Well we have officially survived our first (Friday night), and hopefully only, Zambian rainstorm. We were told it was really nothing in comparison to what rainstorms are like in the rainy season, but it was an interesting experience for sure. Ashley, Leanne and I had been stargazing on the trampoline, which we had moved to our desired spot. As we were lying there a black cloud, filled with splashes of lightening, slowly enveloped the stars. All of a sudden, we heard the pitter-patter of rain on the metal; we all looked at each other, jumped of the trampoline and moved it back as quickly as we could. We ran into the main sitting room of the dorm just as it was coming down and from there sprinted to our house. The evenig was spent at home, having to practically yell at each other despite the fact that we were sitting in the same room.
Saturday was a day for adventure. We woke up, started the routine as usual – breakfast, going to class, helping with letters home, and then the bell rang for “Morning Tea”. We left Sakeji just after 10; Ashley, Leanne, Rachel Buckley (a Scottish girl who has been teaching here between her 3rd and 4th year of “uni”) accompanied our chauffeurs, the Brass Tax workers: Jim and Paul. It was a very bumpy ride, to say the least. We started our adventure by visiting a small orphanage in Ikelenge. We, unfortunately couldn’t stay long, and soon were back on the road after picking up a couple packages from the post office. We were able to see many of the local villages as we drove past and all of the people, who had no problem staring at the 5 white people driving past in a vehicle, were very quick to smile and wave at us – we of course all waved back, which caused many children to run after us for as long as they could.
Our first “stop” was Kalane Hospital. I had heard about it from my dad’s visit a number years ago, but it was good to see for myself. The accommodations at Kalene are well built but scarce. Just the essentials are present; things aren’t kept as clean, but they do their best to keep up with the many locals who surround the hospital daily for help. We had a tour around the hospital, which was very interesting. We were allowed to walk right through any ward we wished, which was a little alarming because we know that at home that is strictly forbidden. Despite our nerves, Jim led us into the maternity ward where we met some new mothers and their newborn babies – simply adorable! However, some of the mothers looked so young!
After picking up Natalie (a Canadian McMaster student, spending a couple of weeks in the hospital and at the airplane hanger at Kalane), we headed to the “Hydro”, the source of the Zambezi. Upon arrival, we met Silver, the caretaker of the hydro plant and some of the children who were visiting his house to meet his newborn son, Jonathon. The kids were quick to follow us down to the “scenic” area of the hydro plant. It was very beautiful. We set up a picnic lunch and enjoyed some fellowship before deciding to dip our toes into the Zambezi… just to say we did! Leanne and Natalie were feeling extra adventurous and slid down the rocks of the small waterfall there. We had some fun with the kids, and took some pictures before heading up to Silver’s house to meet Jonathon.
Jim kept us on a very tight schedule, because there were places to go and people to see, visiting was not really an option. We headed back to Kalene where we picked up Danya, a local villager who works as a maid for John and Karen Louden. She invited us to come visit at her house, so since we were not able to take the truck the whole way because of road conditions, we followed her on the 10min. walk to her village. When we were there, she ushered us into her house right away. I had a seat that could see out the front door, and when in conversation with the other adults I could feel someone watching me. I turned to look out the door and saw five small children staring at me – I had fun playing peek-a-boo with them for while before we came back outside to read a story to them. Danya’s oldest daughter, Amy translated as best she could as Ashley read from “The Beginner’s Bible” which she had found in the house. A little boy was lingering near me and I held out my arms to him, he came right to me and plopped himself down in my lap. By the end of our time there he was snuggled right up, and fighting to stay awake. I truly believe that I left a piece of my heart in that village as I set the boy down and almost cried as all of the kids watched us walk away until we were out of sight. Just looking at the surroundings as I held the little boy broke my heart… this is really the way they live, everyday. I pray that somehow, God inspires them to go beyond what they know of village life, to dream big, and to live their lives wholeheartedly for Him.
As I said before, we were on somewhat of a strict schedule as we were to be at “The Orchard” by 3, for afternoon tea. Bruce Poidiven met us at the gate and ushered us into the hanger, where we met Paul and Mark – two volunteers from Ohio who are installing new plane engines. Marilyn Poidiven welcomed us and led us to “The Orchard”, and infamous getaway for tired missionaries. Complete with a dip in the pool and homemade donuts, we had a lovely time. Bruce and Marilyn know all of our grandparents as well as some who fellowship at our different assemblies. They say “Hi” to everyone back home.
Our ride back to Sakeji was just as bumpy as ever, but we arrived in one piece. Ashley, Leanne, Rachel and I joined Miss Janette Young in the main sitting area of the dorm to watch ‘Though None Go With Me’ to end our night. A tear-jerker, but an excellent way to end our adventure.
