Hello everyone!
Sara and I landed in South Africa on Sunday and it has been great to be back!
Our team is from the US + Canada offices: Will + Kristal (CA) + baby Frances, Frank + Crystal (CA) and Sara (US), Suzette (US) and I (US). it's great to spend time on the ground in Africa, but also with each other - we rarely get to see each other face to face!
Monday was a really easy day. We essentially had the day off to catch up with everyone here at the HUB. Tuesday we went into Somerset with Audrey. Yesterday we went back to Welverdiend, where I did my community stay 3.5 years ago. Today we're going to Siyathuthuka! I'm so excited because they love the same songs I do, so for once I can sing and actually know the lyrics. We're back in Siyathuthuka tomorrow for community prayer, before having some down time. Saturday we leave for Oshoek, where we'll spend one night before going on to Swaziland for three nights. We're all really challenged about what we'll see, but also very excited!
Showing posts with label life in Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life in Africa. Show all posts
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
The Power of Story
When I returned from Africa in 2013, I had been home six months before I had the chance to meet anyone from Hands US. I remember when I first met Lauren she encouraged me to write a story about my experience. Our time together got busy and the holidays came. I never did write a story.
Of course, I've written so many stories here. But you're probably here because we know each other somehow. We have connections. Lauren encouraged me to write a story for the Hands website, that would be seen by people I may not have personal connections to. Which is great! but kind of overwhelming, too.
I think it was after I returned home from South Africa in May, I was approached by other members of the Comms team to write about my time at Celebrations. I agreed, but oh how I struggled! Writers block of the worst kind! Finally, I just decided to pretend that I was blogging for all of you like any other day. It worked! In July it was published on the Hands US newsroom. Incidentally, I've never been much of a 'behind the scenes' person - but when it comes to Comms, now I am: I wrote the story, put it into the website and formatted it for our newsletter. If you want, you can read the story here.
I remember my first story for the website being a very dramatic. Dealing with my aforementioned writers block, not knowing how to express what I wanted to express, wanting to represent Hands well... so many things! I wrote another story in Zambia and the experience could not have been more different! It was a God moment - there is no other explanation. It was so sad, yet such an amazing day. George often says when he's been out in rural communities, where he tends to see hard circumstances and experience incredibly basic things, that is where he meets Jesus. For the first time, I really think I know what he means.
I scribbled everything I wanted to share on paper at the care point. I didn't want to miss a thing and risk forgetting it. Looking back, I didn't need to worry because that day is as etched into my mind as clear as if I was there right now - but I wanted to be sure to do it justice. I had my small netbook tucked away in my backpack. When we were back in the van, driving back to Lusaka, I pulled it out and typed feverishly away. My back-seat friend (I loved when we hit bumps! he did not!) looked at me, puzzled (though his puzzled expression in regards to me was not uncommon) wondering what on earth I could have to say so much about. He did insist on holding my notes for me so I could just focus on typing though. From there all I had to do was check the word count to make sure it was within target and finesse a few things. Almost as soon as I returned to the US, I sat down and edited it three times to make sure it was just right: honest, yet confidential.
I don't know when it will be published. I didn't tell anyone I had written it. I merely added it to the folder of stories. At the moment, it is not officially on the docket - which is fine. I'm sure it will be posted, and I will be sure to let you know what that happens. Really, it is a simple story about a day I spent with a four year old boy. It is such an ordinary story, yet God opened my heart to allow something extraordinary happen. It's so special to me and if no one ever reads it, that's fine by me - but if you get the chance to read it, I truly hope it touches you in some way.
I think I experienced a hint of mother's love that day, and I know that the little boy stole a piece of my heart!
Of course, I've written so many stories here. But you're probably here because we know each other somehow. We have connections. Lauren encouraged me to write a story for the Hands website, that would be seen by people I may not have personal connections to. Which is great! but kind of overwhelming, too.
I think it was after I returned home from South Africa in May, I was approached by other members of the Comms team to write about my time at Celebrations. I agreed, but oh how I struggled! Writers block of the worst kind! Finally, I just decided to pretend that I was blogging for all of you like any other day. It worked! In July it was published on the Hands US newsroom. Incidentally, I've never been much of a 'behind the scenes' person - but when it comes to Comms, now I am: I wrote the story, put it into the website and formatted it for our newsletter. If you want, you can read the story here.
I remember my first story for the website being a very dramatic. Dealing with my aforementioned writers block, not knowing how to express what I wanted to express, wanting to represent Hands well... so many things! I wrote another story in Zambia and the experience could not have been more different! It was a God moment - there is no other explanation. It was so sad, yet such an amazing day. George often says when he's been out in rural communities, where he tends to see hard circumstances and experience incredibly basic things, that is where he meets Jesus. For the first time, I really think I know what he means.
I scribbled everything I wanted to share on paper at the care point. I didn't want to miss a thing and risk forgetting it. Looking back, I didn't need to worry because that day is as etched into my mind as clear as if I was there right now - but I wanted to be sure to do it justice. I had my small netbook tucked away in my backpack. When we were back in the van, driving back to Lusaka, I pulled it out and typed feverishly away. My back-seat friend (I loved when we hit bumps! he did not!) looked at me, puzzled (though his puzzled expression in regards to me was not uncommon) wondering what on earth I could have to say so much about. He did insist on holding my notes for me so I could just focus on typing though. From there all I had to do was check the word count to make sure it was within target and finesse a few things. Almost as soon as I returned to the US, I sat down and edited it three times to make sure it was just right: honest, yet confidential.
I don't know when it will be published. I didn't tell anyone I had written it. I merely added it to the folder of stories. At the moment, it is not officially on the docket - which is fine. I'm sure it will be posted, and I will be sure to let you know what that happens. Really, it is a simple story about a day I spent with a four year old boy. It is such an ordinary story, yet God opened my heart to allow something extraordinary happen. It's so special to me and if no one ever reads it, that's fine by me - but if you get the chance to read it, I truly hope it touches you in some way.
I think I experienced a hint of mother's love that day, and I know that the little boy stole a piece of my heart!
Monday, September 28, 2015
Return from Zambia
I cannot believe our trip to Zambia was over a month ago - and I cannot believe I'm only sitting down to blog now. yikes! sorry for the delay
I cannot thank you all enough for your prayers. It was truly a blessed trip!
First, on Saturday, I flew to Chicago. Flights from PIT to ORD don't always have the most desirable options, so I spent an hour looking at this:
Exciting, right? After an hour, Korean Air morphed into Virgin Atlantic. And Mikhayla landed, so we were able to hang out in the airport. Later the group driving down from Minnesota would meet with us. But only after we got Chinese in the food court!
We flew from Chicago to London, landing on Sunday, and we had a long layover so...
Our group, minus Jed who had to work, took a 6 hour tour of the city. Here we are outside of the Tower of London. And yes, I'm holding fish and chips! We also saw the Tower Bridge (what people think is London Bridge, but is actually Tower Bridge), Buckingham Palace (this was interesting as there was a bike race that day and made things a bit complicated!), Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and went to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Then, finally, we flew from London to Johannesburg, landing on Monday, and on to Ndola.
I was pleasantly surprised when we landed at the airport and my dear friends Blessings was there to pick us up! We worked together in Kitwe two years ago and it was so good to see him again! Of course, once we got back to Kachele I was reunited with many dear friends. We spent a night at the farm and left Tuesday morning to drive to Lusaka, where we would stay for two weeks. Finally on Wednesday we went to the Chisamba care point. We met the amazing Service Center staff, Care Workers, and of course, the kids! We were split up into groups and went out into the community to go on holy home visits.
Holy home visits are exactly what they sound like. We go into the homes and visit with the families living there. I don't think there are ever two home visits that are exactly alike. Obviously, you start by walking into the community. This always gets me, especially since this was my first visit to Kabwe. I'm sure there are many things similar between the landscape of Kabwe and the landscape of Kitwe, but I am always drawn to the differences. They aren't always things you can identify, but there is something. I wish I could convey exactly what it was like to be walking down those roads: clear sky, bright sun, open spaces just beyond the construction sites. I can't really do it justice. At the first house we went to we met a gogo sitting in her backyard in the shade of a large tree. We (Peter, Donna and I) sat facing the gogo, our backs to the house. There was a very large layer of corncobs off to the right side. The dried kernels would be taken off of the cob, they would then be milled into cornmeal to make nshima, and the cob saved to be burnt later. Corn is both the food and fuel source in these communities. The tree was behind me to the left and in front of it was a makeshift well, surrounded and covered with rocks. They would use the water for washing, etc, but there are only three wells with safe drinking water in the community.
We walked in the community on our way to another house. It was then that we saw something that was new to me: a metal barrel with dried corn husks gathered and sticking out of the top. I asked Peter and he explained that it was a sign that there is alcohol ready. They mash corn and ferment it into a traditional beer that is potent enough, it can supposedly only takes two teaspoons to de-worm you. yikes! Later on, in the following week, we would hear stories of young children going to buy this beer for their fathers/uncles/care givers and admitting to drinking some. The challenges and temptations these children face!
Friday we thanked the care workers for all of their hard work. We let them do crafts we would be doing with the kids the following week, we took their photos and printed out pictures for them to have. (Making a picture frame was one of the crafts. Each person got a picture of themselves to keep - a special treat!) Finally we treated them to a meal. We bought the ingredients, they cooked because #1 they are much better at making nshima and #2 they probably didn't want to take the chance of us making lumpy nshima. We bought chicken and oranges (both are too expensive to have very often when you're feeding 100 children), Coca Cola and Orange Fanta. Let me tell you, they love Orange Fanta! The really special part of it all was when Pam presented them each with a book. Her entire family has been involved with supporting and praying for the community of Chisamba, and she has a wonderful, huge family! Pam invited her family to submit a photo, write a bit about themselves and how they're praying for Chisamba, and she put everything together in books so they could keep them. Can you imagine how amazing that would be to receive? I think about those care workers, and how many difficult days they must have, and I think being able to pull out that book and see pictures of the people that are praying for you and being able to read their stories - it must be such an amazing encouragement!
