Zanzibar to Zambia! Jambo to Kamwamba! Swahili to Tonga!

The holiday is over and it was lovely! Zanzibarians are very friendly, and, since tourism is their number one source of revenue, we were treated very well. The Truscotts who live near here also returned from Zanzibar recently. They said that while they were in Zanzibar a local man was beaten to death by other Zanzibarians over stealing a mazungu’s (white person-Swahili) purse. 'Don’t mess with the guests,' is the message to the locals—they are our business.

Friday, December 21 -We stayed at the Mennonite Guest House in Lusaka. We had a Canadian time as some others from Winnipeg area were there and Lois (wife of Siggy) are is from Victoria. We had a good visit over breakfast. Siggy and Lois run the guest house and are in charge of the Mennonite Mission Work in Zambia. They’ve been in Zambia five years; they will return to Canada in June 2008.

Saturday, December 22, 0700 -kids have arrived and we are heading out to our maize field for a weeding party (as I call it). I am expecting the maize to be at least knee high, and am sadly disappointed at the short little stalks! But, there are plenty of weeds! So with about sixteen of our sponsored students we hoe and weed until about noon. Those Zambian kids can really work. Planting and looking after the maize fields is hard work and must be done with extreme regularity and expertise. Otherwise, people go hungry! Everything is done by hand—the planting, the fertilizing and the hoeing. Our field is a bit too big—the size of three official soccer fields, or 2.25 hectares!! What were we thinking?! If the crop is successful we should be able to feed plenty! I brought along water, buns (no butter, no filling—plain buns!) and mango from the yard for treat time!

Sunday, December 23 -We attend Farmer Church at Sam and Fiona’s farm. Sam and Fiona are ex-Zimbabwean tobacco farmers and probably have the largest tobacco farm in the area. Many makuwas join together in Sam and Fiona’s living room to sing praises and listen to Shawn (youth minister from Mazabuka Boarding school) speak. Everyone stayed for tea and following that we had a braii (barbeque). When folks in this area have a barbeque they do NOT have hot dogs and chips. They have roast beef, boerwurst sausage, marinated chicken, along with a variety of salads and breads. It was all so yummy! Fiona makes the best fruit cake I’ve ever tasted! We met many folks and now when we see them in Kalomo or Choma we will be able to greet and chat! A good group of Christians meet weekly at this home. Kind of reminds me of church in Crofton!

Monday, December 24 -Time to prepare for Christmas as tomorrow we are having a number of Zambians in for lunch!

Tuesday, December 25 -Merry Christmas. We take the cinnamon buns I made yesterday out to Simakakata, the blind community. As we drive in to the compound, we see Mr. Shebby, the leader, standing and clapping his hands. Our young friends, Timmy and Oscar help us to sing “we wish you a merry Christmas” (we taught them the song while driving this morning!). Each of the families gets a new blanket (from my shopping trip on Dec 24)! So much fun!

Christmas Dinner -two small turkeys, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, squash casserole, green beans, cabbage salad, buns, then shortbread cookies and date squares. Richard spent a whack of time nicely decorating all sorts of little parcels for each of our Zambian guests and we had so much fun watching them open their gifts. Oscar and Timmy have NEVER done anything like this, and I don’t think Mashell and family had either. In the end, Oscar gave a thank-you speech, because no get together in Zambia is complete without one! After everyone had gone home – Timmy, Oscar and Richard and I watched Finding Nemo, a movie I like because they always find him!!

Wednesday -Another weeding day!!

Thursday -Meeting day about hiring teachers and choosing new sponsored kids! What a task—so many applicants and fewer sponsors than kids!

Friday, December 28 -Katungu day. We are supposed to pick up Kelvin (HIV patient who had a stroke a year ago) and take him to Martin Hospice in Choma for a time of rehab. After three hours, our friend, Lemmy, arrives at Katungu from the village, Kalowa, without Kelvin! We cannot drive into Kalowa this time of year because of the rains—even with a 4-wheel drive it is impassable. Lemmy says the family is quite nervous about Kelvin going into such a centre, even though Kelvin was going to have family with him 24/7. I think in the end they thought Kelvin would likely go there to die—isn’t that what normally happens in hospitals?! So, for now we will let the issue rest; even though I’ve been working on this issue for about a month and had a bed saved for him for Friday, December 28! Such is life—in Zambia.

Saturday, December 29 -In the morning we went out to Seven Fountains Farm (SFF) for an interesting visit with Rod and Sue and a family from Macha Mission. The wife is a doctor doing Malaria research at Macha Hospital and the husband, Gert, is a project manager for a zillion development projects. They are doing extremely progressive work in the area of community development and folks from all over are flocking to Macha. Even Robert Schuller of the Crystal Palace church was there recently. Gert is thinking that SFF should have an air strip, so we will put that one before the board. In the afternoon Richard, Kadonsi and I interview five prospective teachers. These are newly graduated teachers from the sponsorship program. A few of them will be needed at Katungu and Mutala. After all of that, I make pizza and Richard and I watch a taped movie.

It’s been a wonderful week in Zambia. We are blessed by being able to serve in unique ways!

Happy New Year to All!

Our Christmas in Zambia

[Editor's note: What a lot of memories and a torrent of emotions are aroused by these accounts! Truly, Christmas in Zambia involves activity from the mind-numbing to the mind-boggling, and emotions from the heart-aching to the heart-breaking. WEU]

From Richard:
Merry Christmas to all of you.

It is another cloudy day in Zambia; it is raining off and on. We have not had much sunshine lately; things are very wet.

This morning we received emails from family and friends—thank you! It is good to hear what everyone is doing; we wish you the very best for today. We miss being with you, but we have some activities planned for the day. Right now we are having cinnamon buns for breakfast; Timmy has joined us. It is his first time to have chocolates and cinnamon buns for breakfast, and it is his first time to hear about Santa coming down the chimney to deliver gifts to the children's stockings. He is laughing and saying that he will have to tell his friends about Santa. Firecrackers seem to be a part of the Christmas tradition here. Last night and this morning the kids are outside blasting them off and laughing together. Before long, we will head to Simakakata, the blind community, to wish them a Merry Christmas. Sue has made cinnamon buns for them and we have purchased a blanket for each family.

Later today, Mashell and his family, Kadonsi and his family, and Oscar will join us and Timmy for Christmas dinner. We have small gifts for each of them, many of which we found in stuff that is leftover from the last container.

December 24 was an interesting day. I planned to visit the construction sites to catch up on what is happening at each one. I also wanted to connect with a few suppliers and builders to find out why things are not moving forward as they should. I was supposed to pick up Paul Kawtishi, one of the bricklayers from Katungu, at 8:00 in Kalomo, and since it was Christmas Eve, I promised not to occupy his whole day. I should have left earlier; before I got away, people started showing up at the door. They were mostly sponsored students and those seeking sponsorship, along with builders from Siabalumbi seeking money for Christmas. I finally just had to leave—I found Paul waiting in Kalomo.

We headed to Katungu to see what was happening (or not) with the construction of the teachers' duplex and the school. Paul had not been able to work for three or four days because the bricks were finished and the community was trying to figure out what to do next. When we arrived, no work was going on. There were no bricks for the school and the other builder had no water with which to make plaster to work on the interior walls of the duplex. As it turned out, the community had located some bricks but were wrestling with how to transport them, and here I was with the flatbed truck. I didn't have the time, but I told them that I would help them with one load, and so off we headed into the bush and stopped at a family's home. The bricks were still standing in the form of an old house, so we proceeded to knock the walls down, knock off the clay mortar, and load the bricks. It rained lightly during the process, but after some time we had a nice load of about 1,150 bricks. However, we only gone about three hundred meters, retracing the path that we had come on, when we reached a grassy area. Even though there was no water sitting on the surface, the soil was too wet and with the weight of the bricks, and the truck began to sink and ground to a stop. We got out and unloaded the bricks. The longer we were there, the more the truck sank. There was no way that the group of eight men and women could push the truck out so it was time to dig. Eventually we had to jack the truck up and place bricks, logs, and planks under the tires. Jacking was interesting because rather than lifting the truck, the hydraulic jack would push the brick under the jack into the wet soil. We had to push two or three bricks down before the jack would begin to lift the truck. Eventually, with much effort the group managed to push the truck out and I headed home. They will need to use ox carts to haul the bricks. That was about all I accomplished yesterday. I guess that I lied to Paul about not occupying his whole day. At least I have something to "write home about".

