So, It looks like I've found my calling in missions. It only makes sense really, when I stop and ask myself: what one activity do I have more experience at than any other? the answer, as it would be for any farm-boy i'm sure, is driving the tractor. Gordon asked me if i knew how, after three days and the regular native tractor driver had just gotten stuck, and i replied, "only since i was eight." he said, "we need people who have been doing it since 6 years old." but he must have been desperate because the very next day he came and pulled me away from my absolutely adequate job of tiling to ask if i'd mind hauling some sand. the river is rising, and they don't know how much longer they will be able to get sand (it's from a far away spot, down by the river) so i was given a team of three zambians: Joe, fabian, and koyumbo (watch for their pictures if i ever get a camera) and we've spent the last 7 workdays hauling sand, rocks, cement, and bricks for the new duplex they are starting to construct. it's very satisfying, the piles are these materials are getting bigger and build into foundations, and the beginnings of walls. after work i often go for a run and then a jump in the pool to cool off and do some physio for my shoulder. after that it's home for some e-mail time and then off to supper if i've been invited. speaking of which, it's time for supper. i'll post again soon now that i know how. in the meantime, i'd appreciate it if you could help me get more comments than Krista/Gill and their posts. it's quantity that counts here folks, not quality. even if you just post a single word several times over, it will be much appreciated. and i guarantee, i will read every one. thank you, and have an african day.
Peter out
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Post from 23 Jan 2008
Chitikoloki
Well, I made it. I stayed in Lusaka just long enough to find Krista and Gill and buy them some $4 milkshakes and go see their living situaion. It’s a good thing Gill and Krista are such extroverts! Quite crowded, but at least they have a room of their own. The people they are staying with seem very friendly and quite fascinated with our white white white girls.
So, on Saturday I drove up from Lusaka to Chitioloki with Gordon Hanna and some supplies. It was quite an amazing drive and we did see an elephant, a snake, several deer-type creatures, but the best part was the road we took. I already knew Gordon was quite an aggressive driver from riding along on errands with him in Lusaka, so I was ready for an adventurous drive through the wilderness, and Gordon did provide. Full speed ahead through swamp and sand and bushes, sometimes not even turning the wipers on for a few seconds after crashing a puddle just to heighten the suspense. Add that to the wild Zambian landscape with all of it’s trees (Joel knows what I mean) and whatnot – probably one of the best 12 hour drives of my life.
We arrived in the afternoon and Gordon gave me a quick tour. The setup here is a largesh looking hospital that consists of 3 buildings I think, along with several houses for the missionaries, a guest house for visitors, another guest house that we are renovating, a large shop, several storage buildings, a pool that I just discovered today (that’s right, a pool! Gated, with several lounge chairs, and just the right temp. of water), and various other buildings that I’m forgetting. There’s also a brethren assembly where most of the missionaries attend. I have a room in the guesthouse with an English chap named Matt who is a bricklayer. I’ll fill you in on more as I find out.
Peter out
Well, I made it. I stayed in Lusaka just long enough to find Krista and Gill and buy them some $4 milkshakes and go see their living situaion. It’s a good thing Gill and Krista are such extroverts! Quite crowded, but at least they have a room of their own. The people they are staying with seem very friendly and quite fascinated with our white white white girls.
So, on Saturday I drove up from Lusaka to Chitioloki with Gordon Hanna and some supplies. It was quite an amazing drive and we did see an elephant, a snake, several deer-type creatures, but the best part was the road we took. I already knew Gordon was quite an aggressive driver from riding along on errands with him in Lusaka, so I was ready for an adventurous drive through the wilderness, and Gordon did provide. Full speed ahead through swamp and sand and bushes, sometimes not even turning the wipers on for a few seconds after crashing a puddle just to heighten the suspense. Add that to the wild Zambian landscape with all of it’s trees (Joel knows what I mean) and whatnot – probably one of the best 12 hour drives of my life.
We arrived in the afternoon and Gordon gave me a quick tour. The setup here is a largesh looking hospital that consists of 3 buildings I think, along with several houses for the missionaries, a guest house for visitors, another guest house that we are renovating, a large shop, several storage buildings, a pool that I just discovered today (that’s right, a pool! Gated, with several lounge chairs, and just the right temp. of water), and various other buildings that I’m forgetting. There’s also a brethren assembly where most of the missionaries attend. I have a room in the guesthouse with an English chap named Matt who is a bricklayer. I’ll fill you in on more as I find out.
