Christmas Celebrations

Opening Christmas Presents!

Today was my official first Christmas in Zambia! I was woken up by Nate (one of our volunteers) banging on my door at 6 am yelling "Merry Christmas!" If you know me at all, you know I am NOT a morning person. Perhaps if Nate was 4 years old it would have been cute. Not so cute for a 20 year old. However I was up and we gathered at Jake & Jessi's house to open presents with their two young daughters.  Eating swedish nut bread (my gram's recipe and my fav breakfast for Christmas) and drinking Cinnamon spice coffee, we exchanged gifts and watched the girls open their presents with great joy.

Our afternoon was spent with wonderful friends from town as we shared a large, and delicious lunch. My parents then called me using facetime for a video chat. I was able to watch them open the presents I sent. I love technology! To make it even better, I did a video chat with my entire family (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents). It was so great to see their faces but it made me a bit more homesick then I already was. However, it's been a great Christmas and I'm looking forward to the upcoming New Year!

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Songs

driving through Nsongwe Village

I had a revelation while driving to town the other day. Have you ever noticed how many Christmas songs talk about snow and cold? White Christmas came on my ipod and I was singing along, but then I looked at my surrounding. There has never been a white christmas in zambia. Instead it's a very green Christmas. Growing up in Chicago, Christmas is cold and usually white. However, Christmas is during the summer for half of the world- Zambia included. While my family and friends back in Chicago are hoping for a white christmas, Jake, Jessi, and I are hoping for a wet Christmas. With the rains comes cooler temperatures. Dry days here are above 100 deg F- not exactly like the Christmases "I used to know." But what makes Christmas? Is it the snow and cold? Family traditions? Presents under the tree? Sure, I love all of the joys of Christmas but let's never forget our true joy: the birth of our Savior. So whether or not your Christmas this year is white, know that the true source of our joy is in Him. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Traditions

Every family has their own Christmas traditions. They're what we've grown up with, what we associate the holiday season with. It can be certain foods, midnight church services, Christmas carols, etc. You don't really realize how unique, and even how important they are to you until you're away from your family on Christmas for the first time.

This is my first year staying through rainy season (obviously also through Christmas) here in Zambia. The base is quiet, with only myself and another family making up the "foreign" staff. Jessi and I have been planning Christmas by combining all of our favorite traditions together. The first one has been the great cookie bake. Now my mom usually bakes the christmas cookies, while my sister, brother, dad, and I "help" as the taste testers. However, Mom isn't here so Jessi and I pulled together all of our favorite recipes (thanks, Mom, for sending the recipes for my favorite cookies!) and spent an entire day baking cookies. We started our baking day by laying out a game plan. After a short discussion of whether we should half the recipes or not (deciding on not) we starting the baking spree. By dinner time we had made about 20 dozen cookies. For 3 adults and 2 young kids. That's a lot of cookies!! Did we get carried away? Sure! The good part about all these cookies is now we have lots to share with our zambian and missionary friends here. There's nothing like the taste of your favorite, childhood Christmas cookie to make you feel a bit more connected to home despite the thousands of miles of separation. 

The Mass Exodus

If you sit still all you can hear are the sounds of the birds, the wind, and some sounds of construction here on the base. The masses have left the base and just a few of us staff remain here at Rapid 14 base. Over the next few weeks, only 3 of us will remain here for the entire rainy season. As I type this, dark clouds are rolling in and thunder is echoing in the near distance. It looks like rainy season is finally picking up! There are pros and cons to this. It's finally a break in the intense heat we've had for months. It's also great for the villages since they're farmers and need the rains to begin planting their maize (corn) crops. The con is that is makes driving on the roads very hard. To reach the villages, we're driving on dirt roads and crossing riverbeds. With the rain it turns the dirt into mud and clay and fills the riverbeds, cutting off our paths to get to these villages. Even though ministry does slow down, there's still plenty to do. I'll still have one of my bible studies running in the villages since the road should be passable most days. Being a missionary also means that you wear many hats. With most of the staff back in the States, the 3 of us remaining have taken on the responsibilities of running the base. I'll be in charge of food and kitchen duties for not only us but our workers. This season will also let me focus on language studies, bible school (been needing to finish the certificate course for awhile now), and preparing teaching materials for the village bible studies for next year.  No matter what season here in Zambia, life is never boring. I'm looking forward to blogging more and introducing you all to life here as a missionary! Blessings!! 