Have a Merry Christmas!

From Sue:
Hello all! Thanks for writing us e-mails and for the Christmas greetings. It is very difficult to be away from our loved ones and the traditions that we have made over the years. I was thinking about our family night-before-Christmas get together when we prepare all sorts of great appetizers and sing and play guitar and laugh together. As I type, I have a lump in my throat and some wet eyes!

I started preparing for Christmas yesterday! You can hardly tell it's Christmas here—there is no snow!! The village people are too poor to put up any decorations or buy any gifts for one another. The ones on the mission have it a little better and they buy sodas, make a nice meal, and have fake Christmas trees—I'm not sure what they do about gifts. The other day Brivery (one of my favorite boys) came by. He is a double orphan who lives with his twenty-three year old brother. They barely survive! Brivery much prefers living in the crowded and not so nice Kalomo High School boarding facility. Brivery washed the truck so I paid him big bucks and made him grilled cheese sandwiches and put together a Christmas package using old container items—a homemade cloth bag with some notebooks, pens, a sharpener and a few other things. He was so pleased and I just wanted to cry. A seventeen year old and this will be the only presents he gets. I also sent some food so that he and his family can have some kapenta, oil, salt... I will look forward to seeing Brivery in a week or so when he returns for school.

Yesterday Timmy (another favorite) was a huge help in preparing for our Christmas dinner. He and Mashel peeled potatoes; Phillen (another student) cut up cabbage and onions for me and ironed clothes. Things take SO much longer because often the water is not turned on or the power is out! Winnie (our househelper and good friend) has been in Livingstone on three different occasions over the past two months trying to support her brother emotionally as he is charged with murder. He has a business in Livingstone and a large family (mostly dependents), but they keep him in prison and no one ever brings any evidence to the court! It is so crazy because this trial had already wrapped up earlier and he was back to work, but someone has brought it back up! S, no Winnie, which means I have less time to work on the sponsored student issues, and the HIV stuff and... But, some of the students that live near by and need to do volunteer work are ever so pleasant about just being here and helping!! I wash the clothes in Ruhtt's Hoover—it's not much faster than doing it by hand, but it helps me save a bit of physical energy! I feel like a pioneer woman—at least when the power is off!

Last night two of our students called to wish the madam (one calls me mom) a Merry Christmas. The one fellow (Penzya) is blind! I was rolling cinnamon buns when he called so Richard spoke to him. That's not what he wanted. I was actually a bit scared to talk to him because he always has a very difficult request for me, e.g. "Madam, I'm going to Lusaka on Monday for eye surgery; I'll be at your house in the morning." Yikes! I tell him, slow down—you can't just show up here and get money from me!

Kabulo (other guy who called) is a college student who just graduated, . He is one of twenty children born into a polygamist family. Due to poverty this boy would never have had secondary school or college education, but ZMF-C sponsored him. Kabulo is a national volleyball champion and we created a profile for him that we are sending around to various colleges so he can carry on further on with his education. So, he texted me the sweetest message—thanking me and wishing me a Merry Christmas!

So, whereas a twenty-two pound turkey might suffice for the family back in Regina, I cooked two turkeys yesterday (for today, in case the power goes off). I don't think they added up to fifteen pounds altogether! Also I cooked butternut sqash pie (same recipe as sweet potato pie), mashed potatoes, chinese cabbage salad, green beans. I baked whipped shortbread, matrimonial cake (dates from Zanzibar), and Sue Calder gave us some chocolate cookies. Timmy has been a big help in preparing the veggies (from our garden) so I treated him to chips, coke and a movie last night while I finished up the cinnamon buns. He watched the Nativity movie, and thought he was treated quite royally!

Anyway, we must go and get Oscar and head out to Simakakata with our buns and blankets. They are my most favorite people; we shall gift them and sing a few songs, take some photos and come home to set the table.

Richard has had a LOT of fun wrapping all sorts of container items for each guest today—that will be so fun to watch them. He also found some dominoes, so we'll play some games as well.

Love to all of you and we pray for each of our loved ones that God has so graciously given to be part of our lives!
Love you,
Sue

The Coming Week in... Africa

A lot of time this week was spent communicating with accountants so that ZMF-C can begin an audit/accountancy reporting process. Also, the 2008 sponsored student applicants have left piles of forms with me, so, I've been sorting and trying to figure out who to consult with, so the best applicants can be chosen. Unfortunately, there are not enough spaces for all the applicants, so some will have to discontinue school until somehow they can raise the money. There is no such thing as student loans, and rarely can the student or the parents afford high school or college education.

Have a great week—tomorrow we will worship with the Seven Fountains Farm church. Monday is a trip to Livingstone to deliver account information to the accountants. Wednesday we head to Lusaka and Thursday to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and Zanzibar. After one week, we will return to the 30C temperatures and power outages and I'll try to do some Christmas baking! I forgot my lefse recipe at home!

Jelina

I finally met Jelina, one of new sponsored HIV patients. She lives at Siabalumbi! So, while we are on our way to Siabalumbi from Katungu, I call one of the Siabalumbi teachers on the cell phone to please call Jelina so we can visit when we arrive. After we arrive and check out the school and unload some supplies, she arrives—this cell phone stuff is pretty good! She's walked a fair distance, but she made it before we had to leave. Her health has improved; she's just started ARV's recently. Her husband left her and re-married when he found out she was HIV positive—same story as for so many. Jelina has the children, and she has a plan to raise goats for income now that she's healthy! She is grateful for her sponsor, Ellis Krogsgaard of Regina. Thank you!

Soggy Zambia

We prayed for rain last week after the sponsored students had planted next year's maize crop. And God has answered this week with much rain! Richard drove by the field today and it's growing! Cynthia (one of our sponsored students) and I weeded our smaller maize patch today and some of it is already past my knees. (and so are the weeds!!)

It's interesting how the whole landscape has changed—both flora and fauna! (How do you like that vocabulary!!) The frogs have multiplied by the zillions and Winnie showed me a tortoise in the garden this morning—they like wet places! The grasses, bushes and trees are growing so fast! Some roads are even more difficult to drive because of the trees that hang over onto the road. Everywhere we go there is new growth and so much green! I regularly think of home—so much white—I think I like the green!

The downside is that the power goes off regularly! Over the past week it was off half the time! So, we cook outside, don't do laundry, take cold baths, conserve water—because it was also shut down, and get a wee bit concerned about the meat and other things going bad in the freezer. Telephone and e-mail were also down because we couldn't charge up batteries! But we survived! Many here live without power and running water every day of their lives. And they don't use e-mail—but many have cell phones!

Construction of additional classroom blocks at Katungu and Siabalumbi is still happening, but at a slower pace, due to rain. Siabalumbi has caught up and even passed Katungu in its stage of construction, but the quality is much better at Katungu. Siabalumbi could have used a better general contractor; he's not much into detail!