Our team was together 24/7 but we still set aside time to debrief about what we were experiencing. Our weekend in Zambia, we took a break. Well, maybe minus Jed who was the (un)lucky person who got to drive all the way from Kabwe to Livingstone! He is a trooper! When I was in Zambia in 2013 I didn't do any sightseeing, and four of our group had never been to Africa before, so naturally...
We went to Victoria Falls!!!
Just to clarify, this is the DRY season!
And there are baboons everywhere! One even stole our bag of apples, but a young African stole them back (we did not ask him to!)
While at Victoria Falls, we stopped at the local shops to get some souvenirs. You either have to be prepared to bargain or pay up, which can be challenging if you aren't comfortable and walk into the wrong booth - but I think we were happy with what we got.
And we went on safari. First we drove through a safari park:
And later some of us went on a river safari. I have to say, it met my expectations!
The next morning we went to a church close to where we were staying, before driving back to Lusaka.
Then we had final preparations for our kids camp! Each day we had a skit, a craft, a memory verse, along with songs and games. It was a great time, but it was also very challenging. By this point Prag and her team of youth leaders had come to be with us. They were such a blessing: they could step in to translate and they could comfort the kids in a way we can't with the language barrier. Prag and her team got the older children together and split them into groups where they could pour out their hearts about the challenges they were facing. It's hard to hear these stories, but its important for them to be addressed so they can work through them.
One of our teammates joked that I was loving on a different kid every time he saw me. This isn't entirely true, but I did make a few special connections!
Aren't they BEAUTIFUL?! By the way, in case you're wondering, scroll up to the pictures of children with food. The white stuff is nshima: finely ground cornmeal cooked similarly to grits, but thicker. Some people compare it to mashed potatoes. Everyday at the care point the children get nshima, relish (a vegetable - normally cabbage, pumpkin or rape leaves cut and stewed with oil, salt, onions and tomatoes) and a protein (normally beans, sausage or soya mince. Soya mince is good! its so meat-like some of our team didn't realize what they were eating wasn't meat.) During the kids camp we also fed them breakfast. Normally they only receive one meal a day. Our breakfast was simple: two pieces of bread with either butter or peanut butter and tea. Most of these kids had never had breakfast before. Some of these kids were so full from eating breakfast that they didn't have room for lunch. Talk about perspective!
We had a great time with these kiddos: over 100 came to our camp! It was challenging and heartbreaking and tiring and inspiring and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat!
After the kids camp we went back to Luanshya, to the farm. Half of our group rode back with Jed. The boys and I rode back with Prag and her team on the bus. Typically these buses have a Nigerian movie (or music video!) that they play over and over and over again BUT we lucked out and had not one, but three American movies. About 7 hours later, we made it to Luanshya and got dropped off at the roadside. Literally on the side of the road. The bus pulled over and I told the boys it was our stop. With some disbelief they followed. Once we got off the bus, Laurel gave me this look of protest and asked what I had talked him into. What can I say? TIA #wheninAfrica Matteo was waiting for us, honestly, not too far down the road and drove us the rest of the way.
Back at the farm we had a braai with the volunteers living at Kachele and I got to soak up more time with my dear friends who live there full time. It was SO good, but far too short!
The next morning I was saying my goodbyes. I literally turned around and standing not more than two feet away from me was Clement! He is another friend I worked with in Kitwe two years ago and I had assumed our paths wouldn't cross. It was a happy coincidence as he needed to be there for a meeting. Not very long after, it was time for us to load up. Bryan from Canada took us and we were able to stop for coffee before heading back to the airport to retrace our steps. This was fun because we had long layovers again, aka we had more time to look in the souvenir shops. This was not fun because I faced 40 more hours of travel time. But by the grace of God, with the help of your prayers, we did it!
I cannot thank you all enough for your prayers. It was truly a blessed trip!
First, on Saturday, I flew to Chicago. Flights from PIT to ORD don't always have the most desirable options, so I spent an hour looking at this:
Exciting, right? After an hour, Korean Air morphed into Virgin Atlantic. And Mikhayla landed, so we were able to hang out in the airport. Later the group driving down from Minnesota would meet with us. But only after we got Chinese in the food court!
We flew from Chicago to London, landing on Sunday, and we had a long layover so...
Our group, minus Jed who had to work, took a 6 hour tour of the city. Here we are outside of the Tower of London. And yes, I'm holding fish and chips! We also saw the Tower Bridge (what people think is London Bridge, but is actually Tower Bridge), Buckingham Palace (this was interesting as there was a bike race that day and made things a bit complicated!), Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and went to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Then, finally, we flew from London to Johannesburg, landing on Monday, and on to Ndola.
I was pleasantly surprised when we landed at the airport and my dear friends Blessings was there to pick us up! We worked together in Kitwe two years ago and it was so good to see him again! Of course, once we got back to Kachele I was reunited with many dear friends. We spent a night at the farm and left Tuesday morning to drive to Lusaka, where we would stay for two weeks. Finally on Wednesday we went to the Chisamba care point. We met the amazing Service Center staff, Care Workers, and of course, the kids! We were split up into groups and went out into the community to go on holy home visits.
Holy home visits are exactly what they sound like. We go into the homes and visit with the families living there. I don't think there are ever two home visits that are exactly alike. Obviously, you start by walking into the community. This always gets me, especially since this was my first visit to Kabwe. I'm sure there are many things similar between the landscape of Kabwe and the landscape of Kitwe, but I am always drawn to the differences. They aren't always things you can identify, but there is something. I wish I could convey exactly what it was like to be walking down those roads: clear sky, bright sun, open spaces just beyond the construction sites. I can't really do it justice. At the first house we went to we met a gogo sitting in her backyard in the shade of a large tree. We (Peter, Donna and I) sat facing the gogo, our backs to the house. There was a very large layer of corncobs off to the right side. The dried kernels would be taken off of the cob, they would then be milled into cornmeal to make nshima, and the cob saved to be burnt later. Corn is both the food and fuel source in these communities. The tree was behind me to the left and in front of it was a makeshift well, surrounded and covered with rocks. They would use the water for washing, etc, but there are only three wells with safe drinking water in the community.
We walked in the community on our way to another house. It was then that we saw something that was new to me: a metal barrel with dried corn husks gathered and sticking out of the top. I asked Peter and he explained that it was a sign that there is alcohol ready. They mash corn and ferment it into a traditional beer that is potent enough, it can supposedly only takes two teaspoons to de-worm you. yikes! Later on, in the following week, we would hear stories of young children going to buy this beer for their fathers/uncles/care givers and admitting to drinking some. The challenges and temptations these children face!
Friday we thanked the care workers for all of their hard work. We let them do crafts we would be doing with the kids the following week, we took their photos and printed out pictures for them to have. (Making a picture frame was one of the crafts. Each person got a picture of themselves to keep - a special treat!) Finally we treated them to a meal. We bought the ingredients, they cooked because #1 they are much better at making nshima and #2 they probably didn't want to take the chance of us making lumpy nshima. We bought chicken and oranges (both are too expensive to have very often when you're feeding 100 children), Coca Cola and Orange Fanta. Let me tell you, they love Orange Fanta! The really special part of it all was when Pam presented them each with a book. Her entire family has been involved with supporting and praying for the community of Chisamba, and she has a wonderful, huge family! Pam invited her family to submit a photo, write a bit about themselves and how they're praying for Chisamba, and she put everything together in books so they could keep them. Can you imagine how amazing that would be to receive? I think about those care workers, and how many difficult days they must have, and I think being able to pull out that book and see pictures of the people that are praying for you and being able to read their stories - it must be such an amazing encouragement!
Our team was together 24/7 but we still set aside time to debrief about what we were experiencing. Our weekend in Zambia, we took a break. Well, maybe minus Jed who was the (un)lucky person who got to drive all the way from Kabwe to Livingstone! He is a trooper! When I was in Zambia in 2013 I didn't do any sightseeing, and four of our group had never been to Africa before, so naturally...
We went to Victoria Falls!!!
Just to clarify, this is the DRY season!
And there are baboons everywhere! One even stole our bag of apples, but a young African stole them back (we did not ask him to!)
While at Victoria Falls, we stopped at the local shops to get some souvenirs. You either have to be prepared to bargain or pay up, which can be challenging if you aren't comfortable and walk into the wrong booth - but I think we were happy with what we got.
And we went on safari. First we drove through a safari park:
And later some of us went on a river safari. I have to say, it met my expectations!
The next morning we went to a church close to where we were staying, before driving back to Lusaka.
Then we had final preparations for our kids camp! Each day we had a skit, a craft, a memory verse, along with songs and games. It was a great time, but it was also very challenging. By this point Prag and her team of youth leaders had come to be with us. They were such a blessing: they could step in to translate and they could comfort the kids in a way we can't with the language barrier. Prag and her team got the older children together and split them into groups where they could pour out their hearts about the challenges they were facing. It's hard to hear these stories, but its important for them to be addressed so they can work through them.
One of our teammates joked that I was loving on a different kid every time he saw me. This isn't entirely true, but I did make a few special connections!
Aren't they BEAUTIFUL?! By the way, in case you're wondering, scroll up to the pictures of children with food. The white stuff is nshima: finely ground cornmeal cooked similarly to grits, but thicker. Some people compare it to mashed potatoes. Everyday at the care point the children get nshima, relish (a vegetable - normally cabbage, pumpkin or rape leaves cut and stewed with oil, salt, onions and tomatoes) and a protein (normally beans, sausage or soya mince. Soya mince is good! its so meat-like some of our team didn't realize what they were eating wasn't meat.) During the kids camp we also fed them breakfast. Normally they only receive one meal a day. Our breakfast was simple: two pieces of bread with either butter or peanut butter and tea. Most of these kids had never had breakfast before. Some of these kids were so full from eating breakfast that they didn't have room for lunch. Talk about perspective!
