Exciting Day!!!
Hello everyone!

It is early on Friday morning. Before we head off to the second day
of the "Liteta Zone Inset Workshop" I wanted to give all of you an
update.

First of all, our children shone. They came for the opening and sang
the National Anthem. They processed in dancing and singing a song as
Isaac and Shaibu played the drums. They then sang the National
Anthem, followed by a 3-part round that was part of our Tuesday night
program. Then they left singing a song about teachers, doing their
little step, and the drums drumming. All day long we heard comments
from the participants that it was amazing. "Not even children in our
government schools can sing the Anthem that well. And they did all 3
verses!" They have been invited back today for the closing ceremony
to once again sing the National Anthem and to do a few other songs.
They all had their red shirts, boys with new navy shorts, and girls
with the chitenges that they used in our program. They were also all
barefoot!

Second, our school shone. Erna is doing a terrific job with her
workshop. She had been reluctant to do it, but you can tell that she
is really enjoying herself. She set up her room so nicely. Of course
Susan is doing a great job and will speak at the final session.
People seem to be appreciating my session as well. Our teacher are
also presenting themselves in the workshops as very professional
teachers.

Third, the Chimwemwe Ladies shone. They helped with the making and
serving of the food. AnnRachel and Karen (who traveled from DE just
to help with this, her church took up a collection to pay her way!)
have done a terrific job of planning and purchasing the materials for
the breakfast and lunches served. We have officially "opened" our
restaurant and this is the first big event, catering the conference.
So we have the serving dished and chafing pans. Karen brought "gospel
aprons" from the states for each of the Chimwemwe ladies to have.
AnnRachel and Karen have roses on the serving tables, table cloths,
candles all around the meeting room (which is not well lit).

Finally, Village of Hope is shining. Lots of our workers and
missionary team are involved with helping to pick up people, setting
up, driving back and forth with food and supplies.

All of the participants/teachers are so excited. A few teachers told
Susan that it should last a week! They say they are getting so much
out of it. There is joy all around, in the faces and conversations,
etc. Patrick Schimwa who planned it with us is very pleased.

I will write some more later sharing some of the interesting things I
have learned and experienced in this whole thing but I have to go get
ready for Day 2.

The day for Karen, Susan, and I ended with Benedict taking us to our
new school site and we got to see the walls being built. How exciting
and encouraging!

I'll write more on the weekend! Kathleen

How a Cape Buffalo became a Lion

Yesterday some hunters from the Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZWA) came
to hunt and kill the Cape Buffalo that has been roaming our property
for about 3 weeks. After a day spent hiking back and forth, and
spying the animal 3 times only to have it run away, they left without
being able to kill it.

Last night, Mother Rose M. was listening to the radio, to the national
Zambian station. It was reported that across from Ibis (that is us) a
lion had been spotted and ZWA was tracking it. People in the area
were asked to keep a lookout for the tracks and the animal.

Today the hunters were back with 2 more additional men with guns.
They also got a neighbor's 7 hunting dogs. This time they never even
saw the buffalo. As someone said, "He is very clever." The theory
was that he had run away. However, this afternoon, Paul once again
saw its fresh tracks.

Our concern is that since it is rather large, it could be dangerous to
our workers and the children as they walk back and forth to school.
We now have someone escort them, or take them in cars or truck.

I'll keep you posted on the Case of the Illusive Cape Buffalo!

Christmas Costumes

This afternoon we had lots of fun. Thursdays are our half day of
teaching so we can have planning time. Today the 3 teachers and I
went into Lusaka with Benedict to Kamwala, where there are lots of
fabric stores. We were shopping for material and supplies to make
costumes for our Christmas Play. (The don't use the word "pageant.")
The plan is that the costumes we make for this year will be an
investment. We can use them next year and for other plays we might do
during the year. So we got some fancy material for the 3 kings,
simple brown material (on sale!) for the shepherds and Joseph, simple
material for Mary, and even soft material for the sheep. Of course
the sheep material looks a little more like an African creature than a
domesticated sheep from America or Australia! Since the children
will also be singing in a "concert" before the play, we got chitenge
material to make chitenges for the girls and sashes or vests for the
boys.

