We're back at school and going full blast for our last couple of months here! The past two months have held many different things: a break from school, many visitors from the States, Christmas and New Year's, and many new challenges and developments. Here's a list of some stories and realizations that have transpired.
*Mama Maureen (one of the house mothers at the orphanage) told me a story about a recurring dream she had shortly before Christmas. In her dream there were some visitors from America, but it wasn't the four of us. They came to say good-bye, and everyone was very sad, but they had many large suitcases filled with something to leave for the kids, she thought maybe some clothes. She had this dream two nights in a row and took it as a sign from God that something wonderful was going to happen. So she told the kids about her dream and encouraged them to pray for this thing that God was doing. Just a day after that we went to the orphanage to get the clothing and shoe sizes of all the kids so some people at Spark Ventures could prepare a gift package of clothes and shoes for each child. Funny how God works in such intricate ways across an entire ocean.
*One day during our break from school, the four of us visited the baby AIDS orphanage here in Ndola. It's a place for orphaned children under five who are HIV positive. I remember when we came here in May of 2007 as the North Park group, many of the children were small for their age and very weak. Some of them couldn't even stand on their own or smile. This time when we went there the children were full of crazy energy. I remember many of their faces, and now most of them are nice and plump, more social, and very healthy looking. One boy had so much energy that he threw a book at my head when we were playing, and now I will forever have a scar on my forehead from a little child in Zambia. One of the older girls has an amazing story. She came into the orphanage HIV positive and since being there for some time now, all her tests come back negative. Miraculous.
*Aaron, Amanda, and I also went to Lusaka for a little trip for a few days in December too. It was great to go there and see everything. It is much more urban than here in Ndola. There are shopping centers and restaurants, more businesses, government offices and homes, and the busyness of a typical city. A few times I forgot I was in Zambia. There is definitely more developments, but the funny thing is there will be a wealthy residential area or a strip of beautifully landscaped government homes and then the next block there will be extreme poverty, just like we see in Twapia where we work. It was a nice little getaway, but the few short days we were away made us realize Ndola is home. We have a history and community here now. It was a nice feeling to come home to.
*We went to a wedding for someone from our church on Christmas Day, and right afterward there was something called a kitchen party. It's the equivalent of a bridal shower back at home, although the celebration is far from the same. There are no dainty finger foods and chairs set up nicely in a circle for everyone to chat. This was an all out, crowded, crazy, estrogen-filled, Zambian dance party. I have never seen a group of women so nuts. When you give the bride your gift, it is customary for you to do a dance as you present it to her. Being the only white girls in a group of about two hundred women, Amanda and I were bound to get pulled up to dance, and dance did we. I don't think I've ever heard so much cheering in my life (and I'm sure there was an equal amount of laughter in there too). Needless to say, it was a Christmas to remember.
*On New Year's Eve we went to the orphanage for a little while to hang out with the kids, and as we were leaving we joked saying "We'll see you next year!" Their faces went blank, and they looked at us in shocked confusion about ready to panic. But when we said it again with a smile on our faces, they got the joke and laughed happily. I was surprised to see how concerned they got when they thought we were leaving them. It's a sign to me of how our relationships have grown from the first few weeks of not really knowing where we fit in and them not really knowing how to act around us. Now we're used to seeing each other nearly everyday and have built lasting relationships that really will be hard to leave when the time comes.
But we're not there quite yet. There's still lots of work and fun to be had here. In just about a week the four of us are heading down to Livingstone to see the great Victoria Falls, do some safari-ing, and relax. Hopefully our bus ride down will be uneventful...but that wouldn't be very Zambian, so we'll just have to see.
-Roxanna
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Right on time for 2009! ...well, sort of...
Hey all!
Sorry, it’s been so long since I’ve written. I admit that I’ve been a slacker when it comes to writing on this blog but at least the girls are good at regularly updating it. However, I wouldn’t want any of our readers to feel overwhelmed with the amount of information that they have to keep up on in our lives here. Too many posts means more work for you, the reader, so think of it as me doing you a favor; I’m trying to help you simplify your life, ok? You’re welcome. Moving on…
It’s been quite a whirlwind of a month, and the New Year has gotten off to a pretty fast start. The kids had the month of December off of school, so we spent a lot of time at the orphanage playing games, singing, dancing, celebrating birthdays, and thanking God for the miracle of Christ and Christmas! The kids are a constant joy, and we see God and His love in each and every one of them every time we hang out. They are definitely a blessing to us all.
On Christmas Eve, we got together as a family and exchanged some gifts and ate candy. What more could you want? Plus, I got socks and underwear! Some things never change. Mothers will be mothers. The material is actually really comfortable, you should get some.
Christmas was fun—we attended a wedding for a couple in our church, and I even helped officiate the service! (Watch out couples everywhere!) It was a privilege and an honor. And last I heard, the couple is madly in love and are going to spend the rest of their lives together serving God. One for one, baby.
Then a couple of days later, the “Alpaca Master”, Chad C. came to visit. This guy is awesome. He traveled over 9,000 miles on three different planes, and almost lost one of his bags, just to come hang out with me and check out life in Zambia. We had a lot of fun and made it down to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls, some sweet animals, go gorge swinging, and relax a little. Thanks for coming man, hope ya had fun, it was good times for sure!
