Zamgenuity

Our transport for the Mumena trip was a yellow school bus--without air conditioning. Those of you enjoying the chilly days of fall in the US need to remember that we are in the middle of the hottest time of year here. Our afternoon highs approach 3 digits.

So the first thing the students did when they boarded the bus was to try to lower the windows to let some air in. Buster, our driver, saw Zach struggling with the window latches and handed him these nifty tools--two forks with bent tines. And yes, they do work to get the window latches to release.

Zamgenuity at its best!

Brian Davis

I just tabulated student evaluations, and for the second year in a row, the students agree that lectures by Brian Davis are one of their favorite parts of the trip.

Brian has an extensive background in missiology. In his lessons, he describes how the Mumena team learned about the culture of the Kaonde people and then planned their missions strategy. He openly shares the successes, the failures, the joys, and the sorrows of starting a new work in a new people group.

Mumena Trip

We returned yesterday from our eight-day odyssey to Northwestern Province. The trip went remarkably well--a huge contrast from last year's adventure. This year I did NOT forget the sleeping bags, we had NO flat tires, and the bus did NOT break down. There were no treks to a soccer field to get cell phone reception, and no picnic lunches in parking lots while tires were patched.

We did have a wonderful stay at Mumena with the missionary families: Brian & Sondra Davis, Rick & Karen Love, and Don & Rita Boyd. Brian taught some great classes, and we enjoyed sweet fellowship with the missionaries, Zambian Christians, and Congolese refugees.

The bus gave us no problems, and our wonderful driver Buster handled every road condition and situation with competence. Harold Sichimwa went along as our cook and, as usual, served us some fantastic meals. The students were cooperative and involved--a real joy to work with.

I'll post more details and photos in the coming days.

Blog Break

I will not have much access to the internet on our trip, so there will probably be no posts for the next week. Keep us in your prayers!

Overnight Visitor

Last night there was a special visitor in our house. Baby Trey is a tiny, sick infant from the orphanage. Nurses Jessica (shown with Trey) and Janice Bingham are staying here at Meagan's House with me, and they decided to bring Trey home so they could feed him every two hours. They had a long night with very little sleep, but Trey got the nourishment he needed and was able to go back to the orphanage this morning.

Road Trip 2010

Tomorrow I'm leaving with the Harding In Zambia group for an eight-day road trip to northwestern Zambia. We'll end up at Mumena Mission with Brian and Sondra Davis and the rest of the Mumena team. One purpose of the trip is to let the HIZ students see a new mission work and also get to know missionary families with young children. Last year's HIZ group loved their time at Mumena, and I hope these students will too.

Our transportation is a yellow school bus with no air conditioning. It's been really hot the past few days, so the ride should be nice and warm!

Kabanga Trip

Today was one of those rare days in Zambia where things go like they're supposed to--or at least close to it.

I got a driver to take Rodgers Namuswa and me to Kabanga. The plan was to do a teacher training session and interview students for sponsorship. I had asked Simeon to make the arrangements, and he assured me on Sunday that the headmaster and teachers were expecting me.

The Kabanga Road has been kept in good condition, and the trip had little of the bone-jarring, white-knuckled thrills of years past. We arrived after just an hour and a half of travel.

The head teacher welcomed us. Yes, he knew we were coming to interview students, but he did not know I planned to do teacher training. No problem, though--he just sent out a messenger and all the teachers dismissed their classes. They cleared out a classroom, got me a few pieces of chalk and an eraser, and we were good to go. The teachers were responsive and receptive to the sessions, and the morning flew by.

Rodgers and I interviewed 16 students who are applying for sponsorship, and then he told me that a friend of his had prepared lunch for us. We feasted on chicken, nshima, and soup.

The homeward trip was hot and dusty. The Land Cruiser's AC is broken, so we had the windows down. Every time we met a car or passed a car, we choked on the dust for a few seconds. All in all, though, it was a good day--and a rare one--in which we were able to get done what we planned. And tomorrow is another day.

Day at Kasibi

Today Jason and George and I went with the Harding In Zambia group to Kasibi for the day. Kasibi is the home of Leonard Sichimwa, longtime cook for medical mission, as well as a dear friend. Leonard invites the Harding group each year to spend a day with his congregation in the village.

First thing this morning I picked up Jason and George in their new outfits that my daughter Sara got for them. Don't they look sharp?

We had a delightful worship service with the Kasibi congregation. David and I spent many Sundays with this group, and it was wonderful to see so many old friends again.

