Names

I mentioned in an earlier post how impressed I have been with my Dad's ability to remember names. Whether names of people, churches or towns, he is really amazing, especially when you consider some of the names here. My Dad showed me a list of 143 Brethren in Christ Churches, and about forty of them begin with the letter "M" and another 40 with the letter "S". The letters "C" and "K" account for about 20 each, so that leaves the remaining 20 for some others! And once you see some of them, you will be impressed to know that my Dad can pronounce most of them very well! I am slowly getting a few of them in my head, but then you add the names of the pastors to these churches....oh my, this gets very interesting!

Here is a sampling of some BIC churches here in Zambia:
Batoka, Bbombo, Bulebo, Busulubi, Chichinga, Chikanta, Chilala, Chilanga, Chinji, Chisikili, Hamoonde, Hamubbwatu, Hamushinka, Hamuvwanga, Macha, Mbabala, Mboole, Mbowe, Mochipapa, Mpinda, Mufurila, Munyeke, Munzuma, Muyanda, Mwapona, Mweebo, NAHUMBA, Nakeempa, Naluube, Ndola, Nenfwe, Shabulile, Shampande, Siamuleya, Siavonga, Sikalonga, Silukwiya, Simaubi

Here is a sampling of some last names of pastors:
Malawo, Muleya, Moono, Mweene, Mayoba, Mafelomale, Munkombwe, Munzyamba, Munsanje, Mwaalu, Malilwe, Mudenda, Mushanga, Muunga, Muzwanaiheni, Moyo, Munza, Munsaka, Muzelenga, Mwaanga, Munkombwe, Sizimbya, Soko, Sibalwa, Siamaubi, Samboko, Syatambika, Sikwangala, Sikalima, Siapola, Simunene, Kalulu, Hanguma, Haankwa, Hachinda, Haziyu, Chabakola, Cheelo, Chikashi, Choongo, Chidakwa

See what I mean? Now you can be impressed with my Dad, too! I often ask the people to spell their names; then I can pronounce them better!

We have also been intrigued by first names. Many names have significant meanings. For instance, Sibajene means "the Father was absent at birth." When families have a number of sons and then a daughter, or a number of daughters and then a son, that child is often named "Mutinta", which means "different than the others." If they have many of the same sex, they might name that child "Ncimunya", meaning "the same as." I met a husband and wife the other day who had 6-7 children. In English, their names would mean gift, love, joy, peace, faith, and hope. In Tonga, the names, respectively would be Chipego, Luyondo, Lukondo, Luumuno, Lushomo, and Lusyomo. Other first names we have heard are: Nevers, Memory, Luckness, Beauty, Longone, Honest, Innocent, Bright, Auditor, Given, Precious, Mercy, Fair, Fines,
Shaven, Prudence and Promise.

The other night my parents told us a funny story that took place during one of their other visits to Nahumba....one day there was a knock on the door. My mother answered and asked the man his name. My Mother thought he said that he wants to say hi to Dicky. Well, my mother thought this was odd, because no one called my dad "Dickie", and especially not the Zambians! Well, my mother went and told my Dad what he said and when my Dad came to greet the man, he knew right away what happened...his name was Hadinke!

They had a good laugh with that one! I have blotched up my share of names, so I can certainly understand the misunderstandings.

So, if you have lots of spare time on your hands, you can memorize the list of names above. Then again, if you are that bored, you need to come to Africa!

Missing Living Hope Church

I hope everyone loves their home church as much as Matthew and I do! Today I am missing my dear friends and family at Living Hope Church. As I type this post for Sarah, it's now 4:00 (or should I say 16 hours!) here on Sunday afternoon, and my thoughts went to some very dear people who are now beginning to worship the Lord in the auditorium of Susquehanna Middle School in Harrsiburg, PA. I am with you in spirit, dear saints in the Lord! And you are my prayers as you gather together to worship the Lord and hear his Word preached (by my favorite pastor!) I just read an email from Ken's parents, telling me they will be at our church this morning too...oh, just another reason I'd love to be there!

I also just saw the list of who was baptized last night... Carlos, Chelena, Scott, Charity, Elizabeth, Joel, Lydia, Joe and Andrea, Paige, Amanda, Seth and David - Oh, how I wish I could have been there to participate in that significant moment of your Christian life. I hope to hear all about it....hint, hint!! Then a little while ago, I logged on to the church website and I noticed the church picnic is coming up....I know that will be a great time of fun and fellowship for you all, and I will miss not being there.

But don't worry, I am not TOO sad; God has been so faithful to give me joy in the midst of missing my dear family and friends and He continually reminds me of His plan for me this summer, which included this separation from all of you. However, I think I will want every day to be Sunday when I return! Thanks to all of you at Living Hope for your love and prayers. I miss you greatly, and I so appreciate the fellowship we have together. Thanks for how you all feed my soul. Your love for God, your desire to put sin to death in your lives, your pursuit of godliness and humility, and your devotion to family and church, your joy of serving....all these and more makes me love you so much, and it's why you're the best church I know!

A Kitchen Party ... Tradition!

This will be a tough post to keep short! There might be some details I will need to correct in the days ahead, as I talk to Emma and get some questions answered, but I will do my best to give an accurate account! Today Mother and I went to a Kitchen Party (ie. Bridal Shower). The couple is getting married in 2 weeks and Emma, Mother and I are making their wedding cakes...should be fun! We are actually going to a wedding this coming Saturday as well, but that Kitchen Party was too far away, so we couldn't attend. Today's party was for Koyi, who is marrying Edwin, the nephew of Enoch and Lastina Shamapani, very good friends of my parents, who have raised Edwin. Just for a little background, I found out this past week that Koyi was in hiding this week....evidently she was not allowed to be seen anywhere; she needs to stay home the week before the party.

Anyway, the invitation said it would start at 1:30, but Emma, (who knows best), said we could get there between 2 and 2:30 and we wouldn't miss a thing! She was right....It didn't start until 3:00. When we arrived, our gifts were received by some women, but they told us our name had to be written on the outside of the card (I'll let you know why later on!) About 130 women were there. After we sat down, many women started singing, drums started drumming, and a line of women started towards the front, dancing with a step. The most unusual thing about this was that the second lady in line had a chitangi around her, and it was obvious that there was another person walking right behind her, under the chitangi, crouched down a bit,
who could not be seen. This was the bride to be! We thought maybe it was her mother, but it wasn't; it was one of the 2 matrons, who helps plan the wedding. When they got up front, This Matron slowly sat down and carefully removed the chitangi from her back, but made sure Koyi was still covered as she sat on the floor. There was another Matron beside Koyi helping her with every move...even straigtening out her legs as she sat. Koyi was not allowed to do anything herself.

After some songs and dancing, another group of women come in, but this time, Edwin is with them, along with 2 of his men. He normally is a very happy guy, but today, he looked very serious and somber, which I believe is part of the tradition. Edwin proceeded to kneel in front of Koyi and unveiled her. Then he gave her roses, put a necklace around her, and gave her a hug, all while the drums continue to beat. His shirt matched her skirt. Even though Edwin unveiled Koyi, she still looked somber and serious and was not allowed to smile or look up. This shows respect to her family, signifying sadness in leaving her family. Koyi and the matron "walk" slowly on their knees to chairs where Edwin and the 2 men are sitting. She then presents to
him a fruit basket, but still looking down and moving very slowly. In between these "presentations", there are cheers and "whooping yells" that only African women can do well. Edwin leaves, and then Koyi and the Matron slowly walk over to the groom's side, kneels down and presents something to his mother. She then presents something to her Mother, but again, this is all done with her head down, not saying a word.

