The Destroyers

Our special little guys, Jason and George, live at the Eric's House orphanage with Roy and Kathi Merritt and a bunch of other kids from toddlers to teens. Roy Merritt recently sent out these photos and descriptions of the youngest little ones at Eric's House. Enjoy!

Roy Merritt writes:

We do keep a few toddlers here—The Destroyers. (Shudder)

They look cute, don’t they?

Jason George and Kevin – don’t they look drooly and harmless?

And yet –

These bombers are the most destructive weapons known to humankind.


Jason

This kid is four years old and a chatterbox. Most chatterboxes let me keep on typing and are happy with the occasional grunt or “Wow!” Not Jason. He bumps me on the arm if my attention wanders, and he asks questions – thousands of them – and he doesn’t allow me to answer with a mere “Wow!” And he doesn’t discourage easily.


Abigail

Pretty. Dainty. Delicate. Bratty when it serves her purposes. When she is good, she is VERY good, and when she is bad she is HORRID.


George

Cuter than a bedbug, George can really turn on the charm. He can also be a brat. He is visitors’ favourite kid to spoil.


Kevin

The mildest, least destructive of the bunch. Timid and shy, he talks in a high falsetto voice. Wonderful crinkly smile.


Benjamin

Better known as Ben JA.

This beefy little kid is a clown, sassy, a troublemaker, a dirt-eater, loves to rassle and goof around. The pinnacle of achievement in Dirt Ball misdeeds


Charles

Usually has two middle fingers in his mouth. Can be quiet sometimes. Likes being a lap kid—in (sigh) one-minute doses spaced one minute apart.


Shane

Can be well-behaved, sweet and cool -- Can also be a bully which results in great and terrible squalling of his victims -- “Shane the Pain”.


Luke

This kid is the very definition of noise, screeching, yelling, whooping, crashing into things.


Breakfast time . . .

Kasibi Church Service

Grady King preached for the Kasibi church service.

Kids at Kasibi

The Kasibi kids are beautiful and friendly. It doesn't take much effort to get a lap full of them.

Everyone joins in the fun. In the background, an oxcart is being used as spectator seating for the men.

Kasibi Road

I guess we didn't get enough rocking and rolling with the Kasibi band; the road on the way home gave us a few more reasons to shake, rattle, and roll.

Kasibi Village Band

Sunday afternoon the Kasibi Village Band tuned up and played for us. All of the instruments except one banjo are homemade. The music is delightful, and the musicians and listeners celebrate life with joyful spirits. Goats and chickens wander in and out of the crowd, the children dance with abandon, the men and women watch and chat about their lives. I call this a "National Geographic moment."


The homemade instruments are models of Zam-genuity! Check out this trap set.

Using Your Head

We visited the Kasibi congregation recently. After church, our friend Rodia carried the communion tray home with her in the traditional Zambian way.

Update - 12 March, 2010

We have had a wonderful two weeks with Grady, Karen, and Christin King. Grady did a superb job at last week's "Come Together" meeting for the students and community. There were 14 baptisms and over 30 responses for prayers on Friday and Saturday nights. Christin and Karen have spent many hours with the babies and toddlers at the orphanages and have shared many stories of their adventures.

We are with the Kings in Livingstone this weekend doing "touristy" things. This morning we went to Victoria Falls. I have been to the Falls at least 10 times, but today was a different experience. The rains this year have been plentiful, and the flow of water over the Falls is incredible. The mists are so thick that one can barely see across the gorge, and the spray is torrential--we were completely soaked as we slogged through the water flowing on the bridge and the trails.

So now I have seen the Falls at its driest when there was only a trickle of water flowing and we could walk across the top, and at its wettest in today's deluge, and at many other stages in between the two extremes. Always I am amazed at God's creation!

The People at My Door - Clifford

Clifford first came to my door in 2008. A church leader in Kalomo had sent me Clifford’s grade nine results—no application, no explanation, just a handwritten page that showed Clifford had done well on his grade nine exam way back in 2002. A sponsorship opened up, and I notified the church leader to send Clifford out to talk to me. Handsome, well mannered, and articulate, Clifford explained that his single mother was unable to pay for his school fees.

