One Week

It's hard to believe I have been home a week.
It's hard to believe I have been home just one week.

I did all of my laundry, and finally put nearly everything away.
I got a bunch of pictures developed. I even bought a few frames to display my favorites.
I've eaten so much American food. I have sang to so many American songs.
 I got out my guitar. Hopefully I will eventually slowly learn to play...

I have already put in a full work week, picking up exactly where I left off.
Maybe I got back into the groove of things too swiftly...
...because I am sick! But don't worry, mom, it's not malaria - I took a test!

See? That, my friends, is a negative Malaria test.

 I am reminded of the luxuries I have. Access to a Malaria kit for one. Access to medical care in the event that it was positive. Access to basic OTC medications since it is not. Clean water to drink cool on its own, or hot with tea or cocoa. A soft pillow and blankets. A bed in a quiet, private room. Curtains to block out the sunlight so I can sleep in. Tissues to blow my nose. The list goes on... Even in my illness, my blessings are abundant compared to the families I met in Africa.

So the test is negative: of course that means I have something else. Something probably common and boring, like a cold or the flu. Perhaps the respiratory infection is back for round two... So it is time for hot cocoa and lots of sleep. Luckily, I have the day off of work tomorrow. Yet another luxury...

Consider it pure joy...

James 1[NIV]

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:

Greetings.

Trials and Temptations

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
⁹ Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. ¹⁰ But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. ¹¹ For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
¹² Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
¹³ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
¹⁶ Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ¹⁸ He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Listening and Doing

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.



Just another example of being drawn to the right scripture at the right time. It helps put the last two months, and everything that has happened, into perspective.

By the way, never ever ever laugh at a Nigerian when they are speaking about your future. You never know where life will take you next!

Home

I am back home in PA!

The twists and turns keep coming, but it is good to be home.
It seems like God has even more planned for me in the near future.
I'll provide more updates as soon as it's appropriate.

The Village

 For my time in South Africa, The Village has been my home.

When I came back from Zambia and returned to room 8,

this is what I came home to:

(don't mind our mess, life gets busy here in Africa!)

Now nearly everyone is gone.

The only people left in The Village are Peter, from Nigeria, and I.

 I am packing up my room. The Village is being closed this afternoon.

I'll spend my last days at the Ladies House.

Peter will be at Lynn and Jayme's house.

These last nine weeks went fast. Too fast.

I'm definitely going to miss this view:

Church in Zambia

I was in Zambia for just under a month, so I had the opportunity to attend three different churches while I was there.

The first weekend I was in Kitwe and Byron, Diane and I attended Ma Towela's Church. It was a traditional African church called 'Breakthrough Believers.' The service was much different from the churches I had attended in South Africa. The choir was all wearing matching black and purple outfits. The dancing was much more energetic. The service lasted about three and a half hours in total. It was a different experience, but I was very glad I went.

The second weekend, Palm Sunday, I was in Kachele with Adam, Dave, and Russell. We went into Ndola with Liz and Westen for church at the Ndola Christian Fellowship, a more traditional English service. It was about an hour and a half, but it was a nice mix of worship and preaching. The scripture readings were Mark 11 and 1 Corinthians 13; the sermon focused on the theme "love always perseveres." After everything I've experienced here, it was definitely the right message at the right time. This service was probably the most 'home'-like for me, which was really nice as well.

The third weekend, Easter Sunday, I was back in Kitwe. Mirriam and Mercy invited me to go to church with them. Byron and Diane were watching their home churches podcast online, so I decided to take the girls up on their offer. I woke up and was dressed and ready to go by 7:45. Mirriam said we would by leaving by 8AM. I waited and nothing happened so I wondered if they had left without me and I went back to my room. At 9:30AM there was a knock on my door; the girls had overslept! So we quickly got ready to go and got a taxi. Church had begun at 9:00AM; we got to church at 10:30. Despite going so late, we were still there until 1:30PM: the service lasted 4.5 hours! It was amazing though! This was a Pentecostal Assembly of God Church and it was HUGE!!! I tried to do a quick count of the number of rows and how many chairs were in each row. I would guess there were over 500 people in attendance, but it easily could have been 700+. It was the largest church sanctuary I have been in, with the exception of possibly The National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

I was the only white person in the entire congregation. Mirriam had introduced me to one of the greeters on the way in, so the pastor knew I was American. The first two hours of service were worship, so the announcements didn't occur until we got there. They asked all the visitors to stand, which is normal in any African church. Then the visitors all sat down, but they asked me to remain standing and the pastor spoke in Bemba. I know it was about me, probably something along the lines of how I chose to spend my Easter celebrating with them. Even if the white population still has underlying racist views, the black population is so welcoming and considers it a great honor when white people choose to spend time with them.

