As the official 8th grade History teacher at Chifusa Basic, I felt I need to act like a teacher and go on Spring Break! Schools here in Zambia are closed for the month of April so it provided a great window of opportunity! Granted, I had only taught African History for about a month, but the month on/month off schedule was working great with my tan! So the first week of April I headed out to Malawi, a little country on Zambia's eastern border. Ten other Peace Corps volunteers all met up for a week away from our villages. The fact that there was electricity would have been enough, but on top of that, we were staying at a "resort" right on the beach. Seven days of waking up to the sound of crashing waves, laying on the sand, swimming in warm water, exploring deserted islands, and watching satellite TV at night was heavenly. Our last day we went to a crocodile farm that was home to 14,000 crocodiles, some of which came from the lake in which we had been swimming. I was glad that was on our last day, as it was about as wise as watching Jaws before a dip in the Pacific! While vacation was awesome it was fun to come back to Zambia. You can take the girl out of the village, but you can't take the village out of the girl...or something like that! It was nice to come back to a country where I speak the language and understand the currency. I feel really blessed that I get to travel around and see more of this amazing continent.
Things are pretty quite in my village with school out of session and many friends gone on holiday. So it has been me and my dog, Rocky (for the mountains, not the movie), hanging out together. This 9 week old puppy thinks he is so fierce and makes me laugh daily. He is a nice cover too because now when I am talking to myself and getting funny looks I just say I was "talking to my dog". Pet ownership seems to be agreeing with me for the most part-HUGE surprise.
In May I am going to be piloting a program for orphans and out of school youth in my community. I ask that you keep this in your prayers. It is a sports/literacy/life skills program that has the opportunity to be really effective. Please pray that God will use the program to reach a niche of you that is otherwise ignored.
Hope all of you had a great Easter holiday. Blessings!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Interview
My friend here in Zambia "lent" me her favorite poem, I hope you enjoy it as well!
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals, or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tops of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human…
It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to now if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”
It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children. It doesn’t interest me who you are, how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustained you from the inside when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
-Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals, or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tops of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human…
It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to now if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”
It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children. It doesn’t interest me who you are, how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustained you from the inside when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
-Oriah Mountain Dreamer
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