Week 2 - catch up

Monday, September 16, 2013 – It has definitely been a MONDAY!  Our first task was to fill out a bank form that Wes received by email.  He thought he would have to drive into Choma to take care of this, but I was able to print out the form, talk with bank manager, and email the signed form back to the bank which saved us some time.  Although it wasn’t easy getting all the information they needed or emailing due to our internet being so stinkin’ SLOW!  During all of this, Wes rushes to the house with one of the workers from the grinding mill who had cut his hand in the grinder.  I guess he had his hand inside and another worker turned it on and it cut him.  So now Wes has to drive into Macha to the clinic with this guy to get stitches in his hand.

In addition to this craziness and Wes leaving, Ricky was put in charge of paying the brickmakers.  There was some confusion as to who was to get paid, and so they decided to wait until Wes returned.  In the meantime, some of the workers just left the job site!  Wes returns and they pay the guys, and the guys leave without working today.  The bricks are not complete and the rainy season is coming, and if the bricks do not get made in time before the rains, then those bricks will turn to dirt again.  Ricky was very frustrated with the workers who left, and he told the remaining 2 guys that he would just hire other guys to finish the job!  Amazingly, they started speaking and understanding English, and said they would help get some other guys to work tomorrow.

Niki continued working on sorting and organizing the donations of clothes & shoes.  Ben was taken back to the clinic to check on his foot, and they gave him some medicine for the infection. They also took Gertrude into the clinic as well because she was breaking out in the measles.  There’s never a dull moment here at New Day, especially when you have 16 kids plus 2 staff children that are living here.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013 – This morning’s devotion for the staff was about trusting one another.  The guys were asked to do a “trust fall” and some of them didn’t want to for fear of being dropped.  But they were able to set aside their fears, and trust each other.  It was a very appropriate time to talk about trusting one another, since we had experienced the problems yesterday with the brickmakers.  So this morning after devotion, we asked for volunteers of those who wanted to work, and we got 8 guys to volunteer.  They worked really hard today and dug until they had several heaping piles of dirt.

Our house construction continues to move along, although not as fast as we would like.  Debbie asked us if we would help her decide where to build the new goat barn house.  She had some guys working today that were going to start digging the holes for the “chaguta” (which is basically trees holding up a grass roof for the animals to gather underneath for shade). Today, Ricky and I worked on organizing the kitchen with Kalenga.  He was very appreciative of our help, and we took inventory on the food so we could keep better account of what’s being purchased each week.

Going to visit the chickens

I'm not sure who was more scared? me or the cow!

This is the current "chaguta" for the donkey and goats

Our goal is to separate the male goats from the females (if you know what I mean!)

Wednesday, September 18 – Shopping day in Choma!  Mulenga and Potashow went in the Cantor, and Ricky and I rode with Wes on the bus.  We dropped the Cantor off at the mechanic, and then we had several stops.  First, we have to go by the "Happy Investment" shop and leave our list for what we need at the store.  Then we go to Wonderbake and order 13 loaves of bread.  Then we go fill up on diesel and petrol for the cans.  Potashow left to go get his physical at the hospital so he could get his license renewed.  Ricky and I went to ask about renewing our licenses as well, and we were told we would need a physical too.  So then we head to the post office and the bank.  Then we go to Farmarama and pick up things for Debbie and the farm.  After loading all of this, we go to the doctor’s office to get our physicals.  Surprisingly, we were taken back pretty quickly, and they did an eye test, blood pressure check, hearing, and then the doctor signed our forms.  We then had to drop off our list in the market to Jessica, who goes around and buys everything for us and we come back later to collect.  We go back to the license place to get in line for our renewal, and the entire time Ricky and I are trying to memorize the "10 commandments" of driving in Zambia.  Wes had told us the officer may ask us to recite them, so we were studying very fast.  Once it was our turn to see the officer, he didn’t ask us to take a test or recite anything, and he renewed our previous licenses which had expired November 2012.  Yah!  However, when Potashow came to get his license renewed, they told him he would need to come back on Monday to take a test L  Then, we went by immigration to check on our booklet for our work permit, and we had a nice chat with the 2 officers there.  Ricky will need to return next week with our paperwork in order, and they said they would work on getting our permits from Lusaka.  Finally, it was time to head for lunch, and we’re all starving!  After lunch, we have to stop at a few other stores, and then get groceries at Spar.  I have one cart, Wes has a cart for himself and the orphanage, and Ricky has a cart to help as well.  We split up the list and went shopping.  At the check-out register, we run into Michael, our contractor, and chat with him about the work on our house.  Then we load our groceries into the bus, and go back to the market to pick up our veggies.  It was an all day job, but we finally make it home by 4:30pm-5pm.

at the market in Choma

Saw this during our shopping adventure. Can you see the cow in the back of the truck? LOL

A few minutes rest before Wednesday evening prayer & praise service at 7pm, and then to bed.