This morning we went to church in a local village about a half-hours drive form Sakeji. We got there and eventually, after meeting many of the church members, walked for twenty minutes before we reached a small pool of water, which we were told is the source if the Sakeji River. We were very blessed to witness three sisters in Christ get baptized! It was a very cool experience! We then headed back to the church – I walked back holding a small toddler… this proved to be very strenuous as the walk isn’t easy and it was about 30 degrees celcius. Nevertheless, we arrived back for the Breaking of Bread and then headed back to Sakeji after saying goodbye to all of our new friends. We were all exhausted by the time we got back. Having only an hour until Sunday School, we wolfed down lunch and then headed over to the hall to pick out songs and arrange chairs. Ashley, Leanne and I led Sunday School for the Gr. 1-9’s and shortly after that was done, were responsible to River duty until supper.
We are all still very tired, but have to stay awake for a couple more hours as we are going out for an evening meeting in a few minutes.
I apologize that this is so long, I know… it’s only two days worth; but there is just so much to tell! We are really enjoying getting to know the kids a little more everyday. God has a special way of reminding us of His love daily, and for that we are thankful.
We love and miss everyone back home, but assure you that we are well and safe. Please keep us in your prayers as another week of school begins tomorrow! That’s all for now.
Tizao nana.
Sunday 22 May 2011
Sunday 15 May 2011
Sakeji School
Ashley, Erika and myself arrived safely at Sakaji on May 7, 2011. Our pilot Don, took us on the three hour flight over Zambia and it was neat to see the different rivers, the large swamp, and the general landscape. We received a warm welcome when we landed and we were able to met several of the other teachers and families living at the school. Ever since we first landed, I (and I am sure that I can speak for Ashley and Erika) have been blown away by the hospitality that we have been shown by the people here. None of us were really sure what to expect Sakeji to be like, but I am sure that it has exceeded any expectations that we may have had. The people here are very understanding, welcoming and helpful. We have been fed wonderful meals and have been inspired by the amount of food that is homemade (even though this is a necessity down here, it still is quite an accomplishment). We have also had the privilege of trying some new food including guava, rice cakes and mealie meal.
Although the grounds are nice, and we were even given our own house (which in itself is crazy!), the life of Sakeji abides in the people here. The kids arrived yesterday and we have already fallen in love with them. We have been given the privilege to teach a science unit to a grade 3-4 class, and the rest of the time will be involved in supervising and helping in different grade levels along with other activities and lending a hand in other areas where help is needed. Ashley is helping with the grade 5&6 class as well as the 7&8’s, Erika is working with the 1&2’s and I am helping in the 3&4 classroom. There are about 70 kids in total. We had a couple of preparation days before the children came which was allowed us to get a bit of grasp on the routine, although by the time Tuesday came around it was good to have the school filled with children.
We have already experienced a couple of days in the classroom and all of us are really enjoying being involved in teaching, planning and even the opportunity to help out with some marking (it will be interesting to see how long we enjoying the markingJ).
The girls here love to play with our hair as it is apparently soft and as we all enjoy the feeling there is little hesitation to grant these girls their wish of plating our hair.
We are also starting to see the differing personalities of kids and becoming friends with them.
For interest sake, Sakeji is building a new dinning hall and so we get to see that process as it unfolds.
For the two Sundays that we have been at Sakeji we had the opportunity to go into Ikelenge to attend a local church there. The singing is wonderful and it is so encouraging to see the bond that fellow believers have with each other even though we are from different sides of the globe. It is also a good place to learn common phrases in Lunda, to practice them and to learn how to act in this different culture. One common new appropriate action when greeting someone is to shake their hand and then clap your hands together a couple of times as a sign of respect
The days here begin early and end early, which is a new routine to get used to. Overall the three of us are doing really well and enjoying this marvelous opportunity that God has given us to be here in Zambia at Sakeji. I myself have found that many new friendships have been formed and old one’s strengthened. So far it has been a really interesting, encouraging, and learning experience and I am excited to see what God has in store for us for the rest of the trip.
Leanne
As a side note: We were given the amazing opportunity to be guests on the CVC radio station the night before leaving for Sakeji. It is interesting that we all had to wait to come to Zambia for a chance to be on live radio. We were able to share our experiences in Livingstone, our impressions of Zambia, and our purpose for being here. It was so amazing to be able to openly express our love for the Lord, and our desire to serve Him to the 7 countries that the station is broadcasted to.
Although the grounds are nice, and we were even given our own house (which in itself is crazy!), the life of Sakeji abides in the people here. The kids arrived yesterday and we have already fallen in love with them. We have been given the privilege to teach a science unit to a grade 3-4 class, and the rest of the time will be involved in supervising and helping in different grade levels along with other activities and lending a hand in other areas where help is needed. Ashley is helping with the grade 5&6 class as well as the 7&8’s, Erika is working with the 1&2’s and I am helping in the 3&4 classroom. There are about 70 kids in total. We had a couple of preparation days before the children came which was allowed us to get a bit of grasp on the routine, although by the time Tuesday came around it was good to have the school filled with children.
We have already experienced a couple of days in the classroom and all of us are really enjoying being involved in teaching, planning and even the opportunity to help out with some marking (it will be interesting to see how long we enjoying the markingJ).
