Oh, Hello Again

"Twenty-Something."

That sounds sophisticated and mysterious right? Makes you wonder if I am almost 30 and in denial or if I am 20 and a few months and want to sound older. Well, I am neither and most people reading this already know my age, so I suppose it's a moot point.

I know its been a while since I posted and I decided not to apologize for that. But, for some reason today I couldn't stop thinking about things to blog about, so here I am. Am I promising a post every day? Not a chance. Every week? Highly unlikely. Three posts a month? Doubtful. Just be happy I'm back for a bit.

I'll leave you with a few random thoughts:

-It seems that you will drink a beverage more quickly from a glass than from a can.

-If I have a dog, it will be an outside dog and if I have a cat, someone please remove me from the situation because I will have gone crazy.

-Macaroni and cheese tastes better in a foreign country.

That's all I've got,

j.

Uprooting

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot."   Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

I suppose its almost my time to uproot. I have done this only a few times in my life, and it is bittersweet everytime. I am happy about whatever is coming next but sad to leave what is happening now. Since i have only been here for 9 months, my roots here aren't as deep as others, but they are deep enough for me to be serious about coming back to this place. They are deep enough for me to miss people deep in my heart and they are deep enough to see God working in this place.

Since i have only had to uproot a few times in my life, I'm not very good at it. It must be something that gets easier the more you do it, but its still a bit painful each time. 

I have one month left in Zambia, and I'll admit that I am anxious about my return to the states. Most likely I will end up back in the oklahoma city/edmond area, but i not ruling anything out. I don't have a set plan for when i get back, which brings worries of its own. However, If there is one thing that i have seen clearly since arriving in Zambia, its that God provides even when it seems unlikely.

God provided the financial support for me to come, even when it seemed impossible.

God provided experiences at the mission that gave me a better understanding of the culture and life here that i wouldn't have gotten otherwise. 

God provides us with the almost $400 each week  it takes to buy formula for two houses. (crazy huh?)

God provides energy on the most exhausting of days.

God provided for each of the babies in this house, that even though their families can't care for them now, they still have life, food and clothes and are loved so much. We know he never meant for children to live like this, but its the only way we know how to help the problem.

God provides beautiful sunsets every single night, and unbelievable stars on clear nights.

God provides faithful people that are striving towards the same goals to further the work of the Lord and of the mission.

God provides wisdom when we don't know what to do, peace when we don't understand and courage for the difficult things.

So, although I am anxious about returning, I know that God has a plan. I want His plan to be for me to return to Zambia, His will will be done. 

I am also excited to see my friends and family that I have missed immensely. I cherish your prayers and your support and your faith. 

Think about the ways that God has provided for you. They are most often the things we take for granted, but I have a feeling that if you made a list, it would be too long to put on your refrigerator.

Merry Christmas! 

November was full of coming and goings. Three babies went home and eight more came. Betsy came back from a short trip home and Courtney left for 3 weeks to have Thanksgiving with her family. The opening of Marjorie’s House, the new house for babies with HIV/ TB, and the end of the school term kept us busy and rainy season cooled us off. The group from Harding left in mid-November and the mission has been much quieter, especially with the secondary and college students leaving for holiday.

The students at the school were as rambunctious as ever, but seem to be soaking some of it in. I brought some basic flash cards with pictures and words in English and the second and third graders enjoy going through them and making it a competition. All the materials and worksheets we use are from an American workbook, so some of the things are not culturally relevant which can be frustrating at times. I am hoping to work on making a worksheet about counting kwacha (the Zambian currency) while I’m on holiday.

On November 15, we opened the third house at the orphanage, Marjorie’s House. We have been preparing to move in for a long time, so it was great to finally see babies in it.  The house is bigger than the other two and has a great living space and veranda for the babies to play on. The house was built to better care for our babies with HIV and Tuberculosis. It is easier to make sure all the babies are getting their medicine everyday and watch their health more closely. There is also a room set up with an incubator and oxygen tank just in case we need them. Twenty-one babies moved into the new house and have been adjusting nicely.  Each of the houses has an apartment side for a family, similar to house parents.  Meagan, Courtney and Betsy have been living in the apartment side and will stay there until we leave. Please pray for the work going on at this house, and for wisdom in choosing a family to live with there. 

We took Thanksgiving day off and had a game marathon. We played games of all sorts until dinner that night and had a nice little break. Dinner was at the Gregersen’s, a missionary couple that has been here for 5 years.  The Peace Corps workers from the Southern Province (where Namwianga is located), a South African family working at a nearby orphanage and a few other missionaries from Namwianga were also at dinner. Turkey is really expensive and hard to find here so we had fried, mesquite grilled and traditionally cooked chicken instead.  We also had green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, homemade bread and three kinds of pie. We definitely had a Thanksgiving feast. While I missed being at my grandma’s and washing dishes with my sister after everyone ate, it was a good day. I suppose my African Thanksgiving wasn’t all that different since I was with people I loved and I had things to be thankful for. (It was also nice to eat some of traditional Thanksgiving dishes.) I am reminded every day how blessed I am and I pray that no matter what the circumstances are, I will always find things to be grateful for.

