Sorting and Settling In

As I had expected, it has been more of an adjustment getting used to life on this side of our trip! It's wonderful to be home with family and friends, but I feel somewhat scattered in my life these days and there are times when my heart longs for the slow paced life of Zambia, where deadlines are rare, appointments are few, conversations are unhurried, walks are regular and waiting is expected and natural...and even enjoyed (most of the time!)

Don't get me wrong - I am glad to be home! I also loved Zambia, though, and I guess I was there long enough to appreciate their way of living, that does not come close to the proverbial "rat race"! So if you can't find me, don't worry - I'm just somewhere trying to slow down a bit, and I will return shortly! (Just kidding - I am a homeschooling mom and I couldn't really escape if I wanted to!)

I have been trying to sort through our many pictures, choosing the best ones to be shown after church this coming Sunday at our fellowship meal. Fortunately the guy doing it upped the number from 30 to closer to 100 - that works for me! It has been fun seeing the pictures and reliving some of our wonderful experiences. As I pass over the many pictures of people, I have had to pause and offer up prayers for them, praying that God will encourage their hearts as they endure the many hardships and challenges of their lives. At the same time, I recall that so many of them trust in the Lord for their daily bread and for daily strength, and that brings joy to my heart as I think about them.

My parents are doing pretty well, but as the time draws nearer for my mother to leave, please pray for her. As much as she loves her family, when she is there in Nahumba, she feels at home and loves it, and finds it hard to leave. Having been there, I now have a little understanding of her emotions and the pull at her heart. They are having some folks in for dinner over the next few weeks. Emma went to Lusaka for her son's graduation from college this week.

Here are some pictures that I took during our final days in Nahumba ...

Sunrise in Nahumba

Emma and me

Maudie gave me this chitangi dress the night before we left

A final hug with Given at the airport

Catching Up

Well, it sure feels strange posting on this blog from my home computer. I can't help imagining my Dad sitting at the computer in Nahumba right now, where I used to write these posts from. As I work my kitchen, I continually picture the kitchen in Nahumba, where my Mother and I so often worked together, and where Emma often helped wash the dishes, baked bread, and washed our clothes. I even had to stop and think where my spices were the other day! I am slowly adjusting to home life, but my mind so often wanders to the dear Zambian people I quickly came to love. My mind often goes to what their life is like, and I'm not very motivated to buy things right now. I wish I would remain that way, but I know myself too well, and fear that the impact of their meager way of living will fade all too soon as I become a true American once again, consuming more than I need. I hope and pray there will be lasting changes; we'll see.

I wanted to share a funny story with you.....Monday morning I woke up a little before 5 AM (an hour before my alarm ) and I thought I heard Matt, which is quite early for him...for those of you who know how hard it can be to get him up in the morning....anyway, he walked out in the hall, was wide awake and looking perky. He looked at me inquisitively and asked, "Is there any reason why I am so wide awake so early?!" I laughed and said, "Yep - your body is saying you should be awake...it's almost lunch time in Nahumba!" Welcome to what they call "jet lag"! By today, it wasn't as early, and we are slowly getting adjusted to America-time once again.

I haven't had time to get my pictures organized or even on my computer yet, but hopefully in a few days I will be able to put some on.

I heard from my parents and they are doing well. I made some extra baked oatmeal (my Dad's favorite) and freezed it so they could have it for a few weeks. They are enjoying it and will soon be heading into their last 2 weeks in Nahumba, which is hard to believe.

That's all for now...not that life is boring in the burg; it's just not stuff you all would be interested in! So many of you from church commented on how much you enjoyed the blog. Thanks for participating in this wonderful season of our lives. I'm glad you could share it with us, even in the comfort of your own home! I will never forget my wonderful experience in Zambia and I have all these posts to remind me...thanks again Sarah!!

Home Sweet Home!

Yes - we are home, and it sure is sweet! There is much to catch up with, since we did not have easy access to the internet this past week. Thanks, Sarah, for letting folks know we were alive and well! Ryan and Hollis picked us up from Dulles after a good flight of 18 hours, with a quick stop for re-fueling. Driving up to our home was more emotional than I expected. It hit me just how long I was away as everything seemed familiar, yet strange. But thanks to my sister and some friends, it was clean and fresh! And thank you Deb, for the wonderful, homey, comfy look - fresh flowers, mums in a big pot and chocolates on our pillows. Then in the fridge was dinner she made for us, food to get us through a number of days, and in the freezer were some more meals. It was wonderful not having to go to the grocery store today! Tears flowed as I felt a rush of emotions that seemed to say, "It is so good to be home!"