The girls here love to play with our hair as it is apparently soft and as we all enjoy the feeling there is little hesitation to grant these girls their wish of plating our hair.
We are also starting to see the differing personalities of kids and becoming friends with them.
For interest sake, Sakeji is building a new dinning hall and so we get to see that process as it unfolds.
For the two Sundays that we have been at Sakeji we had the opportunity to go into Ikelenge to attend a local church there. The singing is wonderful and it is so encouraging to see the bond that fellow believers have with each other even though we are from different sides of the globe. It is also a good place to learn common phrases in Lunda, to practice them and to learn how to act in this different culture. One common new appropriate action when greeting someone is to shake their hand and then clap your hands together a couple of times as a sign of respect
The days here begin early and end early, which is a new routine to get used to. Overall the three of us are doing really well and enjoying this marvelous opportunity that God has given us to be here in Zambia at Sakeji. I myself have found that many new friendships have been formed and old one’s strengthened. So far it has been a really interesting, encouraging, and learning experience and I am excited to see what God has in store for us for the rest of the trip.
Leanne
As a side note: We were given the amazing opportunity to be guests on the CVC radio station the night before leaving for Sakeji. It is interesting that we all had to wait to come to Zambia for a chance to be on live radio. We were able to share our experiences in Livingstone, our impressions of Zambia, and our purpose for being here. It was so amazing to be able to openly express our love for the Lord, and our desire to serve Him to the 7 countries that the station is broadcasted to.
Friday 6 May 2011
The end of an incredible week in Zambia!
Wow! The past few days have been absolutely incredible! I will not be able to convey everything that has gone on and the experiences that we have each had, since I don’t want you to be reading for hours and I need to get to bed as we fly out for Sakeji tomorrow. Basically God has been bringing people into our lives and teaching us so much in this past week and I can’t even begin to imagine what the next six weeks will entail.
Tuesday was our first full day in Lusaka and what a great day it was! Lindsay made us pancakes for breakfast (she is an incredible hostess!) and we headed off to Chifundo to see the grade seven class. All of the other classes are on break until the beginning of next week, but the grade sevens come for a half day all throughout the year. We were a little late leaving for Chifundo because us girls were enjoying our sleep a little too much! Once we finally got to Mercy (you might hear me call it Mercy or Chifundo, they are the same school where Lindsay works) we met some women in the adult classroom who were working on some sewing projects. It was really neat for us to see the women in action and they were very kind showing us what they were working on. One of the teachers instructing the young women was working on crocheting a purse out of videotape! It was a super neat looking bag! We looked at some of the skirts that the women had made and Leanne and I decided to buy one each! They were so beautiful and it was so cool to be purchasing a skirt from the woman who had made it! We got to see the grade sevens for a little bit, but it was quick as they were in the middle of a lesson. They all stood up to greet us with “Good morning madam!” It was such an incredible feeling to be addressed with respect like that and it gave me some butterflies as I anticipated the upcoming weeks at Sakeji.
After leaving Chifundo we went to the Chainda compound to pick Simon up as he and Jess and some others were making deliveries to some of the houses on the compound. While we waited for Simon we hung out on the ‘football’ pitch where a lot of the children were playing. As we got out of the car the children swarmed us as we were new ‘muzugus’ that they wanted to meet. We got to talk and play with the kids for a bit; Leanne played football with the boys (which she found a little difficult in a skirt), Erika took photos with the children who were quite amused with her digital camera, and I made up a handshake on the spot which I taught to some of the boys. We did a shake, ‘pound-it’ and explode and when we exploded we made an explosion noise. The boys thought it was hilarious! It was sad to have to leave, as I’m sure we could have spent the whole day there hanging out with the kids, but it got all three of us excited for going to Sakeji.
We picked up Simon and went into ‘town’ which is actually what we call downtown, but here it is just called town. We needed to go in to pick up our bus tickets to Livingstone and exchange some of our US $ for Zambian Kwacha. It was also neat to see downtown Lusaka as it has big commercial buildings, similar to what I am used to being in a city centre, but there was lots of sand and TONS of people selling things on the streets. Traffic getting into town was horrendous so as we waited Lindsay gave us a bit of coaching for what we needed to do once we got to the bus stop. However, no amount of preparation would have gotten me ready for this experience. As soon as we pulled up people flooded our car trying to direct us one way or another. I was so grateful to God for Lindsay at this point because she remained calm and told us exactly what we needed to do. We got out of the car and went straight to the booth and purchased our tickets. It was the strangest feeling, but to be honest I have never so badly wished I was not white. As I prayed for God to protect the four of us in that moment He blessed me with a peace, knowing that even amidst the madness of that scene He was holding us in His hands. Lindsay came to pick us up and we headed back home.
Once we got back home a man who we think was named Charles came to show us some of the artwork that he had done and to see if Lindsay’s guest would be interested in any. His work completely took my breath away and we each got a variety of things. It was so neat to be able to purchase original artwork straight from the artist himself. It reminded me of the beautiful painting I have back home from Ben Sloetjes and it was so neat to be able to support another incredible artist on the other side of the world. The really neat part of this was that the man offered to paint us our own pictures and deliver them at the end of the week. I have never had a painting made customly for me before so this was such an amazing thing!
