Off Roading to School

 

Last Monday was our first day in our new school.  It is a beautiful building and inside it looks so nice.  Lou, from Partners Worldwide, said that he would give it an A+.  Another fellow said on a scale from 1 to 10, he would give it a 10+. 

 

It is a joy to work in and although we don't have electricity, the skylights are wonderful at providing light.  As I lock up each day, I keep thinking that I need to turn the lights out.

 

The school is beautiful, but until the rainy season is over and we are able to work on the roads, they are quite something to drive on.  I slip and slide, drive through big puddles of water and go over muddy bumps.  I went into Lusaka today and I think I was probably in the dirtiest car in the city! 

 

But it is so exciting and work continues at a fast pace so that our office/library/resource room will be completed as well as the next double classroom and toilet facilities.  Right now our toilets are temporary.

 

You are all invited to come visit to see the school anytime!!!

AKCLI Board and Partners Worldwide

 

Last week was an exciting week.  The remaining members of our AKCLI, US Board arrived last Monday.  All day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we had Board Meetings.  Then Friday folks from Partners Worldwide arrived and had meetings related to the Jobs2Hope grant.  It has been a great opportunity for our Board to connect with a partnering ministry.  We have had 16 around our dining table for evening meals, made by Rachel at the restaurant.  Today being Sunday it was my turn. 

 

Three New Children

 

Last Friday I (Kathleen) received a call from a young couple who had come to serve at an orphan care ministry closer to Lusaka.  We knew that there were some issues with the community around them and with the Zambian man who had started the program.  They came eager to help make it work.  However, by 2 weeks ago, they had come to the realization that it wasn't going to be possible to continue there with the attitudes of the community around them.  So they were finding places for the 40+ children to go.  Everyone was accounted for except 3 of the children.  They came to visit and asked if we could take those 3, children that they dearly loved. 

 

Kamau took charge and got in touch with Social Services about admitting them to our Village of Hope.  Things moved quickly and on Thursday the three children with their guardians came to see our Village, to sign the proper papers, and to have the children move in. 

 

Nelson is 12 years old and is now probably the most educated child we have in our school.   Namakua is 11 years and a very sweet girl, tall, and already good friends with the older girls.  Mary B. is 10 and just so sweet with a lovely smile.  They came to school on Friday and I was able to assess them and assign them to groups for the present.

 

For those who know the children we already have, you know that that makes 4 Marys.  So now we are calling the girls:  Mary S, Mary J, Mary M, and now Mary B.  Our 2 Gifts will still be Gift small and Gift big.  It was very funny the other day when Gift small introduced himself to someone and said, "My name is Gift small." 

 

New School !!!!!

 

Today was the big day.  Under sunny skies we moved all of our school materials to the new school.  We have finished one double classroom, enough room to fit everything in for now, and to have 3 classes meeting.  The teachers and volunteers had packed the last couple of afternoons. 

 

Today we had about 6 guys who made about 7 loads with the tractor and trailer bringing things over to the new building.  Teacher Precious and Bridget (from MN) were stationed at the old school to direct them and to pack up what remained using boxes we sent back as we emptied them.  We had 3 Chimwemwe ladies washing windows.  (They had cleaned and put the wax they use down on the floors yesterday.  They will come back tomorrow to clean the floor and tables again.)  Alicia (from MD) and Maria and Carly (from MN) along with Teacher assistant Zandile were in the new school with me, unpacking as quickly as we could.  Six large metal bookshelves, 15 desks and chairs, 5 tables and stools for children, 4 tables for teachers, and lots of boxes and containers of supplies and books were moved. 

 

We are so excited to be in the new place!   It is a beautiful building.  It has lots of windows and the walls are the varnished natural blocks made from the soil of our land.  We have skylights so that even though we do not have electricity yet, we have plenty of light in the rooms. 

 

Work will continue on the office room and the next double classroom.  Also a large lavatory area for boys and girls will be completed.  After the rainy season the next double classroom will be done. 

 

A lovely arch over the entry way welcomes people and makes the building very attractive.   I'm so grateful for all the help of the volunteers.  We couldn't have done it without them.  All four women take initiative and just kept unpacking and doing a great job organizing. 

 

And to top off this very exciting day, after all the move was made, it has now begun to pour down rain.  It held off until the rooms were finished and the move took place, and now it is coming down – much needed here.

 

To God be the Glory!!!

A New Term Begins at our School

 

Today was the day that our teachers were suppose to report for orientation and preparation for the school year.  Precious and Caroline have returned.  However, Erna, our teacher from South Africa, has had to return to Port Elizabeth where her mother is in intensive care.  Please pray for her mother and for her.

