“This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. ” Such a familiar verse of praise to the Lord. Something that I have been struggling with.
About 2 months ago Dave challenged me with a simple question, “Are you going to embrace living here in Zambia or just endure it?” I answered him honestly, “I really don’t know if I can embrace all that God wants me to. I am trying, but the embracing may not come until I am home.” I have been praying regularly that I would begin to really embrace it and not continually counting the days down and rejoicing when I can flip a week on my calendar! I feel that over the past week, God really answered my cries to Him to embrace and rejoice in the day that He created and the place that He has me.
The day after my parents left was really difficult for me. Not only did they leave, but we got stuck waiting for our bus to come (it had broken down.) We were in the Lusaka bus station for 2 1/2 hours surrounded by our luggage and hundreds of other fellow bus riders. If any of you have ever been in a bus station in a 3rd world country, you can understand why this was extremely unsettling to me. After the old, beaten up bus finally arrived and we boarded we were stuck in Lusaka traffic for about an hour and then had to stop because the bus needed water (I guess it was beginning to overheat). About 1/2 through that journey I told Dave that I felt fragile and that I may just break. I know God knew how I felt and that He knew the plans He had in store for me.
The past 1 1/2 weeks have been filled with little surprises that make me feel at home and hence I am able to enjoy and embrace where God has me. Two missionary girls (25 years old) that we have become friends with called me on Friday after we got home late Thursday night to invited me to lunch on Saturday. They said they knew with my parents leaving and then leaving Livingstone (it is really nice) and coming back to Kitwe may be challenging. So they were just trying to cheer me up. We also have gotten together with the Walker family the past 2 Friday nights at a lake/dam here in Kitwe that has a nice place to grill and eat outside and a clean swimming pool where the kids have been able to swim. Last Friday, Rachel and Andrea (the missionary girls) and Candace (the mother of the 10 kids) surprised me with a little birthday celebration for me and even had made 3 delicious cakes to celebrate. I am thankful for all 3 of these ladies that God has brought into my life.
On Sunday we were able to be with our church family here at Agape Baptist Church for 8 hours. I enjoy the women at Agape and their heart for the Lord and for being obedient to serve Him. It was a wonderful morning/day for our church family here in Zambia. After the morning service, we shared a meal, and then headed to a church in a compound nearby to use their baptismal pool so that the church could baptize 8 people some of whom had been waiting years to be baptized. One of the young men said that he was so excited about this day that he had been waiting 7 years for it to occur! It was a day of true rejoicing for the members of Agape. It is so fun to be with the Zambians at a worship service, they will clap and break out in song just out of pure joy and thankfulness to the Lord. During the baptism, as Dave was beginning to baptize the first baptismal candidate, the entire congregation rose from their seats and stood all around the baptismal pool (it was sunken in the ground). The joy could be felt in the room.
I am truly thankful to the Lord for bringing us here and pray that I will continue to embrace what He places before us each day. I know that some days will be more challenging than others and that there will be days when I am dying to come home, but then I can look back at what I have written and be thankful!
Here is an update on the home front:
Dave is super busy! He is loving teaching his class on Romans, helping at the orphanage, teaching Mary-Frances biology, helping the leadership at Agape to move forward in the areas that they expressed that they needed help in (observing the Lord’s Table, Baptismal Service, organizing documents, visitation, etc), being available for conversations with whoever God brings into his path, and helping the Walker’s out at the Nehemiah Boys Ranch once a week. Dave is also teaching 2 Saturday seminars in October, one on Marriage and Family and the other on Being a Christian Businessman.
Lydia is really sick right now. She was diagnosed yesterday with malaria 🙁 She has had every possible symptom that you can have with malaria (i think!) She is still sleeping and has been asleep for 13 hours so hopefully she will wake up feeling better. When she is not sick, she is busy teaching PE for 9 hours a week (with set up and planning her time is probably 15 hours), trying to finish American History, and completing college applications with an internet service that doesn’t always work (a bit challenging!) She is loving all her new Zambian friends and has already expressed that she is going to try and come back and visit them at some point in the future.
Mary-Frances is doing well. She is a diligent homeschooler, kindergarten aid (on Wednesdays), meal preparer, and just all around helper. She has not hesitate once since she boarded the airplane on June 4 about her role here and is still loving every minute. (too think she is the one I was the most concerned about ?!?) I do think God may continue to burn in her the desire she has had since she was about 5 years old and that is to be a missionary. She really adjusts so easily and loves everyone she comes into contact with.
Virginia also continues to amaze us. What she loves most is wearing her shatanga (I know I didn’t spell that correctly but it is the long wrap skirt), washing dishes, doing laundry by hand and hanging it on the line, helping the neighbors cook their meals outside, and holding/playing with any baby/toddler that she comes into contact with. She loves going to the orphanage twice a week and would love to go more often. God even provided an inexpensive but really great horse riding teacher for her! (horse riding is way cheaper here than in the US). Because of scheduling conflicts and some sickness she has only gone twice, but hopefully in October we will get on a weekly schedule.
David has been surprised and school is not as bad as he thought it would be. After having the month of August off, he was uncertain if he wanted to continue at the Trust School in September. Actually, he didn’t want to, but Dave told him that he must. He just doesn’t like being in a classroom/desk for 5 1/2 hours a day. Dave assured him that “that was all Mom and I knew and that it would be alright, he could do it!” God has been good and I think David is enjoying school. His favorite time of the day is still playing with the 4 neighbor boys, drawing pictures, or playing cards. He will be glad to get home. He adjusted super quick to being here and would now be the first one to jump if we said we were going home tomorrow!
Ella and Sadie Grace (sorry to lump them together but I realized that this book must come to an end !) are well. Ella’s teacher says that she just fits right in with all the other kids raising her hand, participating, asking questions, etc. Sadie Grace really likes school! She is so cute in her uniform each day and carrying her backpack to school. She diligently works on her homework every afternoon. I think she is learning a lot. They both love playing with the 11 children that are ages 5-9 each afternoon. They raise their eyebrows for “yes”, grunt for “what”, speak some Bimba, and eat Nshima with their hands. They are enjoying some of the Zambian characteristics.
If you got to the end if this, I am amazed! Sorry for the length. I will try to write sooner next time. Thank you for your prayers. On Tuesday is the presidential election here in Zambia. So far Zambia has been a peaceful country, no rioting or civil unrest. But, the nationals are anticipating a little unrest if a certain person wins the nomination (not sure which one). We will probably be inside from Monday – Wednesday or Thursday or next week and more than likely will have no internet access. Just pray that the unrest will be nonexistent or minimal.
Love,
Shelley