At the same time Chad was visiting, the group from North Park also made it over for a couple of weeks. It was awesome to see all of them, and of course to receive the wonderful gifts that they brought with them from home too! So here go the “Thank yous...” In alphabetical order…
Amanda D.- I bet you were behind the pictures and the frame/stand they came in…not because Jon’s not creative…but, well it was just a “you” thing. If I’m wrong, pass along the thanks, but if I’m right, well then thanks!
Anders- Thanks for the card man. You sure do have a way with words… I’m still trying to figure out what “way” that is, but something transcendent happens when you put the pen to the paper. It made me laugh hysterically.
Anna- Thanks for the cookies! I feel privileged—I doubt too many homemade cookies get shipped over the Atlantic…they were awesome!
Dan- Thanks for putting that stuff together…I’m glad you love technology… Oh and I’m glad that you know Nacho Libre is the bombdiggity! Yes, I actually wrote that! And I don’t care because, “These are my stretchy pants!!”
Dad- Thanks for the books! Can you believe I used to hate reading? And the video too; it was great! Pretty nice pink sticky note on the world map too…
Grandma D. and Grandpa L. - Thanks for the card and gift!!
Jesus- Thanks for being born!
Jon- Thanks for the books too…I already read Rob Bell’s…simply a masterpiece.
Julie M. - It was so thoughtful of you to remember us here! Hope you’re loving the youth pastoring!!
Mical- What a nice letter you wrote! Thanks so much, except next time warn me before you write about a late hamster and I have to ask the whole group to figure out what you were talking about and Paul happens to be in the room and hears it and gets his heart broken. Sheesh. Don’t worry; I still think you’re great.
Mom- You know the way to my heart…thanks for the candy…the kids loved it too! J
Paul J. - Thanks for breakfast. Now I can live another day.
Rich- Thanks for the intellectually stimulating, awe-inspiring, brain-boggling, time-tested, scientifically proven, historically critical masterpiece of a book entitled, “Everyone Poops.” I have arrived.
I’m really sorry if I have forgotten anyone or anything, please forgive me. I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
After a short but definitely sweet visit from Rich and Brady from Spark, here we are…two months left. It’s hard to believe it’s almost the end of January…
The girls are back in school and staying very busy with teaching all of the munchkins. Aaron’s been a little sick, but he’s doing much better now, so we’re thankful for safety and good health for the whole team!
I’ll leave you with this story:
During the first part of December, we reinforced the church structure. One day we were tearing down the old lumber and taking out the nails so that we could use it with the new lumber in order to make the structure stronger. I was working with this guy named BaJohn and we were making some good progress when all of the sudden, I looked up and he was gone! I yelled out his name in a frustrated voice, and peaked outside of the structure’s walls, and there he was, walking down the road to the little stand that sells snacks, etc. I returned to my work annoyed and full of pride and continued working alone. A couple of minutes later, he came back with a package of cookies. I saw them, and thought, “Fair enough, a mid-afternoon snack. Everybody needs that once in a while.” But to my surprise, in his broken English, he said something to the effect of, “I got these for you. All of them.” Feeling rather sheepish, I graciously accepted a cookie and went back to work. He ate one and rested on a bench. Every couple of minutes he gave me another cookie, which I could not resist, and I went on pretending to care more about the work than about his gracious and generous act of kindness. This guy is about 60 years old. The average life expectancy for a Zambian man is 37, so he has outlived a very high percentage of his fellow men by a lot of years. He doesn’t have a lot of money. And he bought cookies, because he wanted to share them with his friend, Tom.
BaJohn rescued me that day. He rescued me from thinking that the work I was doing was more significant and more important than the people around me. I hope you can get something from this story too. So you’re ambitious and you have a lot of successful accomplishments? That’s great—but do you take the time to appreciate the people with whom you work and sweat next to every day? Don’t forget that…when you’re gone, people won’t care how much you got done if you didn’t care about them in the first place… I learned more about love, generosity, compassionate sacrifice that day with BaJohn than I have in many years combined prior. If there were more people who lived like John in the world, it’d be a better place for everyone, that’s for sure.
Grace and peace to all of you.
Love,
Tommy D.
Sorry, it’s been so long since I’ve written. I admit that I’ve been a slacker when it comes to writing on this blog but at least the girls are good at regularly updating it. However, I wouldn’t want any of our readers to feel overwhelmed with the amount of information that they have to keep up on in our lives here. Too many posts means more work for you, the reader, so think of it as me doing you a favor; I’m trying to help you simplify your life, ok? You’re welcome. Moving on…
It’s been quite a whirlwind of a month, and the New Year has gotten off to a pretty fast start. The kids had the month of December off of school, so we spent a lot of time at the orphanage playing games, singing, dancing, celebrating birthdays, and thanking God for the miracle of Christ and Christmas! The kids are a constant joy, and we see God and His love in each and every one of them every time we hang out. They are definitely a blessing to us all.
On Christmas Eve, we got together as a family and exchanged some gifts and ate candy. What more could you want? Plus, I got socks and underwear! Some things never change. Mothers will be mothers. The material is actually really comfortable, you should get some.
Christmas was fun—we attended a wedding for a couple in our church, and I even helped officiate the service! (Watch out couples everywhere!) It was a privilege and an honor. And last I heard, the couple is madly in love and are going to spend the rest of their lives together serving God. One for one, baby.
Then a couple of days later, the “Alpaca Master”, Chad C. came to visit. This guy is awesome. He traveled over 9,000 miles on three different planes, and almost lost one of his bags, just to come hang out with me and check out life in Zambia. We had a lot of fun and made it down to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls, some sweet animals, go gorge swinging, and relax a little. Thanks for coming man, hope ya had fun, it was good times for sure!