 

Today Alicia arrived with Steve, her husband, and she is an elementary school teacher.  So she will be helping with the teaching for the next 1 ½ weeks.  Also the 3 from MN will be helping.  We begin the year with 11 children who have not attended our school before and with 4 who were only here for about 2 weeks before we closed for vacation.  Most of those children do not understand much English.  So it will be a very interesting time. 

 

The first double classroom at the new school is almost done.  So we are hoping to be able to move at the end of the week.  So this month will be a time of changes and transitions.   

 

 

A Small World

 

Today a couple who have been missionaries near the Congo border since 1979, stopped by to see your village and road front.  Our church in MD has been helping to support them for years.  They also had their son and daughter-in-law with them.  Those two have been teaching some place in Namibia and were not able to renew their work permits.  They also said that they had school loans that they needed to start paying back so they are going back to the states.  I asked them where they got their undergraduate degrees.  Their answer, "St. Olaf College."  Of all the thousands of colleges and universities in the US, we have 3 volunteers from that college staying with us and doing January term service.  My niece and nephew went there, and Maria is here now.  What an amazing thing!

 

 

Broken Arm Number 2

We were all so excited the other day when Ryan from MI finished putting together the playground set donated by a businessman in MI and sent on the MI container.  Interestingly enough, Ryan shops at this man's hardware and lumber store.  It is a great hit.  But our youngest child - Joshua - was climbing and having a good time, and fell.  He broke his arm.  After going to Liteta Hospital where they stablized it with cardboard, Kamau took him into Lusaka to a hospital where they set it properly.  He was a brave little fellow.  Kimberly said if it hadn't been the playset, it would have been a tree.  With 40 children, I'm sure there will be other accidents.

New Year's Eve

 

About 7 hours before the ball dropped in Times Square, we entered 2010.  After dinner, the Hamelryck and Kamau families came over.  I don't know what it says that all the men stayed home and went to bed early!  But the wives, children and Ryan and Kevin, both volunteers had a great evening of playing games.  We had popcorn, cookies, and bread pudding to nibble on.  There were games for all ages.  Chippi was the first to go to sleep on our sofa.  Everyone else made it until midnight, although by then everyone was back at their own homes.  One game continued til 2am with Ryan getting to 500 points first.  Those of us who aren't so good at that game, are determined to practice and to give the Hamelryck family some outstanding competition in 2010!

Christmas Party

 

A gift was given by a donor and friend so that we could take the children, housemothers, and aunties to Fringilla for lunch and a time of playing on all the equipment.  In our plans, we wanted to be able to celebrate Christmas in the village with our families.  Also Fringilla was expecting 450 for Christmas Day.  So we went on Monday, Dec. 28. The day began overcast and with a bit of rain.  We need rain very badly, but we also wanted a pleasant day for our trip. 

 

Packing kids into cars, and 2 cars making 2 trips, we all were able to get to our destination.  At Fringilla there are in-ground trampolines, swings, climbing equipment, push things that look like airplanes and a blow up jumping cage.  Everyone had a great time and the mothers enjoyed a relaxing day, since we oversaw the children, for the most part. 

 

Fringilla had prepared a buffet lunch with included meat, chicken, shema, rice, potatoes, cooked vegetables, cole slaw and cake.  Each mother gathered her children and they went in line together, then ate together. 

 

The rain held off while we were there.  However, in the morning they had had quite a bit of rain and so there was a lot of mud.  At the end of the day, the children went home tired, dirty, but very happy.

 

 

Christmas 2009

 

At our Community Center we held a Christmas Eve service at 4:00 pm.  There was much singing.  Kimberly did a flannel graph story, and Pastor Zulu preached.  Paul, our 12 year old, sang "O Holy Night." 

 

But the most amazing thing about our worship was the folks that came.  There were over 150 crammed into the meeting room, over 100 were children from age 2 and up.  Although the service started at 4:00, for the next hour, more and more folks kept coming, mostly the children.  They were from the neighboring villages and came with younger siblings strapped on their backs, little wide-eyed ones, and teenage boys and girls.  They filled every chair, and a large group was sitting on the rug in the center of the room. Some had light colored hair that can be a sign of malnutrition.  Several came with dirty faces and tattered clothes.  But it was a joyful time and Pastor Zulu was so engaging and the children responded.  As I looked out over the many, many young faces, I was reminded of the words of Jesus, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few."