More Days in Zambia

It is Sunday evening, and another hot and full day has been completed. Today the sun shone brightly and it must have reached 30 degrees once again. We did not receive any rain, but we could see some dark clouds gathering in the horizon before dark. It is time for more rain, so that the temperatures will drop a few degrees. The people here are saying that the rains so far have been quite local. They are looking for more general and far-reaching rains; so are we.

Yesterday was a planting day. We took the sponsored kids that leave near Namwianga out to the farm to plant maize. It was a fairly easy job because the tractor did most of the work. The field was ploughed and the rows were drawn out. All we had to do was to drop the seeds into the rows. Then they tied a large tree branch behind the tractor and dragged it all over the field to cover the seeds. I am not sure about this method of covering the seeds. I think that maybe the seeds got scattered around. We will see when the plants begin to sprout. If I had to do it again, I would just have the kids use a hoe to cover the seeds. The hard work will come when it is time to fertilize and weed. The kids will love that as much as some others I know who had to weed in a garden a few years ago.

This morning we went to church at Twin Fountains. Heinz had invited me to preach, and so I am getting good use of one particular sermon. On the way to church, I told Sue that she was going to hear the sermon for the third time. She helped me out by telling me that it was fine because she knows that there is little time in the schedule to prepare for such things. Heinz then asked me to preach the same sermon at the Good Hope church so I guess Sue will get to hear it at least one more time.

After church, we had a wonderful meal and a relaxing visit on the Müller veranda. What a peaceful place! It is cool and quiet; it overlooks a beautiful green valley. The food was excellent. And, oh yes, there was the meeting with Heinz to discuss progress and the future of Good Hope School.

At 2:30, we set off for our 2:00 meeting at Katungu school. We decided that the visit and peaceful atmosphere on the Müller veranda was more important than being on time. We are becoming quite Zambian! However, poor Kadonsi, who tends to be on time, was at the school for a full hour before we arrived. We picked up Wilson, the education secretary, and took him with us. Once at Katungu, we dropped off Wilson, and then went for another twenty minute drive to fetch the head teacher. It was a difficult meeting involving personal problems of a couple of the staff. It is sure good to have Kadonsi and Wilson for such things; they both conduct themselves very professionally.

Following the meeting we delivered seed and fertilizer to two of the churches in the area. The churches have agreed to work together as a congregation to plant a field of maize, which when harvested will be used to help out the very poor in their communities.

It was just getting dark by the time we got home, and now at 8:15, I am finishing this email.

The power is off again, but Sue can cook like most Zambian ladies, outside, using the brazier, fueled by charcoal! The pot boiled over and she had to sweep the outside kitchen!!

Anyway, it was a yummy stew and you know how camping food is—always better than regular cooking!

Today was a great day, church at Twin Fountains and then a meeting out at Katungu and the sun is down now and mosquitoes are nipping at us while we e-mail outside! (It's where the internet reception is!)

Planting the Seed

Yesterday was Saturday, the day that some of our sponsored students come to do volunteer work! We packed them in the Dyna—the big lorry and went to the farm! Many hands make light work! Within a couple of hours we had about twenty-three kilograms of maize seed in the ground. Planting is easy, weeding will be hard!

In about March/April the maize will be ready and it will provide food for some of these kids families and others!


We worked and we had fun! And then we had buns, water and cake!


Before we left the field we gathered under the tree and had a prayer! We did the planting but God is the one to bring the rains—even at the right time! Let us join these kids in prayer for this field!

Hope for Tomorrow

HFT - Past, present & the hope for tomorrow!

Thank you for continuing to support this program. Your contributions have made it so that these fourteen people have life again! I enjoy seeing them and we have some good discussions together. They have really bonded as a group.

Alice and Lemmy recently shared with me details of their stories that I didn’t know before. When the nurses first found Lemmy, AIDS had progressed to the stage where he could no longer walk. The before and after photos of Alice shown below say more than these typed words can!
















On Thursday I met with the patients that live near Katungu: Lemmy, Alice, Stella, Lucia and Kelvin’s mother. I was able to purchase seed and fertilizer for all of the patients. The season for planting maize is now and the Canadian fund-raising projects have yielded sufficient funds. By March or April 2008 these patients will have maize to eat—providing the rains are sufficient! A new development in the program is that most of the patients will be weaned off the program because they are now healthy!

I’ve been working with the local nurses to create individual development plans for each patient that will result in the patient being able to generate their own income therefore being able to feed and educate their own families.

These are the plans so far:

• Lemmy and Alice were both accepted to Chodort Trade School in Choma. Lemmy will be learning carpentry, and Alice, tailoring. The $35.00 monthly sponsorship money will pay the tuition for the one-year course. Food and accommodation will be paid by Canadian fundraising money. Lemmy and Alice must show their reports at the end of each term to the nurses Tebia and Fortune.
• Lucia will be going for an interview to Chodort next week when we go back to Choma for other business. Payment for this will be the same as for Lemmy and Alice.
• Florence, Caral, Agness, Jelina, Joyce and Stella are all to create their own income generating plans with the help of the nurses. They will not be given their monthly groceries like they have been up until now. Instead the nurses are saving the January through April sponsorships and will give each of them K500, 000 in May, providing their business plans are realistic. Agness plans to sell chitenges and will be monitored by her elder sister who is a business lady in Choma. Joyce and Florence want to set up small shops.
  
• Elizabeth has a large garden near a river. The problem is for her to get the water from the river. I have purchased a treadle pump that Elizabeth can use to increase her business of growing vegetables. She will be expected to pay back approximately half of the loan through the sale of vegetables. The money will be returned to the nurses so they can assist any of these patients as they see necessary.
• Muna is only about eleven years old, so we will keep him on the program if his sponsors can continue.
• Sibeso is the daughter of Florence. With Florence being able to set up a small shop, she will now be able to provide for all of her children, including Sibeso.
• Kelvin suffered a stroke a year ago. His speech and right side are affected. He lives at Kalowa village near Katungu in a small open hut and his family have been finding it difficult to care for him. I visited him a month ago and he was not being well cared for. It was a difficult visit; there is no home care in this rural village. This village is small and everyone lives in mud huts. There are no trained nurses in the area and very little understanding of what to do with a stroke patient. Yesterday, I visited a very well run hospice in Choma where only HIV positive patients go. I will work with our local nurses to facilitate Kelvin's transfer to the hospice, where there is running water, plenty of food, and trained staff! Kelvin will then receive physiotherapy a few times a week. It is so clean and uncrowded. I visited with a few of the clients that are in the final stages—they were very well cared for and felt quite comfortable. If I had funds I would set up a similar hospice in this area! It is so needed!
  

I hope this information has been helpful to inform you where your dollars have been going. As well, to let you know that your prayers have been heard!

Please pass this information to anyone else that may have attended one of our fund-raisers or is just interested! There is always room for more donations as each day the nurses are confronted with issues related to HIV/AIDS and do not know what to do! If anyone knows a philanthropist looking for somewhere to spend money—please send him/her my way!!

May you continue to be people who share the blessings that our God has shared with you!

One Day in Zambia...

0615 – Oops, we slept in! Usually we're up and almost out the door for our morning walk/run by now, but we are out the door by 0630 accompanied by our two dogs—Tripod and Tarra. Most times they don't come with us—we think they are still out with their girlfriends.

0630 – The secondary kids are just getting out of chapel and are on their way to breakfast on their last day of school! They are excited because this is their last day!

0730 – We are home—the mornings are so lovely and cool. About two weeks ago the mornings, even this time of day, was quite hot!

0900 – Breakfast is done! I made a gineau-fowl-egg omelet with green peppers, tomatoes and cheese. Orleen is doing laundry. Winnie is catching us up on news about the mission and Mashel is washing the truck.

