Coming To An End

I have discovered that I am horrible at blogging. I am sorry about not blogging more often. Since my last blog post I have been fully working on developing the Slow Learner Program for the Orphan School and teaching certain children from every grade. I can honestly say that the children have touched my life and melted my heart. They are incredibly remarkable children who amaze me. Every day they walk to school across town, some of them without shoes. They all come from very difficult backgrounds but every day they have a smile on their faces and a joy that captures me. You can see the desire to be loved in their eyes. It truly breaks my heart to know that a large portion of the kids only get fed what they are given at school (Breakfast and Lunch). One Monday morning, when I started helping with the school, a boy came to school very sick looking. At first I thought he was just sick with something but as I talked to him I soon realized that he was not sick but that the last time he had eaten was three days ago (Friday lunch at school). His stomach pains were so great that he didn’t want to eat breakfast that morning at school. I sat with him and encouraged him to eat, trying to explain that he needed to eat to feel better. I wish I could say that this was my last experience with this type of situation but it wasn’t.

One of the things that has surprised me is how much the kids want to help me. I have been horrible at learning Bemba which is the dominant language in this area (along with Swahili, Lungu, Mwambwe, and English). When teaching if I am talking to a student that really doesn’t understand what I am saying another student will jump in and translate for me. Haha! I have learned to rely on facial expressions and tones rather than trying to understand Bemba when the children talk. It is amazing how well we understand each other. It’s been really cute when the children to try to teach me Bemba. They think it’s so funny when I say words or when they teach me new things.

Within the last week there has been a situation that has been really difficult. The biological mother of John, a Grade 1 student, came to the school demanding that we return John to her. John has been staying with his guardians, Mary and Aaron who work at the base, for some time. They rescued John from his mother, who is not mentally stable, when she tried to poison him as a baby. John’s mother yelled and insulted Mary (which in this culture can get you arrested) and made a huge scene. Because John is big enough to work now, she decided that it was time to get him back so he can do physical labor- like a slave literally). She wanted to take him to a village that’s 8 hours away and not allow him to ever return. By the time the leader of the base and the head teacher were able to go after John and his mother they were already on the boat traveling to the village.

Over the last four months I have experienced and learned a lot. One of the most interesting things that I have learned about is choice and pain. In my culture we expect options. We feel like we have the right to choose- to have choices. In many ways if there is not choice we feel insulted or get upset or our identity is gone. If we go to someone’s home we are offered different choices of what to drink or what to eat. When we are young we want to choose what to wear so we can feel grown.  Even when we go to the grocery store there are endless amounts of choice. All throughout life we choose. But what if all choice was gone? Here in Zambia if you offer someone something to drink and you offer someone different choices of what to drink they are confused. Here they never have enough to offer or have choice. When someone comes to visit you offer everything you have. But if there is a choice then they believe that you are keeping something back and not wanting them to have it. They see it not as “which do you prefer” but as “you can’t have both because I want to keep some and not give it to you.”

In America we focus on living a pain-free lifestyle. We want things to be easy or convenient.  People easily get upset when someone cuts them off while driving or if something doesn’t go as they wanted. It was remarkable to listen to one of the Zambian missionaries talk about pain and death. I have learned to respect and admire Ringwell while being here. He shared about the death of his daughter; that he was sad and mournful of her death but that he realized that even he will die someday and that he was blessed for the time that God allowed him to have her. Only two weeks ago Ringwell’s wife, Dyness, was in a serious vehicle accident. She was traveling back to Mpulungu from her home village on a truck when the brakes of the truck went out while going down the side of the mountain. The driver ran the truck into the side of the mountain so it didn’t go off the cliff. The truck flipped and landed right at the edge of the cliff. Dyness told how when she realized that the truck was out of control she didn’t freak out but rather had the peace of God. She explained how she felt a hand hold her and gently put her down in the accident. It was truly the work of God because Dyness was thrown from the truck and only had minor scratches and bruises. There were several deaths and many left in serious condition. While talking with Ringwell someone asked how he felt about God sparing his wife but taking his daughter.  The question had to be repeated because he hadn’t considered it to be inconsistent or surprising. He sees that God clearly wants his wife to still be alive and is thankful, but he would not have felt like God did something unfair if he had chosen to take her now.