The service flew by! It honestly did not feel like three hours! Some songs were sung in Bemba while others were sung in English. The sermon was spoken in English but translated into Bemba, so for most of the service I was able to know what was going on. After the service was over, everyone wanted to meet me and greet me. I met with the Pastor and his wife and they prayed for me. It was definitely a memorable Easter in Africa!

Kitwe: Week 3

I spent Easter Sunday in Church with Mirriam and Mercy, but I will discuss that in a different post. I had Easter lunch with Mirriam and Mafinga, one of the guys living in the guest house, and then we relaxed - because nshima has that effect on people, in general but on muzungus especially. Later that evening I had dinner with Byron and Diane and we watched 'The Fighter.'

The long weekend continued into Monday. I was able to sleep in, do some last minute laundry, and work on packing some of my clothes. In Zambia I was washing my clothes in my tub and hanging them out to dry, so that took some time. Monday afternoon we had gone into Pick n Pay to do some grocery shopping. I took my change from the cashier and was fiddling around in my wallet as I said 'I thank you' in Bemba. The woman who had bagged my groceries stopped what she was doing and asked where I was from. She was shocked because I was "an American who knows how to say 'thank you' in Bemba!" I was a little confused, because they are ex-pats all over Kitwe. When I brought it up to Byron, he said that most of the ex-pats just don't care. They don't bother to learn even basic Bemba, so the locals get that much more excited when they meet people who are making an effort! That afternoon we were invited to a braai with some ex-pats. There were several people there. One was a white Zambian who had lived in Australia and the UK and had just moved back to Zambia four days prior. There was an American from New Mexico, a few guys from England and that is all the specifics I remember. They were pretty nice people, and very welcoming to us, but they didn't understand how we could be living in Zambia and willingly volunteer without pay. The American ex-pat was trying to get me to apply to work with his company in the DRC! There was also an underlying separatism. The host wouldn't let us help clean up after the braai. He said he has people to do that: 'people' being black Zambians that he pays to clean his house. It's frustrating to see first hand how racism still persists in society.

That Tuesday is was back to work as usual at the SC. It was the beginning of the week and the month, so our bookkeeper had to prepare our bank withdrawal form for the week and the CBO coordinators were coming to collect their Three Essential Services money for the month. There were a few other administration tasks that we had to take care of and then it was time for MY COMMUNITY STAY!!!

For my community stay, I spent an evening in Mwaiseni. On the car ride there, I was struck by how different my community stays were. For our community stay in orientation we were in pairs and debriefed on exactly what to expect and were told information about our families and given time to ask questions, etc etc etc. In the car I realized that I hadn't asked any questions about the house or family I would be staying with. I realized I would be staying by myself, which I knew but I hadn't really considered. I wasn't sure if anyone would speak English or how fluent they would be. I didn't know where I would be sleeping, or what the set up would be like. I would be the only muzungu in the village, which I have to admit was kind of cool. It was an awesome experience! I stayed at Emily's house, but she was out of town so one of the teachers, named Renee, came to stay with me. The toilet we used was at the Emily's parent's house and it was literally a hole in the ground. While we were at the parent's house, I met her parents and the choir that practices at their house. They had amazing voices! Since I greeted them in Bemba, they said I could sing with them... but not a chance, my Bemba leaves a lot to be desired! I did clap and dance while they sang and it was just awesome. We went back to the house and talked about our cultures while the care workers prepared dinner: Emily made sure I didn't do any work! She called multiple times to check up on me and make sure I was okay. She was so sweet!

That night I took a chance and slept without a mosquito net, but no worries - so far, so good! And I have my malaria test kit and a round of doxycycline just in case! Mosquitoes I was expecting; I was not exactly expecting the rats! I saw my first rats in Africa, but they weren't as bad as I thought, at least compared to stories I've heard. Even without a net, I really didn't get bitten. [I had a lot more mosquito bites in South Africa, but the risk of malaria is also less so we are also a lot less vigilant in South Africa...] In the morning we woke up early and got straight to work, dusting, cleaning and sweeping the house. After breakfast, I was playing with two of the boys who lived in the house and one of their friends. I had brought along some pencils, colored paper, and three multi-colored tennis balls. The balls were red and blue, green and purple, and yellow and orange, so between them all we had the main colors in the rainbow. I was teaching them how to say and spell the colors in English. Before I knew it Renee said that she was teaching a lesson to the older students and leaving the younger ones with me! I taught a dozen students for about an hour and a half before the SC staff arrived in Mwaiseni. It was difficult because I have such limited Bemba and the students barely knew any English, but it was an amazing experience!

