Reflections from week one in Nahumba!

Greetings from Nahmuba! Well, life in Nahumba is quite different than what we are used to, yet we are finding ourselves adjusting quite well. When we first got here, we stayed in a guest house, just a stone's throw away from the main house. The days were very busy with many people coming and going, and we got a taste of what it is like to be the hostess at Nahumba as we saw the many meals that Marian served and we were amazed at her obvious gift of hospitality and her heart for people. Yesterday, Marian left for the states and now we are in the Main House, while my parents take over her job. So now we are settled in to our home for the rest of our stay...with Matthew and I sharing a bedroom (until my dear husband joins us, then Matthew will find himself sleeping on the sofa!) We are doing well, and we have had some good laughs as well as some opportunities to grow in sanctification!

Here are some random thoughts as I reflect upon our first week in Zambia:

- It's a long way from home!
- The people are so kind and friendly.
- Upon walking downtown in Choma (about a 30 minute walk from Nahumba and not a very big town), we didn't get too far, as we kept getting stopped by people who knew my parents and saw them for the first time since we arrived! The other day I think I counted 7! Here you don't just say hi and move on; you converse about their family, their job, their health and life in general. I rather enjoy that!
- The greetings of joy and jubilation in these people as they welcome my parents "back home" :) Some of these greetings have moved me to tears as I see how deeply they love my Father and Mother, and how much it means to my parents to be here again.
- I learned the hard way the importance of a transformer, but all is well, and nothing of value got ruined!
- I will forever be grateful to be able to do every load of wash with clean water. Today we did 6 loads of wash and my Mother informed me that we use the same water for every load...Matthew's dark, dirty clothes won the prize to be the last load! They got relatively clean :)
- No dryer, so every load gets hung out and every day seems to be a perfect day to hang out wash. It was dry in no time at all.
- If I greet the little children in English, they just look at me. If I greet them in Tonga, they always laugh and greet me back. It must sound funny to them to hear this white woman "try" to speak Tonga!
- I am surprised to see so many people have cell phones; a very big development since my parents were here 4 years ago. Evidently it is a very prestigious thing to have.
- The evenings and mornings are very chilly, and I am so glad I brought my flannel pajamas! It warms up outside during the day, but inside remains rather chilly, especially with the concrete floors.
- Given and Emma are dear friends to me already. They are the 2 workers my parents had when they first came over in 1989 for a 3 year stay, and they are still here, and so very helpful and kind.

- Matthew is enjoying working with Given. I think he will learn a lot by watching him work. Given is a very talented, hard-working man who can fix anything...sorta like my son-in-law :)
- A highlight of the church service was the Tonga singing. There were various groups...youth, men, and women. What a beautiful sound they have as they harmonize with no instruments.
- My first experience (and my last!) buying produce from sellers in town on the street was interesting to say the least. Once they saw I was interested in buying bananas, they came from all over, all talking at once, pleading with me to buy their carrots, cucumbers, avocados, tomatoes, peas, onions, etc! From now on, I will choose another way of buying!
- Figuring out and handling the kwacha is interesting; they have no coins, just bills, and it ends up being a lot of bills...not used to that :)
- Although Matthew and I brought many clothing items to give away, already I wish I would have brought more. I have so much more than them, and that is hard to sort through, knowing that the little we will give can only go so far. I am seeing why my Dad has often said, that his experiences here usually don't answer his many questions, but rather, create more unanswered questions.

Well, that is enough for now. Thanks for your prayers. This next week, I hope to engage in some conversations with some of the young girls that live next door, and some of the women that live in Nahumba, now that we are settled in at the house. Please keep my Mother in your prayers as she is fighting a bad cold. And for those who care....Yes, I miss Ken very much
and wil be so eager for his arrival in NINE weeks!

For those at Youth Camp, we are thinking of you and praying for you, and Matthew is missing being there. With being 6 hours ahead of you, we tried to be aware of when it started today. May God meet you all in a significant way. We are eager to hear the reports when it's over!

What a mighty God we serve. I marvel at his mercy and love, and how wonderful it is to share with these Zambians, the same love and mercy from our gracious Savior.

Eager to hear from you - Leza amulongezye (God bless you!)