Driving home, I couldn't help think:
- it's odd seeing pick up trucks with no people in them
- there sure are a lot of cars driving around...and where are all the people that walk on the streets??
- no one is selling anything along the side of the road
- these roads are so smooth
- I miss 2 very familiar faces...I wonder how my dear parents are doing.

I did talk to them once this past week, and they are doing well. They took this weekend to visit some dear friends of theirs, the Siadeebe family (I don't think I spelled that right!). Their daughter Esther was named after my Mother 18 years ago.

South Africa was interesting...
- clerks from the rental car company discouraged us from driving at night to our destination (said they don't drive at night, even with a man, but we made it fine...thank you Lord!)
- security guards with guns at grocery stores
- men approaching us in parking lots offering to watch our car
- people encouraging us to lock our cars at all times

But it was beautiful too....
- we saw the BIG FIVE: buffalo, leopard, lion, elephant, and rhino, plus others like giraffes, zebras, monkeys, antelope, hippos, kudu, crocodiles, ostrich, etc.
- wonderful variety in the land: forests, mountains, plantations, grasslands, canyons, waterfalls, farmland, lakes

Thanks for your prayers. My heart is full as I think back over the past 15 weeks. I will try to write some things this week, but I also know my schedule will pick up as Matt gets orientated to school once again, as we try to catch up 3 weeks into our charter school. I hope to put some pictures on the blog as time allows. I'm sure there will be days that I will long for the slow paced life of Zambia, but it is good to be home.

Tomorrow will be a very special day...I get to see our daughter's family and our son's family...and our 5 sweet grandchildren. Oh what joy that will be!!! We are all gathering for a short but sweet reunion at Ryan and Hollis's home.

I must get to bed; it's been a long day! I got a few hours of sleep on the plane, but stayed up all day today, and now I am ready for some shut eye.

Coming Home ...

Dad, Mom and Matt landed safely this morning (after a nice 18 hour flight!) and are on their way home! Mom hopes to give a little update later today.
Thanks for your prayers,
~Sarah

South Africa!

Just a quick post to let everyone know that Dad, Mom and Matt have arrived safely in South Africa and are doing well. They currently don't have internet access, so I'm not sure when you'll hear from Mom. She sends her love to everyone and is looking forward to seeing you all soon!
Thanks for your prayers!
~Sarah

Final Night in Zambia

Greetings for the last time from Zambia! My next post will most likely be from South Africa, as long as we can get internet access.

First of all, I want to let you know that Mother has been doing much better the second half of the day. She is pretty much back to herself, although she has been a little teary today as the reality of us leaving is evident with an almost empty bedroom! We thank the Lord for the strength she is regaining.

What a fully packed day we had! Dad and Ken visited with Enock Shamapani in the morning, while Emma and I did our final loads of wash. Then later in the morning, I visited the compound, saying my good byes and handing out some final items to the pastor's family. There were 3 little girls, all from different families, that I bought dresses for, and today I delivered them - what a joy to see their faces light up in appreciation! Upon saying good bye, I was moved to tears quite a few times by the love expressed by these dear people.

This afternon, I assisted a 5th grade teacher for an hour and a half. He asked me to read to the class and I chose a book entitled "The Wise Decision". It felt a bit risky, not knowing anything the book was about, but as it turned out, it was a perfect choice! The Lord's hand guided me on such a good path and I thank him for his presence, even in little choices like picking out a story to read to a class! As it turns out, it was a great book about sexual purity, temptations, resisting peer pressure, AIDS, and abstinence. I was able to have a very candid discussion with the 15 students about these topics and they participated very well. We talked about fearing God, not just a disease, and we talked about having boldness to say "no" to sex, especially to get money. Having seen how many are affected by AIDS over here, has increased my passion to get the word out to the young people on sexual purity, and it was so fulfilling to have this opportunity on my last day...thank you Lord! We handed out quite a few of Randy Alcorn's book, "The Purity Principle", to folks here, so it is good to know that material is getting out (Thanks to Ken!).

