Practicing headers.
Look at the boy who is next in line. He looks terrifired.
On weekends the girls have their lines for drills and the children have their own lines on the side.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
May Newsletter and Prayer Requests
Hitting the 1 year mark
I’ve heard it said that a journeyman’s second year is much better than the first. That the first year is about adjusting and figuring out your job, and the second year you have a better idea of what your doing and can better enjoy the job. So far, even though it’s only been one month into my second year, I agree that the second year is much more enjoyable than the first. So, as you are guessing, May 6 I hit the one year mark in my term. May 5 was my one year anniversary for graduating PBA.
Homestead stay
One Saturday I spent the night at a family’s homestead. I stayed partly for fun and partly because it was close to the church I was going to the next morning. Their homestead consisted of two buildings. One was the kitchen and it was also where the family’s only son slept. The other building had a sitting room (where the 3 daughters and I slept), a bathroom (literally an empty room used to take basin baths), and the parents’ bedroom. I stayed with the Gama family. The mom and children go to Peace Baptist Church, but the husband is a polygamist and leans towards the traditional Swazi beliefs. The husband is a fireman in Mbabane and the wife, Wendy (who I adore), teaches preschool at the local church. They have 3 daughters, Lando (15), Lihle (13), and Gcnile (10). They have one son who is twin to Gcinile. Nearby is the husband’s family’s homestead. That night I went over with the girls to visit their grandma. She was sitting on a grass mat near the fire under a mud hut. The uncle did not know that I was visiting and so he almost fell off his stool when he saw me walk in. He tested me by offering me something similar to boiled nuts, but the joke was on him. I ate those things up, they’re good.
That night when we were getting ready for bed Wendy showed me pictures from her album. It is a real treat to have pictures and so I know it was special for me to see pictures of the family. As we were laying out the blankets we were to sleep on I opened up the sleeping bag I brought. I didn’t know what the sleeping situation was going to be like and I didn’t want to assume they would have extra blankets for me. They were so amazed at the sleeping bag and the inflatable pillow that goes inside it. I have to admit, the inflatable pillow impresses me too. Wendy and the girls asked questions like “how does it work?”, “how do you lay in it?”, and “do you put blankets inside it?” Wendy wanted to try it out so I got a picture.
Sunday morning we woke up with the sun almost. The girls took me hiking up the top of the mountain that they lived on. Also, I ate sour porridge for breakfast (which I do not recommend). Wendy had told me the night before that she wanted to give me a chicken. I only saw a few chickens so I told her that she didn’t need to give me one, but she insisted and said that they had more but they just weren’t in the coop. I was assuming that they were going to give it to me live. I have no problem killing a chicken if I am starving and that’s my only means for meat, but I’m not going to chop a chicken’s head off when I can just go to the store. So I decided to keep it as a pet and began to think of places to keep it so the dogs could not get it. I saw Lando carrying my new pet chicken when it was almost time for me to go. A few minutes later I went into the kitchen and there was my chicken, headless and Lando had blood on her. I wasn’t too upset about the loss of my new pet. I took it home and fried it.
Soccer team
I have mixed feeling about the girls’ soccer team. There are about 10 girls who are serious about it and want to have a team. But I need at least 12, and would prefer 15. Some practices I’ll have 20 girls. Then the next practice I might have between 8 and 12. Sometimes we practice at a community field and not at the high school. When were at Ntsintsa’s community field local children come and play along, so I set up their own drills on the side. The sweetest thing happened last week. As I was dropping some girls off, I past the corner where the Ntsintsa field is. When I was first learning my way around I knew where to turn for Ntsintsa Baptist Church because of this corner. I called it the corner of the begging children because the kids would always stand and yell out for sweets and money. Well, last week when I passed they started shouting “Kimba! Kimba!” I aksed the girls in the truck with me if they were shouting my name and they said yes. I almost got a little teary eyed right then. I was like, “they’re so sweet. They’re not sweet when they’re constantly trying to steal soccer balls, but right now they’re so sweet.”
Prayer Requests
We are having a meeting this Saturday, June 14 with the national youth committee to, hopefully, finalize plans for youth camp. Also, June 21 will be the national youth leaders retreat. There are two youth leaders from each church and so all are invited to come for the weekend for leadership training. Also, please continue to pray that God will work through me while I’m here. Really, I guess I should say pray that I will continue to be willing to let God work through me. I realize that my time in Swaziland is limited and I do not want to become useless, or become busy with many things but it not be the things God wants me to do, so therefore be busy but still useless becomes I am not busy doing God’s will. Pray that I will take time to stop and listen to the roosters crow, smell the bus exhaust in town and the cattle in the country, to watch the sunsets, to enjoy the flowers, to smile and give a friendly word to those I meet, and to take captive every moment God has given me here.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Bible Study at Sympathy Church
Sympathy Baptist Church is a very rural church. It does not even have a building. The people gather in a small shack used for grinding corn. On Tuesday afternoons I do a children's bible study there. One week, the girls from soccer practice decided to all ride with me to the bible study. It was a very blessed time as the older youth played with the children of that area.
In the background is the bilding where the church meets on Sundays.
In the background is the bilding where the church meets on Sundays.
Easter in Swaziland '08
Watching "The Passion of the Christ" at a homestead
at Hawane.
The children made cross necklaces at Easter services.
