More Pics from the field

Work Team Members Lorelle, Elise, Harry, Emmy and Christin

 

Mwauka Bwanji!

(good morning in the local dialect of Nyanja)

We have officially wrapped up the work portion of our trip here in Zambia and have traveled to a safari lodge outside of Lusaka called Chaminuka for some much needed cultural transition and down time before the journey home. Again, I’ll have to post some pictures and videos later as we have a strong web connection here, but I’m still having a hard time uploading.  You’ll also likely notice some formatting issues today – I apologize. Something isn’t quite working correctly.

I also just checked the blog for the first time and saw all of the encouraging comments and commitments of prayer. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. I have definitely been strengthened and encouraged during my time here and have been showered by God’s blessings all week long.  I’m looking forward to my return home, and especially to being with Tina and the boys of course! But I must also say that I am eager to return here.

I had little to prepare me for this trip and wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Several people have asked me what I’m thinking so far and my best answer is that, aft spending the past ten days here, I imagine that what we expected to be difficult will be even more difficult,but what we expected to be wonderful will be more wonderful than we could have imagined. All in all, I have had a complete sense of peace reassurance that this is where God wants us to be. Somehow, I feel completely at home here.

Again, thanks for following my journey for the past few days.  Stay tuned for further posts and keep the prayers coming over what will surely be a challenging next few months.

Zikomo (thank you!)

Gilt and Guilt

(this piece was written on the plane from London to Lusaka after my impressions there and subsequent thoughts.  If you’ve been following, this blog is out of order then, but this was my first chance to post it. Pictures pending)

What a startling contrast can be seen between just a few short plane stops.  On Sunday we arrived in London with a 6 hour layover.  Our work team leader, Harry, had judiciously arranged for us to spend that time on a guided tour of the city.  Specifically, we traveled by bus and foot through the West end of London – or Royal London.

This was a unique opportunity and a blessing (beyond the need to stretch and breathe outside of an airplane or airport!), especially for me as it was my first experience outside of my own continent.   I had long hoped to see historic Europe and wasn’t disappointed by my first look. The rich history and architectural beauty of Royal London were truly fascinating and inspiring. The lavish extravagance of the monuments, palaces and cathedrals were breathtaking. 

But, of course, given that the primary purpose of this entire trip involves so much more than leisure and sightseeing, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander to the stark contrast I expected to encounter on our next stop…

As our tour guide proudly recounted facts about the sheer magnitude of the Buckingham palace and it’s 800 rooms (the “baby of the Royal palaces” as he called it), I had to wonder about the thousands of orphans in Lusaka and Chongwe alone, much less world-wide, who suffer inadequate living conditions at best.  I wondered how many starving people could be fed or life-saving vaccinations purchased had the royals not even declined to construct the lavish buildings, gates and statues, but maybe just forgone the gold-leaf plating that adorned most of them. 

Many grand monuments were constructed to honor the global dominance of England in the Victorian era and some even paid tribute to the lands colonized under that reign.  I wondered how well the depictions represented the appreciation of the native people or how they felt about the care they received from their often unwelcomed rulers. I pondered what may have happened had the imperialists offered more culturally-sensitive and -responsible opportunities for economic development and exploited natural and human resources less. 

 Needless to say, then, that I started to become downright agitated as our guide pointed out the expansive walled complex that served to care for Her Majesty’s 30 favorite horses, only to have them sent to a countryside estate that he described as an “equine spa” upon their retirement.  The idea of such a use of resources in light of what need exists on the next continent over makes for a frustrating experience.  From a personal standpoint, I even began to resent this, having spent much of my free time lately attempting to raise funds for the construction of a school that will care for humans in dire and basic need, all of which is entirely preventable given the world’s rich resources.  

Now, I suppose a disclaimer or two is in order, so I’ll make some: 1) I’m certain that many leaders and even royals are wildly generous beyond my capacities and may have a heart for charitable causes.  2) art and architecture are, of course, horribly important to the human experience. One could make a valid case that exactly because of such extravagance, more people are inspired to achieve, create, and Invent; leading to even more economic prosperity that can be used to bless others in numerous ways.  3) Lavish beauty, creativity, and grandness reveal the very nature of God and His image in us.  In participating in the arts, and doing so on the scale seen today,  we can honor that and honor Him. 

If you need one more, even the Banner itself says that creative acts are crucial!  This denominational publication just featured an article on the subject stating that such endeavors “can redeem the world, one creative act at a time”. It goes on to illustrate in contrast the impact of a world with or without creative and redeeming acts. (By the way Professor Perini, being sleep deprived on a cramped airplane in the middle of the night after nearly 40 hours of travel and 2 hours of sleep in an unknown time zone listening to the Helsinki Philharmonic produces an ample alpha-state for creating – at least creating a blog entry!). 

The same magazine exactly two years earlier (March 2010) featured another article by Kuiper college president Dr. Nick Kroeze on our need for appreciating and expressing beauty, primarily as a way of knowing God and embracing others. 

So, I purposefully didn’t name this entry “guilt over gilt” or “Guilt not gilt”.  In no way is my desire to curb art or architecture or even to feel badly about producing or enjoying it.   I’m certainly not calling for the dismantling of Westminster Abbey or to house the homeless at Clarence House.  I would probably be OK with melting the statue of Prince Albert down to fund the Esther School, but that might be frowned upon…

I guess I simply wonder about the balance we have achieved between our simultaneous needs for creating and serving.  I think we need to make room for both creating or enjoying inspiring displays of grandeur and beauty AND for allowing our hearts to be broken for those who will not eat today, find the medicine they need to stay alive, or receive the education they need to rise above such plagues.