At the same time Chad was visiting, the group from North Park also made it over for a couple of weeks. It was awesome to see all of them, and of course to receive the wonderful gifts that they brought with them from home too! So here go the “Thank yous...” In alphabetical order…
Amanda D.- I bet you were behind the pictures and the frame/stand they came in…not because Jon’s not creative…but, well it was just a “you” thing. If I’m wrong, pass along the thanks, but if I’m right, well then thanks!
Anders- Thanks for the card man. You sure do have a way with words… I’m still trying to figure out what “way” that is, but something transcendent happens when you put the pen to the paper. It made me laugh hysterically.
Anna- Thanks for the cookies! I feel privileged—I doubt too many homemade cookies get shipped over the Atlantic…they were awesome!
Dan- Thanks for putting that stuff together…I’m glad you love technology… Oh and I’m glad that you know Nacho Libre is the bombdiggity! Yes, I actually wrote that! And I don’t care because, “These are my stretchy pants!!”
Dad- Thanks for the books! Can you believe I used to hate reading? And the video too; it was great! Pretty nice pink sticky note on the world map too…
Grandma D. and Grandpa L. - Thanks for the card and gift!!
Jesus- Thanks for being born!
Jon- Thanks for the books too…I already read Rob Bell’s…simply a masterpiece.
Julie M. - It was so thoughtful of you to remember us here! Hope you’re loving the youth pastoring!!
Mical- What a nice letter you wrote! Thanks so much, except next time warn me before you write about a late hamster and I have to ask the whole group to figure out what you were talking about and Paul happens to be in the room and hears it and gets his heart broken. Sheesh. Don’t worry; I still think you’re great.
Mom- You know the way to my heart…thanks for the candy…the kids loved it too! J
Paul J. - Thanks for breakfast. Now I can live another day.
Rich- Thanks for the intellectually stimulating, awe-inspiring, brain-boggling, time-tested, scientifically proven, historically critical masterpiece of a book entitled, “Everyone Poops.” I have arrived.
I’m really sorry if I have forgotten anyone or anything, please forgive me. I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
After a short but definitely sweet visit from Rich and Brady from Spark, here we are…two months left. It’s hard to believe it’s almost the end of January…
The girls are back in school and staying very busy with teaching all of the munchkins. Aaron’s been a little sick, but he’s doing much better now, so we’re thankful for safety and good health for the whole team!
I’ll leave you with this story:
During the first part of December, we reinforced the church structure. One day we were tearing down the old lumber and taking out the nails so that we could use it with the new lumber in order to make the structure stronger. I was working with this guy named BaJohn and we were making some good progress when all of the sudden, I looked up and he was gone! I yelled out his name in a frustrated voice, and peaked outside of the structure’s walls, and there he was, walking down the road to the little stand that sells snacks, etc. I returned to my work annoyed and full of pride and continued working alone. A couple of minutes later, he came back with a package of cookies. I saw them, and thought, “Fair enough, a mid-afternoon snack. Everybody needs that once in a while.” But to my surprise, in his broken English, he said something to the effect of, “I got these for you. All of them.” Feeling rather sheepish, I graciously accepted a cookie and went back to work. He ate one and rested on a bench. Every couple of minutes he gave me another cookie, which I could not resist, and I went on pretending to care more about the work than about his gracious and generous act of kindness. This guy is about 60 years old. The average life expectancy for a Zambian man is 37, so he has outlived a very high percentage of his fellow men by a lot of years. He doesn’t have a lot of money. And he bought cookies, because he wanted to share them with his friend, Tom.
BaJohn rescued me that day. He rescued me from thinking that the work I was doing was more significant and more important than the people around me. I hope you can get something from this story too. So you’re ambitious and you have a lot of successful accomplishments? That’s great—but do you take the time to appreciate the people with whom you work and sweat next to every day? Don’t forget that…when you’re gone, people won’t care how much you got done if you didn’t care about them in the first place… I learned more about love, generosity, compassionate sacrifice that day with BaJohn than I have in many years combined prior. If there were more people who lived like John in the world, it’d be a better place for everyone, that’s for sure.
Grace and peace to all of you.
Love,
Tommy D.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Merry Christmas!
It's hard to believe this month of December has already come and almost gone. It signals the halfway point of our journey, yet we still have 10 exciting weeks ahead of us. A lot has been happening this month, and God has really shown himself to us in remarkable ways.
Roxanna and I have had the entire month off, since school is out for the month. The break has been nice and we really needed it after all the planning and work that went into last term. During our time off we've been helping the office and school establish master lists of the students so we can better track them and attend to their needs both at home and at school. As we get further into the process of what it takes to run a school, I become a little overwhelmed, but am even more overwhelmed by the six teachers at the school, who handle all of the work on their own. They are incredible and dedicated people.
Spending Christmas in Zambia was challenging, as weeks prior to Christmas I found myself thinking about home quite often and wishing I could just be home for a few weeks. It has been difficult, and nothing short of it at times, but I'm thankful for international calling cards that keep me connected with family and friends at home, being able to share this Christmas with them through that. I have really enjoyed spending this Christmas with my new Zambian family though, and to know that this is where God wants me. It's been great to engage in the Zambian's traditions of the holiday while being able to share my own. The commercialization of the holiday isn't apparent here like it is at home, which has really expanded and stretched my understanding of Christmas and how we celebrate it.