I think as Americans we hurt ourselves more by trying to block out pain or strive for a pain free life. Having pain in life can teach numerous things: what true joy is, valuing life more, valuing relationships, building character through difficult situations. I truly believe that it’s not a situation that defines us but rather what we do in that situation that makes us who we are. Every day, Zambians see death and pain but they still have this incredible joy and amazing way of living life.

A funny story- One weekend I was very sick and slept a lot. Most of the people staying on the base left to go to a village. It was just Alofa (who is from Papa New Guinea) and I at the flat. We decided not to set alarms and just sleep in. Well by 9am there were some people pounding on the door. I was still sick and didn’t want to get up. After about 30 min of off and on pounding finally I hear Alofa yell “What do you want?” in an upset tone which for her is very rare. The person replied that he just wanted to say “hi”. Alofa strongly informed him that that was not a good enough reason!  We found out later that day from some of the Zambian missionary wives the true reason. Apparently because the people on the base didn’t see us up at 7am they thought something serious had happened to us so they kept sending different people to pound on the door. Haha! Lorrin, the base leader’s wife, tried to explain to them that we are most likely fine and that it’s our culture to sleep in and not get up at 4am which is culturally normal here.

I can hardly believe that my time here is coming to an end. I have learned so much while being here and feel so blessed to have had this opportunity to minister to others and share God’s word and love. In one week I will be leaving Mpulungu and traveling to Kabwe and Livingston to see Victoria Falls before getting on my plane home on July 29^th. Before leaving Mpulungu I will be traveling to Tongwa village for my last village adventure. This will be the first medical trip with the new medical boat that I have done so much painting on. In Tongwa we will be doing eye tests, HIV awareness, hygiene, children physicals, research on dominant diseases and medical issues in the area, children’s activities, sports and showing the Jesus film. I am so excited and looking forward to what God has in store. Another exciting announcement is that the Lord has truly lain on my heart this last month that I should be baptized. I have done a lot of thinking and praying about this. I will be baptized in the Lake here this Saturday July 16^th. Christopher, the base leader, will be baptizing me and two other people.

Please keep in your prayers- that John will return safely, the children at the Orphan School, the medical trip to Tongwa Village will go well and make good relations with the people there and for my safe travels during the next two weeks. Thank you.

I am really looking forward to seeing family and friends when I return home. Thank you all for your prayers, love and support. I can’t tell you how much it has meant to me. Take care. God bless.

Pictures

Puzzle and I

Field

Issac

Steven

One of the Student receiving new uniforms. We spent many weeks making them at the house.

Sunset at the fishing docks

A Zambian fishing/ transportation boat

On our way to Kalambo Falls

Cattle on the one street dirt road

This was amazing. This tree is growing on the side of the cliff towards the top of Kalambo Falls.

To the right side would be the falls. This is the valley that the bottom river runs through. The right side is Tanzania and the left is Zambia. The river divides the two countries.

Kalambo falls is the worlds largest free falling water fall.

Brooms in grinding pots. These pictures are from a museum.

These pictures are from a museum.

These pictures are from a museum.

These pictures are from a museum.

These pictures are from a museum.

Puzzle and I having nap time

A Little of Everything

                Since my last post I have been diligently working on painting the letters of the medical boat and blue boat, painting the OM Lake Tanganyika sign for the base, sewing uniforms for the kids at the Orphan School, going to Chipwa Village, and I have even learned wood working so I could make signs for the different rooms and buildings on the base. Painting the Medical Boat has been a very interesting, long experience. For me to be able to paint the boat we had to get a smaller Zambian fishing boat for me to stand in. Yes stand in. You can imagine this sight and how amusing this was to many. The Medical Boat is rather large and is docked at a fishery which is owned by a Greek family (who have been very generous and kind to us). It stands rather tall compared to the other boats. For it to be docked it has to be tied to to another boat. Because of the angles there is no way to reach where I need to paint from the dock - thus the idea of standing on a little boat came to be. Most of the time when I was painting I would have to hold the Medical boat in one hand, paint with the other while the little boat went back and forth and up and down with the waves. The fishermen bringing the night's catch into the fishery in the morning often decided to come see what I was doing and to sit and watch. When I first began to paint over there not a lot of them knew what to think about this white girl painting, but as time went on they got used to seeing me and to me being around. It has been interesting to be there in the morning and watch the large Zambian fishing boats come back with 10 men on them and little boats stacked on top of them and the fish stored in crates. I have to admit that I have learned a lot about fishing while being there. The men take the large fishing boat packed with men and little boats out at night. The little boats look just like the big boat but a lot smaller. The way they catch fish at night is by using the little boats to lay out the nets and use lanterns to draw the fish in. Then they pull the nets in with fish. When there is a full moon the fisherman do not fish because they hardly catch anything. The moonlight is too bright for the lanterns to draw the fish in.