Peter out
Monday, January 28, 2008
Where are you, Mother?
Gillian and Krista will continue to be in Zambia for 1 month, this period of time gives you a chance to send us some mail by post.
For those of you who prefer pen and ink:
Campus Crusade For Christ Zambia
Box 36176 LSK
Lusaka, Zambia
Also, our phone continues to be silent... If you were having troubl, we've figured out that the country code for Zambia is probably 260. But when added to our previously posted number, one of the zeros is not needed. So it will be 26097...etc.
If you call between 7a.m. and noon we'll be readily available. :)
Still learning,
Still love you,
Gil and Krista
(Jule and Kreesta)
For those of you who prefer pen and ink:
Campus Crusade For Christ Zambia
Box 36176 LSK
Lusaka, Zambia
Also, our phone continues to be silent... If you were having troubl, we've figured out that the country code for Zambia is probably 260. But when added to our previously posted number, one of the zeros is not needed. So it will be 26097...etc.
If you call between 7a.m. and noon we'll be readily available. :)
Still learning,
Still love you,
Gil and Krista
(Jule and Kreesta)
Monday, January 21, 2008
GoGoBaby
Krista here,
I have survived and enjoyed my first week in Lusaka, Zambia.
Gillian and I are staying with a Zambian family who are involved in Campus Crusade. Including us there are 14 people living in the house (and multiple visitors coming and going all of the time -but it seems to somehow work better than our late ComHo. Our first couple of days were a little crazy -learning how to communicate, how to be dependant, how to take the crazy minibus and manouver our way through the muddy, rainy-season streets.
We've now settled into working at a baby place called House of Moses.. there are 34 babies there, from one week up to two years. They have been short staffed from quite some time, so it's nice to be a help. Basically we feed, and play with the babies all day -and take breaks to fold laundry.
I love babies.
We had a surprise visit from our dear friend Peter, the 40-year-old Safari man in his collered shirt and tilly hat, on Friday. Turns out his guest house was a 15 minute walk from the House os Moses -I suppose this wasn't really a surprise because everything always works out for Pete. He showed up at baby-place and we spent the afternoon with him, getting some tasty treats and bringing him home to meet our family. Of course, he immediately became a celebrity with them. It was a very rejuvinating visit -a reminder of who I am. We taught him to eat Nshima, and he's already learned the most popular greeting here, (which he says to everyone on the bus, street, or in any room he's in,) so I'm sure he'll get along well in Chitokowhatawhata.
Zambians are friendly people.
I am tired a lot of the time.
And also probably the most introverted I've been in a while.
Soooo shy. But getting better.
We have lovely friends.
I have mett my favourite little girl ever, Mwila, the 3-year-old in our home who hisses, and growls, and attacks everyone -but always makes me laugh.
I am well, and learning.
This is a lovely addition to life.
I love love love you.
Our number is:
097 621 0038 We don't have to pay anything for your incoming calls. Remember that we're 9 hours ahead of you here.
Gillian....
Hello lovelies. We don't have much time as our babies are awaiting us. So, i will say this:
I'm learning to pick up babies by their one armpit because i'm holding another on my arm.
Night terrors from cockroaches creeping along the window above our bed
just discovered copious amounts of belly button lint (guess the single bucket bathing system doesn't reach all areas...)
I have to speak at a church next Sunday so please pray for me. People here believe that |God calls you to ALL ministries, not just the ones you feel compelled to. So, as a result I am speaking to a church and feeling badly a littel because i think my faith is much different than the Zambians. God has given them the gift of Faith in the most full sense I have seen in my life. I am so doubting of belief most of the time and here I see the goodness of unshaken belief. I didn't know that I would ever say such a thing is good but here I do. Zambians need to believe in God absolutly and in his goodness absolutly in order to survive. I see that God in his mercy has enabled them to do so. Consquently - what can I, with my constant half-thoughts have to say to encourage these incredibly optimistic people? We shall see...