The Hawane youth choir at Easter services.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
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March and April
Back:
I saw the doctor in Joburg and he said the scar on my back is healing normally. I am able to run now and, even though I am technically not supposed to play sports for another week, I played ultimate Frisbee on Sunday and everything was ok. There is absolutely no pain.
Easter Services:
There was a good turnout of about 200 people. Julia and I had the children for at least 2 hours each day. We used a combination of stories and drama to tell of Christ’s death and resurrection. We also taught them some new games like 4 corners.
Some doctrinal confusion was revealed during the services, for instance speaking in tongues. I think as a result of watching televised Pentecostal services)
Meetings:
The morning after Easter services we left for Joburg for a big regional meeting (AMTM). There were over 500 missionary adults and children there with the IMB from all over southern Africa. The meetings were surprisingly interesting and helpful to my ministry. It was nice to here about what things work for other people and what doesn’t so that I can learn from their mistakes. After the AMTM was single’s retreat. This was for all the single missionaries from the 20-somethings to the 60+ group. I was just excited to see my friend Jena who works in Uganda. After a week and a half of living out of a suitcase I was ready to come back to Swaziland.
Peanut:
The day we left Joburg I fell in love. His name is Peanut and he is about 9in high and about a foot and a half long. He’s a reddish brown 3 year old dachshund. A missionary family is going stateside for a few months and was giving him away. Julia and I jumped at the offer.
School Break:
School break starts April 18 and lasts about 3weeks. Weekends and school breaks are my busiest times since that’s when the students are not in school. I’m trying to figure out what to do during this school break. I’m still in the planning stages of partnering with a high school to starting a girl’s soccer team. I know how Kingdom values can be easily incorporated into sportsmanship. I’m really hoping and praying that this soccer team works out. Athletics (maybe not so much soccer, but that’s what is big here) is an area where God has gifted me and I want to use that gift for Him.
Also, lately I’ve been looking into a “Reach for Life” book to see if the 40 lesson study that accompanies the book would be a good thing to do in Swaziland. Please pray that God will make clear what He wants me to do in my future ministry, specifically school break.
Finally:
I’ve entered another phase of homesickness lately. I think mostly because I’m missing out on my older sister’s wedding planning: important stuff, like picking out her wedding dress, that I always thought that I would be there for.
I saw the doctor in Joburg and he said the scar on my back is healing normally. I am able to run now and, even though I am technically not supposed to play sports for another week, I played ultimate Frisbee on Sunday and everything was ok. There is absolutely no pain.
Easter Services:
There was a good turnout of about 200 people. Julia and I had the children for at least 2 hours each day. We used a combination of stories and drama to tell of Christ’s death and resurrection. We also taught them some new games like 4 corners.
Some doctrinal confusion was revealed during the services, for instance speaking in tongues. I think as a result of watching televised Pentecostal services)
Meetings:
The morning after Easter services we left for Joburg for a big regional meeting (AMTM). There were over 500 missionary adults and children there with the IMB from all over southern Africa. The meetings were surprisingly interesting and helpful to my ministry. It was nice to here about what things work for other people and what doesn’t so that I can learn from their mistakes. After the AMTM was single’s retreat. This was for all the single missionaries from the 20-somethings to the 60+ group. I was just excited to see my friend Jena who works in Uganda. After a week and a half of living out of a suitcase I was ready to come back to Swaziland.
Peanut:
The day we left Joburg I fell in love. His name is Peanut and he is about 9in high and about a foot and a half long. He’s a reddish brown 3 year old dachshund. A missionary family is going stateside for a few months and was giving him away. Julia and I jumped at the offer.
School Break:
School break starts April 18 and lasts about 3weeks. Weekends and school breaks are my busiest times since that’s when the students are not in school. I’m trying to figure out what to do during this school break. I’m still in the planning stages of partnering with a high school to starting a girl’s soccer team. I know how Kingdom values can be easily incorporated into sportsmanship. I’m really hoping and praying that this soccer team works out. Athletics (maybe not so much soccer, but that’s what is big here) is an area where God has gifted me and I want to use that gift for Him.
Also, lately I’ve been looking into a “Reach for Life” book to see if the 40 lesson study that accompanies the book would be a good thing to do in Swaziland. Please pray that God will make clear what He wants me to do in my future ministry, specifically school break.
Finally:
I’ve entered another phase of homesickness lately. I think mostly because I’m missing out on my older sister’s wedding planning: important stuff, like picking out her wedding dress, that I always thought that I would be there for.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Pics of Christmas and MK Camp
Swazi team on Christmas Day
Me decorating our Christmas tree
The Power Puffins. Don't we look intimidating?
Me decorating our Christmas tree
The Power Puffins. Don't we look intimidating?
Christmas, New Years, and Prayer Requests
News letter on Christmas and New Years
My Christmas was really good. Christmas Eve a bunch of people went to a couple’s house who I’m friends with. The wife goes to a lady’s Bible study I attend. So, there were a lot of people from the study along with their families and some neighbors. The food was good and I had fun. Christmas Day Julia and the Allen’s came to the house and we had biscuits and gravy. Then Julia and I started opening presents. All of them were from her family. I still haven’t received the boxes my family sent me. I thought it was nice that her family sent me stuff. It was like lotions and other little things, but it was still thoughtful. Then the whole team had lunch at our house. I was busy cooking even though everyone brought food. I made a big pot of mashed potatoes, salad, and corn. It was a lot of fun. I liked having people of all different ages, including kids, because then it was more like a family atmosphere. We did a gift exchange.