While we were in Mwaiseni we also got to go on a home visit to see these sweet boys and their gogo:

I had been elected to lead small group that morning, and since I was going to be in community, the SC decided to bring small group to me. I wasn't sure how it would turn out. It always makes me feel apprehensive knowing I'll be leading a discussion regardless, not to mention when you add extra people - and an extra language. I think it turned out pretty well though. Hopefully everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did. Here is everyone crammed into Emily's house after small group:

 

After that we went back to the SC. Alisha and Michael were both around for business and we needed to have a meeting to address the 'wall' in each of our CBOs. And that's all she wrote. After that I said my good byes to Michael and Alisha, and went back to my room to pack up all my stuff. Naturally, not being very big on sleep, I stayed up organizing all of my favorite pictures from my last two months into a slideshow! 

If you missed my blog post on my last day in Zambia and my adventures on the way back to South Africa, you can find it here. 

Kitwe: Week 2

Monday the 25th I was in Luanshya. We began our day with morning prayer. Dave and Russell then spent the morning with Matteo and Adam respectively, while I hung out was Tawonga. I think I got the better end of the deal, if I do say so myself:

After our little play session, eventually, after Diane finished her work in the office, it was time to head back to Kitwe. While I had been at Kachele for the weekend they sprayed for mosquitos and I developed a cough, but I wasn't sure if it was from the spray or if I was sick. Tuesday morning I admitted defeat that I was in fact sick. Luckily, I had brought antibiotics with me just in case and started taking them as soon as I woke up Tuesday morning.

That day I felt quite listless, but still went to the Service Center for business as usual. That morning we prepared bank withdrawal and petty cash requisition forms. We also discussed the possibility of upcoming exchange visits, coordinator meetings, and care worker training. Once that was taken care of, we went to Mulenga for another budget meeting. By that afternoon my energy level, thankfully, was much improved.

Wednesday was a low-key day at the Service Center for me. We began with small group, and continued talking about spiritual gifts. After that, Byron and Diane, and Blessings and Towela went off on various errands. When Diane returned, she helped Mary prep the Three Essential Service envelopes for Michael's arrival.

Thursday, the 28th, was one of the days where you cannot avoid the reality of life here. We were spending the day in Kamakonde. The community is absolutely beautiful! The physical beauty in the environment cannot prevent the harsh truths. As soon as we parked our car and unloaded, one of the care workers informed us that one of our children had died. In this case, she was a young woman. She was 17 years old, and she was HIV+. After receiving that news, we went on to the care point. Kamakonde is unique because the CBO owns their land and they have a borehole on site to provide safe drinking water to the children they feed and the surrounding community. All of the water we know to be safe for drinking in South Africa or Zambia, I can't speak to any other countries personally, comes from boreholes. The school in Kamakonde also has new desks and chalkboards for their classrooms. It is really amazing to see a community that is able to provide an environment for children to grow and thrive in! Unfortunately there are still challenges. That morning I met a young man who hasn't been attending school regularly since 2009. Instead he tries to find peace work that will provide him money for food so he can feed his ailing gogo. His younger brother is thankfully attending school, but life is still very difficult. That afternoon I had the opportunity to go to his home and meet his gogo. I was struck by his gogo. I just had the indescribable realization that she could have easily been my grandmother. A small older woman with a spit-fire personality, and just that innate quality that all grandmothers have. It is moments like these that remind you how much we are alike despite the vast differences in our circumstances.

That evening Bryon, Diane, and I returned to Kachele to have Passover Dinner with everyone. We all sang and worshiped together before dinner, which was an absolute feast. We had time for fellowship after dinner. It was great to see everyone, but we remembered why we were there: to remember the price Jesus paid for our sins. We sang together again, and took communion together. We went up to the table in twos or threes as we felt comfortable. I went for communion with my Zambian brothers Gideon and Michael. Gideon put me on the spot and asked me to pray for the three of us. It was humbling and encouraging and the perfect way to spend Maundy Thursday in Africa! That evening Adam, Byron, Diane, Liz, Russell, and myself played cards. Adam and Byron also showed us some magic tricks! It was a blast and there was so much laughter. It is the little things that help us feel 'normal' and re-energize us after all the hardships we witness here. It was really a fantastic evening.