Later that night, we (Lindsay, Jess, Atotwe, Simon, Erika, Leanne and I) travelled to CVC which is the Christian radio station in Lusaka. Lindsay’s friend Choolwe is the broadcaster for the evening show called “New Gen” which runs from 18:00-20:00 so we were going to see the station and listen to the evening program. To transport all of those people we had to get the big 15 seater van from the office. At the office we met a man named Cosmas who is the head of the school on the compound. He is currently building a high school on the compound and we all joked about us coming back to teach at his schools once we finished our degrees. Although it was casual conversation, I couldn’t help but be excited at the possibility of coming back! We also met Ken and Kathy Riemer who are the head couple for SIM (the organization that Lindsay is here with). It was neat to meet fellow Canadians (from Oakville) and their children had actually gone to Sakeji! All of the connections down here are crazy!! Once we got to CVC we found out that that night they were having guests on the show that were motivational speakers and they discussed the topic of mindset, vision and goal-setting. It was not only a great opportunity to be in a live radio cast, but to hear what these gentlemen had to say was interesting and encouraging. It was so cool for me to see the way God introduced that message to me that morning as I read Romans 12 which talks about renewing and transforming our minds. He continued to bring this theme out through the rest of my week.
The next morning I was up at 5:00 am for a shower as we had to be back down to the bus station for 6:30 with a bus to Livingstone at 7:00. Everything ran fairly smoothly and although the bus was packed for nearly the full six hours, the ride was fairly decent. We arrived in Livingstone and got to Jolleyboys which was the place we were staying for the next couple of days. I clearly have no experiences in hostels because what I was expecting was completely different than what Jolleyboys was. It was an extremely nice facility with incredibly low prices! We unpacked quickly and then hopped on a taxi that took us to Victoria Falls. I cannot describe to you in words what Victoria Falls is like. Hopefully my pictures will do a better job of describing this place, but I don’t think even that will be able to do it justice. After sunset we headed back to Jolleyboys and had a nice big dinner as hiking around the falls had taken the energy out of all of us. It was neat for the four of us to get to know each other better and laugh about some of the adventures we had had that day. Later in the evening I was able to have a really good talk with Simon about life and God as we had each earlier shared some of our story with each other on the bus to Livigstone. It was excellent to share what God has been doing in my life and listen and discuss some of the questions he had. At the end of the night I was smiling so big because I have been praying that God would bring people into my path on this journey that need to hear about His love and that would benefit from my testimony. I would ask for you to join me in praying for this continually with Simon and all of the others that we have come across so far and are yet to come across.
The next day was an action packed day and one of the most incredible of my life. Starting with observing God’s beautiful creation in our game park drive, participating in some “extreme” activities and ending with a beautiful sunset cruise that was included in our game park price! Witnessing firsthand the majesty of God and the awe-striking wonder of His handiwork, was simply breathtaking. We have tons of pictures, videos and stories to share with you when we get back home, but for now I will leave it at that :)
Later that evening, back at Jolleyboys we were lounging in the sort of common area and were able to have some interesting conversations with some people who were on vacation from their projects with the Peace Corps in Zambia, Namibia and Botswana. Their views and perspectives of what they had seen so far in Africa, were a little shocking and left me feeling a little unsettled as I went to bed. After praying, reading my Bible on the bus home and discussing it with the girls this evening, we realized that these people have a completely different perspective on being here. While their mission is very project oriented, our main goal here is to give the Love that is overflowing within us indiscriminately. In John, Jesus calls us to “love as I have loved” and in being obedient to that we are here to share a love that cannot be measured or limited.
Taking that perspective and mindset, the three of us head off to Sakeji School in the morning where we will be challenged, stretched and used by God to love in whatever way the people we encounter need us to love. Although I have no clue what the next six weeks will entail, I have full confidence that if it is even a taste of the adventure we have had so far this week, we are in for a crazy ride!
I love you all and wish you could be here experiencing these people and places with me, but I ask for your prayers as we go on to the next chapter of this journey. Our enemy will be working hard to distract us and we beg that you pray against this. We long to be used completely, never lacking in zeal and I ask for you to join us in these prayers. If you have any specific prayer requests or notes you would like to send us personally, you can send an email to ashley.e.nugent@gmail.com and I will pass it along to the girls. Your prayers and messages mean so much to us!
We miss each of you!