Clifford started at Namwianga in 2008 when he was 19 years old. Even though he had been out of school for six years, he made excellent grades from the first term. Now in grade 12, he is second in his class and is also the Vice Headboy, a top leadership position. The teachers and administrators have nothing but good things to say about him.

When he showed up at my door a few weeks ago, he was distraught. The Zambian educational system will not allow anyone with an examination number from 2002 to take the regular grade 12 exams. Instead, he was told that he would have to be an external candidate. This meant that he could only take four of the eight required exams this year, and he would have to wait another year to take the other four. Besides delaying him from college for an additional year, the cost of external exams is very high, and he would have to pay it two years in a row.

Clifford and I visited the education official in Kalomo to plead his case. The officer very nicely explained that old examination numbers like Clifford’s would be rejected by the computer system, and there was nothing that he could do about it. I asked if there was any way Clifford could be issued a new number. Probably not, the man said, but you could go to Lusaka to the Examination Council of Zambia and talk to someone there. He warned me that I would be wasting my time and money.

I went anyway. Last week David and I made the five-hour trip to Lusaka. I expected the worst and prepared myself for hours of battling with the Zambian bureaucracy. Instead of hours of battle, I was in and out of the Examination Council offices in less than 15 minutes. The assistant director assured me that it WAS possible to get a new examination number. All we had to do was to provide her with a letter from the Head Teacher and a letter from me explaining the situation. This week we sent a representative to her with the letters, and she issued the new number right then. Clifford will be taking his exams just like all the other grade twelve students, and we expect him to do very well.

Update - 6 March, 2010

Grady and Karen King and their daughter Christin are here visiting us. Grady and David were friends at Oklahoma Christian College way back in the 70s, so our friendship spans many years. Grady has been teaching college Bible classes this week, while Karen and Christin have been giving lots of love and care to the babies at the Haven. Last night the Mission hosted a "Come Together" night for praise and preaching with Grady as the featured speaker. Almost 700 students and members of the community were there for a great experience of congregational singing and Grady's message on "Lifting up Christ," followed by presentations from seven different high school and college singing groups.

It has rained and rained and rained some more this week. The roads are slippery, muddy, and messy. Tomorrow's student outreach had to be relocated because the Kabanga road is too bad for the bus to make it through. We're hoping for some sunshine today.

Five Years

Five years ago we headed off into this daunting and glorious adventure in Africa. At the time we said we would stay five years. That seemed like a long time then—longer than a college education, longer than a president’s term. But now five years have flown by in a flash, a blur of experiences, surprises, frustrations, grief, and joys.

I look back on these five years and marvel at how God has worked. I see the person I was in the Austin airport as we said goodbye to family and friends in June of 2005, and I hardly recognize her. The Africa years have opened my eyes and my heart, changed my dreams and desires, toughened me in some ways, and softened me in other ways. I will never be the same.

And now our five-year commitment is nearing an end. In April we will be returning to the US to live. John and Leah are expecting our first grandchild on April 2, and we will arrive a week later, ready to step into our new role as grandparents. Sara’s wedding is June 19, and we have that event to plan and anticipate.

We will be in Austin for six months or so as we look for jobs and wait for the next big adventure God has planned for us.

For now we are making transitions and gradually turning over our responsibilities. A team of our co-workers here will handle the sponsorship program from this side, and I will continue to be involved through e-mails and phone calls. One of our sponsored students, Rajiv Siamweela, is taking over the record keeping and communication duties. He is finishing his college this year and will be teaching at the secondary school soon, so he will be directly involved with the high school students and will still have close ties to the college. So far he has been a quick learner and has proven to have both the ability and the desire to do an excellent job.

Our dear friend and co-worker Rodgers Namuswa will continue leadership training, with Sylvia Mancheesi teaching the women’s classes. Rodgers will also coordinate the student outreaches.