Christmas time is different in Zambia for several reason....
1. The only place Christmas really looked apparent was in the supermarket and various other shops where decorations were hung
2. We didn't have a Christmas tree or other decorations hung in our house 3. I didn't really hear a lot of Christmas music, besides the Christmas CD mix I made for my brother Marvin, which I won't lie, is pretty awesome
4. There is no snow!!! I wear sandals, capris, and t-shirts everyday, which is definitely different than at home
5. We didn't have a large assortment of Christmas cookies or really many Christmas parties
6. The cartoon version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was not on the television Christmas Eve...
Those are only a few differences and since I didn't have a constant visual reminder of Christmas time, I was encouraged to look to other places to celebrate and partake in the holiday season, like Sunday school. Roxanna and I took two Sundays to teach the Christmas story to the children. We introduced them to Mary and Joseph and who they were. They were young people, who didn't possess much power and weren't termed "special" by this world, and really didn't seem worthy to be the chosen ones to bring the Messiah into the world. Yet because of their faithfulness to God, he chose them for this very purpose. It was because of their faith that they were chosen for such a special purpose. Faith in the Christmas story doesn't end there though. The shepherds and the wisemen also portray what faith means. The angels appeard to the shepherds bringing them the good news of Jesus' birth, and instead of being too afraid to act on the news that they brought, the shepherds acted on their faith and went to find the baby Jesus and rejoiced in his birth. The same goes for the wisemen. King Herod wanted them to return to him to tell him where they found the Messiah, but God told the wisemen not to. The wisemen acted on their faith in God by not returning to King Herod. This Christmas I was really able to focus and reflect on this story, this story that allows us to have a Christmas. It's not because of the commercialization of the holiday that allows us to celebrate Christmas, but it's because of the faith of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wisemen, who allowed the story of Jesus' birth to be told. We now can rejoice at his coming because God brought him so we could be reconciled with him.
I hope that during this Christmas season you have been able to experience the true greatness and faithfulness of God apart from the craziness of the holidays, and the peace he brought into this world at this time!
God's Blessings on this Holiday Season!
Amanda
Roxanna and I have had the entire month off, since school is out for the month. The break has been nice and we really needed it after all the planning and work that went into last term. During our time off we've been helping the office and school establish master lists of the students so we can better track them and attend to their needs both at home and at school. As we get further into the process of what it takes to run a school, I become a little overwhelmed, but am even more overwhelmed by the six teachers at the school, who handle all of the work on their own. They are incredible and dedicated people.
Spending Christmas in Zambia was challenging, as weeks prior to Christmas I found myself thinking about home quite often and wishing I could just be home for a few weeks. It has been difficult, and nothing short of it at times, but I'm thankful for international calling cards that keep me connected with family and friends at home, being able to share this Christmas with them through that. I have really enjoyed spending this Christmas with my new Zambian family though, and to know that this is where God wants me. It's been great to engage in the Zambian's traditions of the holiday while being able to share my own. The commercialization of the holiday isn't apparent here like it is at home, which has really expanded and stretched my understanding of Christmas and how we celebrate it.
Christmas time is different in Zambia for several reason....
1. The only place Christmas really looked apparent was in the supermarket and various other shops where decorations were hung
2. We didn't have a Christmas tree or other decorations hung in our house 3. I didn't really hear a lot of Christmas music, besides the Christmas CD mix I made for my brother Marvin, which I won't lie, is pretty awesome
4. There is no snow!!! I wear sandals, capris, and t-shirts everyday, which is definitely different than at home
5. We didn't have a large assortment of Christmas cookies or really many Christmas parties
6. The cartoon version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was not on the television Christmas Eve...
Those are only a few differences and since I didn't have a constant visual reminder of Christmas time, I was encouraged to look to other places to celebrate and partake in the holiday season, like Sunday school. Roxanna and I took two Sundays to teach the Christmas story to the children. We introduced them to Mary and Joseph and who they were. They were young people, who didn't possess much power and weren't termed "special" by this world, and really didn't seem worthy to be the chosen ones to bring the Messiah into the world. Yet because of their faithfulness to God, he chose them for this very purpose. It was because of their faith that they were chosen for such a special purpose. Faith in the Christmas story doesn't end there though. The shepherds and the wisemen also portray what faith means. The angels appeard to the shepherds bringing them the good news of Jesus' birth, and instead of being too afraid to act on the news that they brought, the shepherds acted on their faith and went to find the baby Jesus and rejoiced in his birth. The same goes for the wisemen. King Herod wanted them to return to him to tell him where they found the Messiah, but God told the wisemen not to. The wisemen acted on their faith in God by not returning to King Herod. This Christmas I was really able to focus and reflect on this story, this story that allows us to have a Christmas. It's not because of the commercialization of the holiday that allows us to celebrate Christmas, but it's because of the faith of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wisemen, who allowed the story of Jesus' birth to be told. We now can rejoice at his coming because God brought him so we could be reconciled with him.
I hope that during this Christmas season you have been able to experience the true greatness and faithfulness of God apart from the craziness of the holidays, and the peace he brought into this world at this time!
God's Blessings on this Holiday Season!
Amanda
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Tom's Top 10
Ok, so I only have 9 minutes until the internet cafe closes so instead of writing a novel, I'll just have to settle for Tom's Top 10 Learning Experiences in the Last Month!
Here they are!
#10. You can get blisters on your hands when washing your socks.
