Home Sweet Home

Well, I write "Home Sweet Home", but we aren't quite there yet. We chose the cheapest and possibly worst airline ever for our trip to and from Cape Town, and we are paying for it now. We arrived this morning at the airport at 5 am to hop on our 7 am flight, only to find out our airline had been grounded due to not paying their taxes. It is kind of funny because on the way to Cape Town, they were grounded because they couldn't find anyone to pay for the fuel on the plane. So we are now spending the day at the airport waiting on a new flight with a new airline scheduled for the evening. Hopefully, we will be home tomorrow night after the drive back from Lusaka.

Cape Town was perfect! We had an amazing trip, ate some amazing food, saw some great movies and met some great people. We did a lot of fun touristy things, but our trip was also long enough for me to meet some of the people Jeremy has worked with in the past during his summers in Cape Town. We stayed with a wonderful couple that Jeremy met last time he was in Cape Town. They were so hospitable and sweet; we felt like we were staying with our grandparents. Cape Town is a beautiful city that is surrounded by mountains and beaches-the best of both worlds. We ate A LOT. We hiked and rode bikes through the mountains, took walks on the beach (the water is freezing), saw lots of whales, toured the wine lands and much more.  It was such a wonderful break and vacation for us.

We are ready to get back home to Zambia now. It is an exciting time as the rains are beginning in Zambia. It is time to plant some flowers and get our garden ready! Jeremy and I are anxious to get back in to our routine of living in the bush and working with the people there. It is hard to believe that we are approaching the one year mark of living in Africa. We are blessed to be where we are and to be learning so much.

Cape Town, here we come!

Jeremy and I are headed for Lusaka, Zambia's capital tomorrow, and then we fly out for Cape Town, South Africa on Tuesday. We will be in this lovely city for two weeks for a vacation! So if you need us, here is where we will be :)

 So excited!!! We'll be back in Mumena on November 1, my husband's 26th birthday! See you then.

Not your normal weekend in Mumena...

This past weekend we had a group of about 25 students from Harding University come up to Mumena. They are studying abroad this semester and staying at Namwianga Mission in southern Zambia. The group came up on a Thursday and left on Monday. It was a short but sweet visit—very busy!

The group came to learn more about rural missions, and so we were able to provide a few classes dealing with our team’s strategy and goals. We dug in to the culture and all that comes with it. It was a sharp group of students, and they asked some great questions.

I, personally, loved the singing that came with the group. Every Wednesday night our team gets together for a small devotional, but there are only 10 of us that are adults. I loved sitting around the campfire with this huge group singing English songs that I grew up singing at church.

Erin and I both got to take groups of girls out to surrounding villages and let them see what a typical village looks like. It was fun to watch their reactions to things and remember what I felt like when I first got here. We spent Saturday out at the Rd. 68 church in the refugee camp. The youth at the church put on a great program for all of us. The Congolese refugees LOVE to sing and clap, so we did A LOT of that. 

Now, something I have been hearing about from the kids on our mission team ever since I got here, is the annual trick or treat night. Every October, the team takes advantage of so many Americans being here, and they take that opportunity to let their kids go around and trick or treat. All of the Harding students stay at the dorms, which are just right outside our doors past the school. The missionary children go around to each of the student’s dorm rooms to collect their Halloween candy. The students all dress up in costumes. Then the missionary kids come around to each of our team member’s houses to trick or treat. Jeremy and I participated in this grand event. Jeremy, being the good cousin that he is, dressed up as the Wolverine from XMen for his cousins Bryson and Noah—they loved it. And I was asked by Noah to be his slave…his costume was some kind of scientific character from some show like Star Trek that I really don’t know anything about. However, these important characters all have slaves, so Noah asked if I would be his. It was a very interesting Halloween we had on Sunday, October 8. The kids really loved it, and I see now why their parents make sure to keep up this American tradition for them.

Disclaimer: we don't have much entertainment here, do NOT judge (please)!

