News and Notes- August 24

I missed my usual mid-week posting because we were in Lusaka. It still amazes me how a task that would require only a few hours in the US becomes a two-day saga here in Zambia! While we were out bumping over the bush roads to an outreach point on Sunday, a warning light came on in our vehicle indicating that it needed a new fuel filter. Since it's still under warranty, we had to take it to Lusaka to the only Toyota dealership in the country. We also needed to take care of some other business, so we decided to drive to Lusaka on Tuesday, take care of our errands while we could drive around in our own vehicle, spend the night, and then take the vehicle in early on Wednesday morning to be repaired.

Lauren and Michelle are always ready for an adventure, so they came along, of course. We managed to get our official business taken care of on Tuesday, did some shopping, and even had time to go see a movie Tuesday night! It had been nine months since David and I had been in a theater, so this was a real treat for us.

We spent the night at the Baptist Mission Guesthouse and enjoyed a wonderful shower with lots of hot water and water pressure--rare commodities in our lives. David had the car at the dealership early on Wednesday morning and was first in line for repairs. While the car was in the shop, we took a taxi to the National Museum and enjoyed seeing the displays there. We also finished up a little shopping and spent some time just relaxing--another rare opporunity on a trip to Lusaka! Usually we have to be in a frenzy to get everything done in time to head home before dark. By 2:00 the car was finished. We did a quick run through at the grocery store and headed for Namwianga at 3:00. All in all, the trip was a nice break from our usual routine.

Now we are busy getting ready to host the missionary retreat here at Namwianga this weekend. Three missionary families from other parts of Zambia will join those of us at Namwianga Friday - Sunday. We are looking forward to a time of rich fellowship and inspiration as we share together.