Ministering in the Market

June 5 2013  Mapanza Zambia  We left Atlanta Saturday June 2 at 6:30 PM.  We finally arrived at New Day Orphanage around 9:30 PM June 4.  Our luggage arrived a couple of hours later.  Since it was so late we spent the night at Wes and Laurie Wilcox’s house.  I am sitting in front of our hut typing this waiting for the African sunset that is at least 1 ½ hours away.  Max and Nala, our two Siamese cats are asleep on the door stoop.  Lynne is off at the garden harvesting okra seeds (not Oprah).  Sonic,  the Rhodesian Ridgeback just became bored of my company and sauntered off down the trail to visit someone who doesn’t talk to himself.  Forgive me Sonic!!

                Blu gave Lynne and me a tour of the property today.  They have had a tough time with the garden, although a couple of the okra plants had okra and blooms.   Lynne has chosen the garden as her project  for the duration of our stay here.  There is water available from the garden since there is a water tank at Martha’s corral (the dairy cow).  So, Lynne and Noah (worker who helps care for livestock and plants) are harvesting okra seeds.   Her goal is to get at least one section of the garden cleared, mulched and planted so that they can harvest beans  or okra or corn in the very near future.  New Day is working very hard to be self-sustaining.  They have rabbits and chickens for meat.  Blu is working on building a good flock of goats for eventual harvesting.  There are two turkeys; the hen is sitting on 10 eggs (praise the Lord!).  They have a duck that is Blu’s pride and joy.  Really, who else in Zambia has a duck in the middle of the savanna???  Martha produces about 3-4 gallons of milk a day; enough for the orphanage and for Lynne and I to have raw milk to supply our needs.

                My first assignment is to conduct a meteorology lab Friday.  We are going to talk about weather.  I plan to do a demonstration about evaporation and condensation.   I hope to create a tornado in a bottle for the kids to see!!!  On the weekends I will have an opportunity to teach Sunday school, teach a church service (sorry I don’t preach), and lead devotion.  I told blue I would do whatever they need me to do short of eating manure!!!  He was quite disappointed since they have been looking for someone to do just that!!!  ROTFL on the floor laughing!!!

                Kristen Ones is here from Nebraska to conduct assessments of the students.  My experience with math and reading/ELA interventions and probes will allow me to help her with the assessments and analysis. 

                I have been struck by three things about Zambia:  solitude (no car, train or aircraft noises, just the occasional bird), the friendliness of the people, and beautiful stars at night.  Sitting in my camp chair watching the sun set, I can hear crickets, children singing, birds calling, Max and Nala snoring on the doorstep and the rustle of the breeze in the dry grass  .  .  . our male turkey interrupts the peace and quiet sporadically.

                Need to refill my water bottle, check on the chicken in the oven and get ready to photograph the sunset. 

                We had a prayer and praise service tonight with the missionaries, children and workers.   After the praise part, the children went into another room (yes, with adult supervision) and we had a prayer time.  One of the workers shared how God had gotten through a situation in which he thought he was going to die.  He then told Wes they needed to continue to pray for the teams that are coming this summer.  Mulanga then looked at Lynne and I and said, “we have been praying for you since we heard you were going to join us!  We praise God for you being her and for your safe arrival!”  Elizabeth, the social worker/house mother prayed for us, telling God, “I know you have these two for a purpose and reason and nothing happens that is out of your control!”  Wow!!!!!!  Talk about being confirmed and blessed.  If you are on the Rosemont Zambia team Mulanga asked that we let you know that he and the other workers at New Day are praying for you as your prepare to come to New Day.  People you have never met are interceding with the Father on your behalf!!!!

               

June 6   I had the opportunity to attend a Bible study in Kavanga Village yesterday.  Wes calls it the “Old Man Village.”  Kavanga is the old man at 93 years old.  West taught on the Tower of Babel.  Hilda and Abby interpreted the lesson into Tonga.  One of the attendees was a man named Patrick.  He was a very enjoyable person to be around.  He was warm, welcoming and joking around with us.  He treated me as if we had been friends a long time.  Patrick helped me practice my Tonga and told me I would speak Tonga within a week.  What are some phrases in Tonga you say??  Pronounce these just as they are spelled:

           Mwapona                                How are you?

          Gavotu                                     Good or Fine

          Twalumba                                Thank you

          Mwabaku vitu                        Good morning

          Tulyah                                       Let’s eat

          Mwabonwa                              Welcome.

         Kwiina bubi                              No problem!       (Pronounced kweenah voovie)

           Entomway                                together

               

June 7 Friday  I led the staff devotion today in the community hut.  Blu provided the translation.  You really can’t read Scripture and use Bible language.  First of all it doesn’t always translate, and secondly the Tonga people relate more to stories than Scripture.  My devotion was on the first five verses of John 17 and how it relates to Matthews 28:29-30.  One of the workers, Mulanga, shook my hand while giving me a hug and thanking me for the message.

                Lynne is continuing to work with the garden.  She has layed down 3-4 inches of mulch, has some cow manure tea brewing, and is praying for what God wants her to do next.  Noah, one of the workers here, is helping her with the garden.  She told him she was trusting Jesus to show her how to prepare and plant the garden.  She asked Noah if he knew Jesus.  He said he did not know Jesus but He wanted to follow Jesus.  Pray for Lynne as she works the garden and shares her faith with Noah.

                I taught my first science lab today.  We talked about how clouds form and using clouds to predict the weather.  I had them draw scenes with each type of cloud and weather with them in the scene.  They had a very good time.

                Monday I begin teaching a computer class.  The staff of Zambians have never used computer, so I will be meeting with them on Monday and Wednesday afternoons to teach basic computer skills.  Hope all are well there!!