#9. You can drip massive amounts of sweat from your brow...while washing your socks.
#8. A rusty nail can and will penetrate your shoe and foot if you step on it...
#7. If your foot is bleeding a lot, apply pressure and raise it above your heart.
#6. Mangos and apples are really good! (Doctors don't know everything...)
#5. Don't be distracted by people standing up and yelling "Amen!" while you're preaching.
#4. Don't go outside to watch the lightning! (I didn't get struck too bad...I'm kidding mom!)
#3. Don't smart off to immigration officers...
#2. If you get pulled over while driving, just keep your mouth shut and remain calm...
And the #1 Learning Experience for Tom in the last month is....
#1. I drank the water...and I was fine!
Hope you're all doing great!!! We love you all! Keep in touch!!
Peace,
Tom
Here they are!
#10. You can get blisters on your hands when washing your socks.
#9. You can drip massive amounts of sweat from your brow...while washing your socks.
#8. A rusty nail can and will penetrate your shoe and foot if you step on it...
#7. If your foot is bleeding a lot, apply pressure and raise it above your heart.
#6. Mangos and apples are really good! (Doctors don't know everything...)
#5. Don't be distracted by people standing up and yelling "Amen!" while you're preaching.
#4. Don't go outside to watch the lightning! (I didn't get struck too bad...I'm kidding mom!)
#3. Don't smart off to immigration officers...
#2. If you get pulled over while driving, just keep your mouth shut and remain calm...
And the #1 Learning Experience for Tom in the last month is....
#1. I drank the water...and I was fine!
Hope you're all doing great!!! We love you all! Keep in touch!!
Peace,
Tom
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Aaron's First Post!
We have almost been here for 3 months and I realized that I have only posted once, . I had these really great intentions to post on the blog every week, but I guess that I have not done a very good job of following through with this. I will use being busy as my excuse, but if I am being honest, I have to admit that I have had some time and just haven't done it...
SORRY!
So here is my first official update on the blog...
The last couple of weeks Tom and I have been working at the construction site where the new school, orphanage, and multi purpose hall are being built. The orphanage roof was just finished last week and is looking very good. It is our hope that this building will soon be completed and the the kids can move into their new home. The other two structures (the school and multi purpose hall) have not been started yet but the construction of these buildings will begin soon. We have been making bricks for these structures since we have arrived so hopefully we will see some great progress on them in the next couple of months.
Since Pastor Charles and Ba Margret have been gone the last two weeks, picking up the new bus for hope ministries, I have been named the new foreman at the work site. (haha) I am still trying to figure out what this means, and the language barrier between myself and the other workers makes this job interesting and challenging. Basically we all just work together and the title foreman doesn't seem to fit, I do however have to make sure some of the projects that are assigned are being done.
Since the rainy season is officially here, the main project that we have been involved with the last couple of weeks has been building a new shelter to keep the bricks out of the weather and reinforcing the church roof so that we don't wet on Sundays. The church structure is made from scrap pieces of wood, I would call it a glorified wood shed, but church is not about the building and more about the people, and we have had some of the best worship services in this building. We were able to finish both these projects to the best of our abilities, but it would be a lie if I said that the church wouldn't leak anymore, because it still does, but it is better then before and at least we don't have to worry about the ceiling falling on us, which was truly a concern.
The other project that we have been involved in has been a rotating fund program where we are helping people in the village of Twapia (where we are doing all of our work) to start small businesses such as selling charcoal, tomatoes, or whatever else they want to sell to generate some income. Thanks to a generous donation from a friend back home, we have been able to start up this loan program and if it goes well eventually they will pay back the loan and we can then give it to another group of people so they can start their businesses. I hope and pray that this will be a successful program and some families here in Twapia will begin to be able to support themselves. I will be keeping you all updated on how this program is working throughout the next couple of months.
Tom and I have also been given the honor of preaching the entire month of November which has been an exciting and challenging experience, but so far so good. The people here are so gracious to us and easy to talk to, and they have told us that we have really blessed them through our messages, but I believe that they have really blessed us through their loving and gracious spirits. I think that these blessings are from God and maybe we should give all the credit to our Lord and Savior. Everyone is truly blessed because of Him.
Well I should get going, I still need to finish planning for the sermon tomorrow. So until next time, which will be in another 3 months, just kidding, goodbye. Thank you all so much for your love, support, and prayers.
Gods Love and Peace
Aaron
P.S. And just so you all know, my suitcase has still not come, I am losing hope.
SORRY!
So here is my first official update on the blog...
The last couple of weeks Tom and I have been working at the construction site where the new school, orphanage, and multi purpose hall are being built. The orphanage roof was just finished last week and is looking very good. It is our hope that this building will soon be completed and the the kids can move into their new home. The other two structures (the school and multi purpose hall) have not been started yet but the construction of these buildings will begin soon. We have been making bricks for these structures since we have arrived so hopefully we will see some great progress on them in the next couple of months.
Since Pastor Charles and Ba Margret have been gone the last two weeks, picking up the new bus for hope ministries, I have been named the new foreman at the work site. (haha) I am still trying to figure out what this means, and the language barrier between myself and the other workers makes this job interesting and challenging. Basically we all just work together and the title foreman doesn't seem to fit, I do however have to make sure some of the projects that are assigned are being done.