The day after Christmas I left for Joburg. I worked MK (missionary kid) camp about an hour west of Joburg. There were about 60 kids whose parents are missionaries with our company. They came from all over Southern Africa including Madagascar and other Indian Ocean islands. I stayed in a room with seven 13 year old girls. Half of which were incredibly boy crazy, but they were so much fun. We had some late nights and I was completely exhausted by the end of the 4 days, but I loved every minute of it. I’ve only gone to basketball camps, one volleyball, and once 4-H camp. So, it was like church camp/ summer camp for me. I had to keep reminding myself that it was MK camp, not Kimber camp. I played sports with them and everything. (By the way, you can stop laughing about me going to 4-H camp. It was cool at the time.) My sport’s team was the Power Puffins (I didn’t choose the name). We never won an event, but we did win the spirit hippo one day. I had to suppress my competitive side a bit. Apparently not everyone is as set on winning as I am (that might be an understatement).
I asked around and there aren’t any Christmas or New Year traditions that are much different from how they are celebrated in the US. One person told me that they got the holidays from the British, so they celebrate them much like the British. However, there are a few things that are different. Christmas seems to be celebrated more like Thanksgiving – a family day with feasting. Some teenage girls I talked to that live in a semi-rural area were excited about getting to have rice and meat. Easter is the big Christian holiday (as it probably should be in the US). For Christmas, people do exchange gifts, but it’s on a much smaller scale then how Americans do it. There are little decorations too. As you know, Christmas and New Years occur in the summer time here, so braai’s (aka bbq’s) are big on those days. It seems that they are both family holidays with good food and dancing. Also, I think that the ways the Swazi people celebrate these holidays also depends on how westernized they are. Those in the cities are more likely to have a Christmas tree and get more into presents. Many of the Christians go to church on Christmas and later meet to pray in the New Year as well. There is a small influence of Santa Claus. He is known as Father Christmas and is popular mostly with the whites from South Africa.
Also, the church I attended the Sunday before Christmas had a special party. They borrowed a large tent, had a decorated Christmas tree, did a nearly church wide gift exchange ( I was elected to stand up front and call out (struggle through) the names on the gifts), then had a huge braai afterwards. The bbq chicken was so good.
One more thing. I doubt this is the case everywhere, but in one area this happened. Some of the people in the community committed to giving a little bit of money each month to a pot. Then a couple days before Christmas someone went to town and bought a whole bunch of food so that each family would be able to have a good Christmas meal. I thought that was neat and smart, because a lot of times the Swazis are not good at saving money.
Sorry it took me so long to get this out. I’ve been very busy lately. Please pray for the following:
- Monica and her pregnancy
- Safe travels for me as I take vacation in Cairo Feb 10-21
- My doctors appointment on Feb 21
As always you can view pics on my blog Kimber-swazitales.blogspot.com.
Thanks, Kimber
My Christmas was really good. Christmas Eve a bunch of people went to a couple’s house who I’m friends with. The wife goes to a lady’s Bible study I attend. So, there were a lot of people from the study along with their families and some neighbors. The food was good and I had fun. Christmas Day Julia and the Allen’s came to the house and we had biscuits and gravy. Then Julia and I started opening presents. All of them were from her family. I still haven’t received the boxes my family sent me. I thought it was nice that her family sent me stuff. It was like lotions and other little things, but it was still thoughtful. Then the whole team had lunch at our house. I was busy cooking even though everyone brought food. I made a big pot of mashed potatoes, salad, and corn. It was a lot of fun. I liked having people of all different ages, including kids, because then it was more like a family atmosphere. We did a gift exchange.
The day after Christmas I left for Joburg. I worked MK (missionary kid) camp about an hour west of Joburg. There were about 60 kids whose parents are missionaries with our company. They came from all over Southern Africa including Madagascar and other Indian Ocean islands. I stayed in a room with seven 13 year old girls. Half of which were incredibly boy crazy, but they were so much fun. We had some late nights and I was completely exhausted by the end of the 4 days, but I loved every minute of it. I’ve only gone to basketball camps, one volleyball, and once 4-H camp. So, it was like church camp/ summer camp for me. I had to keep reminding myself that it was MK camp, not Kimber camp. I played sports with them and everything. (By the way, you can stop laughing about me going to 4-H camp. It was cool at the time.) My sport’s team was the Power Puffins (I didn’t choose the name). We never won an event, but we did win the spirit hippo one day. I had to suppress my competitive side a bit. Apparently not everyone is as set on winning as I am (that might be an understatement).
I asked around and there aren’t any Christmas or New Year traditions that are much different from how they are celebrated in the US. One person told me that they got the holidays from the British, so they celebrate them much like the British. However, there are a few things that are different. Christmas seems to be celebrated more like Thanksgiving – a family day with feasting. Some teenage girls I talked to that live in a semi-rural area were excited about getting to have rice and meat. Easter is the big Christian holiday (as it probably should be in the US). For Christmas, people do exchange gifts, but it’s on a much smaller scale then how Americans do it. There are little decorations too. As you know, Christmas and New Years occur in the summer time here, so braai’s (aka bbq’s) are big on those days. It seems that they are both family holidays with good food and dancing. Also, I think that the ways the Swazi people celebrate these holidays also depends on how westernized they are. Those in the cities are more likely to have a Christmas tree and get more into presents. Many of the Christians go to church on Christmas and later meet to pray in the New Year as well. There is a small influence of Santa Claus. He is known as Father Christmas and is popular mostly with the whites from South Africa.