Kelsey just left to go home for Christmas, so I moved into Marjorie’s House while she’s gone so I won’t have to stay by myself.  I am sharing a room with Courtney and I have loved being closer to the babies all the time. We made a “no babies in the apartment side “ rule, but we find ourselves bringing babies over all the time because we just can’t help it. The older ones know how to turn on their puppy dog faces and it gets me every time. Betsy’s boyfriend, Thomas, her younger sister Mary and Mary’s boyfriend, Matt are coming for a three week visit and will arrive on Monday. We are excited to have guests for Christmas and are looking forward to showing them all the things we love about living here. We will go back to Victoria Falls after we pick them up, and I am glad I get to see the Falls with more water than last time. Kelsey will get back here on December 30 and then we will leave for a safari on January 1^st, so we have a busy month ahead.

Thank you so much for giving money for formula! You helped raise over $22,000 to use over the next year. The formula has been shipped on the container and should arrive at Namwianga around February.

I pray that each of you have a blessed holiday. Thank you so much for your prayers. I cherish all your thoughts and prayers and enjoy hearing from you.

In Him,

Jana

 P.S. A few weeks ago, Meagan named a baby Jana!

P.P.S. Sorry there aren't any pictures, the connection is a little finicky right now.

September/October Update

The past two months have been very eventful. The Jacaranda trees (shown above) were in fulI bloom, and hot season graced us with its presence. While it has been very hot, we have been blessed with electricity for the majority of the time, allowing us to use our fans to help cool off. The first rain shower came at the end of September and we have had a few more showers here and there, but nothing big. If the rains are on schedule, we should be enjoying frequent rain in November.

Kunal

Chipo, Brittah, Milimo

I began full day school in the second week of the September and I began working with the kids that are behind in their grade level shortly after. I have enjoyed working with these kids and have definitely faced the challenge of finding the best way to help them. Some of the kids are just a little behind while others need help with every question on their paper.  The kids are taught to read by sight and memorization rather than phonics, so I’ve had to adjust to a different way of thinking when it comes to helping those that can’t read well. My favorite groups to work with are grades 3 and 4. There are six boys that range from only recognizing two and three letter words to being able to read a first grade level book. These are the sweetest boys and they really want to do well. I love seeing them get excited to read from a book and have seen improvements already. As a part of the routine, I eat lunch with the other teachers every day. We walk a little ways to the Merritt’s home for nshima around 1, before the 5^th and 6^th graders come to school. Nshima is a corn based porridge that is eaten with a relish, and most Zambians have it two meals a day.  Nshima tastes similar to grits, so the relish makes or breaks the meal. Cabbage, beans, rape, soya and kapenta are common sides. The only relish I gracefully bowed out of eating is kapenta, which is small dried fish. There is just something about the fishy smell and the eyes still staring back at me that makes me cringe. Meals are also eaten using our hands and I have to get a smaller portion than the others to finish at the same time. They are much quicker than I am!

     

This is Catherine. She is two and a half and got glasses (or specs as they like to call them here) in mid September to help correct her near sightedness and eye crossing. She has been staying nights at our house while she adjusts to wearing them. It is obvious that she can see better with the glasses and has been adjusting well, even pushing them back into place when they fall. She will be getting a new pair from America soon that will hopefully be more kid proof. Keeping the glasses in proper working order is an adventure and we are grateful that she still has them considering she is around 3o rowdy toddlers all day. We have loved having her at our house, and enjoy spending evenings playing with her.  We will be sad when she leaves us!

    

Life at the orphanage definitey keeps us on our toes. The recent addition of a swing set (see Bright and Abby swinging above) has added hours of entertainment and surprisingly few fights. The majority of the kids have remained healthy, but a few have recently been placed in the orphanage are malnourished. Grant (20 mos.) and Ross (10 mos.) have both been put on a F-75, a special formula regiment for malnourishment. The process is designed to slowly rebuild their appetite by giving them a little at a time and gradually increasing their intake. Grant has been staying at our house the past few days while on the treatment and he still has a long road ahead of him. The treatment is common and several now healthy, rambunctious kids at the orphanage have been on the program at some point, so we are hoping for a full recovery for both kids. They could definitely use some extra prayers as their little bodies are going through a lot. We are also very excited that three babies (Andrew, Lweendo and Brian) that were HIV positive tested negative last week. A positive test in a baby can sometimes just be the mother’s antibodies still in their system. As a result, they are tested again when they are 18 months and two years old. After that, the likelihood of a positive result simply from the mother’s antibodies is very slim. Praise God for this news!           