Then the gifts begin... The Matron dances around with a bag for the guests to put kwacha in..no pressure, but if you dont give right away, the Matron will dance some more, right in front of you! She will eventually move on. Then one by one, gifts are received, and the name of the person giving the gift is called out (remember, we had to write our name on the outside of the card). When your name is called, you are to go up to Koyi, who is sitting on the floor, not looking up and still will not talk. You open the gift, tell her how to use it, and then you either give some more kwacha or you dance! We opted to dance, even though it sure wasn't anything like Emma's dances! When I showed her the gift, she did put her hands together for a little gesture of thanks, but she still did not smile! OK - I am just trying to picture my daughter and daughters-in-law not smiling or talking at their bridal showers....I don't think any of us American ladies have that much self control, especially when it is such a wonderful, happy time! That would be so hard! I am eager to talk to Koyi and ask her what she was thinking about this whole time and if it was hard for her.

They served a paper plate of food to everyone, mostly meat, and also handed out a glass bottle of soft drink. I am eager to get some answers to my many questions in the next few days, and will let you know what I learn! Obvioulsy, there is great respect and honor for families and tradition is very important. The next 2 Saturdays will be very interesting as we attend 2 weddings, one of the most traditional events in Africa. Wish I could get some pictures up on the blog for you, but I guess those will come in the post-trip blog!

Enough for now....

Leza Amulongezye, Beth

A "Somewhat" Typical Day

Now that our lives are somewhat back to "normal" (although my life does not seem normal at all, especially without my husband by my side!), I thought I would let you know what a typical day is like, even though no 2 days are the same here, and there are always people who come by or people we meet that we do not expect.

Early mornings are quiet, usually spent reading and preparing for the day, and most days there is enough water for 2 of us to take a warm bath. Matthew is still slow in getting up in the morning, but he does join us for breakfast, even though he often does not look very alert! A favorite breakfast for all of us is baked oatmeal, so I make that the majority of mornings. The cereal here is expensive, so the only 2 we buy is bran flakes and corn flakes. They actually have Kelloggs in both of those (and maybe 2 more to pick from), but it's a bit more than the "Spar"
brand, so we stick to the off brand name. With the baked oatmeal, we usually have narchies (like our tangerines) or bananas. The juice here is called "Mazoe", which is a concentrate for orange crush. It's a litle different than pure orange juice, but we all like it. After breakfast, I normally spend time with Matthew, and we are now going through the book "Relationships: A Mess Worth Making" by Paul Tripp and Tim Lane. I read it out loud and we discuss it. I am finding it very helpful for us here, where we are all learning to live in a foreign country, in one house together for the glory of God!. By His grace, our hearts desire is to love God and
others more than ourselves :)

Emma works every morning, except Wednesday, so my Mother gives her various jobs to do like baking, laundry, cleaning, and helping out with other odd jobs. She bakes yummy bread! Emma also is primarily in charge with the guest house, which is 2 apartments connected, together having room for 12 people in beds. However, last night, the Overseers and Board Members of BIC churches were at the Guest House due to meetings they have for a few days, and Emma said there were about 20 men in the Guest House! I guess they don't mind sleeping on the floor!

Brent and Mindy with Emma


Often we take a walk to town in the morning, before it gets too hot. The days are definitely warming up! It takes about 25 minutes to get to town, at a brisk pace. Once in town, we usually check the post office for mail, my Dad often stops at the bank, and we usually have something to pick up in town, whether at SPAR, the green market or from road-side sellers. My Dad is the best shopper over here; he remembers where the best places are to buy things. For instance, the green market is the place to buy fresh veggies; so much lower than the street vendors. On our walk to town, we pass a little market that we like to support, where we can get our bananas, narchies and tomatoes. The street sellers have nice apples, but we have to
talk them down....now we know what good prices are, so they can't take advantage of us anymore! We just tell them what we will pay for them, and if they don't want to come down, we politely say, "No thanks" and walk away! We can still get "mobbed" by some of them, but I am learning to be firm, yet gracious if we are not going to buy. They are very persistent, some even follow us to our vehicle, continuing to plead and bargain, and some even stand very close to our van as we are getting in. Even when we close the door, some continue to plead. It's hard not to feel like we are rude, but I just tell them to have a good day, and say, "No thank you."



For lunch we usually have soup or PBJ or PBB (that's PB with Bananas!). Cheese is pretty expensive, so a treat is grilled cheese every now and then. We also have left overs. My Dad usually works in the office in the afternoons and visits with his many visitors. Other than "puttering around", my mother and I sometimes bake, visit with some people, answer knocks at the door or do some odd jobs. I try to take a walk later in the day if I didn't walk to town earlier that day. Matthew often follows Given around, either helping him with his work, helping him at the new house that he is building, where they work in the garden or yard, or they run errands
together. Matthew also has been reading alot. He brought a number of books along to read, and he is on his last one. The other day he found the entire set of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia here at the house, which he already read quite a few times at home. He started them again! Matthew also plays soccer with the boys here, but I will let him tell you about his life one of these days.

Brent and Mindy with Given


Our suppers usually include rice, tomatoes and onions, some green veggies and sometimes meat. Beef is cheaper than chicken here, so we are eating beef more than we normally do. Although Nshima is the staple here, for some reason, my mother doesn't make it. While our family was here, Emma made some for us. For the past month, we have enjoyed lettuce from Given's garden, which he planted for us once he knew we were coming. That's a treat, because it's hard to get in the stores. Unfortunately, the garden here at Nahumba has not been looked after, so we have not been able to get anything from it. Given used to plant a garden, but he has other
assignments now, and for numerous reasons, the garden has not been tended to. My parents miss it, but Matthew is trying to tend to it and plant some things, so hopefully it will be revived, even if it's after we leave!

Making nshima


If we don't have plans in the evening, we have quiet evenings, inside. Some watch videos and some read and someone writes posts for her blogs!

There you go - a typical day in Beth and Matthew's life! Oh, and for you who care and no one cares more than I do!)....only 25 more days till the wonderful reunion of this wife with her husband...yippe!!

My Wonderful Mother and the Fire

My Mother sure loves Zambia. I enjoy hearing her tell the Zambians how much she loves it here. She describes it as her second home; her home away from home. I also enjoy hearing her tell stories from her former visits to Zambia. They are some of her favorites and so many of them tell of God's faithfulness and love. I think one reason she loves it here is because the people are so relational, and they take time for you. My Mother takes time for people. She loves to serve, she loves to bake, she loves to set a beautiful table, she loves to chat and she is very kind. She has a big heart. Her friendship with Emma is very special and I enjoy seeing them laugh and have fun together. Often I have seen my mother give things away, whether it's food, clothing or other items she brought to give away. She works hard in the kitchen and loves a clean house. Given has given (ha!) her the name "Mrs. Clean" ...and she is quite deserving of it! Since we have been here, she has been trying to extinquish the family of ants that seem to have invited themselves into our kitchen. She is succeeding quite well, and now we are only seeing a few stragglers here and there! The other day during our breakfast my Mother read a devotional excerpt to us that encouraged us to think Big thoughts about God. I am so grateful to have a Mother who trusts in God. Not only is she my Mother; she is also my very dear friend. I thank the Lord for such a wonderful Mother.