Also, the church I attended the Sunday before Christmas had a special party. They borrowed a large tent, had a decorated Christmas tree, did a nearly church wide gift exchange ( I was elected to stand up front and call out (struggle through) the names on the gifts), then had a huge braai afterwards. The bbq chicken was so good.
One more thing. I doubt this is the case everywhere, but in one area this happened. Some of the people in the community committed to giving a little bit of money each month to a pot. Then a couple days before Christmas someone went to town and bought a whole bunch of food so that each family would be able to have a good Christmas meal. I thought that was neat and smart, because a lot of times the Swazis are not good at saving money.
Sorry it took me so long to get this out. I’ve been very busy lately. Please pray for the following:
- Monica and her pregnancy
- Safe travels for me as I take vacation in Cairo Feb 10-21
- My doctors appointment on Feb 21
As always you can view pics on my blog Kimber-swazitales.blogspot.com.
Thanks, Kimber
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Pics of Sibebe Christmas Party
Adding pieces to the nativity scene.
Just because the girls swim topless, does not mean I can slack on modesty.
Sibebe Christmas Party
The Sibebe Christmas party was so much fun! I think it is the highlight of my time in Africa thus far. We started off with ice cream and cookies, then one of the girls read the story of Jesus’ birth and about the wise men visiting. I gave pieces of a nativity set to some of the kids so that when we got to the part in the story that had to do with the character they had, they would add that character to the scene. I shared some pictures with them of my sister’s first grade class because they are going to be pen pals. Then we played games and went swimming in the river that we meet beside. After that we sang Christmas songs.
I know that ice cream is a rare treat for them. You should have seen their faces when I was opening the container. It was like Wiley Coyote craving to eat the Road Runner. They were patient though, that is until I told them they could go for seconds. Then there was a little pushing and shoving, but for the most part they are very well behaved kids. Also they were pleasantly surprised to find out that I was going swimming with them.
I know that ice cream is a rare treat for them. You should have seen their faces when I was opening the container. It was like Wiley Coyote craving to eat the Road Runner. They were patient though, that is until I told them they could go for seconds. Then there was a little pushing and shoving, but for the most part they are very well behaved kids. Also they were pleasantly surprised to find out that I was going swimming with them.
Manzini Youth Rally Recap
First off, thank you to everyone who prayed for this rally. It was really good. We had about 25-30 people who attended. Some people didn’t stay the whole time so it’s hard to get an exact number. We had planned for 50-60 youth so I was a little disappointed at first. However, now I think it was a good thing to have a smaller group. We had plenty of food, plenty of sleeping space, a smaller group of teenagers is easier to control, and I think the youth were able to get more out of the sessions.
The weather was weird for this time of year. These are the last couple weeks of spring so it should be hot, but it was rainy and really cold. Because of this everyone had to sleep inside the church building instead of the boys sleeping in the big revival tent, and outdoor games became indoor games.
The main theme for this youth rally was Purity, specifically sexual purity. Swaziland has the highest infection rate for HIV/AIDS so sexual purity is a necessary issue to address. We watched the movie “Beat the Drum.” It was filmed just a couple hours south of Swaziland and is about a Zulu boy’s travel to Joburg and how AIDS affects him and the lives of those he meets along the way. One of the speakers shared a couple of Country-Western style gospel songs sung in siSwati. I never thought I would ever hear anything like it, but he was really good and I enjoyed it a lot. The next morning I gave the morning devotion and the main verse I used was 1 Timothy 4:12, “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, life, love, faith, and purity.” Actually, without meaning to, all four speakers mentioned this verse. The pastor at the Manzini Baptist Church, the church where the rally was held, gave a True Love Waits presentation and some of the youth preformed a skit.
We had indoor games which included egg races, bean bag toss, and musical chairs. Then we separated boys and girls and had times of discussion. During this time there was a Swazi speaker for each group who talked a little, but mostly left room for people to ask questions. I obviously sat in on the girls’ session. I couldn’t understand most of what was said, but I did notice that some of the women who also sat in on the session would answer questions for the girls. I think this is great because it allowed the older women to offer advice for the younger ones. Plus, topics like boyfriends and sex are not always discussed with a mix of younger and older women, so it was good for both age groups to share. The last session was about relating sexual purity and the Bible. Also, we worshipped in between sessions.
At church this morning I talked to three girls who were at the rally. They all said they enjoyed it. One said her favorite part was the girls’ discussion time, that she learned more about what it means to be pure, and that she is going to tell others about what she learned. Another said that she wouldn’t change a thing about the rally.
The weather was weird for this time of year. These are the last couple weeks of spring so it should be hot, but it was rainy and really cold. Because of this everyone had to sleep inside the church building instead of the boys sleeping in the big revival tent, and outdoor games became indoor games.
