Yesterday when I came home for lunch, Abishine was waiting on the veranda. He had been chosen for sponsorship at George Benson Christian College, but he moved before his acceptance letter arrived. When he didn't report for classes, I began trying to contact someone who knew where he was. After e-mails and phone calls to fellow missionaries, we finally found a relative who was able to contact him. Abishine found out on Wednesday that he should report immediately. He hurriedly gathered his belongings into a backpack and one plastic sack and set out on foot from his village Thursday evening. He walked all night, arriving at the Mission around noon on Friday. He knew not one person at Namwianga--all he had was my name. Once again I marveled at the difficulties many Zambians are willing to face in order to get an education.
Since it was lunch time, I took Abishine to the campus and found two sponsored students, Richwell and Liston, to take him to the cafeteria. Knowing that the students must provide their own plates, I asked Richwell if I needed to get a plate for Abishine. "No, madam," he replied. "We will eat together." Later that evening I found Liston and Abishine "hanging out" on campus. Liston explained that he and Abishine were sharing Liston's living quarters. Abishine is now more than two weeks behind in classwork, but other students have already volunteered to help him catch up. The gracious nature of Zambians never fails to impress me.
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