Well, I misinformed you a bit about the tall grass burning; tonight Emma set us all straight. The conversation began when Emma came to the door and told us to look outside. Directly opposite our house, the entire field was aflame! The tall grass was burning, all the way along the dirt path that led to the church, and stretching along the lane directly in front of our house. To us Americans, it resembled a forest fire, and we were a bit concerned. Emma then began to tell us that children set the field on fire, and typically that is what happens when we see the tall grass burning. In October or November, before the rains come, some farmers might burn off the stalks of crops, but when fires like this are set, children are playing around, and will seldom get caught. They do it because they like to see the fire, and it starts fairly slowly, so by the time it really is blazing, the children are nowhere around. When my Mother asked if the police would come and look for the kids, my Dad reminded her that most of the police here don't even have cars! "TIA". It will be interesting to see the fields in the morning; this field covered a large area. Emma said that if it would have been done in the daytime, the farmers would have tried to put it out. It will be sad for the cattle; they will have to find another field to graze in, further down by the stream, where the grass is green and would not have
burned. It might be the talk of Nahumba in the morning, but then again, it might not be big news for anyone except these 4 white folks who don't have many answers to things like this....only more questions!

My Wonderful Dad and Tea With Milk

At our home, it is common for someone to say "There's a knock on the door." Whether it is a pastor, teacher, old friend, neighbor, or someone new, most of the knocks are for my Dad. So many people here know him, and I am so impressed with how well he remembers people's names. One of these days, I will post a sampling of the names here and then you too will be impressed that he keeps them all straight! I will have to get the list from him, because I sure do not know how to spell them, let alone pronounce them all correctly or keep them with the right person! The hard part is that they are so similar. I will also give you some examples of first names, but I need to do a little homework first. Names are important here. They mean something and often children are named after someone. Since my parents have
been here numerous times, they each have had a baby named after them. Also, our son Jared's name was chosen for Given's son 8 years ago. Anyway, back to my Dad...he is a hard worker, and we have enjoyed doing some jobs together. I have also really enjoyed our walks to town together. We don't miss too many days! Even when we need to drive to town to buy groceries, we often just walk in to town another time in the day, to get some exercise. It takes about 25-30 minutes, and yesterday, I actually started sweating a bit...the days are warming up, but are still so lovely! I thank the Lord for my wonderful Father; I respect him and love him so much. At age 80, he
still is looking for ways to learn and grow, and doesn't come across like an expert, even though I think he is one in quite a few areas! What a privilege it is to live with my parents again...after 30 years of separation! However, I don't love it enough to keep on living this way....oh, how I miss my bestest friend and sweetheart of over 30 years....only FOUR weeks to go til our wonderful reunion!!!

Tonight I went to a Bible Study in the pastor's home. We sang some choruses together, prayed and discussed Psalm 32, a wonderful passage about the importance of confessing our sins, and joy of being forgiven by God. Once again, I marvel at how unlike God I am. Hallelujah....he does not remember my sin! For refreshments, we had buttered bread and tea. They make their tea with warm milk already added to it, and it was the first time I had milk in my tea. I loved it! Could be a trend I take back home!

Chocolate Chips? ... and Sports

The other morning, my Mother saw some little black things out on the front porch (well, it's the back of the house, so I guess it should be called the back porch, but it's the only door we use). Anyway, Mother asked Emma to come out and look at "these little things that look like chocolate chips". Well, Emma, decided to have some fun, so she went along with Mother's idea and said they do look like chocolate chips. Of course my mother was perplexed how chocolate chips could have gotten out on the porch! (By the way, we do have some of them in the pantry, but my guess is it's only because someone brought them along from the states; I haven't seen any in the stores here yet!) It wasn't long before Emma couldn't keep from laughing, which gave Mother the clue that she was kidding around with her. It was then that Emma informed Mother that a goat must have been visiting the porch during the night and left some trails! It's good Mother can take a joke, because we all had a good laugh out of that one! Funny thing was...Mother said she was planning on baking some chocolate chip cookies that afternoon, but she totally lost her appetite for them! Mother went to bed early that night, so I decided to bake a batch of them for her. When Emma heard I baked them, she asked if Mother had any...Mother confessed that she did have some and they went down just fine, as long as she didn't think about that goat!

This morning we heard singing and lots of noise outside. We looked out and saw more people on the lane in front of our house than my parents have ever seen in their many years here at Nahumba! Cars, buses, and loaded pick-up trucks were packed with singing students, and they kept coming and coming! Never in my life have I seen so many bodies packed into one pick up truck, everyone holding on to someone else, some standing, some sitting and some barely even in the vehicle! They sang songs jubilantly and they waved as they drove down towards the Primary School. In a matter of minutes, we began to see a parade of these students, coming back the other direction, now coming from the Primary School. A group of young cadets marched out in front, with students in colorful sports uniforms carrying their school banners following behind, from Secondary Schools all over the Southern Province of Zambia. Hundreds of students, singing and waving to us as we stood in our front yard, taking pictures! As it turns out, they were marching up to Choma Secondary School for Sporting competitions - the best in their schools to compete with each other in various sports. We walked up to the school to watch and enjoyed watching some relays on the track, everyone running barefoot on the dirt track, starting lines drawn in the sand! The end of the race was great....the students watching would all run to the finish line and gathered ON the track just a few yards away from the finish line, cheering their team on! So much for giving the runners room! Doug, Dar, Mindy and Brent - so sorry this wasn't going on when you were here; you would have loved it! They will continue through Friday, so we plan to go up each day to watch more events.



This evening, we had Dr. Dwight and Carol Thomas (and their crew from Sikalonga) for dinner. They are staying at the Guest House here tonight and are on their way home to the states.
The Guest House ...

It was another beautiful day in Zambia - sun shining and God's mercies abundant. I miss my dear husband, family and friends, but God's grace is evident in so many ways.

I'm still working on Matt posting something...say a prayer for him!

Leza Amulongezye!

More Pics!

Some more pics to enjoy ... thanks to my cousin Mindy and her husband, Brent!

Nahumba Mission House

Dinner together

Macha

Futbol game Brent and Uncle Doug played in
Sikalonga

Walking the road to Nahumba
Safari
Safari

Victoria Falls

Dishes at Nahumba

Yikes!

Yikes again!! (Just kidding, Matty ... I would completely trust you ... especially with that look on your face!)

Grace, Homes and a Hair Blower

Sunday morning we all went to a different church service. It was a Pilgrim Wesleyan service held at Choma Secondary School, and we went to hear Abraham preach. Abraham is in 12th grade at the secondary school and is an orphan who my parents have helped out over the years. Abraham, and his 4 other younger "siblings", all unrelated orphans, have been raised by Grace. What a privilege to hear Abraham speak with boldness, clarity, passion, and a love for God's Word, as he preached to his fellow students, challenging them to be difference makers in their lives. His title was "Changed to Bring Change" and he used the apostle Paul's life as an example. I was grateful to be able to understand Abraham, since sometimes even the Zambians English is difficult to understand if they talk fast. Abraham's Mother, Grace, also attended the service, walking almost an hour to get there. It was a sweet moment when Abraham expressed his love and appreciation to Grace before he preached. When we entered the auditorium for the service, we heard many voices, but there were not many students sitting down. I realized the voices I heard were prayers being raised to God from behind the curtain; how wonderful to hear these students praying to the Lord in their Tonga language and in English. A few minutes before the service began, a young girl came to where we were sitting, welcomed us and then asked me if we could share something; either a spoken word or a song. I agreed, then suggested to Mother and Dad that we sing "To God Be the Glory" and "Amazing Grace". Dad suggested we also ask them to join us in "God is so Good." So after numerous solos and group songs by the students, we were called upon to share our songs of praise to the Lord.

