Our Days in Zambia

Monday, Feb 19

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 cooking 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 group 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.