So it is the 7th of August, and it has been 1 month and 10 days since Nanci and I arrived in Zambia. And life is good, life has been slow. But it has been perfect in that it has allowing me to have time to be still in the presence of God and really be refreshed and soak in a lot of stuff he had been teaching, a lot of healing and growth.
So what have we been doing? I hear you ask, we have been spending time in communities we have had a beautiful opprotunity of writing community profiles. We go into community meet the coordinator of the community based organisation (CBO) and just sit with them and ask them how they have evolved in their work to reach vulnerable and the heart they have for the vulnerable and orphans in their community and to listen. It’s amazing to see how God has been at work in these communities, by way, way back calling people in the community to look after and care for the vulnerable. And at the right time connecting with Hands at Work to support and uphold them in this work. We also go and visit a child that has been impacted by the work of the CBO. It has been so inspiring. Once we have walked the community we get to write up the report called a community profile and be a voice for this community, to encourage and inspire other all over the world. Some of the stories heard and people I have met break your heart but I know there is hope because God loves them more than I do.
This is not all we have done though, we have been helping everywhere. Helping in the office, helping prepare meals for the teams. It’s been wonderful.
The highlights though, have been developing relationship with people here, one big family. Being immersed in Zambian culture, I am trying my best at speaking as much of the local language, Bemba as possible. The people here are so friendly you always greet strangers down the street well most of the time some people kind of stare at me because I’m a mazungo (white person) but once I say Mulishani (hello, how are you?) I am greeted with a smile or a laugh and a Bwino.
But the biggest highlights have been going back to communities that have the children and teachers that were at our camps. They remember me and I remember them and we laugh and smile and sing songs that we did at camp. It was so wonderful to see them well and see them in their environments.
this is a pic of the girl I talked about and met a camp, it was great to see her again she looked so grown up at school.
The other day I had an opportunity to visit a community I had been to 2 weeks earlier, we went to check on a mother we had visited the last time we were there. She had been quite ill, headache, aches, pain in her chest and neck, we prayed for her and when we went back she was up and about and was feeling much better. And she said she hasn’t felt that sick since. I believe that is the power of God, it’s amazing.
Also that day on the way to visit the mother, we saw some children playing in their yards and there was one girl who saw us, dropped what she was holding, screamed Mazungo with a huge smile on her face and begun sprinting towards us, she ran straight into my arms and gave me a huge hug. 2 of her friends nearby hesitated and then follow into giving us huge hugs too. It took me a while but I later realised that the girl who had run first was a girl I had met in the school 2 weeks ago. She remembered me and was so excited to see me it was a very beautiful and precious moment.
Today I have had such a wonderful day :D, we started off with small group, in which we played and sung some children song (my favourite) then we sung one of my favourite worship songs – In Christ Alone. The discussion in small group was great. Then 3 of us went to a community I had been to before, I got to see a community school in action. And again I had that nagging feeling and thought of I want to be a primary school teacher, so keep praying on whether that’s the direction I am headed, who knows. Anyway I got to see a teacher I had connected with the first time I was there she is my age and an amazing teacher. And she offered to cook for me Nshima and caterpillars, I couldn’t make it but we have kept in contact and are planned to eat caterpillars and nshima together someday soon.
I’ve been giving a role now of helping with admin, but the funny part is to everyone who knows me well knows I’m probably one of the last people you would get to do admin work. But I did see it coming right before I left to come to Africa, my small group were studying spiritual gift and we looked at the motivational gifts and did a quiz. Admin was one of the categories as was teaching, giving, encouraging, mercy, serving. And low and behold admin was my lowest score then the lady who was leading our small group said we aren’t stuck in our strengths for life God will often direct us into circumstances where he will work on our weakness and shape/build our characters. And the thought popped into my head, oh great Gods going to get me doing admin work in Africa. And surprise, surprise here I am, doing just that. God really does have a sense of humour.
So I am at this moment spending 2 weeks at one of our offices working and learning from the best admin person in the world. I was a little worried this is the 1st time I felt I was going to be alone for a large chunk of time. I was with my team for 2 weeks, sharing a room with 7 other girls, then with Ashley and Nanci for 5 weeks in South Africa, sharing a room with Ashley and now in Zambia I have been with Nanci for just over a month, again sharing a room. Now I’m in a place where people aren’t familiar. But God knows what he is doing, the lady I get to work with is one of the sweetest, kindest person I have ever met. Last night I got to stay with her family in their home and wow, God is in the family for sure. They have 2 daughters who are full of character and attitude, and love one wanted to lock me inside so I didn’t have to leave. But the best moment was in the late evening we sat out sit under the stars, sitting around a fire in which we were cooking our dinner on. And we got talking about music and then my friends husband brought out a guitar and begun to play one of my favourite worship songs, and the 3 of us sat underneath the stars, singing to the guitar it was precious, and beautiful and it was just so refreshing. And it really reminded me of this Psalm;
Psalm 84:1-6
How lovely is your dweling place,
O Lord of heavens armies,
I long, yes, I faint with longing,
To enter your courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
I will shout joyfully to the living God
Even the sparrows find a home,
And the swallow builds her nest and raises her young
At a place near your alter
O Lord of heavens armies, my king and my God!
What joy for those who can live in your house,
Always singing your praises.
What Joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord
Who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem
When they walk through the Valley of Weeping
It will become a place of refreshing springs.
The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.
Vs 10-12
A single day in your courts in better that a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
Than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
For the Lord God is our sun and shield.
He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will uphold no good thing from those who do what is right.
O Lord of Heavens Armies, What joy for those who trust in you.
God is good and his love endures forever.
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