Great weekend with the women!

This past weekend we had our first womens seminar. This was a special weekend for the 45 women that came, because this was for most, their first break from normal life in a very long time. The Zambian women are always busy. They are responsible for all of their children, the cooking, the cleaning, the clothes washing, and on top of all of that they are usually working out in their field.

It was a great weekend of fellowship, singing, language learning (for me), and teaching techniques for how to teach children at home and at church. We taught on a very SIMPLE, basic level. Ellie taught the group how to draw stick figures and how to come up with pictures on your own. Sondra and Erin taught how to use shapes and objects to get childrens attention (sticks, trees, cut outs). I taught how to teach stories by creating motions and sounds to go with the story that the children can mimic. We had a lot of fun working with the ladies on how this can all be done in their culture.

The last day the ladies were split in to four groups all working to produce a Bible story lesson using one of the techniques that were taught. They worked so hard and their presentations were great! 

This momma above, was left by her husband right before this baby boy was born, she now raises six kids alone, but is so faithful to her church. I was so happy she got to take a break and come to the seminar.

My group of women practicing their presentation--creating motions for your story

Their presentation of Jesus' baptism

 

New President, Yellow Fever Shots, Women's Seminar

We have a new president here in Zambia. You may have seen it on the news. His name is Michael Sata, also known as the “King Cobra”. Zambia has handled the transition in government relatively peacefully. This transition was even recognized by President Obama and applauded for the peace Zambia is promoting through the change. Please keep President Sata in your prayers as he leads Zambia.

Jeremy and I along with Brian, Sondra and their boys are all going to Cape Town, South Africa next month. We will be staying in separate places, about an hour away from each other, but we are quite excited! I am sure I will have tons of pictures from our trip, but that will be next month. Brian and Sondra previously worked in Cape Town for years doing missions before they came to Zambia. Since they are retiring from the field next year, this will be their last trip to Cape Town. Jeremy and I are going more for a good get away and vacation in a first world country, but I will get to meet some of the people I have been hearing about for years. Jeremy spent his first African internship in Cape Town years ago. I say all of this to explain why we were at an urban health clinic in Solwezi getting yellow fever shots…yikes!

Before Jeremy and I came to Zambia, we received all of the shots necessary to live here. However, yellow fever was no longer required for Zambia. Well, the law has changed in Zambia and now it IS required in order to leave the country and go to South Africa. Panic set in for me as I realized our time crunch AND realized that this would mean getting my shot here…in Solwezi. It made me feel a lot better that Brian and Sondra also had to get them with us. We all headed out to town, which is about 45 minutes away. We picked up our viles, needles and such (all neatly packaged and unused) and headed to the urban clinic to get our business taken care of. I was nervous. Well, all things went well and the shot was actually really easy and harmless.  All well and safe. The doctor was kind to us. We are now officially set to go to Cape Town. And let me tell you, if I can get a shot in Solwezi, I can get a shot anywhere.

The women’s seminar is this weekend, and I am anxious for it to begin. This is our first time to spend this much time with the women alone. It will be great for language learning since most women do not speak any English. All of our women on the missionary team will be teaching a different, simple technique to help these church women learn how to teach children’s bible classes. Pray for the 30 or so women this weekend that come for fellowship and training to be women of the Lord. There are lots and lots of children running around the churches every Sunday, and of course, these women all have many children of their own. However, I think they are nervous and may feel a bit inadequate to teach. Pray for understanding, excitement and a sense of responsibility to set in with these very qualified women. They are a wonderful group of ladies!

An Anniversary Party!