We had a great time with these kiddos: over 100 came to our camp! It was challenging and heartbreaking and tiring and inspiring and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat!
After the kids camp we went back to Luanshya, to the farm. Half of our group rode back with Jed. The boys and I rode back with Prag and her team on the bus. Typically these buses have a Nigerian movie (or music video!) that they play over and over and over again BUT we lucked out and had not one, but three American movies. About 7 hours later, we made it to Luanshya and got dropped off at the roadside. Literally on the side of the road. The bus pulled over and I told the boys it was our stop. With some disbelief they followed. Once we got off the bus, Laurel gave me this look of protest and asked what I had talked him into. What can I say? TIA #wheninAfrica Matteo was waiting for us, honestly, not too far down the road and drove us the rest of the way.
Back at the farm we had a braai with the volunteers living at Kachele and I got to soak up more time with my dear friends who live there full time. It was SO good, but far too short!
The next morning I was saying my goodbyes. I literally turned around and standing not more than two feet away from me was Clement! He is another friend I worked with in Kitwe two years ago and I had assumed our paths wouldn't cross. It was a happy coincidence as he needed to be there for a meeting. Not very long after, it was time for us to load up. Bryan from Canada took us and we were able to stop for coffee before heading back to the airport to retrace our steps. This was fun because we had long layovers again, aka we had more time to look in the souvenir shops. This was not fun because I faced 40 more hours of travel time. But by the grace of God, with the help of your prayers, we did it!
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Zambia
Flights booked!!!
It's official, I'm going back to Zambia for the first two weeks of August! We have an eight member team with an exciting mix of old faces, new faces, youth and experience. It's going to be a busy two weeks. (And it's going to be here before we know it!)
Stay tuned for more details soon!
It's official, I'm going back to Zambia for the first two weeks of August! We have an eight member team with an exciting mix of old faces, new faces, youth and experience. It's going to be a busy two weeks. (And it's going to be here before we know it!)
Stay tuned for more details soon!
Monday, May 18, 2015
Home
Hi Everyone!
I made it home yesterday by lunchtime. I was able to spend the afternoon unpacking and taking it easy.
The key to traveling long distance is, for me, a head game. On my way to Africa I can't sleep eight hours on a plane, so I watch the flight-map. I normally take a short nap while we are waiting for dinner to be served, then another afternoon nap after dinner (because carb-comas, am I right?) I normally wake up after a few hours, but try to fall asleep when we're off the coast of Liberia and again when we're close to Angola. We did take cat-naps on our last flight from Johannesburg to Nelspruit, which is only about 30 minutes. Once you're on the ground, no matter how you feel, no napping! Friends don't let friends take naps!
Flying home is similar. I normally take two naps on the first half of the flight (Johannesburg to Dakar) but there is an extra three hours on the return flight, so I can stay up longer. (I watched four movies on the way home between my naps!) When we take off from Dakar, that's when sleep becomes important. I try to take two more good naps. I didn't have the best seat-mate on the return flight. (This is why headphones and eye masks are important!) After a leisurely drive home (my GPS normally takes me through the Northside to 28 and 422, but yesterday it took me through Monroeville and Saltsburg) I took time to unpack, sorting laundry and souvenirs as I went. I thought I might have less to fly home with, since I had an entire carry-on of American food items for the Rebros. As it turns out, they had a friend visit a few months ago and he forgot some souvenirs he bought, so I brought those home to mail to him.
I would say I don't do a lot when I come home, but anyone who knows me knows I'd be lying. I had ordered a shelving unit prior to my trip, so of course it was in a box waiting for me. I put that together and organized things accordingly. After that I did relax! For me, on the East Coast, 8pm is the magic number. It's not too dramatically early for bed on our end, and that puts you at 2am South African time. Being that you're no longer on a plan or any other form of transportation, you can really sleep! And trust me, after 24 hours of being in transit, you can really sleep! I slept about 9.5 hours, which means I'm back on American time and well rested to go back to my day job today!
Now that I'm past the first recovery day, I'll try to write again soon about the rest of my time in South Africa and what that means as we move forward in our work.
I made it home yesterday by lunchtime. I was able to spend the afternoon unpacking and taking it easy.
The key to traveling long distance is, for me, a head game. On my way to Africa I can't sleep eight hours on a plane, so I watch the flight-map. I normally take a short nap while we are waiting for dinner to be served, then another afternoon nap after dinner (because carb-comas, am I right?) I normally wake up after a few hours, but try to fall asleep when we're off the coast of Liberia and again when we're close to Angola. We did take cat-naps on our last flight from Johannesburg to Nelspruit, which is only about 30 minutes. Once you're on the ground, no matter how you feel, no napping! Friends don't let friends take naps!
Flying home is similar. I normally take two naps on the first half of the flight (Johannesburg to Dakar) but there is an extra three hours on the return flight, so I can stay up longer. (I watched four movies on the way home between my naps!) When we take off from Dakar, that's when sleep becomes important. I try to take two more good naps. I didn't have the best seat-mate on the return flight. (This is why headphones and eye masks are important!) After a leisurely drive home (my GPS normally takes me through the Northside to 28 and 422, but yesterday it took me through Monroeville and Saltsburg) I took time to unpack, sorting laundry and souvenirs as I went. I thought I might have less to fly home with, since I had an entire carry-on of American food items for the Rebros. As it turns out, they had a friend visit a few months ago and he forgot some souvenirs he bought, so I brought those home to mail to him.
I would say I don't do a lot when I come home, but anyone who knows me knows I'd be lying. I had ordered a shelving unit prior to my trip, so of course it was in a box waiting for me. I put that together and organized things accordingly. After that I did relax! For me, on the East Coast, 8pm is the magic number. It's not too dramatically early for bed on our end, and that puts you at 2am South African time. Being that you're no longer on a plan or any other form of transportation, you can really sleep! And trust me, after 24 hours of being in transit, you can really sleep! I slept about 9.5 hours, which means I'm back on American time and well rested to go back to my day job today!
Now that I'm past the first recovery day, I'll try to write again soon about the rest of my time in South Africa and what that means as we move forward in our work.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Celebrations: Days One and Two
Greetings FROM SOUTH AFRICA!!!
Well we are here! It ended up that Sara's other flight was cancelled so she switched to the flight that Jennifer and I were on. We arrived in Johannesburg early Sunday morning and had a few hours to relax before our final flight to Nelspruit. Marc met us at the airport and brought us back to our rooms, and we met a few of the people around the HUB that we hadn't met previously. After that we had a chance to shower and get settled before dinner when everything kicked off.
It's so nice to be back!
My week from here on will involve a lot of sessions. (Just like orientation - the good old days!) BUT our first full day (Monday) started off with Morning Prayer Meeting, a short talk with Dan to put us in the right mind, and then it was off to Siyathuthuka! Siyathuthuka is one of the first communities I went to during my orientation over two years ago. It was great walking those roads again, and the building looks amazing! We met at the life center. It was a pension day, so not many care workers were there as they had gone to retrieve their pensions. The kids were still in school at the time, so 10 of us got to go on home visits. I was in a group led by Bentwell. Two of the families we were trying to visit were not home, but Bentwell told us what he knew about their stories and we prayed for them. The second family we went to see was home. A gogo(grandmother), her daughter, and neighbor. Her oldest grandchildren were in school and her youngest were a few yards away playing at the family market. Every family you meet has a similar story. They face a lot of the same challenges and yet every family has such a unique story. This gogo is from Mozambique. She moved to give her family a chance at a better life, but was relocated from her neighborhood (along with her entire community!!!) in order to accommodate the construction of Mbombela Stadium. There are many dark sides to professional sports, and this is just another instance of that. They were relocated to another area but it didn't feel like home and she wasn't happy there. She relocated to Siyathuthuka and is so happy now, she says this is where she will stay.
After visiting with that gogo and her family, we went back to the life center and ate samp with the care workers. The children were still not there yet, so the care workers decided to eat with us first and then we washed the dishes and waited for the children to arrive. We played with the kids. We hoola-hooped (the kids were WAY better at it than we were!) and we danced!!! We sang a few songs, including Wahamba Nathi which is the song I know best and often sing at home in America! After that we had a proper African rain storm and hid out in the life center while we waited for the storm to pass. Then we came back to the Village to clean up, go to debrief and dinner.
Today we woke up and went to Ladies Prayer. We have a devotional, list praises and prayer requests. There is always much to pray about, but as Byron and Diane are leaving to go home this Friday, today was very emotional and bittersweet. There were many hugs and tears.
After Ladies Prayer it was time to dig in to sessions. We are here, after all, because we are each involved with the work of our respective country's International Office in some context. Today we had three sessions. The morning session was broken up into two parts, followed by two additional sessions in the afternoon. It is very challenging, emotional, but also very good. We've seen amazing amounts of honesty and vulnerability these last two days. That has allowed us to really speak into each others' lives through encouragement and new ideas. There are four International Offices outside of South Africa, so it is such a blessing to have these tough discussions together. Different offices have different ideas, and if something isn't working, another office often has good advice. We don't need to reinvent the wheel! Hopefully this experience will strengthen and rejuvenate all of our offices!
It has also been so special to be back and to have face to face conversation with people who have dramatically impacted my life and how I interact with others. Today after one of the sessions, something was really bothering me. I immediately sought advice from someone here who already knows the full context of the situation. While in the past I may have weighed the pros and cons back and forth and come up with a list, etc etc etc (you know how this goes...) I said what I needed to say and I listened to the answer. I trusted in the relationship I have with this friend and in the advice I received. And I'm moving on. Indirectly, in a separate session, we discussed boundaries and the boundaries we need to tear down but also boundaries we need to put in place. How we need to discern the way we allow people to speak into our lives. Some people are loving and truly have our best interest at heart, and some people are not 'our people.' The person I sought out, for better or for worse (but not in the marriage sense) is one of my people. I guess this is part of growing up. It's hard to learn, but so rewarding.