Seeing Growth

I just heard the most amazing report this morning and wanted to share it with all of you. Last week, Pastor Dragan and I had to cancel our weekly meeting in Mahalulu; he had caught the stomach bug that was going around. Apparently the people in Mahalulu didn't want to miss the meeting so Wilson, the man we've been training to be the zone manager in that area, led the bible study. Not only did he show his own initiative to lead the study but he's been going out several times a week doing door to door ministry. This is such an amazing report because it shows such growth in these men and women that we've been pouring into since June. I feel like a proud mama!!

Dragan and I will be there on Thursday, as per our usual ministry schedule, and I cannot wait to hear the testimonies and just share in how excited I am for what the Lord is doing in their lives.

New Roommate

I have a new roommate in my chalet here at Rapid 14 base. His name is Tyrone and he's a baboon spider, a relative to the tarantula. The photo isn't of him but looks the same. I accidently walked in on him in the shower yesterday. He needs to learn to lock the door! When I came back with my posse and a really big stick, he was gone and thankfully hasn't returned yet. Normally I don't have any issues with spiders. Lots of them eat mosquitos so we have a great relationship. However, there was no way I wanted to wake up to this thing crawling on me in the middle of the night. Since he's not dead, we came up with a plan B. My bed is now completely surrounded in a mosquito net. I usually wait as long as I can to put the net up since they're really hot to sleep under. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. The warm weather brings out the strangest insects and creatures here in Zambia. Last year were giant scorpions. This year seems to be the year of the spider. Oh the adventures we have!

Weather Change

This morning I woke up with this thought: "I'm not cold!" It's the first morning I've actually noticed that the frigid, winter weather here in Zambia was gone. There's a fine line between cold and hot season, and today may be the day we've crossed it. As the afternoon has progressed, long sleeves and pants were quickly changed into shorts and tank tops. There have been other signs of the upcoming hot season over the last week or two. The sky has been hazy from dust storms and bush fires, but the intense colors of the sunsets have only increased. Also, my garden seems to have started growing again after the long, winter sleep. No matter what, there's no escaping the heat. I can't bring myself to embrace this weather but experience tells me to grin and bear it until the blessed rains arrive in November. Until then it's lots of water and whatever shade you can find!

Cabbage Mishaps

On Friday evening, myself, two volunteers, and our zone manager Crispen had an overnight in Ndele village. Every friday morning, we hold a bible study in Ndele and wanted to take this chance to build a stronger relationship with the people. Just before sunset, the ladies were gathered, chopping cabbage for our evening supper. Becca and I grabbed our knives and went to join them. I must say that these women are excellent cooks. As soon as we sat down and began asking them about how to chop, the giggles began. In this culture, every woman knows how to make nshima and relish (i.e. cabbage). It's what makes you a good wife and mother. About 5 minutes into our chopping experience, I sliced my finger and it started to bleed. The women laughed and told me that my hands were "too soft" and that I needed "elephant skin." They then showed me their rough, callused hands, comparing them to my smooth, soft skin. My knife was quickly taken away; it was clear that I was fired from the job of chopping vegtables. Becca didn't last much longer as they fired her for chopping the cabbage into too large of pieces. We might not make great village cooks but the time spent with the people was absolutely amazing.

Mangos & Cod Liver Oil

This morning I headed out to Ndele Village for our weekly bible study. We meet under a mango tree in Kennedy's garden (pictures coming soon). This was actually my first time leading the bible study, so we spent the time really getting to know one another. I shared my testimony about what the Lord's done in my life and encouraged them to not view themselves "according to the flesh". Several others then opened up and shared several testimonies from what the Lord has done in their lives. Many had come to the Lord through healing, admitting to once trusting in "traditional medicine" but found that only the Lord is our healer. It was amazing! Kennedy also asked for prayer for the bible study to grow to include everyone in the village. I absolutely love his heart.