                Over the last weeks God has shown and taught me so much about myself, my relationship with God, and about the world around me. One of the most touching moments that I have experienced since I have arrived was my visit to Chipwa Village. Chipwa is located right on the Tanzania and Zambia border. And I mean right on the border. On one side of the village is Zambia and the other is Tanzania. There is a river that flows through the middle of the village, dividing the two sides. When we arrived at the village we unloaded the boat and went to meet the Headman. Every village has a Headman who is in charge of the village. We greeted him and the Chipwa missionaries explained to him what we would be doing during our visit. One of the things that surprised me about the look of the village was how clean it was. Every home was well swept, the trash was in trash holes and even some people had potted plants or flowers around their house or hut. The village life literally consisted of the men fishing and women cleaning or cooking. There is a school for them to attend and a few churches. One of the biggest issues in Zambia is education. The majority of the time the highest level of learning for a Zambian is 7th or 8th grade. For them to have completed the 12th grade is a huge accomplishment. The overall Zambia literacy rate is at 67% and in a lot of other areas it's a lot lower then that. Over the years the literacy rate has continued to drop and is still dropping. It is not uncommon for someone to finish school at age 22 or 24 years old due to the fact that everyone has to pay to go to school. During my visit to the village I got the opportunity to walk around and talk to some of the people who live there. A group of woman who I thought to be much older than me told me (with a translator) that they were all 21 or younger. One of them was only 17 years old with 4 kids which amazed me. I asked one of the Chipwa missionaries about family life and family structure. He said it was common for a man to have two or three wives or even more and that girls are married at 13 years old. The way marriage works in the village is if a man stays with a woman overnight then they are married. There is no offical ceremony or papers. He also told me that one of the things the girls look forward to most as children is when they do get married. The children in the village were so precious. They wanted to be near you and to play. When our team was split up into different outreaches, I was assigned to do children ministry. Just playing games and wanting to spend time with them meant the world to them. Even playing "duck, duck, goose" drew a huge crowd. It made me think a lot about the american culture and how children today always want to be entertained or to have the coolest toy. These kids in the village had none of that, nothing but still could find joy and happiness. Most of them make their toys or make up games with other kids. Truly, Americans are selfish and greedy about what they already have been blessed with. God tells us that some are blessed with more so they can give more but hardly do I see anyone willing to truly give to another without wanting something in return. If we do give, then most often we want to be glorified for what we have done and receive praise but the truth is we should give with wanting nothing in return. Jesus gave graciously to those who could not repay him back and gave the glory to God. We are taught at church to "be like Christ" but I hardly ever see anyone truly live it out. Even I have fallen far from this and have learned that just being an okay Christian is not enough. One of the things that touched me a lot when I was in the village was the villagers' lifestyle. The women spend all day getting water, cooking, cleaning, preparing food, etc. The men spend their time fishing, tending to the nets, building boats, etc. So often in America we try to rush through eating, cooking, cleaning, laundry so we can get to "living life". But in the village that is their life. Does their life have any less value then ours? They too are living life. These thoughts any many others filled my mind for days after my visit. It is hard for me to explain it in word the thoughts and ideas that stayed with me.

                In the village you have to be very careful about taking pictures. There is a lot of witchcraft in the villages (a lot). Many people believe that if you take someone's picture you are taking their soul. Also many of the young children had never seen a white person before. When I was walking in the village a lady brought her child up to me. The little boy must have been only a one and half years old. When he saw me he just started to scream and wanted to run away. The mother thought this was so funny. I felt really bad. At that moment I really hated being white. Another thing that I found interesting, that some of the older people believe, is that white people had their soul taken away and that's why we are not black. When ever I sit with children they always like to rub my skin or if I am in the market and a child passes they will reach out and touch my skin.

