ZAMBIA K8

The Story Ends...The Story Begins

2008-08-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

I can not remember when I ate my last mango. It isn’t that I really care that much about mangoes, though Zambian mangoes are heavenly. I am bothered because it has left my memory. One of so many moments that was vivid and living at the time and is now gone forever from my mind.

Things that are now clear and bright, will they fade into gray after a few days, a few months, a few years?

Will I remember the feel of Mrs. Kapuwe wiping tears from my face? The way Beene’s face glows by the fireside? The sound of JoJo’s laugh? Will the jingle of a dog collar always make me think of Rocky outside my door in the morning? Will I remember how gigantic and pink the sun gets just before it sets here? Bertha’s ability to hang upside down in my chikuta? Will I still have ears to hear the sound of Club Mweka kids singing? Will I remember the way the sun rises over the marsh causing the mist on the grass to look like diamonds in a sea of weeds? Will I forget my “African” tree on the hill? Nambula’s eyebrow raise? The sound of chickens, birds, donkeys, goats, cows, dogs, children at all hours of the day and night? If I came back in a year would I still know every path, be able to see in the dark, and walk through the bush without fear? Will I remember the feel of a feverish Lindiwe in my arms? And Chipo’s smile? Or Busiku and Beene singing next door? Will I be able to close my eyes and picture the trillions of stars in the Zambian sky?

My Zambia has faces now. It is no longer a mass of people suffering from all kinds of calamities. It is watching Mrs. Mpongo healing people every day at the clinic. Being by her side as she is being bathed, too weak to wash her own body. It is remembering her smile, her beauty, her choices, her struggles, her funeral. Zambia fills me with frustration at what could have been, what can be.

My Zambia is Mrs. Kapuwe caring for her own children and nieces, nephews, sister-in-laws, her husband. It is listening as she talks of the pain of staying with a husband who no longer speaks to her, who is cheating on her with her “friends”. She has no way to leave, no way to complete the school she left at grade 7 when her parents died and she chose to get married. My Zambia fills me with anger at injustice, pride at the strength of friends, awe at faith that endures through hardships.

My Zambia is all of that and so much more. Too big, too deep to find words to explain it all. I am choosing not to forget. I am choosing to mourn the loss of this time in my life of living in community with these friends that I have come to love.

I am also choosing to come home, to begin life again in my country. To return to a country filled with choices and luxuries. I am choosing to find a way to reconcile these lifestyles, to cope with the understanding that Colorado Springs and Chifusa village co-exist in the same place and time. It is mind boggling.

I choose to be a voice for my Zambia, so that in some way, you also, will not forget.

Prayer for My Cousin Katie

2008-07-23T00:56:00.000-07:00

I have been using this blog as a forum for what has been happening here in Zambia...I want to make an exception. My cousin Katie and her family are in need of your prayers and I ask you to take time to pray for her now. To learn about her situation and get updates on her health click here

Psalm 32:5-8: "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."

Snaps

2008-07-23T00:44:00.000-07:00

Pictures, or snaps as we call them here in Zambia, will be coming!!! It is a major pain to upload them here at the internet cafe, so I think a little multi-media effort will take place upon my return. I know pictures speak a thousand words...hopefully my words have given you a little peak into my life here and we can just top up when I get back!

28 is the New….My Age…

2008-07-23T00:39:00.000-07:00

It came and went-my third birthday in Zambia. I can’t believe two years have passed since a chicken was slain for my 26th. The livestock got bigger for this year’s celebration, and Grace the goat is gone. This has proven to give me some slight stomach issues and an entirely new meaning to a certain Dave Matthew’s song. My village celebration actually took place on the 20th-starting with banana pancakes with Christa, an awesome Club Mweka party and then a night filled with dancing, drumming, and eating with the Kapuwe’s and Busiku. I had told the Kapuwe’s I didn’t want any presents, only “acts of love”-i.e., songs, dances, poems. Beene, Junior, and Tembo put together quite the amazing band and personalized a lot of traditional Zambian songs for me. It was so sweet. A truly unforgettable birthday celebration. Christa and I cycled into Choma the next day for my annual “what can my body still do?” challenge. We made it in record time and a shower never felt so good! I’ve been at the Smith’s since then and enjoying time with my Choma family. I look forward to celebrating with my American family in September!

Income Generating Activity/Business Skills Workshop

2008-07-23T00:38:00.000-07:00

After lots of meeting, follow up and running around, the workshop to train 25 Home Based Care Members came about this past week. I first met with the HBC group in February to write up a proposal for funding from the Peace Corps. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the money did not come until now. But it came!

I was able to partner with the NGO CARE International to facilitate the workshop. CARE has amazing Zambian employees that really connected with all of us. Our hope is that because of the information received at this workshop people will be able to sustain the home based care program after CARE leaves Chifusa in May. By having extra income and the skills to manage that income, their families, as well as patients they care for, will have a better way of life.

There were so many highlights, from Mrs. Kapuwe sharing with everyone about her experience of going for VCT, to Omsley sharing about the Memorial Service in May. It just felt like time after time God was encouraging me and whispering that it has all been worth it. People have some great ideas, everything from raising chickens to selling buns to processing cooking oil. One man, after the first day of the workshop, told me this was everything they have needed to know! People were able to learn simple but very practical business skills-record keeping, marketing, pricing, etc.

I am so stoked that this was able to take place while I was still in the village. I only wish I had more time to monitor and follow-up with the participants. My CARE counterparts have agreed to monitor things and provide needed encouragement-hopefully they will be sending me updates.

Keep these friends in prayer as they work to put into practice some of their ideas!

Christa Christa Christa

2008-07-23T00:37:00.001-07:00

Just as I am about to leave, Peace Corps has given me another volunteer neighbor! Ok, she lives 25k from my house, but that is a lot closer than anyone else! We have been trying to get together since she was posted in May. Due to my visitors and her infected spider bites we had to keep rescheduling, but alas we made a date.

Last weekend I cycled over to her house and we rode back to my house. It felt very much like I was in 7th grade again! “Hey, wanna go ride bikes?” Rocky came with us on the journey and was a champ, running the whole way. I was a little nervous as this was the path where I ran into pythons last year-but no problems this time!

Christa is awesome-a Girl Scout from South Dakota, she was so much fun this past week. The plan was for her to just stay the weekend but we were having such a great time she stayed until the 21st! How can you not have a great time with a girl that brings Starbucks coffee, dark chocolate and Season 4 of the Office on her IPOD? That is basically a recipe for deep devotion from me!

She is going to be a great volunteer, can’t wait to hear all that she is going to do in her village!

Neighborhood Health Committee Workshop

2008-07-23T00:33:00.000-07:00

After lots of wonderful downtime with USA visitors, it was back to work in a major way. I have wanted to leave knowing I have given it my all, so I have squeezed about 6 months of work into the last few weeks. Ironically, just as I am leaving it seems all programs are clicking. I am encouraged that Peace Corps will place another Peace Corps Volunteer in Chifusa area to continue the development.

The second week of July, I partnered with the Health Center to train 20 Community Health Workers. The group, long in need of training, each donated maize and 10,000zkw (about $3) to cover food costs for the week. Thanks to Danielle Vaughns and crew we were able to hand out pens and notebooks to each person. The local church allowed us to meet at the church for the 5 days, and a local woman volunteered to cook nshima for us each day. It was incredible to see the community come together to make this workshop happen. Each person left knowing that they were completely competent and able to put together a training for themselves. We covered the 6 major health thrusts of Zambia-Malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS, Water and Sanitation, Safe Motherhood, and Child Health/Nutrition. I tested each person at the end of the workshop and all passed with flying colors. I was so proud! I really believe that our community is going to see an overall improvement in health based on the knowledge these people have received. With over 8,000 people in our catchment area, it is impossible for the Rural Health Center to manage the health concerns. We absolutely have to partner with these volunteer workers in order to take care of the community.

It wasn’t all business though, I definitely had quite a few laughs. Clarifying the difference between sermons (given by clergy everywhere) and semen (spreading HIV everywhere) had me just about in tears. They really do sound alike! The nurse I was teaching with kept saying “Oak her”, and I couldn’t figure out what she meant…Mad Gab skills kicked in and suddenly it was obvious she was saying “occur”. I have to laugh at these language blips as only the Lord and all my village know how badly I have butchered Chitonga over the last two years!

It was humbling to get to be a part of this workshop. People were walking over 6 miles each morning and evening to come and learn. Women were writing notes while babies were breastfeeding, giving presentations with little ones strapped to their backs. It was such a fulfilling experience to partner with these people.

Pray for these 20 men and women as they teach and treat their villages!

The Home Stretch

2008-06-24T04:58:00.000-07:00

This week I have the privilege of making sure Peace Corps Volunteers do not get deported or burn down the Peace Corps House in Choma. That I am trusted to be in charge of 25 people after burning down my toilet and doing a whole range of idiotic things over these last two years is pretty startling for a lot of you. Fear not, I am doing a stellar job.

I have been walking into town each day to check internet...I love this thing. That sentence can stand alone.

In two months from now I will be at the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, reflecting back on these last 27 months. I am so excited for the trip. Julie, a great Peace Corps friend, and I are heading to Cape Town to stay with a family friend and enjoy South Africa. After 10 days of ocean, wine tasting, shopping, hiking bliss, we head to Cairo to explore Egypt for 3weeks. I am going to try to do things like "part the Red Sea" as Kelly suggests. We do want to climb Mount Sinai and watch the sunrise from the top. Let's hope we don't get strapped with any more Commandments, I want to travel light. Pyramids, camels, Arabic, we are going to embrace it all. Then I am coming home! I am so excited to do life with all the people I love back in the States.

Leaving Zambia is another story though, and I am so torn up about leaving. People in my village have greatly impacted my life as we have lived moment by moment together in the village. I can't imagine the hole that is going to be left with each loss. I will face the goodbyes when they come, but for now I am just trying to make the most of my last weeks in country. This week I am writing up Peace Corps close of service reports and enjoying reflecting on the changes that have taken place in my village.

Pray that God remains close through this next transition, that I live fully in the present, and for safety in these final days.

Blessings!

Bye-Bye Dev-Dev

2008-06-19T05:16:00.000-07:00

The little sister is gone…somewhere in the air over the Atlantic at this point. It was so much fun to experience Zambia, and especially the village, with her. The fact that she is a few inches taller then me gave most of my villagers a good laugh. I think when I talked about my “little” sister they expected her to be, well, little.

Our 10 days in Chifusa were full. Devon got to play pharmacist at the clinic, make fun crafts with Club Mweka, enjoy Zambian food, and have me point out the Southern Cross every night in the huge African sky. It was a trip filled with a lot of laughs, Rummy, and Crystal Light packs. I’ve been super blessed by all my visitors, and being with a sister is so precious.

Dev had this idea to have a truly “timeless” day in the village. The night before, we turned my Christmas clock over so we couldn’t see the time or hear the hourly carol, I took off my watch and we went to bed. We woke the next morning and just did whatever we felt like, whenever we felt like it. This included making crepes, playing Boggle, chasing cows from my garden, watching Rocky chase pigs, playing Spit, going for a run, fetching water, drinking coffee while the sun set, and making dinner. When we were completely exhausted and sure that it was at least the next day I took out my watch. Exactly 20:44. We are a rowdy bunch.

One of my favorite stories about Devon from this trip took place our first night in Livingstone. Dev was a little worried at the high-class backpackers where we were staying as there were a few cockroaches crawling across the floor. One of her friends had a spider that got into her ear while she was sleeping and it freaked D out a bit. Being a super loving and compassionate sister I told her that she needed to woman up, this was nothing compared to my village. Still a little nervous she rummaged through our bag to try and find something to put in her ears. She found 2 OB tampons and unwrapped them and stuck them in her ears. Atta girl. I think the spiders probably crawled up to her, took one look and died laughing. We know for sure they did not get into her ears.

It will be very strange to be back in Colorado and not have Devon around to make me laugh. She will have one more year at college after I return home. Iowa is a lot closer than Zambia though, so I know we will be seeing each other! Thanks for all your prayers; it was an amazing trip together! She took lots of pictures and I will try to snag some and put them up here, especially the earplug snaps. You will laugh.

Jumping Off Bridges and the Usual

2008-06-06T23:55:00.001-07:00

My last trip to Livingstone was amazing, yet sad as it will be my last time there while living in Zambia. It is the first of so many "lasts", but I was so blessed to share it with the Devster (I took that name from Kelly).

After getting back from our safari we laid by the pool, and then checked out Victoria Falls. One of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, this is the absolute best time of year to view them. There is tons of water, but you are still able to see the full glory of them through the mist. We got soaked and loved it! Then we hiked down to the Boiling Pot, at the base of the falls. There are so many memories on this trail, Brad and I getting nearly mauled by baboons, cobras coming across the path, Andrea and I eating lunch on the rocks and watching kayakers drop into the rapids. Devon and I had the a great adventure too, swinging from vines like Tarzan and making our own baboon sounds. Very mature and sophisticated, of course, what else would you expect?

The next day I highly encouraged my sister to jump off the Zam/Zim Victoria Falls bridge. She agreed this would be a great way to send our parent's to an early grave. I will let her explain her little jump in her own words...

So as I always have to be just like my sister she told me it would be a wonderful idea to jump off a bridge, why not? So I went to bungee jump and the idea in theory does not scare me at all, I was not shaking or second guessing myself until I was strapped in. After asking several questions I still didn't really know what I was supposed to do. But, there I find myself standing over an edge with a crazy man counting down 5.4. 3... Wait I'm not ready yet! So he starts over 5. 4... Wait I start laughing... so I shake it off and I was ready to jump. So I hear 5. 4. 3. then I am brutally pushed off a bridge and sent to my early death. So I wanted to protect my new million dollar smile so of course I must scream very loud to keep my mouth open. I was thinking about all the things I really have not gotten to do as I fell for a very very long time and the question of why would I want to give this all up for the silly thrill of bungee jumping? But I had amazing form as I was pushed off and I did not pee my pants so in the end it all worked out. It was a blast minus the spinning part where I almost hurled. I am so glad I did it and my trip has been phenomenal so far!

Caitlin again, wondering how Devon got so dramatic in her young age. We are off to the village today for the next 10 days! Pray that we have a safe and wonderful time together. We miss you all and encourage you to bungee sometime in your life. Especially you, Dad...it will conquer your fear of heights!

Regardless...

2008-06-04T01:41:00.001-07:00

...of what Devon said in her last post, my life here is SO hard. All of you sitting at home in your cozy houses should feel extreme pity for us roughing it in the African wilderness. I am totally kidding. It has been so fun having Dev here. We are just back from safari and about to head to Victoria Falls. We may have to lay by the pool and read magazines for a little while, just to get our strength up. I know, I know, have fun on your morning commute to the office.

Quick recap of our safari:

Faced with hippos on the Chobe River we had to strategically balance our boat in order to not tip over and become the real life Hungry Hungry Hippo game. That is harder then it sounds when you are with 6 Canadians, 2 New Zealanders, 1 Australian, and a British woman. Having learned my lesson with Kimee, this time I got into a boat with a motor and that made me feel a lot more safe!

We head to our campsite for a little siesta after lunch. A campsite in the middle of the game park. No fences or anything to keep the lions from eating Devon. Let's just say that neither of us got out of the tent at night to pee. What with the elephants trumpeting, and the hyenas crying, we just stayed cozy and prayed our bladders would last until the next morning.

Fast forward a few hours, our guide spots leopard prints in the road and then next thing you know Devon is pointing out this leopard right next to our vehicle. Leopards are just so in style. Next thing you know we are watching four lionesses frolicking in the early morning light by the river.

This was the first safari where I really wished we had signed up for longer! My last safari in Africa (for now), it was so great. We forgot the cord for our camera, but we'll upload pictures when we have a chance. Stay well!

living the good life

2008-05-30T04:56:00.000-07:00

So this is the infamous string cheese loving hip-hop dancing trying to be just like K8 sister...Dev Dev. I arrived in Zambia well guess two days ago but I am still very off with my time but truly time has no meaning when you are with the people you love. We are currently staying at this idk Zoo? i guess it s more of a wild animal park rescue area lol. Anyways I have go ten to see some lions and monkeys when my sister and I took a little stroll in the park. I have also met some entertaining Duchies. Some girls from Holland made us a delectable dinner welcoming me to Zambia. After dinner I was exhausted and I tried to get some sleep. only to be woken from my slumber by a punch to the face. Yes my sister punched me in the face! Wow I really missed her.I also might want to warn you that my sister doesn't have it so bad out here. I will admit I am tired from my massage and sauna experience.....and a nice hot shower. So it is a good thing I am about to relax and watch a movie! Yep Zambia is not what I expected at all. I wonder if Caitlin has really even seen a snake.. maybe she just likes attention. She prolly doest even have a village I guess I will find out when i leave Lusaka in a few days.. until then I will have to wonder.

Fortune Cookies, String Cheese, and Then Came Devon Nicole

2008-05-27T03:56:00.000-07:00

Her birth was foretold through a fortune cookie, leaving us all excited for her February arrival. With Benihana’s deliciousness still settling in our stomachs, Ryan, April, and I were left contemplating what this would mean for our lives. You would have to ask Ry and April what they were thinking, but for me there was only excitement.

A little sibling would mean I was no longer the baby of the family. It would mean I would have someone to order around. I mean direct. I mean style. I mean love. Actually, I meant all of those things.

On the day of her birth, a voice came over the loudspeaker in my 2nd grade classroom. I was being summoned to the office, my dad was there. I remember the sheer excitement and anticipation of getting out of school early. And that I was going to be a big sister. That was also very exciting.

The drive from La Costa to San Diego was long and relatively forgettable. I am sure I slept at some point being that a car and I were involved. A stellar father, my dad brought snacks for the car ride- string cheese and apples.

While I have no recollection of actually holding her that day, I do remember the string cheese. I think she probably smelled string cheese on me and that was the start of her love affair with the stuff. To this day the girl is a very strong advocate for cheese in the string variety.

You may call her Dev-Dev, I like Divertido or Devonshire, or just plain Dev if I’m in a rush. She is my little sister, my friend, and my hip-hop music guru, just to name a few of her current roles. And she is soon to be with me here in Zambia! Her plane is taking off from Denver on Tuesday and we will be together in Lusaka by Thursday, British Airways and God willing.

I am sure we will have lots of fun stories to share and none of them having to do with string cheese. Perhaps you can eat some for her while she is away; I hope she can last the 3 weeks without that dairy goodness.

AIDS Memorial Service

2008-05-21T02:31:00.000-07:00

On May 18th people throughout the world held Candlelight Memorials to remember loved ones that had died due to the AIDS pandemic. Due to safety issues of traveling at night in the village, we chose to hold a service on Saturday afternoon. It was very close to my heart having lost numerous friends to AIDS since being here in Zambia. I was honored to have Kimee present, as well as a handful of Peace Corps friends that came to be a part of the ceremony.

This was one of the most memorable times I have had in my village to date. Sitting on the grass and in the shade of the clinic’s mango tree, about 25 people from our community gathered. Initially I was a bit discouraged by the low turnout. But, as my counterpart Omsley stated, “This day is not a day anyone present will ever forget.” In my heart I know his words to be true.

After opening the program with a tribute to baby Chipego and Mrs Mpongo, followed by a pretty hilarious rendition of “It Is Well with My Soul” on the synthesizer, numerous members of our community shared those they had lost to AIDS. A headman present talked about how ignorance and superstitions have been dissolved as a result of the work that Peace Corps is doing in the area. One of the clinical workers shared how eyes had been opened due to our programs. In the midst of mourning lives lost in darkness, there was a glimpse of the light that is coming on for so many people in the area.

At an HIV/AIDS support group meeting last month I asked if anyone would be willing to talk publicly about being HIV positive. Two people immediately volunteered to speak at the Memorial. Here in Zambia there is still a huge amount of stigma surrounding people with HIV. Very few people throughout the nation publicly announce their status. It was not until after her death that I even learned of Mrs. Mpongo having AIDS. So the fact that a 27 year old woman and a 58 year old man were willing to get up in front of neighbors to speak was, as Andrea put it, “Unheard of in Zambia.”