Since the rainy season is officially here, the main project that we have been involved with the last couple of weeks has been building a new shelter to keep the bricks out of the weather and reinforcing the church roof so that we don't wet on Sundays. The church structure is made from scrap pieces of wood, I would call it a glorified wood shed, but church is not about the building and more about the people, and we have had some of the best worship services in this building. We were able to finish both these projects to the best of our abilities, but it would be a lie if I said that the church wouldn't leak anymore, because it still does, but it is better then before and at least we don't have to worry about the ceiling falling on us, which was truly a concern.
The other project that we have been involved in has been a rotating fund program where we are helping people in the village of Twapia (where we are doing all of our work) to start small businesses such as selling charcoal, tomatoes, or whatever else they want to sell to generate some income. Thanks to a generous donation from a friend back home, we have been able to start up this loan program and if it goes well eventually they will pay back the loan and we can then give it to another group of people so they can start their businesses. I hope and pray that this will be a successful program and some families here in Twapia will begin to be able to support themselves. I will be keeping you all updated on how this program is working throughout the next couple of months.
Tom and I have also been given the honor of preaching the entire month of November which has been an exciting and challenging experience, but so far so good. The people here are so gracious to us and easy to talk to, and they have told us that we have really blessed them through our messages, but I believe that they have really blessed us through their loving and gracious spirits. I think that these blessings are from God and maybe we should give all the credit to our Lord and Savior. Everyone is truly blessed because of Him.
Well I should get going, I still need to finish planning for the sermon tomorrow. So until next time, which will be in another 3 months, just kidding, goodbye. Thank you all so much for your love, support, and prayers.
Gods Love and Peace
Aaron
P.S. And just so you all know, my suitcase has still not come, I am losing hope.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Adventures in Nsobe
Last Saturday we ventured to Nsobe Game Park. Here's a glimpse into our adventure:
I, Amanda, found a really neat little playground with an old tractor, an imitation spider web to crawl on, swings, and a teeter-totter. I really wanted to play on the playground, yet I felt too big and thought I would break it, so I withheld. Minutes later, I found Rox and Aaron venturing to that same playground, going up and down on the teeter-totter. Sigh.
We also went on a safari-type ride through the woods and saw many antelope-like creatures, giraffes, and zebra. I, Roxanna, thought about jumping off the high-riding jeep to chase after a zebra, grab onto its spikey neck hair, and pull myself onto its back, kind of like a rodeo---African style. But alas, they didn't seem to like us following them and ran away too quickly. So we saw zebras, which is the one animal we wanted to see most, but my dream was cut short. Bittersweet.
Also at Nsobe, they have two restaurants. Enclosed in a glass cooler I, Amanda, saw this amazing chocolate cake. A slice was only about one dollar. After lunch I went up to the service bar to ask for a slice, only to hear that the cake was brought in by a church group and was not for sale for commoners. Heartbreak.
Later that evening we were invited to Pastor Judy's for food and fellowship. The evening was splendid, but true bliss came when Pastor Judy presented a big heart-shaped, marble cake, with white and chocolate frosting and chocolate chips dashed on top! Although the cake said, "Happy Belated Birthday Roxanna!" I (Amanda) felt like the cake was made just for me!! It was music to my soul, as alas, I could finally eat my slice, or may I say slices, of chocolate cake. Pure Joy.
Oh the rewards of patient endurance!
Luckily for Amanda, I, Roxanna Eda Marie Alleman, was born.
THE END.
Stayed tuned for further adventures from Africa.
I, Amanda, found a really neat little playground with an old tractor, an imitation spider web to crawl on, swings, and a teeter-totter. I really wanted to play on the playground, yet I felt too big and thought I would break it, so I withheld. Minutes later, I found Rox and Aaron venturing to that same playground, going up and down on the teeter-totter. Sigh.
We also went on a safari-type ride through the woods and saw many antelope-like creatures, giraffes, and zebra. I, Roxanna, thought about jumping off the high-riding jeep to chase after a zebra, grab onto its spikey neck hair, and pull myself onto its back, kind of like a rodeo---African style. But alas, they didn't seem to like us following them and ran away too quickly. So we saw zebras, which is the one animal we wanted to see most, but my dream was cut short. Bittersweet.
Also at Nsobe, they have two restaurants. Enclosed in a glass cooler I, Amanda, saw this amazing chocolate cake. A slice was only about one dollar. After lunch I went up to the service bar to ask for a slice, only to hear that the cake was brought in by a church group and was not for sale for commoners. Heartbreak.
Later that evening we were invited to Pastor Judy's for food and fellowship. The evening was splendid, but true bliss came when Pastor Judy presented a big heart-shaped, marble cake, with white and chocolate frosting and chocolate chips dashed on top! Although the cake said, "Happy Belated Birthday Roxanna!" I (Amanda) felt like the cake was made just for me!! It was music to my soul, as alas, I could finally eat my slice, or may I say slices, of chocolate cake. Pure Joy.
Oh the rewards of patient endurance!
Luckily for Amanda, I, Roxanna Eda Marie Alleman, was born.
THE END.
Stayed tuned for further adventures from Africa.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
6 Weeks In!!
Muli Shani! It has been a long time since we’ve updated this blog, so Roxanna and I (Amanda) are going to do our best to bring you up to date with bullet point blipits:
Roxanna and Amanda have been sick off and on over the last three weeks. Either something in our food or reactions to medications have been our culprits! Roxanna has been hit with some painful infections and fevers which have knocked her down for a few days, but thankfully medicine has helped bring her back to her normal self. Amanda has been affected by some medications over the last few weeks. Her and Roxanna both took a medicine called fansidar, which fights malaria, although neither of them had it. Roxanna did not react to fansidar, but Amanda had some pretty horrible reactions. The reactions knocked her down for a couple of weeks, but she was finally able to recover after drinking A LOT of water to flush it out of her system! We have come to the conclusion that Satan is trying to prohibit us from doing the work we can and should be doing here by making us sick, but God has been faithful as always, and after going through these experiences we feel stronger and actually more connected with the people here.