The next morning we all had a relaxing morning at Kachele, and after lunch Adam, Byron, Diane, Dave, Russell and myself came back to Kitwe. We went to the local markets. Our main goal was getting fabric, to be used for sewing or worn as a chitenge, but the guys bought a few other things as well. I loved the experience. You senses are overloaded by so much stimulation: colors, sound, smells... it is a remarkable experience! After we were done shopping we went out for an amazing Chinese dinner, and of course we had to stop at Gigibonta's to see Marco, the Italian. And so the guys could get their daily dose of Italian gelato. Adam was so kind as to buy me 'American Peanuts' peanut butter gelato and some sort of vanilla gelato that was pink. He chose those flavors on purpose so that it looked like I was eating peanut butter and jelly - which I ate multiple times a day on a daily basis while I was in Zambia. When I landed and went grocery shopping with Lynn, he thought I was joking when I said I would eat it every day. I wasn't, and Byron can attest to that! After dinner we said our good-byes, as that was the last time I would see Adam, Dave, and Russell.

The rest of Easter weekend I spent in Kitwe. I spent a lot of time with my housemates. We ate and talked about our lives and cooked together. The only difference was if I was with my girlfriends in America we'd be cooking chicken or baking some sort of dessert and in Zambia Mirriam taught me how to cook pumpkin leaves and nshima. This was also the first time I was out and about in Kitwe without Byron and Diane. Saturday night Mirriam and I went on a walk to a local store to get ice cream, and then we sat in the front yard talking until we couldn't stand the mosquitoes anymore.

Back at the HUB!!!

Well yesterday morning I said goodbye to the Service Center staff in Kitwe and set off for the airport. It was not without drama. We had to stop at the market to change some fabric for Busi. After changing the fabric, the Surf broke down in less than 15 minutes leaving us stranded on the side of the highway just outside of Mulenga!

 Kitwe Service Center staff

outside of our office (minus Pastor Blessings)

broken down on the highway in Mulenga...

Thankfully, we were able to get a taxi and he got me to the Ndola airport in plenty of time! I landed in the Ndola airport, but it is tiny. I couldn't picture what it would be like checking in and boarding, but it was completely fine. It really is a tiny airport though. You go through the initial security check, they scan your bags, and then check in at the counter. Then you walk through the second security check and they scan your bags again, and you go through immigration - they scan your eyes and your finger prints, stamp your passport all that jazz. And then you go to the departure lounge: there is just one. Everyone waits together and they call flights and load everyone on the corresponding bus that will take you to the plane. The flight was okay, some turbulence at the end. I have decided that I don't mind flying, but I always feel great joy when I am standing on firm ground again! We landed in Joburg (Johannesburg) and from that point everything was as expected. I went through immigration and eventually found my luggage - SAA always is sent to the most remote baggage carousel for some reason. From there it was a breeze. I exited the airport and said 'no' to about 20 different people who tried to help with my luggage or thought I needed a taxi. I made my way to the shuttle area and waited for two hours to board the Citybug. One 3.5 hour bus ride and Daytona and Ashley were waiting to pick me up in Nelspruit. :-) They may or may not have volunteered so they could also stop at McDonalds after picking me up, but either way I was ecstatic to see them. (And eat fast food!)

So I am back in South Africa settled into the Village for my last week. My roommate is still here! :-) But we are the only ones from our intake who are around :-( While I was sent to Kitwe, Zambia, Dave and Russell were sent to Luanshya, Zambia (they arrived the week after I did), Leyton was sent to Zimbabwe, Melissa and Mariah were sent to Malawi, and my roommate Alicia has been in South Africa working with the Clau Clau Service Center. Everyone else is getting ready to head off to Celebrations in the next few days: it will be bare bones here at the Village. I think I will actually be the only person living in the Village the last few days I'm here, but there will be people 'up stairs.'

As always, I sleep dramatically less in South Africa. It is freezing here compared to Kitwe! I slept in long pants and a sweatshirt, not to keep covered in case of mosquitoes, but because it is that cold at the moment! I think my mind was just spinning from everything that had happened and the long day of traveling, but I only got 2.5 hours of sleep. I'm going to hopefully sleep better tonight, and I will hopefully write a post about my last two weeks in Kitwe tomorrow!