0930 – The filing and sorting of jobs to do is done and we head to Kalomo. Oops, the bank machine is not working; we get the mail and we head to Choma. We pick up Edgar (Good Hope teacher) and Lucia (HIV patient) at the Twin Fountains/Kabanga intersection.

1030 – We do some banking—the bank machine works in Choma! I buy a crochet hook for Winnie and I'm bombarded by the fruit and veggies street sellers. I now know who to buy from and I get a really great watermelon for K10,000 instead of the K20,000 that the guy initially asks. I also buy apples, bananas, tomatoes and carrots the same way. I usually tell them now that if they give me a good deal today, I'll come and find them next time! It works quite well. I find these veggies a better price than at the SPAR, the supermarket.

1100 – We drop by St. Malumba school to pick up Camody, a deaf boy who lives at Mawaya compound in Kalomo. He is such a fine looking boy with the loveliest smile you'll ever see! He signs his greeting to me and of course he has to teach me how to greet properly. We tell the Aunty who looks after him that we want him to be ready to go in one hour. Next, we take Lucia to Chodort trade school for an interview for a tailoring course.

1130 – I do my grocery shopping at SPAR. We buy about K340,000 of kapenta that we'll use for sponsored kids and for grannies. Kapenta is like dried sardines and have plenty of nutrition in the form of calcium, oil and protein. I buy our groceries, too, and a treat for all of us for the road home (a bun and a drink).

1230 – We pick up Lucia; she's passed the interview. She's glad! This is our third patient to be accepted here—two for tailoring and one for carpentry. They are one-year courses towards a government certificate. We need to find housing for these three, but Chodort says they'll help. Lucia is a sister of Mashel who works with us. Her husband, Kelvin, is also HIV positive; we are trying to find a hospice for him.

1300 – We pick up young Camody so he can return home; school is over for the year!
1315 – We fuel up in Choma because Kalomo is out of fuel. We've heard that the gas station is shutting down. Not nice!

1330 – We stop at Martin's hospice to check it out for Kelvin, one of our HIV positive patients from Kalowa. Martin's is a Catholic run hospice mainly for HIV positive patients. It's the cleanest health care facility I've seen in Zambia. I was here about ten days ago and some have remembered me and now know me by name. I'm waiting for Sister Bertha to return so we can get Kelvin in here. Apparently they offer physiotherapy three times a week; that could be so helpful to Kelvin! One young gal (seventeen years old) is like a corpse. There is nothing left of her—skin on bones, mouth gaping for air, eyes bulging out, only minutes left in her—a very sad situation. Her twenty year-old sister was with her, the parents both died many years ago. This girl is a mother-to-child transmission case. I could hardly get any words out to comfort the sister, but I squeeked out, "I'll pray for you, young lady—this is very difficult". The sister nodded and looked quite afraid. She is the only living relative for the young girl and had to quit her second year at UNZA (economics student) to attend to her dying sister. Such are the cases for many people in Zambia. The irony of this is that Lucia is sitting in the vehicle quite well, because she was able to receive care early, thanks to the sponsors—the Chijides in Canada.

1500 – Back in Kalomo, we pay our Zamtel bill and then swing by the new Barclays bank to see if the automated teller is working. We're just curious—it's not working! We take Camody home, but since we've never been to his house, he has to direct us. It's amusing taking directions in general from a Zambian, and this is more fun because he has no speech! When we arrive at his hut, his granny is so excited, she is just dancing! And out comes a wee brother—about four years; he grabs his big brother and hugs! It's so cute!

1530 – While in Kalomo, we spot Brivery! He's one of the Kalomo High School sponsored students—one of the brightest! He's a double orphan and the choirmaster for the KHS church choir. He is so talented and has such a charming smile! A grade 12 student stole his suitcase last week, so I had brought a hockey bag in the truck, in case we had time to go to KHS. But, even better, Brivery is in town; he is surprised and delighted at the gift!

1540 – Along with Brivery are another bunch of our KHS boys. They show me the next term's fees and say goodbye to us until January!

1600 – Home again, Winnie and Mashel are ready to leave as we unload groceries. Kabulo shows up—he's a sponsored college student. We've been working on making a profile for him. He's a national volleyball champ and wants to send his 'resume/profile' to some American colleges to see if he might be eligible for a scholarship. Derrick comes by—he's a boy who sold goats to pay for his education. Derrick is a very shy boy from a village very far away, Simalundu. He makes a deal with Richard to get three goats and will have his two young brothers care for them out at the village. The income from these goats won't come until about a year and a half. He intends to use the goat money so that he can pay for his brother's education because they are soon reaching grade 8 where fees must be paid. Derrick is only in grade 11.

1730 – Fighton Munduli, a secondary sponsored student, is at the door. School has ended and we had agreed to drive Fighton, Mvulu, Timmy and Royda to their villages. Their villages are close by, but they have all their world belongings in a trunk and it's just too heavy to carry the dozen or more kilometres to the village.

1930 – We arrive home and there is about 20% power for a wee while, Then, no power. But… with the wee bit of power we heated up a can of mushroom soup and we have buns and cheese and apples.

2030 – We are both in bed after doing a bit more filing and entering of data. Richard is trying to see if winding up the flashlight 120 revolutions per minute will make the light stay on for thirty minutes. Actually, he's trying to see if that noise will drive me crazy—it does!

Power is still off. Yesterday it was off about twenty-three hours!

What do you do when the power is off and the battery on the laptop dies?

You go to sleep! We do!

Graduations in Zambia

Last Saturday we attended another graduation. We arrived at 1400 hours—as the invitation stipulated. We were early! The school boys were trying to set up a tent—for the honoured guests, I suppose. It was comical to watch the tent-setting-up for a few minutes. It's like I try to do when I go camping. I pick up a piece and look at it from all angles and then Richard tells me what to do! Except in this case—there were about twenty school boys looking at many pieces (and no Richard!). Anyway, about an hour and a half later, it was all set up! In the meantime Richard and I went to Seven Fountains Farms and had a visit with Rod.

When we returned, it turned out we were some of the honoured guests and Richard was the one to present the pre-school kids with their certificates. Zambian graduations involve lots of celebration—for little kids and big kids! When each graduate's name is called the mommy, aunty, brothers, sisters, cousins, friends (just about everyone it seems), jump out of their chairs and hoot and whistle and dance to where the graduate is. They present cakes, candies, cookies, gifts of all kinds and pick the wee kid up (and sometimes the big kids) swing them around and then the families dance back to their chairs.

When the grade 9's were receiving their diplomas—it was the same! Such a lot of excitement. Our friend, Mr. Gollie—who is not so well mentally—was there and he was really wound up, singing and dancing. The Administration announced to the audience to not laugh at him. They said if we just ignore him, he'll go away. And he did, eventually. In Canada, security would have been called and I probably would have seen him the following Monday in the hospital. I think I prefer the Zambian way—it works—at least for Mr. Gollie.

Back to the graduation—family members danced to the front for many of the graduates—except for some of our sponsored students, like Samson Hasuulwe. Unfortunately, Samson (He's the tall boy in the photo—how did they know that when they named him!?) has no family (except Isaac who couldn't come). Samson tried to look strong, but I think he was saddened that he had no mom or dad there for him. We brought him home with us and had spaghetti and chocolate cake and presented him with a windup flashlight/radio (thanks Barb and Ed!). He was really excited and we had a real nice visit. Later when Richard took him back to the dorm, he was seen hooting and hollering all the way to the door because he'd had a fun evening and he had a nice gift!

I like the graduations here—except for being in the honoured guest spaces! We are not comfortable at all with that. I took many pictures that I can hopefully send later this week using a different computer!