Then it was time for a traditional Zambian lunch of chicken, nshima, tomato onion soup, and fried cabbage. We ate Zambian style seated on the ground. Dillon and Mariah Daggett are shown here with Jason and George.

Then the band began to play. Most of the instruments are homemade.

The most interesting instrument (below) resembles an archer's bow with a gourd attached. It's played by plucking the string with a skinny stick.

A day in Kasibi always makes me feel like I've stepped into the pages of National Geographic.

Chickens!

Another chicken blog! My next door neighbor Mrs. Moono bought some of my chickens when we moved. She took Petronella, Big Red, Justafella the rooster, and five of the smaller hens. Today I went to see Mrs. Moono and got a tour of the chicken pen and a report on the happenings of my feathered friends.

Sadly, the Moonos ate Petronella and Big Red because they were old chickens. The young hens are all grown up, and there have been a couple of new broods hatch since we left.

Justafella the rooster still keeps watch over the hens and their chicks.

I took Shawn and Donna Daggett's children with me on my visit. They were thrilled to go in the pen and collect eggs with Mrs. Moono. We took the eggs home and scrambled them for a snack. Now that's a fresh snack!

Namesake

Even though we are living back in the US, the name of David Gregersen is still flying around in Zambia. At least three babies were named after David while we were at Namwianga. Today Justin, a security guard at the mission, and his wife brought their son David Gregersen to meet me. This David is an adorable 17-month-old with gorgeous eyes. Justin tells me that the neighbors just call the baby Gregersen. Our legacy lives on!

David Gregersen Musanje

David with his parents

Kalomo Hospital

After Plan A, B, and C, I was hoping Friday night would be a bit calmer. It wasn't.

I was visiting Sheri Sears when Rajiv knocked on the door, distraught and shaken. His aunt had been in a bad accident, and he asked me to take him to Kalomo Hospital to check on her. I agreed, and the Cruiser soon filled with others who were relatives or friends of the accident victims.

At Kalomo Hospital there were 40 or so people milling around outside in the dim courtyard. Our contingent gathered near the window to a treatment room. No HIPAA regulations here--anyone could look in through the broken panes and watch what was going on.

As we waited for word, I was greeted by many friends from the mission and Kalomo town who provided information about the wreck. Little by little I pieced together the story. The vehicle was a mid-sized truck, and the passengers were in the open truck bed. It was overloaded, as bush transport vehicles often are. Most of the passengers were teachers on their way home from a District Education Board session that trained them to administer exams. Some were new teachers on their way to newly assigned schools. The truck was headed to Kabanga on the dreaded Kabanga Road. Apparently the driver fell asleep, and the vehicle veered off the road and rolled three times.

Two passengers died. One died at the hospital, and we watched in silence as his body was rolled out on a gurney. Several others are in serious condition, including Rajiv's aunt. Thankfully, her one-month old baby who was in her arms is fine. The Kabanga headmaster's wife is one of the seriously injured.

An hour or so after we arrived, a nurse came out and read off the names of the patients who were being sent home and those who were being admitted. Eventually, the hospital door was opened and all were allowed to go in to see their loved ones. The bystanders threaded down the hallways and through the wards for brief glimpses of the injured victims.

Our somber group loaded up again for the trip back to Namwianga. Soon we were singing songs of hope and comfort: It Is Well with My Soul, Farther Along, and Wabota Munzi Waba Jesu.

Your prayers for the injured and the grieving are appreciated.

Jacarandas in Bloom

The Jacaranda trees are simply breathtaking. Their amethyst blossoms sparkle in the parched landscape. This canopy of color is at Namwianga Basic School.

Plan A, Plan B, Plan C

In Zambia, I try to have a Plan A and a Plan B. Sometimes I have to come up with a Plan C. And I wonder occasionally if it’s better not to plan at all.

Today my Plan A was to go out to Zyangale Basic School and do two things. First, I planned to interview their top grade nine students to see which ones might qualify for sponsorship at Namwianga Secondary School next year. Second, I planned to have a training session with the teachers and challenge them to be intentional about teaching from a Christian perspective and also to involve their students actively in the learning process.

Last week I had sent an e-mail to Simeon, the administrator over all of Namwianga’s satellite schools, and asked him to set up the interviews and training. When I talked to him yesterday, he told me he hadn’t been able to reach the headmaster, but he assured me that we should go anyway and that we would be able to do the interviews and training sessions.