A few weeks ago we found out that our visas, which are supposed to allow us to stay here for six months, were not the only necessary documents needed to allow us to stay here for that amount of time. We went to the immigration office and found out we needed a Temporary Residency Permit, which costs around $300 for three months, and would then need to be renewed after three months for the remainder of our time for $350. Needless to say, we were a bit shaken! The Zambian Embassy in the United States did not tell us this information, nor did customs inform us of this Permit, so we had one week to find the money to pay for them! Once again, God is good and He does provide. We are still here in Zambia and we will stay here until our plane ticket makes us go home!
We found out this last week that our seventh graders will not be taking the government test because they missed the deadline to enroll their names. They will have to wait until next November to take it. We're a little bummed, but we know that the pupils can use the extra year to prepare.
We continue to learn what it means to listen and put aside our cultural norms, as our relationships with the people here grow. This last week I, Amanda, had a conversation with Teacher Juliet, which began as a simple conversation about her pupils and their abilities, and then ended with the strife faced by people here in Zambia. Teacher Juliet pointed out a specific child in the school who has a physical disability in her spine that disfigures her upper body around her shoulders, who has and continues to just touch her heart. The pupil does not seem to be held back by this disability, which speaks volumes to Teacher Juliet. She is happy and loves spending time with her friends, and her friends love spending time with her. Teacher Juliet went on further to explain that the pupil is also an orphan, like so many other children in Zambia who lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. The conversation then went to the difficulty of educating pupils because their home environments do not encourage education. There is lack of resources, like books, in the homes and the parents often do not speak English, which is the national language of Zambia and is used in the government schools and upper education schools. The pupils remain behind in their education because of lack of exposure. Teacher Juliet is so dedicated to the school and its pupils because they are the future of Zambia and she, like the other teachers, recognize the great need of exposure, education, and care that the pupils need. They nurture, encourage, feed, educate, and teach the pupils that there is a different, healthier lifestyle outside of the ones they are surrounded by, and that they can make a difference. Not many other adults tell the children or encourage the children in these areas, so the teachers have taken on the responsibility themselves to really educate the students not only on school-related lessons, but also life lessons. Teacher Juliet led this whole conversation and even when I stood up to step out for a moment, she grabbed my hand to sit me back down to tell me more. The teachers just want to share with us their struggles and their lives here. They want to know that someone else cares and we’re realizing that it is far more important for us to listen while we’re here than to teach. I also realized that although people here in Zambia are surrounded by this environment everyday that does not mean they are immune to it. They fight these struggles everyday because they continue to be affected by them and only want to change their circumstances through the education and encouragement of their children.
A few weeks ago, Amanda and I (Roxanna), were walking with another teacher named Judy in Twapia to visit Teacher Juliet while she was sick. We had the opportunity to learn something from her that we are realizing is the cornerstone of so many Zambians’ lives: the strength of their faith. When we asked Teacher Judy what her biggest challenge at the school is, she answered that it’s the transportation to get to and from the school everyday. Like many instances here in Zambia, this was not the response we were looking for. We expected something like limited resources or the high amount of students in one classroom. But also like many instances here in Zambia, her response held a lot more weight than we first realized. She continued to explain that she lives in Ndeke, far from where the school is in Twapia. It takes her about an hour and a half one way everyday on a bus, and sometimes she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to afford the bus fare to make it out to school through the week until Friday. She said at the beginning of Hope Ministries, it was very hard. They had no money and no resources to do anything. Some people would come along to work with it and, realizing there was no money in it, would leave right away. She explained that this ministry is not about money. If you look for that you will fail. But because the others at Hope, including herself, have a vision for these children at the orphanage and the school, one that is purely focused on God and His kingdom, because they have faith, He has provided for them. Some friends came along and helped Hope Ministries. Sometimes neighbors would see that Teacher Judy and her family needed something and would give it to them. And every week since I’ve been here, Teacher Judy has made it to school everyday. This conversation blew Amanda and I away. The faith that this woman has is beyond anything we’re used to in the U.S. We’re learning that this is a staple of the people here: living life by faith. Some might say it’s because they have to; they have no other hope but to trust in God, which is good enough reason. But I like to think that it’s simply because they’re on to something more about the meaning of life than many of us from the U.S. understand. Even with all the resources in the world, it means nothing if there is not faith that there is a God who has supreme control. Their unyielding, powerful faith is something I continue to learn from everyday.
Teacher Judy and Teacher Juliet invited us into their classroom to help with math and letter sounds. Teacher Judy said it’s not about us teaching, but about us connecting with the students and showing them we are there for them. I don’t think we could have said our purpose for being here in clearer terms.
May the power of God continue to amaze you in ways you never expected, and may His unfailing love overwhelm, protect, and guide you, as He fights to be the cornerstone in your life.