Now the only challenge is that our program is less than 2 weeks away!
We need some fabric glue!!! Anyway, the children will be thrilled at
these things. I'll try to get pictures posted for all to see!

The Rainy Season Has Begun

 

We have had 3 nice rains so far, and as I type this at 5am it is pouring outside.  Although I'm so glad for the rain, I know that when the rains really come we will not be able to keep making the blocks for the school.  Everything is too wet then.  Also on a morning like this, I start thinking about getting the children up to the school.  We also have to have the electrician, Mr. Tembo come and install new lights in the Community Center.  The fluorescent fixtures are built so cheaply here that they don't last.  He will be putting regular bulb type lights in.  In the meantime, it is extremely dark on the cloudy days.  But, things will start growing and we will start taking our malaria pills since there will now be standing water around to breed mosquitoes.

 

Desperate Mothers

 

Yesterday Miriam received a call from a woman that she and Kamau had visited.  The woman has 4 children.  She called to say, with desperation in her voice, that she had been very sick last week, and when would we be able to take the children.  Miriam got the feeling that the woman thinks she will die soon and wants to see her children taken care of.  Another woman, also with 4 children, has become so sick that a friend is having to take care of her 4 children.  So right there, with 2 very sick women near death, are 8 children who desperately need a place to go to be cared for.  We expect to take 6-8 more children in a couple of weeks, and these may be the ones. 

 

 

Our New School is Coming Along

 

Benedict and I also stopped by where they are building the new school.  Thanks to the big back-hoe things are moving much quicker than if some of the stuff had to be done by hand.  The footers are done and Wilson with the back hoe was filling in the floor area with dirt so that they can then pour the concrete floors.  Wayne Vogel, who gave us the back-hoe, also gave us a cement mixer so even that step will go quicker.  Right in the middle of the school area are 2 big beautiful trees.  I think it will be a lovely place.

 

A Pre-preschool

 

Today we started what I am calling our pre-preschool.  It won't be organized enough to be our official pre-school.  So I taught it today.  I set up the house that the Lusumpa family was living in, and it will also be the next house with children.  I put bright things on the walls and have materials we can use there.  I had 5 students, 4 of our children and Chipi Hamelryck.  Actually it was quite fun.  I did my Kindermusik thing at the beginning.  I even used the nice instruments that were sent from our music school in Maryland.  They had a time of playing with duplos, painting with water on the outside of the house, sewing with sewing cards for children, hearing books read to them, and counting. 

 

There are actually 5 of our children that will be part of this pre-preschool, but Maselino was sick and went to the clinic.  Idah is the cutest thing, with twinkly eyes that just look like there is mischief waiting to happen.  Joshua is the youngest and quite active, although he cooperated better than I thought he would.  I had taught Kahilu for 3 days when they first came and he is a good boy and one of the older ones at 5.  Ethel is sweet and looks a lot like Docklin.  And of course, none of them speak English.  So we came up with a sign for when they have to go wee-wee.  So everything was fine.  They will learn real quick.

 

Sena and Isha will be leading the group on Tues and Weds, and Paige and Harrison Hamelryck will be doing it on Monday and Thursday.  I guess I will do Fridays.  We only have about two and a half more weeks of school.

God's Creation in Zambia

When you think of animals in Africa you think of the big ones:
elephants, giraffes, lions, hippos, etc. Well, today was a day for
some of the small animals of Africa. At school Mary came to me
carrying a large cup. I thought she was showing me something about
the cup. What I didn't see was a very, very small white toad on the
lip of the cup. It was about the size of your fingernail. Sharon J.
said that she thought it was some of the sticky stuff we use to put
papers on the walls and that she had touched it. She thought that was
pretty yucky.

Then this evening Benedict went to spray with bug spray the ants that
were beginning to form a line outside the wall to come into our house.
We know that we have bees in the roof of the verandah, but they keep
to themselves pretty much. Well, the spraying of the ants with bug
spray somehow set off the bees. So they began swarming like crazy on
the verandah. Fortunately, Benedict was inside by then. But as we
were eating supper several bees were in the dining area. The four of
us, Benedict, Sena, Isha, and I all decided we would rather take our
plates in our bedrooms and away from the bees. Benedict did get stung
once, and we called the Hamelryck's to make sure none of their kids
came over.