Anitra Munsaka was shaking and on the verge of tears as she stood before us to share her story. She spoke of her husband being sick and then testing positive for HIV. She was tested shortly thereafter, along with her 3 year old son. They were both positive. As she spoke I was filled with pride at her courage to talk openly to our community.

Bernard Sivwimi spoke next. He told of believing that someone had put a “curse” on his first wife and having watched her die. Since that time he and his 2 current wives have all tested HIV positive. He expressed regret at not having known earlier about HIV, feeling that he could have prolonged his first wife’s life. He talked about the need for people in our community to get tested and to get the support they need to live a healthy lifestyle.

Yes, it was a memorial service, but it was so much more. As we tied red ribbons to the branches of the mango tree and committed to fighting this disease together I knew that Mrs. Mpongo would be proud. And I knew that I had already begun to see strength and bravery in action. I am confident we won at least one battle, and those that have fallen in the past have not fallen in vain.

Day at the Clinic

2008-05-14T05:01:00.000-07:00

Throughout the past year and a half I’ve heard a lot about Caitlin’s experience partnering with Zambia’s Ministry of Health. After spending just one short week here, I have a new respect for what she is doing here. It is difficult to find words to describe the conditions of healthcare in the village. I will do my best by sharing about one of our days last week. I had the opportunity to get a little taste of what it’s like for Cait to work at Chifusa Rural Health Center for “antenatals” (pre-natal care for expecting mothers). Here’s a quick run-down of the day:

-The day begins with about 8 hands touching the tattoo on my neck, and everyone asking Caitlin, “Why did you write this on your cousin?”
-Cait starts to give a lesson to the pregnant mothers who have come to the clinic for antenatals (and in typical Zamfashion, we have started about an hour and a half late, allowing plenty of time for everyone to arrive).
-About two minutes into her lesson on nutrition, we are interrupted by a dog that most certainly has rabies – which in turn causes all of the women to start yelling and jumping onto benches until someone finally manages to make the dog leave.
-After our nutrition discussion, the women then wait in line for their monthly check-up.
-Come to find out, this so-called “check-up” (aka “prenatal care”) consists of a midwife pressing on the mother’s belly and then listening to the baby’s heartbeat through a little metal cylinder (I tried this method out and for the life of me, could not tell whether I was hearing the heartbeat or just my own breathing).
-After this check-up is completed, the women then receive medication and supplements thanks to the acting pharmacist of the day – (Hey Caitlin, I never knew you went to pharmacy school...?)
-Finally, at the end of the check-ups, we are informed that the clinic door has broken and we would therefore need to climb through a window to get out. And keep in mind, this is not just for Caitlin and myself, but also the remaining pregnant women. The only thought that entered my mind was: “seriously?”

In fact, that thought was in my mind through most of the day at the clinic. I have heard the stories about the healthcare in Caitlin’s village, but it is absolutely crazy to actually see these things first-hand, and I kept asking myself, “is this seriously how it is?” Take, for example, the fact that this clinic has no running water. They have no doctors. There hasn’t been a nurse here since Caitlin’s good friend Mrs. Mpongo passed away last year. The government keeps promising that they will send a new nurse here, but so far these promises have been empty. So here is a rural clinic with no running water, no electricity, and no trained medical staff... and this clinic is supposed to be providing healthcare for 8,877 people in the surrounding areas.

After seeing my nephew's birth in the US, I'm amazed at the difference in health care standards in the US and developing countries like Zambia.

Snaps

2008-05-05T00:49:00.000-07:00

Kimee is bringing her A game to this photography thing. Here are just a few glimpses of our trip so far...

We travel today to my village and are both looking forward to the adventure ahead!

Hungry Hungry Hippos

2008-05-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Jungle Cruise was everything we imagined and more and then some more! What I was really imagining was a nice canoe trip down the Zambezi with the majority of time spent bird watching and improving my farmer's tan.

The more and then some more consisted of:
1)Not dangling our hands in the water to avoid attracting crocodiles
2)Being advised if our canoe was punctured by a croc we should swim to shore immediately
3)Having to pound on our boat numerous times to alert nearby hippos
4)Paddling fiercely to avoid the hippos
5)Constantly fearing we would be eaten by hippos
6)Being advised what to do if our canoe capsized while going through the rapids
7)Wondering if we maybe had signed up for the rafting trip on accident
8)Realizing throughout this entire process no one asked us if we knew how to swim
9)Never being more happy to get out of a river in my life
10)Changing from a full day canoe trip to a half day canoe trip at the first chance we had!

Ok, I know you probably think I didn't have any fun. It was terrifyingly thrilling. We asked for the second half of our day to be spent in the safari truck driving around the Mosi-Ou-Tunya National Park. It was awesome to see elephants, giraffe, zebra, baboons, and impala from the vehicle. Then the guide tells us that it is prohibited, but he can do us a favor and walk us over to where the white rhino is sleeping. This is the only white rhino in Zambia. So of course, like any normal people that have already been in danger for the first half of the day, we got out of our safe seats and walked in the bush to see this sleeping rhino. It was huge and beautiful and then it started to wake up and we basically ran like the wind back to the car. But quietly.

I think we are going to take it easy tonight. Maybe bungee jump or skydive. No really, we are just going out to dinner.

The K has arrived

2008-05-02T07:30:00.001-07:00

Kimee here - Caitlin and I have switched blogs for a few days; we all know that Cait is the writer of the family, so I'm afraid you're getting the bum end of the deal here. (Check out her post on my blog here). I can't believe I'm finally in Africa! It's already been so amazing, especially having time to sit and talk with Cait about her life here the past few years. We've already had some great chats about development, AIDs & poverty... along with very insightful/intellectual conversations about really important issues such as Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' marriage. Caitlin is a wonderul host, and I feel so lucky to be able to have this experience with her! Despite her feeling a bit under the weather, she is being a trooper and not letting me miss one minute of the whole Zambia experience. I think that so far, the hightlight of the trip has been listening to Caitlin switch from English to "Zam-English" (really quite amuzing). We're in Livingston the next few days, taking a canoe trip tomorrow and then visiting Victoria Falls. And I'm so excited to get to Cait's village, to see and experience a little taste of what her life has been like the past 2 years. After hearing so many stories and learning the names of her dear friends in the village, I can't wait to actually meet everyone.

The K is on the Way

2008-04-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

My dear friend and cousin is flying out and will be here on Thursday! I absolutely cannot wait to see her face and spend time with her. We have had plenty of adventures, from AMAZING dance/cheerleading/rollerblading routines in the garage, to road trips from Southern California all the way to Colorado without a roof on the car. I can only imagine what the 20 days in Africa will hold! Pray for her safety as she travels on British Airways and for our time together! She is a brilliant photographer and I am sure will have some amazing snaps from the trip. We will be sure to post for your viewing pleasure.

And if the "A" of "ACK Cheerleaders" is reading this, well, we wish you were going to be here for a perfect trio of cheer.

B.Y.O.S.

2008-04-15T01:42:00.000-07:00

The last few Friday nights I have been having B.Y.O.S. parties at my chikuta. Bring Your Own Stick. Thanks to a shipment of Smores goodness from Andrea, the neighborhood has been enjoying gooey graham/chocolate/marshmallow love!

About 5pm the village kids are in the bush searching for their perfect stick and show up by 7pm with stick in hand. The first week we sat around the fire roasting and singing, and then telling riddles-it was so much fun. Last week I used all of my semi-useless Tonga vocabulary cards to create a Catchphrase Zambia game and it was a huge hit. Certain children will now forever be known by their outburst of “AFRICA!” or “NZOKA!”

My camera batteries were dead otherwise I would post great pictures of JoJo Zambia with marshmallow covering the majority of his face. I couldn’t stop laughing when Bene commented that he now looked like an American. I am guessing it was just that his face was now white, and not that Americans usually walk around with marshmallow on their faces. I could be wrong?

This Friday, I encourage all of you to have a little BYOS party of your own!

World Health Day

2008-04-15T01:33:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday was “World Health Day"-an international event designed to bring focus to pressing health issues in our world. I know you never would have guessed that from the title of the day! Wink, wink. This years’ theme was along the lines of “protecting health from global warming.

I worked with local community groups to have a program in the village to focus on World Health Day. Over 300 people showed up to watch dramas, learn about HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, family planning, and basic hygiene. It was a huge success. We didn’t really get to the part about global warming and health. Of the 300 people there, I would say maybe 7 have even heard of global warming, and 2 could actually give an accurate description of what global warming means for them. I think I was the only person there that has contributed to global warming.

Which is where we, as Americans, come into the picture. Sadly, we have played a significant role in global warming. I would never have labeled myself an “environmentalist”. I drove my car regularly without thinking of the effects it may have on the environment. I have never joined the anti-SUV debate. Colorado winters sometimes require a Hummer. I never littered though, and even felt some shame in throwing banana peels out car windows-someone could slip!

Since coming to Zambia I have realized how much I used to waste, how much trash I would throw away, how much pollution I may have caused. When visitors have come bearing American food gifts I am kind of appalled at the amount of packaging we put on everything. Side note, I am not appalled at the generosity of my American friends! But does a Starburst really need to be individually wrapped and then wrapped again? Why do we need individually wrapped instant oatmeal packs? Are we so lazy that if they just threw all the oats in one box we would not possibly be able to measure out a ½ cup to which we add water?

Unfortunately, it is the people in Africa that will likely be most affected because of global warming. Crops will suffer, which means Africans will suffer. As temperatures have risen we have seen areas in Eastern Africa that have never had malaria suddenly face malaria cases daily. People that have done next to nothing to contribute to the issue of global warming will face the consequences of our actions.

As people of a global world, we need to take responsibility and take steps in order to look out for others. Do what you can, where you can, when you can. That is all I have to say on that. Sermon over.

Salt in Wounds

2008-04-15T01:21:00.000-07:00

In the US we have all heard the saying, “pouring salt in my wound”. We know it means that someone is adding insult to injury, that they are really getting you while you are down. I was trying to explain this to Mrs. Kapuwe on our morning run a few weeks back. The whole conversation was a result of a situation at the clinic the day before…

Our clinic is still struggling to handle healthcare for the 8,000+ people in the catchment area. We have had no nurse since Mrs. Mpongo’s death last year. I had organized a follow up HIV/AIDS testing at the clinic, which meant that multiple nurses had come from the district offices to the village for the event. It was God’s timing that this all happened on this particular day.

Mid-way through the group counseling sessions an ox-cart carrying a woman pulls into the clinic yard. She is carried into our clinic and into the back room where I was setting up testing kits. One of the visiting nurses moves everyone out of the room but asks me to stay in the room and help her. The woman had given birth the night before and had serious tearing and hemorrhaging from the birth. She had lost a significant amount of blood. The nurse said she was probably within hours of death if we did not take care of her immediately. The nurse got a needle and what looked like very thick fishing wire and asked me to hold this woman on the bed while she sewed her up. We had no medicine whatsoever at the clinic, so this woman is getting sewn together after just having given birth without the use of any painkillers. It was barbaric. It was the only thing we could do.

I cannot say enough about the strength of African women. Their physical, mental, and emotional stamina is unbelievable. The woman whose arms I held just set her jaw and dealt with the pain and squeezed my hand. When it was all finished and the bleeding had stopped, she literally jumped down from the bed, dressed herself and started the walk back to her house. Before leaving the nurse told her she needed to rinse with water and put salt into the area on a daily basis. Seriously, that was the advice she gave her. Pour salt in your wounds.

Mrs. Kapuwe confirms that pouring salt in wounds really does help keep infections away. How blessed are we as Americans that our experience with salt in wounds is merely an expression, a way to better clarify our emotional state? Give it up for the Africans who pour salt on everything-from colored greens to wounds. You do what you have to do.

Namibia...Africa's Colorado

2008-03-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

I have always said that Colorado would be perfect if only we had the ocean. Well, Namibia has the ocean and so much of what Colorado has to offer, so pretty much I am ready to stay! Now I just need to convince all the people I love that they should move out here too!

This past week I have been to Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and the Dunes, except that they were called The Brandberg, The Spitzcoff, and Soussvlei. I guess you can't really find 2000 year old rock paintings of giraffe at the Peak, but there were similarities! Brandberg is this beautiful mountain, the tallest in Namibia, and J and I ran all over that place searching for rock paintings left by these nomadic hunters that used to live on the mountain. Next we were off to the Spitzcoff, or Spitzer, or just Spitz, depending on how much we wanted to butcher up the name of that place. The Spitz is this amazing red rock that juts out of the landscape. It is known as The Matterhorn of Africa. I guess the Swiss felt a connection there too. We camped inside the rocks, scared to death of being eaten by one of the leopards that roam the place at night. Telling ghost stories and being incredibly exhausted after rock climbing and splashing in mountain ponds made us a little on edge that night. It was by far, the coolest night of camping I have experienced. Our last day in the Namib Desert was at Soussvlei, these amazing sand dunes that go on forever. We got there just as the sun was rising and casting everything in beautiful hues. We ran down dunes like little kids and didn't want to leave then the time came! It was a sweet journey home though as we passed ostrich and gazelles on our way back to Swakopmund.

This morning we got up and went sand boarding---so SICK! Sick in a good way. In a, wow, my ribs will never be the same after I caught so much air going over that jump way. In a, "are you sure it's safe to go down a sand dune on a piece of waxed plywood at 80km an hour?" way. Sick in the best sense of the word.

Julie and I are heading out tomorrow, back on the bus to Zambia, which at this point really does feel like home! This trip has been so amazing. Julie has become an even closer friend, and even though we have only known each other these 2 years of Peace Corps, the memories we have together are just so special. God has truly blessed me with great friends here and at home!

Pray for a safe journey for us back to Zambia. You can read Julie's account of our journey on her blog-link to the left of this post. I'll post photos of the trip on Snapfish...let me know if you need an invite to view them. Miss you all.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

There are so many days that I truly feel overwhelmed by the amount of Grace that God has bestowed upon me. Easter is such an amazing time to reflect on the extent of God's love and power, grace and mercy. That Christ has risen and overcome death is just beyond anything I can truly comprehend. Julie and I were talking this morning about what it would have been like to be one of the disciples that watched Christ be crucified on Friday and then to see Him walking amongst us just a few days later. How raw would be the pain of witnessing His death. I can remember clearly what I was doing on Friday...how much more if I had seen a crucifixion, and then to have the Dead among the living-wow!

We woke up early this morning and took a long walk on the beach after reading through some Scriptures. We grabbed our daily coffee and headed back to our hotel. We put on our "Easter outfits" and headed to the pier for a great seafood lunch. We shared the Easter traditions we had growing up and wished we had Easter baskets but were glad we had each other.

Wherever you are, whatever your traditions, I hope this day was a day to remember that God gives LIFE. He brought Christ back from the dead, and no matter how far from truly living we may be, He can bring us life to the full.

I Heart Coffee I Don't Have 2 Make

2008-03-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

Julie and I have made it a tradition to get cappuccinos at this little coffee shop called "Out of Africa" at least twice a day. We gladly forfeit "real" food for a frothy cappuccino. We don't just look extremely cool, we are really this cool in real life!

Sunset on the Atlantic

2008-03-22T02:23:00.000-07:00

For the first part of this story you can insert "I hate my life" after every sentence. Julie and I met in Lusaka to take the bus to Livingstone on Tuesday. Eight hours later we arrive in Livingstone, go to the hostel, where they tell us we no longer have a room and we go to bed hungry. Things seem better the next morning when our bus to Nambia actually leaves 2 minutes early. That is until we are pulling out of Livinstone and they tell us "We have toilets on the bus...however they are not working. The air conditioning can be adjusted above your head...however it is not working." Regardless, I am with a fun friend and we are heading towards the ocean, how bad can this be? Hope is futile when you are traveling on the continent! We get through immigration and into Nambia. Then they come over that God forsaken loudspeaker again to tell us that there is a problem with the bus and we need to exit. We leave all of our food and things on the bus and get out at the Shell Station. This is at 4pm at night. It is not until 1am the next morning, when we are freezing and starving that we get back on this bus. We then promptly fall asleep until the next morning when the bus breaks down again. This time it is not the radiator, but just a general "lack of air" in the bus. Whatever that means. Julie and I were done with the bus at that point and decided to get all our bags and flag down a vehicle.

This is the part of the story where you can insert "I love my life" after every sentence. This nice family picks us up and offers us cold drinks and drives us to the turnoff for Skwakopmund. We get out, wait 10 minutes until this young cute guy picks us up in a luxury Volvo and drops us off at the door to our hotel. Our first night we were clean, eating amazing pizza, drinking cold German beer and feeling like we had stepped into the Truman Show. Swakopmund is AMAZING! It's right on the ocean, has great cafes, a rich German feel and is so clean and organized. Organized to the point of getting assigned seating in the movie theatre---this is not Africa! And after that traveling, I am ok with that! We are having such an awesome time, and watched the sunset on the Atlantic Ocean last night. I am pretty sure I could see America!

We are here in Swakopmund for the next few days and then head out in our rental car to the desert and Damaraland. Sandboarding, petrified forests,and sunrises from the Dunes are in my future. I love my life.

I hope all of you have an amazing Easter! He is Risen, and for that I am most thankful of all. Blessings!

YouTube & Picasaweb

2008-03-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

Check out "Africa Cribs" on Youtube for a glimpse of my home in Chifusa! We fully recognize that we are dorks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqgF-ATfUDw

Then, if you want to see more of the trip with Erin and Brittany, check out Erin's photos at Picasa Web. Just follow this link...
http://picasaweb.google.com/stroup.paul/AfricaTrip

Villagio, Botswana, Etc

2008-03-01T03:14:00.001-08:00

For those of you still reading this blog...my creativity is starting to fade. I don't think you are supposed to have "Etc" in the title of anything, but alas it has arrived. I left Brit and Erin at the airport this morning, drank a cappuccino, bought a dress, and now I'm consoling myself with the world wide web. There are worse things I could have been doing and probably less expensive things but I'm trying to keep from crying- I am going to miss those girls!

Their trip out here was so much fun. They should be posting a blog for all of you to read, but we didn't have a time to sit and type it out while they were here...one day soon you'll hear from their perspective all about our adventures. A quick recap of the highlights-a week in my village, filled with lots of laughter, great talks, and eating smores every night. They were such an encouragement and brought me great perspective on a lot of the work I am doing in the village. We all worked together at the clinic, played Valentine's Day Bingo at Girls' Club, made sock puppets with Club Mweka, and enjoyed time with my close friends in the village. After 7 days we were all ready for ice cold drinks and headed back to Choma to catch the bus down to Livingstone. The next day we were down in Botswana on a "luxury safari". It was amazing. It was my third safari since being in Africa, but it was by far the most exciting as far as animal encounters. We were seriously just about nearly trampled multiple times by elephants. They do not call it "Elephant Valley" because there are a lot of zebras. In fact we did not see one zebra. But it was still fun. Lions were in full mating force and the baboons were quite friendly with one another as well. After two days of interrupting animal love making we headed back across the border to Zambia. We got to enjoy getting soaked at Victoria Falls as the water level is at its fullest.

A super long day of travel yesterday and we arrived back in Lusaka. The girls definitely got to experience the joys of traveling in the developing world. After giving ourselves pedicures and applying our nightly dose of DEET we went to sleep. Our last night together in Africa. And now they are somewhere in the sky and I am here in Lusaka alone. I know, poor poor Caitlin Annie.

I have less than 6 months left in Zambia and everything is feeling very bitter sweet! I still have quite a few projects/workshops I want to get done before leaving for the States in August. Some friends are making plans to come visit me and Julie and I are heading to Namibia for Easter, so time will seriously fly! Continue to pray for my physical, emotional, and spiritual safety while here. Once I am back on American soil I will share ALL the details of how your prayers have kept me safe, until then, I want my mom to sleep at night.

