Hope and a Future

Whew, I am exhausted. It is all I can do today to sit and type this entry. But I have a steaming Cappucino in front of me, and I am in the Kilimanjaro Coffee Shop so I have one last burst of energy. Today was our first full day of work. It was a doozy. Saturday, we spent the afternoon working at the school helping to build a cement block foundation for the new classroom. Today we finished the foundation and backfilling.

Though the temperature wasn’t hot, the sun was bright and it was good to gradually get into the swing of working without overdoing. There were about 25 neighborhood children, some of whom attend the school, who were there to greet us when the bus pulled in. Rachel and most of her staff were there to greet us as well. After the initial greetings were over, we began our work, with some of us mixing concrete by hand. Others mixed mortar. The rest either the mortar and concrete to those who were in the foundation trenches laying the block.

Believe me we were tired when we arrived back at Mwibluzi Lodge that evening. We were so tired, in fact, that we would have loved nothing more than to have headed straight to bed. But alas, 4 of our team members had yet to arrive. The VanBeeks and Zurchers got in around 11:00 along with the lost luggage I mentioned in my previous entry.

The food is interesting. We are eating breakfast and dinner at the same lodge where we are staying. For dinner we had our choice of either game meat (I think they said it was some sort of antelope) or beef stew. For those adventurous enough, the game meat was actually pretty tasty. The local staple of every diet is a dish called nshima. It is like a pasty, dumpling-like dish made from ground white corn and shaped into little cakes. The vegetable dish is a kale or swiss char type green. Each table boasted a large bottle of hot chili sauce. I couldn’t have been happier.

Sunday morning’s devotions began with these words from the Psalmist – “I rejoiced when they said to me, Let us go up to the house of the Lord.’” (Psalm 122:1) That set the stage for what has been the highlight of the trip so far. We walked a short distance to Bread of Life church where we were a few among a congregation of about 5,000 at the 9:00 service. We were treated with incredible grace and hospitality and were ushered to the front 3 rows. They sing many of the same praise songs we do (the Days of Elijah, What the Lord has Done For Me to name 2) but believe me, we have never sung them this way. Their praise team consisted of two keyboardists, a drummer, a saxophone player, a “choir director” and a group of about 30 singers. Hands raised, clapping and dancing to the beat, these folks led us in a truly amazing time of worship.

The Bishop or preaching pastor brought a message reminding us all to be doers of the word and not just hearers only. (The service was all in English). The message was challenging and straightforward and afterward about 15 people – mostly under the age of 20 – stepped forward to give their lives to Jesus Christ. It was thrilling. It was a small taste of what I believe the kingdom of heaven will be. We were truly blessed to realize that these folks were our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We hopped on the bus back at the lodge and went to a local mall where local craftsmen and artisans were selling their wares. What an experience that was. All of us came back with bags stuffed with teak carvings, ebony salad spoons or statues, traditional African clothes, beautifully ornate baskets and much, much more.

We topped Sunday off with a trip to a local stadium where a Rugby tournament was being played. The “Zambia 7” were playing against a team from Zimbabwe for the championship with Zambia losing badly. Oh well, it was interesting to learn about Rugby, to sit in the sun, and to be a part of the local experience. Again we were tired by the time we returned for the night to our lodge. But our weariness was over matched by the incredible experiences of the day.

Even though today (Monday)was filled with hard work of laying cinder block, mixing concrete and mortar and back filling the foundation trenches around the classroom, it was satisfying. And to make it even more special, we were greeted this morning by the teachers and staff of Balm of Gilead with songs, recitations, prayers and a truly warming welcome. Most of us were in or near tears. It was a beautiful experience for us to see and be with the precious children that the world has forgotten. They truly are the poorest of the poor. Without a school like Balm of Gilead, these children would be destined to live in the poverty, exploitation, and hardship that so many Zambians experience. Balm of Gilead is bringing hope. And where there is hope there is a future.

Again thank you for your prayers. This is a wonderful, blessed experience and we wouldn’t be here without your help and support. Have a fabulous week. And be blessed in Christ.

6/30/2008 : view on map : permalink : add a comment