Grocery Shopping in Choma

June 28th Addendum
               Friday in Choma!!!  What was I thinking when I volunteered to drive the teachers and my wife to Choma to grocery shop.  Everybody in Central Zambia was in Choma today.  Oh, and they all were paid today also.  There is only one grocery store in Choma and that is the Spar.  They have three hardware store, three housewares stores, 2 stationery stores, but only one grocery store.  Welcome to Zambia!!!
               So my day really started after  posting the blog entry this morning and preparing to teach science to 1st-4th grade.  We talked about how airplanes fly, and built paper helicopters.  I had a good time, they  had a good time, we all had a good time.  I thought my science class today went well.  Then it was off to Choma with the teachers from NDO.
               No trip to Choma is complete without lunch at the Choma museum.  Last time I was there with Wes a few weeks ago the special was goat stew.  No special this time, so I settle for the chicken burger and chips (crispy please).  We ate lunch while watching the van be detailed for 25 KR ($5).  It took a little longer than we expected for them to detail the van so we used it as after lunch entertainment.  Then, we were off to the ATM.  There is one main two-lane road through Choma.  We drive on the left here, and of course the bank was on the right side of the road.  We made it to the ATM but it took some time to back out of the bank and back into traffic.  Then we were off to the Spar.  You have to realize that everybody for 100 miles around was in town for groceries in a store that has only 5 aisles and limited quantities of food.  All of my vehicle occupants managed to get the groceries they needed (or were willing to settle for, and we were back on the road again . . . in heavy traffic.  We arrived back at NDO just after sunset, but before complete darkness had settled.   It was an adventure to say the least.
               Tomorrow is Saturday.  Normally we would sleep in and enjoy the morning.  Lynne has arranged for a local village woman to teach her basket weaving.  The best time for the woman to come was
7 A.M. Saturday morning.  So we will be “up with the chickens” tomorrow morning.  I will be teaching a computer class from 3-5 PM to the staff at NDO.   
               I am preaching at NDO church this Sunday morning.  We all know I am neither an ordained pastor nor deacon, so I will basically be teaching without interaction from the congregation.  My texts will be Matthew 6 and Philippians 4:6-7.  I covet your prayers.  Although we normally have a fair crowd for Sunday morning church, it will be reduced this Sunday since some of the men will be at the area church conference.
               The safari we had in the Chobe National Park was great!  Wes said that of all the times he has been on the safari, he has never seen a leopard and a lion in the same day.  Blu said most of the time when people come back from the safari and say they saw four of the Big Five, the animal missing is the leopard.   We saw a male and female lion with a fresh kill, and a leopard.  We were very up close and personal with several herds of elephants.  Russell Cleveland (it may have been Curtis Wallace since they were both directly behind me.) locked eyes with a bull elephant that was no more than 15-20 feet away from our vehicle.  Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe the safari we experienced.  Getting to see the shy, elusive Malachite Kingfisher was a highlight for me, even though he flew off before I could get a picture.
Photo Courtesy Internet Bird Collection


               We have 12 days left in Zambia.  As we walked back from the kitchen tonight after dinner, Lynne and I stopped to gaze at the Milky Way cutting a wide swath across the night sky. You cannot imagine how many stars are visible here in the bush, or how intensely quiet it is at night.  We are already thinking of when God will allow us to come back to Zambia and NDO to work for him!!!  

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