Safari Pics

Kruger Park here we come.
Ok so things (visa issues) have caused me to not write about our experience in the Park, but it was a large desire of mine that the Lord lavished upon His Locke family. I have wanted to go on a safari since I was a boy but of course the expense was out of question. Then when I was here two years ago I really longed to go on a safari but finances and the ache in my heart to see the family kept me away.



The craziest part about following Jesus is that he is so smart and rich. What it would have cost our family to go on vacation to South Africa for a safari would have been thousands of dollars and probably millions of Rands (SA currency). I have nothing against people planning and spending money on vacations but wow is it a whole lot better to have the Lord just take you there. Emie and I laugh at the places we have stood knowing we have no job, savings, or 401 (k) to ever allow us to experience what we have. It has given us great comic relief talking with millionaries who assume we also have money. I am going to begin telling people I am an invester.
So back to Kruger Park.



We have lost our sense of awe with large HDTV's but unless we are numb there is no way to explain seeing an elephant or a Rhino or a giraffe or even a lion standing less than 20 feet away. The wildness of it all was that every animal was standing on the edge of the road. You could reach out and touch them. Judah was a little to close to the lion, we had to tell him to put his head back in the window.



Driving in a car and coming upon a huge elephant does something to you, at least it did to Emie she seriously was hyperventilating. Or watching a rhino who is twice the size of your vehicle stroll towards you and then slowly meander around the back. I love Rhino for many reasons, their beauty, gracefulness, strength and other prophetic things the Lord used about them. God loves to use many things to speak to us.



Kruger Park gives more credibility to God's Word (if it needs it) when it says, "from the time the world was created, people have seen . . . all that God made, so they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God" (Romans 1:20).

I'm not sure what to say becuase it was so overwhelming and supernatural from the Lord. We kept telling the kids, "that many people come through here and never see anything. Look at how the Lord is blessing us." I wonder how people can look at the creativity of God and not stand in amazement.



The whole experience convinced me that if this missions stuff doesn't work out (which no one is a missionary rather a child of God who takes their calling and moves to another country. This also helps take the idiolizing out.) then I was going to become a safari guide. Actually I might do it anyways if I ever get the opportunity to live next to the Park. You know safari guide by day and preacher by night. I can see it now.



Emie gave a lot of the details of when we saw the animals and who wanted to see what. I had equally amount of fun photographing the wild beasts as I did seeing them. I took 582 pics (not very much for a professional, which I am not) and I really didn't have to do much because they stood there and posed the whole time. Emie mentioned the wonderful opportunity I had to use Kent and Shays camera (thanks guys) and it saved her a huge headache because I would have complained the whole time if didn't have it. I love cameras, I get it from my dad, who is a professional photographer. Now that my camera (which was awesome, thanks to my students) has officially been broken, this Kruger thing has whetted my appetite more. I have desired for a certain type of camera for some time, now I can't control myself. Some day soon it will come to pass, Lord willing.



We had a wonderful time knowing all we needed to do was drive slowly around and wait for the Lord to lead his pets across our path. Every time we would get a little tired or hot there would be another amazing animal on the side of the road.
So if you're ever in S. Africa you must take a day and drive through the park, it will knock your HDTV off its circuit.



Blessings and never stop being in AWE!
Heath

Amazing Day(s)

OH MY GOODNESS!! I'm going to let Heath update our time at the wild
animal game park because he'll do a better job. BUT I just have to
let you all know that the day has moved to the list of TOP 5 FAVORITE
EXPERIENCES OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!! Thank you for praying for us! The
only thing we DIDN'T see that was on the list of "want to see" was a
leopard/cheetah. The day felt really miraculous as we saw crocodiles
before we even got into the park (Judah wanted to see crocs first), a
giraffe right inside the gate (I wanted to see giraffes first and I
about hyperventilated), a LION sitting on the side of the road (a male
lion just resting there waiting for us!), Elephants with a baby (Abiel
wanted to see one push over a tree and it did!!), and then the random
guy who told us which road to go down to find 5 rhino (Heath's biggest
desire). IT WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE EXPERIENCE!! And all those were
within just a few feet of our car window! And that's not all we saw:
hippo, zebra, deer, kudu, springbok, monkeys, baboons, wart hogs,
beautiful birds, and babies of almost all of them!! And the kids did
FABULOUS in the car from 6 AM to 7 PM! That in itself was a miracle!
I'm sure Heath will write a better description but I didn't want to
keep all of you waiting for a good update when I know so many of you
are to thank for praying those animals into our pathway yesterday!!