The main theme for this youth rally was Purity, specifically sexual purity. Swaziland has the highest infection rate for HIV/AIDS so sexual purity is a necessary issue to address. We watched the movie “Beat the Drum.” It was filmed just a couple hours south of Swaziland and is about a Zulu boy’s travel to Joburg and how AIDS affects him and the lives of those he meets along the way. One of the speakers shared a couple of Country-Western style gospel songs sung in siSwati. I never thought I would ever hear anything like it, but he was really good and I enjoyed it a lot. The next morning I gave the morning devotion and the main verse I used was 1 Timothy 4:12, “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, life, love, faith, and purity.” Actually, without meaning to, all four speakers mentioned this verse. The pastor at the Manzini Baptist Church, the church where the rally was held, gave a True Love Waits presentation and some of the youth preformed a skit.
We had indoor games which included egg races, bean bag toss, and musical chairs. Then we separated boys and girls and had times of discussion. During this time there was a Swazi speaker for each group who talked a little, but mostly left room for people to ask questions. I obviously sat in on the girls’ session. I couldn’t understand most of what was said, but I did notice that some of the women who also sat in on the session would answer questions for the girls. I think this is great because it allowed the older women to offer advice for the younger ones. Plus, topics like boyfriends and sex are not always discussed with a mix of younger and older women, so it was good for both age groups to share. The last session was about relating sexual purity and the Bible. Also, we worshipped in between sessions.
At church this morning I talked to three girls who were at the rally. They all said they enjoyed it. One said her favorite part was the girls’ discussion time, that she learned more about what it means to be pure, and that she is going to tell others about what she learned. Another said that she wouldn’t change a thing about the rally.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
more pics from 40-40
Lusaka near the bus rank.
Jena and I may have been roughing it in the bush, but we still found a way to do pedicures one night.
Jena and I outside of the hut we stayed in for the home stay.
40-40 pics
Me and JoJo with our Zambian helper for Lusaka, Christine.
Left:Daisy, then me visiting a home for a DFA.
Me holding what, at the time, we believed to be a (dead) black mamba.
Vinnie bathing.
My 40-40 Experience
Well, 40-40 definitely was an experience. I went into it with a positive attitude. I was ready to be reunited with some friends from training in Richmond and I thought that it would be a fun experience. Now, looking back over the past month there are both good and bad memories. If I had the opportunity to do it over again I probably would not. It’s one of those things that you do only once.
For those of you who do not know what 40-40 is, let me explain. It gets its name because it used to be 40 days and 40 nights. It has since been shortened to 30 days and 30 nights. It is basically a mandatory month long orientation/training on African culture for all new missionaries in the CESA (Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa) Region. We spent 2 weeks in Lusaka, 10 days camping in the bush, 3 days at a home stay, and four days debriefing at a guest house near Lusaka. There were about 30 people that went through the program this time. Some would work with logistics, some would be out in the boondocks, some older, some younger, some married with children, some single. It was definitely more challenging for those who were older and those who had children. Now on to my adventure…
I liked Lusaka alright. We stayed at a seminary just outside of town. Some days we had lectures about different areas of African culture and different traditional beliefs. The main thing when did there was each day we had a different Daily Field Assignment (DFA). We were put in pairs and then given a Zambian helper/translator who would go out with us. We would take the public transportation of mini busses to different parts of Lusaka. The first day our assignment was just to observe. The next day we were supposed to have conversations to get to know more information about people. Some days we were supposed to ask about different forms of health care and diseases in the area. Other days we would share our testimonies and the Creation to Christ story.
I was paired up with JoJo and my Zambian helper was Christine. JoJo and her husband are going to be serving in Tanzania among college students. Christine took us to the township of Matero everyday. I got kind of tired of going to the same place every day, but it was a very large township so we were able to explore different parts of it. So, we did the DFAs in the mornings, went back to the seminary for lunch, then debriefed with the other groups. Some days other groups would come back with amazing stories about miraculous healings, dreams the Zambians have had, and, most excitingly, about people accepting Christ. JoJo and I talked about this and realized we had something in common: we never have those stories. We both said that we always attract either real strong Christians who are leaders in their church or we attract crazy people. Still, I celebrate that there were many won to faith in Christ Jesus.
Another thing I enjoyed about Lusaka was the ice cream. Also, if I did not like what was for dinner I could always eat cookies that we had for tea time. This may very well be the reason I was somehow able to gain weight during 40-40. Weigh more after camping in the bush? Weird, I know.
We took a 6 hour bus ride to Petauke, which is a small town out in the middle of the bush of Zambia. My favorite sign soon became “Ice Cold Coca Cola Sold Here.” It was HOT! We stayed in tents about 20minutes outside of town. They were nice tents. They also had set up a kitchen area. All toilets were like outhouses. Some of them had seats, but others were just a hole in the floor. To shower I would take my bucket to the well, pump water, carry my bucket to the shower area, pour the water from my bucket into the bucket in the shower, pull the rope on that went through a pulley and attached to the bucket, tie off the rope, and then turn the shower nozzle that was on the bottom of the bucket whenever I wanted water to come out. It was actually kind of neat. I could have used a kettle to heat up water over the fire for my showers, but since it was hot I preferred the cooler water.
For breakfasts we would usually have cereal, some kind of egg, some kind of meat, and bread. Lunches were most always local food. This nearly every day included nshima (white stuff that has no taste and has a consistency similar to mashed potatoes), chicken or beef, and cabbage in some form. Sometimes we had rice instead of nshima. This made me and many of the others happy! The Zambians love nshima though. I like it ok, just not everyday. It’s funny because every Zambian I asked “what is your favorite food?” Their answers were all “nshima.” I guess that’s a good thing because they eat it for almost every meal; I sure hope that they like it. It’s cheap and filling. Anyways, at dinner we usually had an attempt at more American type food. I loved it when it was someone’s birthday, because then we had dessert!
