Arrival and Mourning the Death of a President

It is hard to believe that 11 days have passed since we arrived in Zambia. I had intended to post pictures from our journey TO Zambia, however, the connector for the camera to the computer was left behind in Chipata and I am unable to upload the new photos. I will try to upload them in the future. Thank you for your prayers. Our travels were very smooth and we were able to stay healthy the entire trip to Zambia.

Our time here has been very busy. We have already completed a trip from Lusaka to Chipata and back again...a 14hr round-trip car ride. We invite you to check out a map to see where we are. You can go to www.google.com and click images from the menu at the top. Type in "map of Zambia" and you will have some image options to get an idea of where we are and have been in the past week.

The country of Zambia has been in a 21 day period of mourning for the late President Patrick Levy Mwanawasa. His body arrived in Lusaka on August 23 (the day after we arrived) from France. The people of Lusaka, Zambia lined the streets all the way from the airport to the conference center where his funeral took place to welcome him home. All of this was televised, providing Kyle and I an opportunity to participate from the house where we were staying. Since this day, the body has traveled to every province offering people from all over the country an opportunity to view his body and pay their last respects.
In the picture to the left that I took with my web cam, Kyle is pointing to a picture of the late President. As far as we know, pictures like this are required to be hung in every business in the country. The picture also provides evidence that we are alive and well :).

The period of mourning also required people to be more solemn. Certain businesses like night clubs and bars were ordered to only play somber music. His body will be buried on Wednesday September 3 the day that he would have turned 60 years old. This day will officially end the period of mourning. The television station we have access to (ZNBC) plays only footage covering the events surrounding the grief festivities and advertisements that pay their respects to the late president. The music played in the background are songs that artists have written about the president, his service as president, and how he will be missed. It is very different than how we would honor the President of the United States, primarily in the length of time of mourning.

The late President is remembered for his commitment to fighting government corruption, employment creation, and overall country development. This includes working to repave and repair The Great East Road, an accomplishment that Kyle and I are most thankful for as we will drive this road many times while we live in Zambia. The unfortunate thing about many of these projects is that they have been left incomplete. The hope and prayer is that the next president will value these projects and see to that they are finished.

Zambia and the United States will share November as an election month. However, in Zambia our understanding is that the next president will only serve long enough to finish out Mwanawasa's term (three years of his five are left). Please join with us and the people of Zambia in praying for a peaceful and fair election. The past year has shown too many violent elections throughout the continent of Africa, pray that the transfer to the new president will bring hope and peace to the country.

The President's passing has affected Kyle and I through the general slow down of business, primarily in Lusaka. We still have to pick up our official permit which we anticipate being finished this week. We will also purchase a vehicle and a few other amenities to take back to our home in Chipata. However, Wednesday September 3 has been declared a national holiday, therefore, all offices and businesses will be closed all day; which makes it hard to anticipate what we will be able to actually accomplish.

Prayer Requests:
1) Pray for the people of Zambia to trust in God's comfort during this time of grief.
2) Pray that the Lord would prepare a way for us to find a secondhand vehicle that is in good condition and within our budget
3) Pray for us to be aware of the Lord's presence as we wait upon these things.

**note**
If there is something you are particularly interested in hearing about please leave a comment on the blog or send an email to kyle.stob@gmail.com with the question or subject and I will do my best to address it in a future post. Our desire is that this blog keeps you informed about things relevant to our related to our work, life, and ministry in Zambia that are interesting to you.