After the service, we invited Grace and all 5 of her children to dinner, and we enjoyed a wonderful time together. The children sang a number of songs for us, which was a real treat. Their beautiful voices harmonized beautifully together. Mother and Dad gave some clothing, pens and book to each of them and I gave little Ruth (about 8) a little stuffed bear. We gave Grace and her younger 2 children a ride home (the other 3 all attend Choma Secondary) and got to see where she lives. When Matthew saw the boy's bedroom, he once again realized that he is blessed and has much to be thankful for. No dressers...just a few nails to hang up the few clothes they have. No shelves...no desk...just a bed. It really makes you think about what is important when you see people happy with so little.

Grace runs a "Tax Shop" out of her home, selling some basic groceries for the neighborhood. One of the interesting things in her shop were little baggies of about one eighth cup of sugar, that sell for 100 Kwcha (less than 2 cents!) She told us that they sell a lot quicker than the 1 kg bags of sugar; so many can only afford the tiny amounts.

As we observe the homes here, it is so interesting to see many concrete or brick homes that are started, but not completed. Given told us that once you buy land, you need to start building, or else it might be taken from you. So many people start, but run out of money! Given has been working on building his own house for 10 years now, and needs money to put the roof on - then he will be able to live there with his family. Many homes are made of concrete because it is cheap. Given actually made all his own concrete bricks for his home. Many of the homes we have seen do not have kitchens, but simply make their food outside over a charcoal pit. The majority of the ones we have been in, have 2-3 very small rooms, with concrete walls and floors, somewhat similar to our garages back home.

This afternoon, Emma had a little tin can with a wire handle on it, and she asked me if I knew what it was. Naturally, I had no clue! Upon closer examination, I saw it had pieces of hot charcoal inside, and tiny holes were poked in the bottom of the can, to let the heat come out. She carried it with a homemade wire handle. I still had no clue what it was! With a smile, she said, "It's a hair blower that I made, to straighten our hair!" She then demonstrated by running it over the hair of a young girl who lives with her. It's designed to take the kinks out of hair and to my surprise, it didn't hurt the girl's head. It's amazing what one can do without electricity! I love the creativity of these Zambians.

By the way, in case you were wondering about the line in the last post about tall grass being burned to the ground, I thought I better explain - During the dry season, as the grass gets high in the fields, many sections will be burned to the ground, to give a head start for new green grass to grow even before the rains come, which will begin in late October. Within days of the buring, new growth can be seen sprouting out. Environmentalists and agriculturists disagree with this process, but it's been going on for so long, it's doubtful that it will change.

Today was wash day...another blue sky, sunny day in beautiful Zambia. Did I mention that we have been here now 6 weeks and every single day we have been blessed with a blue sky? Simply lovely... The days are getting warmer, although I am still wearing my flannel pajamas at night (but no longer with an additional shirt, sweatshirt and warm socks!) The coldest days are behind us, and I must say that July, their coldest month, really wasn't too bad so far!

Tomorrow I will tell you a funny story about chocolate chips....that of course involves my dear Mother, who I love so very much! Oh, by the way, her knee is all healed up and she is back to walking to town every now and then!

In Africa ...

What a privilege to be here in Africa ...

Far from home, yet near to friends
Made just yesterday;
Happy smiles on darkened skin,
People stopping to welcome us in.

Sunny clear skies that warm up the day,
Starry nights with that cool African air;
Dusty dirt paths that lead into town,
Tall grass yesterday, but now burned to the ground.

Women with babies upon their backs
And street boys who should be in school-
Both selling food along streets in the town;
Uniformed children are walking to school.

Men who are talking and walking around;
I wonder, "When do they work?"
Young people searching for joy in their lives -
Many not knowing only ONE satisfies.

Different languages, different dress;
But all with the same kind of smile
That reaches beyond oceans and lands
No matter how many the miles.

Oh what a privilege, oh what a dream;
Images etched in my mind;
Unanswered questions, unforgotten faces;
A summer like none of its kind.

To God be the glory -
Great things He has done -
Forever I'll sing of His praise
And never forget that His mercy and grace
Saved me, a sinner in need of that grace.

Saturday at the Market and SPAR

Last evening we went to our monthly potluck dinner with 14 other missionaries of varying denominations, including Catholics, Baptists, Brethren in Christ, UCC and Pilgrim Wesleyan. Included in our group were folks from Ireland, England, Netherlands, Zambia, and the states. A highlight for me was opening up the songbook they had and immediately seeing Mark Altrogee's song, "I Stand in Awe". What a joy to realize that his songs are being sung by Christians in Africa! As we all sang from theis songbook, it was amazing how many of us knew the same songs! What a joy to be one in the Spirit! We enjoyed some good discussion on the topic of change, and how we all face many changes in our lives, but how grateful we are that in the midst of any change, it is so good to know that Jesus Christ remains the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He will remain faithful no matter what change we face, and he will give us grace to walk through those changes with joy. It reminded me of a saying we have embraced in our church for many years..."Constant change is here to stay." Earlier in the week, my Dad led our "family of four" in a discussion about the changes we are experiencing. He and my Mother are used to living alone. Now they have their daughter and 15 year old grandson doing life with them, which sure makes life interesting to say the least! Matthew and I are used to living with Ken, but he's not here, and instead we get to live with my parents. And we all get to learn from these dear Zambians who live differently from us, yet in so many ways, are very much like us. One of the women in the group was recently diagnosed with Poly-cystic Kidney and Liver Disease, the same disease my dear friend Kathy from home suffers with. She chose a song that was new to some of us, but the words ministered to me and brought tears to my eyes...
I do not know what lies ahead;
The way I cannot see.
Yet One stands near to be my guide;
He'll show the way to me.

Chorus:
I know who holds the future,
And He'll guide me with His hand;
With God things don't just happen,
Everything by Him is planned.
So as I face tomorrow,
With its problems large and small.
I'll trust the God of miracles,
Give to Him my all.

I do not know how many days
Of life are mine to spend;
But One who knows and cares for me
Will keep me to the end.

I do not know the course ahead;
What joys and griefs are there;
But One is near who fully knows;
I'll trust His loving care.

by Alfred B. Smith and Eugene Clarke
(Inspiration Music/Brentwood Benson Music Publishing Co.)

Not much was planned for today, so Mother, Emma and I decided to walk to town. I still am amazed how many people walk in this town. People everywhere! It was another beautiful Zambian day, with the sun shining in the clear blue sky, and temperatures in the mid 70's. We left at 10:30 and didn't return till 16:30. (Yep, I said 16:30 - I figured since I have to figure out these times over here, you should too!) Add them up, that means we were gone for 6 hours. We walked and walked, taking our time going through the open market. What an experience! Shops after shops, under grass roofs, with people selling mostly clothes, but also dishes, and food. Each shop might only be a 12 foot square, but people were everywhere, mostly walking and talking, but I suppose some were buying! Then on the way home, I watched in amazement as Emma placed her plastic basket upon her head,which held 4 bottles of oil and other goods she or Mother had purchased. I had her stop and turn around ... this was a kodak moment! As Mother and I are shaking our heads with questions of, "How can you do that?", she humbly toldus that it's just like putting a little cap on your head! Then she took off in a little run, showing us that she can pick up the pace! That basket stayed balanced on her head like there was nothing to it! I htink I am too old to learn how to do that. Emma told us that as soon as little girls learn to walk, they practice putting baskets on their heads. We have seen some young girls carry some very big loads on their heads. Periodically, we have seen young children carry their younger siblings on their backs, snuggled in a colorful chitangi.