It was always our goal to work ourselves out of a job, and we hope we have accomplished that. Our five years have forever changed us, and we pray that God has used us for his purposes here and will continue to use us wherever he sends us.

The Cake Dance

Note the girls are barefoot for the fancy footwork. They wore shoes during the ceremony.

Wedding

Two weeks ago we attended the wedding of Mavis and Louis. Mavis was one of the first students I worked with in the sponsorship program in 2005, and she was in the first class that I taught in 2005.

We had grown close over the years as I tried to help her struggle through grief and trials that would have overcome a weaker person. Her mother died during her first year of college. Then her father became ill and lost his job. Just before she was to go home to do her student teaching in her final year, he called her and told her that he had been unable to pay the rent and she no longer had a home in Lusaka to stay in. Her four younger brothers were sent to live with friends, and Mavis found a place where she could stay in return for helping take care of the household’s young children. When she graduated, she got a teaching job and rented a one-room apartment for her and her two younger brothers. Through it all, she held on to an optimism and faith that inspired and impressed me.

Now two years out of college, Mavis was marrying Louis Phiri, the son of Namwianga’s superintendent George Phiri. The wedding took place in the Mission’s auditorium and was an occasion for the entire community to celebrate.

Zambian weddings are festive, joyous, and colorful. The attendants perform elaborate dance steps down the aisle as they enter, the music is loud, and the audience freely expresses approval by ululating, clapping, and cheering. So everyone celebrates with smiles and laughter—except the bride, that is. She is expected to look sad and keep her eyes down to show her sorrow at leaving her family. Mavis followed the tradition and kept a solemn face.

Many guests skipped the actual ceremony and came just for the reception. Here the celebrating ratcheted up a notch with louder music and more audience participation. The attendants changed into different outfits and there was more elaborate footwork as they entered ahead of the bride and groom. A master of ceremonies kept the audience entertained with jokes. Louis’s parents spoke to the audience and the couple, and since both of Mavis’s parents have died, her cousin filled in by giving the speech for her side. Mavis and Louis followed the Zambian tradition of presenting a gift to both families, kneeling in front of them to present large baskets of fruit.

Next the attendants shuffle-stepped out of the room, entering a few minutes later with extra-fancy footwork for the knife dance. They brandished the knife for the cake as they danced down the aisle. The bride and groom cut the cake and had a piece, and then the male attendants took the individual layers and performed the cake dance back down the aisle to take the cake outside to be cut into small pieces for the guests.

The guests were served chicken, beef, rice, and sodas, and then the MC announced that it was time to give gifts to the new couple. The groom’s parents announced that they were giving the couple two cattle and a large sum of money. The bride’s family chimed in by announcing that they were also giving some cash and animals. The MC called for everyone to bring gifts, and a procession of guests came forward to either deposit gifts on the front table or place cash in a large basket. Two designated helpers began to count the money as the MC urged more giving. At last the total cash amount was announced, and the audience cheered and yelled their approval. The wedding party danced down the aisle and out the door one last time, ending a celebration and beginning a new family.

Mavis and Louis have teaching jobs in a nearby community, and her brothers will be living with them. We are proud of them and glad that we could share in their special day.

New Chicks in the Coop

We have a new brood of chicks in the coop. This one was the first to drop down from the nest as others were still hatching. It will be interesting to see which hen the chicks identify as the mother, since two different hens have been sitting on the eggs!

We have another junior rooster situation brewing. The daddy rooster has decided the coop isn't big enough for him and his adolescent rooster son. He won't allow him to stay on the same side of the pen and chases him away any time Junior tries to get close. One of them is destined to become dinner, I'm afraid, unless we can find a new home for Junior.

The People at My Door – Chilala

Chilala is a sponsored student in grade 10. He’s bright, articulate, and energetic. Tuesday he knocked on my door: “Madam, I am speaking in chapel tomorrow. I’ve worked really hard on it, and I think I have a good message. I would love to have you come and hear me.”

Chilala sat in the village for a year after grade nine because he had no money to pay for high school. He got a sponsorship last year and quickly became active on campus in clubs and sports.