Building People, Schools & Communities

The goal is to work with the community to build a school. In Zambia the government is not able to provide enough schools for the Zambian children. So there are many communities and NGO's that work together to build. World Vision has an office in Kalomo and they have built some classroom buildings at Namwianga and in the surrounding communities.

We are currently building at Siabalumbi, a village about fifteen kilometres away, and at Katungu which is about thirty kilometres away. We are building teacher housing at these communities as well, since that is a requirement before the government will provide us qualified and salaried teachers. Richard was out at Katungu this morning assisting to haul river sand for the second classroom block that we are building.

Zambia is a struggling country, but we do see slight improvements over the past few years. HIV, malaria and lack of infrastructure (due to corruption and debt to other countries) has slowed progress.

Zambians are grateful for assistance provided, but we always struggle with situations of how to screen—how to provide help without creating dependence or being tricked. We rely heavily on our Zambian friends and on our growing experience. We are learning day by day to effectively use the resources that are coming from our Canada. Thanks to many Canadians, many Zambians are saved from hunger and are able to go to school.

ZMF-C Works in Zambia

We live at Namwianga because that's where Ruhtt and Shepherd Mbumwae live. Currently, Ruhtt and Shepherd and their three children are in the US, while Shepherd is on a study leave. Shepherd teaches Computers at George Benson College and he does the book keeping for Zambia Mission Fund - Canada (ZMF-C) projects. Ruhtt takes care of the ZMF-C student sponsorship program and the construction of community schools.

While they're away, we also get to maintain and use the wonderful garden in their yard! Along the right side and overhanging, you can see bananas (not yet ready). In the far back left are mangoes (almost ready). We also have oranges (almost ready), guava (almost ready), lettuce, onions, green beans, rape, squash, cucumbers, strawberries all at various stages!

Other projects of ZMF-C are orphan care, shipping of large containers from Canada, and an HIV patient program. Rod and Sue Calder live at the farm called Seven Fountains farm and manage the two ZMF-C orphan homes. Seven Fountains Farm was acquired by ZMF-C a few years so that we could have a rural environment for the orphans and so that perhaps one day (if the farming economy improves), the farm can help finance the orphan homes. Seven Fountains farm adjoins Namwianga Mission and the farm buildings are only seven km from where we live, so we are in constant contact with our working partners, Rod and Sue Calder and their family.

Some others involved in ZMF-C include Nancy and Wilson Siazilo, who run the second orphan home at Seven Fountains Farm, and Kadonsi Kasiya, who is our neighbour at Namwianga Mission. Besides teaching at the Secondary school at the mission Kadonsi also assists with supervision of our community school teachers and many other things, so, we keep him busy!

Richard and I look after approximately one hundred fifty sponsored students at the moment. Timmy is one of them. We pay their school fees, review their report cards (as any parent would!) and ensure that those who are day students have enough food to eat. Most of the students are boarding students and that is a good thing!


The day students typically live with their granny or an uncle or an aunt because most of our students are orphans. We provide some food to the grannies and families of some of our kids. The photo shows Granny Kanana, who cares for our sponsored students (her grandkids) Cynthia and Woodgate.

We also attend our 'kids' graduation when we are able to get to them and if they tell us they are happening! Last Saturday we attended the graduation of Cynthia Sing'ombe and Kafuna Kalunga. We were the parents for Cynthia as she had no one else and while Kafuna had an uncle there, he was excited that we were there for him. They both received watches as a ZMF-C graduation gift and let me tell you, they were excited!!

Immigration!

Immigration is always such a big deal here, but we are learning a few things, and a few things are changing—at least in the city. Lusaka has a very open office with no partitions. They have large posters explaining their values; with this, there is supposed to be a more open and respectful system. That is exactly what we found one month ago. Bribing still occurs, but the supervisor, who sits in plain view of all, can see easily if anything like that is transpiring.

Our papers were processed quite quickly last month in Lusaka. The hold-up with our process is that this is the first time there have been 'agents' of ZMF-C requesting a visa. So, Immigration needs to investigate whether ZMF-C in Zambia is a legitimate organization. This is where the smoothness breaks down. Anne Sampa is trying hard to expedite the process—but already there has been a delay due to the Immigration office needing time to find a letter that needs to be sent to Kalomo, so the Kalomo office can investigate the activities of ZMF-C. Why would they need time to find the letter?! Who knows? TIA!

We felt it would be better to go to Lusaka to have our passports stamped rather than Kalomo, because they are very much thinking we are 'secret agents' in Kalomo and not just 'agents'! Kalomo is a suspicious group!

November in Zambia

In Zambia the rainy season has officially started. Mr. Crispin Daka has won the chocolate cake for guessing the day the rains started. However, he has not come to collect yet because of a few issues—one being I've not been shopping in a while and I don't have icing sugar or enough flour! But, eventually he shall collect!

With the rains, the start of the planting of maize begins. Maize is the staple for this area of Zambia where many folks cultivate with oxen and a hand-held plough. This photo was taken just behind our back yard on the mission. There is no rototilling business here—it's mostly oxen in the rural areas unless you farm lots of land. There are some tobacco farms with Zimbabwean farmers around here who farm massive amounts of land, kind of like at home. The maize will be ready in March or April, if all goes well with the rains. Last year the rains quit too early in this area so many people are already facing hunger. The hunger situation will worsen through December, January, February and March.

The second photo is of a male singing group that cycled from Simakakata (approximately 20 km) to Siabalumbi last Sunday where we attended. Siabalumbi is where we have a community school. In order to connect better with our communities, we have a schedule of attending a different community each Sunday. Simakakata is the blind community; they have an active singing group (all of whom can see!). Two of our sponsored students are in the singing group. The tall boy in the blue shirt is Killan. He is in grade 9 at Mwaata High School; both his parents are blind. I really could take this boy home; he is just too sweet! He is such a help for his parents and his whole community. Kelvin is to the right of Killan; he lives with his family a few kilometres from Simakakata. He is a very nice boy; he did the song leading at Siabalumbi this Sunday.

Today, Richard helped the Katungu community haul river sand for school construction. Then we visited with a Victoria couple, the Dills, who dropped in to the orphan home. We had a great visit; it was nice to be able to connect with home for a short while.

Tomorrow we are off to Lusaka to do visa/immigration stuff and of course some shopping. I really think that by the time we receive our official status, we will be on the plane for home!

Baby Richard

The 'aunty' Charity in the photo is holding baby Richard, the newest addition to the Calders' Orphan home. He was born approximately one month ago and was brought to the orphan home by his granny accompanied by the mother. Since the Calders were away, Charity and I went to the village where the baby comes from to investigate why this child could not remain with its relatives. Apparently the mother of the child was refusing to nurse the baby and the family had witnessed her throwing the baby. The granny had a huge concern because this mom is suspected of killing a previous child. The granny went on to say that that child had been doing well but was found dead one day with the mom, blood running from its mouth.

I spoke with the mom, Gertrude, and she responded in Tonga. The information was translated for me but it was loose pieces of information incoherently strung together. She had no explanation for her behaviour. The granny says Gertrude goes through spells where she "faints" and where she is "busy, busy". She also has times where she chases men. The granny asks, "What can we do?" I suggested the best that could be done is for her to visit the clinic, be provided some medication (depo provera), and get an HIV test. Beyond that there is not too much available. The only psychiatric medicine at the clinic is valium and drugs like risperidol are only available to those who can pay and likely would only be found in Lusaka. The other problem would be in getting her to take it regularly even if it was accessible.

The baby came to the orphan home with the name Mapenzi, the Tonga word for trouble. I suggested that we change it to something more positive, like Richard. The aunties went for it!

We will follow on the progress of both mother and child. Gertrude just happens to be the sister of one of our sponsored students, Glenger. I ran into Glenger yesterday and pretended to not know of her history. He said it is difficult to describe Gertrude in English. He says she has troubles. He also gave the same story of the death of the previous child. I told him his new nephew, Richard, is now at the Calders.