The family stare at us all the time and are fascinated with the variations of our bodies. For example - these 'red' marks on my face??? what are these? Having to identify my pimples as such is not incredibly plesant. But hilarious all the same. And these brown spots (moles) and this hair? Does it grow this way or do you cut it?
The girls greet us each morning before we are out of bed and crowd into our room - a strech for Krista and I as I'm sure anyone whose lived with us will understand!!
Mostly I'm very happy to be here. Just sometimes feel alientated by the difference in how we understand God and how he works in the world. This is my hardest thing thus far.
Make us love notes on here please... This is mine to all of you.
love Gillian and Krista
I have survived and enjoyed my first week in Lusaka, Zambia.
Gillian and I are staying with a Zambian family who are involved in Campus Crusade. Including us there are 14 people living in the house (and multiple visitors coming and going all of the time -but it seems to somehow work better than our late ComHo. Our first couple of days were a little crazy -learning how to communicate, how to be dependant, how to take the crazy minibus and manouver our way through the muddy, rainy-season streets.
We've now settled into working at a baby place called House of Moses.. there are 34 babies there, from one week up to two years. They have been short staffed from quite some time, so it's nice to be a help. Basically we feed, and play with the babies all day -and take breaks to fold laundry.
I love babies.
We had a surprise visit from our dear friend Peter, the 40-year-old Safari man in his collered shirt and tilly hat, on Friday. Turns out his guest house was a 15 minute walk from the House os Moses -I suppose this wasn't really a surprise because everything always works out for Pete. He showed up at baby-place and we spent the afternoon with him, getting some tasty treats and bringing him home to meet our family. Of course, he immediately became a celebrity with them. It was a very rejuvinating visit -a reminder of who I am. We taught him to eat Nshima, and he's already learned the most popular greeting here, (which he says to everyone on the bus, street, or in any room he's in,) so I'm sure he'll get along well in Chitokowhatawhata.
Zambians are friendly people.
I am tired a lot of the time.
And also probably the most introverted I've been in a while.
Soooo shy. But getting better.
We have lovely friends.
I have mett my favourite little girl ever, Mwila, the 3-year-old in our home who hisses, and growls, and attacks everyone -but always makes me laugh.
I am well, and learning.
This is a lovely addition to life.
I love love love you.
Our number is:
097 621 0038 We don't have to pay anything for your incoming calls. Remember that we're 9 hours ahead of you here.
Gillian....
Hello lovelies. We don't have much time as our babies are awaiting us. So, i will say this:
I'm learning to pick up babies by their one armpit because i'm holding another on my arm.
Night terrors from cockroaches creeping along the window above our bed
just discovered copious amounts of belly button lint (guess the single bucket bathing system doesn't reach all areas...)
I have to speak at a church next Sunday so please pray for me. People here believe that |God calls you to ALL ministries, not just the ones you feel compelled to. So, as a result I am speaking to a church and feeling badly a littel because i think my faith is much different than the Zambians. God has given them the gift of Faith in the most full sense I have seen in my life. I am so doubting of belief most of the time and here I see the goodness of unshaken belief. I didn't know that I would ever say such a thing is good but here I do. Zambians need to believe in God absolutly and in his goodness absolutly in order to survive. I see that God in his mercy has enabled them to do so. Consquently - what can I, with my constant half-thoughts have to say to encourage these incredibly optimistic people? We shall see...
The family stare at us all the time and are fascinated with the variations of our bodies. For example - these 'red' marks on my face??? what are these? Having to identify my pimples as such is not incredibly plesant. But hilarious all the same. And these brown spots (moles) and this hair? Does it grow this way or do you cut it?
The girls greet us each morning before we are out of bed and crowd into our room - a strech for Krista and I as I'm sure anyone whose lived with us will understand!!
Mostly I'm very happy to be here. Just sometimes feel alientated by the difference in how we understand God and how he works in the world. This is my hardest thing thus far.