The secondary chapel service is at 6:30 in the morning. I was delighted to give up my morning jog to hear Chilala speak. He delivered passionate talk about the power of God to overcome difficulties, and I listened with delight, proud of the fine young man he is becoming.

Simalundu Photos

Sylvia Mancheesi has been my translator for several months. Now she takes over parts of the training seminars on her own. She is a nurse at Kalomo Hospital and teaches Sunday School at Mwaata in Kalomo. Sylvia says she has 75 kids from toddlers to teens in her class.


David and Rodgers had their class under the trees.


The village ladies came clapping and singing to greet us--a welcome sight after our three and half hours of jolting over bad roads.

Another Day in Two Worlds

We set off early Saturday morning for an outreach to Simalundu to do teacher training and leadership classes. We quickly filled the Land Cruiser with passengers. Rodgers, Sylvia, and Fortune came along to translate for David and me, Ellie Hamby and Elizabeth Halale wanted to talk to the community about the medical mission in July, and Austin Siabeenzu came to record singing groups for Namwianga's radio station.

We bumped over the infamous washboard stretches of the Kabanga Road for the first two hours before making the turnoff to Simalundu. Then it was another hour and a half of bone-jarring misery as we dodged potholes, rolled through mudholes, and careened over eroded ravines in the roadbed. After that brutal journey we were greeted by the Simalundu ladies clapping and singing to welcome us--and were blasted by the baking heat that provides yet another reason why very few people ever make it to Simalundu, and even fewer ever choose to return.

The Simalundu community was created in the late fifties when the Tonga people were displaced by the building of the Kariba Dam. They were torn from the fertile areas of the Gwembe Valley they had farmed for centuries and dropped into the barren, desolate area that is now called Simalundu. There were no programs to help them, no resettlement assistance; they were left alone to survive as best they could.

Today Simalundu has an elementary school, a grain storage building, and a clinic building--with no medical personnel to staff it. Untrained workers dispense what little medicine is available. The church, though, is large and active, and on Saturday five local congregations gathered for our workshop. We started out in the grain storage building--a metal structure built by World Vision for food relief efforts. Ellie Hamby and Elizabeth Halale addressed the group and talked about plans for the July medical mission. A few minutes of that oppressive heat and we were relieved to dismiss our classes outside to meet under the trees.

My class went well, and as we sat around talking afterward, I asked the ladies about some of our students at Namwianga who are from Simalundu. We were told that Eric, a recent high school graduate, had been bitten by a very poisonous snake called a puff adder recently. Since both my translators, Sylvia and Fortune, are nurses, we took them and headed over to see Eric. He had received some traditional herbal treatment, but his foot was swollen and he was obviously in pain. Fortune and Sylvia agreed he needed to go back to Namwianga for treatment.

Some of the women had prepared a delicious dinner of chicken and nsima for us. It was 3:00 before we finished and started loading up for the return trip. We managed to squeeze Eric and a friend of his into our already crowded vehicle and started off. The next three and a half hours were another endurance test over the awful roads. At Namwianga we dropped off Eric and his friend, assured by Fortune that he would get antibiotics and a tetanus shot that night and be ready to go back to Simalundu on Monday--the only day there is any public transport available.

We had only been home a few minutes when I got a Skype message on the computer from our friends in Austin who were hosting our daughter-in-law Leah's baby shower. We had our camera on, and they had theirs on, and through the marvels of Skype technology, I was able to participate in the shower. I got to greet most of the guests and see the baby gifts for our first grandchild.

I was struck once again with the realization that technology allows me to live in two very different worlds.

Good News About Meagan

Louisa Duke just sent us this report on Meagan's appointment with her doctor:

"The CT scan did NOT look like lymphoma. She did test positive for mono. It's definitely not a light case of mono, from the looks of things, but I believe she will be okay."

We are all thankful and relieved! Thank you for your prayers.

