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.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
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!
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Namibia...Africa's Colorado
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.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter!
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
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!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Sunset on the Atlantic
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!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
YouTube & Picasaweb
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
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
Saturday, March 01, 2008
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!
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!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Silver & Gold
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!
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!
Monday, February 04, 2008
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.
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!
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!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
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!
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
"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!
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!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Come Back to Me
"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.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Take a Chance
"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
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
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Spring Time
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.
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