As we were eating our dinner in our bedroom, I looked at the wall. I
saw the tell-tell sign of termites, a brown mark going up the wall
from the floor. The kind of termites that come into the house are
actually very small, but they can be so destructive. So we will be
spraying them.

And even in Africa there are cockroaches. Fortunately we haven't had
a problem in our house. But today I had a couple of ladies cleaning
one of the houses so that we can set up a preschool type area for the
younger children. They had to spray and try to get rid of the
cockroaches in that house.

So you can see creatures great and small here. Both create problems.

Actually, before I finish I'm reminded of 2 large animals that were
dealt with on our property this week. Our big bull, the one that just
about charged me last year, was getting very mean and uncontrollable.
He had done a good job of creating babies, but we felt he needed to be
dealt with. So a man from Fringilla butchery came and shot him. They
took the bull and will cut it up for meat for our village and the
children. They aren't charging us for this, a blessing.

For a couple of weeks people have been seeing an African buffalo on
the property. They also can be dangerous. We have been either
driving the kids to school or having someone walk with them to school.
Tonight people from the Zambia Wildlife Department will be spending
the night and tracking the buffalo and probably killing it. They will
then give some of it to us and some to families in the area.

I Never Imagined

People sometimes ask me, "Did you ever think you would be living in
Africa?" The answer is yes. As a young girl I thought I would be a
missionary in Africa. But if you had asked me if I ever pictured
myself sitting in a small room of a local African hospital with seven
African women as some were being tested for HIV, I would have to say
"no."

At our Chimwemwe Meeting yesterday several women said that they wanted
to be tested. Some would come today and some tomorrow for me to drive
them up to Liteta (about 5 minutes away) to the Liteta Hospital for
the test. I packed 5 women in my little car and when we arrived at
the Hospital, Mary Zulu, who lives in Liteta and is chairwoman of the
Executive Committee of the Chimwemwe Ladies, was there to meet us.

As we went to find the man she had talked to about our coming, we went
by the large number of sick people who were waiting to be seen. There
were more people than there were benches for them to sit on. All ages
were represented. Some of the babies were fussing. I thought that if
I were a doctor or nurse there, I would be overwhelmed by the number
of people waiting.

We were then taken to a small office room where we all met with a
counselor. She asked them questions about HIV and explained many
things. Mary was interpreting to me what the counselor said, since
she was speaking in the vernacular. Then the counselor took blood by
pricking the finger of each woman. What a blessing that the test is
so easy and quick.

I gave each women the 700kwacha (less than 25cents) needed to buy the
little books they have to have to go to the hospital, kind of like
their medical file. Then the counselor met with each woman alone to
let them know the results of the test.

I have no idea if any of them tested positive. The day before, I had
used the scripture that our housemother Anne had mentioned to me the
week before. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you
free." I said that when they know their HIV status, it will set them
free from worry and uncertainty. I think the women were all glad that
they went to the hospital. Tomorrow more women will be going.

A Destructive Swirl

At around noon today, we were in the big room of the community center
having a teacher's meeting. At the same time, Benedict and Paul were
in Lusaka meeting with Joyce Katalungu about purchasing the machines
and all that is needed for the sewing business. Of all the economic
activities we have started here, I think that the sewing business
seems to have the potential of impacting the most people in the
community. That is my own opinion, knowing that we will be able to
employ about 15 to 20 women. When women earn money, it is used for
the family more than when men earn money. I also know all the
Chimwemwe Ladies who desire to do more than just sit around. They
want to earn money for their children and families.

So around noon, as we were meeting, we heard a big sound, a metal
sound. We didn't see or hear any wind, just this sound that lasted
maybe 30 seconds to a minute. In that amount of time there was a
swirl of wind, right over the recently completed sewing building, and
totally destroyed the roof. It was lifted up off of the building and
into the roof of the restaurant, which was slightly damaged also.

For those of you who believe in spiritual warfare, it really seemed
like it was evil that did this damage. But we will not be deterred in
this project that we believe the Lord wants us to do.