After that, we had another debrief. Today our last session ran long, so luckily the debrief group I attended let us just decompress. Honestly we spent a few minutes of silence just staring at each other. This was a good thing, not an awkward uncomfortable thing. Finally Brooke and I went to dinner at Daytona and Kristi's. Kristi made us an amazing Greek meal with still-warm chocolate lava cake and ice cream for dessert! After dinner we talked for a long time about anything and everything. My heart is full! I received such a warm 'welcome back' from everyone I knew from my last time in Africa. I've reconnected with old friends and am forming relationships with new friends. God is good!
Tomorrow I know we begin our day with small groups. Then we meet in the field for team building activities... I'll let you know how that goes.
My week from here on will involve a lot of sessions. (Just like orientation - the good old days!) BUT our first full day (Monday) started off with Morning Prayer Meeting, a short talk with Dan to put us in the right mind, and then it was off to Siyathuthuka! Siyathuthuka is one of the first communities I went to during my orientation over two years ago. It was great walking those roads again, and the building looks amazing! We met at the life center. It was a pension day, so not many care workers were there as they had gone to retrieve their pensions. The kids were still in school at the time, so 10 of us got to go on home visits. I was in a group led by Bentwell. Two of the families we were trying to visit were not home, but Bentwell told us what he knew about their stories and we prayed for them. The second family we went to see was home. A gogo(grandmother), her daughter, and neighbor. Her oldest grandchildren were in school and her youngest were a few yards away playing at the family market. Every family you meet has a similar story. They face a lot of the same challenges and yet every family has such a unique story. This gogo is from Mozambique. She moved to give her family a chance at a better life, but was relocated from her neighborhood (along with her entire community!!!) in order to accommodate the construction of Mbombela Stadium. There are many dark sides to professional sports, and this is just another instance of that. They were relocated to another area but it didn't feel like home and she wasn't happy there. She relocated to Siyathuthuka and is so happy now, she says this is where she will stay.
After visiting with that gogo and her family, we went back to the life center and ate samp with the care workers. The children were still not there yet, so the care workers decided to eat with us first and then we washed the dishes and waited for the children to arrive. We played with the kids. We hoola-hooped (the kids were WAY better at it than we were!) and we danced!!! We sang a few songs, including Wahamba Nathi which is the song I know best and often sing at home in America! After that we had a proper African rain storm and hid out in the life center while we waited for the storm to pass. Then we came back to the Village to clean up, go to debrief and dinner.
Today we woke up and went to Ladies Prayer. We have a devotional, list praises and prayer requests. There is always much to pray about, but as Byron and Diane are leaving to go home this Friday, today was very emotional and bittersweet. There were many hugs and tears.
After Ladies Prayer it was time to dig in to sessions. We are here, after all, because we are each involved with the work of our respective country's International Office in some context. Today we had three sessions. The morning session was broken up into two parts, followed by two additional sessions in the afternoon. It is very challenging, emotional, but also very good. We've seen amazing amounts of honesty and vulnerability these last two days. That has allowed us to really speak into each others' lives through encouragement and new ideas. There are four International Offices outside of South Africa, so it is such a blessing to have these tough discussions together. Different offices have different ideas, and if something isn't working, another office often has good advice. We don't need to reinvent the wheel! Hopefully this experience will strengthen and rejuvenate all of our offices!
It has also been so special to be back and to have face to face conversation with people who have dramatically impacted my life and how I interact with others. Today after one of the sessions, something was really bothering me. I immediately sought advice from someone here who already knows the full context of the situation. While in the past I may have weighed the pros and cons back and forth and come up with a list, etc etc etc (you know how this goes...) I said what I needed to say and I listened to the answer. I trusted in the relationship I have with this friend and in the advice I received. And I'm moving on. Indirectly, in a separate session, we discussed boundaries and the boundaries we need to tear down but also boundaries we need to put in place. How we need to discern the way we allow people to speak into our lives. Some people are loving and truly have our best interest at heart, and some people are not 'our people.' The person I sought out, for better or for worse (but not in the marriage sense) is one of my people. I guess this is part of growing up. It's hard to learn, but so rewarding.
After that, we had another debrief. Today our last session ran long, so luckily the debrief group I attended let us just decompress. Honestly we spent a few minutes of silence just staring at each other. This was a good thing, not an awkward uncomfortable thing. Finally Brooke and I went to dinner at Daytona and Kristi's. Kristi made us an amazing Greek meal with still-warm chocolate lava cake and ice cream for dessert! After dinner we talked for a long time about anything and everything. My heart is full! I received such a warm 'welcome back' from everyone I knew from my last time in Africa. I've reconnected with old friends and am forming relationships with new friends. God is good!
Tomorrow I know we begin our day with small groups. Then we meet in the field for team building activities... I'll let you know how that goes.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
What Matters
Spring has finally arrived in the northeast. After a very cold winter, the coldest in 30 years!, that dragged on and on, warm temperatures have finally come to stay. They pave the way for lush green growth and promise of a new season. Easy restful nights and fulfilling busy days. It would be easy to assume that this phase of life was just right. Everything it should be.
Of course that isn't true. There are a million mistakes and missteps along the way. Inconsiderate words, hurt feelings and short tempers. Fears that overwhelm a weak faith. So many missteps.
I love resolutions. If you know me, I'm always giving up something. Sugar (because my sweet tooth will rage out of control if allowed. or because gluttony is a sin. pick whichever you prefer.) Pop/Soda/Cola/Carbonated Beverage/Other term of choice (because of said sweet tooth and many other reasons.) Television (because if I watch too much I become convinced that I exhibit every symptom ever referenced in any PSA or pharmaceutical advertisement.) If you know me, you also know I'm a pro at going cold-turkey. Make up your mind, make a plan and make it happen. Lifestyle choices, at least in all forms of consumption, are easy for me to tackle. Resolutions about other things? Not so much. I didn't really make resolutions this year. At least not in the traditional (for me) sense. There is always the unofficial list of things I would like to do better, but really I had a very small list of concrete tasks. To pay down my student loan debt and to face my fears. Four specific fears.
Well, I dragged my feet a little in the beginning. Again, I'm blaming the really cold winter. I am not made to function in those temperatures. If I was not at work, I was essentially in hibernation. For months. Once I could imagine the arrival of spring I became more motivated. Aka I planned an April Fools prank with my coworkers and realized I had wasted the first three months of the year (whoops!) Promptly on April 2nd I said my prayers and got on my way. By April 30th I had faced three of the four fears on my list!
During the month of April I learned a lot about myself. Sometimes I like planning. Okay,nearly all most of the time I think planning is the best option. Spontaneous adventures? Sign me up! Ignore the facts and hope they'll work out by themselves? Not so much... I like to think (or imagine) that I'm a pretty cool, rational person about a lot of things. I know if I ignore certain things my worry will become overwhelming. Molehills will turn into mountains. Small worries will turn into all-encompassing fears. I guess this all boils down to the fact that I'd rather be proactive than reactive. When I'm not proactive, and when the molehills have turned into mountains, I've found out that I am braver than I know. Some of my best friends have a small idea of this because I asked them to pray for me. What they don't know is just how many prayers I said for myself, how I was holding onto my fear. Praying to see God's purpose regardless of the outcome. Praying, praying, praying. I began to feel guilty. Were my prayers too self-centered? Were my prayers too late? Would I pray with such conviction under different circumstances? So many questions. And when fear #2 was all but conquered, when I knew in my heart that it was over, my head still wanted to see the facts. As if the facts could be any more plain than God's hand in my life. I found the courage to face my fears, but my spirit is so weak. One day I hope my faith in God will be stronger than my fear, but until then I'm on life support in the intensive care unit. I want to live like Paul and the apostles. To put Christ first and foremost, regardless of the cost, but am I willing to bear the burden? Especially when I hear the opinions of other people louder than anything else. I can know what someone has said, and that they were not in the right mind when they said it, but I will hold on to those words so tightly. I won't release them and I will focus on them. The longer I think about them, the deeper they wound me. I wish I could hold onto the words of Jesus with such determination. I am my own stumbling block and my own worst enemy. A few weeks ago the ladies Bible study I attend discussed the flesh. In Holiness Author Mark Rutland writes: "We often labor under the misguided notion that Satan wants us to do his will. Satan has no will in our lives. He only wants us to do our will. We have met the enemy, and he is us." Wow! I continue to be struck by the truth of those words. I could easily list off things that I have been meaning to do for various reasons. That I have been thinking about doing for months in some cases. Yet I still haven't done them because of the 'what ifs' and other questions. They are the fears I should face next, so that I can take my trust out of this world and put it in the next.
It is so easy to become distracted here. People talk about buying this and that, how it will improve their life. How it will meet their needs. It is so easy to believe the lie. That the perfect house/car/job/husband will meet all of my wants and needs. Forgetting that God has already provided for all of my needs. Believing that money and possessions will make my life. Forgetting that my life on earth is just a blip in the scheme of things, and that it will pale in comparison to my life in heaven. It is so easy to get caught up in self. I forget what really matters. I need to remember what really matters. That I must decrease so He must increase (John 3:30) It's sofunny unfortunate, I am very purposeful when it comes to the debts of this world. I get my paycheck, take out my tithe and pay my bills. I systematically pay them to minimize interest and maximize my dollar, to pay them down sooner - so I don't invest more than I have to unnecessarily. I am so meticulous and intelligent about my bills, but so careless about the 'interest' accruing in my life. The distractions I allow to persist. The excess that could easily be trimmed. The stuff that does not matter.
