Come and hear stories from our recent trip to Zambia on Sunday, March 11 at 5 pm in C-161 (Single’s Room). We hope to share not only some of our stories but also what God has taught us.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Back in Michigan
"It seemed like the trip that would never end."
Sunday morning after we dropped off our luggage at our hotel, we took a city bus to a shopping mall. Some of us just had to get some clean clothes to wear.
After checking in to our rooms in the afternoon and getting a shower, we headed into Manhattan to see Times Square and Rockefeller Plaza. What a contrast for us. Wasn't it just a few days ago that we were sitting with grandma outside here small, thatched-roof home in 90 degree sun, and now we were looking at the lights of Times Square as the snow fell on us.
Monday morning we had a great breakfast provided by the hotel in our 7th floor lounge. As the day went on our flights to Michigan continued to be delayed. At 6 PM we moved out of the hotel and back to the airport. (In the time it took us to be shuttled to the airport the flight was delayed another 40 minutes.)
Wait...wait...wait.
Finally they canceled our flight to Grand Rapids. We were making plans for another night in New York. A couple of us approached a ticket counter to get the details, when we were told that we had been booked to Detroit. (At least this was in the right direction and our home state.)
In Detroit we were moved onto a bus and 50 of us now (all stranded passengers) were driven to the Grand Rapids Airport. Through the work of Ro Beals and Dwayne Dryer we were able to secure a church van to take us home. Thanks to Jason Kehrer for picking us up at 1:30 AM, Tuesday morning and taking us home. Total delay time: 33 hours.
Sunday morning after we dropped off our luggage at our hotel, we took a city bus to a shopping mall. Some of us just had to get some clean clothes to wear.
After checking in to our rooms in the afternoon and getting a shower, we headed into Manhattan to see Times Square and Rockefeller Plaza. What a contrast for us. Wasn't it just a few days ago that we were sitting with grandma outside here small, thatched-roof home in 90 degree sun, and now we were looking at the lights of Times Square as the snow fell on us.
Monday morning we had a great breakfast provided by the hotel in our 7th floor lounge. As the day went on our flights to Michigan continued to be delayed. At 6 PM we moved out of the hotel and back to the airport. (In the time it took us to be shuttled to the airport the flight was delayed another 40 minutes.)
Wait...wait...wait.
Finally they canceled our flight to Grand Rapids. We were making plans for another night in New York. A couple of us approached a ticket counter to get the details, when we were told that we had been booked to Detroit. (At least this was in the right direction and our home state.)
In Detroit we were moved onto a bus and 50 of us now (all stranded passengers) were driven to the Grand Rapids Airport. Through the work of Ro Beals and Dwayne Dryer we were able to secure a church van to take us home. Thanks to Jason Kehrer for picking us up at 1:30 AM, Tuesday morning and taking us home. Total delay time: 33 hours.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Back in the USA
We arrived at JFK/New York on Sunday morning about 7 AM. (One piece of luggage did not make the flight with us.) All flights to Michigan are cancelled today due to weather. Brock, as a hotel employee, was able to get us 5 rooms at a Crown Plaza Hotel near the airport with a total savings of around $1,000 total over the quoted price. (We figure this is one of the things that Brock has contributed to the team, among many other skills.)
We hope to fly out of New York around 6:30 PM Monday night and fly directly to Grand Rapids. We should fly in around 9 PM. This would put us 29 hours behind our planned schedule, but we know that God was aware of all of this before we knew what was to happen.
We hope to fly out of New York around 6:30 PM Monday night and fly directly to Grand Rapids. We should fly in around 9 PM. This would put us 29 hours behind our planned schedule, but we know that God was aware of all of this before we knew what was to happen.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Our Days in Zambia
Monday, Feb 19
Lunch for our team and 70 care givers and World Hope staff included the national dish of nshima ("she-ma"), a corn meal mush that has a look and feel of mash potatoes, and very little flavor. While
the locals will eat nshima everyday they don't very often also get three relishes, and two kinds meat (chicken and a small piece of sausage). It was quite a feast.
In the afternoon we met with our local Wesleyan pastor who took us to a neighboring "compound," a village of
800 traditional huts (probably 4-5,000 people) made of bricks and thatched roof. This compound was only a 15 minute walk behind the church across a field. We met with a grandmother who is carrying for 6 orphan grandchildren, and a daughter. With each rain her little home is falling in. We will be back on Tuesday to begin to assist kin the building of a new home.
We also met a blind grandfather who lives in a small hut that was about 8 feet by 10 feet.
He makes rope by braiding burlap. World Hope is providing a mattress so he no longer has to sleep on bricks and a board.