Rodgers Namuswa, Simeon, and I set out in the Land Cruiser this morning with me driving. A few miles of paved road and then we were rockin’ and rollin’ in the dirt and sand. Dodging potholes, selecting the shallowest of ruts, and fishtailing in the sand--Woo Hoo! I’m loving my bush woman status!

It was an hour of that kind of fun before we got to Zyangale: Mud brick, tin-roofed classrooms stuck out in the middle of a dry, barren field. Some of the classrooms don't have window panes. The facilities are spare, and yet this school consistently does a great job of preparing its students for high school.

We got out and walked around. There were a few students in a couple of classrooms—but no teachers! We finally located the deputy head teacher who informed us that she was the only teacher there. The others had gone into Kalomo to the District Education Office so that they could plan the activities for Tuesday's upcoming school holiday—Teacher’s Day! I tried not to fume at the waste of classroom time consumed by a holiday to celebrate teachers--this holiday that requires the sacrifice of AT LEAST two days of learning, plus all the expense of transporting an entire staff into town and giving them their per diem payments for off-campus activities. Then I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I just have to do what I can and not worry about what I can’t change, and I certainly can't change a national holiday.

Time for Plan B, which is half of Plan A. We wouldn’t do teacher training, but at least we could interview students. I asked the one remaining teacher to gather any of the grade nine students who were sure to pass the government exam and might be candidates for sponsorship. I expected a handful of students, knowing that only two or three could be chosen from this one school. She took me into a room full of 19 students. She didn’t have access to their records, so she wanted me to interview them all. Gulp! This was going to take a LOT longer than I planned.

Plan C. Rodgers and I worked out a system so that we could interview all 19 of them before dark. We both talked to each one. As I finished the interview, Rodgers took the student outside and snapped a photo while I got started with the next student. It worked beautifully and we were able to interview every single one of them—even though it was painfully obvious that many were not qualified academically. I was exhausted by the time we finished.

We rocked and rolled back through the bush to Kalomo town. The bush woman role had lost its luster by this time. I was tired and hot and covered with dust--and just hoping we wouldn’t get stuck in the sand since it occurred to me that I don’t know how to set the 4-wheel drive on this borrowed Cruiser.

In Kalomo we stopped for Rodgers to go to the bank. There on the sidewalk were some of the Zyangale teachers—now finished with their Teacher’s Day preparations. We were able to talk to the head teacher and get his short list of the students who were worthy candidates for sponsorship, as well as his recommendations. As I suspected, we had interviewed many students who were not qualified.

Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. We made it through the day and got at least part of the original plan accomplished. That will do for now.


Ladies at Zyangale carrying water from the well.

You know you're in Zambia when . . .

You know you're really back in Zambia when . . .
1. The 4-inch wall spider greets you from the back wall of the closet.
2. You enjoy your bucket bath after heating the water for it on the stove.
3. You turn the fluorescent tube lights on at 2:00 in the afternoon so that hopefully by dark they'll finally come on.
4. When the lights don't come on, you find your way around with your trusty headlamp.
5. You feel the grit of sand in your sandals.
6. The singing in chapel sounds like heaven.
7. You find out the plans you made for Saturday won't happen on Saturday. Maybe not at all.
8. You slow down for chickens in the road.
9. The internet is SOOOOO slow
10. You can't wait to see what surprises tomorrow will bring.

Jason and George

I drove to the orphanage this morning, parked my borrowed Land Cruiser, and started walking to the house where I knew George and Jason were playing. Jason peeked over the veranda wall and saw me. His eyes grew wide as he threw his leg over the wall, jumped down, and ran straight into my arms. His head buried on my shoulder, I’m pretty sure he couldn’t see the tears I was fighting.

Next came George in a tumble of legs and arms attacking the other side of me. Two other toddlers grabbed my legs and hung on. I finally staggered to the steps and sat down. Jason fired off the questions: “Do you like my haircut?” (Yes, it’s very nice!) “Where is Ba David?” (Home in America) “Is he coming next week?” (No, he can’t come now) “Is that your new truck?” (No, I’m borrowing it) “Where is your truck?” (We sold it) And then George chimed in, “Can we go to your house?” (I don’t have a house here anymore) They both thought about that for a few seconds. “Oh.”

The questioning over, they were ready to play. So we joined a few other little friends on the swings and had a good time. Jason has grown taller and seems older than his five years. George is still tiny for his age, but both look happy and healthy. I stayed an hour or so and then had to leave. I gave them a hug and kiss goodbye. Jason waved and yelled, “Come back next week!”