I miss the days I spent in Africa. When an empty, undecorated room held everything I needed and nothing more. I was perfectly content with what little I had. My life was full, not because of things, but with relationships and love. The things that matter most.
A sidenote that has no other relevance to this post: One thing I can say is that I am learning to love in action. I'm not saying I'm good at it. I probably make mistakes all the time. But, for the first time, I am putting the needs of another ahead of myself. When it makes me impatient and crazy, I am learning to be patient and compassionate. I am learning.
Of course that isn't true. There are a million mistakes and missteps along the way. Inconsiderate words, hurt feelings and short tempers. Fears that overwhelm a weak faith. So many missteps.
I love resolutions. If you know me, I'm always giving up something. Sugar (because my sweet tooth will rage out of control if allowed. or because gluttony is a sin. pick whichever you prefer.) Pop/Soda/Cola/Carbonated Beverage/Other term of choice (because of said sweet tooth and many other reasons.) Television (because if I watch too much I become convinced that I exhibit every symptom ever referenced in any PSA or pharmaceutical advertisement.) If you know me, you also know I'm a pro at going cold-turkey. Make up your mind, make a plan and make it happen. Lifestyle choices, at least in all forms of consumption, are easy for me to tackle. Resolutions about other things? Not so much. I didn't really make resolutions this year. At least not in the traditional (for me) sense. There is always the unofficial list of things I would like to do better, but really I had a very small list of concrete tasks. To pay down my student loan debt and to face my fears. Four specific fears.
Well, I dragged my feet a little in the beginning. Again, I'm blaming the really cold winter. I am not made to function in those temperatures. If I was not at work, I was essentially in hibernation. For months. Once I could imagine the arrival of spring I became more motivated. Aka I planned an April Fools prank with my coworkers and realized I had wasted the first three months of the year (whoops!) Promptly on April 2nd I said my prayers and got on my way. By April 30th I had faced three of the four fears on my list!
During the month of April I learned a lot about myself. Sometimes I like planning. Okay,
It is so easy to become distracted here. People talk about buying this and that, how it will improve their life. How it will meet their needs. It is so easy to believe the lie. That the perfect house/car/job/husband will meet all of my wants and needs. Forgetting that God has already provided for all of my needs. Believing that money and possessions will make my life. Forgetting that my life on earth is just a blip in the scheme of things, and that it will pale in comparison to my life in heaven. It is so easy to get caught up in self. I forget what really matters. I need to remember what really matters. That I must decrease so He must increase (John 3:30) It's so
I miss the days I spent in Africa. When an empty, undecorated room held everything I needed and nothing more. I was perfectly content with what little I had. My life was full, not because of things, but with relationships and love. The things that matter most.
A sidenote that has no other relevance to this post: One thing I can say is that I am learning to love in action. I'm not saying I'm good at it. I probably make mistakes all the time. But, for the first time, I am putting the needs of another ahead of myself. When it makes me impatient and crazy, I am learning to be patient and compassionate. I am learning.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Lent and 40 Days
This year for Lent I decided to give up sweets. I thought it would be a good idea.
Reason #1. I have a major sweet tooth.
Reason #2. I have a major sweet tooth.
Reason #3. Lent is supposed to be an exercise of sacrifice to remind us of the sacrifices Jesus made for us.
Well, I don't know if anything magical has happened yet.
To be completely honest, I am wondering if it was a waste to attempt giving up sweets in this season.
If I should be focusing more on what I need to do, and not what I need to not do.
If I'm losing the reason for the season by focusing my thoughts on something that is ultimately so inconsequential. I won't have anything to show for it. I might not cause people to give a second thought.
I haven't experienced any major revelations yet...
...but I'm going to keep on keeping on for the next month...
In other news, we're in the middle of the 40 Days of Prayer!
But don't worry, if you missed it you still have time to get involved!
Here you can see George speak on the importance of this project:
And here you can get a copy of our prayer outline:
http://www.handsatwork.org/storage/newsletters/2014/nl02-14/40DaysofPrayer_2014.pdf
The 40 Days of Prayer are really a very special time. I experienced them last year on Africa soil: I was in South Africa for kick off and in Zambia for the 2nd half. You learn so much about people when you pray with them. There are amazing, intangible lessons you might not even be aware of at the time. When I think back on the prayers at lunch time in the chapel in South Africa in contrast with the early morning prayers in the Service Center in Kitwe, the memories are so different and yet so uniformly important. This year, being on American soil and separated from the other Hands Advocates by distance, it is amazing to feel united through technology. Sharing our prayers and reflections to each other. We are slowly knitting ourselves together as the family God hoped we would become.
Winter is drawing to a close and spring is hovering on the horizon.
It's a new year with fresh possibilities and challenges. Recently, I've been thinking about money. Not in the obsessive, all consuming way. In the general way when things just come to mind. I'm not one of those people who has a favorite vice. I go through phases. Sometimes it's gummy candy, sometimes it's chocolate, or baked goods or ice cream. Before lent, ice cream was the big ticket. (Which is weird, because it was freezing! but nevertheless...) So I just kept thinking: if I go to the store and buy Ben and Jerry's ice cream, it is $3.88 for one container. (See that? I didn't even need to look that price up! That is the recent state of my relationship with Ben and Jerry's!) If I eat a little over one container a week, say five containers in a month that is $19.40 and that is enough to support one child for a month! I'm not an obsessive ice cream consumer, but if I get on an ice cream kick I could easily spend $20/month on ice cream. I love ice cream but, as previously stated, I need to reign in my sweet tooth and I need to recognize the needs of others as swiftly as I recognize the wants of myself. Ice cream is great, but it is gone in a matter of minutes. Support for our kids in Africa could change their lives forever.
I'll still indulge my sweet tooth, but I'll do it after filling a need for someone else.
Maybe instead of reigning in my sweet tooth, I need to unleash generosity on others.
Like George said, we need to saturate our lives with prayer. They will transform us, and our world.
Maybe one day I'll have such a generous heart that I'll be sweet even without my sweet tooth.
Reason #1. I have a major sweet tooth.
Reason #2. I have a major sweet tooth.
Reason #3. Lent is supposed to be an exercise of sacrifice to remind us of the sacrifices Jesus made for us.
Well, I don't know if anything magical has happened yet.
To be completely honest, I am wondering if it was a waste to attempt giving up sweets in this season.
If I should be focusing more on what I need to do, and not what I need to not do.
If I'm losing the reason for the season by focusing my thoughts on something that is ultimately so inconsequential. I won't have anything to show for it. I might not cause people to give a second thought.
I haven't experienced any major revelations yet...
...but I'm going to keep on keeping on for the next month...
In other news, we're in the middle of the 40 Days of Prayer!
But don't worry, if you missed it you still have time to get involved!
Here you can see George speak on the importance of this project:
And here you can get a copy of our prayer outline:
http://www.handsatwork.org/storage/newsletters/2014/nl02-14/40DaysofPrayer_2014.pdf
The 40 Days of Prayer are really a very special time. I experienced them last year on Africa soil: I was in South Africa for kick off and in Zambia for the 2nd half. You learn so much about people when you pray with them. There are amazing, intangible lessons you might not even be aware of at the time. When I think back on the prayers at lunch time in the chapel in South Africa in contrast with the early morning prayers in the Service Center in Kitwe, the memories are so different and yet so uniformly important. This year, being on American soil and separated from the other Hands Advocates by distance, it is amazing to feel united through technology. Sharing our prayers and reflections to each other. We are slowly knitting ourselves together as the family God hoped we would become.
Winter is drawing to a close and spring is hovering on the horizon.
It's a new year with fresh possibilities and challenges. Recently, I've been thinking about money. Not in the obsessive, all consuming way. In the general way when things just come to mind. I'm not one of those people who has a favorite vice. I go through phases. Sometimes it's gummy candy, sometimes it's chocolate, or baked goods or ice cream. Before lent, ice cream was the big ticket. (Which is weird, because it was freezing! but nevertheless...) So I just kept thinking: if I go to the store and buy Ben and Jerry's ice cream, it is $3.88 for one container. (See that? I didn't even need to look that price up! That is the recent state of my relationship with Ben and Jerry's!) If I eat a little over one container a week, say five containers in a month that is $19.40 and that is enough to support one child for a month! I'm not an obsessive ice cream consumer, but if I get on an ice cream kick I could easily spend $20/month on ice cream. I love ice cream but, as previously stated, I need to reign in my sweet tooth and I need to recognize the needs of others as swiftly as I recognize the wants of myself. Ice cream is great, but it is gone in a matter of minutes. Support for our kids in Africa could change their lives forever.
I'll still indulge my sweet tooth, but I'll do it after filling a need for someone else.
Maybe instead of reigning in my sweet tooth, I need to unleash generosity on others.
Like George said, we need to saturate our lives with prayer. They will transform us, and our world.
Maybe one day I'll have such a generous heart that I'll be sweet even without my sweet tooth.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Mwaiseni
Here is a link to a story about Mwaiseni, a community I stayed in while I was in Zambia, and Esther - a truly amazing woman, whom I was not able to meet yet was willing to open her house for me to stay. During my visit she arranged woman in the Village to care for the house, for me, and called me on the phone 5 times just to double check and make sure that I was comfortable in her home. She is a truly amazing, selfless woman, and just one of the amazing people we have the privilege to support. Thank you, Brooke, for these words!
http://www.handsatwork.org/us-newsroom/2013/7/23/walking-the-dusty-roads-of-mwaiseni-with-esther.html
http://www.handsatwork.org/us-newsroom/2013/7/23/walking-the-dusty-roads-of-mwaiseni-with-esther.html
This picture was taken in Esther's backyard, with just a handful of her students.
It is a memory that continues to have a very, very special place in my heart.
Monday, June 24, 2013
It Is Time
My friend Dara posted something amazing on facebook.
