Update - December 16

We enjoyed a quiet two days with David's parents in Searcy and then returned to Austin on Wednesday. We both managed to come down with head colds and have been miserable. I ended up having to back out on a couple of events Thursday so I could stay in and recuperate. The irony is that I spent 18 months in Africa without ever having to miss a day of work, and then came back to the US and got sick! We're both doing better now and hopefully have revived our immunity to American viruses.

Here are a few more things I am appreciating about American life:
Organization and efficiency -- I'm amazed at how quickly I can get things done here.
Medical care -- I've had three medical appointments this week. I would have taken that for granted before, but now I realize what an incredible blessing it is to have so much knowledge, skill, and technology available just a few minutes away. At Namwianga I would have had to fly to Johannesburg, South Africa, to get comparable medical care.
The highways -- I know I've mentioned this before, but I still can't take for granted the smooth, wide roads. And driving at night! In Zambia we try to stay off the roads after dark because of the narrow roads, ubiquitous pedestrians, and straying wild animals. Here we can drive at night, opening up a whole new world of possibilities.

And yet I miss my life at Namwianga.
I miss the sunrises and sunsets--God's artwork on daily display. David and I usually watch the sunrise on our morning walk and then enjoy the sunset from our veranda. Here I've been too preoccupied to notice them.
I miss the simplicity of having fewer choices to make.
I miss our co-workers, both Zambian and American. I wonder how they are doing and long to catch up on the news from the Mission.

I realized yesterday that I have changed from my time in Africa. God has used the many experiences, frustrations, and faith experiences of the past year and a half to do some needed work on my attitudes. I was having some tests done at a lab yesterday and ended up waiting for the better part of two hours because of a scheduling problem and a computer failure. Part of that time I was lying in a darkened room and couldn't even enjoy the novel I'd brought along. The lab tech came in at one point to apologize, and I assured her that I was just fine. I meant what I said. I wasn't impatient, angry, or irritated. In fact, I just enjoyed the quiet and the rest as a good time to pray and meditate. My pre-Africa attitude would have been total frustration as I would have mentally listed all the things I could have and should have been doing during that time. Thank you, Lord, for teaching me the joy of waiting patiently. I still have a long way to go in that area, but I'm very grateful for small steps.

I am constantly reminded of the Zambian saying "Ciindi Coonse Leza Mubotu." All the time, God is good.