Update- July 5, 2009

This week's big excitement was the arrival of our daughter Sara on Thursday.  We took Jason and George to Livingstone with us to meet her at the airport.  The language lessons that the Harding speech pathology group taught at the orphanages really helped these two little guys with their vocabularies.  They are both now obsessed with naming colors, so the entire two-hour trip was filled with, "Nana, look!  Orange truck!"  or "Look, David!  Blue sign!"  They named every animal they saw and kept us quite entertained.  

Jason still remembers Sara from her time at the orphanage in 2007 and always stops in front of her picture to point at her and say, "Sara!"  And when George is around, Jason usually says, "My Sara!"  They were both glad to see her, and George was even willing to pose with her and a group of traditional dancers outside the airport.  

Jason was worn out after all the excitement and fell asleep in the back seat on the way home--wearing Sara's eye mask from the plane.

In a case of unfortunate timing, we had some painting done in the house on Thursday and Friday. The paint fumes were horrible, so we had to open all the windows and turn on the fans--on the coldest days we've had yet! We all piled on layers of clothes, and David tried to keep a fire going in the fireplace each evening. Tonight the smell is almost gone, and we have the windows closed again.

The annual Namwianga Lectureship started on Friday night and runs through Monday. Usually we manage to do some sort of American celebration here on the 4th of July. Yesterday we didn't manage anything remotely American or festive. David spoke both at the morning and evening sessions of the lectureship, I spoke at the women's session in the afternoon, and we went to a funeral in the middle part of the day. Sara was recovering from jet lag and a sore throat, so she stayed home and rested.   Maybe next year!

 Tomorrow the early team for Zambia Medical Mission arrives, and we'll have four new residents at our house.  The usual furniture in the guest rooms is going out tomorrow and will be replaced by bunk beds.  We're looking forward to lots of activity and fellowship the next few weeks.

Interior Scenes

This is one of the church pews in the Sichikwalula church building.  Count your blessings as you sit in your padded, comfortable pew next Sunday.
Women in the bush find ways to add beauty to their surroundings.  A resourceful crafter made these flowers out of candy wrappers and arranged them in a plastic drink carton to decorate the table inside the church building. Lovely!

The People at My Door - Justin

Justin Shaputu is in his final year at George Benson Christian College and is training to be an English teacher.  This term he is stationed at the remote village of Siamafumba for his student teaching.  In addition to his teaching duties, Justin has been working to organize an outreach team.  He has trained 11 of his pupils to go to neighboring congregations to teach and preach. None of the pupils had Bibles, however, so Justin came by to get a stack of English Bibles for them to use.  It is a joy to see the students like Justin making a difference wherever they are.  

The Exterminator

We returned from furlough and found a major infestation of ants in the kitchen. I had no ant spray in the house, so I used antiseptic for the first round. Then our Zambian friend Obrien recommended hot ashes, so we spread ashes around the outside of the kitchen where the ants were coming in. I used a bleach/water solution to spray the countertops where the ashes wouldn't work.

Don and Laura brought us a sprayer and some ant poison to try, but the stuff was for spraying crops and seemed like overkill for ants. I stuck to the natural stuff. Then we woke up one morning and found the ants had moved their trail right through the living room. Hot ashes to the rescue again--oh the joys of living on concrete floors!

Two weeks later we are still ant-free. Score one for natural pesticides!

Elephant Finale

Some have asked me what happened to the elephants. We talked to Rod and Sue Calder at Seven Fountains Farm and got the full story. The elephants stayed around for two weeks, terrorizing the farm workers and destroying fences. They munched their way through the maize fields, but the crop had already been harvested, so they did little damage there. Rod and Sue said the elephants did not want to be around people and would turn away and go into the woods whenever the vehicle came near. After a couple of weeks, the elephants moved on and haven't been seen since. Rod reported that they did a good job of clearing some brush for him. He wasn't able to get a good photo of the actual animals because they always ran away. The photo above, however, is his souvenir: authentic elephant droppings.

Sichikwalula Farewell

The women who took the training class gathered outside the church building for a final photo.  We said our farewells and shook hands one last time before we headed for home.  

Lunch at Sichikwalula

Lunch time.  An outdoor kitchen area was up outside the church building, and the ladies took turns tending the fire and cooking.  This lady is stirring a big pot of nshima with a wooden paddle that resembles a small boat oar.  Nshima is similar to grits, but cooked to the consistency of play-doh.  
 We were served our meal inside the church building--men on one side, women on the other.  The menu was nshima with side dishes of goat and chicken.  There weren't enough plates to go around, so we ate directly from the serving dishes.  No utensils needed--we used our hands.

Sichikwalula--Sharing Chibwantu

David met with the men under a tree. After class they shared chibwantu, a non-alcoholic beer made from mealie meal and "certain roots of the forest." We Americans refer to this drink as "the brew you chew" because it has chunks of cornmeal in it. The Zambians love chibwantu, but I can't acquire a taste for it and have given up trying.

Sichikwalula

As soon as we got out of the Land Cruiser, the greetings began.  The Zambians are a warm and gracious people, and their greeting traditions are one way they express these qualities.  We shook many hands before starting our training sessions.

The group of women in my class came from three different congregations.  There were women of all ages, plus a few babies and school-age children.  

 

Sichikwalula

We pulled into Sichikwalula after a jolting, bone-jarring two-hour journey.  The Land Cruiser seldom got out of second gear during the entire trip.  

Our ties to Sichikwalula go back to the year before we moved to Zambia.  The congregation began in 2004 after some women studied with me during the medical mission.  We visited in 2005 and met with them in a deserted two-room house (to read the full story of that visit, click here).  The brick and thatch structure seen here is an improvement.

Road to Sichikwalula, Part 3

The village of Muchenje was along the way. Like most villages, it has a few shops that sell basic food items and household goods. Unlike many other villages, Muchenje has a nice looking basic school (through grade nine) and is constructing a high school. There is no electricity, but we saw solar panels and TV antennas on some of the houses.

We passed a kraal (rhymes with call), or what we would call a corral, made of thick logs. This one was full of cattle, and several people were working with the animals.  

Road to Sichikwalula, Part 2

On the outskirts of Kalomo we stopped to let Rodgers Namuswa, David's translator, join our group.  We saw this girl wheeling her little brothers down the side of the road.