The three of us had a fun day, laughing together like old friends, and were glad to get to the toilet upon our return! Speaking of the toilet, if it seems strange using that word, then you need to come to Zambia ... My Mother asked someone where the restroom was today, and the lady said she didn't know what she was talking about. Then remembering where she was, my Mother asked where the toilet was. Immediately the lady told her where to go! I must admit, it's hard to ask where the toilet is without a grin on my face!

My Dad walked to town today to visit the bank .. oops ... they are only open the first and last Saturdays of the month!

Yesterday was a big day in Choma! A few months ago, the only grocery store in town shut down and that left only little markets about the size of my kitchen with very limited inventory. But yesterday a new grocery store, called SPAR, opened! Oh, was it packed that first day; I think everyone must have been saving up their Kwacha for opening day! The next day wasn't nearly as full, although there were many people just walking around inside not buying anything. Given told us that many people just like to go and push the trolleys (shopping carts!) around, even if they don't buy anything! I will have to look for people like that at GIANT when I return! Oh, it's so nice to not be in a hurry. Already, I have a feeling I will have a similar experience that my parents did, in that they had more of a culture shock upon returning home than upon arriving in Africa. The fast pace life is not something I miss!

Still working on Matt's post; thanks for encouraging him!

Leza Amulongezye - Beth

TIA ... This Is Africa!!

While Doug and his family were here, every so often, someone would say, "TIA". Evidently, Dar, who spent 6 of her childhood years in Nigeria, often heard this growing up. "This is Africa!" Well, we had some "TIA" moments over the past few days!

Life has been interesting! We have had computer problems, phone line problems, electricity outages and a few interesting moments! But we love it all...well, most of it :) When it comes to not being able to communicate with my family and friends, that isn't a lot of fun :( Here are a few examples of "TIA"...

Our Wednesday evening Bible Study was scheduled for 6:00. At 5:30 we received word that the place was being changed to a different home, but we never heard of the new venue, so we assumed it was cancelled. Thursday morning we discovered that the meeting was held in a home we could have easily walked to, but somehow, the word never got to us! Yesterday, our phones went dead and early this evening they seemed to be repaired. We were eager to get on the computer to check email, but oops....the electricity was out! An hour later, the electricity came back on, but then the phone lines were dead again....yes, life is "interesting!"

Today as my Dad was walking around Choma Secondary School, he noticed the students "sweeping" the campus leaves into piles. As he got closer, he realized they had no rakes, but were bending over very low, using tall grass as their "brooms". "TIA!"

Today, My dad, Matt and I went joined Erma Herr, our neighbor, in her reading room, located in downtown Choma. Two afternoons a week she teaches boys English who are not going to school. We were each paired up with a youth who read to us, and we helped them where needed, asking them comprehension questions from the material they just read. Many of these students are reading at very elementary levels, but have made great progress through Erma's class. Matthew and I plan to do this every Thursday afternoon.

The weather here is still beautiful.....nights and mornings are quite chilly, in the 40's, but by noon, the sun is warming up the day and we typically enjoy 65-70 degree weather. The sun has shone every day since we arrived - the blue sky and pure white clouds are lovely. The other day, just above the horizon was a thick blanket of white clouds stretched out along the sky, then right above, the bright blue sky. Never saw anything like it before.

We are going into town to try to send all our e-mails ... we have not recieved any for 3 days, due to no phone service or lack of electricity ... but we are thankful for running water, indoor plumbing and electricity when we do have it ... so many of our friends here do not have those luxuries!

Pictures!!!

Mom and Matt

Mindy, Brent, Mom, Nana, Matt, Aunt Dar, Uncle Doug and Pop-pop
Nana, Uncle Doug, Aunt Dar and Pop-pop

Thanks, Uncle Doug and Aunt Dar for the pics ... more to come soon from my cousin Mindy and her husband Brent's camera!!

Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is located at Southern Zambia, where it meets Zimbabwe. The falls flow from the Zambezi River. As we drove up to where the entrance is, many outside market vendors were selling their goods - hand made baskets, jewelry, wooden carved animals, art work, etc ... a nice variety of souvenirs. These outside markets are known for where one barters for what they want, at the price you want! Every seller wants you to come in and look at their goods, and most of them are quite bold in urging you to come and look AND touch! We were told that they often start at a price that is twice of what you can get it for, so when they give you a price, you start talking them down! Some of our crew even bartered with what they were wearing. Both Brent and Mindy "lost" their jackets to finalize a good deal, and I will let Matthew tell you one of these days about his experience of "losing" the shirt off his back! These sellers really don't want to lose the business, so often when you say that you will just look around and check out the other prices, they come down to your price, so they won't lose the sale. We also found out some "American" things that they really like, to help out in the bartering....our pens, hair clips, pony tail holders, and the wrist bands (like the cute ones so many of us had for little Livi). This bartering stuff is not for everyone, but most of us got fairly good at bartering for a good deal! When we talked to some of the guys, we found out that some buyers even give up the shoes on their feet and walk out barefoot, to seal a good deal. None of us were that radical; we kept our shoes on!
Close to these outside markets is also a curio shop, but there's no bartering in there - the price marked is what you pay. So Mother spent most of her time in there. She doesn't enjoy the bartering anymore! I think we all enjoyed when Given was with us; he seemed to know what a fair price was, and he helped us get some good deals! I'm sure many of them look at us Americans and think, "Here comes someone we can talk into buying something!"

Upon entering the falls, the first sight is amazing - the falls are 2 KM in length and 103 meters deep!! I have never in my life seen so much water falling in one place! Since the rainy season ended a few months ago, there was a good deal of water. We are told that just before the rainy season, there might not be much water, and one can see the entire way down to the bottom! When Ken comes, we will go again, and it will be interesting to see the difference; there will definitely be less water. This time, there was a lot of mist, but we could still see a lot of the falls. During the rainy season, we hear that it can be all mist, and no one leaves dry!

There is a big bridge that crosses over the Zambezi River to Zimbabwe, but we stayed in Zambia. As we walked through the path to look at the falls, we got closer and closer to a foot bridge that crosses over the river, where some brave souls go white water rafting (at least in some of the seasons, but I don't think during the rainy sesaon!) The closer you get to this bridge, the greater the mist. We turned around as we were getting closer to the bridge, since we didn't come prepared to get wet. (However I heard later on that they sell raincoats for 1000 Kwacha, which is only 25 cents, so if I had known, I would have gotten one!) Anyway, we walked up toward the top of the falls and we saw beautiful rainbows ... some double ones as well. While we were up there, Matt looked down to where the foot bridge was and I could see the longing in his eyes ... like any 15 year old boy would have! It didn't take long for him to ask me if he could go across. He always wears layers, so it came in handy this time! And he was quite prepared ... to my surprise, under his long pants, he was wearing his swim trunks! So I thought a little about it, and even though Nana wasn't in favor, I knew that if his Dad were here, Matthew would be going across, so I made sure Pop-pop was fine with it, and gave him my ok to go. I was going to walk with him, as close to the bridge as I could get without getting
soaked, and would let him walk across it by himself. It was safe, but it WAS wet, so I made sure he knew the importance of being careful. He was delighted! Then just as he was getting ready to head down, Brent offered to go instead of me - that was so kind of him! He didn't mind getting wet, so he went further than I would have! We were pretty far away, but as long as the mist didn't cloud our view, we knew we would be able to see him. As he was getting close to the bridge, a lot of mist clouded our view, but just as he got on the bridge, it lifted, so we all had fun watching Matt cross the bridge, waving his hands at us after every few steps! It made Matt's day! Both Mindy and Doug had great zooms on their cameras, so they got some excellent pics. Hopefully, Sarah will post some pictures of it after she
gets some from Mindy. (Thanks Mindy!) It was another day of marveling at our Glorious Creator!

