Happy New Year!

What is the most valuable commodity that we have available to us?

Money is important to many people. Money can be lost. But it can be gained again. Homes can be destroyed by a tornado but they can be rebuilt. Time is really our most valuable commodity. Once lost, it can never be regained. Time cannot be purchased or acquired. We all have the same amount, regardless of our socio-economical level, race, or gender. We all have the same amount of time and equal opportunities to use our time beneficially or waste it. 

2011 has drawn to a close. We often review how we have done with money during the previous year. We are forced to see examine the subject when we do our taxes.

 How many of us look at how we spent our time? We can put money in an investment or in the bank and leave it alone, not really think about it. It may even grow some while it sits. However, if we don’t think about how we spend our time, we will spend it all and have not gained anything.

To waste time is to squander a gift from God. (John Blanchard)

Most of us spend around eight hours sleeping and eight hours working. What do we do with the other eight? Some of that time is driving, some is eating, some is cleaning our bodies/house, some is with family members. But what about our discretionary time? How are we investing our time? On what will we spend the time that cannot be regained? 

There is nothing wrong with spending time having fun, but is that our goal for discretionary time? How much of that golden time do we lose by being angry? Or do we spend our time indulging in damaging behaviors? Or do we just do nothing, laying around, watching TV? God is interested in and cares about how we use the time He has given us, not just the money.

At our stage in life, we have many interests. Some would take a lifetime to complete. We are painfully aware that we do not have enough time left to fulfill all of our desires. So, we have chosen to seek God on what He wants for our time. We believe that the focus for our time is to bring healing and health to marriages through the work of God in a people’s lives.

During the next two months - we will go back to Zambia for two weeks, come back, teach a marriage retreat, lead a team to provide a marriage celebration event, teach marriage classes, and continue to provide guidance for marriages in crisis, financial distress, and to prepare couples for marriage. We are excited about what God has for us in 2012! 

We leave in two days for Zambia. The Lord has been faithful to provide for the mission. At the end of this letter, we will have our intinerary and prayer requests. We value your prayers. We believe that you are all part of our ministry team.

You are a valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing!

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

Thursday, Jan.5, 7:00 am* (*Times are local with CDT in parenthesis)
      Leave for Nairobi, Kenya, arrive Friday 8:40 pm (11:40 am*)

Saturday, Jan. 7, 8:50 am
    Leave for Ndola, Zambia (11:50pm, Friday*), arrive noon (2:00 am, Saturday*) 43 hours after leaving OKC (includes 8 hours at hotel in Nairobi to sleep, shower and eat)

Sunday,Jan.8 - Sunday,Jan.15    Sunday - Ed preaches in a church
   Monday - Donna teaches a women's seminar
   Tuesday and Wednesday - both lead couples follow-up and teach
   Thursday - visit Wisdom Community School and Nkwazi Slum
   Friday - both teach Kaniki Bible College
   Saturday - both teach single parent"s seminar   
   Sunday - Ed preaches in a church

Monday, Jan. 16, 12:50 pm
   Fly to Nairobi, Kenya (4:50 am*), arrive 4:20 pm(7:20 am*) includes 24 hrs. of rest before flying home

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 10:55 pm (2:55 pm*)
  depart Nairobi for home

Wednesday, Jan. 18, 5:21 pm 
   ARRIVE OKLAHOMA CITY! (26 ½ hours total journey home)

PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Safety in travel, good health, sleeping well in Zambia
2. Logistics and meeting schedule to work out smoothly in Zambia
3. Good weather for flights and in Ndola, so that participants can travel to meetings/services
4. God’s words and His wisdom as we speak to various groups in Zambia
5. God’s words and wisdom as we speak at marriage retreat January 27-28 in Norman
6. God’s financial provision (day-to-day expenses) for His ministry through Living Well, that He would provide for our full budget
7. Wisdom in leading a new marriage & family ministry team at our church, planning for Feb. 3 Together Forever event
8. Wisdom in knowing God’s will as we plan for 2012.
9. Wisdom in marriage/financial guidance appointments/teaching—God would speak through us and strengthen/heal the people, their marriages/finances.
10. Our family - good health, protection on our marriage; protection, wisdom for our children and grandchildren

March 2011 LIVING WELL Letter

Our busiest month of the year changed! Our very mild winter took a drastic change …. for two weeks. Because of the snow and cold, several of our events were postponed or altered. We did get some rest imposed by the weather, whether we wanted it or not!

We had a great retreat with those from Caddo county. We were excited to see many young couples who really want to follow the Lord in their marriage. The Dream Marriage simulcast had a huge impact. Many couples are already looking forward to next year’s seminar.

Many obstacles exist for couples today. Their marriages are falling apart at amazing rates. Thank you for your support for us in prayer. We are in constant need of direction from the Lord. We face difficulties that we do not have answers to. From a human perspective, these situations seem impossible. We know there is always hope! He has answers even when we do not.

Marriage Missionaries to Zambia!

We are returning to Zambia for the third time to teach and train pastors! We are still finalizing details and budgets. What we know right now: we will go at the end of May, first of June. We expect around 100 people to attend (50 churches, pastor and his wife) in Ndola, Zambia. We are buying new study Bibles here and shipping them over. We will teach and train pastors in marriage principles and in building marriage ministries. The trip will cost over $21,000 for our expenses and the participant’s expenses.

We need to ship Bibles and buy plane tickets right now! The immediate need for those expenses is approximately $6400. Please pray with us that the Lord will provide the funds within the next two weeks so that we can proceed. You will receive more details as soon as all of the details have been worked out.

Zambia has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in east Africa, resulting in one of the shortest life spans, leaving thousands of children without a mom or a dad or both. The Church has the opportunity and obligation to make a difference in this country. Through teaching pastors God’s design for marriage, we have seen a difference in the lives of those we have taught.

During our ministry in this same city in 2006, an elder from a church in that city attended the conference; we will call him “John.” After several sessions at the conference, Ed counseled with John privately. John has HIV/AIDS and is married with children. He was in debt and was addicted to pornography. Upon returning home, we sent him materials. Ed kept in touch with him through the internet. God began to heal John. John’s pastor was also at the conference. John shared his struggle for the first time with his pastor. He told of the way God was healing him from the problem with pornography and his debt. Soon, John connected with six other men in his church who also had a porn problem. We sent more materials. Men began to admit their sin and their struggle publicly for the first time. The pastor preached on the topic and directed men to John. He began speaking in other churches. God did such a work in John’s life that he is now attending Bible college. In an email just last week, he told us that the books are still circulating in his church.

Through the ministry God gave us in 2006, God is healing men.

Marriages are healed and lives are saved. Staying faithful to God’s principles in marriage is a life or death issue in Zambia.


We love and appreciate you and your support of the work God is doing through Living Well!
May the Lord bless you in your relationship to Him.

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Please pray that the Lord will provide the funds for our mission to Zambia.