Pictures to come later! We were unbelievably blessed by our hosts as
they let us use their car for FREE instead of renting a car for the
day, AND they lent Heath their REALLY NICE BIG camera to take GREAT
pictures. He was like a kid in a candy store shooting hundreds of
pictures. The whole experience was from the hand of Jesus to our
family. Thanks so very much for being part of that day of fun for us!
We love you all,
emie

More Pics

Us around the Nelspruit area

Pics from Nelspruit area

Nelspruit

We have made the 3 hour flight, over night in Maputo (Moz. Capital), up at 5:30am, a taxi ride to the bus station, a four ride into Nelspruit and the phone call that our house we had rented was doubled booked so we have to stay with strangers. Some guy named Kent was going to pick us up and house us for only four days. Then we mentioned that we were planning to stay here for 2 weeks. The blessing is that he and his wife Shay are also in Hospitality. We all realized that we have been here before and knew what to do.
So we arrived at their beautiful house that actually is a retreat center and mininstry school. It is located on an acre, has a pool and set up very lovely and feels like home. Unlike the Missionary Guest house we stated at in Maputo. I told Emie I felt like I was in a prison. If any of you every start a guest house make sure it is peaceful and feels like a home instead of bare neccesities.
Ok so back to the house. WE love it and have our own flat that is more than large enough for us. Kent and Shay are truly wonderful. They are meant to be here and we believe we are as well.
Nelspruit feels like America and the thought of being a missionary here seems plush. The kids are excited to explore everything, mall, book stores, cafe', more stores, and the Kruger park. We have just spent one night and here we go. We will keep you updated as time goes on.

Blessings
Heath

Nelspruit

We have made the 3 hour flight, over night in Maputo (Moz. Capital), up at 5:30am, a taxi ride to the bus station, a four ride into Nelspruit and the phone call that our house we had rented was doubled booked so we have to stay with strangers. Some guy named Kent was going to pick us up and house us for only four days. Then we mentioned that we were planning to stay here for 2 weeks. The blessing is that he and his wife Shay are also in Hospitality. We all realized that we have been here before and knew what to do.
So we arrived at their beautiful house that actually is a retreat center and mininstry school. It is located on an acre, has a pool and set up very lovely and feels like home. Unlike the Missionary Guest house we stated at in Maputo. I told Emie I felt like I was in a prison. If any of you every start a guest house make sure it is peaceful and feels like a home instead of bare neccesities.
Ok so back to the house. WE love it and have our own flat that is more than large enough for us. Kent and Shay are truly wonderful. They are meant to be here and we believe we are as well.
Nelspruit feels like America and the thought of being a missionary here seems plush. The kids are excited to explore everything, mall, book stores, cafe', more stores, and the Kruger park. We have just spent one night and here we go. We will keep you updated as time goes on.