There is so much in my heart to share, but that's all for now. So many
needs, so many people to help, so many things to think about.

Thanks for your prayers.

Leza Amulongezye - Beth

A Quieter House

I know I am very late in reporting about the falls, but it will be coming soon! It seems that every time I sit down at the computer it is late at night and I forgot to ask my Dad where the Victoria Falls Fact Sheet is! I know he has one and I would like to include that in my report, so it will have to wait another day. I will say this....they are beautiful and when I first saw them, I just stood there and stared at them for a while, worshipping in my heart, so aware of our Mighty Creator and giving him praise!

We just received an email that Doug, Dar, Mindy and Brent arrived safely at home ... with all their luggage (yeah!). It sure was quiet around here today; we miss them very much. Even though some of you may think that Matt could make enough noise for 4 people, he actually was pretty quiet today! We are doing well. This week we hope to visit more families in the farm compound, sit in on a pre-school class, and visit a reading class that our neighbor has for street children who don't know English very well. The pre-school class is run by Maudy, a dear woman in the church who is a wife and mother (I mentioned her and Guyden in a previous post), and who so graciously brought us a big pan of breakfast cake Saturday evening, so we could all
enjoy a hearty breakfast before the Miller crew departed...so kind of her! At Nahumba BIC Church yesterday, they had their final service of revival meetings. The preacher, a teacher at Choma Secondary School, preached on perseverance, and he was good. The service went till 1:00, about an hour longer than usual. Everyone could blame me for that...I was the only white person there, and probably the only reason they interpreted! (Mother and Dad took the others to the airport and Matthew went to an English speaking church in Choma with our neighbors, the Herrs.)

One tid bit about the little children here....the little ones under 3 years old are a bit timid with us white folks; sometimes even afraid, so it hasn't been real easy to bond with them. The preschool ones are fun to talk with, and most of them are learning English, so we can usually carry on a conversation with them.

The last 2 days before my brother and famiy left, we had great times with a number of folks here. Some of them have visited the states, so it was great asking them questions about things like church life, cultural differences, education, etc.

Supposedly this week, a grocery store is going to open in Choma. This is good news. Up to now, it has been hard to get a number of items, since we only have little markets to choose from. We were told it was going to open today, but today they say Thursday or Friday....seeing is believing!

Great news - Today we visited the immmigration officer in Choma and he was so nice! It was no problem getting 30 more days, and when I mentioned that we were told we might have to go to Livingstone to get the next 30 days, he said with a smile, "You just come right back here in 30 days and we will be glad to give you 30 more days!" It was one of the best experiences my parents had with immigration! Thank you Lord!

Today marks the half way mark of being away from Ken....I have been here 5 weeks and we have 5 more to go. I miss him so much, but God's grace is sufficient! We appreciate those who have been praying for us.

Matt and I miss Living Hope Church so much; we have to remind each other not to compare too much! We are spoiled for sure, and more than anything, we REALLY miss the pastor :)

Leza Amulongezye - Beth

Missing my Grandchildren

This morning in church when I saw so many of the mothers holding their little children, I thought I was going to lose it. I just started thinking of my grandchildren and just longed to hold a little child. I started crying, but knew I had to get a grip so I tried to just pray and thank the Lord for them, and I prayed that he would give me a few children to love and hold here. Maybe that will happen one of these days. Although if I don'tget a hold of my emotions, I might just cry if I get to hold one of them! It helps if I keep looking outward as well; no room for self pity! Later on today, there were 3 little children on the swings in our yard, so I took awhile talking to them, and showed them pictures of the grandchildren, and gave them each a little stuffed bear (that the Harpers donated). Their big smiles warm my heart!

Good-byes, Tears, and The River & Land Cruise

So sorry for the delay. Just when I encourage you all to check in real soon for another post, our computer has problems! Thankfully, we are back and running. Oh, but where do I begin to bring you up to date over the past 3 days??? I decided to take this next week to reflect of the past few days, because it's just too much for one post!

Tomorrow morning (Sunday) Doug, Dar, Mindy and Brent leave for home, and we will miss them greatly. It has been wonderful having them here, and it will be quite an adjustment to go back to the 4 of us around our table, after enjoying a full table of eight for 2 weeks. This evening, Dad gathered us all together for a time of reflections and prayer. It was so meaningful; what a joy to be able to pray together with family members. Many of us took time to thank the Lord for my parents, who have been such glowing examples to us over the years as they have loved these dear people as their second family. Quite a few of us shed tears; a special moment for me was when my Dad prayed for Ken and me. Knowing that I have been missing Ken, Matthew immediately came over to me and put his arm around me, put his head on my shoulder, and remained there by my side, while my tears flowed. He is so sweet, and I am so glad he is here with me. More than once, he has just come up to me and given me big long hugs as we both feel the absence of the most important man in our lives. This Tuesay marks the half way point of our 10 week separation....5
weeks down, and only 5 more more to go till that wonderful man arrives here in Africa....yeah! OK, I don't want to get too emotional and mushy; otherwise I might lose some readers! Moving right along to the safari report...

OK, now for the amazing Safari that we went on in Chobe National Game Park in Botswana - I'm sure I will miss many of the details, but I will try to cover the highlights. My expectations for the safari were along these lines .... wouldn't it be neat if we could see a few elelphants, a couple of giraffes (especially one drinking water) and a few other animals? Well, we saw so many elephants and giraffes that I lost count! We started with a river cruise, and then went on land in an open jeep. We saw elephants, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, warthogs, monkeys, impala, sable antelope, and various birds. We were amazed as we got to see elephants cross the river, drink water and spray themselves. One baby elephant nursed from it's mama (and actually then went to another one to nurse too - I'm still working on finding the answer to that one! I forgot to ask our guide, but we figured it was a grandma, aunt, or sister!) As one elephant stood by the water and
dusted himself off, we were told that he was too lazy to go into the water to cool off and instead cooled himself with the sand and dirt. We watched herds of elephants come down to the water. Undoubtedly, one of the highlights for all of us was when he stopped by the shoreline to watch an elephant that was a little distance away. Our guide turned off the boat and we just sat and watched, took pictures and watched some more, as he showed off for us by squirting water out of both sides of his trunk! Then as we were all watching him from the boat, he started walking towards us, getting closer and closer. Brent was at the back of the boat, which was closest to the shoreline, and he was frozen in his stance as the elephant got within a few feet of the boat. We glanced at our guide, as if to say, "Are we safe?"
Everyone was quiet and still. Brent says that if that elephant would have stretched out his trunk, it would have hit him. He wasn't exaggerating! I captured it on my camera! The elephant just looked at us and then walked on by, as if to say, "I wanted to give you a nice close-up view of what we big guys look like!" Unbelievable!

I always knew giraffes were tall, but I some of the ones we saw exceeded my vision of tall! Oh, they are so amazing to watch, strutting along so straight and tall. We would be sitting there watching a few, and then someone would say, "Look, here come some more!" And how thrilled I was, when one giraffe, stood there, looked around and then spread his front legs wide, so he could bend down to take a drink! What an awesome Creator we have! We watched 2 hippos for a while, munching on grass in the water. Our guide informed us that these big fellows are quite vicious, able to rip a person in half, so he always keeps his hand on the key in the ignition in case they start charging. We were glad they were more interested in eating their
grass that day! We learned that hippos can run 45 miles an hour, and a not long after that, we watched 2 hippos running in the grasses....what a sight! Those animals are huge and it's amazing how fast they can run. We saw a huge group of hippos (called a raft). Our guide told us that whenever there is a raft of hippos, the man of the raft can always be easily identified. He's the one with the most marks, cuts and tears on his hide, due to protecting himself and his family from other hippos. Sure enough, as we peered through binoculars, we could readily identify him. The female hippos have no marks, because only the males fight.