In Petauke we did the same type thing we did in Lusaka. We had DFAs and then would debrief in the afternoons. This time I was paired with Jena (she works in an AIDS clinic in Uganda and she is one of my dear close friends) and our Zambian helper was Daisy. One day when our DFA was about health and medicine my group and a few other groups visited traditional healers (aka witch doctors). It wasn’t how many of you are probably picturing it. There were no monkey heads on the walls or anything like that. The guy we visited was located in town in a normal looking building. He was dress in Western clothes and greeted us outside and welcomed us in. He prided himself on being the most famous traditional healer in the area. He had a big sheet on the wall that said something like “Zambian Traditional Healers Association” and it listed all the diseases on it. Most diseases were related to sex, but HIV, Polio, and Malaria were also listed. He even offers a love potion, but he said that he will not sell it to people who are going to use it for adultery. He says that he is a Christian and that he and his family go to church. At the same time he gives out charms to heal people. When I asked what makes a charm made of wood different from an ordinary piece of wood he said that he grinds up root from a certain tree and puts it in the charm. He kind of dodged my question. Actually, he avoided all our questions that had anything to do with anything spiritual. I remember seeing a container labeled amoxicillin too. This is a very clear example of syncretism in African religion. Also, he taped our whole conversation which I think is very weird. The people say that the witch doctors are much more expensive than the clinics, yet many people still go to them. One reason I think is because they can’t always pay money to the clinics, but the witch doctor will take payment by chickens or other goods.
I like camping if it’s for 2 or 3 days, but 10 days got really old. I was tired and frustrated by about day 5 of camping. One day I was so frustrated that I threw my bucket across the shower area. But a few days later we moved out of our tent and into a hut for the 3 days and 3 nights of home stay. Jena and I were paired up again. Some people stayed in the town and some stayed in the villages. We stayed in a village. We had a mud hut with a thatched roof all to ourselves. It was very cute actually. I could tell how much work they had put into fixing it up for us and I am still very appreciative of that. We were with a family (family includes the extended family on the father’s side) that had only two men, a few women, and lots of children. Jena and I both grew closest to the wife, Esna. She is only 23 and she has been married for about 6 years and has two children. She does so much for her family. I have so so much respect for her. I realize that this is an outsiders view, but the African women seems to work so much more than the African man. The man works in the fields, but his workload depends on the season. The woman cooks, cleans, does laundry, fetches water, takes care of the kids, etc everyday. Plus she also helps out in the fields. And she is shown little respect from her husband. I’m not one of those girls who is big on women’s rights either. Their children were Elizabeth and Vincent. Vinnie, as they called him, was also nicknamed “Mr. Trouble” because he was always getting into something like a typical 2 year old. Eliz was funny too. She loved to dance. There was also a 13 year old girl named Memory. I love her! She would go everywhere with us. The last two nights she even slept in our hut with us. Some things we did at the home stay include shelling groundnuts, fetching water, learning how to cook over fire, laundry, making home made peanut butter, hanging out and talking, and eating. They fed us plenty of food. Lots of nshima of course. The husband kept pressuring us to eat more, but nshima is so filling I couldn’t eat all the food they had served. I ate a lot of mangos too. They were so good.
We put rat poison out the first night. That first night was so hot! Jena and I shared a twin bed. There was a tarp hung on the ceiling so that dirt from the thatched roof wouldn’t fall down. The first night we laid there sweaty and terrified because of the heat and because we could hear a mouse crawling around on the tarp. I’m normally not scared of mice, but I don’t want them around me when I’m sleeping. We had a mosquito net hung and we tucked it under the mattress so that nothing could get in. I just didn’t want the dead mouse to fall and land on the net and hang over my face. It didn’t though. We did hear it die after it ate the poison. Lying in bed the first night Jena said “I wish we had a window.” I looked over at her and said “If you had one wish, that’s what you would wish for? A window?” We both laughed. We laughed a lot; we pretty much had to laugh. So, I experienced new things at the home stay. Some were not fun, but they are reality for the every day life of a rural African. I left the home stay with new friends and a better understanding of what everyday life is like for the rural African people. I know I’ve already said this, but it needs to be said again: I have so much respect for them.
After the home stay we had a 7 hour bus ride to a guest house an hour on the opposite side of Lusaka. We were kind of pampered there. There was a nice pool and we had our own rooms with air conditioning and tv. I was most excited about the indoor plumbing. We did debriefing there and had classes on the PILOT method of language learning. Our last full day there was Thanksgiving Day. It actually reminded me of Thanksgiving when I was a kid. It was hot, which I’m used to having warm Thanksgivings. We ate on the patio near the pool, which was like eating at the kids’ table outside on the back porch by the pool at my grandparents’ house. We didn’t have turkey, but we did have mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, banana pudding with real vanilla wafers, pumpkin pie-ish dessert, chicken, roast, green beans, and rolls. I was pleased. The next day I flew back to Joburg.
So, that is my 40-40 experience. There are many other stories I can tell, but there are too many to write. I can’t say that I liked 40-40, but it’s not like I flat out hated it either. It was just ok. I feel like it is more for those going into church planting and that it is about a week longer than it needs to be. I did learn while I was there. Also, there were 30-something professions of faith in Jesus while we were there. They seem to be legit too. How can you put a price tag on that?
