Dear Praying Friends,
I am thankful to see God’s hand of guidance this last year in the midst of so much tumult. December was a great month for us because we were able to complete our second week of candidate school. Although it was via zoom and in an entirely different format this year, we were thankful to be able to finish the program. We were able to visit a few churches in December as well before we went home for Christmas, which was a great blessing.
If you remember in my last prayer letter, I was to go to Africa in November and pick up my paperwork. Of course on par with the course last year, my flight was canceled, but I was able to reschedule my trip for January of this year. Thankfully this trip was not canceled, and I tested negative for covid after having had it in November so I was able to make the trip. Praise the Lord for His hand of guidance on this trip, and all that I was able to accomplish. Back in the early fall due to restrictions in Zambia, I had decided to file for my work permit in order for me to enter the country. This work permit is what I would need in order to serve in the country as a missionary, so I decided to use my time wisely and get ahead of the program by applying for it. All of my paperwork was accepted, and I was able to pay for everything in the end of October which was exciting. This January, Zambia increased the rates for the permits by a large amount, but since I had already paid for it in October I didn’t have to pay the extra which was a huge blessing. Since my paperwork was approved, I was able to take the trip there and pick it up.
While on this trip, I was able to meet with the veteran missionary in Zambia who helped me get my paperwork. Damon Matacchiera has been in Zambia as a missionary for twenty years and has a great ministry in eastern Zambia. After much prayer and deliberation as well as counsel from my pastor, my wife and I have decided to partner with him in his ministry called Hope Zambia. We are excited to be part of the team there in order to spread the gospel, and there are countless opportunities opening up in that part of Zambia that are a foothold for the entire country. We are excited to partner with them as they will be able to give us invaluable experience as we transition to life in the country. Hope Zambia is a recognized entity in the government of Zambia, which is why we were able to get our paperwork so easily and quickly considering the circumstances. On this trip, I was able to meet our future language teacher as there are no language schools in Zambia for the language we need to learn. I was also able to serve in some of the ministries that we will eventually be serving in on a regular basis. We hope to be a blessing and help to the ministry there as much as they have been to us.
My trip to Zambia was very productive in a lot of ways and just refueled our desire to get over there as soon as possible. The Lord is filling our calendar up this year, and we are excited to see His hand of guidance in all this. We ask for your prayers this year that we would reach our support levels as quickly as possible, as well as safety while we are on the road this year. Getting our paperwork & finding our specific area to work in is a huge answer to prayer, as now the only thing keeping us from Zambia now is more supporting churches. As soon as we have that, we will be able to leave for the country with nothing holding us back from entering even if covid restrictions become more difficult again. God bless you all for your prayers and support!
Thanking the Lord for your love and support,
Caleb, Abby, Rosalie, and Oliver Robinson
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