                We were very pleased to have the Medical Boat "Life Boat" Launch on May 11th. It took several days to prepare food, decorations and to set up for the ceremony. About 100 people attended including a few people of great Honor. A news crew came as well and recorded the ceremony. Christopher (Field Leader for OM Tanganyika) announced that they had broadcast the ceremony on Zambia National News which was really exciting. We are hoping to get a copy soon so we can watch it. Div asked me if I would do a dramatic reading of a letter that was written in 2000 about the first vision and idea of the Medical Boat. Overall it went well. I have to be honest I was very nervous with the people of high honor to one side and a news camera in my face on the other. For those of you who may not know about the Medical Boat- The Medical Boat's mission is to reach remote villages along Lake Tanganyika, touching the lives of the people of Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi, and Congo. Lake Tanganyika is  the world's longest lake. The plan is for the boat to start off with the villages on the part of the lake shore which is in Zambia. Over time everyone's hopes and prays that the ministry will grow where they can have multiple medical boats around the lake. All the countries (except) Zambia have suffered serious war and genocide, leaving the people deeply wounded, not just physically but emotionally as well. A man I recently met is being exported back to Tanzania. He fled his country when war broke out decades ago and made Zambia his home. Now, even though he had lived here for half his life, he must leave and return. Because Mpulungu is a port town I have met many people from all over the world; refugees from the Congo, backpackers from Europe, Tanzanian business people and so forth.

                Throughout the day I can hear the Muslims at the local Mosque saying their prayers and chants. The sound echoes through the town. Very often I see Muslim women dressed from head to toe when I walk through town or the market. It's actually more common for me to see Muslims in full dress than to see a Mzungu (white person). The Muslim community is growing very rapidly in Mpulungu. In fact, Islam is the fast growing religion in Zambia. The second is non-religious. In Mpulungu the Muslim community has donated many water filtering tanks and have several nice schools. Many of the people who have immigrated from Tanzania are Muslim. In Mpulungu the Chief of this region has decided that all the churchs and worship places should be in the same area.

                One of the things I still have not full adjusted to or at least don't remember all the time is the fact that it is wrong for a woman to show her knees but fine if she shows her top. Most days I wish I could just run to the market in shorts (even long ones) rather than having to find a citenge to wear. Mpulungu is still very traditional with this. You rarely see a woman in pants and never in shorts. In the larger, diverse towns it's becoming common to see women with nice pants on but still never shorts. Another thing I still have not gotten use to is the difference in living. Here Zambian Missionaries, a family of four, live on $100 a month (and that's it). A Zambian teacher lives on $97 a month. Most often an American family spends $100 or more a week on groceries alone. Each classroom that is being built cost $3500 - they are building 5 (they do need funding). There are 60 orphans in the school. Each one gets feed twice a day (breakfast and lunch) which is normally all they get fed. It cost $600 a month to feed them which sounds like a lot at first but when you calculate it its only 33 cents per child per day for two meals. Wow! If we had to live on only 33 cents per day for food, we would starve. I have decided that any extra money that is donated to my OM mission account will be given to the orphan school for food and such. The $600 a month still does not include teacher salary, uniforms, school supplies, or anything else.

                My favorite fun memory so far:  One Saturday I went to the base to work on some painting but when I found out that I would not be able to paint what I needed I took the morning off. I decided to kayak to De Bat Island which is about a 30 min swim away. The island is known for two things 1) spirit ceremonies and sacrifices and 2) crocodiles. I paddled to one of the far sides where large rock cliffs were. When you paddle around, past the cliffs you come to a beautiful pebble beach. There I found about 10 monkeys climbing and swinging in the trees on the steep hill side. It was so cute watching them. I just sat there in the kayak watching them play. Then I noticed a large group of bright red dragonflies in the reeds. There were about 30 or more. The water was so clear that you could see deep into the water and watch the tropical fish swim. It was truly an amazing memory.

Chipwa Village

They are so precious!

Zambian Fishing Boat going out at night to fish. It has two little boats on it.

Early in the Morning

Fishing Nets

Zambian Fishing Boats

Bathroom (Not kidding!!!)

Dinner

Medical Boat

I am AMAZED how the woman can carry things

OM Team (I am on the right, behind Elli who is in the lime green)

Cutting the Ribbon

Local Doctor giving a speech about the boat filmed by the News crew

First Official Trip

Light the Lake is the theme (I painted it)

Mariska and I on the boat :)