High School in Zambia

After five years in Zambia, I am still trying to understand the intricacies of the Zambian educational system, but I have finally mastered the basics of getting into high school . Here's what it takes: A student attends a Basic School for grades 8 and 9. At the end of grade 9, the student (called a pupil here) takes a government exam--actually eight exams, each lasting for two hours or more. It consumes over two weeks of the school term just to take the exams. Then the pupil goes home--usually in November--and waits for his "results." These come out in February. In 2008 and 2009, the results weren't sent out until mid-February, but this year they were ready by February 1. The results of the grade 9 exam are extremely important. Only those who make above the "government cutoff point" are guaranteed a spot in a boarding school. Those who make below cutoff must either wait for an opening or accept a spot in a day school. For those in remote villages, a day school education means staying in town and living away from family in a rented hut alone or with a friend or two. It also means doing all your own cooking. (My friends who have done this tell me they had to spend hours every day searching for firewood and trying to find odd jobs just to buy their food, leaving little time for studying.)

High school is not free in Zambia, so those lucky ones who earned a place in boarding school now have two weeks in which to "report" by showing up at school with their fees and school supplies.

So right now all over Zambia there is a mad scramble to get the money together for fees and supplies. Pupils go to their relatives, their neighbors, aid programs, and their friends asking for help. I have hopeful pupils at my door from 7:00 in the morning until late afternoon. All come with a slip of paper showing their total test score--for some, that will be the number that seals their future. Some of those who come are accepted on sponsorship at Namwianga. Some are referred to other programs. And some who have low scores are advised to repeat grade nine and try for better results.

Some have the money for school fees, but need school supplies. School supplies here are far more than just notebooks and pens! Boarding pupils must bring their own mattress, sheets, blankets, buckets for taking baths and carrying water, a garden tool for campus maintenance, toiletries, and a school uniform which includes black shoes. And of course a trunk or suitcase to lock up your belongings is helpful too. The costs for school supplies can easily be almost as much as a term's tuition. My spare bedroom is full of mattresses, uniforms, school supplies, and toiletries to help out those who are sponsored at Namwianga, and usually I can provide a little for those who are going to other places.

What happens after the two week "grace period"? Those who didn't report to school within the two weeks will lose their places--and their chance to go to high school and be in boarding this year. Now some of those who had lower scores will be offered places, and the scramble for fees and supplies continues.

The People at My Door - Mpande

Mpande Syakabonze called from his village two weeks after the college term started. “I am desperate. I have no money to pay for school fees. My parents are telling me to give up. Can you help me?”

I knew Mpande well, because he has been at GBCC for two years. He is an excellent student with a winsome personality, spiritual depth, and a determination to get an education. I told Mpande to come, and I heard his full story when he arrived that afternoon. His parents are peasant farmers with seven children of their own and two orphans to raise. They cannot provide any help for Mpande. He managed to pay for his first two years of college by running a small business. In between school terms, he bought chickens in the villages and took them to town to sell at a profit. He would then use that money to buy goods in Lusaka and bring them back to sell in the villages.

He struggled along until last December. That’s when he took on a partner who agreed to sell his goods for him. The partner disappeared, leaving Mpande with no profits and nothing to sell. Still, he didn’t give up. He planted a maize field in hopes that it will produce a crop that he can sell for cash, but the harvest won’t be for another two months, and the money will not be enough. Mpande has only one more year to go to finish his education. I told him I would find him a sponsor. Zambia needs teachers like this guy.

Update on Meagan

Meagan landed in Oklahoma City at 10:30 on Monday morning and was seen by a specialist Monday afternoon. We received this information in an e-mail from Richard Prather:

I just got off the phone with Meagan's mother, Sally. No surgery in the immediate days as of today's exam. More labs pending. Initially the doctors have moved cancer further down on the differential list. That is good news. They are running more tests but are managing it as a treatable issue until they have a definitive diagnosis.

No surgery and less likely cancer, although not completely ruled out yet, is the bottom line for the day.