There will be tons of photos and video from the girls' trip to Zambia and I will try and put a link on here once they have uploaded things back in the States. I have to put a disclaimer on here in regards to a certain disgusting section of video which showcases my armpit hair. I have not turned into "that girl". You know the one that quits her corporate job and goes to Africa and grows out her armpit hair to show her independence and carefree spirit. That is not it at all! I am growing it out until a certain cousin of mine whose name I won't mention, gets her booty out here. If she fails to arrive in Zambia prior to my departure and I have lived with the filth known as my armpit hair in vain then she will have some major consequences. You know who you are cousin.

Alright, just remembering the fun of these last few weeks and thinking ahead to the great things in store I am feeling refreshed. And I think I need to treat myself to a Coke Light. Stay well!

Silver & Gold

2008-02-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold.

I was never in Girl Scouts, but April was, and in her sisterly love she passed that little ditty on to me in childhood. I was reminded of that song with the arrival of Brit and Erin yesterday morning! It is such a joy to have friends from "home" visit my new "home" out here!

So far they have dived right into life in Zambia. We have ridden mini-buses with way too many people on them, hitched a ride in the back of a truck with way too many eggs in it, and walked around with way too little sunscreen on. Our first day we spent lounging around, grabbing coffee at a bakery and then napping at Munda Wanga Gardens. After finally letting them bathe we met up with some Peace Corps friends for a great dinner. Today I let them sleep in (I think the 12 hours of rest did them some good!) and we have been bartering at the market and getting great deals all morning. They just recognized the glory of seeing a movie in Lusaka, since the theatre is the only place with air-conditioning. We are heading back to the Gardens now to stay the night and tomorrow we will be heading out to my village! We have 8 hours of travel ahead of us tomorrow; pray that they still want to be my friend after hours in the back of a truck!

I have no doubt there will be plenty of stories coming your way as they get a taste of village life. I hope you are making and keeping friends of your own!

Some of my favorite things...

2008-02-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

Rainboots, gigantic mangos, Mrs Kapuwe, JoJo and Bene, Rocky

Crazy Funny

2008-02-04T01:21:00.000-08:00

We all know someone who is a little crazy. Most of us have at least one in our immediate family. Maybe that person is you. A lot of the time you are not aware that it is you until too late. Self examination is essential.

There is scary crazy and then funny crazy. We hope to medicate the scary and enjoy the funny. Thankfully the funny crazy guy in my village hasn't been introduced to any anti-psychotic meds. This means lots of funny stories for you to read now.

His name is Miyandu and rumor has it he used to be normal but his father traded his sanity for wealth in a little juju deal with the local witch doctor. This is the first of many facts throughout this story you think I have made up. People, I could not make this stuff up if I tried.

So his name is Miyandu, but he refers to himself in the third person as "King George". So our daily conversation as I am walking to get water goes something like this...

"Good morning."(Me)
"Ah, yes, white woman from Britain, King George is fine." (Miyandu)

He usually addresses me as "white woman from Britain", though at times I am referred to as "the red Indian". While I strive for a British accent and dream of tanning like an Indian, neither of these titles is accurate for me. I've tried to explain my Irish German heritage and the fact that I am an American, but it doesn't seem to stick. Oh well.

King George must have listened to a lot of top 40 hits back in the late 80's, early 90's. He does an amazing Michael Jackson impression and knows all the words to "Thriller". This man can, no joke, moonwalk barefoot on the dirt path. This takes major skills. Very impressive. Often in passing he will make comments to me about Michael Bolton or Bob Marley.

Last week he stopped me to tell me he finally had proof he was King George. Playing along I asked him to show me. He sat down in the dirt and squished his knee cap together.

"If you look into my kneecap you can clearly see the letters "j","k", and "y"." (Him)

I looked. I could see the way his skin folded it did look like those letters were there.

He said, "See, I told you!"

And there you have it...clearly proof that this man is, in fact, King George.

As you read that, if this made any sense to you, then you are definitely crazy too. If it did not make sense to you then hopefully you are at least laughing.

Hope you have a little bit of crazy funny in your own life this week.

30 Days

2008-02-04T00:16:00.000-08:00

I am a girl that likes a challenge. Marathons, bungee jumping, sky diving, moving to Africa- I enjoy pushing myself to do hard things. This past month I embarked on the "30 Days" Challenge. Basically, I wanted to stay in my village for 30 days without going into town for anything! As the days went on I added little challenges...not plucking my eyebrows or shaving my legs or drinking coffee or speaking English. After this little adventure things like hiking Everest with no oxygen seem possible!

I made it! And it was really great to spend lots of quality time uninterrupted in the village. Since I came to Zambia there has always been some conference I came in for or email that I needed to rush to town to read! I figured it was now or never and I don't want to have regrets about not spending enough time doing what I came to Zambia to do!

We are in rainy season now and have had tons of rain. The most rainfall in Zambia since 1920! There were quite a few rainy days spent reading (9 books), playing cards, and chatting about the rain. Other days I was busy working in my garden, weeding, making rows, killing snakes, and trying to get my field ready for planting. My regular work- Girls Club, Club Mweka, teaching at the clinic, all of that is going well. I am also in the process of getting HIV Support Groups started; we have about 30 people interested at this point. It has been encouraging to see more people come forward about their status and not hiding in shame.

I am still missing Mrs Mpongo. Her children have all been taken to their aunt's home in another town and so it has been lonely without Bertha and crew to brighten my days! It seems more real now that she is gone. God has deepened my friendship with Mrs Kapuwe and that has been a huge blessing. We are meeting together Wednesday nights to read through the Bible and talk about what God is teaching us. It is really amazing to talk about how our cultures have given us such different perspectives.

Two very special ladies are arriving in Zambia on the 16th for their own adventures here! I can't wait to see Erin and Britt and I will have them be guest bloggers for their time here. We will have a week in my village and then be in Livingstone and Botswana. Should be a blast.

Keep praying for me! Specifically for these support groups, for an upcoming IGA workshop, an upcoming NHC training, and that God would be so present in my last 6 months here!

Here's to challenges of your own making!

A Chieferific New Years

2008-01-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

So there I was at the Chief's "palace", I had just given a great speech on family, friends, and New Years Resolutions. The Chief was, in return, welcoming me into his family, telling me I was like a daughter to him. As if I wasn't getting enough attention, it seems I needed to stand out a little more. I was wearing a chitenge on my head and a bee came inside the area between my ear and the scarf. I tried to swat it away, but it stung the inside of my ear and continued to buzz around. I started swatting at my ear, sending the chitenge flying, all my hair falling out, and the entire ceremony came to a halt. Everyone was wondering if I was showing them a new American dance move, if I was dying, or if I was just intentionally trying to disrespect the Chief. As I write this I am still laughing and my ear is still swollen.

Happy 2008! I spent my New Years Day, obviously, causing a scene! I had been invited by the Kapuwes (friends from my village) to attend a "family reunion" in Monze, a town about 100k from Choma. It happens that Mr Kapuwe's father is the Chief of that area, and his 4 wives, 41 children, and all the grandkids gather each New Years Day for a celebration. And I was just like the 42nd child the Chief never had, so I was more then welcome!

We arrived at the "palace"-a converted old farmhouse with electricity!-on Monday and were given nshima, goat and chicken to eat. We were then spoiled with bread and hot cocoa made from fresh milk. Fresh like they just milked the cow. It was really great! Due to major flooding in the area, the majority of the family was stuck across the river at the "old" farmhouse. But we had the Chief with us and so that was really where the party was at! About 250 of the area Headmen report to the chief. He carries this carved walking stick, has bodyguards that protect him at all times, and wears this awesome cheetah skin vest deal.

On New Years Day we ate lots of meat-goat, sheep, guinea fowl, and chicken. I got to watch traditional dances and hear them sing family songs. The Chief got up and named all of his children that were present. This is a pretty big task considering he is in his late 60's and has so many kids.

In my speech I talked about how I always thought I was from a big family until I came to the palace. They all laughed. I also talked about how one of my new years resolutions is to practice the generosity that I have received from their family and so many others here in Zambia.

It was an unforgettable New Years Day...I did however get a little homesick when I thought about my friends and family eating at the Pantry and getting ready to play broomball. Let me just say that next year I am bringing my A-game to the ice and you people better be ready!

Blessings in the year ahead!

A Very Zamtastic Christmas

2008-01-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

It was an unforgettable Christmas for so many reasons! I missed being with my family, but really made the most of my Christmas here. My close Peace Corps friend, Heidi, came out to the village with me and we both loved every minute! Ok, well the fact that I could not pick up Christmas music on my world radio was sad, but I figure I can make up for that next year! And dancing to Amy Grant in my socks on my parent's wood floor is really not replicable in Zambia, so I didn't give that one a try. This was a Christmas of so many firsts!

It was the first time I...

~Cut down my own Christmas tree...and with a machette no less. I felt a little too cool.
~Cooked Christmas Eve dinner...my portion was homemade applesauce and garlic mashed potatos. The fact that I cooked is pretty startling, but that it turned out amazing and I did it over an open fire is, well, a Christmas miracle. Second only to Christ's birth. The fact that Heidi made green bean caserole and stuffing is remarkable too, but she is just remarkable like that!
~Made Christmas ornaments with African children. I loved seeing some of our American Christmas traditions through the eyes of my villagers. We showed my Club Mweka kids how to make ornaments, put glitter on everything, and hang them on trees. They loved it. Their parents probably don't love me for the glitter they will be enjoying all throughout the year....
~Baked and decorated sugar cookies. I have definetly eaten sugar cookies in the past, but this was the first year that I baked my great grandma's recipe for sugar cookies. They were so good. I had all my little village buddies over to decorate them on Christmas Eve. Heidi and I turned my chikuta into a winter wonderland-complete with paper snowflakes. They loved it!
~Opened gifts by candlelight. We opened presents after dinner on Christmas Eve and thanks to a package I recieved right before I went to the village, I had all kinds of great things to open from my Grandma Jones. My mom sent me out a stocking too, but I had opened it before...not too good at waiting. Sorry, mom!
~Sang Masiku Asweya (Silent Night). I love that song so much, and it was so special to sing it in Tonga with my villagers. I told the pastor I loved that song and we ended up singing it four times during the Christmas Service.

Those are just a few of the highlights from this year! I have uploaded photos to my snapfish account. If I didn't send you a link I probably don't have your email. Send it my way if you want to check out some of the photos! Hope all of you enjoyed your Christmas and were able to have a few of your own firsts!

Jesus Christ

2008-01-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

"Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Son of the Most High, Prince of Peace, be born again into our world. Wherever there is war in this world, wherever there is pain, wherever there is loneliness, wherever there is no hope, come, thou long-expected one, with healing in thy wings. Holy Child, whom the shepherds and the kings and the dumb beasts adored, be born again. Wherever there is boredom, wherever there is fear of failure, wherever there is temptation too strong to resist, wherever there is bitterness of heart, come, thou blessed one, with healing in thy wings." ~ From The Hungering Dark by Frederick Buechner

I came across these words last week and loved them. December 25th we celebrated Christ's birth and we need to celebrate His coming into our everyday situations to heal us now. I pray that He will make His Presence known in your very situation. Blessings in the journey ahead!

Come Back to Me

2007-12-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

"Come back to me." Those were my last words to her. She responded by giving me a hug, as though she knew it was a promise she could not keep. Later that night there was a knock at my door, her daughter Bertha asking me if we could try and phone the hospital where she had been taken. As we stood on the hill, the cell phone searching for network, I hugged Bertha and told her it was going to be ok. I think we both knew it was a promise I would not be able to keep.

I will never forget the first time I met her, my friend, Mrs. Ennis Mpongo. She was the first woman I met in Chifusa. Eight months pregnant, she stood in her white nurse uniform in front of the Rural Health Center. She was tall with brown skin shining in the sun and heat. I immediately liked her. The way she called me "dear", the way her laugh came out heartily, the way she worked hard and loved without condition.

We did life together. She taught me how to plant a garden, I brought her tomatoes. She translated for me at meetings, I assisted her with quarterly reports. We biked to neighboring villages to talk and treat patients with TB, malaria, and HIV. She found me in my house on rainy days and would chat for hours. I made her try American foods, she taught me how to cook nshima. She named her baby girl after me, I held her when that baby died. She wept with me at the loss of my grandma. She is not here to hold me as I weep for her now.

She made me laugh! I remember a time when I made her soup and put 'Mrs Dash' spices in it. Anytime I looked away she would pick out the spices. Finally I caught her and asked her what she was doing. Not wanting to embarrass me, she said, "Oh, Pego, it's ok, when you are first learning to cook here lots of dirt can get in." 'Mrs Dash' does look a bit like dirt.

She was one of the most generous individuals I have met. People would come to her house at all times for treatment, food, a bicycle, advise, or just the pleasure of her company. She would always send one of her kids to make sure that I had eaten when I came back from a long day of working. She gave birth to 4 children, but she was mother to many. At the time of her death she was caring for her children plus 5 nieces and nephews.

She was my closest friend here, but also like a mother to me. As I sat in her house last Monday crying, I caught a glimpse of a card that I had made her- "Buzuba bamama kabotu." Happy Mother's Day. The card was still sitting on her shelf. She would write me notes that started, "Daughter Pego". If I ever needed advise on an issue in the village I went to her. If I was scared, lonely, or sad I went to her.

I didn't ever go to the hospital to see her and it is killing me. I called to get updates from the nurses but wasn't able to talk to her directly. I was in a taxi once to go and then got out and walked home. In that I have failed her. The last I heard was that she was doing better and recovering at her parent's home in a village 7 hours away.

Last Monday I came back to the village from Choma. I sat on my doorstep and wrote in my journal "Feeling a bit lonely without Mrs Mpongo around". I finished writing and started to get ready for bed. Then I heard the wailing. Sobs cutting through the dusk air with their sorrow and I knew before I say Bertha's tears, before I heard the actual words. I knew my friend, my teacher, my helper, my comforter, was gone.

And I miss her. I want her to be here now. I wanted to eat Christmas dinner with her and her family. I wanted to be the one that said 'see you later' come August. I wanted to take her around in the US and somehow show her how much she meant to me here in Zambia.

Our last day together, before she left for the hospital, she looked at me and said, "I know God is with me". And He was...He is. Her suffering in this life has ended. Her Maker called, "Come Back to Me", and so her life begins.

Take a Chance

2007-12-09T04:20:00.000-08:00

"If we do not offer ourselves to the unknown, our senses will dull. Our world becomes small and we lose our sense of wonder. Our eyes will not lift to the horizon; our ears will not hear the sounds around us. We pass our days in routine that is both comfortable and limiting. We soon wake up to find we have lost our dreams in order to protect our days. Fear of the unknown and the lure of comfortable space will conspire to keep you from taking the chances you should take.

But if we take a chance, you will never regret the choice. To be sure, there will be moments of doubt when you stand alone on an empty road in the pouring rain, or when you are ill with fever in a rented bed. But as the pains of the moment will come; so will they ever fade away. In the end you will be so much richer, so much stronger, so much happier and so much the better person for having taken risk and hardship. There will be nothing to compare to the insight you have gained."

- Kent Nerburn

Spring Time

2007-12-04T04:27:00.001-08:00

December in Zambia means no school for kids, lots of rain, and everything turning green. Here are some photos of my buddies playing in the front yard. We had lots of fun searching for bowa (mushrooms), playing with Rocky, and dancing.

World AIDS Day

2007-12-04T03:31:00.000-08:00

The first confirmed case of AIDS in Zambia came in 1984. By 1986 17.5% of patients in the capital city tested postive for the disease. In 1987 then Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda, announced his own son had died from AIDS. Each and every person in Zambia has been infected or affected by this pandemic.

This is not a problem only found in Zambia. The World Health Organization estimates worldwide, 33.2 million people are living with HIV. With all the information given on HIV, we watched 2.5 million people contract this disease in 2007. The fight ended for 2.1 million people in 2007 as they died from this disease. 330,000 of those that died were children under the age of 15 years.

It breaks my heart that even one person contracted the disease last year. We have the information on how this disease is spread. Quick health lesson for those of you still reading-4 bodily fluids carry the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk. We have medicine that a pregnant mother can take that will greatly decrease the risk of passing HIV to a child. We understand that sharing needles, razor blades, anything that can transfer blood is dangerous. Unprotected sex opens you up to a whole host of infectious diseases as well as emotional issues.

A person's place on the map should not determine their likelyhood of contracting HIV. And yet, sadly, it seems there is a connection. Here in sub-saharan Africa, we're leading the world with 22.5 million people infected. Poverty, lack of education, and gender issues all work together to form a deadly combonation that is directly connected to this virus.

Unfortunetly I don't have solutions for all the problems our world is facing. I am doing what I can to make a difference in the place God has put me. Right now I am in a place where I can directly touch the lives of those dealing with HIV/AIDS. Do what you can, where you are, to make an impact for the better. In Chifusa Village we celebrated World AIDS Day by hosting an event at Pilgrim Church. We had dramas, dancing, sketches, teaching, and prayer. I am learning each day that behind every statistic is a person, a face, a soul, that matters deeply to our Creator. There are days that I wish the numbers were just numbers to me. And there are days that my heart aches for the daughter or son behind that number.

Join with me in prayer that God will guide us in the battle.

Thanksgiving at the Lake

2007-11-26T00:28:00.000-08:00

My second Thanksgiving in Zambia gave me further respect for pilgrims. Having to purchase a live turkey in the village, fatten it up over a few months, and then kill it for the meal was just part of our adventure! Imagine how our forefathers felt chasing after these birds in order to enjoy their savory taste.

This year, 18 Peace Corps volunteers and I headed to Lake Kariba to enjoy our American holiday. Kariba is a man made lake, over 200k long-and filled with hippos, crocodiles, and other very un-American animals. After a 3 hour journey with all of us piled in the back of a cantor, we found our way to The Clubhouse at Lake Kariba. We had the whole place to ourselves and it was great to be in a home! We did not do any swimming in the actual lake, but spent hours jumping in the pools and splashing around in an effort to ward off the heat. I convinced the group to have a Turkey Bowl Zambia and am still sore from playing football for hours. We ate tons of great food throughout the whole weekend-and Thanksgiving dinner was awesome-turkey, duck, chicken, and many side dishes. Turns out wild monkeys are also fond of eating stuffing. Friday night we went out on a boat and toured around the lake which allowed us to see lots of animals on the many islands throughout Kariba. I got to talk with my family back home and received text messages from many of you---so appreciated!

As always, Thanksgiving gives us a time to pause and give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. I am so thankful this year for the path God has led me on that brought me out here to Zambia. I am blessed beyond belief to know the God that allows us to know Him and find our identity in Him. A God that gives us hope that this life is not all there is to the world. Also for my family, and this includes people that don't share my "blood". People that have loved me, pursued me, encouraged me, and made sacrifices to be a part of my life-I cannot repay you for your kindness. I only hope to continue this journey with you and stand on mountaintops one day looking back on the valleys. Through lows and highs I want to walk with you.

I hope all of you were able to pause and enjoy a moment with people who love you!

Photos

2007-11-19T01:43:00.000-08:00

Wanted to post some of my favorite photos from my time here In Zambia. There are so many-but here are just a few of the memories and people I love! If you want to know the story behind one of the photos, just email me and I can let you know. Enjoy!

LoveHate2

2007-11-19T00:24:00.000-08:00

I will continue with the November list of some of my favorite and least favorite things...

LOVE: Eating Outside
Maybe it's your back deck, or an African chikuta, perhaps the patio at a great restaurant, wherever it is, eating outdoors makes the meal better. You get to have fresh air, it's usually not so noisy, you can people watch or animal watch, and if you drop something on the floor you don't have to clean it up later. What is there not to love?