Storms of Trouble

I believe that the rains have begun here. Yesterday afternoon we had a strong thunderstorm, and Mutala may have got the worst of it. We had just received the email from Shepherd about the money spent on the school at Mutala, and then the storm took more than half the roof off their school. It also damaged one teacher's roof and others in the Mutala community. We went out to see the damage about 17:00. I believe that they may have had a small tornado, even though the people here do not seem to be familar with tornadoes.

In Saskatchewan, our tornadoes are associated with thunderstorms, strong winds, and often hail, and that is what they experienced here. The head-teacher said that they had rain and hail, and that the ground was completely white. She said that the winds were swirling in all directions and then the roof flew off the school. The roof flew about sixty metres and got hung up in a mango tree. Even the trusses from the middle section of the school were torn off and damaged. They had to pull iron sheets and pieces of wood down out of the mango tree. I am sure that the roof would have flown farther if it had not hit the tree. Luckily none of the children or teachers in the school were injured.

Smart happened to be home from his school in Livingstone. He said that everyone in the community was frightened and ran for their homes. He said that they had not experienced anything like this before. Anyway, Smart spent the afternoon repairing part of the remaining school roof, repairing the teacher's damaged roof, helping other community people with their damaged roofs, and salvaging the materials from the mango tree.

Then last night we had another strong thunderstorm and the head-teachers' roof was completely torn off her house. Everything she owned was soaked. She spent the evening at Wilson's home. Anyway, before I arrived there this morning, the community had most of her roof back on the house.

So... what do we do to help out? The community has already sorted through the salvaged materials to see what can be used. They are preparing a list of materials that they will need to put the roof back on the school. I told them that I would write to ZMF-C to see how we could help them out with this difficult situation. I have not promised them anything, but I think that we should be able to partner with them in some way to put the roof back on the school. This morning I also received news that one of the teacher's houses at Katungu had lost its roof last night. Mr. and Mrs. Symia spent a good portion of last night in the school and tonight will take shelter in the unfinished duplex. Their house is one of the very small houses at Katungu. They have salvaged the iron sheets, but the timbers need replacing. I have purchased five timbers for the house at a cost of K140,000, and I have suggested that the community needs to be thinking about how to finance the repairs. I have some wood perservative and some roofing nails left over from another job. They will also need some tie wire and a little cement.

This situation makes it very clear to me that any construction that we do, as ZMF-C, must be done very well. We need to insure that we use only quality materials and that we hire good builders. I am afraid that if we take short-cuts to save money, that it will end up costing more in the end. I am not saying that we have taken short-cuts in the past, I am just saying that we need to be sure that our construction is done with quality.

And now I need to run to transport the head-teacher back to Mutala from Wilson's home. It is now 16:05 and soon it will be dark.

Finding Febby

Febby, the little girl with the huge smile, is Barb Slywka’s sponsored student. She is in grade two at Green Acres school. Febby lives in Mwaya compound which is a part of Kalomo. Mwaya is the same place that Obert lived and where Calistos and his brother live. It is a very poor neighbourhood, mostly mud houses, mud floors, most people are unemployed. Such is the case with Febby’s family. Febby’s mom, Virginia, had two children Gift and Febby. After Febby and Gift’s dad died, their mother married George. George and Virginia now have a two month old son. George has had work on and off, but because he has no formal training, he is mostly out of work.

The family has been surviving recently by selling ground nuts for K500 a packet (approximately eight cents). They sell a few packets a day and then shop for small fish or something affordable for their meal. I had a look inside their little mud shack and they had about three cups of mealie meal and nothing else to eat. They had some interesting sacks of old maize roots that Virginia said she will grind when they are down to nothing. I delivered mealie meal, beans, kapenta, oil, and salt on this day and also bought a bunch of ground nuts for K1000 each!

So… does it pay to sponsor a child for education? I’d say so. At least a few, like Febby, will have a chance for a future!

Photo to the right—Richard, Febby (of Febby & Robson) and I, spontaneously, join in playing a game with the kids at Mutala school.

A Happy Work Day!

Two friends, one lame and one blind from Simakakata, the blind community, are happy today! This community received a donation from the Regina Church of Christ—seed and fertilizer. After the seed and fertilizer were given to the community Mr. Shebby (right side of picture) shared with me about a course for handicapped people where they can learn how to make brooms and baskets. A few weeks ago Mr. Shebby told me that he’d been consulting with another NGO in Kalomo for a lengthy period over funding for the course and was getting pretty discouraged. He said it would cost 1.6 million kwacha for four people to attend the week long course in the Copperbelt region.

Mr. Shebby walks to our house a couple times a month from his village, approximately fourteen km away. He is always accompanied by someone because Mr. Shebby is blind! Last week one day, during one of our visits I asked him if there was any action with the NGO. He said, “No.” I said the amount was too much for ZMF-C to handle. Immediately, he asked, “How about 800,000 kwacha and only two of us from Siamakakata go?” What could I say? He said that when two of them return from the course, they will make brooms and baskets and from those profits send two more! This group of people are so encouraging to be with! They always make me smile! They are courageous, grateful, hard-working and respectful, and give thanks continually.

After I gave Mr. Shebby the K800,000 and he signed (with a thumbprint!) in the receipt book, he got on his knees on our patio and said a prayer in Tonga. He is a humble and grateful servant. When the toilets were being built at Simakakata, guess who got the last one? Mr. Shebby—he put his other community members ahead of himself. This is what leaders in the church will do!

Nephias Graduates

Last week was graduation time for the college here at the mission where we stay, and Zambians know how to celebrate!

The fellow with the pink tie is Nephias. We had the honour and pleasure to attend the graduation as Nephias’s Canadian representatives. The Canadian Sponsorship helped Nephias to graduate from Secondary school and he is ever so grateful.

Nephias tells his story of seeking education with tears in his eyes. Nephias thanks anyone and everyone who helped him accomplish his dream. As a teacher, Nephias looks forward to helping other relatives through school! Nephias and his nephew, Superior, spent a lot of last weekend with us—visiting and eating “Makuwa” food. (i.e. beans and bread, salad… meals don’t have to be fancy for guys like this!)

Congratulations Nephias and to all the sponsors who had vision enough to support ZMF-C pupils.

Rod Calder's Birthday

Yesterday, October 30 was Rod Calder’s birthday and we were invited to join the party!

Rod and Sue live at Seven Fountains Farm and run the orphan home where more than twenty babies: Mary, Micah, Shepherd, Nancy, Elise, Mark … live. Sue is a great cook, so we never pass down her invitations! In the picture she is serving her homemade cream of cauliflower soup—wonderful!

The Calders have three of their own children and six Zambian children. I haven’t yet figured out what I can cook to serve this bunch, but it's my turn so I’d better figure it out! The farm is a great place to raise kids (and snakes, too, apparently). Just before we arrived Rod had shot a black mamba. Our timing was poor, I wouldn’t mind seeing a dead snake! There are lots of snakes on this farm because there is lots of bush.
Around the table – starting at the back in the green outfit: Aggie, Demulu, Jack, Chibbo, Stepphie. Aggie is HIV positive; some Winnipeg ladies help to sponsor Aggie so the anti-retro viral (ARV) treatments and other medicines can be purchased. Aggie needs ear surgery, so she is staying on antibiotics until that happens. If she’s lucky maybe next March!

Obert's very great day!