We encountered this herd of cattle a few miles down the road.  A few seconds after we stopped the vehicle, a cowherd came running and whistling.  The cattle reluctantly moved to the side.  

The Road to Sichikwalula

Today we traveled to Sichikwalula to do teacher training and a leadership seminar. The next few blogs will be things we saw along the way. The 34 mile trip took us over two hours, so you can imagine the kind of roads we were on. It was another kind of rock and roll experience.

Our first stop was at Eureka to pick up Christine Moono, my translator for the day. Christine had hired four ladies to pound her family's dried maize (corn), and they were working on the porch outside her front door. The lady in the back is pounding the cobs with a long stick to loosen the kernels. The other ladies are rolling the cobs in their hands to take the kernels off. The next step will be grinding the maize into mealie meal, and this process will be done at a nearby hammermill.

The next stop was the filling station in Kalomo where we picked up Sylvia and put diesel in the Land Cruiser. This small truck loaded with riders pulled up next to us. This is a common sight on the roads around Namwianga. How many Zambians can you fit in one vehicle? One more!

HIZ Speech Pathology

Harding University sent a group of students and faculty members from their speech pathology department to spend six weeks here at Namwianga. They did speech and hearing screenings at all of Namwianga's elementary and secondary schools and at George Benson Christian College. They also conducted daily language enrichment activities with the babies and toddlers at the Haven. You can read about their adventures on the group blog at www.hiz-path.blogspot.com. Elizabeth, one of the participants, also has a blog at www.theheartofaglobalnomad.blogspot.com.

Program Director Dr. Beckie Weaver became somewhat of a pioneer during Harding's time here. She taught a class on speech pathology to the GBCC first year students--the first instruction of its kind in Zambia as far as we know. The students loved the course and are proud of their attendance certificates. Shown here are a few of the students with Dr. Weaver.


The group arrived in mid-May and will be leaving this weekend. David and I were gone on our furlough most of that time and feel like we missed out on a great experience. The short time we have spent with this group has been a blessing, and we hope the program will continue next year.

Friday Night at the Movies

We just got home from movie night at the college.  The students asked us to bring our multimedia projector and show a DVD.   We chose "Glory Road," the story of the 1965 Texas Western University basketball team that won the national championship with a new coach and a starting lineup of African-American players.  

Talk about an enthusiastic audience!  We had true participation from this group.  They yelled "Texas!" whistled, called out coaching suggestions, and broke into an uproar during the final victory scene.  A great evening with great students who know how to have a good time! 

The People at My Door

Three knocks on the door one day. Three stories of sponsored students. Three illustrations of the joys and challenges we face as we try to help.


Laiford Muleya (left) came one morning to report on his nephew Current. After a frustrating two-year saga, we were finally able to find a school in Maamba that promised to help Current with his special needs. I hadn't heard from Mr. Muleya since he took Current to school in January.  Now Mr. Muleya reports that Current likes school very much and has learned to walk with crutches. His report card indicates excellent progress.


A few hours later, Victor knocked on the door. He haltingly told me why he had missed the last three weeks of classes. Victor, a 12-year-old sister, and an 8-year-old brother are orphans who live with their grandmother. While the sister was away and Victor was in school here at Namwianga, the grandmother left the young brother alone for an entire day. When she returned the boy had disappeared. Victor was called home to help in the search, but so far there has been no trace of the boy. The police have no leads. A distraught Victor now struggles to deal with academics when his mind is preoccupied with his brother. We prayed together and he set off for class again.

Late that afternoon, Nadine came by (no photo available). Her mother Charity is a GBCC graduate, the headmistress of a remote village school, and the single mother of Nadine and two younger children. Charity was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in May. She had a radical mastectomy in Lusaka on June 5 and is staying in the city with a niece until the doctor releases her to return to her village. Nadine broke down and sobbed as she talked about her fears for her mother and her worries about her younger siblings. I told her that I was a breast cancer survivor and helped her understand what her mother would go through during her treatment and recovery. I phoned Charity and had Nadine talk to her for a few minutes, and then we prayed together. Nadine brightened and flashed one of her incredible smiles as she headed back to the dorm.

Three knocks on the door. Three stories. Three opportunities to share joys and struggles. 

Winter

Zambia is now in its winter season. The evenings and mornings are crisp and cool--cool enough for a fire in the fireplace the other night.

The cold weather occurs during the dry season. Usually there is no rain from mid-April through October. We were shocked when thunder rumbled and lightning flashed last Tuesday. Then the sky poured for most of the night. The native Zambians tell us they've never seen rain like this in June.

Visitors

Namwianga is blessed to have visitors who come to share their time and talents with the work here. In May the Carters and Davenports arrived for a three-week stay. Brent Carter and daughter Hailey (left) are from Edmond, Oklahoma, where Brent works as a drug and alcohol counselor. Eric and Wendy Carpenter and sons Brinson and Aiden are from San Antonio. Brent and Eric taught classes at George Benson Christian College, Wendy shared some of her skills in nursing, and all of them spent many hours each day working with the children at the Haven and at Eric's House. They were a blessing wherever they went, and we know they will be missed as they head back to the US next week.

Power Issues

Electricity has been unreliable since we returned, so tonight I gave up and graded tests by the light of my trusty headlamp.

Back Home in Zambia

We had an uneventful trip back to Zambia. The long leg of our trip is the flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg. It was shortened to only 15 hours this time because we didn’t have to stop and refuel in Senegal. We landed in Johannesburg Saturday evening and spent the night at a lodge before flying to Livingstone on Sunday. We managed to sail through the immigration checkpoint—not a minor feat since we do not have physical possession of our work permits which are lost somewhere in the Zambian bureaucracy.

Here are just some random thoughts and descriptions about returning to Zambia after six weeks in the US.

1. My neighbor Mrs. Moono came to greet us as soon as we got home. She grabbed me and swung me around in the air a few times. Now that’s a welcome!

2. We went to church last night and sat down in the middle section of the auditorium. A few minutes later, Jason crawled up on my lap in his fleece pajamas. We had a joyous reunion. He quietly informed me that he is now four years old. In a few minutes he fell asleep in my lap. Does it get any better than that?

3. I couldn’t remember which of the faucets in our bathroom is the hot water faucet. They’re both labeled cold, and they’re the old fashioned setup where each faucet is separate. The water does not mix—you either get hot water or cold water, so to wash your face you do a little catch water/splash/catch some more water routine. I’d forgotten what fun that is.