After we were done with the teaching, one woman, Katherine, said

they needed more vitamins. Some of you may remember that last year we had 5 containers full of vitamins that we distributed. Suddenly everyone was sharing about how much the vitamins have helped them. Then Katherine continued saying that she loves the cod liver oil. In fact, she not only takes it as medicine but also puts it on her skin and hair. She smiled brightly as she shared this, exclaiming how cod liver oil not only makes you strong but also gives you beautiful skin and hair. I had to hold in my laugh as I heard this. I can't imagine using cod liver oil as a conditioner or lotion but it's good to know that if you enjoy fish smells, it's a great option. :)

Bush Trekking

Last week, Pastor Dragan and I were driving to Mahalulu Village to meet with the pastor there. A few weeks prior, we had shown the Jesus Film there and wanted to follow up with the churches there. When we reached Pastor Thomas' home, we found that he was working out in his garden. His son jumped into the truck to guide us, assuring us that the "road" was passable. Several minutes later I soon realized this was going to be quit a journey. We crossed rivers, drove through people's yards, and down paths that were barely even footpaths. We finally reached a point where the truck could go no farther. Parking it under a tree, we set off on foot for another 30 minutes, I almost lost my balance in a river, before arriving at the garden. The surprise and joy on Pastor Thomas' face made that long trek worth it. He was so blessed that we could come all that way just to encourage him. These rural pastor easily get discouraged because they often feel inadequate to preach the Gospel due to lack of training. They also have no one else really speaking into their lives and encouraging them. This is why Overland Missions doesn't start our own churches but work alongside those that already exist. I'm excited to say that Mahalulu will be our first location for the new believers class that I'll be leading and training local leaders to teach in other villages.

Home

Right now I'm sitting in my "gingerbread house" on the rapid 14 base in Livingstone, Zambia. The door is open, letting the cool breeze flow through the house and the setting sun is filling the sky with the most vibrant red, orange, and purple colors. I'm home and it feels amazing!

I arrived on saturday and have been unpacking, reorganizing, and settling back into life here at the base. I arrived later then in the past and right in the midst of our busy season. There's an expedition in, amt is going full speed, and lots of staff and volunteers are working hard in meeting the spiritual and physical needs of the rural villages.

I started teaching gps & navigation to the amt class today. The class runs for this week, which gives me time to get my truck ready for the villages. Next week starts the new ministry I'll be doing in the Mukuni kingdom of zambia. It's located right here in the southern province of zambia and an area I'm very familiar with. I've arranged for language lessons to start as I continue learning Tonga. Over the last 5 years I've been able to pick up on some basics but have a desire to become as fluent as I can over the next 17 months. I'll keep you all updated as this adventure continues. Blessings!

Question 10

"What has been the most powerful thing you've seen God do while ministering in the villages?"

It's hard to narrow this down to one thing because God has done so much in the lives of the people in the villages that I've been to. However, the first testimony that comes to mind happened a couple of years ago. We were holding a women's conference in Nyawa Village- Zambia. About halfway through the 2nd day of the conference, an old woman shuffled into the church and sat at the back. During the break, she came up to us and through an interpreter share her story. Her name was Sophia and she lived in one of the surrounding villages. She had heard about the women's conference but feared she wouldn't be able to walk the distance. Her feet had been in pain for years, so bad that she could only move around her home. However, her desire for the Lord was far greater then her pain. She walked, using a long stick as a cane, for several hours to reach the conference. Sophia then asked us to pray for her. As we did, she said she felt fire rush through her feet and the pain was completely gone. She had tried everything before this day- clinics as well as the witchdoctor. Nothing had worked until she turned to Christ. Her life was completely changed!

Question 9

"What do you miss the most from America while in Africa?"

I don't usually start missing things until about 6 months into being back in Africa. It usually starts as cravings for different foods. Sometimes it's the desire to talk to my family and having limited phone and internet access at that moment. Other times it's the ease of running errands in America, good roads, and easy access to different products that I might need for something. No matter how frustrating things can get, there's still nothing else I'd rather be doing and no where else I'd rather live then in Africa. :)

Question 8

"Where do you do your shopping?"

Doing grocery shopping is always an adventure in Zambia. There are two main markets that we

do our shopping at, which are very different from each other.

