The Story Ends...The Story Begins

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.

Snaps

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!

Christa Christa Christa

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

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

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

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

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...

...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!

AIDS Memorial Service

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.

Snaps

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

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.

B.Y.O.S.

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!

Villagio, Botswana, Etc

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!

Crazy Funny

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

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

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

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!

Thanksgiving at the Lake

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!

Meds, Mamba, & Me

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!

Negativity

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.