Tuesday, Feb 20
We went back to the Mwapona compound and began moving bricks 100 yards so that the small house could be built for the grandmother. Our goal over a few days is to move 2,000 from where they are made to her property. First the children and then others joined us in the brick moving chain.
Later that morning Jeff took George to the Wesleyan Bible College about 1 hour away. This is where CWC provides 3 scholarships to students of the 25 student Bible school. George was able to meet with each of our students and each of the teachers.
Tuesday afternoon the team began to paint in the Johnson's home. The rooms hadn't been painted in years so it will add a bright touch. Danette and the kids had picked out the colors for the living room and each bedroom. (The store has many paint chips, but actually can only provide a few colors.)
Wednesday, Feb 21
Call at 7:20 AM today. Each day it has been earlier than the previous. We visited the Martin Hospice where they have 11 patients, mostly dying of AIDS. We had morning devotions with the staff, and then they took us to meet the patients. In Zambian style we have brought gifts for the Hospice. A suitcase, a stuffed duffel bag and a garbage sack full of medical supplies. We offered to do work projects and we were put to work. Several scrub walls, swept floors, scrubbed cabinets in the kitchen, and turned their small chapel from a storage room back into a chapel where families could come to pray.
In the afternoon we divided the team to continue our previous days work. Part of the team went to Johnson's house to paint (they needed Scott to reach the high ceilings) and the other g
roup went back to the compound to move more bricks. (Linda wanted to go with the guys and move the brick.)
Thursday, Feb 22
In the afternoon we will do Home Based Care visits, bringing food and hope to homes with sick family members. We will divide the team into two groups, and each group will make calls on homes in the compounds.
Tonight we end with an evening celebration service at the church.
This morning we visited the World Hope Zambia office and met each of the staff members.
We toured the Community Orphan Trust that Central Wesleyan sponsors. A Community Trust is a project of World Hope set up to provide an income to help households care for the AIDS orphans that are in their care. Our Trust includes a large garden producing several different vegetables, two chicken runs (one that produces chickens for cookin
g and another one for egg production), a piggery, and a sewing project. We worked all morning weeding in the garden with the care givers. The goal with this project and our other work was not the work that needed to be done but to build relationships with the people around us. (By showing that Americans care places a higher value on something.)
Lunch for our team and 70 care givers and World Hope staff included the national dish of nshima ("she-ma"), a corn meal mush that has a look and feel of mash potatoes, and very little flavor. While
the locals will eat nshima everyday they don't very often also get three relishes, and two kinds meat (chicken and a small piece of sausage). It was quite a feast.In the afternoon we met with our local Wesleyan pastor who took us to a neighboring "compound," a village of
800 traditional huts (probably 4-5,000 people) made of bricks and thatched roof. This compound was only a 15 minute walk behind the church across a field. We met with a grandmother who is carrying for 6 orphan grandchildren, and a daughter. With each rain her little home is falling in. We will be back on Tuesday to begin to assist kin the building of a new home. We also met a blind grandfather who lives in a small hut that was about 8 feet by 10 feet.
He makes rope by braiding burlap. World Hope is providing a mattress so he no longer has to sleep on bricks and a board. We never leave a meeting with someone without praying with them. Why wouldn't we ask God's blessings on His Children?
Tuesday, Feb 20
We went back to the Mwapona compound and began moving bricks 100 yards so that the small house could be built for the grandmother. Our goal over a few days is to move 2,000 from where they are made to her property. First the children and then others joined us in the brick moving chain.
Later that morning Jeff took George to the Wesleyan Bible College about 1 hour away. This is where CWC provides 3 scholarships to students of the 25 student Bible school. George was able to meet with each of our students and each of the teachers.
Tuesday afternoon the team began to paint in the Johnson's home. The rooms hadn't been painted in years so it will add a bright touch. Danette and the kids had picked out the colors for the living room and each bedroom. (The store has many paint chips, but actually can only provide a few colors.)
Wednesday, Feb 21
Call at 7:20 AM today. Each day it has been earlier than the previous. We visited the Martin Hospice where they have 11 patients, mostly dying of AIDS. We had morning devotions with the staff, and then they took us to meet the patients. In Zambian style we have brought gifts for the Hospice. A suitcase, a stuffed duffel bag and a garbage sack full of medical supplies. We offered to do work projects and we were put to work. Several scrub walls, swept floors, scrubbed cabinets in the kitchen, and turned their small chapel from a storage room back into a chapel where families could come to pray.
In the afternoon we divided the team to continue our previous days work. Part of the team went to Johnson's house to paint (they needed Scott to reach the high ceilings) and the other g
roup went back to the compound to move more bricks. (Linda wanted to go with the guys and move the brick.) Jessie has done several haircuts for different missionary families. One of our goals is to be an encouragement to the missionaries and we are doing that.