The first stop is Maramba Market. It's a local zambian market in a township in Livingstone where we buy a lot of our bulk produce from. Here we get our tomatoes, cabbage, onions, beans, and yummy (not!) dried fish. You never know what your experience will be like in the market. Some days, everything goes smooth and uneventful. Other days, your battling crowds and even turning down multiple marriage proposals before making it back to the truck with the groceries.

Our other grocery store is called Shoprite. It's located on the main road in town and is in a small strip mall, where my favorite cafe, Kilimanjaro, is located. This is where we get a lot of the dry and pantry goods for the base. You never know what's going to be in stock in shoprite. The majority of the food is shipped in from south africa, which raises food prices quite a bit... especially canned goods. On good days you can even find oreos and chips ahoy cookies!

Question 7

"What has been your most embarrassing moment in Africa so far?"

I hate to admit that I've had a few and have learned to laugh at myself...a lot. :) One such moment was this past year. I had just dropped two of my friends at the airport and went to do some errands in town before heading back to the base. It was during hot season so I was in a skirt, since jeans are unbearable in 120 degree heat. While loading groceries into my car, a strong wind came up from under my truck and blew up my skirt. I quickly did my best Marilyn Monroe impression in the crowded parking lot. However, I was definitely facing the wrong way. Upon hearing laughter breaking out, I quickly jumped into my truck and drove swiftly back to the base in embarrassment, leaving the rest of my errands for another day. It's always an adventure!

Question 6

"What is one thing you've had to learn being a missionary that you never expected?"

This is a hard question. There are so many things I've had to learn

from culture studies to digging a huge truck out of the mud. I think the most unexpected skill, however, has been learning to cook for large groups. Before joining Overland Missions, I was never much of a cook. My main diet during college was the classic ramen noodles and $1 slice of pizza from the pizza place next door to my apartment. However, I can now whip up a mean chicken curry and even bake your birthday cake using only a campfire. A skill I've never expected to have but that comes in quite handy.

Question 5

"What type of accommodation do you have in Zambia?"

My "home" on the base has changed quite a bit over the last 5 years. The majority of it has spent living in two very different types of tents. For the first 2 years, I stayed in a little 3-man "A" frame tent, which was quite cozy. There wasn't much room for anything but my sleeping mat and clothes, but it was home. As our base grew, new tents were built for those staying long term on the base (staff and amt students). They're called safari tents and are the 5 star equivalent of tent living. I lived in this for 2 and half years and loved it. My tent was on the edge of the gorge, had a bed, and even wicker wardrobe. Every night I would fall asleep to the sound of the Zambezi river. This past year, I was extremely blessed to be moved into a real house. Solid walls and all! While I loved my tent, it's great to have a place that feels more permanent and like a real home. I'm still working on decorating it, which will be one of my personal projects when I get back. However, I still use tents whenever staying overnight in the villages. Don't want you to think I've gone soft! ;-)

Question 4

"What is it like to support raise?"

Support raising is a foreign concept to the world. The idea that one

would have to raise their own salary for a job doesn't make sense to many. To me, it makes perfect sense and I wouldn't have it any other way. In a way, it's similar to investing in a company. Only, no matter what amount you invest, every one gets the same return- the Gospel preached in unreached areas. I love my support team and I love what the Lord accomplishes through us. I don't go into the villages alone. Every single person who is on my team is there with me. In God's eyes, we are all equals. We are all accomplishing what He's called us, His children, to do: go into all the nations to preach the Gospel and make disciples.

Of every ministry experience I've had, I think that support raising has grown my faith the most. It actually comes easier to me to believe for someone to be healed then to be fully funded. However, God has never once let me down. ALL of my needs have been met and I've never gone without. I'm working on raising the last portion of my monthly budget so I can return to africa right now. There's been days of discouragement and days of joy. Never once have I doubted that God will provide. I know with all of my heart that this is what He's called me to do. I know with all of my heart that He will always provide for His purposes. God wills it!

Question 3

"What are church services like in Africa?"

I've never been in a church service in the USA that is anything like church service in a village in Africa. The service begins with a prayer meeting as everyone arrives. Service may be scheduled to start at 9:30 am but Africa runs on an entire different schedule. People will arrive throughout the morning. Once the worship team has arrived, the fun begins. Break out the hand drums and get ready to dance! An hour of praise and worship breaks out with the entire congregation breaking into song and dance. After about an hour long sermon, be expected to share as a guest in the church. There are times you'll be given the entire sermon on a moments notice, as a special guest. Be ready in season and out! :) The service closes with prayer, more singing and dancing, and the congregation wide hand shake. As everyone files out of the church a line forms where everyone greets each other with handshakes, and possibly more singing and dancing. There's nothing quite like it!