I will, Jason. I will. Maybe even sooner.

Arriving - Wednesday, September 29

My first glimpse of Zambia is out the window of the plane as we land in Livingstone—the landscape is parched and brown. I have arrived in the dry season.

Robby Banda and Collins Bulonda pick me up at the airport. A joyful surprise is seeing Joan Mann at the airport as well! Joan was on her way out of Zambia after a brief visit. Ruhtt Mbumwae and Sue Calder were there to drop her off, so I have a short visit with the three of them.

On our way out of town we stop to see Richard Chanter, the owner of Chanter’s Lodge , our favorite getaway. Then it us on to Sinde Mission, one of Namwianga’s satellite schools. I interview some of their ninth grade students who may qualify for sponsorship at Namwianga next year. I interview nine students, and five of them are very impressive. Of those five, THREE are double orphans—no mother, no father. They live with grandparents or uncles and aunts. A sad reminder that I am back in Zambia.

We stop briefly in Kalomo so that I can greet Mrs. Nyee at the Mini-Mart. She is glad to see me and even gives me a free Coke Zero. I promise to come back later when I can visit longer.

I had forgotten that God punctuates the crackling brown of the dry season with the gorgeous splendor of the Jacaranda trees. I take a quick shot of El Pantano in Kalomo under the spread of the purple flowers.

On to Namwianga. We stop to pick up passengers at the junction, of course—two college girls who climb in the back with their packages. It seems so natural here, and unthinkable in the US.

At Namwianga there are warm greetings and introductions to the Harding students. After dinner I’m taken to my room. I’m staying in Meagan and Louisa’s house—sleeping in Meagan’s room. Her shadow is everywhere—the pictures left on the frig, the bright walls, the vibrant curtains. I’m reminded once again how much I miss her. (for new readers: Meagan was our co-worker from 2006 - 2010 and is now living in the US.)

I had forgotten the stars. When I first walk out into the inky blackness of the night and look up, I am overcome, and my eyes fill with tears. The sudden beauty of the diamond blanket—how could I have forgotten? God’s masterpiece on display every night.

I find Webster, our former security guard. He now works for the mission and is guarding the house where Harding students are staying. He tells me that our cat is still around, and that he feeds him whatever he can manage. We look for the cat, but can’t find him—he is out hunting I suppose.

I unpack and get ready for bed. At 10:00 there is a knock at the door. Webster has found the cat and brought him to see me. The cat rubs against me briefly—I think he remembers me—but the cat is aloof, as he always was, and will not condescend to make me think he has missed me.

I crawl into bed listening to the sounds of the night—the bats squeaking, the cicadas chirping. I remind myself that this is real. I am back in Zambia. The Africia-shaped hole in my heart is full again.

Homeland

The flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, South Africa, was 15 hours long. As the plane flew closer and closer to the destination, my mood grew brighter and brighter. By the time I stepped into the Joburg airport—AFRICA—I was nearly giddy. Africa—my home—not even Zambia yet, but still feeling like home. The faces are familiar. The air is crisp. The billboards are in African colors and proclaim World Cup Soccer and African brands. It feels right.

I remember feeling like this another time. It was December, 2006, and we were returning to the US for our first furlough after 18 months in Zambia. Stepping into the Dallas airport produced that same excitement, that giddiness, that feeling of being home again. The Lone Star flags everywhere. The Texas accents. The friendly faces. It felt right.

So where is home? Is it Africa? Zambia? Texas? Mt. Vernon? Or am I just homeless? A woman without a country?

A dear co-worker once said, “Africa ruins your life. Once you’ve lived in Africa, you’ll never be at home in America. And yet you know you can never be truly African either.”

I live in the pull of two worlds. When I’m in Africa, I miss America. When I’m in America, I miss Africa. I love them both.

Maybe it’s like having your second child. You can’t imagine that you could love another child as much as you love your first. And then that second baby is placed in your arms and your heart expands a thousand times. Suddenly you know that your heart is plenty big enough for this new baby.

I think my heart is big enough for two homelands. Africa will hold me in its grip for the next three weeks. And then I’ll head for home again.

Update-September 23, 2010

Last weekend David and I attended the Zambia Mission Board meeting in Searcy. We were delighted to see many friends and co-workers--some of whom we had never seen on American soil. The board meeting was encouraging as we heard reports of the summer medical mission and made plans for the future.

