Our first month in pictures...

Laundry Day
The pictures below are from our first attempt to do laundry when we were here. We were so excited to see a washing machine at the regional director's house in Lusaka that we brought our dirty clothes and filled the washer with them. Then we put the soap in and turned the dial...only to find that the machine was hooked up to electric but not to water and we would have to manually fill and drain the machine once for the wash cycle and once for the rinse. It was quite a process but not as labor intensive as hand washing so we are NOT complaining. Then when we tried to use the dryer, it died after 5 minutes...so it was line drying for our clothes. Surprisingly, it is so dry and hot here, that our clothes dried in less than thirty minutes!
















Geckos
These are small gecko lizards that often wander into your house. They can sometimes be startling but are a very good house guests since they eat cockroaches, mosquitos, and other unwelcome pests. I found this one in our bathroom in Chipata just hanging out on the wall.



Our Vehicle
One of the first tasks we had to complete in Lusaka was to find a vehicle that would be reliable and durable enough to travel the long distance between Lusaka and Chipata on a road that is a bit rough. The Lord definitely provided for us. Below is the 2001 Isuzu Frontier that Partners Worldwide acquired to enable us to complete our work.

Visiting Teacher from Colorado
One of our projects, Chipata Christian School has a guest teacher from Colorado for three weeks. He is currently teaching the basic subjects for a class of sixth grade Zambian students. Before departing Chipata for Lusaka this last time we had a chance to visit with him over dinner a few times. We greatly enjoyed hearing his insights and observations.

Church with Zimbabwean Farmers
From September 20-23 we visited the All Kids Can Learn Zambia, Villages of Hope, located near Chisamba, Zambia (approx. one hour north of Lusaka). This is a Partners Worldwide project that focuses on using business ventures to subsidize the cost of orphan care. While visiting here we had the opportunity to meet and fellowship on Sunday with an entirely unexpected group of people, Zimbabwean farmers that were displaced over the past seven years by President Mugabe's (of Zimbabwe) policies. We attended their church, an open-air, thatched roof building on a small plot of land just outside Chisamba, Zambia.
Following the service, there was a barbecue where we had the chance to hear their stories. The most beautiful thing I found about these Christians, were they have so many reasons to be bitter and angry because they experienced such huge losses when their land was taken from them and yet they have such joy, love, and hope. They have experienced the healing of Jesus Christ and through their experiences some say, "Being displaced from my farm in Zim was the best thing that happened to me, because I no longer hold on to things that are earthly. But now I know that what is eternal is what matters and lasts." I was deeply challenged and inspired by their stories of loss, heartache, and healing through Jesus Christ. They have hope that God will restore their country in time. They told incredible stories of reconciliation and healing that are already happening in Zimbabwe within the churches. Racial tensions and barriers are being overcome through the cross of Jesus Christ. Despite the persistent and depressing media reports, Christians are testifying about the powerful and wonderful things God is doing in the midst of trial. Let us rejoice in what God is doing in the darkest places in the world.

Lusaka
Tomorrow we depart for the United States as my previous post mentioned. We have spent a lot of time in this city and below is a picture of a few of the people who made it possible for us to settle so easily and quickly. These folks are just part of the hardworking staff the CRWRC Zambia office, Christians that have truly been the hands and feet of Jesus to us.



I hope you enjoyed the tour in pictures of our last month. Obviously there are a few pieces missing, particularly pictures of our home in Chipata. When we return, I plan to do a more thorough introduction to the city of Chipata, our second home.