 

Josie and I     Carol

Two more kids went home in September. While it is a huge blessing that they have someone to love them at take them in to lead a more normal life, it is also a little bitter sweet after spending time playing, loving and praying for them. Josie’s aunt came and obviously loves her. Josie went right to her and loved being around her which isn’t always the case. Josie was a baby that I have been praying for about a year and a half. It was so awesome to finally see her sweet face, and I consider her going home an answer to many prayers. Carol is 3, and was always so fun. She would run around and be crazy and was always ready with an “I love you.” A lady in Kalomo, the nearest town, knew Carol’s mom and has visited her frequently since she’s been at the orphanage. She decided she wanted to take Carol into her home about two weeks ago. Carol is now attending a small preschool and its obvious her new mom loves her as much as we do. 

  

Trips to Victoria Falls and Lusaka are also great highlights from my September adventures. Although the falls were low because of dry season, it was cool to get to see the formation behind the water. We also got to walk around in the water at the top of the falls, which you can only do during dry season. It was absolutely beautiful, and I can’t wait to go back when the falls are full. The next day we got to float down the Zambezi, the river that feeds Vic Falls. We saw several hippo heads, a momma and baby elephant and even a crocodile (Don’t worry, we didn’t smile). It was really neat, and we enjoying a lazy morning floating on the Zambezi. Our trip to Lusaka was part fun part fun business. We were on a mission to by new necessities for a new house for HIV/TB babies, and along the way we unexpectedly found Dr. Pepper, Cheerios and Reese’s. Lusaka is the capital of Zambia and is home to over 1 million people. We were only there for one night, but it was fun to see a little more of Zambia on the 5 hour ride.

We have continued teaching Bible class each Sunday and I’ve enjoyed the singing in both English and Tonga and getting to see my students in a different capacity. The church is full now for 2 services with all the Secondary and University students, which has been a nice change.

 

Thanks for your continued pray for myself, my teammates, the babies and the work mission at large.  The longer I am here the more I learn about the many things the mission is a part of and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the work here.

 

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

My First Day of School

Today was my  first day of school at the supplemental school. The basic school is on Holiday, so we only went from 8 to 10:30. It will be like that for two weeks and then we will have a week off. The basic school takes the whole month of August off. Kids pay to come to school in Zambia, including the supplemental school, which was started by one of the missionaries, Kathi Merritt, years ago. It is held in a quaint one room school house, with two picnic tables, a teacher table and a table for the bigger kids.  It was a pretty good first day, considering I have been in Zambia four days. The other teachers are nice. Royness sat across from me, so I asked her most of my questions. I tried to do more observing than asking questions, so I could kind of soak it all in and not be too annoying.  Each kid has a file with papers, and they are given two at a time. As they finish the papers, they bring it back to the teachers to be checked, and then they correct the questions they got wrong until it is right. Once they finish their file, they come up and read to us. They papers they work on are from America, so a lot of the stories and words are not culturally relevant, and can be difficult to explain. Mermaids and the story of Pecos Bill were just a few of the things I encountered today.  It is interesting to see the way their system works. Each kid works at their own pace, so the whole class is never working on the same paper. We also have grades 2-6 at one time, which also throws a kink in explanation time. There were a few times that I would check a paper and if a kid got most of the questions wrong, then I couldn't resist working through it with them.  I know there are reasons behind their system, I just don't know what they are yet. I am eager to discover them!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Another black eye... almost

If you have ever heard me talk about black eyes, you know I don't hate them. For some reason I think they are kind of cool, even though they look disgusting, and hurt. It has been a really long time since I have had a full black eye. In fact, my most memorable black eye happened when I was 4 and I was playing baseball in our front yard. I was catcher and as my brother came up to bat, he missed the ball but made contact with my face. Probably the best black eye ever and the worst way to get one. 

Back to present day in Zambia...I received a rude awakening Saturday morning around 6:30 am. As I was readjusting my pillow, sleeping restlessly, I hit my head hard on the side of my dresser.  At first I thought I would only have a huge bump right by my eye, and then I realized I was bleeding. My thought process went something like this: 

"I am going to have to get stitches in Africa...Can Betsy give me stitches?...She took out my stitches one time...Should I tell my parents if I get stitches?...Wait...Am i dreaming right now?...Maybe I should go look at it..."

After looking in the mirror, I realized it probably wasn't that deep, but I decided to have Betsy (she's a nurse) look at it. She concurred that it wasn't deep enough for stitches, and I went back to bed. I did have a nice bruise and a mean headache all day on Saturday, but you will be happy to know it is healing nicely, and I will soon have a new scar on my right eye, directly below a scar from eighth grade basketball. I now have 4 scars from my eyebrows to my bottom eyelid. That takes talent, ya know.