The fact that I refer to Dara as my friend in itself is probably amazing when you consider that we've only met once! But that is just what happens in Africa. You meet people and their story becomes forever part of your journey. We experience things outside, far outside, our comfort zone and see the world through new eyes. In a world of people do not, can not, or will not understand, she is one of the people who does. And that is a precious, precious thing. She is from Minnesota, but now lives in Mozambique with her adopted daughter. You can read their story here: http://www.thereforego.blogspot.com/
Anyway, she posted a link to another blog and it conveys what I feel in my heart yet couldn't put into words.
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/06/a-letter-to-the-north-american-church-because-it-is-time/
There is absolutely nothing so remarkable about me. I didn't "deserve" to be born in North America. I didn't "earn" it. Because that is the only difference. I was born in America, and these beautiful people were born in Africa. Just as I didn't choose to be born in one of the world's most powerful countries, they certainly did not choose to born in countries torn apart by war, corruption, and poverty. It is the simplest and the hardest thing to understand and accept, but it can make all the difference.
The fact that I refer to Dara as my friend in itself is probably amazing when you consider that we've only met once! But that is just what happens in Africa. You meet people and their story becomes forever part of your journey. We experience things outside, far outside, our comfort zone and see the world through new eyes. In a world of people do not, can not, or will not understand, she is one of the people who does. And that is a precious, precious thing. She is from Minnesota, but now lives in Mozambique with her adopted daughter. You can read their story here: http://www.thereforego.blogspot.com/
Anyway, she posted a link to another blog and it conveys what I feel in my heart yet couldn't put into words.
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/06/a-letter-to-the-north-american-church-because-it-is-time/
There is absolutely nothing so remarkable about me. I didn't "deserve" to be born in North America. I didn't "earn" it. Because that is the only difference. I was born in America, and these beautiful people were born in Africa. Just as I didn't choose to be born in one of the world's most powerful countries, they certainly did not choose to born in countries torn apart by war, corruption, and poverty. It is the simplest and the hardest thing to understand and accept, but it can make all the difference.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
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:
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
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!
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:
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.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Small Group in Luanshya
Every Wednesday morning, regardless of what country you are in, the Hands at Work family meets for small group. This picture was taken after our small group met at Kachele Farm in Luanshya on March 13th. These are just a few of the people who spend their time here at the farm in Zambia. They have all become such good friends and have a special place in my heart!
back to Kitwe
This afternoon I am going back to Kitwe, and plan on staying there until I fly back to South Africa on April 4th. This means I will probably be MIA for the next two weeks: not checking emails or facebook and not writing anymore blog posts. I'll just spend the rest of the time digging into the work here. Next weekend we are planning on going to the Kitwe markets, which should be an experience. So far now, I am well and just embracing Africa. Happy Easter, and I will be back in a few weeks!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Kitwe: Week 1
I am settled in and loving Kitwe!
I live in a guest house, which has four other tenants, and I am on the same property as Byron and Diane (CAN) The room is pretty nice, and very spacious. Not a bad place to spend three weeks!
While I am here, I am supporting the Kitwe Service Center and learning all I can about their CBOs. Kitwe supports nine communities. Seven of them have established CBOs and six have been matched with international donors. My week began with the Monday morning prayer meeting: Hands operates on essentially the same schedule no matter what country you are serving in. After that, it was time to travel to our CBO in Chibote for a budget meeting. I met all of the care workers briefly before the meeting began. The main purpose of the meeting was to analyze their previous budget and project what their spending will look like in the future. Many of our CBOs in Kitwe are doubling the amount of children at the feeding point as of July. We consider start up cost for additional supplies that will be needed to feed the additional children, and make sure we can provide our children a nutritious meal while staying within our budget. The budget meeting takes place at that CBO. That means the building is a basic African structure, typically brick walls and a metal roof. It is crammed full of Service Center staff and the care workers for that CBO. The meeting is primarily conducted in the local language: in this case, Bemba. And it is hot! The barriers in language, context, and comprehension definitely give me a new appreciation for the work the long term volunteers have to do! The budget meetings are so important because we do our best to encourage the CBOs to keep all receipts and records of what they have purchased, so we can show the donors how their donations are being used effectively. The concept of keeping receipts is foreign to most Africans, so this is definitely a challenge, but it is worth it when we can provide our donors with statistics on the impact their donations have in our communities!
When the meeting was finished in Chibote, Byron went with Lynn to meet the lawyer in Kitwe and we picked up Diane before heading to another budget meeting with the Mulenga CBO that afternoon. We got to Mulenga while the children were still eating, and while we were waiting for the care workers to be ready it started to rain! Most Africans do not like rain, so once the sky began to look suspicious, most of the care workers went home as fast as they could! Our group from the Service Center waited out the storm with a few of our precious girls. It was great to spend time with them, but the budget meeting never happened!
On Tuesday, Byron and Diane dropped me off at the Service Center(SC) before they had to take care of a few things in town. I spent the morning with the SC staff learning about our nine communities, where they are all in the Hands process, and what that means in practical terms. When Byron came back, we discussed a few budget things with the staff (evaluating what we really need and pending expenses.) We filled out our weekly bank withdrawal form, to ensure that the Service Center has sufficient money to meet it's needs that week. Then we drove to Zimba... We drove to the new care point, only to find out that the care workers were at the former feeding point. When we all got into the Surf to drive to the other care point, we found out we were stuck!
We eventually got unstuck and made it to the new care point for the budget meeting there. It had originally been scheduled for 10am and we arrived at 1pm: TIA! These budget meetings are interesting. They help you learn a lot about that CBO and you see how differently the individual CBOs handle things. Again, language, context, and comprehension are huge barriers. This meeting lasted over three hours and we didn't balance the budget, so the SC staff has to go back again! Once we got back home, I walked into the guest house and was invited to dinner by one of my housemates. She had prepared nshima, sweet potato leaves, and meatballs. It was nice to have an Zambian meal - and it was delicious! We watched the news, and Grey's Anatomy. Africa really is not so different from back home!
Wednesday began with small group, and then Diane was working with our bookkeeper, Mary, on petty cash requisitions and bank withdrawal form procedures. This day we stayed at the SC, so I had time to learn more about the SC and CBOs from Byron. We worked on collecting information on the nine communites we work in to relay back to the Regional Support Team (RST) in Luanshya. This was nice to see because it involved getting information we don't necessarily have in mind each time we are out with our children, and it provided me the chance to get a well-rounded picture of our communities. The staff caught up on some emails, and then it was time to work on quarterly reports to submit to the RST. We also worked on the SC budget for Celebrations and community profiles.
Thursday morning we spent devoting a few minutes to the 40 days of prayer, before continuing to work on quarterly reports. We also had to work on project proposals to submit to the RST. These in particular were larger projects to occur in communities that have already received funds from an international donor. In order to keep everything transparent and accountable, The SC must fill out project proposals with anticipated costs and it must be submitted and approved before the project funds can be dispersed and the work can begin. That afternoon we went to Amlew to meet with the CBO there. Anywhere we go, people get excited but when we walked into the care point the children just started screaming with excitement! We were able to walk the community and go to home visits with two of our precious children there. It was an amazing experience! We went back to the care point and I helped the cooks pass out the meals. We had a chance to talk with the care workers before we left.
When we went back to the SC we worked on finishing the community profiles for our quarterly reports. I had a chance to type of two of the stories we had collected from our communities. It is a long process though, because often when we sit down to write these stories, we realize we don't have enough information. I jokingly told Clement that I had no problem typing, but that I would need a lot of help with the details. I wasn't kidding! I kept asking Clement to call the care workers to get more details for our stories. Eventually we finished the profiles though, but the SC still had to update the work plans. Diane was delayed, so Byron and I spent some extra time at the SC. Finally it was time to leave and we were off to Towela's house for dinner! She was going to help us on our technique for stirring nshima...
I'm not a pro just yet, but dinner was delicious!
Friday morning we all traveled to Mulenga for Village Prayer. On the way, we picked up Clement and Mary. That morning was some of the craziest traffic I have seen since being in Zambia. Once we arrived in Mulenga, we went to Village Prayer. Once every three or four weeks, the RST travels to different communities to meet with all the Hands staff/volunteers and care workers, along with anyone else they can get from the community (preachers, teachers, etc), to pray and worship together, in addition to hear stories from the care workers. The care workers are often not that much better off than the families they care for, but because of their optimism and willingness to care for others, we sometimes forget they struggle as well. Hearing there stories helps us keep things in perspective. The care workers are there to support the children and their families, but Hands is ultimately there to support the care workers. At the Village Prayer, Tawonga decided she should style my hair. I didn't mind, and it kept her (mostly) quiet and out of trouble during the end of the prayer meeting. After the prayer meeting was over, the Kitwe SC traveled back and prepared for more budget meetings. I, on the other hand, jumped into the boot of Adam's buckey. (That is what we would call the bed of a truck.) We were bound for the Kachele farm in Luanshya. Dave and Russell had landed in Ndola the day before and were getting settled in at Kachele. That afternoon the three of us went with Adam, along with Gideon and Kennedy, to Ndola to take care of some business. After we dropped off Gideon and Kennedy, we ran a few errands before heading over to the complex that has Pick n Pay. We got Subway and stopped for gelato - which is probably the real reason Adam planned the trip into the city in the first place. We did some shopping, and Russell got more gelato.
We eventually made it back to Kachele. I spent the afternoon playing with Tawonga. She is only two years old, but has the run of the Kachele farm and has everyone wrapped around her little finger. We spent most of the afternoon watching the cows. She still isn't quite sure what to think about Uncle Russell or Uncle Dave, but Uncle Dave came with us on one of our jaunts to see the cows who live on the neighboring farm. She gradually started to warm up to them, and eventually started throwing money at Russell. She thought that was a swell game! Eventually, we took her home and the three of us went on a walk with Adam to see where the large cobra lives on the edge of the farm. When we got back, Tawonga was ready to play again and we sat in the yard keeping her entertained until she couldn't avoid bath time any longer. The rest of the evening we spent inside, having grown tired of dealing with the mosquitoes. We all made dinner and sat around the dinner table. Russell was playing his ukelele, Dave was playing his guitar, and Adam blew our minds with a magic trick until it was eventually we all caved and accepted that it was time to go to bed.