HATE: Obnoxious Drunks

Somehow alcohol makes even a wallflower feel the need to sing to, heckle at, or just annoy anyone in the vicinity. Now I have no problem with people drinking a glass of wine. Or sipping a margarita. Or gulping down a cold ale. But please, don't mix all of these and find your way to a place near me. You are not welcome.

LOVE: Rainstorms When I am Inside Wrapped in a Blanket

Something about the sound of rain on a windowpane or rooftop brings me peace. I think it goes back to my deep love for all things water. I love being snuggled inside and feeling safe and warm. In college, K and I would find our way to Mimi's cafe and I loved getting corn chowder and warm muffins. That is the best rainy day food.

HATE: Being in Rainstorms While Wet and Cold and Miserable

Yeah, that really needs no explanation. I hate that.

LOVE: When People Comment Back on Their LoveHate Ideas
Go now. Do it. You can even be anonymous. It is therapeutic.

The Rest of the Story

2007-11-18T23:54:00.000-08:00

It's been less than a week since A left, and I am just know feeling exhausted. We have this deal where any time we are on vacation we go from sunup to sundown, literally! Somehow it works awesome and I just get strep throat about a week later. It is 100% worth it.

We moved from Tanzania to my village, and it was by far the best part of the trip for me. I loved being able to share both of my "worlds" with each other.

My world of African transportation. This means A and I got to share the back of a Cantor truck with literally 60 people, added livestock, and tons of luggage. I am so glad that she now understands why I would rather cycle 40k than ride in a vehicle.

My world of African cooking. Mulenga and Bene came over about noon on Saturday to have us inspect the chickens we would later be eating-they looked good to us. I attempted to decapitate the chicken around 5pm but the knife was not very sharp and I was hit with a bout of fear and nausea mid cut. I can only imagine how that chicken felt! We boiled, plucked, cleaned, and fried the chicken. Boneless skinless chicken is a miracle and a blessing. Let me repeat-boneless skinless chicken is a miracle and a blessing. Do not take it for granted. I am moved closer to vegetarianism each day.

My world of African friends. We had the best time with the Kapuwe's and Kayawe's. The moms of these families are my co-leaders of Girls Club. Both of the fathers are teachers at the school. All of the kids are my little buddies. Taking care of extended family in Zambia is commonplace. So we enjoyed dancing and dining with Getrude, Jeans, Bene, Tembo, Junior, Bene Mushonto, Lilian, Jay, Memory, Mercy, Mwalya, Mulenga, Jordan Zambia, Friday, and Flo. And all those people live together in four bedrooms. They embraced Andrea and taught her all kinds of new dance moves, Zambian taboos, and traditions. It is one of my favorite village nights thus far.

My world of African chores. Fetching water from the well, washing clothes by hand, cooking over the fire- A got to experience it all and shined like a pro. I'd like to think she will never take her washing machine for granted again!

After time in the village we caught a bus down to Livingstone and explored Victoria Falls. I had not been there this time of year, and it was awesome to see how different they are in dry season. We went on a dinner/drinks cruise on the Zambezi River, layed by the pool, and hung out with some Peace Corps friends.

Then it was back to Lusaka and A back to the States. She has tons of pictures and video from our trip, so grab her and ask her to see them. Once I am no longer a complete picture poster looser I'll get some up here too.

Amushale kabotu basa! Stay well friends.

Snapshots of Paradise

2007-11-09T00:27:00.000-08:00

The vacation with A is almost half over-and I've yet to give you my own take on things, so here are some "snaps" of the trip so far.

A arrived with a bag full of goodness from the States. The bag included just about all of my favorites-Skittles, coffee, candy corn, cute clothes, and best of all a video! K & A had put this video together that included live footage of Colorado's fall season and then a snowstorm the next day, my parent's home, and messages from so many of the people I love. I couldn't stop smiling as I watched it. So not only did flight Q3001 bring my kindred spirit, but it brought a lot of you to me!

Fast forward to Tanzania. We are on day 1 of our safari and we are in the midst of an elephant herd. They weren't charging the Land Cruiser but they were definitely sauntering by and within touching distance. On our right, mama elephants with their young rolling in the mud to stay cool and then one elephant on our left scratching against a tree trunk. I was entertained and just a little frightened. I also learned much about elephant anatomy during this episode. You can ask Andrea more about that one day.

Next day, we are in the Ngorongoro Crater and sitting on the roof of our Land Cruiser, overlooking a hippo pond. More then a dozen hippos are submerged in the pond and hundreds of zebras and wildebeest are moving throughout the grasslands surrounding the pond. The water is bright blue, the grass is blowing in the breeze, the crater walls rise up in every direction. It inspires awe for the Creator.

We'll kindly skip over the next day as I have refereed to our bus ride back to Dar as a mix between hell and hell. The only slightly redeeming factor was that I got through most of an awesome book, The Kite Runner. The book is fabulous and like any great book, transports you into another world quickly. A good book is basically the exact opposite of transportation in Africa.

Zanzibar- a mix between heaven and heaven. Fresh seafood, white sands, sea green water. One day we went dolphin trekking, jumping into and out of the Indian Ocean as we followed a group of dolphins. I literally make eye contact with one of the dolphins before she swims underneath me and rubs against a piece of coral. Next day we are watching the sunrise from the beach, riding bikes on the sand in the afternoon, and ending the day with a glass of great wine. See what I mean about heaven and heaven?

Hope that you are enjoying a little paradise of your own! If not, live vicariously through me and I'm sure I'll do the same with your life one day.

Vacation by the Numbers

2007-11-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Some people get substitute teachers...I have a substitute blogger. All the way from Colorado, here are some of Andrea's witty musings on our trip...

Vacation by the Numbers Part 1:
0: Number of times I've beaten Caitlin at Rummy
1: Hour difference between Zambia and Tanzania. Good to know when you're leaving for safari trip
2: Number of marriage proposals
3: Lions seen at Ngorogoro Crater today
4: Oceans Caitlin and I have visited together
5: Feet away from elephant herd
6: Times needed to understand what our safari guide could possibly be saying
7: Types of transportation used while in Africa
8: Bruises I have from four-wheeling
9: Mosquito bites on left leg alone
10: Number of times we laugh uncontrollably each day
15: Items bought in one trip to local market

Vacation by the Numbers Part II:
0: Tolerance for African transport
1: Can of pringles between the 2 of us for lunch
2: Times bus broke down
3: People squished in bus seats
4: Time ferry to Zanzibar left without us
5: Times cursed African transportation
6: Time bus supposed to leave this a.m.
7: Men yelling at me when demanded money back
8: Shillings needed for taxi from bus station to hotel
9: Hours it took to go from Arusha to Dar es Salaam

Okay...so African vacation doesn't always go as planned. But we ended the day well...not in Zanzibar as scheduled....but spending time on the Indian Ocean. Afterall, tomorrow is another day!

From Andrea

2007-10-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

My buddy arrived! And with her came lots of goodies from home and even a video of Colorado in fall/winter and lots of familiar faces! Here is how the trip is going so far in her words...

Hello All!! Hope this finds you well! I have made it safely to Zambia and have just now been able to get to an internet cafe to update everyone! I had a great trip from Denver to Lusaka (minus the drunk Rockies fan, nose-picking seat-mate and man with magnifying glass to personal TV screen). It has been such a treat to travel with Caitlin and see these people with whom she is sharing her life. We have filled each day. Day #1 toured the garden and "zoo" where one of Cait's Peace Corps friends resides...and where we are staying while in Lusaka. Day #2 Caitlin surprised me with a birthday gift - 1 hour massage at African resort. After that was a day full of shopping...which of course I loved (especially with Caitlin doing bartering for me)!! Today we were supposed to fly to Tanzania...and by that I mean we had a scheduled flight on Zambian Airways in which they had failed to mention that the flight just so happened to be changed to tomorrow. So...they have put us up at hotel and we will fly to Tanzania tomorrow. So...one minor set-back is only to be expected when in Africa (thus far). We are very excited for Tanzania. We will be going on safari, seeing Mt Kilimanjaro, and going to relax on the beaches of Zanzibar. We are scheduled to return on Nov 2 to Zambia...and by that I mean we have a scheduled flight with Zambian Airways...but what does that really mean? =)

I have compiled a small list of things I have learned thus far while in Zambia:

1. Left side of the road, steering wheel on the ride side, swerving to avoid collision with bicyclists, livestock and pedestrian = Driving in African taxi
2. True to Life = Objects carried on the head
3. Trouser = Pants
Pants = Underwear
Short shorts = Prostitue
4. Greeting 10 Zambians = 10 hellos
5. A little British, a little American, a little Zambian = how Caitlin speaks with Zambian people
6. 2000 kwatcha = price when Andrea speaks
1000 kwatcha = price when Caitlin speaks (see #5)
7. 4000 kwatcha = 1 USD
1000 kwatcha = Andrea still confused
Any money transaction = "Caitlin, so how much is that?"
8. 18 people in mini-bus = 1 trip to town with room for more
9. Drinks poolside, outdoor shower, hair pull, toe pop, tummy rub and zit clear = 1 African massage
10. Visit with kindred spirit = priceless
***

More to come if and when we actually return from Zambia! Love ~ Cait

More than Numbers

2007-10-25T03:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the big HIV/AIDS testing event (VCT) in my village- and it went awesome! Over 500 people came out to hear the speakers, watch the drama and dance group and enjoy the food. Of those 500, 112 made the choice to be tested. This is a big step for my community. Prior to the event, only a handful of people knew their status. Out of those that were tested, only 4 came back HIV positive. That percentage is incredibly low (our national average is 16%), so either I've done an amazing job here, or the people that really need to be tested are still waiting (most likely).

Even though there were only 4 that came back positive, the impact of HIV hit very close to home for me. One 26 year old female who tested HIV positive was my closest neighbor in Simane Village where I lived prior to moving to the school area. She cooked me dinner my first night in the village, showed me where to draw water, and hugged me while I cried. She has 3 children that attend Club Mweka, and her husband has another wife and child. None of the children, or her husband were tested. She will go on Monday to talk with the hospital here in Choma about getting on anti-retroviral drugs. One of the other positive cases was a 3 year old boy whose mother is currently living with HIV. It is my desire to start a support group for those people living with HIV/AIDS, so we can assist them in any way possible. This disease is truly affecting, directly or indirectly, every person in Zambia.

I think one of the biggest changes that this experience has brought about in my life is the realization that behind every statistic there is a person. It's great to read that only 4 people tested positive, but to someone those 4 people mean the world. And the effects that their imminent deaths will have on our community will be felt deeply by many. Wednesday's event has helped to once again remind me why I came here and how vital it is that we combat this pandemic.

Prayer Requests

2007-10-19T04:40:00.000-07:00

I know many of you are praying for me and wanted to give you some specific things to pray for this next week.

*VCT EVENT (Wednesday, October 24th)
On Zambian Independence Day I am hosting a Voluntary Counseling and Testing event in Chifusa. Pray that God will move people to action to be tested and find out their HIV status. Only 8% of the people in Zambia have actually tested-this is a huge obstacle in the battle against the virus. I'll post information and photos next week after the event to give you all an update.

*Mrs Mpongo
My close friend, Zambian surrogate mother, and the only medical staff at our clinic is in the hospital. She has been running a high fever for about a week now, is incredibly weak, and has lost a great deal of weight due to a previous bout of malaria. I spoke with one of her nurses at the hospital today and they are continuing to run tests. Pray that God will give the doctor's wisdom and heal her.

*Andrea's Trip
My traveling buddy extraordinaire arrives in Zambia next Saturday. Pray for a safe trip for her and that God will use this trip to give me much needed rest and encouragement.

Zamland: Where Peacocks Fly

2007-10-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it seems like I am in a bizarre alternate universe. Take a few hours of my life last week...

Thursday 5pm
Did you know that a peacock can fly? Or that they can be found in sub-Saharan Africa, perched in gigantic trees making Valoca raptor noises? Imagine my surprise last Thursday when I came across 4 on my ride back to the village. I seriously felt like I was in Jurassic Park.

Thursday 8pm
By the time we reached home it was dark, and I am now huddled between Mrs. Mpongo and a man I don't know in the back of a cantor truck trying to stay warm. A boy from our village, and Club Mweka, Mainza, had been bit by a rabid dog so he needed a shot immediately. He crawled up on my lap and by the light of my cell phone Mrs. Mpongo (a nurse) injected him. He seems to be doing great now, and was learning the Electric Slide last Sunday.

Friday 5am
I had been exhausted when I returned home, so I crashed into bed upon arrival. I woke up the next morning to sounds of my dog crying outside my door. I let him in and that was when I realized his poor eyes were swollen shut and his face grossly deformed due to massive swelling. He had been attacked by a spitting cobra. So I have to take back everything I said about him being a poor protector when it comes to snakes!

Friday 11am
15 students show up at my house for lunch. We eat rice with sugar (a totally legit meal) and then head off to Maumbwe School to teach to about 200 students on HIV/AIDS. These are the Peer Educators I trained back in August. I was so proud of them- they did sketches and songs and poems and were so confident teaching!

I love that surprise, compassion, fear and pride can all find themselves a home inside me in such a short period of time. I hope that you are living fully wherever you are and whatever you are doing!

Better Left Unsaid

2007-10-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

In case you are planning on coming to sub-Saharan Africa anytime soon, I wanted to give you the heads up on some topics of which to steer clear. Learn from my mistakes, I've been here 16 months and I'm still having to work through some of these topics.

Lilian and I were walking to get sweet potatos and I started to think it was a good idea to start describing oceanic animals. This led into a description of my days as a Shamu feeder at Sea World. This is a bad idea. Sea World has not even entered the realm of consciousness in land-locked Zambia.

Busiku and I were chatting outside as we dodged huge flying beetles. I was explaining to her that I lived in a basement prior to the current hut. Describing an underground home with windows is not easy. I left out the part about canned foods and Russian language books. That just sounds crazy.

Mulenga was flipping through a Newsweek on my porch. She came across this picture of some rich American that was going to the moon for a weekend holiday. Explaining travel into space is not something that is easily described. Plus, I'm not really sure that I understand this either.

Other topics to avoid: How music gets onto an IPOD. The World Wide Web. Why Americans want to be so skinny. I'm sure I'll think of more later...

Meds, Mamba, & Me

2007-09-30T22:44:00.001-07:00

It has been a full month here in Zambia. Early September found me partnering with Nurse Mpongo to give medicine to hundreds of students at Chifusa Basic School to treat worms and bilharzia. I would try to make them laugh while they were swallowing and then have them stick out their tongues to verify the medicine had really been consumed. This event further confirmed the fact that I never want to be a nurse. Mid September, on a walk to a neighboring village school, Rocky (my dog) and I came across a 5 foot green mamba laying across the path. Let me rephrase that. Rocky daintily stepped over the snake and it was me that stopped and notified everyone else that the snake was there. That dog is cute and great company but as for a fearless guard dog he is not making the grade! Girls’ Club continues to meet on Thursday afternoons, the past weeks focusing on early marriages and pregnancies. Club Mweka is going strong on Sunday evenings and the kids are eagerly waiting responses to their pen friend letters. We’ve been able to use financial support from CCR families and the youth group to pay for school supplies for this term and that was a huge help to the kids. Much of my time the past month has been focused on organizing for an Independence Day festival and HIV testing event for the 24th of October (Zambian Independence Day). This has meant a lot of coordinating between District officials, NGOs and my community.

I’ve also had the joy of meeting up with other Peace Corps volunteers. Julie, who I went to Tanzania with last December, planned on staying a day at my site and ended up staying a week. It was so fun to have someone to watch the sunset with at the dam and to play cards with late into the night. I’m not sure that she’ll be coming back since she also had the joy of her first snake exposure at my site and the fact that I am no competition to her amazing Rummy playing abilities. The past week I have been in Lusaka for mid term medical examinations and was given a clean bill of health and the ecstasy of sitting in an air-conditioned movie theatre!

To wrap it up, I just want to ask for prayer from all of you. I have definitely been experiencing a season of discouragement since coming back from the United States. Ironically, the programs and activities I am involved with here are going the best they have since my arrival to Zambia in 2006, but I can’t seem to get past this feeling of none of it being ‘enough’. Please ask God to show me Himself and to reveal where it is He wants me to be focusing my efforts. I am also asking that you be in prayer for a very special girl, Alyssa Geske (16). Her family has been a part of my home church for 12 years, and I have had the joy of leading her as a middle schooler at CCR. This girl is so full of life and a love for the Lord and others. I received news this week from my mom that Alyssa has been diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. Pray that God will perform a miracle – He is who He says He is and He can do what He says He can do.

Thanks for reading and for your prayers!

LoveHate

2007-09-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking lately of all the things that I hate about Zambia and have been pretty down lately. You know, like ‘I can’t get off the phone with my mom without crying’ down. It’s just that I know when I hang up I won’t get to hear her voice or hear about all of you for awhile. It actually gets me choked up right now…which leads me into this latest blog. The other night my friend Heidi and I were eating spinach ravioli (love) we had just made from scratch (hate) and we got to talking about things we loved about being here in Zambia. So I’ve decided I am going to start a regular love/hate segment to this blog and document my bi-polarness in regards to this chapter of my life! Hope it makes you laugh or think or smile or whatever. And then write me about some of your loves and hates.

Love: The tropical fruit here. Having been glutinous as a child at the Sizzler salad bar, going back multiple times for piles of fruit, its like I’ve returned to that blissful salad bar of 1988, except that now I have little African children climb trees to get it. As we go into rainy season soon I cannot wait for the mangos, guavas, and bananas that grow like…fruit at the Sizzler circa 1988.

Hate: The line, “I want to marry a white woman.” Thanks, that is really special; I think you probably love me. How many cows am I worth to you? Will I be wife #4? Or #8? Being noticed strictly because of the color of my skin is something that I had never experienced living in predominantly Caucasian areas in the US. It gives me a totally different perspective for how minorities feel. I hate it. And marriage proposals from strangers are ridiculous. Patrick Dempsey if you are reading this, I do not consider you a stranger, Dr McDreamy.

Love: My freedom here. I can make my own schedule, which always includes an hour in the morning of sipping coffee and journaling, and an hour at night of running while the sun goes down. Most likely I will never again have so much time on my hands or freedom to do as I please. The work I am doing here I love-teaching, being an advocate for people, investing into lives. It is slightly different then working for a Fortune 100 company and being on the phone with clients all day.

Hate: Being away from people I love. I want to wrap my arms around you, laugh with you, hold your hand when you are sad, leave you a dorky voicemail, tell you a story. I hate that we are separated by an ocean…you seem a world away and then some.

Now it's your turn...tell me your loves/hates....

Glowing

2007-09-09T06:39:00.000-07:00

The first ever GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) camp for Southern Province was a huge success-so much so that we are already looking to have another at the end of the April school break. We had 16 girls from 16 different villages and it was awesome to see them grow in the few days we had them. A bit shy and reserved at first by the end of the week we could not get them to sleep. Lucky for me I sacrificed and went first at cabin duty! I was sleeping soundly the last night while the other Peace Corps volunteers were struggling to communicate to the girls that they really did need to sleep at some point!

To all of you who supported this even, either through prayer or financial contributions-thank you so much! Your support allowed each girl to have a once in a lifetime adventure. Our first night at camp I was walking with a girl, Phyllis, a 9th grader from Namywanga Village. She was explaining to me that her aunt was being buried that next morning. When I asked her why she wasn’t going to be there she responded by saying, “My auntie is already gone. But the things I will learn at this camp can change my life…and I can teach those things to my friends.” No doubt there are times in my experience here where things seem totally pointless and I’m ready to change the Peace Corps slogan from “the hardest job you’ll ever love” to “the longest vacation you’ll never understand.” This however was not one of those moments.