With love from the Creator of Love,
Ash (and the girls)
Tuesday was our first full day in Lusaka and what a great day it was! Lindsay made us pancakes for breakfast (she is an incredible hostess!) and we headed off to Chifundo to see the grade seven class. All of the other classes are on break until the beginning of next week, but the grade sevens come for a half day all throughout the year. We were a little late leaving for Chifundo because us girls were enjoying our sleep a little too much! Once we finally got to Mercy (you might hear me call it Mercy or Chifundo, they are the same school where Lindsay works) we met some women in the adult classroom who were working on some sewing projects. It was really neat for us to see the women in action and they were very kind showing us what they were working on. One of the teachers instructing the young women was working on crocheting a purse out of videotape! It was a super neat looking bag! We looked at some of the skirts that the women had made and Leanne and I decided to buy one each! They were so beautiful and it was so cool to be purchasing a skirt from the woman who had made it! We got to see the grade sevens for a little bit, but it was quick as they were in the middle of a lesson. They all stood up to greet us with “Good morning madam!” It was such an incredible feeling to be addressed with respect like that and it gave me some butterflies as I anticipated the upcoming weeks at Sakeji.
After leaving Chifundo we went to the Chainda compound to pick Simon up as he and Jess and some others were making deliveries to some of the houses on the compound. While we waited for Simon we hung out on the ‘football’ pitch where a lot of the children were playing. As we got out of the car the children swarmed us as we were new ‘muzugus’ that they wanted to meet. We got to talk and play with the kids for a bit; Leanne played football with the boys (which she found a little difficult in a skirt), Erika took photos with the children who were quite amused with her digital camera, and I made up a handshake on the spot which I taught to some of the boys. We did a shake, ‘pound-it’ and explode and when we exploded we made an explosion noise. The boys thought it was hilarious! It was sad to have to leave, as I’m sure we could have spent the whole day there hanging out with the kids, but it got all three of us excited for going to Sakeji.
We picked up Simon and went into ‘town’ which is actually what we call downtown, but here it is just called town. We needed to go in to pick up our bus tickets to Livingstone and exchange some of our US $ for Zambian Kwacha. It was also neat to see downtown Lusaka as it has big commercial buildings, similar to what I am used to being in a city centre, but there was lots of sand and TONS of people selling things on the streets. Traffic getting into town was horrendous so as we waited Lindsay gave us a bit of coaching for what we needed to do once we got to the bus stop. However, no amount of preparation would have gotten me ready for this experience. As soon as we pulled up people flooded our car trying to direct us one way or another. I was so grateful to God for Lindsay at this point because she remained calm and told us exactly what we needed to do. We got out of the car and went straight to the booth and purchased our tickets. It was the strangest feeling, but to be honest I have never so badly wished I was not white. As I prayed for God to protect the four of us in that moment He blessed me with a peace, knowing that even amidst the madness of that scene He was holding us in His hands. Lindsay came to pick us up and we headed back home.
Once we got back home a man who we think was named Charles came to show us some of the artwork that he had done and to see if Lindsay’s guest would be interested in any. His work completely took my breath away and we each got a variety of things. It was so neat to be able to purchase original artwork straight from the artist himself. It reminded me of the beautiful painting I have back home from Ben Sloetjes and it was so neat to be able to support another incredible artist on the other side of the world. The really neat part of this was that the man offered to paint us our own pictures and deliver them at the end of the week. I have never had a painting made customly for me before so this was such an amazing thing!
Later that night, we (Lindsay, Jess, Atotwe, Simon, Erika, Leanne and I) travelled to CVC which is the Christian radio station in Lusaka. Lindsay’s friend Choolwe is the broadcaster for the evening show called “New Gen” which runs from 18:00-20:00 so we were going to see the station and listen to the evening program. To transport all of those people we had to get the big 15 seater van from the office. At the office we met a man named Cosmas who is the head of the school on the compound. He is currently building a high school on the compound and we all joked about us coming back to teach at his schools once we finished our degrees. Although it was casual conversation, I couldn’t help but be excited at the possibility of coming back! We also met Ken and Kathy Riemer who are the head couple for SIM (the organization that Lindsay is here with). It was neat to meet fellow Canadians (from Oakville) and their children had actually gone to Sakeji! All of the connections down here are crazy!! Once we got to CVC we found out that that night they were having guests on the show that were motivational speakers and they discussed the topic of mindset, vision and goal-setting. It was not only a great opportunity to be in a live radio cast, but to hear what these gentlemen had to say was interesting and encouraging. It was so cool for me to see the way God introduced that message to me that morning as I read Romans 12 which talks about renewing and transforming our minds. He continued to bring this theme out through the rest of my week.
The next morning I was up at 5:00 am for a shower as we had to be back down to the bus station for 6:30 with a bus to Livingstone at 7:00. Everything ran fairly smoothly and although the bus was packed for nearly the full six hours, the ride was fairly decent. We arrived in Livingstone and got to Jolleyboys which was the place we were staying for the next couple of days. I clearly have no experiences in hostels because what I was expecting was completely different than what Jolleyboys was. It was an extremely nice facility with incredibly low prices! We unpacked quickly and then hopped on a taxi that took us to Victoria Falls. I cannot describe to you in words what Victoria Falls is like. Hopefully my pictures will do a better job of describing this place, but I don’t think even that will be able to do it justice. After sunset we headed back to Jolleyboys and had a nice big dinner as hiking around the falls had taken the energy out of all of us. It was neat for the four of us to get to know each other better and laugh about some of the adventures we had had that day. Later in the evening I was able to have a really good talk with Simon about life and God as we had each earlier shared some of our story with each other on the bus to Livigstone. It was excellent to share what God has been doing in my life and listen and discuss some of the questions he had. At the end of the night I was smiling so big because I have been praying that God would bring people into my path on this journey that need to hear about His love and that would benefit from my testimony. I would ask for you to join me in praying for this continually with Simon and all of the others that we have come across so far and are yet to come across.