For those of you who do not know what 40-40 is, let me explain. It gets its name because it used to be 40 days and 40 nights. It has since been shortened to 30 days and 30 nights. It is basically a mandatory month long orientation/training on African culture for all new missionaries in the CESA (Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa) Region. We spent 2 weeks in Lusaka, 10 days camping in the bush, 3 days at a home stay, and four days debriefing at a guest house near Lusaka. There were about 30 people that went through the program this time. Some would work with logistics, some would be out in the boondocks, some older, some younger, some married with children, some single. It was definitely more challenging for those who were older and those who had children. Now on to my adventure…
I liked Lusaka alright. We stayed at a seminary just outside of town. Some days we had lectures about different areas of African culture and different traditional beliefs. The main thing when did there was each day we had a different Daily Field Assignment (DFA). We were put in pairs and then given a Zambian helper/translator who would go out with us. We would take the public transportation of mini busses to different parts of Lusaka. The first day our assignment was just to observe. The next day we were supposed to have conversations to get to know more information about people. Some days we were supposed to ask about different forms of health care and diseases in the area. Other days we would share our testimonies and the Creation to Christ story.
I was paired up with JoJo and my Zambian helper was Christine. JoJo and her husband are going to be serving in Tanzania among college students. Christine took us to the township of Matero everyday. I got kind of tired of going to the same place every day, but it was a very large township so we were able to explore different parts of it. So, we did the DFAs in the mornings, went back to the seminary for lunch, then debriefed with the other groups. Some days other groups would come back with amazing stories about miraculous healings, dreams the Zambians have had, and, most excitingly, about people accepting Christ. JoJo and I talked about this and realized we had something in common: we never have those stories. We both said that we always attract either real strong Christians who are leaders in their church or we attract crazy people. Still, I celebrate that there were many won to faith in Christ Jesus.
Another thing I enjoyed about Lusaka was the ice cream. Also, if I did not like what was for dinner I could always eat cookies that we had for tea time. This may very well be the reason I was somehow able to gain weight during 40-40. Weigh more after camping in the bush? Weird, I know.
We took a 6 hour bus ride to Petauke, which is a small town out in the middle of the bush of Zambia. My favorite sign soon became “Ice Cold Coca Cola Sold Here.” It was HOT! We stayed in tents about 20minutes outside of town. They were nice tents. They also had set up a kitchen area. All toilets were like outhouses. Some of them had seats, but others were just a hole in the floor. To shower I would take my bucket to the well, pump water, carry my bucket to the shower area, pour the water from my bucket into the bucket in the shower, pull the rope on that went through a pulley and attached to the bucket, tie off the rope, and then turn the shower nozzle that was on the bottom of the bucket whenever I wanted water to come out. It was actually kind of neat. I could have used a kettle to heat up water over the fire for my showers, but since it was hot I preferred the cooler water.
For breakfasts we would usually have cereal, some kind of egg, some kind of meat, and bread. Lunches were most always local food. This nearly every day included nshima (white stuff that has no taste and has a consistency similar to mashed potatoes), chicken or beef, and cabbage in some form. Sometimes we had rice instead of nshima. This made me and many of the others happy! The Zambians love nshima though. I like it ok, just not everyday. It’s funny because every Zambian I asked “what is your favorite food?” Their answers were all “nshima.” I guess that’s a good thing because they eat it for almost every meal; I sure hope that they like it. It’s cheap and filling. Anyways, at dinner we usually had an attempt at more American type food. I loved it when it was someone’s birthday, because then we had dessert!
In Petauke we did the same type thing we did in Lusaka. We had DFAs and then would debrief in the afternoons. This time I was paired with Jena (she works in an AIDS clinic in Uganda and she is one of my dear close friends) and our Zambian helper was Daisy. One day when our DFA was about health and medicine my group and a few other groups visited traditional healers (aka witch doctors). It wasn’t how many of you are probably picturing it. There were no monkey heads on the walls or anything like that. The guy we visited was located in town in a normal looking building. He was dress in Western clothes and greeted us outside and welcomed us in. He prided himself on being the most famous traditional healer in the area. He had a big sheet on the wall that said something like “Zambian Traditional Healers Association” and it listed all the diseases on it. Most diseases were related to sex, but HIV, Polio, and Malaria were also listed. He even offers a love potion, but he said that he will not sell it to people who are going to use it for adultery. He says that he is a Christian and that he and his family go to church. At the same time he gives out charms to heal people. When I asked what makes a charm made of wood different from an ordinary piece of wood he said that he grinds up root from a certain tree and puts it in the charm. He kind of dodged my question. Actually, he avoided all our questions that had anything to do with anything spiritual. I remember seeing a container labeled amoxicillin too. This is a very clear example of syncretism in African religion. Also, he taped our whole conversation which I think is very weird. The people say that the witch doctors are much more expensive than the clinics, yet many people still go to them. One reason I think is because they can’t always pay money to the clinics, but the witch doctor will take payment by chickens or other goods.