After class was over, I was talking with a few of the students, and I thanked one young man, Brave, for his participation in class. I sensed a call upon this young man, to be a leader and influence for good among his friends, and told him that I belive God was going to use him as a godly example. I encouraged him to be bold and take a stand for righteousness. He thanked me and said that he has wanted to be a pastor for many years! That led to a time of encouraging him in his desires and gave me another person to put on my "Zambia prayer list", which has been growing every day!

Given blessed Matthew with a shirt and matching cap, that he also bought for himself and his nephew, who works with him. It was a kind expression of Given's appreciation to Matthew for helping him do some work while he was here; how thoughtful!

Moses and Noria, a dear couple that I have mentioned earlier, walked quite a few miles to say to good bye to us, knowing it was our last day. She came with yet another gift to me....she had given me some gifts the first time I met her! Moments like these, one does not have adequate words to say thank you.....

Emma presented me with a Chitangi tonight. She doesn't have much and to give anything is such a sacrifice....I love that gal!

This evening, we had the wonderful privilege of having dinner at Maudy and Guyden Makini...I have mentioned them in the past...they have nine children and he is the Headmaster at Nahumba Basic School. What a lovely evening, with cabbage, rice, Nshima, beef, and Mother's yummy mashed potatoes. Before we left, Maudy surprised me with the most gracious gift, and one that was hard to receive! The last time we were at their home for a meal (when Doug, Dar, Mindy and Brent were here), she wore a lovely chitangi outfit. We all commented on it's beauty and took pictures of her wearing it! Well, she handed the whole thing to me tonight as her gift to me! What generosity, what love, what kindness.....that's the kind of people I am leaving...that's the kind of people that I have come to love here in Nahumba. The list could go on and on...

We fly to South Africa early afternoon Friday and will remain there for a week. Given is driving us, and I think Emma is going along, so we will have a full vehicle as we ride our final bumpy ride to Livingstone. What a wonderful time this has been. Stay tuned for further updates from South Africa.

And to our dear friends and family...it won't be long! Yeah!!!

Final Day in Zambia

Well, it is hard to believe that today is our last day in Zambia. Tomorrow morning we fly to Johannesburg, South Africa, and will spend one week just outside Kruger National Park before we fly home on September 21.

Last evening, my dear Mother was feeling quite exhausted and went to bed before 6 PM. This morning she was still very tired, although Emma and I encouraged her to take a bath, which perked her up a little, before she fell asleep again around 9 AM. Please pray for her. In the last few days, she has shed some tears thinking about my departure, so she is emotionally a bit weak as well. I'm sure she will be fine, but we sure would love to see her up and around so she can be strong for the trip to Livingstone tomorrow morning.

I will still continue to send Sarah updates while we are in South Africa, as well as when we return, through the time my parents come home. That way, those who know them can stay informed with how their final weeks are going. If I have time, I hope to post more pictures for you to see as well, but that will depend on how my adjustment to home goes!

A number of the local pastors joined us for lunch yesterday, and we had a good time interacting with them. Their job sure is different than the typical pastor in the states, and they live on very little. Their passion for the gospel to be spread is great, and one of them shared that with so many dying here, he lives with an urgency to share the Gospel with everyone he meets, since one never knows how many days they might have. I was affected by his comments, and realized that we should live with the same urgency, since we don't know either. When Ken asked them how many funerals
they do a year, they all sighed and shook their heads as if to say, "how can we keep track of so many?" I think one of them estimated somewhere around 40, but they all mentioned that few of them are members. The majority are for relatives of members. Ken gave each of them some books that he had sent here from our church, and it was like they received gold. One of them said, it is like giving them money; he feels rich with them. Moments like that, we realize anew how blessed we are.

Last evening we enjoyed our final Bible Study that was held in the pastor's home. We discussed some miracles of Jesus and were reminded of the great miracle of salvation. They prayed for our trip home and were kind in their encouragement.

Today we are washing for the last time, and saying our goodbyes to the dear folks in Nahumba.

Thanks for lifting up my Mother in prayer.

