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 1st, 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.