Meagan

Meagan Hawley, our dear friend and co-worker here at Namwianga, is on her way back to the US for medical treatment. She has been having symptoms which lead her doctors to suspect serious health problems. On Saturday, a specialist at OU looked at photos of her lymph nodes and tonsils and said she needs a biopsy immediately to diagnose or rule out lymphoma. She will have surgery in Oklahoma City on Monday or Tuesday. Meagan had just 12 hours notice to get ready to leave Namwianga, making it very difficult for her to say her goodbyes and pack for the trip while she processed this frightening news.

Meagan has devoted the last three years of her life to caring for the orphans here at Namwianga. Most recently she has been in charge of Marjorie's House, a facility to care for babies who have health problems or compromised immune systems. Words cannot express the impact she has had on all of us who know her and especially on the little ones who rely on her tender care.

Please pray for Meagan, for her family, and for those of us here at Namwianga who need her back soon.

Jason Takes a Swim

Jason came over last Sunday for a few hours. He loves to “swim” in our outdoor concrete sink and had a great time splashing and playing.

He also told me about Petty, a 13-year-old girl who lives with Jason at the Eric’s House orphanage. Jason reported, “Petty went swimming at church and put her face in the water!” It took me a few minutes to figure out he was describing Petty’s baptism at church that morning. Ah, the mind of a four-year-old.

Welcome Week

“All beginnings are hard,” wrote Chaim Potok. Certainly beginning a college experience can be daunting. Students struggle to make friends, find classes, settle into dorm life, and adjust to cafeteria food. The Welcome Week Committee shown here helps to make the beginning of college a little easier at GBCC. Members of the Welcome Week Committee greet each new student upon arrival. The newcomers are ushered to their dorms, given an informal orientation, and introduced to other students.

Each night during Welcome Week, the committee hosts a special activity. Devotionals, movies, Bible studies, and singing groups keep students busy in the evenings and help them make friends. Students also look forward to twice a day drawings for prizes. Backpacks, Cds, T-shirts, and “surprise bags” are awarded to lucky individuals whose names are drawn. The Welcome Week Committee organizes work projects that not only help improve the campus but also provide opportunities for new students to form bonds with others.

A Special Little Guy

Roy Merritt recently sent out this story about Gwembe, one of the boys that he and Kathi have taken in at the Eric's House orphanage. It touched my heart, and I hope it will touch yours as well.

From Roy Merritt: Gwembe is the little guy on the left.

Gwembe is mentally retarded. Doesn’t talk much. He grins a lot and gives “thumbs up” to everyone he meets. He runs if he is travelling more than 100 yards.

Before he came to us, thugs battered him to mincemeat and a concerned person dragged him to Zimba hospital. When he recovered the hospital wanted to release him to Somebody—anybody! Social services brought him to us. They knew nothing about him, and when anyone asked his name he only replied “Gwembe” – which is a tribal name for our part of Zambezi Valley.

I liked him immediately. People here can be brutal with mentally ill or retarded people. Every town has a few ragged, filthy, shaggy fellows shuffling through trash heaps for a snack. I wasn’t just moved by compassion. I wanted our kids to learn that people like Gwembe are also valuable human beings, made in the image of God.

Gwembe has become popular, and fits in well most of the time. He plays with the two-year-olds, Hides behind the door and shouts “Boo”. He protects them and separates their little fights. He loves gadgets that flash or beep or unfold. Our older kids have learned to like him, return his thumbs up, and protect him from those who would be unkind.

Gwembe has some problems that need surgery. How do we get permission? I tried Social Services, the local court, the Chief medical officer, and just got passed around to the next office. We began to follow hints—where is his family? We finally traced them out—200 miles away at Siameja village deep in Gwembe valley. He had disappeared two years ago, and the family even planned a funeral for him, until they heard rumors he might be somewhere near Kalomo. After we told the family what we needed, Gwembe’s older brother Kingwell, brought us a handwritten letter from Gwembe’s father, with the date stamp of their local headman, giving permission for the surgery. Kingwell is the big guy in the picture. He is 25 years old and in grade 9.

The letter also told us Gwembe’s real name, Kalombe Siakoole. We’ve called him Gwembe for so long, nothing is going to change here!

