"The past months have flown by very quickly. Wow!!! Here is a little account of what has been going on in Dondo. November was very busy, as I was in charge of hospitality as we prepared for a large outreach conference. Many visitors and guest speakers came to help us, for which we were so grateful. Approximately 3,500 were at the meetings. It was great and the Holy Spirit really fell on us, especially on the Bible school students on graduation day. It was really precious.

"I have just returned for my second year here at Zimpeto after some time back in Canada visiting with family and friends and I am excited to both build upon relationships built last year and forge new ones. At the moment, my work will continue in the same areas. As the head of hospitality I work with a team that coordinates all aspects of our visitors' time here. Our goal is to practically facilitate their visit to allow the Lord to transform their hearts and worldview.

"The work that that I have been doing is not completely what I expected it to be when I arrived. The main focus has been construction and getting the facility up and operational, but there has been so much more! From spending time with our Iris kids; training workers and other labourers; going into the bush on evangelism trips - life has been full!

"I still feel like the new kid on the block, having been in Bangula for just over 2 months. It has been a huge learning curve for me, but a great one because God is faithful and equipping me for His plans and purposes. God is teaching me reliance on His strength, that He is dependable, trustworthy and ever present. He is so very real and powerful and overwhelming in His love to me. It makes me hungry for more of my Precious Saviour.

"Bangula, located on the very southern tip of Malawi, has been very hard hit by famine for many years in a row, and so it is a good place to be, to love the poor. It has been three years since we moved here. Our centre is now home to two dormitories which can house up to 50 pastors, two classrooms where the pastors train, two (soon to be four) children’s homes which each house 12 children plus house parents, and two missionary homes. We are amazed at what the Lord has provided these past three years. He is so faithful.

The Pemba Base continues to expand in size and complexity. We now have over 175 children living here. The 150 Missions School students have just left, but planning is already well along for the next school beginning in October. A new group of student-pastors has begun Bible school classes this week. And our number of visitors at Pemba is more than double last year’s figures (averaging 30-40/month). We also have 450 children attending our newly opened Christian primary school.

"The Spring term at the Bible school was very hectic, due to a shortage of teachers. That said, it was also one of the richest times we've experienced, as the Holy Spirit kept on manifesting His presence in surprising ways. Even during announcements at the end of the day, somehow we managed to be sprawled all over the place, drinking deeply from His presence as He fell on us.

"The last few months have brought some diversification in my job description here. I continue my work as head of a wonderful hospitality team, and together we work with 1200+ short-term visitors each year (2-3 week visits). I also continue my work in the library only once a week now, as a young Mozambican manages it. A few months ago I felt the Lord moving my heart to do some teaching in the Bible school where we train Mozambicans to be pastors, and also to begin building relationships with our 60 girls.

“What is it like to live in Bangula? It is hot, and mostly dry, though we have had rain this year. It is big enough for a corner store and a market, but not big enough for a grocery store. As you walk through ‘downtown’ you are likely to meet cows, goats, chickens, and many children wanting something to eat. At our house you will find our children doing school work in the mornings, and our Malawian children coming to play with Duplo and do puzzles on the back porch in the afternoons. You might meet pastors popping in for various reasons, or someone coming by for a visit.

The Kantels continue to carry a long-term transformational vision for their Pemba-based work with Iris Ministries. And they know that transformation becomes a possibility when the Lord strategically combines vision, resources, and leadership at the moment in history of His appointing.