I like camping if it’s for 2 or 3 days, but 10 days got really old. I was tired and frustrated by about day 5 of camping. One day I was so frustrated that I threw my bucket across the shower area. But a few days later we moved out of our tent and into a hut for the 3 days and 3 nights of home stay. Jena and I were paired up again. Some people stayed in the town and some stayed in the villages. We stayed in a village. We had a mud hut with a thatched roof all to ourselves. It was very cute actually. I could tell how much work they had put into fixing it up for us and I am still very appreciative of that. We were with a family (family includes the extended family on the father’s side) that had only two men, a few women, and lots of children. Jena and I both grew closest to the wife, Esna. She is only 23 and she has been married for about 6 years and has two children. She does so much for her family. I have so so much respect for her. I realize that this is an outsiders view, but the African women seems to work so much more than the African man. The man works in the fields, but his workload depends on the season. The woman cooks, cleans, does laundry, fetches water, takes care of the kids, etc everyday. Plus she also helps out in the fields. And she is shown little respect from her husband. I’m not one of those girls who is big on women’s rights either. Their children were Elizabeth and Vincent. Vinnie, as they called him, was also nicknamed “Mr. Trouble” because he was always getting into something like a typical 2 year old. Eliz was funny too. She loved to dance. There was also a 13 year old girl named Memory. I love her! She would go everywhere with us. The last two nights she even slept in our hut with us. Some things we did at the home stay include shelling groundnuts, fetching water, learning how to cook over fire, laundry, making home made peanut butter, hanging out and talking, and eating. They fed us plenty of food. Lots of nshima of course. The husband kept pressuring us to eat more, but nshima is so filling I couldn’t eat all the food they had served. I ate a lot of mangos too. They were so good.
We put rat poison out the first night. That first night was so hot! Jena and I shared a twin bed. There was a tarp hung on the ceiling so that dirt from the thatched roof wouldn’t fall down. The first night we laid there sweaty and terrified because of the heat and because we could hear a mouse crawling around on the tarp. I’m normally not scared of mice, but I don’t want them around me when I’m sleeping. We had a mosquito net hung and we tucked it under the mattress so that nothing could get in. I just didn’t want the dead mouse to fall and land on the net and hang over my face. It didn’t though. We did hear it die after it ate the poison. Lying in bed the first night Jena said “I wish we had a window.” I looked over at her and said “If you had one wish, that’s what you would wish for? A window?” We both laughed. We laughed a lot; we pretty much had to laugh. So, I experienced new things at the home stay. Some were not fun, but they are reality for the every day life of a rural African. I left the home stay with new friends and a better understanding of what everyday life is like for the rural African people. I know I’ve already said this, but it needs to be said again: I have so much respect for them.
After the home stay we had a 7 hour bus ride to a guest house an hour on the opposite side of Lusaka. We were kind of pampered there. There was a nice pool and we had our own rooms with air conditioning and tv. I was most excited about the indoor plumbing. We did debriefing there and had classes on the PILOT method of language learning. Our last full day there was Thanksgiving Day. It actually reminded me of Thanksgiving when I was a kid. It was hot, which I’m used to having warm Thanksgivings. We ate on the patio near the pool, which was like eating at the kids’ table outside on the back porch by the pool at my grandparents’ house. We didn’t have turkey, but we did have mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, banana pudding with real vanilla wafers, pumpkin pie-ish dessert, chicken, roast, green beans, and rolls. I was pleased. The next day I flew back to Joburg.
So, that is my 40-40 experience. There are many other stories I can tell, but there are too many to write. I can’t say that I liked 40-40, but it’s not like I flat out hated it either. It was just ok. I feel like it is more for those going into church planting and that it is about a week longer than it needs to be. I did learn while I was there. Also, there were 30-something professions of faith in Jesus while we were there. They seem to be legit too. How can you put a price tag on that?
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Sibebe Pen Pals
Things at Sibebe are basically the same. I still go with Gogo every Wednesday (if the weather permits). The plan is to have a Christmas party in December with ice cream and I told the kids that I will go swimming with them. There is a river right there and the water has a steady flow so it should be safe to swim in. I just have to make sure I don’t swallow. Also, my older sister Kristy’s 1st grade class is going to be pen pals with some of the children from the Sibebe bible study. I have already chosen 3 boys and 3 girls and we will start the letters/emails process after I return from Zambia.
Hawane Bible Study
Things at Hawane are going real well. The church at Hawane is only about 1 ½ years old. I do a bible study with whatever children and youth want to come (whether they go to that church or to the primary school close by) on Fridays at 1pm. Right now there are about 10 each week. There are 5 girls who are loyal to come each week. Two of them I have grown extra close to – Khanyisile and Lindolihle. They are both in grade 7 and have very different personalities. Khanyisile is tall and very thin (I think thin partly because she sometimes goes without supper). She is kind of shy, but seems to be very studious. She is also the one that does most of the interpreting during the lessons. Lindolihle is a class clown. She was recently orphaned when her mom died on the first of September and now she and her younger sister live with her grandma. She told me that her grandma told her not to cry about her mom’s death. I worry about her sometimes, that she may look to boys to fill the void that the death of her parents left. One week we were talking about how Jesus said to turn the other cheek. At the end she asked “I thought that meant that if someone hits you on the cheek, then you could in turn hit them on the cheek.” I almost started to laugh because I thought she was just clowning around again. But once I saw she was serious I explained the verse and then she and 4 or 5 other girls were like “Oooohhh.” They seriously did not understand the meaning of the passage. That was a wake up call for me. I can’t ever assume that they have already heard a story or that they already understand something. If I do, then I may seriously confuse them.
With some of the girls from bible study. I am leaning on Lindolihle.
Khanyisile
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