I have done my share of youth events over the years. Most of the CCR kids and some of the adults (sorry Zane) have scars to prove it. I can honestly say that this was one of the most rewarding camps for which I have been involved. From listening to the girls share “The Me I Want to Be,” to watching them problem solve how to untangle themselves from a huge knot, to laughing at their portrayal of adolescent boys’ pick up lines---it was a joy to be a part of this camp. We were also able to enjoy a great home cooked meal (including Ranch dressing!!!) and viewing of the classic underdog story, “Rudy”, thanks to a missionary family (the Gregersens) that live near the school where we held the camp. It was awesome to see how God worked that out to bring joy to the girls and to the Peace Corps Volunteers!

Again, thanks so much! Continue to pray with me as these girls move forward to lead their peers, their communities, and hopefully one day their country, Zambia.

Long After

2007-08-10T08:08:00.001-07:00

Long after the long flight. Long after being greeted by balloons, flowers, banners, and best friends. Long after GI Joes, Annie Oakleys, Tacky Tourists and Hebert Hoover said hello. Long after the last of my Chipotle burrito has been picked from my teeth and been replaced with sandy grit (I need to stop smiling when the wind is blowing dirt). Long after sweat has replaced the glorious ice cold refreshment of jumping into the Punch Bowls. Long after the icing has been wiped off Delaney's face. Long after Paris has returned to normal life and her sacrilegious ways. Long after Michelle and Mike's 8 minute wedding ceremony. Long after Kelly and Bryan have returned from the honeymoon. Long after I swept many a game night (just kidding but who can refute it?). Long after baby showers are over. Long after tears and laughter with life long friends. Long after early morning coffee talks and late night ice cream runs. Long after parting hugs and kisses were given.

I long after it all again. Thanks for an awesome time at home. Miss You.

[Photos:Christy/Drea/Cait;Laney's B-day;Michelle's Rehearsal;Hunter's Photo of Cait/Kelly]

Back to the Bush

2007-08-10T07:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry, sorry! Should have written sooner to let you all know I have indeed made it back to the bush safely. It has been a crazy last couple of weeks. I got out of the States, made it thru London, and into Zambia just fine. I had fun celebrating the big *27* here with friends. The fact that I could hand over American goodies to them made me quite the hit at my own party! In my honor they opened up a new grocery store (SPAR a South African chain)in Choma town. I know the fact that I am writing to the US about a grocery store makes me a complete loser, but you have no idea the ecstasy that comes when you can find both cinnamon and toothpaste in the same store. It is the Truth, I'm telling you.

Right away I had 4 visitors to my place in Chifusa. They are new Peace Corps trainees who wanted to see what life was really like out here! They are going to be sworn in as volunteers next week as long as I didn't scare them too much! I think showing people that, although long and tedious, it is possible to make and cook eggrolls over an open fire should only add to their repetoire of survival skills. They also got to teach at Girls Club, Chifusa Basic School, and help with Club Mweka. Which leads me to my next topic...

Club Mweka basically rocks. It was so fun to reunite with all of the kids in the group. They sang a 'welcome back' song to me, brought all of us tons of Zambian food, and had a blast getting letters from pen pals back in the states. Which made me think I should probably leave more often! For those of you who are pen pals with one of the kids from our club---they already love you and they are writing letters back that I should be sending next week. We taught them some new 'American' Games - duck/duck/goose, as well as Red Rover/Red Rover. Well, to be honest I taught them duck/duck/chicken as I have no idea what the word for goose is in Chitonga. It has the same general idea. They however had already player Red Rover, so that was nothing new to them. But if you think I am the only one that substitutes words, well think again. As I'm listening to them chant, I hear, "Land Rover, Land Rover, send Lydia right over." Red Rover, Land Rover...whatever.

Monday through Wednesday of this last week I had a training at the school with 15 students that were chosen by the teachers to be HIV/AIDS Peer Educators. The training went awesome, and I am really excited to work with these kids. Two of my counterparts from the village, Getrude Kayawe and Omsley Mudenda were with me throughout the training to help translate and teach and together we were able to really reach the students. Our last day we had each of them make an action plan for how they are going to reach out to their peers in the village and at school. We are going to meet monthly to continue to move forward with getting the information out about HIV. In Zambia 78% of all new infections are sexually transmitted so with the youth we are really focusing on making educated decisions regarding sex. I'm excited to see where the next year will take this group of peer educators and how we can partner together to really reach out to our community.

Yesterday I cycled into town to continue some fund-raising efforts for our GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Camp that is set for the 21st-25th of August. We are working with local business owners to try and raise money and supplies for the camp. We really want to see the Zambian people invest in their girls! Our efforts are going ok, but I am also putting word out there to anyone back home that wants to be involved. It is about $40USD to sponsor a girl for the 5 days they will be at Camp. This includes transportation, lodging, food, etc. Each Peace Corps Volunteer is bringing 2 girls from their village to the camp. The idea is to train them in leadership and life skills, with a focus on them going back to the village to start a Girls Club with their Peace Corps volunteer. It is also going to be a really fun time for the girls to get away from all the duties that they have at home. For 5 days they will get to have someone else cook for them, they'll have running water, and they will get to meet other girls their age from throughout Zambia. We have a movie night, theme party night (come on-you know me), and Talent Show planned. It is going to be great. So if you would like to sponsor a girl to go to camp I am asking you to contact me! You can sponsor her for the full $40 or send whatever is possible. Email me at caitclarkson@hotmail.com, or respond in comments. The easiest way to get money to me here is through Western Union, but there is a $25 fee to send money, so ideally we can have everyone send checks to one person and then have them send the money to me over here. Get back with me as soon as possible if you are interested.

I think all of you are officially caught up on my life for now. I will try and post on here at least once a month-so keep checking back! It has been lonelier being back here after getting to spend time with a lot of you that I love so much. I'm excited to make the most of this last year and then get home!!!

[Photos: Rocky & His awesome collar!/Club Mweka Kids with Letters/Peer Educators]

American Icon Party

2007-06-18T05:44:00.000-07:00

Just want to make sure that everyone knows I want them to be at my Welcome Home Party!!! Sorry if we didn't have your email to send you the evite but here are the details:
Where: 6030 Ashton Park Place, Colorado Springs, CO
When: Saturday, June 30, 11:30am
Questions? Andrea: 237-6530 or Ryan: 332-4007

"Come and welcome Caitlin home as she returns from the bush! Let's celebrate in style and remind Caitlin of her heritage by dressing as your favorite American icon.

Bring a side-dish or beverage to share and gather at the Clarkson's! All grilling meats and some beverages will be provided."

...23 Days...

2007-06-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

While some days drag on forever, I still absolutely cannot believe that I have been in Zambia for over a year (My mom feels differently)! As I am wrapping things up to come home for three weeks, I am filled with so many mixed feelings. First and foremost I am thrilled at the thought of reuniting with my family and friends back in the United States. I can’t wait to hold my niece for the first time, slumber party it up with my sisters, talk with friends face to face and gasp for fresh Rocky Mountain air. It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it! For three weeks I will get to be surrounded by people that understand personal space, know what ‘Venti’ means, and have seen me clean on more than one occasion! Will I miss the men with AK47s walking down the sidewalk? No. What about hearing “Magua, Magua, Magua” (white person, white person, white person). Not even a little bit. And while getting my water from the well really hasn’t been bad, I think I will let the faucet run the whole time I am brushing my teeth. Sorry, Al Gore and company. : )

As I close out a year, I am struck by how little I feel I have accomplished how much I still want to do upon my return. Will one more year be enough? This first year has been so much of laying a foundation-networking, getting a sense of the culture, learning how things are done here. While I know my relationships with people have affected us both, there is still so much I want to teach, to give, to encourage. I am sure at this time next year I will still have a sense of leaving things unfinished, but I am committed to coming back and making the most of every opportunity that is given to me, even fighting for these opportunities if necessary. The last couple weeks in my village have been some of the most encouraging work-wise and relationally. Just this past weekend provided so much encouragement. Some friends from Choma came out to the village to share a film and talk with the people in my village-over 600 gathered together for the Friday night event. The next day Club Mweka doubled in size and we had about 60 kids out playing hot potato. I think God knew I needed that boost if He was going to get me back here to Zambia!

I have been privileged to live in deep community in the United States prior to coming to Africa. Even still, I have learned so much about interdependence from my time of independence on the ‘dark continent’. I love Krzyszt of Kieslowski’s insight into some fundamental differences between Africa and the West. He writes, “Suffering unites people, while affluence and riches divide people. In our time success is fashionable. Strength is fashionable. Weakness is not fashionable. Compassion is not fashionable. Yet these are the qualities that bring people together.” Now I have suffered on more than one occasion with friends and family back home, but that is an exception, not the norm. To have lived in this society where hunger, sickness, poverty, and death are staples of life, I have seen even more the beauty of solidarity. No doubt it has and will continue to shape they way I live my life. Long after my footprints have disappeared from the continent, the fingerprints of those I’ve lived with will remain on my heart.

Dear friends I will see you soon.

CLUB MWEKA

2007-06-01T01:46:00.000-07:00

Come bathed. No bullying. Boys and girls get equal playing time. No insults. Come on time. No stealing. Listen when someone else is talking. These were just a few of the rules the kids voted into existence last Sunday. When choosing goals for the club, becoming better at futbol and learning topped the list. Of the 28 children that attended, nearly all are single or double orphans. All of them are seeking a place they can come and be just what they are-children.

Meet Club Mweka, a pilot program for orphans and vulnerable children in Simane Village, Zambia. Thanks to funding from the CCR Youth Group in Colorado Springs, the youth in this village will have the opportunity to get together to play games, learn vital life skills and be assisted with literacy. After lots of groundwork over the last months, we officially kicked off our club last Sunday afternoon and it was a hug success. I'm so excited to move forward with these kids and see what the future brings. While some of the children attend school, the majority are not currently going, so to get to be a part of the club is a great self-esteem boost for them!

Right now I am co-leading the club with Omsley, who was born and raised in Simane Village and has a passion for community development and youth. This next week he will be attending a 4-day HIV/AIDS workshop I am co-facilitating in Choma. Being able to provide him with more knowledge will even better equip him in this endeavor. He has great rapport with the kids and to partner with him is a pleasure.

As we look to the future our goal is to expand into the other 13 villages (and beyond!) in our area, training mentors and establishing clubs in each village. While being completely adorable is not a requirement for the club, I swear every child steals your heart. Pray that God would continue to bless this group of children and give us wisdom as we lead them!

Personal Legends

2007-05-09T02:10:00.000-07:00

“Everyone, when they are young, knows their personal legend. At that point in their lives everything is clear to them and all is possible. They aren’t afraid to dream, to yearn for everything they would like to see happen in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their personal legend.” – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

I love the truth behind that quote. As children we have the ability to dream freely-regardless of culture, time, or place. Children in the United States dream of becoming doctors and nurses, firefighters and teachers. Children here in Zambia share those same dreams. You don’t often hear children say that they aren’t smart enough or they aren’t sure they’ll have the money for college. The sky is the limit, and nothing inhibits their dreaming.

For me, after serious consideration and the ruling out of becoming Kelly Kapowski’s little sister on “Saved by the Bell”, I dreamed of becoming a famous news anchor. My family can attest to my days of “Reporting live from the backyard”. I would set up the ironing board and use that as my news desk and then video tape my segments. My freshman year in college I even enrolled as a Broadcast Journalism major. Maybe it was fear, maybe it was God just redirecting where I was going, but after first semester I switched majors and now today I find myself here in Zambia. But I still love to tell stories and to seek out the unseen. I think the person we were in our early years before we become wounded by the world, is often the person of our “personal legend.” How awesome it is when people are able to chase after those dreams and capture the essence of who they want to become.

I love talking with children here in Zambia. It helps that they don’t laugh at my Chitonga (our local language) and somehow my ridiculous gestures and made up words connect the meaning for them. When asked what they want to become they just tell you-with no shame or embarrassment. Bertha (10) wants to be a doctor, not a nurse like all the other girls. Mulenga (12) wants to be an accountant-I think she read that in one of my Newsweeks. Majory (16) wants to teach English and Cholwe (17) wants to be able to take care of her little brother and sisters. I think my time here in Zambia is about instilling in them the power to believe that those things can happen. Instead of standing with the majority of people here and telling these girls that their education isn’t important, that they will most likely get pregnant and become another struggling woman, I can tell them to believe that all things are possible, that they can fulfill their personal legend.

Here in Zambia people actually believe that men are smarter than woman. This isn’t some vague cultural idea. Boys actually have to get higher passing grades on the grade 9 and grade 12 exams than the girls. When I’ve questioned the teachers on this practice, they will tell me that if the girls didn’t have a lower expectation than none of the girls would pass to the next grade. You can imagine my pride when one girl, Mercy, scored 100% on my history exam! I was bursting with joy for her. I ran to her house to tell her family how proud I was and how she was really setting the example for other girls in the school. Unfortunately, this last Monday as we started classes again Mercy was not found among my pupils. Her family decided that instead of continuing on with 8th grade, this 15 year old girl should get married. And so she won’t finish her education, she won’t get to live out her life the way she dreamed as a child.

I know my thoughts have been a bit all over the place today. I guess what I really want to say is just that wherever we are with kids, whether its in our living room or across oceans, we need to encourage them to dream big. And as we grow up and encounter other people we need to also encourage them to not look at all that stands in the way, but to see the possibilities. Heal from the wounds that this world and its people have inflicted on us and be the person we really want to be. Maybe we all need to remember that child inside of us and figure out how we can let them out to play. That is when we will be free to truly dream again.

Signing off from Zambia, I am Caitlin Clarkson.

Spring Break

2007-04-17T01:55:00.000-07:00

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!

The Interview

2007-04-17T01:47:00.000-07:00

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

Negativity

2007-03-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

In most cases being negative isn’t a positive thing, but for me it has brought about celebration! Eating a steak, sipping a martini, going to the movies kind of celebration! For those of you not yet following me, let me fill you in…

About three months ago, on December 10th, I had the most amazing experience. I was able to help in the delivery of a baby boy at our clinic in Chifusa. The doctor was busy with other patients, so it was just me and a traditional birth attendant in the room. Having gained most, if not all, of my medical expertise from ER and Dr McDreamy, and only wearing Chaco sandals, I wasn’t expecting to be given the responsibility of OBGYN for the morning. The fact that I was helping to deliver a child is terrifying if you know my disdain for bodily fluids and my Anatomy and Physiology grade. But none the less, this is Zambia where I have learned to buck up in just about any situation. So there I am at the end of the delivery bed, this young soon-to-be mother pushing away, and me encouraging the situation! She had been in labor for some time and I had just come into the room. Besides my own, I had never been in the room during a delivery. Now, where was the episode on Grey’s where the naïve, yet beautiful and bright, intern is soaked by a tidal wave of amniotic fluid and blood as the mother lays on her back with her legs spread for the delivery? Unfortunately for me, I missed that episode. Another unfortunate circumstance was that I had a large gash on my foot from cutting it on barbed wire the night before. So due to the tsunami force splash zone I had entered, I now had the blood and vaginal fluids of this woman soaking into my foot. She was not sure if she was HIV positive, and due to the rural location of our clinic, we don’t have testing available. So in an instant I’m thinking ‘I may just have contracted HIV,’ ‘This was my sister’s biggest fear for me in coming here,’ ‘I need to get on post exposure prophylaxis (PEP),’ ‘I am suing NBC for negligence.’ Those thoughts ran through my head in a second but then it was back to work, as I was able to help bring this magical sci-fi episode called a delivery to its conclusion. It was incredible to see this baby/alien come into the world. I highly recommend that you watch a birth sometime. Ideally in a “no-splash zone” covered from head to toe in impenetrable armor.

I called our Peace Corps Medical Officer that afternoon and was advised that I would need to come into Lusaka to get on PEP within 72 hours for it to be effective. PEP is a drug that those who have been exposed to HIV can take and it has been effective in stopping the virus. As I lay in bed that Saturday night I had a restless sleep. I kept thinking, “If I just contracted HIV today, was it worth it? Would I be willing to die for these people?” I wrote the following prayer in my journal the next morning. “Please calm me Lord. I know that all things work together for the good of those who love You. I know trials build endurance and this will add to the perfecting of my faith. I know You don’t promise us easiness or an exception of pain, so I just ask that in my soul you make it ok. Use it for the perfection of my faith. Thank you for allowing me to experience that birth. It truly was awesome.”

The delivery was on a Saturday and transport from my village doesn’t leave until Monday morning again, so I was a little nervous about the time crunch. Luckily I was able to hitch a ride on a vehicle transporting cattle to Choma on Sunday. I made it into Lusaka by Monday morning and the first HIV test came back negative. The HIV test is actually testing for antibodies that you produce in response to the infection, so it can take up to 3 months to be sure that you are in the clear. Because of that “window period” there was still the chance that I could test positive down the road. So the waiting game began. I chose to not tell my family back home as it is stressful enough for them that I am across the world living in a hut. When I finally told them the news last week it included the fact that my final test had come back negative and I am completely healthy. Praise God! I may never have been exposed to the virus, or God may have performed a miracle and protected me- I will never know. Of this I am confident; He did work out all things for the good and did strengthen my dependence on Him. May He do the same for you.

The Greatest of These

2007-03-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

My kindred spirit of a cousin responded to my last blog with affirmation and encouragement regarding my time here in Zambia (check it out under comments). And in the last week her words really challenged me to get my focus off of what I can do and go back to believing Him for the results, both in me and in the villages I serve. When Jesus walked the earth, in a place much different than His home, where dusty feet, angry mobs, and harsh critics had replaced streets of gold and perfection, He told His followers the greatest commandments were to first love God, and second to love others. Let me share with you what that has looked like for me this week. I share not to bring glory to myself in anyway, but to let you know how Christ’s words are penetrating my heart and to encourage you to allow Him to work in you and use you in your corner of the world. Each morning this week I’ve prayed that God would allow me to see Him and to increase my faith in Him. It was seen in how He can take seeds in my garden and grow them into vegetables I can share with my villagers (Trust me, if you knew my brown thumb you would recognize this is verging on miraculous). Loving others was sharing cappuccino with a little girl after her last penicillin injection for chicken pox. It was sitting in a hot room next to the bed of a woman suffering from boils all over her body. It was asking forgiveness from a neighbor whom I had hurt. It was walking 10 miles to watch our school’s futbol team play and making a fool of myself by cheering like mad. I might never see tangible change while I am here in Zambia, but I might also never again have the opportunity to hold a little girl in church while her mother is at home slowly dying. I may never have another opportunity to carry 20 liters of water on my head and then offer a drink to a thirsty child. I may never again sit with a family and have them question how I could leave everyone I love to come to a foreign land, only to explain to them that I really felt God had a purpose for me here. I pray I never again have to deal with the amount of dirt, bugs, or snakes that I have so intimately lived with these last nine months, but even if I do, I am so confident that He alone will give me the strength to pull through. Sometimes after these blogs I get feedback about how wonderful I am, and how incredible it is that I am doing these things. While I appreciate your encouragement, It is not my desire to take credit for this experience. Trust me I am a mess of a person a lot of the time. Most of you back home can attest to that! It is truly thru my belief and faith in God that I can do any of this. It may take just as much courage for you to walk across the room to talk with someone in need, or bring a meal to a friend with cancer, or ask forgiveness from a loved one. Let me encourage you by saying that God would not tell us the second most important commandment is to love our neighbor if He could not make it possible. God can raise the dead! He can surely teach you to hold your tongue, hold hands with an enemy, hold fast to His promises. But if we don’t grasp the first commandment-to love God, than the second one is impossible. If you don’t know God-the one true God, that created and loves us, the God that would allow His Son to walk the dusty roads from Jerusalem to Sidon and die on a cross for sins we have committed, we are committing, we will commit, the God that brings freedom- not rules and regulations- the God that allows run-on sentences like this one, if you don’t know that God, well I pray that you would take the time to seek Him out. He is Faithful. Holy. Consistent. Love. Trust me, without my faith in Him, without an understanding of His character, this whole experience here in Zambia would be a bleak and hopeless experiment of viewing the depravity of mankind. But because of Him, I can have hope-that He’ll do more than I could ever ask or imagine. So, my dear friends, I’ll leave you with all that to chew on! Love God first and love others second and then write me a letter and tell me what that looks like for you! Thank you for the love that you have shown me.