Choir Practice

 

Yesterday I invited any of the children who wanted to be part of a choir to come to our verandah at 14:00.  So, bringing benches from their houses, they arrived.  I introduced about 4 new songs. 

 

For any musicians out there, I introduced "African Noel" by Andre Thomas.  The children loved it, and I thought what a wonderful thing that here were African children actually singing it.  Of course they pick up things musically so quickly.  And you don't have to encourage them to sing, they just love to do it at any time. 

 

We are working on special music for the Christmas season.  Should be lots of fun.  Maybe we will even go "caroling" from house to house in Nyrienda Village.  At least we won't have to worry about it being freezing cold out, like in the states.  We will need to take bottles of water to keep ourselves cool!

 

Building to God's Glory

 

Our study for this term at school is "Building to God's Glory."  Our trip to Lusaka a couple of weeks ago was part of that study, seeing what had been built in the city.

 

As a follow-up to our trip the children have been divided into groups.  Each group has a project to make or do relating to the trip and building.  One group is building an airport out of Legos.  Another group is building airplanes out of Legos and wire.  They have also built a "truck" to bring diesel to the airplanes.  A third group is building a hospital since they went to visit Gift in the hospital.  When I asked what they needed to have, some of their items were: Gift, wheelchair, beds with wheels, flowers and grass, etc.

 

A fourth group is building bridges.  The fifth group is building a church modeled after Teacher Bosman's church where they had lunch in Lusaka.  And the last group is doing research to try and figure out how many people it will take to make our new school.  They were very curious about how long and how many people it took to build the airport in Lusaka, and other buildings.  So this group is interviewing the workers who are sifting gravel to make the blocks.  They will talk to the block makers.  They will interview Uncle Paul about what other groups of people it will take.  So eventually we should have an approximate number of the people it will take.

 

It is fun to see everyone working away; on tables, on the carpet, on the verandah, etc. – Building to God's Glory.

 

A wonderful day- Wednesday Oct 28

 

Today was a wonderful day for me.  And as usual in Africa, there is always something that would never happen in the states. 

 

This week I am teaching the 5 oldest children from the 9 new children that arrived over the weekend. 

Shaibu - 10 yo

Tereshina – 8 yo Sister to Shaibu

Mary – 8 yo

Agnes – 8 yo

Kahilu – 5 yo but has been to first grade

Two of them speak Bemba, two speak Lenge, and one speaks Nyanga.  They all understand Bemba.  But not all of our children are able to speak Bemba.  And of course I can't speak any of those languages and they don't speak or understand English.  How is that for an interesting teaching situation?  But we are managing and I think it is forcing them to have to learn English a little faster. 

 

When there is a need for help, I call over one of the other children to interpret for me. How fun is that to have other children being assistants?  What is really funny is when one of them (especially Tereshina does this) looks at me and just talks in their language as though I can totally understand what they just said.

 

It is amazing the difference even in a day from how they were yesterday to today.  The cutest thing is seeing Sharon Shaibila (if she doesn't become a teacher I will be surprised) helping them, especially with writing their names today.  She just acts like a teacher.

 

It is unbelievable to see the eagerness and concentration that the children demonstrate in doing things.  Today was the first time they had ever used scissors.  They were all studies in concentration as they cut circles and triangles.  When it was time for our lunch/play break, Shaibu said he didn't want to leave.  He wanted to continue to do work.  They want to draw and write and color and do papers and work on things.  Some of the things I have done were kind of a bust, but others were good. 

 

They are sweet and beautiful children.  Kamau shared with me today that we now have a waiting list of 34 more children. One child they saw recently is being taken care of by a 91 yo grandmother. So the need is really desperate over here.  Working with these 5 is good training for how we need to work with other children as they come to school for the first time.

 

The very African experience today had to do with a rat.  During the play break, Prudence came running in to the school to get me.  The children had found a dead rat with a tiny baby still sucking on it.  There it lay on the ground.  The baby was moving a little.  I'm not very fond of small creatures like that so I had no desire to do anything with either.  One of our workers suggested that we just drop it down into the long-drop toilet.  The children did that.  Later one of the children said that we "killed the relish."  They eat mice and rats so that would be "relish" for their meals.  We laugh at so many things that the kids say.