Blessings
Heath

PLANES, PACHYDERMS, and PRAYERS

PLANES, PACHYDERMS, and PRAYERS

I’m not even going to suggest this will be a short update! They never are! And for those who consistently endure reading them know what’s going on and how to pray . . . THANK YOU!
PLANES: In 5 sleeps our whole family has to get on a little plane and head to a Mozambican border to renew our 6 month visas. At one point, Heath was really hoping and praying that we might be able to come to the States for 3 weeks but that wasn’t feasible. So instead, we are taking a plane to Maputo, the very southern city (the capital) of Mozambique. We’ll spend the night there and then take a bus across the border into a nice little city in South Africa called Nelspruit. There we have reserved a guesthouse for a reasonable price. We are going to take 2 weeks to regroup and be a family without any of the Pemba pressures we’ve been under for the last 6 months. There are a hundred things you could pray about for our 2 weeks away.
PACHYDERMS: Is that how you spell it? It’s elephants. While we’re in Nelspruit we are going to be close to a wild life reserve. In fact, our guesthouse is supposed to be on the edge of a large game reserve called KRUGER PARK. If all works out with transportation and things, we hope to be able to drive through some of it for a couple days. But I’ve heard it’s all kind of hit and miss whether or not you actually see animals! If Jesus can put a lone hippo on a beach out in the middle of nowhere Mozambique for Heath, will you please pray that we see at least a couple pachyderms and a few giraffes? A lion would be nice too but I don’t want to be so greedy!
PRAYERS: We would really appreciate knowing you are really praying for us during this week of preparation to go, while we are away and then the week we return.
** There are many things to get in place and people to find to cover our position for 2 weeks.
** Pray that all of our different desires of a “break” will somehow be met while having 3 very different ages of kids.
** Pray that it will be restful and refreshing for all of us. (I think I’m a bit more pessimistic about this one than Heath is!! Though maybe mom’s always feel that way when you vacation with their kids!)
** Pray that travel, bus, finding our house, and transportation for 2 weeks will be peaceful.
** Pray that we will be ready to come back to a VERY BUSY October.
Thank you all for your love, prayers and financial support over the last 6 months. Though we keep our givers anonymous for many reasons, it does not mean that we appreciate you any less than if you were getting handwritten thank you’s every time you sacrificially give to the Kingdom work we are doing. And I hope you know by now we value those who give of their time to pray, write, send packages, etc just as much as anyone who has given finances.
Here is an update on what our expenses have proven to be in the last 6 months. If you have other questions or want more specifics, we are happy to give them.
Our primary expenses are:
1. A monthly donation to Iris for electricity and guard fees, etc.
2. FOOD and DIAPERS: To be able to eat semi-normal, it has proven to be our biggest expense. We have many people over for dinner and find this to be a large part of our ministry.
3. Occasional dates and outings: Before I began cooking, we would try to go out to eat once a week with our family. We don’t need to do that very often anymore, though occasionally we go out with the kids or with visitors.
4. Odds and Ends around the house.
5. Ministry to the Mozambicans. The Lord has led us to give in various ways and to various people. You have blessed Mozambicans as you have blessed us. I love the giving heart of my husband and I love even more that I am not the one running the finances here!! If you want more details on the things we have given towards, let us know.
6. THE BIGGEST EXPENSE: Travel every 6 months to renew our visas as a family. Then when the baby is born in November we will have to fly again to Maputo (the capital) and get the baby a passport as soon as possible. We desire to come back to the States in February for 2 or 3 months to introduce the baby to everyone and to regroup for another year. The vast majority of money given is going towards these enormous expenses. Once again, we are in awe of how God has provided for us. As we budget out this trip, we have exactly what we need to get there, live for 2 weeks and get back.
THANK YOU ALL. We love you dearly and appreciate you all.
Loving Jesus in the Living of Life,
Emie for the family

Living in Paradise while paradise is living in you!

Emie and I cannot believe we have been married for nine years now. It is amazing how time has flown by. We have commented so many times about what the Lord has allowed us to experience, and it is a fulfillment of dreams. The last two years alone make our heads spin. We are dreamers, ark builders, vagabonds, lion slayers, army destroyers, miracle workers, producers of signs and wonders and most of all in awe of our majestic Jesus. He has been faithful when we were not; he has defied the odds yet again with our skeptics. He has and is the one the Word of God reveals to us. But he doesn’t stop there. He bursts into our lives to take us higher, father, wider and deeper into experiencing his love. It is so great one cannot and must not only intellectually know it but experientially embrace him. He is tangible and loves to get into every nook and cranny of our being.
This past week I surprised Emie with a three-day get away to Londo Lodge for our anniversary. It was breath taking and more than we could have imagined.
We both remembered who we are, without kids (we had Abiel 2 weeks before our first anniversary) and enjoyed simplicity again. It was an affair to remember. The food was amazing and the showers where awesome. Emie and I enjoyed a soothing massage without being interrupted by our wonderful children. They upgraded us to their honeymoon villa and we felt the favor of God.
We snorkeled (hated it), swam, walked, connected, and worshipped in God's beauty. Of course this is not to say the enemy didn't show up and desired to rob what the Lord wanted to tell us. We exerted our authority over him and he left. After that the Lord began to download many things to me concerning our future and how all these crazy ideas in my head will actually connect some day.
Unfortunately our camera broke on the trip so there are not many pictures of us. So we really had to store it in our minds. But the memories and the ability to come back with a fuller perspective has brought peace and more excitement about what is next.

