Be careful what you order.

Greetings friends.

The Latest
We are alive and well and once again waiting. Although we found ourselves quite suprised and hopeful at the speed with which we were able to accomplish tasks last week, the most crucial one has come to a slow crawl.

Upon arrival back to Lusaka, we searched high and low (4 secondhand dealerships in town) for an affordable and most importantly, reliable vehicle. We found one but the late-president's funeral and the weekend proved to delay the processing of the vehicle and our money transfer. Therefore, we have found ourselves delayed in Lusaka at least until Wednesday. In the meantime, we have been finding and purchasing a few things for our house and working in the CRWRC office. We are finding settling in takes time and it is important to not worry about things outside of your control. When we wait God makes a way for all things that we need.

For Laughs
So I would say recent years have made me a fish eater. Though I am picky about the fish I eat, I cannot deny the nutritional value and thus will lay aside textural dislikes to consume those great omega 3 fatty acids. However, I will say that our first evening eating in the guest house in Chipata only three or four days after our arrival, I found myself testing my texture senses when I ordered what I thought was familiar...tilapia.
Let me take you into the moment: we had just arrived in Chipata after a eye-opening seven hour drive from Lusaka...it is dark because it is late but also because the electricity is out as it often is in Chipata at night. We are escorted to our room by candle light. I am trying to find my bearings, I am hungry after the long drive, and I am relieved to find out that dinner offers the option of beef or fish (Tilapia). Kyle opted for beef while I opted for the fish that would take a bit longer to prepare so I would wait. While we waited for the fish to cook, we ate nshima (the delicious staple of the area made from ground corn) and vegetables. The power restored while we waited just in time to catch a vision of the plate being delivered in front of me with my meat selection...there was a rather large WHOLE Tilapia. Needless to say my eyes about popped out of my head and Kyle barely stiffled his laughter at my reaction until we returned to our room after dinner. This Tilapia was complete with all the skin, tail, fins, head, and eyes! I realized that I had not in fact ordered a fillet but the entire fish as is customary throughout the country. Remembering my many lessons in politeness and eating what you order, I began using my fork to punch through the crunchy exterior to find the deliciously cooked meat.
The fish was in fact wonderful. Though I did not want to touch it with my fingers, I was willing to pull the meaty flesh away from the bones and eat it with my fork and knife...all the while trying to not look at the frowning face of the fish. I can say I learned that it is optional to eat the head (which I opted not to)...there are some though who claim that the head is the most tasty and nutritious. I know for a fact...no matter how nutritious, my adjusting stomach is not that strong.
Although a minor oversight on my behalf, I can say that I enjoyed the fish and have since gotten used to seeing entire cooked fish upon the plates of those around me when I eat out or visit the grocery store.
So the next time you eat out and order fish I hope you remember to be grateful that what comes is only a fillet of delicious meat and not a forlorn fish face wearing a frown.

The Work
Since our brief arrival, we have been able to connect with three out of the five partnerships. These brief meetings have opened our eyes to understanding the intricacies of relationships and the unpredictable challenges that can arise. Nevertheless, we are grateful to be able to work along side these teams of hardworking people who love and trust in Jesus Christ. We have some pictures of a the new building the Christian school has nearly completed that I will try to post when we go back to Chipata.

We anticipate connecting soon with the remaining partnerships. Sometimes delays in connecting can be due to circumstances beyond anyones control. With this in mind we ask you to join us as we pray for one of our partnerships. We just found out that the chairperson's wife has recently died. Please join us as we "...mourn with those who mourn." Pray that God would bring peace and comfort to the family at this difficult time.


We pray that you are knowing the blessings of God and thank you for all your prayers. We also thank you for your encouraging emails...Kyle and I have had many good laughs over your stories and tales of everyday life "back home."