Zambia Week 2

First I have to apologize for the lack of pictures but I have been so busy and not able to do that.  Tonight was the FIRST time I have had to sit down and download pics into my laptop, and of course, I can't find the cord to connect the camera to the computer. That was Adam's job!! Cord man.  A-V techy guy.

It has been another jam-packed week for us.  This past weekend Holly, Micah and I moved out of the Wilson's house into a small cottage just down the road from the guesthouse. Because the cottage is so small Lindsay had to move in with another missionary family about 15 minutes away from us. We are surrounded by Zambian families in a quiet, rural setting.  There are almost a dozen kids for Micah and Holly to play with, all Zambian.  The younger kids don't speak english very well yet, since they learn english in primary school.  Micah runs around and climbs trees with them for the most part--not much language needed.

Some teenage girls who like to sit and hang-out on my front porch are teaching me some basic greeting in Nyanga.  Even though we hardly know each other, several of the girls have already asked for food saying that they are all out of mealie meal (corn staple used for making nshima) and wanted to have some of my bread.  I brought out some peanut butter sandwiches and juice to start with and then tried to figure out what they really wanted.  Then they asked for some peace-meal work, meaning they would work for food.  At this point I didn't really have any work for them.  I told them that I would pray and ask God what He wants me to do and that if they came back on Friday I would have an answer for them.

I am usually very generous about giving, but for some reason I had no peace about this particular situation with the teenage girls.  I felt like I was being lied to. A little while later, Faith, another missionary from FMZ came by and I told her what had happened.  Faith actually has a bible-study with these girls and knows their parents from a local Zambian church they attend.  She knows that they have food at home and things are not as bleak as they girls are claiming.  Faith seemed to think that they were testing the "new missionary on the block," as Faith and her husband John were tested when they arrived.  There is nothing wrong with being generous, but in this culture if I give without really being sure there is need, then I will have everyone and their brother showing up at my door.  Wouldn't it be the parents responsibility to come and ask if there was need?  Lord, I need your perfect wisdom in this matter!

Yesterday, Lindsay, the kids and I ventured all the way downtown to do some shopping for the guesthouse.  We were armed with a map and a prayer. The city is full of round-abouts, which thanks to Oconomowoc's round-abouts, I sort of know what I'm doing.  Except, it's all backwards here and no one really pays attention to the rules anyway.  Biggest vehicle wins. We (I) took a few wrong exits off the round-abouts and got a little lost, but we (Lindsay) figured it out and in the end made it back to the guesthouse in one piece with a load of groceries.

Today, in the staff prayer meeting, I  was asked to share my testimony.  It is so good for me to review what God has done for our family and how my perception of Him has changed so dramatically this past year.  I am reminded of His care, compassion, mercy, grace, faithfulness, and love.  And His sovereignty. Holly and Micah sat through the whole thing, listening intently.  Thanks be to God, there was a great impact, especially on one missionary in particular who knew both Ron and Adam.  Then they prayed for our family.  It was a blessed morning.

Prayer requests/praises:

Thank you God that you have kept us all well...please continue to protect us.
Thank you God that I have more than everything I need.
Thank you God that You are using us for Your Glory.
Thank you God that Holly and Micah are adjusting and making new friends in our neighborhood/church and new "aunties and uncles" with the FMZ staff.
Thank you God that you have given me much peace.
Thank you God for the servant's heart you have given Lindsay and the fabulous way she cares for them.
Thank you  God for surrounding us with amazing people that love You.


Lord, thank you for all the Zambians you have placed around me, please give me your wisdom on how to love each and every one.
Please Lord, help me to get into a routine where I know that I will have focused time alone with you.  Thank you, Lord that I can sense your Presence all around, but I need MORE OF YOU.

Thank you for praying and keeping up with our story.  Carrie

Zambia--Week 1

Hello!  Lindsay, Micah, Holly and I have officially survived 6 days in Zambia.  The flight was LONG and sometimes BORING but the kids did an amazing job hanging in there and making the most of it.  Thanks to Val and Amy getting them some "busy bags" they were entertained for most of the time that they weren't sleeping.  Micah actually slept the entire 10 hour flight from London to Lusaka, but I think that's because he was just coming down with a stomach virus.  No, having the stomach virus is not fun the first three days you are in a new country, but Micah is doing very well and playing his heart out with the kids we are living with--Toby and Ross. Holly is doing really well and I am finding that she is the best traveler of them all.  When we first got on the plane I pointed to her seat and she sat down, put on her seatbelt, found the headphones and plugged herself in.  She never cried once the entire 40 hour trip.  Her new best friend is Charis, the 4 year-old daughter of Bryan and Diane Wilson, director of Flying Mission Zambia and the family we are staying with briefly.

The week has been a whirlwind and my jet-lagged brain can't remember most of it.  Mainly, Lindsay has been at the house for much of the week with the kids while I go to meetings and get to know the mission staff.  Since Friday, Micah has been feeling better and we've been out-and-about Lusaka tagging along with the Wilson family in their many activities.  We've been to a "swimming gala" (swim meet), gone swimming in the neighbors pool, saw zebras, went grocery shopping where I could not recognize much of what was behind the meat counter, went to church, went to a brai (cook-out), went to a birthday party at a Thai restaurant (yes, Thai in Africa!!), and met incredible people from about 10+ countries all with really fascinating stories as to why they are here.

And the most incredible thing that I have experienced this past week is a measure of God's peace that I have never know before.  I was cutting stems off some roses and arranging them in a vase (roses are  dirt cheap here because we are down the rose from a rose greenhouse) and this amazing peace settled in my soul that was so profound I have to write about it.  This peace was so great that it led me into a quiet moment of worship, I was truly in awe of how great our God is.  A sense of reverence fell over me as I touched God's holiness. I relished His Presence.

God is also hooking us up with some interesting contacts.  At the Thai restaurant, Lindsay and I sat next to Craig, a doctor who has partnered with FMZ to do medical outreaches in Zambia.  After talking, Craig invited Lindsay to fly out to a medical outreach in rural Zambia Thursday and Friday this week.  They will be flying into Mansa where he will be doing some sort of surgery, possibly fistula surgery. Lindsay gets to experience rural medical work in Africa, which has been an answer to prayer!

Also at the dinner was another widow my age who lost her husband a few years back and is now running the Baptist Guesthouse in Lusaka, pretty much doing the same job I will be doing for FMZ.  Today I met another widow at the brai who lost her husband when she was young also.  In both situations we both hugged, cried and shared stories.  I hope to get to know them while I'm here.  Interesting to note that all 3 of us have arrived in Lusaka in the last  6 months!

This afternoon we're listening to the thunder and hoping the rain will cool us off!  Hot, hot, hot. This week I will be learning my guesthouse duties, learning how to drive stick shift on the wrong side of the road, and homeschooling Micah.

Please pray for us this week as we continue to learn how to live moment by moment with Jesus in this new culture and new surroundings.  Please pray that God would give me wisdom on our housing situation.  Housing and furlough plans have changed suddenly for one of the missionaries we were going to stay with.  I am praying over several other housing options and have to choose one soon.  Also be praying for Lindsay as she travels out to Mansa Thursday and Friday to witness the medical outreach.  How exciting!

I will try to post pictures soon.  Take care!  Thanks for praying.