It was wonderful and we thank Josh and Jess for watching the kids for us. Thanks to all of you who have supported and encouraged our marriage into the fullness of Christ.
Living in paradise (Pemba) has been amazing but I am realizing that having Paradise living in me is far better.
Blessings
Heath

Never enough time to see it all.

I would love to share all that is happening all the time but it seems that there is never time. So here is a snap shot of one of the benefits of living in Africa, a self-lead safari into the bush looking for Hippos! Me and 5 guys headed out to find hippos and we succeed after 5 hours of playing around in the Land Rover (which I have been temporarily upgraded the last month). It was drive on dirt road for hours, then ask around, higher two guys who say they know where to go. Then we drove down a bike path (yes in the Rover) to a river where they said the Hippos used to be, but they were all shot years ago. We explained we wanted to see live hippos. They said we had to go to the beach, but we didn't want to back track, so they said, "turn right." Now there is no road, no path, and grass 5 feet high. So we went 3.5 kg of mud, grass, small trees, BIG trees and a whole lot of fun! Some of the guys seemed to be more nervous than I was ( I was driving) b/c we didn't have a jack or a spare tire, which I thought would give us better stories and they thought would get us eaten alive. I did come prepared in every other area that we would need. The tire was another members responsibility.
After coming over the sand dun, we walk over to see a lone hippo drinking about 400 yards away from us. It was worth it all! We where like little boys all over again. We ducked down and walk to where we would come right up on it. And then the camera's where snapping away. IT eventually walked into the ocean and we never saw it again.
But we knew we would have a great drive home as we navigated again through the bush. Then we run into about 30 Baboons. This was icing on the cake as the Lord was delighting our hearts even more. One Baboon was huge and his scream made the hair on our necks stand up. We quickly jumped in the Rover and drove away.
Just another day in Africa right?

Blessings
Heath




Greetings

She turns 8 tomorrow

Wedding in Africa

Abiel, Judah and I (Heath) had the wonderful opportunity to be in Jean and Teisa's wedding on Saturday. They are two of the missionaries here in Pemba. It was beautiful and full of power. They went out into the village the day before and invited everyone who wanted to come to a free wedding feast (sounds scriptural). Then on the day fed all a chicken dinner with a coke. It was at best PACKED but in the heart of God, a thing of beauty because his children obeyed his desires. I find it amazing how fast the kingdom advances in these contexts. So we danced, sang, prayed and sweated but many gave their lives over to Jesus during the ceremony as the gospel was preached in a very tangible way.I was reminded of our New Years Day Feast we did in Oregon. That was so much fun and I remember how much stuff we had for that one day. I just felt Jesus walking in our midst and he was so proud of us all. Thanks again to all those who loved and gave and pressed on through their fears. We're still Alive!
I am realizing more and more how easy and simple the kingdom is. Sit down one day and reflect on how you "do" ministry. Maybe you could write a list, on one side of the paper write what you specifically do (more than Children's Church, write what you do in class) and then find where the Gospel speaks on that. I believe the more specific we are the greater the insight we will see on how we waste a lot of time, energy and resoures. I have many times needed to be honest with myself on the reality that what I am doing is running a ministry program and not actually ministering. It has been a hard truth to swallow but one of freedom. It also has been one that has cost me the most but I feel released from the game and more availible to "live and move and have may being in Him." Then flip the paper over and as you read the Gospels write specifically what Jesus did. Then ask Holy Spirit what that looks likes in your present circumstances and remember circumstances always change.
We had an individual come through here last week who was traveling the world doing a study on NGO's. Iris was one of the two Christian based NGO's she visited and second to last on her list. She meet with Rolland and asked him what was the BEST way to do non-profit work. To which he responded, "Raising the Dead!"



So whether it is weddings, raising the dead or feeding the poor, the one sure thing is that we KNOW it is a win-win situation, because that is how Jesus said we bring the Kingdom to earth.