An Even More Beautiful Victoria Falls

Back in late June, you might remember me writing about beautiful Victoria Falls. Well, we vistited the Falls yesterday so Ken could see them, and Wow - they were even more amazing! Since it is dryer now, there was not as much mist, and we could see down to the bottom of the falls! What breathtaking views we saw! The falls flowed over the rocks, and we saw beautiful rainbows, and cascading falls into pools of water below. I just kept wanting to take picture after picture, and my photographic son always loves to pose at places like this, so he had a great time, acting like he was diving into the falls (and giving his Nana a near heart attack!) and posing, just like his younger brother Jared used to do! I often wanted to just stand there and take in the beauty...but sometimes I was trailing behind everyone else by quite a bit, so I had to hurry up...the view just seemed too beautiful to have to hurry up! But it was important for us to keep moving so that my Dad didn't have to drive too much in the dark. The road from Livingstone to Choma isn't as bad as the road to Macha, but it has its share of pot holes and the big lorry trucks really zoom by. My dad did a great job driving home, but I am sorry to say that I believe I looked a little too long at those beautiful falls, because we didn't get back to Choma till after dark! Sorry Dad!

While we were in Ndola, my parents spent the weekend in Livingstone, and my Dad surprised my Mother by taking her on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. They had a wonderful time and some beautiful pictures to show for it!

Today a neighbor came to ask a favor...her husband was out of town and she discovered a tick that had found itself a home on her, where it was very difficult for her to see it. She asked me to help get it out. First we prayed. Then after quite a while of trying to get that thing to loosen its grip on her, by dabbing with rubbing alcohol and smothering it with vaseline, we decided to take a break for supper. A few hours later, I vistited her and we both gave thanks to the Lord as I jubilantly told her that it was gone! I took a good look at where it was, and am quite sure the entire thing had fallen off, with no remains in her skin.

It was a busy day, and I think the next 2 will be the same, with packing, saying good byes and trying to fit in all those last minute visits. Sarah called tonight, and I must admit, it was enjoyable telling her that I was packing!

Ndola with the Chanda Family

We are doing well! What a wonderful weekend we had in Ndola, located in the Copperbelt. We arrived in Ndola Friday evening and were greeted by Wilbroad and Zicky Chanda and three of their four sons, Timey (14), Blessing (11) and Paul (7). Their oldest son, Penjani, is in his freshman year at Pensacola College in Florida. Wilbroad is the pastor of Ndola Baptist Church (NBC) and we got to know them briefly this past spring over a meal we shared together during the Sovereign Grace Ministries Leadership Conference in Maryland. What a joy to spend extended time with them in THEIR country!

Here are a few random thoughts before I go to bed; I will try to write more tomorrow....

- Ndola, the 3rd largest city in Zambia, was ablaze with beautiful Jacaranda trees, full of purple blooms, and lining numerous streets.
- NBC is a vibrant church with expressive Christ-centered worship, passionate intercessors, friendly people and great preaching.
- NBC is hosting a city wide evangelistic crusade in Ndola, beginning next week. They will have an all night prayer meeting Friday evening, through the night, to kick off the crusade. They expect no less than 3,000 people, based on previous years. Pray for a good harvest; that many would place their trust in Jesus Christ and be changed for his glory.
-Wilbroad and Zicky have started a Christian pre-school for Orphans and underprivileged children, where the children are taught about God, and begin formal learning. More about Covenant Mercies tomorrow.....
- Matthew enjoyed being with their sons, and would have loved to stay longer!

Time for bed...will post more soon! This is our final week in Zambia, before we fly to South Africa and spend 1 week there, before returning home. It will be hard to leave in some ways....Nahumba will always have a very dear place in my heart and prayers will continually be lifted for those that I have come to love.

Off to Ndola

Today flew by....did laundry and started packing up some suitcases. It's hard to believe the end of our stay here in Nahumba is coming to a close. As much as I am eager to be home, leaving here will be hard. These people are so dear and will always have a very special place in my heart.

Ken went on a bush visit today with Ron Herr, about 2-s hours away. Ron has been meeting with the people in this village for a while, trying to teach them how to build a dam so that when the nearby river dries up in the dry season, like it is now, they will not run out of water. Right now, they must walk 6-7 KM to get water. They would need to do a good deal of work if they want to get the dam built before the upcoming rainy season. I did not get all the details from Ken before he went to bed, so I will have to report more on his trip in a later post. He did tell me that the main thing he came away thinking was...."I should never ever complain about anything in my life." It's amazing how these people live.

Tomorrow we are heading up to Ndola, a city in the Copperbelt. Originally, we were going to take a bus for the 8-9 hour trip, but we were given some financial help that enabled us to fly, so we will leave from Livingstone in the afternoon, have a short layover in Lusaka, and will arrive a few hours later in Ndola. We will fly back to Livingstone Monday morning. My parents are going to spend a weekend holiday in Livingstone, so Dad will drive us there and then on Monday we will visit Victoria Falls, since Ken has not seen them yet. I am looking forward to see the difference in them since we were there 2 months ago. There will be much less water, and from what we hear, one can see down very far at this time of year, so we are anticipating a wonderful view.