4. The sunset filled the sky with flames of red and orange. You just don’t see sunsets like that in Austin.

5. I spent five minutes trying to lock the back door today. We finally unscrewed the plate on the side of the door—and then David realized I was using the wrong key! Can I blame jet lag?

6. I miss long, hot showers. I felt guilty every morning in the US as I stood under that incredible water pressure, but I enjoyed every minute. This morning’s bucket bath was a reality check.

7. Being back in my own bed makes up for the bucket baths!

8. Ants invaded while we were gone. The counter by the kitchen sink was brown with dead ants when we got home. Once those were cleaned up, live ones swarmed in to take their places. I declared war today. Since I didn’t have any ant spray, I went after them with antiseptic liquid (think Lysol). I figured the smell would repel the ones it didn’t kill. That worked marginally well, but Obrien had a better method: hot ashes! We dumped hot ashes all over the veranda under the window where the ants were crawling in. Sure enough, the ant population reduced from the millions to a few straggling survivors who soon fell victim to my antiseptic-laden paper towels. Unfortunately, a remnant came back for dessert tonight. I’ll get them tomorrow.

9. The chicken population is down. Five of the chicks and three of the older hens died. The gardener says it was a snake—but that would be a big job even for our local cobras. The good news is that three chicks survived and are all grown up, and the remaining hens and the rooster are doing well. More good news: Petronella—the one who started my chicken business in 2007 and who literally rules the roost—survived and is now hanging out in the guinea fowl side of the pen.

It’s good to be home.

Goodbyes Again

It’s early morning as I write this. I got up a little after 5:00 to spend some time reading my Bible and preparing myself for the trip back to Zambia. I read Psalm 31 again—one of my favorites, especially verses 14-15a: “. . . I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands. . .”

The times for today will include more goodbyes. This is our third furlough, and I keep thinking that the goodbyes will become easier, that it won’t wrench my heart quite so hard to give my kids that last hug as we leave. But it doesn’t seem to get any easier. That hole in my heart will be there with my carry-on as I walk onto the plane at 12:55 today.

But just as my heart aches for those we leave behind, another part of my heart races to think of those who will be waiting on the other side of the world. There are students to teach, projects to finish, a great God to be shared. My times—the goodbyes and the greetings—are in His hands.

Moving and Moving On

Packing up and moving our daughter Sara last week reminded me of other moving experiences. I confess that I LOVE the packing part. Finding just the right box, cushioning breakable items carefully, placing books the right direction, and filling in every available space—all this gives me a thrill of satisfaction. My daughter thinks that is really weird, and I’m guessing most of you reading this think it’s a bit strange too. But in the six moves we’ve made during our 33 years of marriage, I have never packed a single item that arrived cracked, chipped, or broken.

My family has a story about moving that has been handed down to me. The year was 1953—before I was born. My father was recovering from a serious bout with rheumatic fever. The Iowa farm had not done well, and my father had decided that southwest Missouri was the place to be. He bought land in the rolling hills not far from Branson and prepared to move our dairy operation and his family to what he hoped would be greener pastures.

From what I understand, my mother was a bit dismayed at leaving her Iowa roots and extended family. But she supported my father and never looked back, even though I know it must have been very difficult to say goodbye to the people and places she loved.

Moving day came. The cattle were loaded into one truck, household possessions onto another. My brother and two sisters wandered through the empty house. Dad shut the tailgate of the truck—or tried to. A solid oak dresser had a top that stuck out two inches, and the gate wouldn’t close.

Dad stepped back and surveyed the situation. It would take a major re-shuffle of furniture, appliances, and boxes to fit that dresser in. Time was short. Daylight was burning, and a long trip lay ahead.

Never one to contemplate for long, Dad located the handsaw and quickly sawed two inches off the offending dresser’s edge. The gate slammed shut, and Dad yelled, “Let’s go!”

All during my childhood, that dresser sat on the screened-in back porch that served as the laundry room for our farmhouse. With a nice coat of paint, the dresser’s sawed-off edge wasn’t that noticeable. But it was always there to remind us that sometimes you just have to deal with the things that hold you back and then move on.

Update

I can't believe it's only three more days until we head back to Zambia! It has been a whirlwind of travel the past two weeks.

We spent three days in Tulsa last week helping Sara pack up and move. She had to be out of her apartment on May 28--the same day that she had to have her final day at the school where she taught. We rented a truck, and David and I loaded everything from her second floor apartment into the truck on Thursday. She came home to an empty apartment, so we turned in the key and set off for Texas.

As with any move, this one involved some sad goodbyes. Sara has lived in Tulsa for five years and has made many wonderful friends. I'll admit that I shed a few tears saying goodbye to her friends--and some of them I had just met! It has meant so much to David and me that there were people there in the church, in her school, and in her circle of friends who could do the things for her that we were too far away to do.

We are enjoying our last few days of being with family and friends. We are making our trips through the discount stores to stock up on the things we can't get in Zambia, and we're trying to finish up all the errands that we have put off during our travels. And my mind is turning toward Zambia, longing to be back in my own bed and to get back into routine--whatever that may turn out to be!

Adventures in Missions

We received this from David French, our good friend who directs Mapepe Bible College just outside Lusaka. I thought you would appreciate hearing about his medical mission adventures. Say some extra prayers for him, his wife Lorie, and the mission team.

From David French:

What is it like to do mission work in Africa? Well, let me share with you the experiences of just the last few days as we endeavored to transport all our equipment and medical personnel to our base camp in the Central Province over the past few days (about 300 miles north of our Mapepe campus).

Preparations: For the past two months I have been working to make sure all our equipment and "old" vehicles were ready to go. My primary 4x4 vehicle (we call the GX) blew the engine about two months ago. I hired two mechanics to do an overhaul and get it in working order in time for this medical mission. We also bought a 6-ton truck three months ago to replace Jezebel (my 2-ton truck) which has always broken down on our previous medical mission trips. In addition to this, I have been working with our construction crew to improve and increase our visitor accommodations (install some extra showers, build 2 more visitor huts).