Icing

2007-03-04T01:29:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought I could sip a cappuccino and nearly be mauled by baboons in the same day? Or that I can use my cell phone but still have to pump water from a well? Life here in Zambia is like that, a very distinct dichotomy between "civilization" and primitive conditions. In a country that only recently gained its Independence from the British, Zambia is making baby steps toward what they consider development. At times though, it seems they are adding "icing" to a cake that has not yet been bakes. Or even mixed or maybe the ingredients are hardly in the bowl yet. It is as thou the people of Zambia look West, see that we have cell phones and think that by owning one too they are somehow moving in the right direction. Currently there is not one single Zambian I know that recognizes the "vibrate" setting on their phone, so you'll be having an important meeting and all of the sudden Beyonce is singing "Answer your phone, your phone is ringing...". It talks in the Bible about building your house on a solid foundation, not on the sand where it will be washed away by the sea. This has been one of the biggest reality checks for me here in Zambia-realizing that in many ways I am just "icing". It is great that I can teach on HIV to the teachers at my school, but how effective is it when the same teachers are hardly in class teaching or that a number of them are having sexual relationships with the students? I love meeting with the girls and talking about the importance of staying in school and making goals for the future, but how possible is that when they are being impregnated by their teachers? I get so excited when I make strides at the clinic to provide testing for HIV, but how much hope do the people have that find out they are positive for the disease? The government of Zambia, because of outside donors, is able to provide "free" medical treatment and medications, but they are not accessible to the people in my village that are 40 miles from town. In the US we are so vocal about our qualms with life. We don't like George Bush, or the Democrats, we gripe about our economy or that taxes are too high-whatever it is that is causing us such strife. But the fact of the matter is that in the US the foundation is set, the cake is baked. So at least we can mess around with the icing, we can try different colors, flavors, sprinkles if we are feeling crazy. But here in Zambia, at least from my perspective, I see developed countries pouring literally billions of dollars into a country and we're drowning in frosting. Without the government and people of Zambia making a dramatic shift in the way this country is run the billions of dollars are being flushed down non-existent toilets. To me development is not cell phones, or Starbucks, or even GAP. But it is clean water, it is accessible and quality health care, it is a country that not only sees the value in education but supports it and makes it possible for their people. It is creating an economy that gives people the opportunity to provide for their family. My vision of what I am going to accomplish during my service here has dramatically shifted since I landed here in June. I will still continue to do all that I can to assist the people of Zambia and to encourage the values and truths that I believe will bring about true development in this country. Maybe one of the youth in my village will light that spark that causes the fire that bakes the cake. Or maybe we will just lick the frosting for the next 18 months. Some people like icing best.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2007-02-27T05:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a pictures is worth a thousand words...so I will let Moie, Bertha, and Benne do the talking this week! These three girls can be found at my house just about every day, swinging upside down in my chikuta and just being silly. Moie and Bertha are the niece and daughter of Mrs Mpongo, and Benne is the daughter of one of the teachers at my school. I wish you could all have them come play at your house one day - they are so much fun!

Zam Fashion

2007-02-20T01:29:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like me, when you picture African fashion you imagine tribal attire with the sword or water jug as the perfect accessory. Not so my friend! Unbeknownst to most of the world, Zambian fashion is made up mostly of second hand clothes from other parts of the world – mainly the United States. Since my last blog was a bit heavy, this week I thought I would stick with a lighter subject-the majesty of the second hand t-shirt, and its impact on Zambia. Most of the Zambians wearing these t-shirts have no idea what the slogans or logos mean and so this makes for a really humorous situation. I highly doubt that Milimo really was one of the ‘Mission Viejo Softball Champions’ or that Nchimunya has been to Arizona. My friend Brad tells of the pastor at the church in his village preaching an entire sermon while wearing a t-shirt with the caption ‘Tequila Mornings’ under the picture of a donkey wearing a sombrero passed out on the floor. His only response was “Amen.” At the funeral this last week Mrs. Mpongo wore a ‘Las Vegas’ t-shirt with a glittery rose on the front. Not exactly your typical funeral attire in the US. A couple months ago I was teaching at the school when a student walked in wearing a ‘Drake Relays’ shirt. Drake is the university in Iowa my little sister Devon attends. Maybe they know each other? The rapper 50Cent has a clothing line that is also very popular here in Zambia, though most of the people here have never listened to his music. My favorite is the knock off ’50Cents’ line of clothing that has also become popular. I also love seeing little kids wearing ‘Nick and Jessica 4ever’ shirts – guess that one didn’t work out? One day I know I’ll see a Coronado High School or PRIDE soccer shirt…you just never know who will be wearing your clothes next! Granted, for a lot of the people in my village this is the nicest shirt they have, and so they wear these clothes proudly, but I can still smile to myself and think, “Where am I?”

Price of a Life

2007-02-13T05:58:00.000-08:00

Chipego Caitlin Mpongo October 11, 2006-February 7, 2007. "If there was a price for life I would have paid it. If I could have bought it to save her I would have." Those were the words my friend, Mrs Mpongo, sobbed into my shoulder as I held her on the side of the road. She had called me minutes earlier to tell me her daughter had died. Let me start from the beginning...Mrs Mpongo is the head nurse at our clinic and her family has embraced me since I came to my village in August. We've worked, cooked, played, and gardened together for the last 8 months. When she gave birth to a baby girl last October she introduced her to me as my "namesake" and another Chipego Caitlin was welcomed into our village. Two Thursdays ago Chipego musyoonto (little Chipego) had a fever and trouble breathing and was rushed to the hospital here in Choma. Her parent's waited with her Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Monday tests were finally done to try and diagnose her condition. When I came to the hospital to visit on Tuesday the doctor had still not come to read the tests but she was showing signs of improvement. The x-rays showed pneumonia in her lungs, and Mrs Mpongo had advised the nurses to give Chipego medicine while they waited further information from the doctor. It was around 10am on Wednesday morning that Chipego looked her mother in the eyes and then took her last breath. Mrs Mpongo told me she only wished that Chipego could have talked so she would have been able to tell her what was going on inside of her. Over the last 8 months I have been so immersed in the poverty here that I have somehow become a bit numb to the situation. It is easy to forget that poverty truly is a matter of life and death. We take so much for granted living in the US. Health care at its very worst in the US is still far better than the health care system here in Zambia. As a child I too had pneumonia, had I been born here in Zambia, most likely I would have died. Through the funeral and burial process in my village I have heard people comfort the family by saying, "it was God's will." Though I am fully aware of God's presence through this situation, I honestly do not believe it is God's will for people to live in poverty, for children to die because of medical negligence. Had this same scenario played out in the United States we would be screaming about malpractice and fighting for justice. On Friday we buried Chipego on a farm in our village. The choir sang "It is well with my soul". She fought for her last breath here on earth, but I am sure Chipego was having no problem breathing in the sweet scents of heaven. A little girl's body lies beneath the soil now, but her memory will remain alive in my heart. Cherish the time you have and those you love.

Care Packages

2007-02-07T01:38:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of you who have sent me AWESOME letters and packages here! People are always asking what type of things I want/need out here, so here is my latest list! But most importantly I love getting letters and pictures from you all!

Canned tuna/chicken
Trail Mix
Beef Jerky
Raisins
Dried Fruit
Brown Sugar
Oatmeal
AA Batteries
Magazines
Books
Skittles/Starburst/Gummy Bears/Peachios/Any fruity candy
Paper/Pens for my village kids
Bubble Gum/Candy for kids in my village
Any kind of ball/game for kids in my village

Thanks! Send any mail to me at: PO BOX 630569 Choma, Zambia

Laugh With Me

2007-02-07T01:34:00.000-08:00

The topic I really want to write about this week is "Top 10 Reasons Zambia Sucks", but in an effort to stay positive I'll choose another topic. How about we go with things that made me laugh these past couple weeks? When we came upon a couple of pythons, I was quickly advised by my counterpart that pythons, contrary to popular belief, are actually "Christians, they don't bite people." Now you know. Chuckle. Or what about the names some Zambian parent's give their children? When you first see you precious newborn child why wouldn't the name "Alien" pop into your mind? Or maybe you think, "Oh wow, she looks just like a 'Pharisee'!" Those of you currently expecting, I just want to encourage you to maybe steer towards other name options. You don't want someone to make note of them in a blog one day. I also laughed/rolled my eyes as we are on transport to town yesterday and the top of our truck hit this branch causing a flock (yeah, that is the technical term) of catepillars to rain down on us. So not only are we in the back of this truck with bags of maize, a few goats, and tons of people, but now we have bright green catepillar guts on us and these bright furry creatures crawling everywhere. For whatever reason Zambians don't fear snakes but they fear catepillars. I was a pillar of strength amongst the masses and brought the hysteria under control. Definetly made me laugh.

Just a little insight into me, when I am really homesick I mask things with humor! Besides that, the last two weeks in my village have been the most encouraging workwise. I was able to do a training with 6 community members on Home Based Care. They will be caring for those who are unable or unwilling to get to the clinic for treatment. The workshop went really well and people were very receptive. My girls' club at school is going well, this last week we made "girls" out of playdough and had a really good discussion about all of our similarities and differences. Each girl was asked to write down a goal for the year, and when I received them, each one had written she wanted to be able to complete her education. I am super excited about investing into these young women over the next couple years. Also, on Monday I was able to meet with a doctor at a neighboring mission clinic and have organized for them to come do mobile HIV counseling and testing in our area on a monthly basis. This is HUGE as people in our area have never has access to testing. The head nurse at our clinic will be back from maternity leave in the next couple days, so work with the clinic should also pick up and go a bit smoother as she is an amazing woman.

I will close with a message from my friend here, Cholwe (17). She wrote this in a letter to Brittany, my friend back home in Colorado:

"You must not be thinking that Chipego is in trouble-NO! She is fine and she is under God's care. Greet all who know Chipego, don't worry, my friend, about Chipego, I'm with her."

Miss you all!

Game Time

2007-01-17T04:06:00.000-08:00

It was such a joy to come back to Chifusa this past week. A new term at school has started, the rains have made everything more vibrant and my relationships with people in my village continue to grow. I have been getting up early in the morning to go for a run and it also gives me a chance to pray and think through my day. I absolutely love the way the sunlight and fog mix together to give everything a magical appeal. After my jog I get to enjoy French pressed (thanks Ry & Bren) coffee (thanks Tito) while listening to the BBC world news on my radio (thanks Hagood’s) and eating cinnamon roll oatmeal (thanks auntie Carol & mom). Life is so rough! While I am doing my morning routine tons of kids on their way to school wave and shout to me and I sing greetings back to them as well. This week it just really hit me how blessed I am to be in this situation; the pace of life is such that I can enjoy so many things that I would rush through back home in the states.

My friend Sam Lockhart and her work (thanks Adventure Club) sent out tons of toys and balls for the kids in my village. At lunch and after school I have groups of kids coming to my place to play. Other than a couple of rounds of out of control dodge ball, it has been awesome to watch these kids interact with one another. Leaders rise out of the group and they all work together to entertain themselves. Somewhere between each kick, throw, and catch the burden of poverty, of hunger, of sickness, all of it melts away and there is just a field of kids having a blast. I love that I get to watch and be a part of the fun. My competitive side (thanks Dad) also really enjoys being on the winning team.

When I am not playing, I actually work around here! This past week I was able to meet with the headmasters from three of the schools in my catchment area. All of them are going to work on action plans for how I can partner with them this next term. At Chifusa Basic I will be doing a one hour training each week with the teachers. We’ll be focusing on “Life Skills” that they can incorporate in their classrooms. The students have been given so much information on HIV and yet there is still a disconnect between that and changing their behavior. We are hoping that by giving them the tools for dealing with relationships, peer pressure, etc, we will see a move to behavior change. I am excited to see where the next term takes us.

Thank you again for your continued prayers. You have no idea how much each one of you, because of your influence in my life, is a part of this experience. I hope your days ahead are filled with simple joys!

All I Need to know I learned in a hut...

2007-01-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

2007-Wow! I can't believe it is already here. The last 7ish months have flown by. Looking back on the past year I wanted to just share the top 10 things that I have learned! This is where I am supposed to be super witty and wise....

10. Coffee, ice cubes, air conditioning and Internet are priceless. I repeat priceless. Enjoy them.

9. Very rarely will you actually vomit from eating weird things. Caterpillars, goat intestine, termites, impala...all these things can live quite happily in your stomach. Not that they taste good, but whatever.

8. Snakes may seem scary, but when you hack them with a machete there is such a feeling of empowerment. Who is scared now?

7. Material possessions don't bring happiness. Have you seen the smiles that the Zambian kids have?

6. Never think that using the latrine at night by candlelight will be romantic. You can start a fire. Don't do this. Ever.

5. You can still make new friends and keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. Though I was never in "Brownies" I think they were really on to something with that song.

4. Prayer is awesome. Talk to your Creator. Listen.

3. When you think you can't do something and you are at the end of your rope, somehow God gives you the strength to pull through. These are some of the coolest moments in life.

2. Taking risks and following your passions is the most rewarding experience. Just get up and out there already!

1. Even when I am across the world, and don't see them every day, the people I love can still richly bless my life. Thank you!!!

I WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU ALL ARE LEARNING TOO...Send me your comments!

Just Back From Safari

2006-12-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

The adventure continues! This vacation is just unreal. Yesterday we had to stop the Land Cruiser to let some elephants cross the path. Earlier today I was inside a 8,000 kilometer crater watching a pride of lions frolic in a field. On the way out of the crater our 4-wheel drive went out and we had to avoid mud slides. Good thing the brakes still worked, because we needed those to avoid the 40 monkeys that were camped out on the tarmac on our way back home. And now I'm on the Internet. How is this my life?

I'll post pictures when the computer works-they will do more justice then my words! But basically, the 4 of us headed up to Ngorongoro Conservation Area yesterday, and toured around Lake Manyara and then Ngorongoro Crater today. It seriously felt like we were in Jurassic Park. This crater was formed when a volcano collapsed 2,000 years ago. The Massai people live alongside these animals within the crater and it was amazing to observe it all.

Tomorrow we celebrate New Years Eve at the Massai Camp. Ok, that is actually the name of the backpackers lodge where we are staying.. It'll be a wild time none the less! Enjoy New Years Eve wherever you are and have a great New Year! I'll post more details on what has been going on in my village and life once I am back from vacation. Love to all!

Trains, Chinese, and Buffets

2006-12-26T21:45:00.000-08:00

No candlelight Christmas Eve service here, but the way the Christmas lights inside the Chinese/Indian Cuisine restaurant glowed, there was a bit of that peaceful feeling. No egg nog, but I cut open a coconut with my pocketknife and drank. No snow, but my clothes are still drying from the downpour of rain. No turkey was carved, but we carved a pineapple for dinner last night. No pine trees, but palm trees are plentiful. No Pikes Peak, but I did get up this morning and watch the sun rise over Mt Kilimanjaro.

So Christmas in Africa-it has been an experience! I took a 48 hour train ride with three Peace Corps friends up to Tanzania. It was beautiful! An awesome (but rather long) way to see most of Zambia and a lot of Tanzania. We got off the train in Dar es Salem. The name of the city means "Haven of Peace" and is on the Indian Ocean. We ate Christmas Eve dinner at the Chinese/Indian Cuisine place, which reminded us all of The Christmas Story movie. The waitress however, did not sing us carols. The food was actually awesome and we ended up at a hotel that served a dessert buffet. Christmas morning we went out for breakfast in our pajamas just to carry on the lifelong tradition of staying in your pajamas until at least 11:30 on Christmas morning. Everyone does that right? The afternoon was spent at the ocean, eating, shopping and just enjoying a great day. I was able to talk with my family back home which was so nice, but bittersweet. That night we went to the nicest hotel (we weren't actually staying there) and had a 5 course Christmas dinner. Then Tuesday we hopped on a bus that dropped us here in Moshi, which is a little town nestled in the foothills of Africa's tallest mountain. We watched the sun rise this morning and will be hiking and playing this afternoon. So far the trip has been really relaxing and fun. I'll send pictures as soon as possible.

I sincerely hope that all of you had a Merry Christmas and that the New Year will be full of adventure. I wish you all were here with me! Blessings!

I AM

2006-11-27T23:02:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share an excerpt from Louie Giglio's book, I am not but I know I AM. I read this yesterday and it brought me a lot of peace.

"And in the days to come, when you're questioning, needing, searching, wondering, asking, and struggling you will find His sufficiency at the end of every desperate prayer. When you cry out all the things that you are not, you'll know His answer is, "I AM." For every cry there is one answer:
I need hope. I AM.
Who could possibly be smart enough to figure this out? I AM.
What lasts? I AM.
I need a bigger story. I AM.
Nobody's listening to me. I AM.
Nothings real anymore. I AM.
I'm pouring into others, who's pouring into me? I AM.
I'm not sure why I'm here. I AM.
Somebody just hold me. I AM. "

Thanks to all of you who have spent time in prayer for me these last days. Just to give you an update, I have decided to move from my current hut and into a room at one of the teacher's homes near the school. It is for now a temporary solution, but seems a really great option. I'll be close to the school and the clinic which should be great workwise and influence wise. I will be about 2 miles from my old village, so I can still visit and be involved there. Please pray for this adjustment and also that my "old" village would not feel abandoned or hurt that I have moved. Specifically for my relationship with Cholwe, that it would continue to be strong and grow even with the distance. I love and miss you all!

Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T23:09:00.000-08:00

Rain is falling here in Choma, the turkey has been killed, and friends will be gathering in two hours to celebrate all the blessings we have. There was not a turkey bowl, football here is soccer, and all of you are halfway around the world...BUT I still have so much to be thankful for in my life. Above all, that I serve a God who was willing to sacrifice everything to have a relationship with me, a God that allows us to partner with Him in ministry, no matter how much we mess things up! A God that walks beside us, holds us up, and gives us rest when we are weary. Be thankful today and enjoy this awesome holiday.

Just a quick update on life over here. I have been in Lusaka for the week doing some follow up training with Peace Corps. Learned a lot from other volunteers and also PC staff. Had fun in the big city and ate food I did not have to prepare-it was awesome. Right now my biggest prayer request is with my living situation here. After 2 cobras in my hut and another near my bathing shelter Peace Corps medical staff got a little nervous. I went out to my site with our safety and security coordinator yesterday to check things out, only to find a black mamba in my yard. SO, I have a couple options and I'm just not sure the best way to handle the situation. PC is leaving it up to me at this point, I can stay in my hut, move within my village to another place, or move altogether to another village. Ideally I would like to stay in my hut, but at this point it appears there must be a nest or something nearby because it is very unusual to have so many snakes in such a short period of time. Please pray that God would give me direction on what to do and also protect me physically and emotionally.

Love you all-enjoy Thanksgiving!

Zam Phone

2006-10-30T01:17:00.000-08:00

I just got a Zambian cell phone-so anytime you want to text me I will text back! Also, if the phone is on and I have reception you can call, it just doesn't have voicemail. My phone number is +26099150741. I would love to hear from you!

Sacrifice

2006-10-30T00:17:00.000-08:00

"At any step along the way He could have called it quits...When He saw the dirt floor of His Nazareth House. When Joseph gave Him a chore to do. When His fellow students were dozing off during the reading of the Torah, His Torah. When the neighbor took His name in vain. When the lazy farmer blamed his poor crop on God. At any point Jesus could have said, "That's it! That's enough! I am going home." But He didn't. He didn't, because He is love." - Max Lucado

Friday was an exhausting day. I played pharmacist at the clinic all afternoon. People were coughing on me, I was dropping pills on the floor and having flashbacks to "It's a Wonderful Life" where the pharmacist almost kills someone by giving them the wrong medicine. Except Jimmy Stewart wasn't with me at Chifusa Rural Health Center to stop me from unintentional homicide. It was hot-Africa hot. I didn't want to ride my bike home, I just wanted a car and air conditioning and America. I was hungry. I wanted to order Chinese for dinner and not have another bowl of rice. And you all thought I had such a cheery disposition here in Zambia!