The next day was an action packed day and one of the most incredible of my life. Starting with observing God’s beautiful creation in our game park drive, participating in some “extreme” activities and ending with a beautiful sunset cruise that was included in our game park price! Witnessing firsthand the majesty of God and the awe-striking wonder of His handiwork, was simply breathtaking. We have tons of pictures, videos and stories to share with you when we get back home, but for now I will leave it at that :)
Later that evening, back at Jolleyboys we were lounging in the sort of common area and were able to have some interesting conversations with some people who were on vacation from their projects with the Peace Corps in Zambia, Namibia and Botswana. Their views and perspectives of what they had seen so far in Africa, were a little shocking and left me feeling a little unsettled as I went to bed. After praying, reading my Bible on the bus home and discussing it with the girls this evening, we realized that these people have a completely different perspective on being here. While their mission is very project oriented, our main goal here is to give the Love that is overflowing within us indiscriminately. In John, Jesus calls us to “love as I have loved” and in being obedient to that we are here to share a love that cannot be measured or limited.
Taking that perspective and mindset, the three of us head off to Sakeji School in the morning where we will be challenged, stretched and used by God to love in whatever way the people we encounter need us to love. Although I have no clue what the next six weeks will entail, I have full confidence that if it is even a taste of the adventure we have had so far this week, we are in for a crazy ride!
I love you all and wish you could be here experiencing these people and places with me, but I ask for your prayers as we go on to the next chapter of this journey. Our enemy will be working hard to distract us and we beg that you pray against this. We long to be used completely, never lacking in zeal and I ask for you to join us in these prayers. If you have any specific prayer requests or notes you would like to send us personally, you can send an email to ashley.e.nugent@gmail.com and I will pass it along to the girls. Your prayers and messages mean so much to us!
We miss each of you!
With love from the Creator of Love,
Ash (and the girls)
Monday 2 May 2011
Well, we’re HEEERREEE!!! Its crazy to think that its actually real. As I type this.. I’m sitting in Zambia, listening to the crickets chirp outside writing this up for you after thoroughly enjoying a traditional meal of Nshima (details to follow). It’s about 10:56pm and extremely dark outside. But before saying anything else I think we need to first update you on what has happened on this adventure so far...
Saturday, April 30: Families (immediate and some extended) met up at Perkins family restaurant in Toronto to get to know each other and pray for us collectively as a group before sending us off. We arrivde at the airport and said our goodbye’s – long and hard but obviously necessary – and as we gave a final wave before going through a door into security Leanne says “Well ladies, we’re on our own now”.. Whoa. Thankfully, passage through security was a lot easier and faster than expected. We boarded the plane and were off Canadian soil by 9pm. It was a 7 ½ hr flight all together which included a delicious dinner (complete with CHEESECAKE for dessert!) and the movie Cars. One flight attendant, Steven, took interest in who we were, what we were doing and where we were going. He, and his co-worker Carl made us feel right at home.
Sunday, May 1: We arrived at Heathrow around 8:40am local time (2:40am our time) and since our luggage was automatically being put onto our next flight, wandered around the airport wondering where to purchase a day pass for the local transit system. Steven, Carl and another flight attendant Andrew found us arguing as to where we were to go next: Arrivals or Connecting Flights? They simply said “Follow us” and led us to where we needed to go, and with the tips Steven gave us in mind, bought a day ticket for the ‘Underground’. After riding the underground, which is basically like the subway in Toronto, we found ourselves in the heart on London, England (CRAZY!) where we bought a ticket for the day tour on a double-decker bus. The bus took us to Buckingham Palace where we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the changing of the guards, and after wandering around the streets of London, all while taking pictures, we hopped back on the bus and drove past Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Around lunch time we decided to pause the touring for some food. We walked around for a bit, and after trying to call home several times with no avail, we found ourselves in a quaint but very homey English pub called ‘The Wellington’. Ashley ordered a roast beef dinner, Leanne, fish & chips, and “bangers” and mash for myself – all absolutely DELICIOUS! There was a human rights protest going on after lunch so the tour bus routes were a little messed up which made it difficult for us, as well as made traffic absolutely horrible. But, despite the little set-backs, we were able to drive over London Bridge and see the Tower Bridge. Around 4:00pm local time (11:00am) we got back on the underground and headed back towards the airport – we were all exhausted!
After checking in at Heathrow we browsed the mall while waiting for our gate # to show up on the “Departures” screen. We ended up bussing from our gate to our flight which we boarded at about 6:45pm (1:45pm). The flight to Lusaka was good, about 10hrs; we all tried to get as much sleep as possible, some were more lucky than others.