Within the first 20 minutes of our river cruise, our guide pointed out a crocodile, and said, "That's a baby croc." I thought to myself, "Really? That looks plenty big to me!" Well, a bit later, I had no doubt that it was a baby as we stood in amazement at huge crocodiles that measured at least 10-12 feet long and were so fat! Impala were plentiful, and everytime we saw warthogs, someone on the boat always seemed to laugh at those interesting creatures! We saw a lot of sable antelope, even though we were told that they are not seen very often. We felt privileged to see these stately, beautiful animals. I am going to save some of distinguishing facts about some of these animals for Matthew to write about :) Some have asked to hear from him, so I will try to get him to write a few things this week.

Well, this is enough for now! Obviously I am not as concise as my dear husband. If he were writing this, it would read something like this: "We saw some cool animals -go for it!" Oh I love that guy, and Matthew and I sure do miss him :)

By the way, we were not successful at getting the visas renewed for the entire time, so we will need to go to Choma on Monday to get the next 30 days, and then in August, most likely, we will need to go to Livingstone to get the last 30 days. Keep praying. I am praying that on Monday, the immmigration in Choma could give us a few extra days so that we could combine the trip to pick up Ken (Aug 21) with getting the visa renewed, so that we don't have to make 2 separate trips to Livingstone.

Stay tuned for the report on Breathtaking Victoria Falls!

Leza Amulongezye - Beth

The Amazing Safari!

Words will not be adequate to describe the amazing creatures we saw on Tuesday! The 8 of us drove to Maramba Lodge, located in southern Zambia, just an hour away from the border of Botswana. Mother, Dad, Matt and I stayed in a Chalet, with our own bathroom. Now before you start thinking of an American Chalet, I will describe it for you ... It was a nice cabin in the woods. :) We didn't have any hot water (we stayed there 2 nights) and it had 2 single beds and a set of bunks. The mornings were quite cold, but fortunately the beds had wonderfully thick, warm blankets, so we were fine until it was time to crawl out the beds. Doug & Dar and Brent & Mindy each had their own tent, so they were a little braver than us. I was glad that Mother needs the bathroom in the middle of the night; that saved me from the tent, which meant a walk to the bathroom somewhere! Anyway, we left at 7:00 am Tuesday morning for the safari and within 5 minutes, (remember this is an hour away from the Game Park!) our driver says, "There is an elephant!" You would have thought we were a bunch of elementary children! We were so excited and so surprised to see an elephant in the brush along the road just a few minutes from where we were staying. Then a minute or so later, I called out, "There's a giraffe!!" It was a very TALL giraffe, too! I think it was God's way of whetting our appetite for what was yet to come. We didn't see any other amimals till we arrived at the Game Park, but boy, were we excited for our day to get on its way!

Check back real soon for the River Cruise Report, the first part of our Safari.

Prayer Request

Please pray that upon re-entry to Zambia from Botswana on Wednesday that I will be able to get my visa renewed for the entire duration of my stay here. When we went through customs upon arrival, they only give you a 30 day visa.One must go to an immigration office then and get another 30 days, etc. We were told that this could be my best chance to get the entire 90 days. Some have been able to, others have not. My parents are fine - they are here on a work permit, but I am a visitor. Matt does not need a Visa, since he is under 16. By the way, for you that wonder, U.S. granted me a 90 day Visa, but over here that has no relevance! They only give 30 days at a time, typically, and often only give a total of 60. We were told I should be ok, with some persuasive words, but we would appreciate your prayers! Thanks!

More to come when we return from our trip in a few days!

Church, More Friends and Goodbye for now ...

Today we drove to Sikalonga again, since Doug was the guest speaker at the morning service for the 700 secondary students. After some beautiful singing (which brought tears to my eyes once again!), Doug gave a good talk on "Finding Your Purpose in Life". Dr. Thomas and the folks serving there at Sikalonga, sang a few songs for the students, and to my surprise, when they got up, Matthew went up front with them. He was practicing with them while he was there the past few days and accompanied them on a Tonga Drum! One humorous moment was when they were singing in Tonga and evidently were pronouncing some of the words "differently"; the students laughed joyfully! They enjoyed hearing some Americans "trying" to sing their songs! Then Dr. Thomas called the Miller clan up to join them as we all sang "Great is Thy Faithfulness"...in English of course!

As we were getting ready to leave, someone asked us if we could take 2 girls to Choma. We certainly agreed. The next hour I had the privilege of chatting with these 2 girls on the way home. Let me tell you a bit about them...Emily is in 10th grade and Paradise is in 8th. Paradises brother died a week ago, and her grandmother died yesterday. She was going home for a double funeral. Her entire family were in a car accident recently, where one car tried to overtake another one, and they had to get out of the way,and when they did, the car fell into a big hole, and many of them suffered injuries. Miraculously, her 2 twin sisters, only 9 months old, were completely unharmed. But her brother and grandmother died from their injuries. Paradise asked Emily to accompany her because in Paradise's words, "She is such an encouragement to me and prays with me and I wanted her to be with me to help me keep my eyes on God and trust in Him." Emily led Paradise to the Lord this past year. They proceeded to tell me that Paradise was troubled with demons, and how after hours and hours of praying, she had been set free by the power of God. Paradise looked at me and said, "And I am finished with them. They have no place in my heart ever again. I am the Lord's and he has set me free to live for him!" As the conversation went to AIDS/HIV, I asked them what their values are in the area of purity, and I was so encouraged as they talked of their convictions to remain pure
and save themselves for their husband. They have talked to their friends about it, and are very bold in sharing the Gospel. It was a joy to talk with them, and so good to know that there are some young girls here who are shining examples for the Lord, even if they are in the minority.

In the late afternoon/early evening, Doug spoke again, but this time at the Choma Secondary School service, just a 10 minute walk from our home. He did a great job, sharing on spiritual gifts, particularly the gift of faith. There were close to 1000 students, and there was no amplification... Doug's voice was strong and clear, and he had their attention. It was obvious that the Lord was annoiting him, as he so effectively spoke, walking around, hardly looking at his notes. We were so proud of him! He also presented the school with some Messiah College soccer shirts, for their "football" teams. They were happy about that! We took it easy later in the evening and played a game of Outburst together.

You won't be hearing from me for a few days, since we will be going to Livingstone for a holiday. I will have lots to write about when we return on Wednesday, after visiting Victoria Falls and going on a Safari in a Game Park!

Another Update

Friday was spent at Sikalonga, a small mission in a rural setting, owned by the Zambian BIC church. It was started by the states in 1920. Centered around a Secondary School, a Primary School, a medical clinic and a church, it serves neighboring villages. Some primary students would walk up to 5-6 miles a day to get to the shool, while 95% of the Secondary students board in dormitories (triple bunks lined up in a large room with nothing else in the room). Outhouses are lined up outside the school, marked with "boys" or "girls". Patients for the medical clinic can be found walking as many as 6-7 miles to get medical care here. When my parents lived there, my Dad would frequently pick up folks walking the dusty road back to the clinic, sometimes in great pain, but the pain tolerance here is quite high. A
little 6 year old girl seen this week at the clinic was treated for fire burns over much of her body, due to standing too close to the fire to stay warm. When her clothes caught on fire, her parents did not know what to do (we take the simple lessons of Stop, Drop, Roll for granted), so as they started to try to take her clothes off, it just spread and she suffered many burns. The nurse caring for her was amazed at the strength of this little girl. With no anesthesia, she bravely endured the treatment, not screaming or crying...only wincing. As in Macha, her family will remain with her until she is done wtih treatment, staying warm by the outside fires and helping with her immediated care.