Advance Team Arrives. One week in advance, Joe Godley (American team leader from our sponsoring church in Memphis) and his advance team arrived which included Mark & Stephanie Taylor, their two college-aged sons, Glenda and Charlotte Bradsher. For the next week they worked with me to make the final preparations (buy medicines, food, sort the medicines, visit all the necessary govt offices, etc). Ty and Judy Jones arrived three days before the medical mission in order to get the optical clinic ready. Bobby & Bonnie Grisby (both optometrists from Jericho, NC) arrived two days in advance.
Transport Mapepe Students. On Friday (May 29) we loaded up our Mapepe bus and Jezebel (2 ton truck) with all our students and their supplies and drove them to four of the six villages that we will buy. Of course, I worried about Jezebel making it, but she did (I overhauled the engine for the 3rd time two months ago). However, the bus blew a front tire on the return trip on Saturday (this was the first domino to fall). My mechanic (who was also one of the drivers) had to go out late Saturday night to try and buy two new tires -- not easy to do in Zambia on a weekend.

Main Team Arrives (May 31). Early Sunday morning my mechanic got to work at sunrise trying to fix up the two new tires he bought and put them on the bus. At 7:30 am we finished loading up the 6-ton truck (we now call Goliath) with all our supplies, equipment, medicine, and luggage. At 8:00 am we assembled for worship and at 9:00 am we loaded up the bus and Goliath with the advance team and headed out to the airport to pick up the main team which was scheduled to arrive at 10:10 am (16 American health-care workers). They arrived with all but one of their bags -- which was the best record yet. We loaded up all the remaining luggage on Goliath and off went the 29 Americans (minus 3 nurses who had to stay behind with me for govt interviews on Monday morning).

The Adventure Begins. No sooner did the bus head out of the airport than the front-left tire began to go down. The driver phoned the mechanic (driving on ahead in Goliath) that he thought it was just their air pressure valve needing tightening. I became aware of the problem as I drove up behind Goliath now stopped on the side of the road (which in itself gave me a heart-attack). I got the little tool to tighten the air pressure value, turned around (driving my just overhauled GX landcruiser) and head back to find the bus (now off to the side of the road with a fully flat tire). We quickly changed the tire and headed off down the road to find a tire shop (not easy to find on a Sunday).
Upon finding a tire shop, we stopped to fix the flat tire. They put a new air pressure valve in the tire and I again changed the tire (the tire shop didn't have a jack so I again had to use our two hydraulic jacks -- and it takes two to change it). As I put the new tire back on I, then, realized why the tire had gone flat. The tube inside the tire was the wrong tube (as the value stem was hitting the brake-pad as the wheel turned). NO, the tire shop did not have a new tube I could buy. It was, then, suggested that we take the tube out of the spare tire and put it in the new tire (as the spare tire is going bald). Ok, "let's do it!" But, in pulling the tube out of the spare tire, the man broke the tire stem on the spare tire! Now, I don't even have a spare tire to put back on the bus to get it to another tire shop! As the tire shops workers began to discuss our solution, I called Moonga (a driver who was busy picking up a rental bus) and asked him to bring the rented bus to where we were so that we could send the American team on (which would give us the rest of the day to resolve our tire problems).
The head man of the tire shop came up with a new idea. He put an extra nut on the tire stem which would pull the tire stem up closer to the tire rim (allowing it to clear the brake-pads). And, sure enough, it worked! But, I don't know if I trust this. Afterall, this "solution" meant that a nut was inside the tire that ought not to be there between the tire rim and the tube itself!
Moonga arrived with the other bus. So, we had all the Americans get off the MBC bus and on to the rented bus. But, then, Moonga told me that the oil light was going on and off on this rented bus (which had just had an engine overhaul). Not good. So, now what? Only one solution left. Get everyone back off the rented bus and back on to the MBC bus... and let it go with the "fix" tire (and no spare) and hope for the best! So, we did and off went the MBC bus with no spare and a "not-so-sure" fixed tire. I instructed the driver that if he had a flat, he would have to borrow one of the tires off the back in order to go on (or get to the nearest point of civilization). So, off they went.... as I held my breath.

More Problems. As I drove home with the remaining three American nurses, I began to realize that my newly overhauled GX Landcruiser was not running right. It had no power. "Now, what?" It didn't appear to be an engine problem, but a fuel starvation problem. But, it didn't matter what the problem was, it is too late now to fix the problem. So, scratch one vehicle from service.

American Team Arrives. Later Sunday evening I got the call I had been waiting for all afternoon: the MBC bus with the Americans had arrived (along with Goliath which had no problems whatsoever)! Great news. Moonga and I, then, began to make plans as to how we were going to get everyone else up to base camp on the next day (Monday). With one vehicle down, new plans had to be made. Still needing to be transported were the 23 Zambian healthcare workers and the 18 MBC staff and some remaining students. Remaining was the rented bus (the oil pressure light was just a loose connection), Samson (one of our other 4x4 Land- cruisers), and my Toyota Camry. Not enough seats.

Monday (New Day, New Adventure). First tasks: we have three American nurses that need to get to their government interviews at 9:00 am; and we have a student from Malawi who must go to Immigration to get his visa renewed (which Immigration wouldn't do last Friday). So, I took the three nurses to their interview (dropped them) while Thomas Simubali took the Malawian student to Immigration. We, then, loaded up the trailer behind Samson with everyone's luggage; then we loaded everyone on the rented bus and into Samson and off they went to a rendezvous point in Lusaka (where they were to pick up other healthcare workers and the 3 nurses).
Meanwhille, I sent a driver to the airport to pick up the one lost bag that didn't make it the day before. I also had the two mechanics working on my GX to return to see if they could fix whatever was wrong with it. Yes, the lost bag had arrived; but when my driver got to the airport the airline people had all gone off on their two-hour lunch break. They would not return until after 2:00 pm which meant that somone would have to remain behind. Around noon we finally were able to send off the rented bus and Samson. We had also managed to come up with another solution to make up for the loss of the GX. Kennedy Mukuka decided that he could take his vehicle, pick up the three nurses, and wait for the luggage coming from the airport. It was a good thing that he did, because around noon I was informed that the nurses had not yet been able to have their interview. The government office had lost their files and had taken 3 hours to find them again (at least, they found them)! Eventually, the nurses completed their interveiws and the luggage from the airport arrived around 3:00 pm. And, off they went while Lorie and I remained behind here at Mapepe "holding our breath again" and praying that everyone makes it okay. Late Monday afternoon (around sunset) I began to get calls from the drivers as they reached base camp safely. The last vehicle (with the 3 nurses) arrived about 8:30 pm.