Welcome Week Fun

The students arrived on campus last week to begin a new year. As part of Welcome Week, the student government organized a chair party. Students collected plastic chairs from all over the campus and brought them to the ad building lawn for a scrub down. Laughter, splashing, and a few water fights mixed in with the work.

Veggie Tale

This eggplant came from our garden complete with a long pointy nose! I found some googly eyes and couldn't resist creating a Veggie Tale wannabe.

It's a Jungle Out There

I took these shots of the college campus last week right before the tractor mower came in to do its job. I thought the HIZ students would especially enjoy a peek at these rainy season scenes.

This is the road to our house from the college.

Looking from the offices toward our house. The roof is all you can see of the Behnke/Estes house.

The library and classrooms are hidden somewhere behind that grass!

Off they go!

A guest post from Roy Merritt.

Northreach/Westreach funds sponsor George Benson Christian College students who agree to be missionaries in far-flung corners of Zambia. They are bonded to “equal time” – three years in college – three years teaching and working with the church out in the boonies where their cell phone can’t find the network.

We have just sent out a bunch of them—the graduating class of December 2009.

They went out in three main groups; Sesheke and Mongu areas in western Province, Mporokoso and Kaputa areas in Northern province.

They travelled and dropped off here and there day and night.

Some roads were good . . .

And some were not so good.

Car troubles happened every day. That’s why each group went with its own mechanic and his toolbox.

Trailer troubles too—one night this axle snapped. One wheel popped off and rolled 100 feet into the jungle.

They didn’t find it until daylight. Strips of inner tube held it together till the next town and a repair shop.

They paid the guy on the right to sleep with the trailer till they returned next morning.

Lukulu, town of plenty.

What it has plenty of is sand!

Western province is covered with deep deep sand.

No stones to throw at somebody if you get mad.

No rocks for little boys’ slingshots.

About half the students are married, and took their families along.
The singles looked like they were homesick about one minute after they unloaded.

Thanks for supporting this work!

God bless you,

Roy and Kathi

Two Worlds

We said goodbye to the people of Mukonda on Saturday afternoon and traveled through breathtaking scenery back to Namwianga. The sapphire sky sparkled over clusters of thatched roofs on verdant rolling hills. Goats and cows meandered across the dirt road. Ten Zambian ladies filled the back of the Land Cruiser, singing in the rich Tonga harmony that I suspect will be the melody of heaven. It was one of the times I tell myself that I am experiencing a National Geographic Moment.

We had been back home a few hours when I got an e-mail from one of Sara's friends. She was with Sara in a Dallas bridal shop, and Sara had narrowed her selection down to two wedding dresses. Sara's friend sent me pictures of the two gowns via her iPhone, and I e-mailed my feedback on which one looked best. I was thrilled to get to be there for one of my daughter's significant moments.

Two incredible experiences in two starkly contrasting worlds.

Translators

Sylvia Mancheesi (left) and Eneless Hankuba traveled with us to Mukonda and translated my classes. Eneless has been my translator for several years on medical mission, and Sylvia has done teacher training with me a few times. Sylvia teaches the children's classes at her congregation and loves helping other women learn how to teach.

After the Seminar

After Saturday's seminar, the ladies shared their favorite beverage. They call it chibwantu and tell us that it is made from maize and "certain roots of the forest." We call it "the brew you chew" because it has chunks of cornmeal in it.

Mukonda Leadership Seminar

While I taught the women on Saturday, David and his translator Rodgers Namuswa taught a seminar on "The Character of a Leader."

Mukonda Teacher Training

On Saturday we did a teacher training/leadership seminar at Mukonda, a village near Kafue Game Park. Women from nine different congregations attended. As in all our seminars, each congregation receives a Beginner's Bible and a packet of materials. In the training sessions we play games, do role plays, and explore ways to give children in our Bible classes something to HEAR, something to SEE, and something to DO. For most of the women this is their first exposure to any teacher training.

Lions

These lions were just a few feet away from our vehicle. Our guide assured us that as long as we stayed in the vehicle, the lions would ignore us. However, he warned us that stepping out of the vehicle instantly transforms a tourist into a tasty lunch.