Last week, I was sitting in our living room when Cosmas Lilamono came to our door to greet Jeremy. Cosmas and Jeremy have been friends for six years. As they were talking on the front porch I heard the words “party” and “19 years”. I immediately ran out to ask why in the world I heard the word party? I have lived in Zambia for over eight months now, and there has never been talk about parties in the Kaonde culture. Of course, I am sure they have them, but usually it involves large amounts of alcohol and witchcraft. But, Cosmas began to explain to me that he and his wife, Josephine, would like to celebrate their upcoming 19 years of marriage! I was blown away by this. I cannot tell you enough how uncommon it is here to do anything with your wife. Most couples do not even eat together. They do not share money, they do not think of each other’s needs. For Cosmas and Josephine (our dear friends and some of the first Christians in Mumena) to want to honor each other with a celebration was just amazing to me. Jeremy and I were pumped! 

Well, yesterday was the day. Cosmas was very excited, and he had been updating us on things he was preparing. He was making a peanut cake. It calls for affordable ingredients he can manage, plus he can make it in a pot over the fire. We arrived and Josephine was wearing a new bright shatangi (material used as a skirt) and her best wig! I personally think she looks more beautiful without the wig, but a wig signifies a big deal here. All of their boys were jumping around with excitement. We sat with them at a small table they had borrowed from their church and ate chicken and nshema. Eating meat is a big deal and only happens on special occasions. When the cake was brought out after the meal, Josephine and Cosmas cut it together with one knife and then fed the first bite to each other. Again, I was shocked and so happy. It was funny because after they did it, they wanted Jeremy and I to do it as well. I explained to them that it wasn’t our anniversary, but we did it anyways for them.After a wonderful meal and good fellowship, the big boom box came out and all the boys started dancing. 

It was a great celebration and all I could keep thinking without tears pouring down my face, was how these sweet boys would be impacted by their parents marriage. Would these five boys lead the next generation in a completely new idea of what a good marriage looks like? What it means to really become one and love each other unconditionally under God’s headship? For people living in a constant state of mental poverty, what happened yesterday would have never suggested these people thought they were poor. I am thankful for a God that gives you new insight and a new worldview once you decide to let him. I pray that church leaders like Cosmas and wives like Josephine will continue to impact and change their villages by their example. 

Cutting the cake, with all their kids watching

Jeremy and his namesake (this one is for you, Meemaw)

Jeremy dancing with a Lilamono cousin

The whole family

Learning some moves from Josephine

"Blessed are the poor in spirit..."

Ezron. A 72 year old village head man living in a village called Mushingashi. Living most of his life without God, he is now a church leader. Always the first one to worship on Sundays and Bible studies on Wednesdays, he’s always the last to sit down. He walks around making sure everyone has a chair, though culturally he should be the one with the best seat. When it comes time for him to pray he bows to his overworked and worn-out knees praying with all of his heart. When presiding over the Lord’s Supper, he is overwhelmed with emotion as he thanks his Savior in tears—a cultural sign of weakness. Every time I encounter this man all I can think about is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

A village headman, elder in the community, and formally lost man was not born with this character trait. It is not something that he strives for as an achievement that will increase his blessing. No. This is a man who understands who he is in relationship to his King. Because of his self-awareness, he doesn’t mope around feeling helpless, but he lives as an empowered adopted child of the King. So he molds bricks to build a church building, mostly on his own, he visits village to village to encourage the members, and he hosts devotionals around the fire at night for the surrounding community. This man is not weak, but humble. This is a man that lives with the knowledge that he is constantly in the presence of God.

“For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” -Isaiah 57:15

Ezron (the one standing) teaching at the Family Seminar last month.

As you approach the Beatitudes, remember that this is not a code of ethics or morals. They are not personality traits that you are just born with. It’s not a law for which you can attain righteousness. It is an emptying of self. This is a description of how a Christian, every Christian, ought to live in an environment of grace. This is what Christ came to die for.

“ …while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” -Titus 2:13-14

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” -Matt. 5:3

There is no one who is in God’s kingdom that is not poor in spirit.

Here are some verses to reflect on as you empty yourself and allow God to fill you up, becoming poor in spirit: Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 5:1-11.

Blessings as you go through the orientation of the life in the Kingdom of God.

Suggested reading for more study on the Sermon on the Mount: Studies on the Sermon on the Mount. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.