And, then there was one. It's Tuesday morning (first day of the medical clinic) and Lorie and I are still stuck here at Mapepe. We had planned to travel north in our car once everyone was safely on their way; but, the mechanics who were asked to checkout my GX (but told to return no later than 12 noon) never returned -- not until about 7:00 pm last night. And, neither were they able to solve the problem (although they now think the problem has to do with clogged filters in the gas tanks).
In any case, Lorie and I (along with our daughter Kerin and another Zambian) will be heading out of here for base camp within the next 30 minutes. But, I thought before heading off I would write you all this email just so you can be praying for a safe and successful medical mission. Obviously, Satan is working against us; but it doesn't matter what the kingdom of darkness throws at us, for we know that "all things are possible through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Phil 4:13).

Update - May 21, 2009

We have been on the road for the past two weeks. During our week in Searcy we helped David’s mother work in her yard, getting it ready for her daylily tour in June. Mrs. Gregersen is a master gardener, and it is a joy to watch her in action. She knows the name of every one of the over 100 varieties of daylilies in her gardens and can describe the color and size of each one long before the blooms come out.

From Arkansas we headed north to Missouri for a visit with my side of the family. My two sisters, my brother, and several of the nieces and nephews and their children were together on Saturday and Sunday. Those of you who know me well know that I love a good pun. Apparently this is a genetic trait, because we all enjoyed a wonderful (or terrible, depending on how you look at it) sibling pun-off on Sunday night.

Another family characteristic is our involvement in missions. My brother works in both El Salvador and Honduras, traveling to Central America two or three times a year to help with schools, medical missions, and evangelistic efforts. Nieces and nephews are also involved in trips to El Salvador and Nicaragua, and two nephews have spent time drilling water wells in Africa. Our conversations are quite interesting as we compare notes on our experiences.

We’re now in Oklahoma for a few days. Our daughter Sara is moving back to Austin next week, so we spent a day in Tulsa helping her pack and get ready. Now we’re off to visit friends in Weatherford and Shattuck before ending up back in Salado, Texas, on Sunday.

The People at My Door - Rodgers Namuswa

As much as we love being back in America with family and friends, we can’t help but miss our Zambian co-workers. Rodgers Namuswa is the one we work with the most. He is a member of the Church Development Team at Namwianga, and he is also the contact person for World Bible School in our area.

In 2005 Rodgers was given a motorcycle to help him expand his outreach efforts. What a worthy investment that turned out to be! Rodgers literally wore out that motorbike. He makes weekly visits to the Kalomo Hospital to counsel and teach the patients and their families. He goes out into the bush to arrange and publicize our leadership seminars. He is always going out to villages on weekends to teach and preach in the local congregations. He is a regular at the Namwianga clinic where he conducts chapel services, counsels and comforts the patients, and also coordinates a Wednesday evening Bible study. And his World Bible School work has multiplied exponentially in the last four years.

Rodgers has arranged places all over the Kalomo area that he calls “drop boxes.” In these places World Bible School students can pick up correspondence lessons. The students complete the lessons and then return them to the drop boxes. Rodgers collects these at regular intervals and mails them in bulk to the Brentwood Oaks church in Austin where instructors grade the lessons. The lessons are then mailed back to Zambia. Rodgers picks them up at the post office and distributes them to the drop boxes. The relatively quick turn around time for the lessons has encouraged more students to participate. These students have referred their families and friends, and the enrollment numbers just keep climbing.

When Rodgers wore out his first motorbike, the Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ supplied him with the new set of wheels shown above. I’m confident that Rodgers will log many miles continuing his good work in the kingdom.

Update - May 7, 2009

We are in Searcy, Arkansas, for the next few days spending time with David’s mother. Yesterday we were blessed to get together with the Harding In Zambia students—those from the past two years and some who will be coming in September. It was great to see and visit with them.

We shared an update on the elephant situation with the HIZ students. The Calders e-mailed us, saying that the elephants have stayed on the farm adjoining Namwianga for over two weeks now. Besides wreaking havoc in the maize fields and destroying the fences, the elephants have turned Maunga Lake into their swimming hole. The Maunga dam is right on the path that David and I walk and jog on every morning, so we’re going to have to find a new route if the elephants are still around when we get back.

Update - May 5, 2009

Today I had appointments with my medical oncologist and radiation oncologist. Both agreed that I am cancer-free. I told the radiation oncologist that I had not had any side effects from the radiation treatments--no skin reactions, no significant fatigue. He was amazed, saying, "That just doesn't happen." You may remember that last May I decided I would have "blest cancer," and I feel that's what I've had. I thank God for his goodness--all the time.

We have had a great time during our two weeks here in Austin. Last weekend we helped John and Leah move into their new house and enjoyed sharing that experience with them. We celebrated our 33rd anniversary on May 1 by spending time out in the country at our friends' log cabin. We have enjoyed many meals and good times with dear friends and our church family.

Wednesday we are taking off for three weeks of travel. We'll spend a week in Searcy with David's mother. A special treat will be meeting with the Harding In Zambia students, both those who have been to Namwianga and those who will be coming this fall. Then we will spend a week in Missouri with my family before going to Tulsa for a couple of days to help Sara get ready to move. She's landed a teaching job here in Austin for next year and will be moving at the end of May. We'll head from Tulsa to western Oklahoma for a visit with Richard and Angie Prather in Shattuck, and we'll wind up in Salado, Texas on May 24.

Our Co-Workers

We were delighted to get this photo from the InterMission Retreat we attended in South Africa March 20 - April 3. We grew very close to these missionaries who share our passion for the work in Africa. Countries represented are Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Namibia.

Ostrich Ride

Here is the video of my ostrich ride in South Africa. It was quite an experience!

Elephants!!

We received an e-mail from Rod and Sue Calder who live on a farm adjoining Namwianga. Last week they saw two groups of elephants going through their farm--a total of 12 plus a baby. The elephants have torn down fences in several places and have terrorized the farm workers. Rod and Sue report that many people were wide-eyed and shaking as they watched the elephants tromp through the fields. I wonder if homeowner's insurance covers elephant damage?

Back in the USA

I'm blogging from Austin once again. We left Zambia on Thursday for our furlough in the US. It's been almost a year since my cancer diagnosis, so we're back for my doctor's visits and checkups, as well as reconnecting with and reporting to our sponsoring congregation at Brentwood Oaks.