Then, as I am standing on a termite mound trying to text my parents, I see these two children riding full speed ahead on the back of this donkey. I had to laugh out loud. Honestly, donkeys really do look like Donkey from Shrek and you have to laugh out loud when you see them. It made me think how silly Jesus probably looked riding on one into town on Palm Sunday. Except I doubt it was called Palm Sunday then. Anyway, it just reminded me of all Jesus sacrificed to come to earth and show us His love for us. I love the quote above from Max Lucado's book A Love Worth Giving. As there as so many things throughout my day that seem too hard or too much for God to ask, it is so humbling to remember all that Christ gave up so that I can have a relationship with the Living God.

So Friday was challenging, but there were also really great parts of my week too! On Monday the Independence Eve Party went awesome-we had lots of dancing (Electric Slide and Square dancing were a huge hit), played Pictionary (easier to explain than Celebrity), ate good food and just had fun together. Tuesday was Independence Day and we had a festival at the school with more dancing, singing, poems and skits. Cholwe came for dinner again on Saturday night and we "baked" something that slightly resembled chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips. I left Chifusa Sunday morning and arrived 3 hours and 13 minutes later here in town. I am sore and sunburned but I always enjoy challenges, so I felt pretty good about making it here in one peace. This morning (Monday) at 6am I went to a women's bible study and it was great. We just got to know each other and prayed together which is something I have been missing since coming here. It is pretty awesome how God has brought people into my life here when I have so been craving fellowship!

Thanks again for your prayers and emails, I miss you all. And a special Happy Birthday to my much older sister April! Wish I were there and love you!

Work in Progress

2006-10-20T05:09:00.000-07:00

The week flew by and I am back in Choma once again! Tonight I am staying at the home of a missionary family from Florida that is living here in town. We are going to a Christian fellowship thing they have once a month. I'm really looking forward to being around "family".

The past week has been really awesome in the village. I came back and found that my roof had been re-thatched and just in time as we have started to get more rain lately. Sunday morning Cholwe came to my house to tell me that Omsely (a guy from our village) was started a youth program. She also told me I was co-founder. This was the first I heard of it, but Omsely stopped by later that day and we had a really good discussion on this "youth group". We will focus on youth in our community that are not attending school. I am really excited, now that I know about the program. It will be an opportunity to connect with youth that I would have not contact with through the school. We are going to do sports leagues, community projects, and also have a lot of practical education courses.

On Monday I was supposed to have a meeting with the PTA at school, but there was a funeral so I ended up just meeting with the headmaster, having lunch and teaching him how to use Excel. Don't get any crazy ideas, the computer is run off solar panels attached to his roof and I'm pretty sure they no longer have that version of Excel, but at least it will help with some of the school information.

Tuesday morning I organized for a meeting with all of the local church leaders. Twelve churches were represented and it was the first time any of the leaders had met together. We prayed, talked about the issues in the area, and discussed how the local church can be part of the solution. It was a chance for me to really express my heart for the people and also my belief that the local church is essential in caring for people. We are going to meet once a quarter and I know this will be really key in my work over the next two years.

Wednesday my director from Peace Corps Lusaka came to my sight and it was good to talk with her and just fill her in on all that is going on in my village. Also she is working to get some added "security" on my house in an effort to keep as many snakes out as possible. Amen to that! That night I went to one of the teacher's homes to have dinner. I was able to convince her that we need to have more parties in Chifusa and so on Monday night we are having an "Independence Eve" party at the headmaster's house. We're cutting the heads off chickens and drinking Fanta and calling it a night. I think I'm going to try and get some "Celebrity" going on too...we'll see how that goes. If everyone puts 50 cent and Madonna it may be a short game. Next Tuesday is Independence Day so we have a big festival at the school. They've convinced me that I need to show an "American" dance, so I'm trying to remember how to do the Electric Slide.

Thursday afternoon I had the opportunity to talk to all the students at Chifusa Basic School. I had "2 truths and 1 lie" to start off by introducing myself and then multiple choice questions on Peace Corps and ended with a true/false deal on HIV. The whole school got into it and was really interactive throughout the presentation. After the assembly we broke into our "clubs" and I was able to meet with the anti-AIDS club. They shared songs and poetry that they had been practicing for the Independence Day festival. I'm really excited to spend more time with this group of students and just see how we can work together to combat HIV in our area.

Today is Friday and now you are fully caught up on my life! Hope your week has been awesome and I'll check my email again tomorrow so send me your updates too!

Simplicity

2006-10-13T04:55:00.000-07:00

Each morning begins with sunrise, the end of the day marked with the majesty of a sunset. A blaze of fire ascending and descending day in and day out. The moments in between-the smiles, tears, sweat, love, work, joy, these are the moments we call life. There is such a difference between "life" in different societies and yet there is still this common thread that weaves us together. One day we will see the tapestry in full, for now we only see the part.

At dinner last night, Andrea told me about a conversation she had with her villagers. They wanted to know why she always watched the sky at night and this led into a conversation about the moon and the sun. She told her villagers the sun was a ball of fire. They gave here a puzzled look and paused before asking, "You've been there? It is in America?" I think that is the funniest story. But it also goes to show just how far apart our worlds prove to be at times.

One aspect of my life here in Zambia that I have come to appreciate is the simplicity. So much of life here is just survival-walking to the well for water, cooking meals, farming maize, caring for the sick, resting when the heat is unbearable. In this surviving there comes a slowing down of your mind of the restlessness. Things that really matter stand out. Things that don't matter just slip away without notice. As I think about coming back to the States in two years I want to hold on to that aspect of my life here. I want the sunrise and the sunset to take my breath away daily.

There is a unity of spirit among the people in my village. An attitude of "we are in this together." It is so neat to see how families work together to care for the young and the old. I am starting to feel that this is becoming more of my home. The last 3 weeks in the village things have just started to "click". I'm spending more time with people and just enjoying their friendship. One special friendship that is developing is with the head nurse at my clinic- Mrs. Mpongo. She has been on maternity leave and just delivered her baby girl on Tuesday. I told here I was leaving to come into town on Wednesday so she needed to deliver before I left. I love when people do what I tell them! So I've been spending time each day at her home, helping to shell maize, water the garden, and eating meals with her family. Tuesday morning I came over to find that she had delivered the baby- and she named her Chipego. So now there is little Chipego (the baby) and big Chipego (me!). That was definitely the highlight of my week!

Things with HIV work are going really well. I have met with the teachers at the basic school and we've put together a schedule for this term, I'll be teaching each Thursday on HIV related topics. I'm really excited to see how God uses this in my life and in the lives of the kids at the school. I also had a meeting with all the headmen in my catchment area (13) and we identified some key problems in the area and are working together to see how I can partner with the community to work on these issues. Tuesday I have a meeting with all the church leaders in the area to introduce myself, and talk with them about what their churches are doing and want to be doing with regards to HIV. I'm encouraged and feeling that I can make a difference in these next couple years.

When I find myself longing for friends and family back in the US I don't have to look far for the warmth of African hospitality. Thank you for your continued prayers.

"The rich and the poor have a common bond, the Lord in maker of them all."-Prov. 22:

Adventures in Africa...

2006-10-11T03:52:00.000-07:00

Just imagine. I'm sipping green tea, eating an apple and reading a book on good ole David Livingston. I'd just finished writing a letter to Rachel, in which (and she can verify when she gets the letter)I explain the love I have for my IPOD as it drowns out the sounds of rats and lizards under my bed at night. Maybe I should have checked on that noise. Hindsight is always 20/20. Back to the story. I hear a little noise coming from my room and then out slithers a cobra. I jump onto my chair and start screaming. This is the second time my village has heard my cry at night. So I'm standing on my chair holding my weapons of choice-an apple core and Nalgene bottle (not sure what plans I had for those) when my neighbors run up. They knock on my door. Sometimes their politeness is aggravating! I yell for them to come in already. At this point the snake is nowhere to be found and I run outside to stand next to my 8 year old neighbor for protection. Finally I hear a thrashing and return to see blood splatter under my bed and the snake dead. To my extreme pleasure even my villagers thought it was big. I make Billy search the entire hut to ensure any of the snake’s extended family (I know how Africans are with their extended families) has departed. After I've calmed down a bit I have to laugh when Billy says to me, "Chipego, it is as if you are not American. Haven't you seen American films? Even small children are not afraid of snakes!" What films has he been watching? Hasn't he seen Anaconda? He later somewhat redeems himself when he tells me, "Since we were born we have not been defeated by snakes. Then what, one night, a snake will come to beat Chipego? No, it isn't so. You came to see how we live, this is how we live." Never being one to appreciate the under-dramatization of events I roll my eyes and tell him goodnight.

So the first time the village heard my call for help was 2 weeks prior to the snake incident. Let me preface this by saying I know all about Smokey the Bear. Let me also say that every morning I attempt to start a fire and it takes way too long. So as I entered my pit latrine that night I wasn't really worried about the candle catching the grass roof on fire. And yet that is exactly what happened. Before I could even remember the Tonga word for fire the roof was ablaze and soon my bathing shelter followed. Where are the marshmallows when you need them? A fire like that should not go to waste! Anyway, Ryan, send those Ft Carson Fire Department shirts anytime buddy. I will wear it proudly.

The Latest

2006-09-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

As you all enjoy fall back in the states things here in Africa are heating up! Gone are the mornings of warming myself by the fire, now I basically just sweat all day long. And it’s not even "hot" yet. Enjoy the warm drinks, fall fashion, and changing leaves for me! Things have been a little hectic the last couple weeks, so sorry for not keeping you in the loop. I'll just highlight a couple of the things that are taking place in my world.
=Livingston
I am back here in Livingston today, trying to get my work permit signed and processed through the ministry of health. It is a bit annoying to have to deal with this again (I was here 2 weeks ago). It does look like things will go through today or tomorrow and then I can settle into my village for the long haul. We has a really fun mini-vacation the last time we came-went bungee jumping and on a real life jungle cruise.
=Village Life
I am feeling encouraged about the influence I can have in my village here. I met with the staff at the school and I'll be involved in after school programs and health education. I'm passionate about youth and have connected with a lot of the students already, so I'm excited to see what will come of that over the next two years. My next step is to identify student leaders to be peer educators. I haven't been as involved at the clinic as I would like, so I'll focus on that upon my return. We don't have HIV testing available at our clinic so I want to petition for that with the Ministry of Health. I just really want to do all I can and not have any regrets about the time I spend in Chifusa.
=Cholwe
My sweet village friend, Cholwe, is doing awesome! We have started a Tuesday night tradition of her coming to my hut for "America" food. Things like spaghetti, tacos, cappuccino and anything else I got in a package from the States. It has been really fun and I love the conversations we have over candlelight. She continues to impress me every time we are together. She is doing really well in school and has plans to become a teacher one day. If you come visit me I know you'll love her too!
=Provincial Meeting
Our provincial meeting went fine. Basically it is a time to discuss Peace Corps policy and update each other on what is taking place in our villages. One thing I am really looking forward to is a Zambia-wide conference we will be putting on called GLOW (girls leading our world). Each volunteer will be able to take 2 girls from the village to the conference. We will talk with them and equip them with skills to bring about change in their own lives and in the village. I'm really excited to be part of the planning and implementation of the event. We are working on the grant proposal now, so as more details unfold I'll let you know how you can pray!
=Friendships
I spent the last couple days with my friend Andrea in her village, Dembwe. I felt like God orchestrated the whole thing-we had such great talks and it was just what both of us needed to get refocused and encouraged. My friendship with her continues to grow and really is a huge blessing. We caught a ride to Bryan's village on Monday night at worked at his clinic on Tuesday. Andrea and I weighed babies for most of the morning and then I gave polio immunizations in the afternoon. That night Bryan's headmaster slaughtered a turkey in our honor and we enjoyed it for dinner.
=Returning
If all goes well with the visa situation I'll be heading back to the village tomorrow night. Please keep me in your prayers-pray for my influence in Chifusa and that God will continue to meet me each day. Also, with elections for president coming up this next week there is potential for civil unrest (the current president's vehicle was stoned yesterday) so please pray for physical safety.

I miss you all more than you will ever know. Blessings!

Running Wild

2006-09-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

16:30 every day at my house. That is the time we set off. Me, I've got my Nikes, my IPOD, and my LA Marathon t-shirt. The seven of them, sometimes in skirts, sometimes in dresses, always barefoot. Our numbers change on a daily basis, the boys want to see where we are going, or little siblings tag along. We head down a different path each day, we run for 40 minutes, taking new turns each day, crossing fields, passing cows, goats, and pigs. Hurdling bushes, watching for snakes. After 20 minutes we stretch, each child getting to listen to a bit of music on my IPOD before heading for the second part of the run.

We learn about each other. They know my right knee starts to ache at mile 3 and I'll go at whatever speed the slowest runner needs. I know Lisa is one amazing hurdler and we're all slowing her down. I know Cholwe will get us home regardless of how lost we've gotten ourselves. Brillian runs to try and do something better than her sister Brenda. And on and on it goes. And I can see it in all of them, a desire to belong, to run at the same pace, to not be left behind.

In the future we'll talk about HIV, how they can protect themselves. We'll talk about the biological and cultural factors that cause HIV infection rates in Zambia to be 4x higher for girls in their age group, that 1 in 6 Zambians is already HIV infected. I'll tell them that if current prevalence persists, more that 1/2 of the 15 years will die from this single disease. And together we'll figure out ways to keep this disease from ruining their lives.

All in all it is just an hour, an hour I'd spend working out anyway. But hopefully, somewhere in between strides God is using the time to draw us-closer to Him and closer to each other. In spending time with me these girls are catching a bit of my passion for them-that they can be more than barefoot and pregnant; they can be barefoot and running, chasing their dreams.

Crying for Mother Africa

2006-09-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

Before he left to return to his village, Freedom handed me a note. Inside was the following:

I want to tell you my poem! My poem is entitled about AIDS.
"Ooh AIDS, ooh AIDS,
You are a killer.
You don't even feel shy.
For many people you have taken.
People from North, East, South and West,
crying, shouting your name.
AIDS.
You are the killer.
Many thousands of people died because of you, AIDS.
How are we going to live,
for this crying continent Africa.
Last year I bury Father.
Later, I bury Mother.
I cry a lot when I think of my beloved parents, and I think things will be easy if my parents still appear.
Ooh AIDS.
Feel mercy,
please we beg you."
Thank you a lot.

Pray for this young man. Pray for all of the orphans in the same place Freedom is because of this disease.

Freedom To Go To School

2006-09-05T06:25:00.000-07:00

I met a boy this week. He spoke English well, was visiting from a neighboring village. He came to ask his uncle for money to go to school. He'll be in grade 10 this year. In Zambia, high school costs about 129,000 kwacha, per term, equivalent to about $30 USD. This boy was so sweet-helped each day at my hut as we cemented the floor, whitewashed walls, put locks on the door. He loves school, wants to be an engineer one day, and wants to go to school in Lusaka. But he just didn't have the money. He lives with his older brother; both of his parents have died. Thirty dollars that is all that keeps him from being on the path to following his dreams or being stuck in a sick cycle of poverty. We talked about what I am doing here in Zambia, about HIV and all the issues that it is presenting. I talked to him about my faith in God, that I know He put me here for a reason and that He is watching over him too. I told him how I want to see him graduate-I'll still be here when he finishes grade 12. And he'll do it too; I see something in him that tells me he'll succeed. He is leaving today (Thursday as I write this), school begins on Monday. He has the $30 to go to school now. I met a boy this week...his name is Freedom.

I don't know if your heart aches the way mine does at the extreme injustice of these situations-the gross imbalance of wealth in the world. If it does, if you have ideas, thoughts, solutions, send them my way. I believe God has put me here, put kids like Freedom in my path for a reason. And he has also connected me with a network of people back home that can help. I want to be a voice for these kids. Proverbs 31:8 says, "Open your mouth for...the rights of all the unfortunate." Together we can bring about the "freedom" to go to school.

For You Chipego

2006-09-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share a note that Cholwe, a girl from my village, gave me last night before I left to come into town today. I kept it just like she wrote it- enjoy! Oh, and Chipego is my Tonga name, it means "gift".

"Hi Chipego-
How are you? Me I am fine too. My main point is, I want to inform you that you must gave a great journey, and you must not thinking that you are alone in this world. I am with you, and God is with you and I love you like what I love my self and like what I love my mum. I will ask God day in and day out to bless you, everwhere you go, be happy like what you was in America, I love you Chipego because you are kind to me and to everyone but God knows why I have become your friend in this world, I love you very very much. I end here. Yours, Your Friend Cholwe."

That is why I am here, notes like this, lives like this that I can touch for a moment and hopefully make an eternal difference.

Words Fail

2006-09-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

With a BA in Communication and 26 years of verbal and non-verbal under my belt, one would think I should be able to express myself. But words fail. I can't adequately tell you of the experiences I've had these past 16 days in the village, the extreme manic of it all-highs and lows, loneliness and community, joy and sorrow, love and hate. I'll do my best and trust that over the next 2 years words will come to fill in the gaps.

Some background first regarding the Peace Corps. Peace Corp has 3 main goals, to help the host country with technical needs, for Americans to learn of the culture and then for the host country to learn how Americans live. My specific program, HAP (HIV/AIDS) focuses on education regarding the disease, assisting orphans and vulnerable children and teaching on healthy living. That is about all the structure I've been given. The ambiguity of the situation is both a blessing and a curse. In my 2 years I'm supposed to partner with host country nationals to build sustainable development- programs, clubs, mindsets that will continue long after I've returned to caramel lattes and guacamole. So this last Sunday I was dropped off in the middle of the village, and told to radio from the clinic if I'm dying. You can imagine the extreme panic that hits a girl as she hugs her friends goodbye and watches the Land Cruiser kicking up dust as it drives away. Words fail.

My village is amazing! My hut is about 100 feet from my neighbor so I can see them and know they're watching me at all times-literally. Everywhere I go people are so excited to stare at me, to talk with me, touch me. For some of them I am the only white person they have ever seen. I've always thought it was funny that Jesus is portrayed in our American culture as light skinned and blue eyed. Now I'm convinced that he may have looked like this-it definitely gets people's attention. The setting of my village is woodsy right by my home and then lots of fields just past. We have a couple small dams and with my love of water it is pretty rad to just sit and think. My actual village is called Simane village, one of the 13 villages that make up the greater Chifusa area. I have found a couple people who speak English, but for the mostly part Tonga is the only way I can talk with villagers. I try my best, but again, words fail.

Already, in spite of loneliness and severe annoyance with bugs, I feel God has me here for a reason. I'm going to break up the blogs and tell you more specifics-but it’s really awesome to see hoe things are falling into place. Relationships and experiences with you all back home have shaped and equipped me to serve effectively here. I am praying about specific ways I can bring you into this experience with me and ideas are forming. When my words fail to God I am thankful for the Holy Spirit who can communicate my needs far better. Please continue to pray for me, that I can glorify God through my life here, that His plans will be my reality.

I thank my God in all my remembrances of you.

PHOTOS

2006-08-18T04:07:00.000-07:00

http://www1.snapfish.com/home/t_=17679351

You can check out photos of the trip at the above link. If that doesn't work you can just go into www.snapfish.com and search with my name. I think that should work. Miss you all!

Joy of the Master

2006-08-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of the Master." - Matthew 25:21

I read this verse earlier this week and wanted to share my thoughts with you all. I have always honed in on the first part of that verse, the necessity of being a good and faithful servant; and often have felt the burden of that responsibility. I love the last sentence- "enter into the joy of your Master". That is the part that stuck out to me this week. Yes, there is diligence that needs to take place in striving to live a life that reflects our love for the Master, but let us never forget to enter into the Joy! To experience true fulfillment and immerse ourselves in this amazing opportunity we have to share in this joy. Wherever we are, let us suck the marrow out of life, truly love and live and be blessed by this amazing God that allows us to partner with Him.