Unless we can get some internet access over the weekend, there might not be any posts for a few days. But feel free to comment...and when we return to Nahumba, we will certainly give you a report of our trip.

Oh, by the way, we just found out that the huge truck carrying the copper machine arrived in Ndola today! It took them 5 and a half days to get from Choma to Ndola.

It seems that almost everyone here (except Matt!) got hit with some sickness...today Emma was not feeling very well. Fortunately the rest of us are doing well. Please pray for strength and healing for Emma.

It's getting hotter, but today it was also windy, so the dust sometimes really flies around. I am grateful for my sunglasses!

Another TIA moment...Today someone dropped off a wedding invitation for "Mr. and Mrs. Miller and guests"... the wedding is this coming Saturday (2 days away) and my parents do not recognize the names of the bride or the groom! Hmmm...

Have a wonderful weekend, wherever you live!

Sikalongo and a Happy "Mimi Moment"

Today we drove the hour drive to Sikalonga, so Ken could put a picture to what we have been talking about. Mother and I packed a lunch and we were off by mid morning. It was a bit quiet, for a number of reasons. The Secondary School and SBI (Sikalongo Bible Institute) just re-opened this week after their month holiday, and many of the students have not arrived yet. Also, Dr. Dwight Thomas and his wife Carol are not there anymore. It just wasn't the same for Matthew! All his "American" friends that befriended him so kindly earlier this summer had all returned to the states :( However, it was fun seeing many of the folks there who remembered Matthew greet him so warmly when they saw him. The people are so kind. Numerous people asked my parents to please return to Sikalongo one more time before they leave; my Dad didn't give any guarantees! Ken really enjoyed an extended visit with Rev. Dennis Mweetwa, the principal at SBI. The rest of us did some other visiting, while the two of them had some time to get to know each other and talk theology, church, doctrine and pastoring. In case you forgot, this was the man who gave such an excellent message at one of the weddings we attended. I knew Ken would enjoy him. Ken gave a number of books to him, and he appreciated them so much. We thought he would be a good person to give books to, since he will be able to get them in the hands of the students, who will eventually be pastors. Dad gave us a good tour of Sikalongo and we headed home around 3 PM.

I had a happy "Mimi moment" this evening as we walked across the Basic School field towards the home of our weekly Bible Study. As we were about halfway across the field, little Choolwe, one of my little Zambian friends, came running across the field, smiling the whole way, and ran right into my arms as we hugged and greeted each other. This is the first time she ran so far to greet me! She is such a sweetie! It was just how my little grandchildren back home greet me and my heart melted! We then held hands the whole way to her house, where the meeting was held. Choolwe is the youngest of nine children, and her Mother is Maudie, one of the women I have enjoyed getting to know. Yes, it was indeed a "Mimi moment" and tonight was the first time I realized that it might be a little hard leaving these little children! I am sooooo looking forward to re-uniting with our grandchildren, and these little ones here tug at my grandmother's heart as they have warmed up to me, especially over the past month. Ever since my Mother spent those 3 years over here in the late 80's, she has called this her second home...her second family. Guess what?? I now know what she means!

Tonight at the Bible Study we prayed for little Ryan, my sister's 1 year old grandson, who is having a lot of difficulty with food allergies and has not been able to eat much of anything now. His parents, John and Jen, are awaiting an appointment with a specialist, so please join us in praying for little Ryan.

Given has come to the rescue once again....this time with my mother's hearing aid. She dropped it on the cement floor the other day and it broke, so we all thought she would be with one less hearing aid for the remainder of their time here. Well, Given, who is so compassionate and kindhearted, asked to see it. He said he would like to try to fix it with super glue. Of course, my mother was a bit apprehensive about that! She invisioned it sticking to her ear and never getting it out! But Given, in his calm, reassuring way, actually was able to talk my mother into giving it a try (the rest of us here doubted we would have been that successful!) In a short while, he brought it back and it looked like new! It's been working fine ever since. Mother is very happy and we are very proud of her for letting Given give it a try :) These Zambians...they have ways of fixing things that we don't even think of!