We arrived in Austin on Friday after having an adventure or two on the trip. At the Atlanta airport we had gone through immigration, reclaimed and rechecked our luggage, and had just gone through security when another passenger stopped us. She was an elderly lady in a flowing, tie-dyed African dress and head wrap. She held out her passport from Senegal and a boarding card and looked at us with fear in her eyes. "Help me?"

I tried to find out what she needed, but it was obvious that she didn't speak much English. She did say "Washington D.C. and Baltimore." We got the attention of one of the security workers and asked him what to do. He said he had to finish what he was doing and then he would help her. He told us we could go on, but we didn't think our new friend was ready to navigate the Atlanta airport on her own, so we stayed. The security guy looked at her boarding card and told us she needed to go to gate B31. We were leaving from B28, so we decided we would just take the lady with us. We gathered up her tote bag and rolling carry-on and took off. I told David I'd lead the way and he should come behind her.

The first hurdle was the escalator. It was obvious she had never been on one and didn't know what to do. She had a long flowing scarf around her neck that dragged the ground, plus her over-sized dress, so we had to make sure none of that got caught in the escalator steps. She watched me and cautiously followed us. We navigated the tram using hand signals and lots of "It's okay. Just wait" types of comments and gestures. Off the tram and up another scary escalator, we emerged in Terminal B. Gate 31 was at the far end, so we headed down the crowded corridor. At one point she stopped us, "I tired!" We were almost there, so we urged her on, finally arriving at gate 31--where passengers were about to board for Orange, California, not Washington and Baltimore. Turns out we got her there at 10:00, and she had already missed her 9:55 flight. The agent at the gate rebooked her for the 11:19 flight--which was to leave from Gate 4--at the opposite end of the terminal. We only had 30 minutes left before we were to board our flight, and I wasn't sure our new friend could stand another long walk. The gate agent advised us to wait for one of the motorized carts to come by and pick her up. After a few minutes of waiting, I asked the agent to call for one of the carts and she did.

We waited another 10 minutes, and no cart came. The original agent was now busy boarding the Orange flight, so David went to another counter and got the agent to call again. And we waited. The lady from Senegal began trying to communicate. In monosyllables and broken sentences we managed to tell her we lived in Zambia. She said, "My name. Write. Senegal." So I pulled out my notebook and pen and she wrote down her name and address in Dakar, Senegal along with three phone numbers. "You come to Senegal. You stay with me. I cook for you," she managed to say. I thanked her, and she went on, "You come. You good. Your husband good. Thank you."

Still no cart. At 10:20 I went back to the second agent and told her that we needed a cart quickly, so she called again. Nothing. By 10:25 I was stopping anyone who looked like an employee of the airport and asking for help. Five minutes later I went back to the first agent who had completed her boarding duties and told her to please get some help for this lady because we had to get on our flight. She called again, and said the cart was on its way. I looked down the corridor and saw the blinking light about 10 gates away, and it wasn't moving. Motioning to our friend to wait again, I sprinted down the terminal to the cart and told the driver to please get moving so this lady could get to her gate.

At 10:35 the cart finally pulled up and we settled the lady in the cart and gave instructions to the driver to make sure she made it to the gate and was taken up to the counter. Then we waved goodbye and the cart rolled a few feet as we turned to head toward our gate. The driver called after us, "Wait! She wants to talk to you!" So we turned back. "Your name! Your name! " our new friend wanted to know. "It's Linda," I told her. Then she held her hand up to her face with the gesture of talking on the phone and said, "You call me! Say Linda! Come!" I smiled and waved her on down the corridor as the cart took off.

I had to smile thinking how the phone conversation might go if I ever did try to call my new friend in Senegal!

We thought our excitement was over for the day when we made it onto our Austin flight, but we were wrong. There were thunderstorms all over the southern part of Texas on Friday afternoon. We had to divert to Houston to get more fuel and sat on the runway there for over an hour. Then just as we were about to take off, the captain got word that the Austin airport had closed due to the storms. He pulled us over the gate and we got off the plane. A couple of hours later, we lined up to get back on, but we could tell the sky in Houston was turning black in a hurry. Sure enough, just as the first passengers headed down the breezeway, the captain called them back. The storm from Austin had moved to Houston, so we had to wait it out. Our flight that was supposed to be in Austin at 12:30 finally landed at 6:30.

Even with all the delays and adventures, it wasn't a bad trip. We're already over the jet lag and enjoying our time with friends and family. We're here until June 5, with a few side trips along the way.

Weekend Outreach

Our GBCC students loaded up on the yellow bus for a weekend outreach March 20-22. We expect our students to work with local congregations during their student teaching experience May-August, and this was part of the effort to prepare them for that role. They have been meeting on Friday nights for training sessions, and the weekend outreach was the culmination of their preparation.

Sixty students divided into groups of five each and ministered to twelve different village congregations. The bus dropped the groups off at their assigned locations on Friday night and picked them up again on Sunday afternoon.

The students spent the weekend going door to door in the village communities holding Bible studies and inviting anyone who was interested to attend special meetings on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Some congregations had prepared lists of members who were sick or needed special attention, and our students visited and prayed with those people.

Many students admitted to being a bit frightened at the idea of the weekend outreach. When Angela unloaded her things on Friday night, she turned to director Kenneth Siaziyu with wide eyes and cried, "You're just going to leave us here! Only God knows what will happen to us!" But by Sunday afternoon Angela was glowing with excitement and full of stories about her experience.

The statistics are impressive: On Sunday morning 139 individuals in the 12 congregations requested prayers or were restored, and 13 were baptized. The average combined attendance at the 12 congregations is 690; on March 22 there were 1,297 who attended.

Easter Fun

We had a very happy Easter with the little ones shown here. Jason and George came home with me after church. Meagan brought Cathy (left) and Carol. Mayoba (far right), my neighbor's niece, saw the fun and came to join us. We had an Easter feast (complete with lime jello for the kids) and then dyed eggs. The kids didn't know what to think at first, but eventually they got into the spirit. The bunny ears were a last-minute inspiration (thanks to my many years of Mother's Day Out experience), and then it was time to hunt the eggs. After two rounds of hiding and hunting, the kids decided they would rather eat the eggs than hunt them, so that's what they did.

