June 2013
”We certainly weren’t expecting God’s provision to be so…incredible!”
The Story of the Second Supply Container for Zambia
From August of 2013 through March of this year materials for Africa poured into the warehouse in Phoenix. Bibles, school materials, and supplies came from as far away as Michigan, New York, Colorado, Texas, California, Virginia, and Washington DC! They arrived by post, plane, suitcase, moving van, and pickup truck- there were no limits to God’s creativity and bounty.
Witnessing the books arriving from so many different directions has been a display of God’s awesome power and provision. I’m amazed with the quality of the books that people have sent. We’ve received literally tons of new Bibles, school books, discipleship materials, and supplies, as well as many excellent, second-hand resources.
As the materials arrived at the warehouse in Phoenix we carefully sorted, packed, and labeled them. This way they are protected from damage on the long journey ahead and presorted for efficient distribution in Africa. Over the weeks we had dozens of volunteers come to help us with this massive packing project.
Timothy with volunteers loading the container.
I deeply appreciated each and every minute they spent sorting the books and preparing them for shipment. Sorting and packing 22 tons of material on my own would have taken several years!
Our February departure date drew near and all seemed well. We were excitedly preparing to send the books on their way. However, we were dismayed to find that we did not have anywhere NEAR the funding necessary to ship the container. We decided to postpone our return a few more weeks. We continued sorting, packing, and praying for funds.
We felt very strongly that the Lord would not provide materials in such abundance without also supplying the means to ship them onward.
While it takes a daunting amount of funding to ship a container to Africa (nearly $20,000), it’s incredibly cost-effective compared to procuring the materials in South Africa and driving them up.
After considering various options for shipping the materials later-on, we decided to postpone once more. We didn’t then understand the mystery of God’s timing, but we prayed and tried to wait patiently for His provision.
When you hope for a miracle, you don’t really know what you’re looking for, exactly.
We certainly weren’t expecting God’s provision to be so… incredible. Within a few days of changing our flights we received the entire amount necessary to ship the container, plus enough to cover the clearing costs once it arrives in Zambia!
We were stunned. I don’t know why since that’s why we stayed… but God’s incredible ability to provide can be… staggering.
Volunteers came from all over to help load the container.
We immediately ordered the 40 foot container and set a packing date. People came from all over Phoenix to help us pack 18 tons of material into the box. They arrived early in the morning and worked through the heat of the afternoon. Once the contents were weighed and packed, we sealed the container and sent it on its way. It’s now on a boat somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
Please pray for God’s hand of protection as it passes through many borders, over dilapidated roads, and under the eyes of many people who have the power to delay, tax, pilfer, and ransack it. Once the container arrives in Kabwe, Zambia we will be able to start distributing the precious Bibles and supplies throughout Zambia. The remaining 4 tons of books will, Lord willing, ship sometime within the next year.
Thank you for your prayers. Thank you (very sincerely) to each of you who helped practically and financially. Please join us in thanking the Lord for this truly overwhelming project and provision of materials!
The Keller Family – June 2013
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