I've heard some complaints for not posting recently - sorry about that! I'll give you the quick rundown on the last couple weeks. I passed my language test (Wednesday), thanks to all of you who prayed. Finished up with training on Saturday and now I have officially sworn in as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer (Monday). I've been having a lot of fun too, so let me just fill you in! Last week I rode around Mwakera Dam (Thursday) in a canoe that was missing the front end, but we didn't sink and this Zambian guy was eager to paddle around, so it was really fun (I'll upload photos later). A little Italy meets Zambia. All the Peace Corps volunteers moved from our home stay families to a conference center (Saturday). I got to watch the sunrise on my last day in the Kitwe area and feel very blessed by my experiences there. It was really sad to say goodbye to my little brothers and sisters there. My nephew, Hunter, sent a bunch of his toys to Victor and Cholwe, so I was able to give those to them the night before I left. It is pretty hilarious to see African children playing with finger puppets and Disney figurines. My nephew rocks! And now I have a niece too - Delaney Grace is beautiful and I can't wait to meet her soon-soon! It continues to be a struggle for me to be away from everyone back home that I love, but definitely makes me dependent more on God, and for that I am thankful.

So now I am in Choma, about 40k from my future home. I am staying until Sunday when I'll be posted to my site. I ordered a bed and mattress and got a ton of shopping done for my house. Purchased groceries and all that today as well. I'll be meeting with Ministry of Health officials and some other potential partners in this week here in the BOMA. I am really excited to go to my village. As I was leaving my home stay family I thought a lot about how scary it seemed to be dropped off, and yet mostly it is that fear of the unknown that brings the apprehension. So it is REALLY scary to think about being in a hut in the middle of Africa with no electricity, cell phone service, or access to America - but once I am there and meet my neighbors and counterparts, I know it will seem like home.

I also got a pet giraffe this week! Ok, it came in the mail today and is the most adorable stuffed giraffe with pink bows and a safari hat. Her name is CeCe and my friends (Britt, Sam, & Michelle) sent her for my birthday. You press her front paw (is that what giraffes have) and their voices come on telling me they love me. Thanks you guys-it really did make me cry. I'm still working to see if I can have a real giraffe, I want to skip over the pet dog and cat phase and just work on big game animals.

Ok, there you have a brief update from me! Send me your thoughts. Live out loud this week and I'll post more before I leave for the middle of nowhere. Love you all.

The Countdown Begins

2006-08-01T04:39:00.000-07:00

Two weeks from today and I'll be ending training! Since coming back from our site visit I've been ready to get out to my future home. It's kind of like having senioritis all over again. But I know that I'll miss my host family here and the other volunteers, so I'm trying to make the most of my last days in Misaka West.

I've had more opportunities to teach since the last post-2x in Kioba Village at the school (both classes were about 71 students each) and then again this last week in Kamfinsa. I'm loving teaching, the students all stay after class and talk with us too, so it seems like we are connecting at some level. I'm eager to be in my village where I can establish relationships with people and just do life! I think that is were I will see behavior change take place, more than me just talking in front of a group of people.

Had a great experience at Zam church on Sunday. I went with some other vounteers and then my host mom, Grace. The singing was amazing and I understood 2 words that the pastor spoke! It is in a different language than I am learning though, so I didn't feel too bad. It definetly made me miss CCR and all my family there.

Please be praying for me on Friday and then Wednesday of next week. I have my final language proficiency interview. I miss you all!

US STANDARDS, SEMINARS & CARROT CAKE

2006-07-21T02:53:00.000-07:00

This morning we had a man with his truck pick us up to come back into town. Now, what I am about to describe in no way gives the story justice (keep this in mind). The truck, a SMALL Toyota pickup drives up the dirt path to Natalie’s home. Inside the truck there is a chicken coupe with about 10 chickens, a mattress, multiple bags of corn and about 5 Zambian boys. We pile in, with all our luggage and our language trainer and leftover cake. We are at absolute maximum capacity. According to US standards. But we see two women and a huge chicken along the side of the road, so our driver says come on in! Ok, seriously now we are at max capacity. According to US standards we are way over. But oh no, here is another boy and another bag of corn and we are saying come on in. The next chicken goes behind the front driver, but really there is no room. And then we arrive into town, the driver has one of the boys hop out to make sure there are no policemen because he would definitely get a ticket. He does this at every intersection. Just laugh with me people, because this is my life now. Insanity. According to US Standards.

"We are so glad you came to talk with us, because people in our villages are dying." These were the words from one man at the seminar we (Bryan, Chris, Andrea & I) taught on Wednesday. We were able to talk about HIV to 30 Community Health Workers, and the group was so receptive and eager to learn. Walking home at the end of the day I had such a feeling of pride in being here, in doing something that has the power to save lives. We taught for about 3 hours and all went well. On Monday I will be teaching all day at the basic school - I am looking forward to connecting with the students!

We have been in Natalie's village this week and it has been such a fun relaxing time. We've had a lot of time to experiment with cooking and made chicken tacos from scratch. And by that I mean we literally killed a chicken, plucked & cleaned it, rolled out dough to grill tortillas, and went to different gardens in the village to get tomatoes, cabbage, onions and garlic. DON'T EVER COMPLAIN ABOUT COOKING IN THE US.

Last night we celebrated my birthday in the village - carrot cake baked on the fire and the village singing happy birthday. It was so much fun. And now I’m in town, reading emails and about to have a cold drink. Life is good. Blessings!

Home Sweet Cifusu

2006-07-17T02:03:00.000-07:00

We received our site placements on Saturday afternoon-so my new home will be Cifusu which is in the Kolomo district of Southern Province. I have an active Rural Health Clinic near (about 3k) and also a Basic School, so there will be lots of amazing counterparts to work with while I am there for the next 2 years! I will write more about my place after I actually know more! I will be posted sometime the week of August 15th, after I swear in as a volunteer. There are about 8,000 people in that district area, so I'll have my hands full.

I'm in Choma now, about 2 hours south of Lusaka - we are heading out today for our 2nd visit to the village. We just had a meeting with the District Administration Officer and learned a bit more about Zambian life and how the government partners with us as volunteers. I made spaghetti last night for the 10 other volunteers here and I'm feeling pretty domestic-even thinking about having some chickens when I go out to my village. I know some of you are wondering if it is even me writing this! It is! We'll be back into town on Friday and are having a party for my birthday/going away for another volunteer. Looking forward to that!

The drama of the week was when a brush fire got out of control and one of the volunteers huts burned down! Zambia! What can you do? She was ok and just lost a couple photos. We had an awesome time at the wedding last Sunday, it was like a choreographed musical. Africans can dance! I included a couple pictures on a prior email-if you didn't get them have someone forward them to you. I took some video too of the dancing, so I'll show ya'all when I get back.

Life is good, things are feeling more normal and comfortable here in Zambia. I am excited to get out to the village and actually meet the people I'll be serving. I am sure I'll have many good stories to tell. Blessings!

MY SO "CALLED" LIFE

2006-07-09T02:40:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book by Erwin McManus called Chasing Daylight (thanks Christy) and he talks a bit about this thing-a "calling". All of us that call ourselves Christians are called first to follow God - and often into the unknown. He writes "Faith is all about character, trusting in the character of God, being certain in who God is and following Him into the unknown." I just want to encourage all of you to take steps into the unknown. If we avoid all of the uncertainties in life we will really miss out on truly living. This journey of coming to Zambia was and is very much full of the unknown, but there is so much LIFE in the uncertainty.

The past week has been a good one. The 4th passed without fireworks but it was still fun. I made a sign for the kids at my home stay that said "Happy 4th of July" with a picture of the American flag. Later that day I watched as my little brother Cholwe traced each letter with his finger learning how I had formed them. I made all the kids repeat the pledge of allegiance with me, just like I was at home on the porch with my family. We were without a flag but I faced the US so I'm sure I was facing a flag somewhere! We had a parade of sorts as all the kids walked with us to the market wearing our bicycle helmets and walking our bikes for us. Impala meat, capenta, and caterpillars taste nothing like a good 'ole burger, but playing volleyball and having sack races with the Zambians made it seem a little more like home. The words of Andrea's poem came true - "the Zambians will get such a treat when the American girl pedicures their feet"- once I got all the dirt off their toes, I gave my little sisters pedicures! It was a 4th I won't forget.

We are having awesome cultural training each Thursday and this last week we discussed politics, geography, and economics within Zambia. Elections for a new president are supposed to take place in November or December, so that should be exciting. My heart continues to be burdened for this country, where the life expectancy is the lowest in the world at 37 years. Another stat I read this week notes that at the current rate of infection 1/2 of the 15 year olds in Zambia will die of HIV/AIDS. Reading Matthew 10 this week, where Christ talks about putting new wine into new wineskins - I need to figure out a way to do this! Not to get a glass of wine (though that would be nice), but how to educate people in a new way and have it be relevant. Obviously the info or the mode of communicating has not worked so far. Please pray that God would show me how to do this.

The week ahead holds much promise - on Tuesday I'll be giving an hour talk to an 8th grade class on nutrition. Educating on healthy living is one of the goals of the HIV program. Please pray that I'll have peace as I'm speaking to the students. I also have my 2nd language competency on Friday and then Saturday I find out my village placement! Please pray for all these things. Blessings! I'm off to the African wedding...

INDEPENDENCE DAY

2006-07-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

It has almost been a month since leaving home and I miss America! Things are still going well here, but I could really use a pedicure and Mexican food. Life goes on. I got to talk with my mom/Dev/Andrea and that made it so much better! This week was filled with a lot of studying - we had a big language competency on Friday morning...I think it went ok, but it is quite possible I said something really stupid. Everything sounds the same in the language I'm learning! I've learned the value of laughing at myself regularly. I did my first load of laundry here yesterday, to much laughter from my host family. For some reason Africans find most things white people do to be very funny. It was only a 2 snake week, which is better than a 3 snake week, but best would be never seeing a snake again! Seriously, snakes have no value (sorry if you like them).

We had some great cultural training this week, a lot about gender roles in Zambia. Just FYI, I am worth about 4 cows in Zambia. That is the going rate for a wife in the southern province. It was really interesting to hear about all of the traditions and practices that take place in the marriage process here. There are a lot of gender issues that are contributing to HIV in this country. Married women are the highest in new infections here - they have zero say in the marriage and due to the amount of infidelity that takes place, many men are infecting their wives with the virus. Women have been beaten or killed when they have suggested using condoms within their marriage. Honestly, every day I thank God for all of the freedom women have in the US.

We have 4th of July off from training and are having a big party at the Mwakera Center. Our host families get to come and hang out. It's going to be a BIG deal- we're even killing and grilling a goat. I'm sure a lot of you will do the same! ; ) Enjoy your bbqs and fireworks! Then next Sunday I get to attend an African wedding, which will be a whole new cultural experience. The cousin of someone (I'm still not sure who) is getting married and we are the token Americans. I'll let you know how it goes!

Miss you all!

HOPE IN THE HOPELESSNESS

2006-06-25T00:19:00.000-07:00

This week was a rollercoaster of emotions. As we learn more and more of the situation here in Zambia things seem more hopeless. My homestay family is all sick-most likely malaria and my little brother has worms. They don't have time or money to get transport to the clinic, so we have tried to get some free meds thru the Peace Corp for them. Coming here I had in mind that HIV and AIDS was the biggest problem here, and yet each day there seems to be needs that are more pressing or devastating. No doubt HIV & AIDS is causing enormous problems, but there are endless issues that needs to be addressed. My heart is broken each day for the people here in Africa, for the struggle they endure, and often times have no choice but to perpetuate.

Yet, in the midst of all this hopelessness, God has given me hope. Hope that regardless of how insignificant my actions may seem, He has a purpose for my life here. Last night, as we were going to eat shima (the staple food) my homestay brother uttered the most beautiful prayer. His words as best as I can remember were that God would remind him to give to those who have less. This is coming from a 26 year old man who is responsible for providing for 8 siblings and his widowed mom. A man who has no hope of getting out of this cycle of poverty...and yet he realizes that God can still use him to give to others. It was humbling to hear.

Some of my favorite memories from this week...dancing last night to some American hip hop music and seeing my little 4 year old brother (Victor) shake his booty like nothing else, it was hilarious...teaching the kids some sports cheers on my front porch...teaching the girls to say "Whatever" when boys are teasing them...watching the sunset from the porch while listening to music...having my little sisters (Nchimunya & Milimo) meet me at the trail after school and race me back home...having 20 African kids chase me on my bike while I ride to class.

Life is good. My heart is broken, but it is full.

KAMWAMBA & COBRAS

2006-06-18T01:32:00.000-07:00

Learning a new language. Check. Bathing from a bucket. Check. Eating dried fish with eyeballs. Check. Watching amazing sunsets. Check. Waking up to roosters crowing at 2am, 3am, 4am. Check. Watching my host family kill a spitting cobra. Check.

Life in the "bush" is all of these things and more. I left the airport 2 weeks ago, and already it seems like a lifetime ago. Things here are so different, and I often find myself laughing just thinking about how to describe things to all of you! So the things I've listed above, they are now my life, which is just so insane. I arrived in Mwakera West 2 days ago, and I am staying with Baa Grace. I have been given the Tonga name, Chipego, which means "gift". I have my own "hut" which is one room with a thatched hut. Andrea, another Peace Corp volunteer, stays with Grace's daughter and so we eat our meals together and do a lot of laughing throughout the day! I am really thankful that she is here with me now, but it will be really hard to part ways in 9 weeks and be alone in a village.

I am confident that I can do this, can live here in Africa and come to love life here, it is just a matter of sorting through all of the emotions that come with that. It is really hard to have all of these experiences, but not be able to share them with the people that know me, with people whom I have a history. So basically everyone needs to come here and experience it with me! I can't put into words what life is like here, the beauty and pain of life in Zambia. The people are wonderful, loving, warm and welcoming. I've come to realize more that we are all the same, seeking, searching to be known and understood. I am reminded each day of the differences also. Children are sick and there is no medical care for them, people have to walk miles to get water and don't understand the importance of sanitation. While at the clinic in the southern province a pregnant 18 year old girl learned that she is positive for the HIV virus, and she will most likely not have the medical care needed to keep her child from contracting the disease. It is being surrounded by these situations that remind me of why I am here, how I can help. But is is overwhelming and the problems seem insurmountable at times.

I've tried to upload photos here, but the computer is not letting me, so sorry about that! I will continue to try in the future. I will try to bike into town each Sunday and email and update you all - so you can email me too!

As I fall asleep at night, under my mosquito net, I think of home back in the States and I miss you all. Blessings!

Life in the City

2006-06-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Lusaka! I've been in Zambia 2 days now and well, basically I'm already Zambian. I've seen monkeys, zebra, giraffe & water buffalo. And this was just at my campsite yesterday. I know you think I'm lying, but I have photos to prove it! I've also "almost" killed the largest spider I've seen in my life...It was a quick sucker though and I only slightly maimed the guy before he got away from me. Colorado basements have nothing on spiders found on the back of your toilet here. I've also become an avid World Cup fan, futbol is huge. We have a TV at our campground now, so life is a bizarre mix of nature and technology right now. We've received the first in a series of shots...And have been doped up on malaria meds for the last couple days. The side affects are only depression and vivid dreams, thankfully I'm not experiencing either.

We received our Provence placements today - and I'll be in the most Southern Provence of Africa, which was my first choice. It will be hot and sandy but home to Victoria Falls and the largest lake in the area so I'm looking forward to that. I start my language training Sunday and I'll be learning Tonga. Right now I can only tell you that peepee means No.

In my group of HAP volunteers (HIV/AIDS Program) there will be 4 of us in that region, Andrea (Utah), Bryan (Colorado), and Kris (Texas). We have all begun to bond and joke around and I think we'll be an effective team for that area. Bryan and I have worked out a deal where I'll do his laundry if he kills any snakes for me. I may be doing a lot of laundry. We'll be about 30K from each other, but transportation is fairly easy in that area. I'll be about 2 hours from the capital city, so I can hop down and pick you up from the airport in a days travel no problem. We leave tomorrow for a site visit that will take me through Thursday of this next week.

All in all I feel really excited about being here. Home seems a million miles away but I still feel rooted in who I am and can feel your love all the way over here. Please continue to pray for me, that I'll be able to sleep at nights, kill the big hairy spiders and just really accomplish God's plans for me here.

Love you all!

THE BEGINNING

2006-06-07T04:03:00.000-07:00

Good morning! I sip my last caramel latte as I write this and I'm treasuring my final day (for awhile) here in the United States. Training has been great here in Philadelphia and I am feeling awesome about going to Zambia today (or at least starting the flight that will put me there on Friday). There are 58 of us that are going to Zambia and we'll be spread out in 5 provinces. I'll stay in Lusaka for 2 days and then have a 5 day site visit with one of the community mobilizers in a village. I am ready to be there and meet the people I'm going to serve and just see what this new chapter of my life is going to be all about! Please continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I'll be in touch soon! Miss you.

ONE WILD NIGHT

2006-06-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

What a fun night! We had a lion, a flamingo,a tribal warrior and a couple tacky tourists...just to name a few of the crazy animals that showed up for my "wild" party. Women attempted to carry water buckets on their heads and men ate bananas (that Gwen song just came in handy there!) so fast monkeys would be put to shame. It was an awesome send off and with the rare exception (SAM), few tears were shed. For all of you that couldn't make it - you were missed! I hope you had a wild night of your own!

PRAYER REQUESTS

2006-05-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Please Pray for Me!
>Physical, emotional & spiritual protection while traveling and serving in Zambia.
>Quality relationships with other Peace Corp volunteers.
>Comprehension of the language and culture in order to effectively learn and teach.
>Unity with my host village.
>Preparation of the Zambian people to be open to information regarding prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
>Guidance and direction as to the best methods of communicating with my village.
>Opportunities to share my faith with other volunteers and/or the Zambian people.

You will be in my prayers as well! Blessings, Caitlin

PRESSING NEEDS

2006-05-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

“And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs,
that they may not be unfruitful.”
– Titus 3:14

Dear Friends~
When I came across this verse last week, I was encouraged once again as I prepare to embark on this journey. There is a “pressing need” to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic that is affecting so many lives in our world. I truly feel blessed to be a part of attempting to change the tide of this deadly disease. As a Peace Corp volunteer, my mission while in Zambia is to work closely with the Government of the Republic of Zambia to establish vital integrated and accessible HIV/AIDS care, prevention, and treatment services to help ease the burden of HIV/AIDS. With 16.5% of the population infected, Zambia is facing the most critical development and humanitarian crisis in their history to date.
I leave June 4th for Philadelphia to meet up with the other Peace Corp volunteers that will serve in Zambia. Then, 3 days later we will depart for Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. We’ll be in the capital for 3 months of intensive training, and then I will be placed in a rural village. I’ll be living, teaching, serving and learning from the people of my village for 2 years. Visitors are welcome!
Amidst the tearful goodbyes to friends and family, I feel peace and confidence that the road ahead is one which God is going to bless! He has me at a place in my life where I am able to do this, and He has opened doors for this opportunity. I’ve included my mailing address for the 3 months of training- I would love to hear what is going on in your life while I’m away. Mail normally takes a minimum of 2-4 weeks to arrive…so if I don’t reply right away please don’t be discouraged! The Peace Corp advises that you should number your letters and also write “Air Mail” and “Par Avion” on all envelopes. Also, for those of you that use internet, I have started a blog and I’ll do my best to post messages and photos–the address is below!

Let the Journey Begin!
Love, Caitlin

Mailing Address:
Caitlin Clarkson/PCT
PEACE CORPS
P.O. BOX 21527
KITWE, ZAMBIA

Blog Address:
http://zambiak8.blogspot.com/

Email Address:
caitclarkson@hotmail.com