My mother used to call days like this "Making Memories." I hope the kids had as much fun making memories as I did.

Ready to Teach

This morning our students are heading off for a break. Those who are in their second and third years of training will be doing their student teaching May - August. We expect our GBCC students to do more than teach in a school classroom--we expect them to be active leaders in a local congregation as well. The women shown above attended a training session and received Beginner's Bibles and instructions for teaching children's Bible classes. It will be great to see how God uses their willingness and their abilities to serve the Kingdom.

Back from the Retreat

Refreshing! Encouraging! Inspiring! These are all apt descriptors of our time in South Africa last week. We were part of a new program called InterMission aimed at encouraging missionaries on the field, and our southern Africa retreat was the first of its kind. We didn’t know that until the last day, and we never would have guessed because the facilitators did such a great job. John and Beth Reese, Kent and Nancy Hartman, along with Fielden and Janet Allison are all former or current missionaries, and they know exactly what missionaries need.

We were with 14 other couples and four young singles, plus six missionary kids for the three-day event. The other missionaries were natives of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Great Britain, and the Congo as well as some fellow Americans. Our commonality was working in cross-cultural missions in southern Africa, and that drew us together quickly.

Someone told us that once you’ve been to the mission field, you never quite fit in anywhere. You’re no longer completely at home in America because your experiences have changed you so much, and yet you’ll never be completely accepted in your country of ministry. So it’s no wonder that when missionaries get together, they have an instant understanding and a deep bond. We loved making new friends and renewing our ties with former acquaintances.

The location for the retreat was Carmel by the Sea, a Christian conference center on the coast near George, South Africa. The views were breathtakingly beautiful in every direction.

In addition to presentations and discussions, our program included an afternoon for fun. We went to an area of the South Africa cape called the Klein Karoo and toured an ostrich farm and the Cango Cave. Believe it or not, I can add “riding an ostrich” to the list of weird experiences I’ve had in Africa—and I have the video to prove it! I may even post it on the blog when we’re back in the US and have more bandwidth.

We are very grateful for the opportunity to attend this retreat, and we feel very blessed by the experiences we had and the fellowship we enjoyed.

Off to South Africa

David and I are leaving on Sunday afternoon to attend a missionary retreat in George, South Africa. The Oldenburgs are going with us, and all of us are looking forward to a week of relaxation, renewal, and fellowship with other missionaries from all over this part of Africa. We do not anticipate having internet access during that time, so I'll be taking a Blog Break until April 6.

Containers!

On Monday FOUR trucks rolled onto the mission bringing four box-car size containers full of supplies. The rest of the day was spent unloading, sorting, moving, and storing everything from bicycles to baby formula to books.

I had a good laugh when I caught sight of this bench being unloaded. It seems we imported several years worth of Juicy Fruit, Doublemint, and Double Bubble along with the auditorium seat.

Sunday at Magrimonde

Last Sunday David was invited to speak at the Magrimonde congregation in Kalomo. Richard Musolo, shown here with his family, was instrumental in planting this congregation several years ago and is one of its leaders now. Richard graduated from Manzini Bible College (now African Christian College) in Swaziland. His training there has prepared him well to serve here in Zambia. We found the congregation to be organized, welcoming, and very evangelistic. They are growing numerically and spiritually and are having an impact on the community.

A pleasant surprise during our visit was finding Miller Muwelya. Miller graduated from Namwianga Christian High School last year under the sponsorship program. On Sunday he directed the Magrimonde singing group as they shared some songs with us after the assembly.

CBH and Haven Toddlers

Last Friday the CBH group made one last visit to the Haven to say goodbye to the little ones they had grown to love during the week. Meagan Hawley coordinated their work at the Haven and is shown on the far right.

CBH at Kasibi

I just found these photos on my camera. A week ago on March 15 we took the Camp Blue Haven group to Kasibi for Sunday worship. Leland Rose preached the sermon that day, with Mr. Simoongwe as his translator. Then after the service our CBH group sang for the congregation (below). They did such a good job on their first two songs that the congregation begged for another. We encountered several people from Kasibi during the past week, and every one of them commented on Leland's sermon and how much they enjoyed the CBH group.

Update - 23 March

We said goodbye to the Camp Blue Haven Counselors on Saturday. We had spent a fun 24 hours with them in Livingstone as we tried to squeeze some sightseeing in before they left. They were able to experience a ride on the Zambezi, a visit to Victoria Falls, and a game drive at Mosi-O-Tunya before heading to the airport.

On Friday night we had a de-briefing session and told them that our goal for their week with us was to create an Africa-shaped hole in their hearts so that they would always have a desire to help in the mission efforts here. I think that was accomplished, and we look forward to seeing how God works in their lives. Certainly their servant hearts and great attitudes were a blessing to us this past week!

While we were in Livingstone on Friday, we got word that John and Beth Reese had arrived at Namwianga a day earlier than planned. They had tried to call us but had our old number, and they couldn't get their e-mail account to work to send us an e-mail message. Well, our house was locked up, and the keys to the guest house were in our house. Louisa and Meagan saved the day and welcomed the Reeses to stay with them on Friday night. We were glad to see them and enjoyed getting caught up with their news of World Bible School as they stayed with us Saturday night.

On Saturday evening we got a call from Bart Bruington saying that he and Douglas Siampango were on their way from Mumena to arrange for a container to be transported and would be arriving some time during the night. We changed the sheets on a couple of beds and left a key for them with the night watchman.

As we often say, the welcome mat is always out!

Update - CBH Counselors

We've had a wonderful week with our six Camp Blue Haven counselors. They have tackled every task with enthusiasm and have endeared themselves to all who meet them.

On Tuesday they spent the day at the orphanages, dividing their time between the infants in Haven One and the toddlers in Haven Two. Tuesday evening the Heavenly Echoes choir came over to give us a personal concert on the verandah. I'm guessing one or two of the songs they shared will be added to the Camp Blue Haven repertoire this summer.

Wednesday morning was again spent at the orphanages. Wednesday afternoon they visited Namwianga Christian Basic School and taught lessons in the first and third grade classes. The children loved it, and some even followed the counselors home to our veranda. The photo shows Micah, Kathryn, and Britni learning some unique hand claps from their new little friends.


