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, MilimoI 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 5th and 6th 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.