I would wish for all of you to have been with us this morning at the Mawaya Church of Christ. Mawaya is a very poor compound close to Kalomo. Many people at Mawaya have no jobs, because there are no jobs to be had! Houses are very small mud shacks with mud floors. Kids are usually very dirty and there are always some that yell at the truck, "I am hungry!" This evening as we returned to Mawaya on Obert business there was a beat up guy with blood running all down his head. A yucky site, a fresh beating. Usually there is a drunk trying to converse with us or the truck. This is not somewhere where most of us would care to live. Actually, just visiting is tough.

The church in Mawaya built a small building just over a year ago in this compound. The church building is made of poles (made from skinny trees!) and a grass roof. The floor is dirt and the "walls" are old black plastic that has ripped to shreds in many places. We sat on "pews" made of poles and I shall never complain of hard pews again! I was close to numb when the service was over!

We had taken some college students with us, including Superior (Ellis Krogsgaard's sponsored student). Richard did the preaching. Noel, a very bright college student with the warmest smile ever, did some translating, as did Kadonzi. Justin, a college student from Luapula also assisted—but he doesn't know Tonga so he also needed a translator.

At the very end of the church service the Mawaya quartet and choir performed. The quartet is unbelievable. As I sat in this very humble "church building" I was amazed at the quality and energy of these four guys! They really should be recording! I almost forgot about the pain of sitting on the skinny pole!

In the afternoon we had to take care of some ZMF-C business at Mutala and following that is when we returned to Mawaya compound to move Obert, one of our sponsored students. Obert is in grade 11 at Kalomo High School and because he was unable to get into the boarding section of KHS he has had to live alone in a very small round mud shack (mud floor, no windows) in Mawaya. He had been doing "piece work" so he could purchase some food for himself. Since we figured out his situation we've been supplying him with food and now we've found him a family to live with, the Mulamfu's! Obert will stay with Robinson and Everness until this term ends and then we will appeal to Kalomo High School so Obert can live in the boarding school, and no longer be a day student. I wonder if the Principal would like some chocolate cake, with sprinkles!

And.just as we were leaving Mawaya we found another sponsored student at Mawaya! We thought Obert was the only one! Calistos and his brother are "double orphans" having lost both their parents in 2006. They share a small shack near Obert's and are doing piece work so they can purchase food. Doing "piece work" is very difficult because it takes precious time away from studying and because it's just hard to find work. Calistos is very skinny—VERY skinny! I'll be leaving him some food tomorrow; I think I need to set up a tent in town for kids like this! They have no parents and are just barely surviving and meanwhile trying so hard to get a grade 12 certificate! Yikes!

So, I hope you are feeling blessed in Canada. In Canada we are have way too much and some like Calistos, his brother and Obert are barely surviving! I can't make sense of it—I communicate these things to you for a few reasons:

1. Take some time to thank God for your blessings—today!
2. Remember that you've been blessed for one reason—I'll let you figure that out.
3. When you go to Tim Horton's (Java, Starbucks...) this week, please remember Calistos and his brother and Obert, and if you aren't sponsoring a kid—maybe you'd like to!
   

Love to all of you,
Sue and Richard

Febby & Robson

Febby is a mother of nine children who lives out in the bush. She is here with us because she is waiting for a ride home. ZMF-C is building a school building in their bush community and yesterday, after delivering building materials to the site, she caught a ride back with me. She was sick and needed to go to the clinic. Their nearest clinic is close to where we live, about 35km from their home.

She and her husband, Robson, are the main leaders at the Lobombo church. We attended there last Sunday, and I had the opportunity to preach. They are eager to hear from visitors, but I am convinced that my real purpose in being in those situations is so that God can use their lives to mold and change mine. This couple is very poor and they live off the land, yet they accomplish so much for the Lord. They live in a small two-roomed brick house with a dirt floor. It might have 150 square feet. There is no glass for the windows, no electricity, and no plumbing. When I picked up Febby, she insisted that I come into her home and sit and pray with them.

Febby has started a program to help the orphans, widows, and sick in her bush community. She formed a group of about twenty people who got a loan to begin an egg program. They will keep fifty chickens (layers) and sell the eggs for a profit. However, all of the men except for her husband dropped out of the project when they found out that it was a loan that needed to be repaid. Even after a profit is made, there is no money in it for the workers. All of the money will be used to help the needy. She is concerned about those who are dropping out, but she said, "I prayed to God and told him to bring it to me. Even if I am the only one left I will do it because God will bless." And God will bless. This project will succeed because of Febby's faith in our Lord. God will bless the needy, Febby will rejoice, and our Lord's name will be honoured. New people will come to know our Lord.

This is the real reason that I am in Zambia! God has brought me here to build my faith. He is a God who is alive and active! He wants to be involved in my day to day activities! I have been blessed by the faith of these Zambians.

Love,
Rich

Nephias Sinyebulula

Nephias is a young man who has been sponsored by Zambia Mission Fund - Canada for his schooling since 1999. Today he told us parts of his story that we had never heard before. His father is very poor and has two wives. Without sponsorship to go to school, his life would have been very different. His older brother only had the opportunity to complete grade 7, and, Nephias said, "My opportunity to go to school has opened the door for my other family members." There are nine children altogether. Nephias graduated from grade 12, and attended college here at George Benson in order to become a teacher. Since January of 2007, he has been living in the northern part of Zambia. He and one other graduate from George Benson were taken there by the college, given jobs in a high school and the responsibility of planting a church. After ten months, their membership has grown from two members to sixteen. He has returned here to the mission because his graduation ceremony is this week.

As he left after our visit, he was overcome with emotion. He said, "I praise God for the way that he has blessed me. I can only imagine what my life would have been like without sponsorship." He left the house with tears rolling down his cheeks. I find moments like these very encouraging, and I am reminded that the reason that God blesses our lives so that we can share his blessings with others.

Love,
Rich

Visiting Grannies

Yesterday we went to visit three Grannies! I didn't know any of their names! These grannies are caring for our sponsored students because all these kids are orphans.

The first one is Susan Mukanda's, sponsored by the Elsaesser family. She lives at Wasewange (a very poor compound not far from Namwianga) with about six grandchildren. The photo is a picture of this granny's newest great-grand daughter, born two days ago now! It is a tradition for the daughter to return to her mother for childbirth. (Fortunately, Fortune delivered this one at the clinic!) In this case, the lady had no mother, only a granny. So... the granny has a few more house guests for a few more days! The only problem, very little food! As part of the Sponsored Student program, pupils who have no parents receive food monthly from ZMF-C. I wish each of you could have seen the excitement of these grannies as we delivered a few groceries along with some seed and fertilizer. The rains are coming and it's time for each one to get planting.

The second granny is the grandmother of Dickson and Stanford. (Tonkin's student). Her name is Marta. She has a wee photo album left by an Education Mission a few years back. The only photo in it is of Wendy Ulrich and Marta! Marta was dancing as we brought her the seed and fertilizer and a few groceries. She was down to her last piece of old maize! It's about five months to the next harvest so we'll have to keep tabs on her! She cares for about eight grandkids in her little shanty compound.

The last granny is Cynthia, Doubt and Woodgate's granny. She is so skinny. She, too, was dancing as we brought in the food, seed and fertilizer. Woodgate (Iddon's sponsor student) has no bed and sleeps on the floor of a mud hut. Recently, he's developed a bad chest infection and has missed some school because of it. I think I'll see about getting him a mattress as the dust and cockroaches can't be too good for anyone! Before we left, this granny grabbed our hands and said a prayer of thanks in Tonga. Then continuing to hold our hands she walked us to the vehicle. So grateful!

And that was yesterday's work day! It is a blessing to us to be able to share what has been donated to ZMF-C.

So... think about this for a bit. While we are eating plenty everyday truly Marta is eating little sour fruits from a tree nearby to stay alive and waiting for us to come again, next month. How is that?!

Sianene - Grandfather

Let me tell you more about this picture of two guys standing in front of the brick duplex.