We have received some dear letters from home....thank you so much! My Mother shares hers with me, too. Aunt June, you are so faithful in writing and we love your letters. Thanks for sending me the newspaper article about our son Ryan; that was so thoughtful! Anne, your letter was absolutely precious! I'm so glad you have been enjoying the blog!

I will try to post one more time before our weekend trip. Ken, Matt and I are going up to Ndola this weekend, about 625 KM from Choma, to visit Wilbroad Chanda and his famiy. Wil is pastor at Ndola Baptist Church and has been attending our church conferences in the states for a number of years. More on that later....bye for now!

A Trip to Macha

Going to Macha was one of the trips we were hoping to take while Ken is here. We were trying to figure out the best time, and we were considering today (Tuesday). Well, Monday morning, Dad woke up with a great idea that we took him up on. Esther Spurrier was here in Choma and was heading back to Macha Monday morning. To save Dad a trip on that bumpy road to Macha, he suggested that Matt, Ken and I go back with her, visit Macha during the day, stay overnight at Spurriers and try to find a way back home on Tuesday. So that is what we did! We quickly packed up and left after our yummy baked oatmeal breakfast. Esther had a flat that morning before we left, so she had to stop in Choma to get it fixed, which took 2 hours, so we left around 10:00 for the 2 hour trip. We gave Esther her P.H.D. award - for being a GREAT Pot Hole Dodger! We have great respect for her, knowing how many times she has to make that long and windy and bumpy drive, often by herself! Upon arriving, we were greeted with a note from Elaine Thuma, inviting us all to come to their home for lunch! Elaine is the wife of Dr. Phil Thuma, who heads MIAM, Malaria Institute at Macha. How kind of her to have us for a delicious lunch of broccoli quiche, pumpkin bread and fruit salad with papaya, bananas, strawberries and granadilla. Dr. John Spurrier then gave us a tour of the hospital and surrounding areas. He is currently treating many patients with HIV/AIDS, and is seeing 85% recovery from those who take the prescirbed medicine on a regular basis. The challenge is getting the people to take it regularly.

I was surprised to see the good progress made on some of the new buildings since I was there 2 months ago. Esther showed us the rest of the area, including the Macha BIC Church and a dam that was built in the 1960's by Bread for Life, as part of a program to provide year-round water. She also showed us an airstrip that was recently put in, to fly doctors in to Macha from Johns Hopkins Hospital (via Lusaka or Livingstone). We so appreciated the Spurrier's gracious hospitality, considering that they were out of electricity for the 2 days prior to our arrival, and often do not have hot water. The sacrifices they make are great, and their ministry is so appreciated by the folks in Macha who love them dearly. It is obvious that their service to the Lord in Macha is making a difference. On a side note, being with them in their home was one of those "blasts from the past" for Ken and me...Esther's parents, Eber and Ruth Dourte, did our pre-marital counseling 30 years ago!

If you have been reading the blog, you will remember my new friend Heather, a nutritionist from the states. She is now serving at Macha, so she joined us for supper, which was wonderful! Every time Heather and I see each other, it's like old friends who haven't seen each other for a long time....big hugs and cheerful greetings! Now Ken has met her, and understands why I love her so much! To make a long story short, Heather needed to come to Choma to go to immigration, so we came back with her. When I get home, ask me about an interesting story that happened with Heather and me today :) On the way home, we enjoyed seeing some baboons cross the street, and we stopped at one point to take a picture of a "Jacaranda", a beautiful purple tree, that is beginning to adorn some of the fields.

Heather joined us for lunch, and then later this afternoon, after some good fellowship, a nice "Nahumba Walk" and a game of Rummikube, Heather and I said our tearful good-byes, but we really hope to connect in the states. We will certainly keep in touch via email! I thank the Lord for bringing our paths together and for bringing such a sweet friend into my life, while here in Zambia.

The last few nights Ken and I have enjoyed walking outside to enjoy the moonless sky that is studded with stars - beautiful!

We were also delighted to receive some books today that Ken had sent a month ago, to hand out to pastors and other Christians here. I was so glad they arrived before we left, because I was eager to hand them out! It would have been wonderful if they had arrived before General Conference, but we will do our best to have most of them distributed before we leave. People here are so appreciative when given books, and it reminds me of how rich we are to have so many great books at our fingertips. It's times like this that I realize how often I take things for granted. They have so little here. I would just love to pack boxes and boxes of worship casette tapes and Christian books that I have at home, not being used anymore. They would love them here. Again I find myself thinking....so many questions with too few answers.