In Him,
Roxanna and Amanda
Roxanna and Amanda have been sick off and on over the last three weeks. Either something in our food or reactions to medications have been our culprits! Roxanna has been hit with some painful infections and fevers which have knocked her down for a few days, but thankfully medicine has helped bring her back to her normal self. Amanda has been affected by some medications over the last few weeks. Her and Roxanna both took a medicine called fansidar, which fights malaria, although neither of them had it. Roxanna did not react to fansidar, but Amanda had some pretty horrible reactions. The reactions knocked her down for a couple of weeks, but she was finally able to recover after drinking A LOT of water to flush it out of her system! We have come to the conclusion that Satan is trying to prohibit us from doing the work we can and should be doing here by making us sick, but God has been faithful as always, and after going through these experiences we feel stronger and actually more connected with the people here.
A few weeks ago we found out that our visas, which are supposed to allow us to stay here for six months, were not the only necessary documents needed to allow us to stay here for that amount of time. We went to the immigration office and found out we needed a Temporary Residency Permit, which costs around $300 for three months, and would then need to be renewed after three months for the remainder of our time for $350. Needless to say, we were a bit shaken! The Zambian Embassy in the United States did not tell us this information, nor did customs inform us of this Permit, so we had one week to find the money to pay for them! Once again, God is good and He does provide. We are still here in Zambia and we will stay here until our plane ticket makes us go home!
We found out this last week that our seventh graders will not be taking the government test because they missed the deadline to enroll their names. They will have to wait until next November to take it. We're a little bummed, but we know that the pupils can use the extra year to prepare.
We continue to learn what it means to listen and put aside our cultural norms, as our relationships with the people here grow. This last week I, Amanda, had a conversation with Teacher Juliet, which began as a simple conversation about her pupils and their abilities, and then ended with the strife faced by people here in Zambia. Teacher Juliet pointed out a specific child in the school who has a physical disability in her spine that disfigures her upper body around her shoulders, who has and continues to just touch her heart. The pupil does not seem to be held back by this disability, which speaks volumes to Teacher Juliet. She is happy and loves spending time with her friends, and her friends love spending time with her. Teacher Juliet went on further to explain that the pupil is also an orphan, like so many other children in Zambia who lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. The conversation then went to the difficulty of educating pupils because their home environments do not encourage education. There is lack of resources, like books, in the homes and the parents often do not speak English, which is the national language of Zambia and is used in the government schools and upper education schools. The pupils remain behind in their education because of lack of exposure. Teacher Juliet is so dedicated to the school and its pupils because they are the future of Zambia and she, like the other teachers, recognize the great need of exposure, education, and care that the pupils need. They nurture, encourage, feed, educate, and teach the pupils that there is a different, healthier lifestyle outside of the ones they are surrounded by, and that they can make a difference. Not many other adults tell the children or encourage the children in these areas, so the teachers have taken on the responsibility themselves to really educate the students not only on school-related lessons, but also life lessons. Teacher Juliet led this whole conversation and even when I stood up to step out for a moment, she grabbed my hand to sit me back down to tell me more. The teachers just want to share with us their struggles and their lives here. They want to know that someone else cares and we’re realizing that it is far more important for us to listen while we’re here than to teach. I also realized that although people here in Zambia are surrounded by this environment everyday that does not mean they are immune to it. They fight these struggles everyday because they continue to be affected by them and only want to change their circumstances through the education and encouragement of their children.
A few weeks ago, Amanda and I (Roxanna), were walking with another teacher named Judy in Twapia to visit Teacher Juliet while she was sick. We had the opportunity to learn something from her that we are realizing is the cornerstone of so many Zambians’ lives: the strength of their faith. When we asked Teacher Judy what her biggest challenge at the school is, she answered that it’s the transportation to get to and from the school everyday. Like many instances here in Zambia, this was not the response we were looking for. We expected something like limited resources or the high amount of students in one classroom. But also like many instances here in Zambia, her response held a lot more weight than we first realized. She continued to explain that she lives in Ndeke, far from where the school is in Twapia. It takes her about an hour and a half one way everyday on a bus, and sometimes she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to afford the bus fare to make it out to school through the week until Friday. She said at the beginning of Hope Ministries, it was very hard. They had no money and no resources to do anything. Some people would come along to work with it and, realizing there was no money in it, would leave right away. She explained that this ministry is not about money. If you look for that you will fail. But because the others at Hope, including herself, have a vision for these children at the orphanage and the school, one that is purely focused on God and His kingdom, because they have faith, He has provided for them. Some friends came along and helped Hope Ministries. Sometimes neighbors would see that Teacher Judy and her family needed something and would give it to them. And every week since I’ve been here, Teacher Judy has made it to school everyday. This conversation blew Amanda and I away. The faith that this woman has is beyond anything we’re used to in the U.S. We’re learning that this is a staple of the people here: living life by faith. Some might say it’s because they have to; they have no other hope but to trust in God, which is good enough reason. But I like to think that it’s simply because they’re on to something more about the meaning of life than many of us from the U.S. understand. Even with all the resources in the world, it means nothing if there is not faith that there is a God who has supreme control. Their unyielding, powerful faith is something I continue to learn from everyday.
Teacher Judy and Teacher Juliet invited us into their classroom to help with math and letter sounds. Teacher Judy said it’s not about us teaching, but about us connecting with the students and showing them we are there for them. I don’t think we could have said our purpose for being here in clearer terms.
May the power of God continue to amaze you in ways you never expected, and may His unfailing love overwhelm, protect, and guide you, as He fights to be the cornerstone in your life.
In Him,
Roxanna and Amanda
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