Monday, May 2: We “woke up” this morning around 5:30am (11:30pm) to the sun just rising over the African plain; I couldn’t help but bust into the prelude of “The Circle of Life”..it just seemed fitting. The plane landed about 6:20am (12:20am) and we after waiting in a very slow-moving line in the Lusaka Airport, met up with Lindsay England; she is living in Lusaka, and her sister Nicole who we met at Brock helped us get connected with each other. We, with the help of some very persistent locals (who ended up leaving us empty handed despite their efforts) were able to fit everything into Linsday’s SUV and then headed to our “home” for the next 5 days. Lindsay lives on a compound owned by the Evangelical Church of Zambia. After unloading all of our things, Linsday asked us if we would like anything for breakfast – we all kind of looked at her, looked at each other and said “breakfast?” – not only was it about 9am local time, but 3am “normal time” for us, but since we had had such a weird sleeping pattern having been flying the whole night we all felt as though it was 3 o’clock in the afternoon. So we took a nap to rejuvenate our energy, woke up around 12pm (6am) and each had a quick shower.. felt soo nice! Ashley and I were able to call home, very briefly; my call was unexpectedly cut short unfortunately, but it was good to know that those at home know we’re safe.
Lindsay then gave us a tour of the house and yard of the place she is staying at and then took us into town to do some grocery shopping. We wound up at Manda Hill Mall where we bought some groceries for dinner. It’s going to take some getting used to seeing “18,000” on a price tag. $1 US = roughly 5, 000 kwacha’s, which is the local currency). After making a brief stop at the Arcade’s market to look around, we went over to Chifundo (which means ‘Mecry’) Mission School, where Lindsay is working. We met some of the workers at the school: Dorthy, and her two daughters Naomi and Mercy, Jessica (from Texas) and Simon (just arrived Saturday from England). We took Jessica and Simon back to Lindsay’s house for dinner where we met up with Atotwe, a friend of Lindsay’s who lives in this compound. Atotwe helped us make Nshima, which is a staple food for the locals here; it kind of looks like mashed potatoes when it’s cooked. He made fried chicken and vegetables to go with it and to be honest, it was delicious! It wasn’t at all what I expected but it was quite tasty, and very filling.
Leanne and I were able to talk to Atotwe while making the Nshima, and what he was telling us about reminded me of the importance of listening to God’s voice for the plan He has for your life, instead of just barging ahead and living life as you think you should, doing what you want, when you want. 1 Thessalonians was the verse that was inscribed at the top of my journal page this morning, and it reads: ”Knowing brethren that you are loved, and were chosen by God”. I am just in awe in remembering that He chose to love us enough to give us the opportunity to be saved from our sin by sending His only and only Son to die for us on the cross of Calvary; not only that, but He ALSO desires to play an active role in our lives as Christians, leading and guiding us in His truth. Atotwe and I shared similar experiences in having a hard time with what God was telling us to do, and not being able to see the bigger picture. It’s comforting to know however that we don’t need to worry about seeing the whole picture, or putting the puzzle together – the picture will be painted, the puzzle will be completed in His perfect time if we lean on Him for strength and look to Him for guidance in our lives.
In closing we want to share these verses with you for encouragement:
“Every time (we) think of you,(we) give thanks to God; whenever (we) pray, (we) make requests for all of you with joy, for you have been (our) partners in spreading the good news about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And (we are) certain, that God, who began the good work within you, will continue it until the day when Christ Jesus returns. So it is right that (we) should feel as (we) do about all of you, for you have a special place in (our) hearts, you share with (us) the special favour of God, both in imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the good news. God knows how much (we) love you, and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. We pray that your love will overflow, and that you will keep growing in knowledge and understanding. For (we) want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of salvation—the righteous character, produced in your life by Christ Jesus—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.“ [Phillipians 1:3-11]
Frila
Saturday, April 30: Families (immediate and some extended) met up at Perkins family restaurant in Toronto to get to know each other and pray for us collectively as a group before sending us off. We arrivde at the airport and said our goodbye’s – long and hard but obviously necessary – and as we gave a final wave before going through a door into security Leanne says “Well ladies, we’re on our own now”.. Whoa. Thankfully, passage through security was a lot easier and faster than expected. We boarded the plane and were off Canadian soil by 9pm. It was a 7 ½ hr flight all together which included a delicious dinner (complete with CHEESECAKE for dessert!) and the movie Cars. One flight attendant, Steven, took interest in who we were, what we were doing and where we were going. He, and his co-worker Carl made us feel right at home.
