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.