direction for the next year of ministry
2. Pray for our kids in Alaska
3. Pray as we have given notice to our rental and are looking for cheeper housing
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Thad's Thoughts
What if you knew this was the final hours of life as we've known it? would you change what you are now doing? Some of you might make huge changes to your current lives, others might just tweek things a bit. when you really look around at the world and what is happening in current events it is a mess. I am not a dooms day person, but take a look at headlines. Over 6,000 christians were killed in Nigeria! Leagalized abortions killing people by the thousands(in some states even up to the baby's due date)! South Africa's brutal farm attacks, earthquakes, floods in Nebraska, floods in Malawi (where estimated 1000 people are still missing), the pure hatred of our President! The end is on the way, we are one day closer today than we were yesterday. so I am trying to exhort you, Live up to your fullest potential, the Potential you have in Christ Jesus (Heb 10:25) Is the life you are living worthy of the death Christ died? I am trying to figure this question out myself. If I truly believe in Christ's soon and imminent returns there more I should be doing?
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Sara's Sayings
Our trip to Botswana was not perfect of course. We did struggle with our flights. Multiple delays and even a canceled flight for our return trip! For those of you States side you probably expect that we got a phone alert and explanation... a voucher for free miles.... and or at least an apology! But none of those things happened. One flight in particular we arrived early as expected and found at check in we would be delayed...but we ended up leaving after 12:30pm! So glad we didn't have any connecting flights that time. But it really was amazing! In that extra five hours we made a friend! I recognised her from our flight a few days before out of Cape Town (probably because of an awesome zebra print purse)! We sat at the coffee shop and at the gate and learned of each others lives. We shared our love of the Lord and hope that some of it will be seeds that grow in her heart. I teased it was a shame that all the other people had to be delayed so God could give us the opportunity to met her!!
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If you pay much attention you may see that we have only once actually raised the Goal amount of $3,000. We quite often stay just around that $2,000 mark. Praise the Lord it has always been enough! We especially want to welcome a few new contributors!! Every dollar maters and we are so glad to have you as a part of our team!
In April we will be renting somewhere else because the cost of this house is much to high for the area. It was what we budgeted for and a very beautiful home but with a less expensive home we will be able to have more money for actual ministry projects. Thad and I have discussed it while we need to have a reserve fund for emergency, we don't want to build an account balance. We want to be utilising all of our funds for God's glory!
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Elianna's Escapades
I would like you to meet Survivor. He is an orphaned bush baby! He was a lot of fun to play with and Elie enjoyed him even when he tried to nest in the hair at the back of her neck! While we were in Botswana he was one of the highlights as well as the time playing with friends in Lobatse and the swimming pools we cooled off in! The hot weather was hard to handle at times and the mosquitoes (or Mozies as they say) were not but she was a trouper as usual camping out!
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I know that Bekah will have a package (or two) to send us soon if you would like to insert a quick note or card please let her know! I am so excited to get the school books that were given to us in the mail! But I admit I hope they don't take three months to get here! I am well stocked up on ranch dressing and taco seasoning but if you would like some specific ideas of things we miss just private message or email me.
Thad Tucker
P.O. Box 307
Greyton, Western Cape
South Africa 7333
Thanks also for the email messages we get! They mean so much!
I will try and send responses faster!
ptnstucker@yahoo.com
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