Dr. Dwight and Carol Thomas, from E-town, PA, are living in Sikalonga, and they were gracious with their hospitality as they served us a wonderful lunch. For a number of years, they have come to serve at Sikalonga during the summer months. Dr. Thomas is a professor of music at Messiah College during the school year. This is also where Matthew stayed last week, along with a few former graduates from Messiah College. We are returning to Sikalonga Sunday morning (when Doug will speak to the Secondary students in their morning service), so Matthew was invited to stay with them till Sunday...they have enjoyed his company and he was excited to stay with them. This time we knew ahead of time, so he was able to take a few clothes along
with him. He "roughs" it a bit more in Sikalonga...their water pump has not been working for a while, so there is no running water! But for you who know Matthew, not taking a shower for a few days is not a sacrifice! He will do just fine :) Nathan Mays, one of the folks staying with the Thomas's showed Matthew a few homemade instruments that he bought from a choir that sang at the church there...a drum made from a pan and a shaker made from sheet metal. Matt's piano teacher (Mrs. Steindel) will be proud to know that Matthew has his eyes on purchasing some if he ever sees them!

On the way home from Sikalonga, I had some random thoughts, some questions, some facts, some observations....

- In the schools here, 40% is a passing grade.
- So many deaths here; each week we hear of people who have died. The day of the death, friends and relatives go to the house and remain there for a while, often overnight, taking blankets to sleep on the floor; in doing this they mourn with the family, cook and care for the children. I have been thinking of more about death since I have been here, and even more so with the recent death of little Livi. I realize that little Alivia would not have made it as long as she did if she lived here in Zambia. I am grateful for the medical help that we have in the States. I am also grateful that as a Christian, I do not have to fear death. Heaven will be so much better!
- People are always walking on the paths and on the streets. Where are they going? Where were they? Many carry suitcases...what's in them?? On the ride to and from Macha and Sikalonga, we saw people walking where there appeared to be nothing else nearby....How long have they been walking?
- I take electricity and running water for granted. So many live without it here.
- I often see women carrying huge loads on their heads...30 pound bags of maize, jugs of water that hold 2-3 gallons, loads of sticks....I have never seen a man carrying anything on his head....why not??

So many questions, and many don't have answers, but maybe after I am here longer, I will have a few answers. If I get any, I will let you know.

Thanks for the commnents...they are highlights of my day!! I love you all so much and although I miss family and friends, I am so grateful for this experience.

Leza Amulongezye!

Sad News and a Post from Doug

Today I received some very sad news from home...a sweet little 2 year old girl named Alivia Rachel Haughery went home to be with the Lord after a tough fight with Luekemia. Her grandparents, Bill and Cynthia Haughery, are dear friends of ours, and my heart is aching as I cry out to the Lord for His comfort and strength for this family. Even if you don't know them, please pray for James and Emily (Alivia's Daddy and Mommy) and for both of their families as they grieve the passing of this precious little girl. We rejoice for little Livi, who is pain free and no longer struggling to breathe, and is resting safely in the arms of the Saviour, but her loved ones are aching and hurting from a great loss. Thanks for your prayers.

Beth
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Here is the luggage story and a soccer story from my brother Doug -

After 3 days of communicating with South African Airways officials we were convinced that our luggage had actually arrived at the Lusaka airport and equally convinced that they had no plans to deliver it to us. So, we left at 5:00 AM and headed to the airport. At 10:30 AM we arrived at the airport and nobody seemed to know where we should go or who we should talk to. Finally we found a closet-sized room with a small sign ‘South African Airways’ on it. We explained our situation to a man behind a desk and he took us to a place where some luggage was. After telling him our luggage was not there, we followed him through a series of 2-3 more locked doors and we were face to face with locked up baggage carts that you see moving from
plane to plane at airports.

He unlocked the cart for us and there were hundreds of pieces of luggage inside. We were told to try to find our seven pieces. Fortunately, after digging through many suitcases we found them. The amazing thing- the security officer with us never checked to see if we actually had the claim tickets for those baggages, and at the customs window a few minutes later they waived us right through. So after waiting several days to get our suitcases, we walked in and out of the airport, picked out 7 pieces of luggage and never had anyone check to see if they were actually ours! Doubt that would ever happen in the States!

Brent and I got to participate in a pick-up football (soccer) game the other day with some talented high-schoolers. They invited us back anytime so I guess we held our own, but the skill we saw from those bare-foot soccer players was phenomenal. Even though they were playing on a large field with regulation goals, they still set up bricks about 4 feet apart that are the real goals. They scored plenty of goals. Their ball-control skills are outstanding. These students are competitive and play hard - but the smiles never leave their faces. They play for the love of the game. It's one game I'm sure I'll never forget.

Project Day

Today was a project day. Matt, Doug, Dar, Mindy and Brent, supervised by Dad, all worked on scraping and painting an overhang at Choma Primary School. They worked hard, morning and afternoon, scraping, priming, and finishing with 2 coats of paint, and it sure looks great. The school was so pleased with the finished project, and all the workers, although a bit tired, enjoyed the full satisfaction of a job well worth the work! The primary school has many shifts of students, numerous times throughout the day. Children in grades 1-4, for instance will go to school for 3 hours; 3 classes lasting 30 minutes each, take a small break, then return for 3 more classes of 30 minutes each. In grade 5 they begin 45 minute classes and have longer school days. Some of the shifts begin at 6:30, even for the first graders, and many of these children walk 30 minutes to an hour to get to school. By the way, in case you were wondering what Mother and I did, we did some washing, baking and chatting!

Tonight we had an enjoyable evening in the home of the Headmaster of the School, who also happens to be very close friends with my parents. Guyden and Maudy Mikani have 8 children; 6 of them were there tonight as Maudy served us a delicious meal and extended sweet hospitality to us. We like totake a few gifts to give to the people, so tonight Dar gave a little canvas bag to Maudy, and a scribble tablet with crayons to the children. Mother gave some gifts as well, and I gave some clothes, and a little book to Ira, their 7 year old son (thanks, Tina!) and a stuffed bear to Choolwe, their 5 year old daughter (thanks, Harpers!). I so enjoyed sitting with Choolwe on my lap, and Ira right beside me as we read the book together... I read it and they repeated after me. They are learning English, so it's fun to hear them read. Again, what a lovely evening experiencing Zambian hospitality. This family has gone through many difficulties recently. Within a 6 month period, Guyden's Father and Mother passed away, his young sister from Nigeria died suddenly, and their oldest son Ken, had disappeared. They testify of God's goodness in helping them through, but please say a prayer on their behalf, as they continue to walk through some of the effects of these losses.

Friday will be spent in Sikalonga, and Matt has been invited back for a few days, so since we are returning to Sikalonga on Sunday morning for Doug to speak at the Secondary School there, Matt will stay and we will pick him up on Sunday. One of these days I hope to get him to post a little about his experiences!

Thanks for the comments, but please don't feel you have to! It's enjoyable to hear from home when we are so far away! I am grateful that Sarah has taken time to set up this blog for me; it will be a good addition to my hand written journals when I return! And I am glad that it gives all of you readers a taste of our "Life in Nahumba." And for us here, well.....it has given the Miller family here in Zambia some good laughs as we try to explain what a blog is to Mother!!

Beth