Thursday, September 19 – As you may recall, one of our vehicles (the Ford Everest) has been in the shop in Lusaka for 2 weeks now.  We are still getting quotes as to how much it will cost to fix.  In the meantime, the van has stopped working altogether.  And the Cantor that we took into the shop yesterday to Choma, it needs parts from Lusaka in order to be fixed.  So the only vehicle we have running at the moment is the bus.  PRAY for our vehicles!

Niki continued to work on sorting the donations, and the job is almost complete J  This afternoon, we went with Wes and Hildah to Kabanga village to join their bible study.  Wes has been teaching T4T, starting in Genesis, with these people, and they are excited to learn.  The old man, who is 93 years old, and 2 of his wives, plus a few others usually come for bible study.  Today there were 8 people.  It is encouraging to see how hungry they are for God’s Word.  They cling to every word as we tell the stories.  Today was a special day in which they wanted to talk about how to start a church there in their village.  Wes and Blu usually just teach, and they let the Holy Spirit convict the people when it’s time to start a church.  The reason is we want it to be their idea (not ours), and they have to take responsibility for how they go about choosing a place and putting the word out.  We encouraged them to pray about their decision and make sure that it is what God wants them to do.  Their first step will be going to the headman and asking about land to build a shelter (chaguta).

Bible study group

This kind of experience is what we needed to take our minds off the troubles of the vehicles, and focus more on what God has called each of us to do.  It’s all about HIM!

So, after returning home, we talked about our plan for getting me to Lusaka, but also to get some work done on the bus.  Although it is the only vehicle running, it’s still having oil leakage and we don’t want it to breakdown as well.  It was decided that we will leave tomorrow (Friday) and go halfway to Lusaka.  So now we are packing my bags for my return to America.

Friday, September 20 – We finish packing and saying our goodbyes to the children, and we were on the road by 11:30am.  Our first stop was Choma to pick up some things we needed and to eat lunch at the museum.  Then, we travel further to Mazabuka to get gas, refill the oil, and pickup Wes’ phone.  Now we are headed on to Munali Coffee Farm where we are staying the night with some friends.  We arrived around 6pm and the family was waiting on us to have dinner.  We enjoyed talking with this couple and their granddaughter, Lillianna, who is 11 years old and reminded us of Kelsey.  They live in this huge house on the farm, and they are so hospitable.  They say they always have guests staying.  After dinner we retreat to our rooms for the night.  It was THE BEST shower we have had in 2 weeks (no offense to NDO) – the Water Pressure was OUTSTANDING!!!  I think our feet are looking a little cleaner.

The wheat fields at Munali

Saturday, September 21 – Bright and early @ 6AM we leave the farm and head to Lusaka.  I got to see the sunrise (rare for me), and the ride was nice until we crossed the Kafue River, and that’s when the detour began.  They have been working on the roads, repaving, for over 4 months now and still not done.  But we made it through the rough roads and into Lusaka traffic by 8:30am, and drop the bus at Baldy’s.  His words were, “You need to go to breakfast and maybe lunch as well before it’s fixed!”  Well, that didn’t sound good, but we know it needs to be fixed.  So now we are heading to get breakfast and then retreat to the GH.

After a bottomless coffee at Manda Hill, we did a little shopping for groceries and then walked to the GH.  We got settled in for a rest, and then the mechanic called to say the bus was fixed (Woohoo!), so Ricky & Wes headed to town to pickup.  Once we got the bus back to the GH, we had to unload Diana’s crate which just came in.  We were able to get everything stuffed on the bus.  Then, we ran into Aunt Betty and visited with her a little while before we had dinner. She gave us a tour of our old apartment we used to live in when we served at the GH back in 2007-2009.  We considered just ordering pizza for dinner - our thoughts were Quick and Easy! Hahaha! Not in Africa!  Oh, about an hour and a half later, our pizza arrives.  We were too tired to play cards tonight, so we just went to bed.

Sunday, September 22 - We decided to attend church at the Guesthouse where the Chinese Church Fellowship is meeting.  We met some new friends there, and it was a neat service to be a part of worship in another language.  Wes' words were, "This is what heaven will be like one day. Except we will all be able to understand each other."  Exactly!

After church we went to Arcades Mall and had lunch at Rhapsody's (chicken espatada - YUM!), and of course I did some shopping at the Sunday market (duh!) :)  After buying a few gifts for my friends back home, we met up with Ethel again.  Now, Ethel works as a clearing agent, and we have hired her to clear our container when it arrives in Africa.  She also did the clearing for Diana's crate that just came in.  A couple of weeks ago when we met with her, Wes began talking with her about salvation.  She grew up Jehovah Witness with a strong "head" knowledge of the Bible, but she still had questions.  So, we continued our discussions today, and the Holy Spirit began to work in her life, and she accepted Jesus into her heart today.  Ricky, Wes, and I had the privilege of being a part of her decision and praising God for her salvation!!!

I could not have asked for a better ending to my time in Zambia!

Well, I am boarding the plane, which will take me from Lusaka to Dubai to New York to Charlotte, and there I will meet Kelsey and Tracy!  Can't wait to see my family!