This week I am frantically getting ready for my trip to Zambia. I leave next Monday, September 27, and will be gone for three weeks. I have several areas I hope to work on during my stay at Namwianga:

• I will be going out with Rodgers Namuswa to train Sunday School teachers. We will return to do a refresher course at some of the places we first visited in 2006.
• I will be visiting the Mission schools to interview students for sponsorship for next year. I also hope to do some teacher training in the schools.
• I’ll be working with Rajiv, the assistant sponsorship coordinator, and others on the sponsorship committee to do some planning for 2011.
• I am going with the Harding in Zambia group on their trip to Mumena. David and I led that trip last year, and I’m thrilled that I get to be a part of it again this year.
• And then of course I’ll get to spend some time with Jason and George, the students at GBCC, and other friends and co-workers.

I would appreciate your prayers for safe travel and wisdom. I’ll try to post several times during my stay if the internet cooperates.

Tango on the Square

Okay. I'll be honest. I expected small town life to be . . . well, a little boring. My African bush experiences included a cobra in the kitchen, regular dramas in the chicken coop, gigantic potholes on the road, interesting guests from America, and a constant stream of people at my door with stories to tell and problems to solve. I couldn't imagine that there would be many surprising adventures in a small Ozark town.

I was wrong. Saturday was full of surprises and anything but boring!

Mt. Vernon hosted the Not So Square Arts Festival downtown on the courthouse square.

I attended a writer's workshop taught by three local women who just published a vampire book--standing room only in the meeting room, and an excellent presentation.

Then David and I perused the booths and displays by local artists that featured paintings, photography, weaving, pottery, and jewelry. One man takes coins from around the world and uses a jewelry saw to cut out intricate designs to create earrings and pendants. Another guy makes huge mushroom stools from wooden trunks. The high school art class had a working kiln going and featured raiku pottery.

A Native American flute player was one of several entertainers to perform. Others included a comedy Shakespeare troupe, the local high school choir, classical guitarists, and country western singers.

And there was Vincent Van Goat--the papier mache sculpture designed to get kids interested in art. Kids could climb up and sit on Vincent's back to view a computer screen and listen to a presentation about art and artists. (I am not making this up!)

But the biggest surprise was TANGO DANCING! Mt. Vernon hosted the Meet in the Middle INTERNATIONAL Tango Festival right on the courthouse square. There were tango dancers all the way from Buenos Aires and New York City as well as several other states. So on the dance floor set up on the street in front of the courthouse, we got to watch some incredible tango dancing.

A tango couple from New York showed some fancy steps. The courthouse is in the background.

Tango shoes like these can be purchased at Mt. Vernon's corner stained glass/tango dancing studio. Who knew?

Boring small town life? I think not! This town is full of surprises.

The Stotts City Tractor Pull is coming up soon!

Update - September 9, 2010

I just checked the blog and saw that I haven't posted for two weeks now. Sorry faithful readers! We had a round of goodbyes in Austin before packing up a week ago. We arrived in Missouri on the 3rd and moved into our house on the 4th. We've been in a state of chaos ever since as we've worked to paint most of the rooms before we unpack. Today we finally finished all the painting we are going to do, and we now have the kitchen and living room set up.

We have had a warm welcome from new friends and old friends at Mt. Vernon. This is my first experience of living in a small town in America (I'm not counting growing up on a farm, Searcy, or Namwianga!). Here are a couple of the more interesting things that have happened. On Tuesday an Amish horse and buggy clip-clopped down the street in front of our house. That same day we discovered that the high school football team practices in a vacant lot next to our house--we're talking less than 20 yards from our living room. That means our afternoons are punctuated with shrill whistles and coaching calls. And we hear that on Friday nights they'll be playing their games in the stadium across the street from our house.

Today we picked up a local magazine that describes events in the area. We are looking forward to the tractor pull at Stotts City, the Not So Square Arts Festival and Apple Butter Makin' Days in Mt. Vernon, and many more festivals, barbecues, and gatherings.

We scoped out the two local grocery stores today, and I am relieved to find that I can survive quite nicely without a local Walmart.

Africa news: I am going back to Namwianga for a visit. I will leave on September 27 and be at Namwianga until around the 19th of October. I plan to do some teacher training, do some interviews and other work for sponsorship, and go with the Harding In Zambia group on their trip to Mumena.

Next week we are going to the Zambia Mission Board Meeting in Searcy to do a final report of our time at Namwianga.

I'm still considering the future of the blog, but for now I plan to post once a week until my trip. I'll post as much as I can during my trip and then see what happens.