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.