It has been great to see so many of the team members take the time to talk with people and really listen to them. Relationship building has been so important.
Thursday, Feb 22
Today we head back to the two projects and see how far we get. It is important to get the painting done so we can put the Johnson's house back together. If we can move enough bricks the locals who are putting up the walls can keep their work going and the house will be finished soon.
In the afternoon we will do Home Based Care visits, bringing food and hope to homes with sick family members. We will divide the team into two groups, and each group will make calls on homes in the compounds.
Tonight we end with an evening celebration service at the church.
Monday, February 19, 2007
In Zambia
Saturday, Feb 17
Leaving Johannesburg, South Africa
Lost ticket: reprinted. Two carry-ons bags overweight: now checked baggage. The joys of travel. We had a great flight to Zambia. We were all bumped to Business Class for the 2 hours flight north. (I have never had a whole team bumped up.) All of our bags made it to Zambia as well, with about 500 lbs. of supplies for World Hope.
Jeff and his two daughters met us with a van and a trailer. We stopped at a small shopping center so the Johnson's could buy some groceries while we exchanged some money.
We arrived at the Guest House in Choma at 8:20 PM. We had a great introduction to the World Hope staff here from America.
Sunday, Feb 18
We walked the 10 minutes to church and get in on the last of the Adult S
unday School class. At 10 AM church began and went straight through till Noon. Specials included a musical number from the men's ensemble, another special from a women's ensemble, and a skit from the youth group. We had a wonderful worship experience. (I introduced each team member, and the congregation had a few laughs over some of our last names which were too hard for the translator to speak. How hard is "Atwood"?) At the close of the service they made a long receiving line and you end up shaking hands with everyone as they leave church.
Following lunch we had some orientation to World Hope's work here and some cultural information about Zambia. In the afternoon we divided our team in third's and went to their adult cell groups. Bible study leaders Jan, Barb and George lead the interactive Bible studies of about 20 -25 people in each home.
Electricity went out from 5:30 – 7:30 PM, so our dinner and debriefing were in the dark. We were all tired and then got silly with the jet lag late at night. Off to bed.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Welcome to South Africa
Out of the cold our team met at the Gerald Ford Airport of Grand Rapids. You wouldn't know from the picture that we were headed south, real far south.Our flight out of Washington, D.C. took just 14 hours as we had a good tail wind. That helped us reach speeds over 700 MPH. I know that some of our team were able to share with people on the plane about what were doing. One was in a discussion on the reliablity of the Bible.
Upon arrival in South Africa we were hit with the temperatures in the high 80's. The jackets, coats and scarves are gone for now. After clearing Immigration in Jo'Burg, South Africa we waited for our luggage. After some time of waiting and not seeing one piece of our 10 pieces of checked bags we were told that since we would be flying to Zambia the next morning that the luggage was being held for us and would be on our next flight. (We wonder if the night shift at the airport is going through our stuff. Will the Johnson family get their peanut butter and packs of M & M's?)
We are staying at a hotel near the airport. (Story: The shuttle driver took us to the wrong hotel. We unloaded walked up to the counter only to find out we were at the right chain of hotels, just the wrong one. We should be just a couple of blocks down the street. Back in the shuttle, same seats.)
Now we are settled in and after a meal we are headed to bed, with various forms of jet lag.
We leave the hotel on Saturday mornig at 8:50 AM to head to the airport. Next stop Zambia and the Johnson's.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Flying Out of Michigan
Here is our flight schedule today, if the weather cooperates:
12:05 PM Fly out of Grand Rapids * Northwest
#2921 to Detroit
1:59 PM Detroit to Washington-Dulles * Northwest
#1406
5:20 PM Washington-Dulles * Johannesburg * South
African Air #208
If all goes according to plan we will be in airports and airplanes for
about 22 hours until we arrive in South Africa. We will stay overnight
in Johannesburg on Friday night and then fly up to Lusaka, Zambia on
Saturday morning.
Prayer Requests
Pray for our safety as we fly out tomorrow and for our health as we travel across the continents.
Pray that we stay united as a team as we live and serve cross-culturally.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Ministry Team
Our team, made up of members of Central Wesleyan Church (Holland, Michigan), will be serving with Jeff and Danette Johnson and their family. The Johnson's work with World Hope International in Choma, Zambia.
The focus of our ministry will be to bring care and support to those with HIV/AIDS and their care givers (some as young as 12 years old). We also hope to be an encouragement to the Johnson family and the church they attend.
Team Members:
Steve Atwood
Brock Bruce
Betty Claar
Scott Doorn
Pastor George
Barb Hassenrik
Ed Hassenrik
Linda Horn
Jessica VanRhee
Jan Veldman
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