A Sunny Sunday

Today was sunny, warm and windy...another beautiful day in Zambia. Ken spoke from Ephesians 2:1-10, a message he had just given at home the week before. He modified (simplifed) it a bit, for the church here, but focused on the gospel. How wonderful to be reminded of God's love and mercy that rescued us from our dead, enslaved, condemned state. What a mighty God we serve. He did a great job, and the interpreter did a good job as well! It was so nice to hear him again, even though it was a bit different being interpreted. It was hard for him to get "preaching" with all the stops and starts. It makes me appreciate those who preach that way on a regular basis. One guy said it was the first he has stayed awake during a message,
and another person mentioned that it was a very timely message for the church here.

This afternoon we took Ken to see Given's house. He sure is working hard on it, and hopes to get the roof on soon. We found out some details on the big machine we saw this weekend...it is 49 meters long, weighs 140 metric tons, and it will take 60 days to get from S. Africa to the Copperbelt.

Matthew enjoyed a yummy chocolate cake with Peanut butter icing, made by Erma Herr tonight, as the group of young adults met at their home and said their good byes to Matthew. That was his last meeting with them, since we will be in Ndola next weekend. More on that trip later....

Well, other than that, it was a quiet day in Nahumba. It's hard to believe we are in the teens, for days before our return home! That will fly by I'm sure.

Blessings to you all - Beth

Big Attraction in a Little Town

Word traveled fast around Choma town....a huge load was coming through town! So big that they had to shut off power to lift the power lines up out of the truck's way. So big that no one else could get through on the street. It was traveling at 20 KM an hour, and the truck had 160 wheels in front and 160 wheels in back. It came from South Africa and was on its way to the Copper Belt, and the estimated time from departure to arrival was a month. It was carrying a huge, rectangular machine, longer than our guest house, that was going to melt and cool copper and make copper blocks. There was a guy in the back helping to steer it, and another truck followed that had their "house"...a place to sleep, cook and rest when one of them were not driving. On the machine, were stickers "DHL", so we assume that is how it was being shipped to the Copperbelt, via DHL. We were hoping to find out more details on the news, but haven't yet. Friday night Given heard it was sitting along the street not that far away, waiting for the electric company to get the power lines out of the way, so he took his boys and Matthew to see it. Then Given called us early Saturday morning, with news that it was coming through, and he was driving out to see it. Did we want to come along? Dad, Mother and I went. What a sight! It seemed like the whole town was there! People running along the streets, trying to get a close look. When we got up to the Tarmac, it had just passed, and we wanted to get ahead
of it, so Given, with his great driving skills, took us on back, bumpy roads, so we could get around it, and we got to the other end of town, before it arrived. Some of us climbed up on top of the Hiace to get a good look (Yes, I managed, even in my jumper!) Mother wanted to, but Given and I vetoed her and she stayed on the ground with Dad! People were everywhere! I imagine it was the most people Choma town ever saw at 7:00 in the morning! What a big time in the little town!

By the way, Given is feeling better, almost back to himself, but still trying to get his strength and appetite back. Yesterday Ken felt the best he has in a long time, so hopefully he will be all healthy upon his return home. The other day he had his first experience of electricity outage....he was on the computer at the internet cafe and poof - everything went out!

The Children's Bible Hour week is over - the last day we had 23 children and it was a great joy for Mother and I to teach these children from the Bible and sing with them.

This past week we have been praying for some dear friends back home, who have just been diagnosed with returning cancer. Our associate pastor's wife, Cindy Michaels, and our son-in-law's Mother, Beejee Herr, are both such inspiring examples of women who are trusting in the goodness of the Lord as they walk through difficulty and the unknown. If you think of them, please join us in praying for them and their families.

It is September, and that's the month we return to home sweet home :) Yesterday we thought of our little grandson, Benjamin, who celebrated his 2nd birthday. We're sorry we weren't home to personally give him birthday greetings, but Lord willing, we will be there for the rest!

We are getting ready to go to our church service at Nahumba BIC, and I am especially eager to go this morning, since they are having a wonderful guest speaker from the states...the pastor of my favorite church, Living Hope Church, who happens to be my very best friend too!!

Leza amulongezye - Beth, Ken and Matt