I’m both humbled and proud to be on this trip to serve God and his people through the construction of the Esther (now there was a real queen!) School, a place that, I hope and trust, will for many years inspire and teach a healthy balance between the need to create and the need to serve.  May we all use and allocate our energy and resources in a similarly balanced manner.

Big Sky

Worship.

(Kevin posted this this morning from Zambia)

The Chapel at Westminster Abbey

We have had so many chances to participate in worship over the past week – to lead, to be lead by others, sometimes formally, sometimes informally.  Really, our entire effort here for the past week and next few days is an act of worship.  As you can imagine, much of the worship style that is seen in this land is different in so many ways to our own traditions, but actually much is very similar as well.  In all, it has been so moving to know that no matter where we are or how we worship, we all praise the same God!

Yesterday (Sunday), the work team had an opportunity to worship among several congregations here in Nyangwena (the name of the village in Chongwe district nearest the Esther School).  I joined Gerardus and Machteld Kollenhoven and their daughters Lucinda and Elise at the Word of Life Church, just down the road some.  I obviously didn’t take any pictures during the service, but I hope to get down there again later to capture the building where the service was held.  Very different from my church, and certainly from the cathedral at Westminster Abbey where I had stood just a week prior.  But this building was beautiful in it’s own way, especially once worship began.

This is actually a church we visited in Kalingalinga - a slum in Lusaka where GEMS is thriving through clubs

The congregation was seated on wooden slats balancing on piles of rocks within the open, one room dirt-floor building.  Gert (who is even taller than I am) and I perched on a 2X4 that was open and available.  We later realilzed that it was the only “pew” directly in line with the open window area that allowed the morning sunlight in for the duration of the 2 1/2 hour service.

As with most of what we are experiencing here, I couldn’t begin to describe what the experience in that little church was like.  I guess like the pictures of the sunsets I’ve been taking, words and pictures could hardly capture what this is like.  I will say that there is nothing quite like the music here.  The richness and beauty of the vocals is literally heavenly.  I couldn’t have imagined being moved to tears by songs that I couldn’t even understand the words to.  Then, in the midst of it all, the congregation broke out into a rendition of “How Great Thou Art” in English that would have rivalled any professional choir.

The messages (there were two) could have been preached in any American church othere than the fact that they were simultaneously given in English and the local Nyanja dialect.  The teaching was offered by the local Government School headmaster and covered themes of Creation, Fall, Salvation, and Redemption.  We used the same Bible and followed a similar format to worship, but there was a depth and a richness to the service that was beyond what I have seen before.  After the service, we were asked to line up outside so we could be greeted formally, but very warmly, by each of the congregations 60 or so attendants.

Later in the day we hosted our own Bible School program for the local village children.  We sang worship songs, did a puppet show, had some fun outside, and did two craft stations including the Salvation bracelet.  Despite the controlled chaos and a few children upended at the sight of the puppets 😦  we experienced much joy sharing with the children here.  Hopefully, Tina will post a picture from that event later as I have had a weak internet signal here and uploading pictures has been difficult.  Notice in the picture the three young girls or so who carried thier young siblings in on their backs.  The girls were so young that the only slightly smaller children’s feet were nearly dragging on the ground.

All beautiful sights.  Thanks for following and for the many prayers you are sending.  I can feel them across the ocean!

Breakfast time…

K

Progress

Kevin is busy making friends as usual! 😮

The photo above is Kevin with with two of the sons of the night watchman (at The Esther School) who he said he has befriended. He even went and visited with he and his family at his home.

It sounds like Kevin has had the opportunity to meet some amazing people! It also sounds like he and the rest of the work team have been working very hard! They have made some progress on getting a garden started and a small orchard. They have THREE mango trees (my favorite)!!!  and two avocados (another favorite!), plus tangerine, orange, lemon.  and another missionary family is bringing papaya.  Guava and others are also available. Unfortunately he injured himself while planting one of the mango trees…dropped a boulder on his foot! He says he doesn’t think it is broken and is actually feeling a bit better after 24 hours. They have also been working on fencing in the garden and orchard as there are cows that are basically herded right through our front yard. Here’s a pic of our friendly new neighbors! 😮

Pictured here is one of the local “farmers”… five brothers who herd cattle around the school all day.

The work team was also able to travel to Lusaka, the capitol of Zambia, and visit with a few GEMS clubs there…

I am just amazed at how God is working in Zambia with the GEMS program and The Esther School and am just in awe of His master plan. I would have never thought in a million years after I was there in 2008, that my husband would now be there…meeting the same beautiful women and children, and now His plans for our family to MOVE there! It is just so awesome at how His plans are so much greater than ours.

The work team has much to do in the next two days. They will be flying out of Lusaka on Wednesday and arriving back in the states on Friday. I will post any additional updates I get but please pray for safe travel and that they can get as much accomplished as possible!     Tina

Sunset

Kevin just emailed from Chongwe after another day filled with wonderful meetings and hard labor. It’s almost 11:00 pm there but he was able to capture a beautiful sunset and wanted me to post it for him. Enjoy!