One is Stanford, one of the sponsored students waiting for school placement and the other is Gideon, on the right. Gideon is my absolutely favorite Zambian (this week!). He is a builder and is 58 years old—although he looks slightly older. His wife's name is Esther. These guys are trying to complete the Katungu duplex this week—or whenever humanly possible!

Gideon is very sharp and has the most pleasant personality. He told Richard to just call him "Sianene" meaning, grandfather. There is only five years difference between Richard and Gideon, but everyone else calls Gideon "Sianene". So, we will, too!

Every time Gideon catches on to what Richard says he says "ho-ho"—but not just a "ho-ho" and not at all like the ho-ho that Santa Claus says—it is with a really deep voice and the accent goes up on the "last ho"—I know it's hard to describe, but I've caught on to it and every once in a while Richard says to me—you are sounding like Gideon! I'm going to capture it on video as it is too classic!

Enjoy your day—I'm on to finances now!

Happy Saturday, from Zambia

Hello to all of you. Hope you are enjoying your Saturday! I thought there might be a time soon when I would say we have a routine, but that hasn't happened yet. Each day is different and we have to be very flexible and not have our "to do" list too concrete!

But on Saturdays at our house there is a slight routine as some of the sponsored students arrive at 0800 to do "chores". Each sponsored student is to volunteer a certain amount of their time in order to show appreciation for the gift of education that the Canadians have provided. So... this morning there are about a dozen students that have come to sort beans, "peel" maize cobs, do a bit of laundry, rake the yard... Our philosophy is that education is not a free gift and in order to keep ZMF-C running, it is good for everyone to make a contribution!

You can see Belvis and Wisdom in the picture along with Mashel sorting beans. Each of the kids that came to do the work today will take home a packet of beans and a packet of kapenta and a bucket of mealie meal. Most of the kids have up to seven km to walk home. Mashel is the gardener/outside helper. Both Winnie and Mashel come every day except Sundays.

By 0700, Richard was out the door and off to Siabalumbi where we have construction of another classroom block on the go. My apple oatmeal muffins were in the oven and Mashell had arrived to get ready for the students.

By 0930 the laundry is finished—and this week Winnie (the lady that cleans inside the house) and I have been doing our "dry season" cleaning—washing of bedspreads, mattress covers, curtains. We had a few curtains left to do so Audrey and Orleen finished those. You can see how laundry is done in rural Zambia in one of the attached pictures.

I've just served muffins, watermelon and juice to the kids and we chatted about classroom sizes and availability of text books. Belvis tells me that his grade 12 class at Mwaata School in Kalomo has 43 pupils and they share a few English text books inside the classroom, but are not allowed to take them home. Wisdom, a grade 11 pupil at the same school says there are 53 pupils in his grade 11 class and they have one text per each pair of pupils. I haven't seen a class yet where the kids can take the text book home. This makes studying and passing exams very difficult.

Yesterday, I bought several high school text books and set up a library within the Kalomo High School library for Kalomo High School ZMF-C pupils. Fortunately, Jannie (a male student), one of our ZMF-C students) is the KHS library supervisor. He has the books under lock and key within the school library and only our sponsored pupils can borrow the books and the books must remain in the library. Since there are over 1200 pupils at this schools and text books are scarce leaving a text book around is a huge invitation for theft. Recently, there was a text left in the boys dormitory from another library system and it was stolen. The book was worth about K160,000—a sizeable sum. I asked our kids why a book would be stolen. They replied, kids can sell the book and buy cigarettes and alcohol. So... we shall see how this arrangement works out. My goal is for these thirty-three Kalomo High School kids to get better grades—and for us to be able to have the books in place for the next term! We shall see.

Richard is off to Katungu now to take more building materials out. In Zambia, the builder must transport all supplies. We took out materials last night, but the roofing sheets were all the wrong size. See the photo of Richard, Mashel and Timmy tying the planks and re-bar onto the Dyna (truck).

At 1400 we have a "date" with our Kalomo High School pupils at the high school to celebrate graduation. We have eight grade 12's there. The grade 11's are the ones responsible for organizing and the makuwas (white people) and the pupils themselves have provided funds so that party can happen. There is to be singing, dancing and, of course, speeches. No formal gathering is complete without speeches!!

Timmy—the young man wearing the blue shirt pictured on the truck is sixteen years old. He attends Namwianga Secondary School, the boarding school that I can see from this window. Timmy has been a sponsored student from grade 5. His dad died when he was two years old and when his mom re-married she moved away and left Timmy with his grannie. Timmy started school on his own at age nine. His grannie wasn't able to send him so he just went on his own and it was noticed that this kid was neither enrolled nor paid for. I'm not sure who paid for him for the first five years, but eventually ZMF-C picked him up. Timmy is doing very well in grade 8—but he says he feels silly being so big in the grade 8 class. He plans on attending grade 9 at the same secondary school and then he's going to see if he can skip grade 10. He is very bright—and at this rate he'll be twenty years old in Grade 12. His goal is to be a minister. He said when he was in grade 4 and his granny had no food that he would walk the five km to the secondary school cafeteria and wait for the leftover food from the college students.

There are so many stories like Timmy's. I'd say most kids have it figured out that to have a life free of hunger they must work hard everyday at their studies. They do not take education for granted. When Timmy left our house last night at 1900 hours he said, "I'll be back tomorrow morning for chores!". We told him since he'd worked all afternoon and evening that he could just rest this morning. I fed him a big meal of beans, nshima and rape and buns before he left. He was a full and contented camper when he left, but very dirty from the long and dirty ride out to Katungu on the back of the truck.

If you've made it to the bottom of this e-mail then I owe you a chocolate cake!

One more thing—if you really want a chocolate cake! I've started a contest—The "when is it going to rain?!" contest.

I have a white board in this kitchen with names of sponsored students, Winnie, Mashell, Richard and Sue and guesses to when the rain will finally start. The winner gets a chocolate cake! The students are excited about this as is Richard. Richard has guessed November 5—and although that is his birthday and a chocolate cake would be nice, I really hope rain comes sooner. The days are hot!! It usually is about 38 celsius by 0930 and remains hot until about 1600. Then it cools down to about 30! No rains means that when the wind blows we eat dust and sand! So... we have a steady diet of sand because it is windy almost every day, like in Saskatchewan.

Must go for now and thanks for bearing with me!

Ordinary Daily Life!

Out at Simakakata: This mom is blind and has just finished bathing her three month-old baby.

We've taken maize, beans, kapenta to this area, yesterday we bought seed and fertilizer for them and will deliver it when the rains start in earnest. This morning Richard and some of the older kids from Simakakata and some college boys (including Oscar!) went to the farm to cut poles so their bathrooms now have roofs. We love visiting the blind community. They are always so appreciative and hospitable. They gave me a bag of tomatoes last time we went there. I fed the boys and men fresh baked muffins and juice this morning after their hard work cutting down poles. Richard and I took three of the teenage blind kids shopping for shoes in Choma the other day as they needed school shoes. Guess what? They went straight for the top shelf—the most expensive shoes! Just like our own kids! The cheaper ones are displayed on the bottom shelf. After we were done we awarded their great cooperation with some sweets! One of our boys, Penzya is top in his class—he is very smart and he's known for his height, as he's taller than all the kids at the school and even the teachers!

HIV/AIDS party at our house. All are doing well. We need to find a hospital for Kelvin; we will work on that. We sang, ate lunch and prayed and did an update on their health and their plans. In a week, I will take two of them to Choma to apply to a trade school. For the others, we are planning to discuss Income Generating activities with those who can manage the work.

Making nsima for lunch at the Boma church! Richard did the preaching. We actually went home and ate lunch!