Bless you all and thanks for taking hold of the Kingdom with us, we have nothing to loose.
Heath

Giving is Power

Giving is Power

I turned 30 years old last week (June 28). I had a little advice from Emie (because she is older than me and turned 30 months ago) so the day wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Though the week leading up to it was. I am actually OK with being 30; I just can’t believe that I am. I feel like I am 22 but glad I am not!
I remember being in grade school and not wanting to go back to class after Christmas break. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to go back to school but because I knew we would all sit around and share what we got for Christmas. I knew I wasn’t going to impress everyone. Though my childhood was blessed and in ways dysfunctional, I always received something. But I also knew that the rich kids received just about everything in the Sears catalog. The reality is that about a week later no one really cared any more.
I wrestle at times with the desire to own “nice” things. If I had nice things the kids on the playground would be impressed and I would be somebody. With a “somebody” status then I could be greater and have more power. Then I would be in a position to do great things.
What I wrestle with the most in my life though, is that I must make an impact on my world and more specifically those I come in contact with. I realized this last week that the more tangible it is the better I feel about myself. So I went through a mini-mid-life-crisis the week heading into my birthday. “Am I making a tangible impact on people?” I am confident I am impacting people spiritually but numbers or budgets do not measure that, so it is hard to get my head around it.
Coming from a culture that thrives on getting (way to much), I was relieved that REI and other superficial forms of gifts don’t exist here in Pemba. So the Lord set me up.
A long story short, Emie and I were led to help a young man with the building of his house. He had saved his money for months bought land and then many months later began to build. Emie went last fall when she was here and prayed over his land asking the Lord to bless it. So I went the day before my birthday to check where he was in the process. Emie and I had agreed to put a tin roof on and to help out with his doors. So I went, talked with him as best I could, and we decided to purchase the materials the following day.
“Happy Birthday Papa” was a great thing to wake up to. I am feeling richer, greater, and more powerful already. What is wealth? What does blessing people look like? There are millions of people who don’t need our money, but our time, resources, smiles, love, ear, etc. If money is all we have to offer people then we are very poor indeed.
I was off to meet my friend and buy 40 sheets of tin. After three stores we found a place that had enough. We loaded it into the mini-bus and drove into the village as far as we could get. Then it was all on foot. My theory is “work smarter, not harder”. So I hired two guys to take the mile walk a couple times with the tin on their heads.
It was a spiritual battle the whole walk. “You shouldn’t be giving him this much money”. “What about your family, you need the money?” What happens when everyone else wants tin on their roof (most people have grass), are you prepared to give to them also?” And so it went.
We had parked the van inside a Leprosy compound so it would not get broken into and the tin stolen. When we finally returned back to the compound my friend introduced me to his friends he has there. It was a wonderful time of laughing and talking. I took pictures of them and they just rolled as they saw themselves on film. What does blessing people look like?
It hit me somewhere in those moments, maybe after praying for one guy and he wasn’t healed (that would have been a birthday present). Here I am in Africa, turning 30, buying hundreds of dollars worth of tin for a complete stranger, laughing and praying with Lepers and loving it. Oh, if the kids on the playground could see me now, what would they think? No wrapping paper, no candles, no balloons, just life! Some giving and others receiving, it is less stressful and you don’t have to take anything back.
I have stopped waiting for some organization to join in order to do my part in leaving an impact on my neighborhood; I realized I could be a one-man organization. So can you! So start blessing people with a smile or a hug or a lunch or a vehicle or the means to start a chicken business, or a bag of rice or buy all their oranges and give them away or buy someone a house or a roof. I believe it’s less about what is given and more about “in whose name it is given.” Matter of fact, in the Kingdom if God you could give water and be blessed for it. Though I think it is not meant to be the end but rather a beginning.
I can’t believe I am 30 and more astounding, as Emie brought to light, is how the Lord brought me into my 30’s giving to the poor and praying for healing in Africa. What a great decade it is going to be. If it is even close to the last 10 years the kids on the playground will be extremely jealous.

Jesus led me to this verse in the midst of my mini-mid-life crisis, days before my birthday.
“And without question, the person who has the power to bless is always greater than the person who is blessed.” Hebrews 7:7

Becoming greater!
Heath

Family Foto