I live in a guest house, which has four other tenants, and I am on the same property as Byron and Diane (CAN) The room is pretty nice, and very spacious. Not a bad place to spend three weeks!
While I am here, I am supporting the Kitwe Service Center and learning all I can about their CBOs. Kitwe supports nine communities. Seven of them have established CBOs and six have been matched with international donors. My week began with the Monday morning prayer meeting: Hands operates on essentially the same schedule no matter what country you are serving in. After that, it was time to travel to our CBO in Chibote for a budget meeting. I met all of the care workers briefly before the meeting began. The main purpose of the meeting was to analyze their previous budget and project what their spending will look like in the future. Many of our CBOs in Kitwe are doubling the amount of children at the feeding point as of July. We consider start up cost for additional supplies that will be needed to feed the additional children, and make sure we can provide our children a nutritious meal while staying within our budget. The budget meeting takes place at that CBO. That means the building is a basic African structure, typically brick walls and a metal roof. It is crammed full of Service Center staff and the care workers for that CBO. The meeting is primarily conducted in the local language: in this case, Bemba. And it is hot! The barriers in language, context, and comprehension definitely give me a new appreciation for the work the long term volunteers have to do! The budget meetings are so important because we do our best to encourage the CBOs to keep all receipts and records of what they have purchased, so we can show the donors how their donations are being used effectively. The concept of keeping receipts is foreign to most Africans, so this is definitely a challenge, but it is worth it when we can provide our donors with statistics on the impact their donations have in our communities!
When the meeting was finished in Chibote, Byron went with Lynn to meet the lawyer in Kitwe and we picked up Diane before heading to another budget meeting with the Mulenga CBO that afternoon. We got to Mulenga while the children were still eating, and while we were waiting for the care workers to be ready it started to rain! Most Africans do not like rain, so once the sky began to look suspicious, most of the care workers went home as fast as they could! Our group from the Service Center waited out the storm with a few of our precious girls. It was great to spend time with them, but the budget meeting never happened!
On Tuesday, Byron and Diane dropped me off at the Service Center(SC) before they had to take care of a few things in town. I spent the morning with the SC staff learning about our nine communities, where they are all in the Hands process, and what that means in practical terms. When Byron came back, we discussed a few budget things with the staff (evaluating what we really need and pending expenses.) We filled out our weekly bank withdrawal form, to ensure that the Service Center has sufficient money to meet it's needs that week. Then we drove to Zimba... We drove to the new care point, only to find out that the care workers were at the former feeding point. When we all got into the Surf to drive to the other care point, we found out we were stuck!
We eventually got unstuck and made it to the new care point for the budget meeting there. It had originally been scheduled for 10am and we arrived at 1pm: TIA! These budget meetings are interesting. They help you learn a lot about that CBO and you see how differently the individual CBOs handle things. Again, language, context, and comprehension are huge barriers. This meeting lasted over three hours and we didn't balance the budget, so the SC staff has to go back again! Once we got back home, I walked into the guest house and was invited to dinner by one of my housemates. She had prepared nshima, sweet potato leaves, and meatballs. It was nice to have an Zambian meal - and it was delicious! We watched the news, and Grey's Anatomy. Africa really is not so different from back home!
Wednesday began with small group, and then Diane was working with our bookkeeper, Mary, on petty cash requisitions and bank withdrawal form procedures. This day we stayed at the SC, so I had time to learn more about the SC and CBOs from Byron. We worked on collecting information on the nine communites we work in to relay back to the Regional Support Team (RST) in Luanshya. This was nice to see because it involved getting information we don't necessarily have in mind each time we are out with our children, and it provided me the chance to get a well-rounded picture of our communities. The staff caught up on some emails, and then it was time to work on quarterly reports to submit to the RST. We also worked on the SC budget for Celebrations and community profiles.
Thursday morning we spent devoting a few minutes to the 40 days of prayer, before continuing to work on quarterly reports. We also had to work on project proposals to submit to the RST. These in particular were larger projects to occur in communities that have already received funds from an international donor. In order to keep everything transparent and accountable, The SC must fill out project proposals with anticipated costs and it must be submitted and approved before the project funds can be dispersed and the work can begin. That afternoon we went to Amlew to meet with the CBO there. Anywhere we go, people get excited but when we walked into the care point the children just started screaming with excitement! We were able to walk the community and go to home visits with two of our precious children there. It was an amazing experience! We went back to the care point and I helped the cooks pass out the meals. We had a chance to talk with the care workers before we left.
When we went back to the SC we worked on finishing the community profiles for our quarterly reports. I had a chance to type of two of the stories we had collected from our communities. It is a long process though, because often when we sit down to write these stories, we realize we don't have enough information. I jokingly told Clement that I had no problem typing, but that I would need a lot of help with the details. I wasn't kidding! I kept asking Clement to call the care workers to get more details for our stories. Eventually we finished the profiles though, but the SC still had to update the work plans. Diane was delayed, so Byron and I spent some extra time at the SC. Finally it was time to leave and we were off to Towela's house for dinner! She was going to help us on our technique for stirring nshima...
I'm not a pro just yet, but dinner was delicious!
Friday morning we all traveled to Mulenga for Village Prayer. On the way, we picked up Clement and Mary. That morning was some of the craziest traffic I have seen since being in Zambia. Once we arrived in Mulenga, we went to Village Prayer. Once every three or four weeks, the RST travels to different communities to meet with all the Hands staff/volunteers and care workers, along with anyone else they can get from the community (preachers, teachers, etc), to pray and worship together, in addition to hear stories from the care workers. The care workers are often not that much better off than the families they care for, but because of their optimism and willingness to care for others, we sometimes forget they struggle as well. Hearing there stories helps us keep things in perspective. The care workers are there to support the children and their families, but Hands is ultimately there to support the care workers. At the Village Prayer, Tawonga decided she should style my hair. I didn't mind, and it kept her (mostly) quiet and out of trouble during the end of the prayer meeting. After the prayer meeting was over, the Kitwe SC traveled back and prepared for more budget meetings. I, on the other hand, jumped into the boot of Adam's buckey. (That is what we would call the bed of a truck.) We were bound for the Kachele farm in Luanshya. Dave and Russell had landed in Ndola the day before and were getting settled in at Kachele. That afternoon the three of us went with Adam, along with Gideon and Kennedy, to Ndola to take care of some business. After we dropped off Gideon and Kennedy, we ran a few errands before heading over to the complex that has Pick n Pay. We got Subway and stopped for gelato - which is probably the real reason Adam planned the trip into the city in the first place. We did some shopping, and Russell got more gelato.
We eventually made it back to Kachele. I spent the afternoon playing with Tawonga. She is only two years old, but has the run of the Kachele farm and has everyone wrapped around her little finger. We spent most of the afternoon watching the cows. She still isn't quite sure what to think about Uncle Russell or Uncle Dave, but Uncle Dave came with us on one of our jaunts to see the cows who live on the neighboring farm. She gradually started to warm up to them, and eventually started throwing money at Russell. She thought that was a swell game! Eventually, we took her home and the three of us went on a walk with Adam to see where the large cobra lives on the edge of the farm. When we got back, Tawonga was ready to play again and we sat in the yard keeping her entertained until she couldn't avoid bath time any longer. The rest of the evening we spent inside, having grown tired of dealing with the mosquitoes. We all made dinner and sat around the dinner table. Russell was playing his ukelele, Dave was playing his guitar, and Adam blew our minds with a magic trick until it was eventually we all caved and accepted that it was time to go to bed.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
In Kitwe!
I saw my first spitting cobra at the farm yesterday. The guys killed it and proceeded to carry it's dead body around on a stick. Boys are exactly the same regardless of where you are and what country they are from! Last night Adam, Alicia, Byron, Diane and I went out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. For dessert, we got legit Italian gelato from a guy named Marco. I know most people would prefer to go to Italy, but I find it quite amusing that I had my first real Italian gelato in Kitwe, Zambia!
I am settled into my room in Kitwe! It's amazing, I can't wait to show you guys pictures. Though that might have to wait because the internet access here is limited. I do have access at Byron and Diane's: that's the nice part about being neighbors with long-term volunteers! I think I'll take advantage of the excuse to not spend so much free time on the internet though, so no worries! I am safe, happy, and healthy. If I don't respond to any messages for the next week, don't be alarmed. I'm not dead, I'm just in Kitwe!
I am settled into my room in Kitwe! It's amazing, I can't wait to show you guys pictures. Though that might have to wait because the internet access here is limited. I do have access at Byron and Diane's: that's the nice part about being neighbors with long-term volunteers! I think I'll take advantage of the excuse to not spend so much free time on the internet though, so no worries! I am safe, happy, and healthy. If I don't respond to any messages for the next week, don't be alarmed. I'm not dead, I'm just in Kitwe!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
An Evening Out
Byron and Diane arrived in Luanshya this evening. All of us (Adam(UK),Lynn, Byron, Diane(all CAN), and myself) went out for dinner in Luanshya. We were hoping to go out for Indian food, but no dice. We went out to this other restaurant instead. The guys all got t-bone steaks, while Diane and I got wings. We all got salads and french fries as well, along with Coke or Sprite. (With the exception of Lynn who got a grapetizer.) They might have been the best wings I ever ate. It's strange how Africa can be so drastically different, and yet so similar to life back home.
