The PET Master

The rains are here are in full force. Oh my word are they. One of the hardest we have ever seen here in Zambia. We arrived back from Florida in mid-January and the first thing that happened was a lightning strike that took out the Internet tower. The tower was repaired just two days ago. I mention that as a form of apology for not sending an update out sooner. I will try to send a number of short updates over the next few weeks so I won’t make this one too long.

NOW… One of the first things that needed to be done once we arrived back was to start building PETs. We had to shut down the program because of Rev. Jean Kalonga’s death and we were not here to help oversee the needs of the PET program. However, the request for PETs just kept on coming, hundreds of them.

We just finished the first installment of 50 PETs for 2010! We have already started the work on the next 50. Our goal is to build at least 500 this year. We just sent 10 of them today to the Zimba Medical Mission run by the Wesleyan Church about 800Km from here. A number of other PETs are leaving one at a time right out the front gate of the New Life Center.

One I want to mention was a Push PET. This one was a special custom build. Sandy met this little girl, named Ruthie, at the weekly CHE feeding program for orphans and vulnerable children. Sandy and her CHE girlfriends feed 200 to 300 every Saturday in the Zambian compound just down the road from the New Life Center. We’ll send an update about the feeding program later.

This little girl, Ruthie, is severely handicapped and can hardly move her hands or legs. Her mother carries her every place she going, but she is getting very heavy. The mother asked Sandy if she could help her.

Sandy came and talked with Rev. Dickson (the PET master), who is in charge of the workshop for building the PETs, to see what could be done. He and his team are very hard workers and they love to help others by building PETs. He ended up building this neat little Push-PET. He found some smaller wheels in storage and added this long funny looking bent rod he designed that connects to the front wheel tuning fork. Something new for the Push-PETs. Look closely you’ll see it. This rod allows you to push and steer the PET at the same time. Way to go, Dickson, it works GREAT!

Ruthie’s mother was so deeply appreciative. She just couldn’t believe that supporting partners (like you) and Dickson would take the time to help her little girl Ruthie. I’m sure over time Sandy will see her at the feeding program and she’ll have lots of wonderful stories of how this PET has changed their lives……because PETs always do change lives!