Sunday, May 1: We arrived at Heathrow around 8:40am local time (2:40am our time) and since our luggage was automatically being put onto our next flight, wandered around the airport wondering where to purchase a day pass for the local transit system. Steven, Carl and another flight attendant Andrew found us arguing as to where we were to go next: Arrivals or Connecting Flights? They simply said “Follow us” and led us to where we needed to go, and with the tips Steven gave us in mind, bought a day ticket for the ‘Underground’. After riding the underground, which is basically like the subway in Toronto, we found ourselves in the heart on London, England (CRAZY!) where we bought a ticket for the day tour on a double-decker bus. The bus took us to Buckingham Palace where we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the changing of the guards, and after wandering around the streets of London, all while taking pictures, we hopped back on the bus and drove past Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Around lunch time we decided to pause the touring for some food. We walked around for a bit, and after trying to call home several times with no avail, we found ourselves in a quaint but very homey English pub called ‘The Wellington’. Ashley ordered a roast beef dinner, Leanne, fish & chips, and “bangers” and mash for myself – all absolutely DELICIOUS! There was a human rights protest going on after lunch so the tour bus routes were a little messed up which made it difficult for us, as well as made traffic absolutely horrible. But, despite the little set-backs, we were able to drive over London Bridge and see the Tower Bridge. Around 4:00pm local time (11:00am) we got back on the underground and headed back towards the airport – we were all exhausted!
After checking in at Heathrow we browsed the mall while waiting for our gate # to show up on the “Departures” screen. We ended up bussing from our gate to our flight which we boarded at about 6:45pm (1:45pm). The flight to Lusaka was good, about 10hrs; we all tried to get as much sleep as possible, some were more lucky than others.
Monday, May 2: We “woke up” this morning around 5:30am (11:30pm) to the sun just rising over the African plain; I couldn’t help but bust into the prelude of “The Circle of Life”..it just seemed fitting. The plane landed about 6:20am (12:20am) and we after waiting in a very slow-moving line in the Lusaka Airport, met up with Lindsay England; she is living in Lusaka, and her sister Nicole who we met at Brock helped us get connected with each other. We, with the help of some very persistent locals (who ended up leaving us empty handed despite their efforts) were able to fit everything into Linsday’s SUV and then headed to our “home” for the next 5 days. Lindsay lives on a compound owned by the Evangelical Church of Zambia. After unloading all of our things, Linsday asked us if we would like anything for breakfast – we all kind of looked at her, looked at each other and said “breakfast?” – not only was it about 9am local time, but 3am “normal time” for us, but since we had had such a weird sleeping pattern having been flying the whole night we all felt as though it was 3 o’clock in the afternoon. So we took a nap to rejuvenate our energy, woke up around 12pm (6am) and each had a quick shower.. felt soo nice! Ashley and I were able to call home, very briefly; my call was unexpectedly cut short unfortunately, but it was good to know that those at home know we’re safe.
Lindsay then gave us a tour of the house and yard of the place she is staying at and then took us into town to do some grocery shopping. We wound up at Manda Hill Mall where we bought some groceries for dinner. It’s going to take some getting used to seeing “18,000” on a price tag. $1 US = roughly 5, 000 kwacha’s, which is the local currency). After making a brief stop at the Arcade’s market to look around, we went over to Chifundo (which means ‘Mecry’) Mission School, where Lindsay is working. We met some of the workers at the school: Dorthy, and her two daughters Naomi and Mercy, Jessica (from Texas) and Simon (just arrived Saturday from England). We took Jessica and Simon back to Lindsay’s house for dinner where we met up with Atotwe, a friend of Lindsay’s who lives in this compound. Atotwe helped us make Nshima, which is a staple food for the locals here; it kind of looks like mashed potatoes when it’s cooked. He made fried chicken and vegetables to go with it and to be honest, it was delicious! It wasn’t at all what I expected but it was quite tasty, and very filling.
Leanne and I were able to talk to Atotwe while making the Nshima, and what he was telling us about reminded me of the importance of listening to God’s voice for the plan He has for your life, instead of just barging ahead and living life as you think you should, doing what you want, when you want. 1 Thessalonians was the verse that was inscribed at the top of my journal page this morning, and it reads: ”Knowing brethren that you are loved, and were chosen by God”. I am just in awe in remembering that He chose to love us enough to give us the opportunity to be saved from our sin by sending His only and only Son to die for us on the cross of Calvary; not only that, but He ALSO desires to play an active role in our lives as Christians, leading and guiding us in His truth. Atotwe and I shared similar experiences in having a hard time with what God was telling us to do, and not being able to see the bigger picture. It’s comforting to know however that we don’t need to worry about seeing the whole picture, or putting the puzzle together – the picture will be painted, the puzzle will be completed in His perfect time if we lean on Him for strength and look to Him for guidance in our lives.
In closing we want to share these verses with you for encouragement:
“Every time (we) think of you,(we) give thanks to God; whenever (we) pray, (we) make requests for all of you with joy, for you have been (our) partners in spreading the good news about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And (we are) certain, that God, who began the good work within you, will continue it until the day when Christ Jesus returns. So it is right that (we) should feel as (we) do about all of you, for you have a special place in (our) hearts, you share with (us) the special favour of God, both in imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the good news. God knows how much (we) love you, and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. We pray that your love will overflow, and that you will keep growing in knowledge and understanding. For (we) want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of salvation—the righteous character, produced in your life by Christ Jesus—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.“ [Phillipians 1:3-11]
Frila
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