Question 2

"Please tell me about someone who you're close to in Africa"

Winnie is one of my good friends in Zambia. She's about my age an

d is from Nsongwe Village, just down the road for our base. I first met Winnie when she volunteered to be an interpreter on one of our expeditions in 2008. We quickly grew to be close friends as she continued helping with our teams. It was awesome to watch God move through her as she started sharing the Gospel with people in villages, not just translating. She has grown to be a woman on fire for the Lord with a passion for bringing the Gospel into the rural villages.

Question 1

"What is the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?"

This is the most common question I think every missionary is asked. The answer really depends on what your definition is weird. Two meals that come to mind is the one night we had hippo curry and the local dish called kapenta.

The story about the hippo curry is that we live on the Batoka Gorge, overlooking the Zambezi river. Certain times of the year (when the river is high) animals will wash over Victoria Falls and usually end up at our base. This one instance, a hippo was found (dead) in the gorge and the local villagers butchered up the meat. A portion was

given to our base which was served in the form of a curry that evening. I can't say it's my favorite meat but it wasn't terrible. :)

The local dish, kapenta, is a small, dried fish served. It's cooked in oil with onions and

tomatoes. Many people can't get over the little eyes staring at you from your plate. I just can't stand the salty, fishy taste that they have. However, if you enjoy sardines then you'll probably like these.

I did have goat heart in a village last year, which I really enjoyed!

Keep the questions coming! Send them through the comments, email, facebook, or twitter!

30 Day Challange

Lately I've been thinking of different topics I can blog about. I'll hopefully be back in Africa in a month and until then I'd like to do a post a day. Every time I meet with people and share with them about the ministry I do in, I get all sorts of questions. These questions can range from "what's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?" to "how are you received as a missionary by the local people?". For the next 30 days I will post a question commonly asked to missionaries with an answer from my personal experience. I hope that you all get to know me, the Zambian culture, and Overland Missions a lot more. Feel free to post questions that you'd like answered via the comments section, email, facebook, or even twitter. Look for the 1st post tomorrow!

Blessings!

Simple Gospel

Last week was 3/16/11. While driving, I was listening to K-Love radio and they were sharing about how it was declared "John 3:16 day" and were encouraging people to share the love of God with at least one person. It got me thinking about how often we (Christians) overlook that beautiful, yet simple verse. Many times we just assume everyone has heard it before. We're looking to share some new, revolutionary idea that will completely change the world as we know it. We've gotten away from the fact that this is the truth of the Gospel. "God so loved the world that He gave His only, begotten Son so that we shall not perish but have eternal life." That is it, my friends. Easy, simple, and beautiful beyond words. You matter to God. You are His heart's desire. How cool is it to be the very desire of God? It blows my mind...

Many of you might be wondering what is the update on the ministry in Africa. I'm so excited for the upcoming changes in ministry and cannot wait to be back in Zambia. Currently, I am raising up my ministry budget in order to return to Africa before summer. I'm in Chicago meeting with family, friends, and churches. If you're in the area, please let me know. I'd love to meet with you and share what God has placed on my heart for the rural villages in Zambia.

Twalumba! (Thank You in Chitonga)

Two Worlds

I feel like I haven't moved in weeks. It's such an adjustment to come back to Africa and have a "9-5" schedule. I've been in Florida the past month, working on support raising from the Overland Missions USA offices. I have an office job. I miss the batoka gorge, the zambian sunsets, the long, bumpy road to town. I miss even the difficulty of accomplishing a simple task such as a town errand. However, I love seeing family and friends that I haven't seen in months. I love not having to watch for elephants while driving at night. I love the vast selection of everything found at wal-mart. What a strange world I live in. :)

My goal is to be back in Africa at the end of April and I cannot wait! Until then I will enjoy every day to it's fullest and cherish every minute spent with family and friends. And at night I will dream of the villages to be reached with the Gospel in Zambia once I return.