Random fact of the day: One thing that is not similar to life back home is how sweet the jelly is here! Naturally after landing we went to Pick n Pay to get some groceries. I'm only in Luanshya a few days, so I bought the basics: bread, peanut butter, jelly, and carrots. I had toast with jelly for breakfast and I thought it was really sweet. I hadn't had any jelly for a few days though, so I thought maybe I was just oversensitive to the concentration of sugar. Well, I was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while Adam was making his lunch and I commented on it. Without any hesitation he agreed, not just that it was sweet, but almost disgustingly so. I thought South Africans loved their foods sweet, but even they don't compare to the Zambians...
Random fact of the day: One thing that is not similar to life back home is how sweet the jelly is here! Naturally after landing we went to Pick n Pay to get some groceries. I'm only in Luanshya a few days, so I bought the basics: bread, peanut butter, jelly, and carrots. I had toast with jelly for breakfast and I thought it was really sweet. I hadn't had any jelly for a few days though, so I thought maybe I was just oversensitive to the concentration of sugar. Well, I was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while Adam was making his lunch and I commented on it. Without any hesitation he agreed, not just that it was sweet, but almost disgustingly so. I thought South Africans loved their foods sweet, but even they don't compare to the Zambians...
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
TIA
The afternoon and evening here was pretty low key. It is much smaller, and quieter, than the Village in White River, SA. Once I got to the farm, I met Liz, Adam, Levy, as well as Abe and Suzette (USA) and Shelly (CAN). Liz cooked an amazing dinner for us all and we all got to relax while Lynn and George were meeting before and after dinner. Obviously I was able to get on the internet to blog and update my facebook, that is until the power went out. Let's review:
First night in South Africa: no power
First night in Luanshya, Zambia: loss of power
Candlelight is becoming a theme of my African life...
Adam (UK) brought me a candle, only to discover (as we were attempting to light it) that it's wick had been lost. It was one of those amusing moments "I wanted to make sure you had a candle." (I'm trying to light candle) "I don't think that's the right end" (I turn the candle over) "Well surprise it's a trick candle. Here, just take another box of matches" No worries, I eventually did fish out the wick and get my candle melted into place. (We aren't picky, we use plan pillar candles in whatever holder we can find. Sometimes we use actual candle holders, but normally we just find empty bottles or small tin cans, from tuna, etc.
So here I am, first day in Zambia. It should be fairly low key while I am here. I want to take a look at my budget since I knew leaving South Africa was a possibility, but wasn't entirely sure where I would be placed after orientation. Everything happened so fast I didn't sit down to look at numbers before jumping on a plane. I did a quick analysis yesterday and I should be fine, but I'd like to look at things in more detail. Hopefully I'll also have time to explain more about how Hands works, and how (and why) I ended up here in Zambia.
Thanks for sticking with me, and thanks for praying!
First night in South Africa: no power
First night in Luanshya, Zambia: loss of power
Candlelight is becoming a theme of my African life...
Adam (UK) brought me a candle, only to discover (as we were attempting to light it) that it's wick had been lost. It was one of those amusing moments "I wanted to make sure you had a candle." (I'm trying to light candle) "I don't think that's the right end" (I turn the candle over) "Well surprise it's a trick candle. Here, just take another box of matches" No worries, I eventually did fish out the wick and get my candle melted into place. (We aren't picky, we use plan pillar candles in whatever holder we can find. Sometimes we use actual candle holders, but normally we just find empty bottles or small tin cans, from tuna, etc.
So here I am, first day in Zambia. It should be fairly low key while I am here. I want to take a look at my budget since I knew leaving South Africa was a possibility, but wasn't entirely sure where I would be placed after orientation. Everything happened so fast I didn't sit down to look at numbers before jumping on a plane. I did a quick analysis yesterday and I should be fine, but I'd like to look at things in more detail. Hopefully I'll also have time to explain more about how Hands works, and how (and why) I ended up here in Zambia.
Thanks for sticking with me, and thanks for praying!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Zambia
I'm here!!!
After a very long night... after the braai, we played a few last rounds of Dutch Blitz, sang and danced to a few songs from the mix-tape playlists... Mariah and I went up for one last bounce on the trampoline, and to look at the stars, but it was too overcast. I stayed up way too late, cleaning out my refrigerator and my cupboards, bagging up the food I left behind, setting out other food to be eaten by the other volunteers in the Village, did laundry, unpacked and repacked my suitcase, had so many prayers and hugs... I went to bed just before 1:00am, and barely slept. I basically took a nap. I woke up (and gave up trying to go back to sleep) at 3:40ish and got a shower, did some dishes, finished packing. Alicia, Mel, and Daytona all woke up at 4:45 to come see me off! Cat and Lynn pulled in front of the Village at 5am on the dot and we were on the road.
I managed to take a few cat naps on the CityBug. "A few" means two: one that was about 20 minutes and one that was about 10 minutes. (I'm the queen of sleep, I know! You don't have to tell me twice!) Lynn and I had a pretty easy time through the airport and we even had some downtime to shop. Not that either of us bought anything, but we at least perused the merchandise. We finally boarded the plane, and I had another cat nap, maybe 20-30 minutes this time. So I'm still awake, going on about 4 hours of sleep...
Landing in Zambia was beautiful! It looks like the stereotypical image of Africa you have in your head when you think of Africa. Getting my visa was interesting. It was fine, not dramatic, though they did initially write that I was Canadian... So now my visa lists my nationality as "Canada America." All the Canadians will love this I'm sure. First, I started saying 'oh hey' and now the Zambian government says I'm Canadian... Well that is just absolutely delightful! My experience was breezy, no problems. Lynn was tied up though, so I found Weston and we took my luggage to the car and I went to the ATM to take out some Kwacha. My collection of international currency is growing quite nicely if I do say so myself. Weston took us to Pick n Pay to pick up some basic things. Yes, I bought all the necessities: bread, peanut butter, jelly, and carrots. (I'm only here until Friday people! I promise I will buy real groceries in Kitwe) I also got a SIM card (for Zambia) for my phone and some data to keep in touch with everyone else in the intake, and people back at the South Africa HUB. Once we got to the farm, I couldn't believe it. It is much more green here. There is just a more dense population of trees around the property. In South Africa, there are roughly 40 people living in the Village property. This land is smaller scale, and it's much quieter. It's nice. It's been raining off and on all afternoon. The most relaxing kind of rain you can have, not too hard or too noisy, just persistent. It's quite lovely. Also, it was quite humid when we were landed at the airport, but the rain has cooled things off quite a bit.
I'm still in shock that just over a month ago I was leaving the United States for the first time to go to South Africa. Now I'm sitting in a bedroom in the main house of the Kachele Farm in Luanshya, Zambia, and on Friday I will be traveling to Kitwe, Zambia and moving into a guest house by myself for the next three weeks. It's a moment I've had to pinch myself, and ask: how I got here? how am I so lucky, so blessed? and is this really happening? is this really my life? It is just CRAZY... crazy in the best way of course but it just blows my mind! I am so excited to find out what the next month holds, and what I will learn here in Zambia. About myself, my faith, and the lives of the people I will be meeting here. I have a journal full of observations from the last month, I'm almost ready to start my second one!, and I'm sure I'll continue to reflect back on those situations and learn new things after the fact. I hope to really dive into the communities here in Zambia, even though I'm only here for a brief stay. I want to get everything I can out of these next four weeks prior to going home. It is definitely going to be bittersweet.
Prior to coming to Zambia, I've been reading Psalms, specifically Psalm 27. Here it is:
After a very long night... after the braai, we played a few last rounds of Dutch Blitz, sang and danced to a few songs from the mix-tape playlists... Mariah and I went up for one last bounce on the trampoline, and to look at the stars, but it was too overcast. I stayed up way too late, cleaning out my refrigerator and my cupboards, bagging up the food I left behind, setting out other food to be eaten by the other volunteers in the Village, did laundry, unpacked and repacked my suitcase, had so many prayers and hugs... I went to bed just before 1:00am, and barely slept. I basically took a nap. I woke up (and gave up trying to go back to sleep) at 3:40ish and got a shower, did some dishes, finished packing. Alicia, Mel, and Daytona all woke up at 4:45 to come see me off! Cat and Lynn pulled in front of the Village at 5am on the dot and we were on the road.
I managed to take a few cat naps on the CityBug. "A few" means two: one that was about 20 minutes and one that was about 10 minutes. (I'm the queen of sleep, I know! You don't have to tell me twice!) Lynn and I had a pretty easy time through the airport and we even had some downtime to shop. Not that either of us bought anything, but we at least perused the merchandise. We finally boarded the plane, and I had another cat nap, maybe 20-30 minutes this time. So I'm still awake, going on about 4 hours of sleep...
Landing in Zambia was beautiful! It looks like the stereotypical image of Africa you have in your head when you think of Africa. Getting my visa was interesting. It was fine, not dramatic, though they did initially write that I was Canadian... So now my visa lists my nationality as "
I'm still in shock that just over a month ago I was leaving the United States for the first time to go to South Africa. Now I'm sitting in a bedroom in the main house of the Kachele Farm in Luanshya, Zambia, and on Friday I will be traveling to Kitwe, Zambia and moving into a guest house by myself for the next three weeks. It's a moment I've had to pinch myself, and ask: how I got here? how am I so lucky, so blessed? and is this really happening? is this really my life? It is just CRAZY... crazy in the best way of course but it just blows my mind! I am so excited to find out what the next month holds, and what I will learn here in Zambia. About myself, my faith, and the lives of the people I will be meeting here. I have a journal full of observations from the last month, I'm almost ready to start my second one!, and I'm sure I'll continue to reflect back on those situations and learn new things after the fact. I hope to really dive into the communities here in Zambia, even though I'm only here for a brief stay. I want to get everything I can out of these next four weeks prior to going home. It is definitely going to be bittersweet.
Prior to coming to Zambia, I've been reading Psalms, specifically Psalm 27. Here it is:
Psalm 27 [NIV]
Of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Just read it a few times. See what it speaks to you, because I know it's been a moving scripture for me this past week.
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