 

Yesterday John was helping in getting some grasses for a play hut we are making outside the school.  He said to Teacher Bosman that "he was going the extra mile!"  He was working very hard and harder than most of the others.

 

October is said to be the hottest month and I think it has been in the upper 80s and sometimes 90s.  I have my own private air conditioning system.  I take a washcloth, get it wet and a little dripping.  Then I put it around my neck, getting my shirt wet as well as my neck.  It helps quite a lot.

The last joy of the day had to do with the Chimwemwe Ladies.  Over a year ago I had raised the question of whether they would be willing to be tested for HIV.  My question met with strong opposition.  However, in light of Kamau's comments about the mothers he sees dying, who want us to take care of their children, I thought I would try again.  There is also the threat of cervical cancer which is very high here because of HIV.  One mother with 4 children that will be coming, seemed fairly healthy just a few months ago.  Kamau and Miriam went to visit her yesterday and saw her weak and frail.  She now has cancer as well.  So I used Proverbs 14:1 as I talked to the Chimwemwe Ladies about what we as women need to do to be building our houses. 

 

I will get in touch with a US doctor in Lusaka whose specialty is cervical cancer.  We will see if he can set up a program to test women out here.  But in addition, about a dozen women said this time that they wanted to be tested for HIV.  So we will set a date and I will drive them up to the Liteta hospital to be tested.  For them to be willing to be tested is a tremendous victory.

 

So this is one of those days where I feel like God is using me here in Zambia.  And that is a tremendous feeling.

 

Wide-eyed little children

 

This morning the whole village was gathered at Mama Nora's house to greet the new children arriving today.  The children had made some banners and hung balloons.  Unfortunately in the heat, the balloons kept breaking and scaring the people in the house.

 

Kamau went and picked up the 5 children along with their guardians.  Some of the children have mothers who are very sick with HIV and are also taking care of blind older relatives.  So the children are coming here. 

 

The new Mary was greeted most warmly and will stay temporarily in Rose C.'s house until we get another housemother and house set up.  The girls in that house, which includes our other Mary, were thrilled.  The took her over to that house, holding her hands.

 

The others are younger and were very wide-eyed and probably a bit overwhelmed.  We had all made cookies that were first shared with the guests and the new children inside their house.  There was enough to then share with all the other folks playing and talking outside.  The 4 who had arrived yesterday were already playing with the children already here and seem to be adjusting fine.  The youngest is quite a little outgoing boy, and knows no strangers.  For anyone who has been here and met Pastor Emmauel's youngest son, Coco, he is just like him.  A very active 4-year old. 

 

Tomorrow we will have the 3 oldest start coming to our school.  The others will remain in the Village and June Patty will organize some activities for them as they get adjusted to being here and until we have set up a more organized pre-school.

What a Morning!!

 

Yesterday was quite a morning.  In our service we referred to what the children had been learning about, the replica of the temple they had constructed with everything that went inside, including the girls sewing the curtains.  As part of our service we "cleansed" ourselves by writing things on a small piece of paper that we were sorry to have done and wanted forgiveness for.  We then burned them up.  So it was very meaningful.

 

Then Kamau preached quite a good sermon on "Thankfulness."  He was really able to engage the children and all of us.  There were more children from the community there so our attendance was about 70, probably - only about 20 being adults.

 

As the service was coming to an end, a truck drove up and Benedict went to check.  The provincial social worker came a day early with 4 of the children we were expecting on Monday.  So the whole congregation went out to greet them.  Fortunately they didn't seem totally overwhelmed, staying in the back of the pick-up. 

 

They are 4 children from the same family.  Actually we were expecting the 2, 4, and 6 year old.  At the last, the elderly grandmother refused to send the 2 yo.  But she did send the 8 and 10 year olds.  So whereas we were expecting 3 from that family, we received 4.

 

More children come later today, so I will be planning today for the way they can enter into school.  The children that came yesterday do not speak English and have never been to school.  It will be exciting to see them grow and learn quickly.