Laura Oldenburg enlisted their help at the clinic Thursday morning where their task was to sort and organize supplies. Thursday afternoon they joined Rodgers Namuswa at the Kalomo Hospital. They visited the patients in the wards and then conducted a devotional for the residents of the Family Shelter. Also on Thursday we had a visit from Deb and Karen, two of our favorite Peace Corps Volunteers who are heading back to the United States. The CBH group enjoyed hearing about Deb and Karen's adventures.

It's been our pleasure to watch these young adults as they go through these experiences. We can see a love of Africa and its people growing in their hearts.

Camp Blue Haven Counselors

This week we are enjoying a visit from six Camp Blue Haven counselors. Last summer we spent a wonderful week at CBH. We took the opportunity to do a presentation for the counselors, encouraging them to consider ministry in Africa. These six accepted the challenge and are spending their spring break with us.

They arrived on Saturday. Sunday we took them to Kasibi for worship with the congregation in the village. Leonard Sichimwa's family prepared a traditional meal of chicken and nshima for us, and then the Kasibi village band gave us a fantastic concert with their homemade instruments. The CBH group agreed with me that this was a "National Geographic Moment."

The above photo was taken this morning as they headed out for Simpweze village. There they met Supper (pronounced Soo-pah), a disabled man who became a Christian during last year's medical mission. They did some work in Supper's mango orchard and spent some fellowship time with him.

Tomorrow they will be spending the day helping Meagan at the Haven I and II orphanages.

We are having a great experience with these young adults. We've had great times reminiscing about Camp Blue Haven, we've had some deep talks about mission experiences, and we've had lots of laughter and fun together.

Pictured from left to right are Nathan Goodnight, Chad Baker, Leland Rose, Kathryn Warder, Britni Johnson, and Micah Bayles.

Cobra in the Kitchen

"That's not good," David calmly announced last night. "A snake just went under the stove."

He had left the kitchen door open when he went out to check on the chickens. As he came back in, he caught sight of the snake slithering under the stove.

I left him to keep watch on our unwelcome visitor while I drove over to college to recruit some expert help. Several college guys were standing around in front of their dorm, and five of them jumped in the vehicle when they heard about the excitement.

Japhet held up his six-feet long stick ready for the kill as two of the guys warily pulled the stove away from the wall. No snake. Perhaps it had crawled up inside the stove? We turned on the oven and the burners to try to force it out. The guys banged on the sides of the range. We cautiously opened the oven door and the stove's lower storage drawer. No snake.

No snake should be good news. But David knew the snake had gone under the stove, and he knew the snake hadn't come out. There was a snake in the house somewhere.

The guys were convinced the snake had crawled behind the kitchen cabinet next to the stove. The cabinet is nailed to the wall and has a wooden backing, so I wasn't so sure.

Then one of the guys found that he could slide a long, thin, piece of wood into the narrow space between the base of the cabinet and the wall. If the piece of wood could get in there, so could a snake. Besides, the wooden backing stopped about three inches from the floor. There was open space under the bottom shelf behind the front cabinet facing.

"We need fresh milk," Japhet declared. "Milk will drive out the snake." When pressed for his reasoning, Japhet just repeated, "Snakes and milk don't go together. If you'll pour milk around, the snake will come out."

How do you argue with logic like that when there's a snake in the kitchen? The guys poured milk on the floor and tried to splash some behind the cabinet. We waited. No snake.

Next step: Pull the cabinet out away from the wall. David and the guys carefully pried the cabinet loose and pulled it back. Japhet took the flashlight and and peered underneath. "It is there!" he announced. He jammed a stick against the back of the facing board a few times and then pulled out the mangled reptile.

Our snake experts identified it as a cobra and cheerfully posed for a photo on the back veranda--but they wanted David to hold up the snake!

We rewarded our brave rescuers with a bag of candy and sent them back to their dorm. I mopped up the milk and the cobra blood, grateful that David had seen the snake go under the stove and wondering where it might have turned up if he hadn't seen it . . .

Jack and Steve

Jack Bayles (right) and Steven Anderson were our house guests for the past three weeks. Jack is a regular visitor to Namwianga, but this was Steven's first time in Africa.

Both Jack and Steven are mechanical engineers, and their skills were put to good use in many areas. They supervised the construction of a new water system at Sinde Mission--a project that has been in the planning stage for years. As in the past, Jack checked on water projects at Namwianga and other locations in our area and did tests on many drinking water sources on the Mission. Steven assisted Jack as needed and also patiently helped me learn how to do some new things on the computer, repaired broken appliances, and did any other task around the house that we asked him to.

Jack has been hooked on the work here in Africa for many years. Steven now shares that passion. We were blessed by their visit and hope they will come back again.

Graduate Gives Back

Humphrey Syamate, a 2008 graduate of George Benson Christian College, exemplifies the best aspects of our training and sponsorship programs. An orphan with no one to support him, Humphrey came to GBCC under sponsorship and quickly distinguished himself in academics and leadership. Namwianga Secondary School recognized Humphrey’s potential and hired him to begin teaching math and science as soon as he finished his college courses.

In addition to his teaching duties, Humphrey now coordinates a math tutoring program for sponsored high school students. Humphrey trained George Benson college students to do the tutoring and then organized all the logistics of location and scheduling for the sessions at the secondary school. The college students are getting valuable teaching experience, and the high school pupils are thrilled to get some extra help in what for most is a difficult subject. Humphrey manages it all beautifully.

The training that Humphrey received at GBCC is now blessing the next generation of sponsored students at Namwianga.

Humphrey (far right) with the GBCC math tutors he trained

BIG news!

The big news in our area is ELEPHANTS! Small herds of elephants have been sighted on farms adjoining the mission. Last Sunday we visited the village of Kasibi where David preached for the morning service. Mr. Simoongwe, one of the elders, served as his translator. He told us that he had been late arriving for church that morning because he had been out inspecting the damage that elephants had done to his maize fields. This morning in chapel it was announced that elephants had been seen in Namwianga's back paddock. Schools are warning children to be careful when walking to school, and everyone is advised to be watchful.

The elephants in the photo above were seen in South Luangua's game park. I'll be quite happy if I don't have any opportunities to take photos anywhere else!

Singing at Kasikili

As I mentioned in our weekend update, I had an enjoyable session with the women at Kasikili on Saturday. One of the women was particularly enthusiastic leading the singing, as you will see in this video clip. The song’s meaning is something like this: “You are living in the darkness of sin. Jesus is the light. Go to the light to be saved.”