Make us love notes on here please... This is mine to all of you.
love Gillian and Krista
Friday, January 18, 2008
it's raining
Hello Everyone, Peter here. I arrived in Lusaka Zambia on the 15th, and I've been staying in the CMML Flight Guest House for the last few days waiting to go up to the missions hospital in Chitikoloki. They drove down instead of flying because of the rain, so now i'm waiting until they drive back up. Sounds like I will be leaving tomorrow morning at 6:15am with Gordon Hanna. I've learned that I'm helping them to build some staff accomodations, as they seem to have many people willing to go help, but only at certain times of the year, and they are short on places to have them stay. there's a brick-layer from england there now, so I will help him, and hopefully learn some of the finer points of constructing with concrete/cement. If anyone can fly out a couple lifts of ant-resistant lumber for me it would be much appreciated! ;)
As for my time here so far it's been very relaxing. I've helped with a few errands, and my main task has been to try to figure out how to get a missionary nurse's I-POD to work. It's very nice and sunny and beautiful about half of the time, and the other half it is pouring rain. Things are very civilized in the capital here - I went shopping for some last minute supplies at the mall yesterday - but soon we will be hundreds of miles from anything. thank-you for your prayers, they are much appreciated. Pray that God will use me in my time here.
-Peter
As for my time here so far it's been very relaxing. I've helped with a few errands, and my main task has been to try to figure out how to get a missionary nurse's I-POD to work. It's very nice and sunny and beautiful about half of the time, and the other half it is pouring rain. Things are very civilized in the capital here - I went shopping for some last minute supplies at the mall yesterday - but soon we will be hundreds of miles from anything. thank-you for your prayers, they are much appreciated. Pray that God will use me in my time here.
-Peter
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Initial Travel Plans.
January 13 – March 1:
Zambia!!!
• Gillian and Krista: Working in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia with Campus Crusade Ministries. Orphanage work, organizing an office and preparing some programming for a sports ministry initiative they will be beginning after we depart.
• Peter: Working with Gordon Hanna, with the Missionary Central Committee in the East of Zambia. The mission station is called Chitokoloki (www.chitokoloki.org) and consists of a hospital, school and a leprosy colony. Peter will be supervising building projects in this location.
March 1 – 15:
• Maun, Botswana: to visit the missionaries Peter helped the last time they visited.
• Jo’burg (whitbank): Visiting Candice for a bit.
• Kwasizabantu: A South African communal community operating in South Africa, close to Durban. We will participate in their community life for a week or so and then travel to Pietermartizburg from there.
March 15:
• Pietermartizburg, South Africa: We will work with a contact of Anya Reuter’s, Regina. Regina has taken 14 children into her two bedroom home, relatives and foster children. We will building two extra rooms in her backyard to make space for the children to sleep. The rooms will allow her to accept more foster children. Regina is a Zulu woman who values education and makes it a priority for the children in her care. Anya has fundraised some money for the building costs but we still need an additional $1300. At the moment $750 has been donated by members of Southview, we still need $650 – probably any extra money would be helpful for her as well.
April 5:
• Somerset: We will be staying with the Roos family. Peter, Joel and Tristan stayed with them the last time they went to South Africa and we will continue the contact they have made previously. We will work primarily with Andy Hawkins, a missionary from the UK who is organizing a number of foreign and domestic aid projects in the region. These involve a sports program, childrens’ home for AIDs orphans, computer education, Community Health Evangalism. Their website is www.thembalitsha.org.uk.
• Andy said they could use any money we raised for their various projects. When Peter was there last he worked with a township church Andy was establishing a connection with. The church was trying to raise money for a functional building last summer and likely needs considerable help/money to finish.
April 22:
• Gillian and Krista: Capetown, working with Anya at a street ministry, drop-in.
• Peter: flying to Thailand.
April 29:
• Gillian and Krista: flying to Crete.
May 1: Peter home
May 9: Gillian and Krista home.
Zambia!!!
• Gillian and Krista: Working in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia with Campus Crusade Ministries. Orphanage work, organizing an office and preparing some programming for a sports ministry initiative they will be beginning after we depart.
• Peter: Working with Gordon Hanna, with the Missionary Central Committee in the East of Zambia. The mission station is called Chitokoloki (www.chitokoloki.org) and consists of a hospital, school and a leprosy colony. Peter will be supervising building projects in this location.
March 1 – 15:
• Maun, Botswana: to visit the missionaries Peter helped the last time they visited.
• Jo’burg (whitbank): Visiting Candice for a bit.
• Kwasizabantu: A South African communal community operating in South Africa, close to Durban. We will participate in their community life for a week or so and then travel to Pietermartizburg from there.
March 15:
• Pietermartizburg, South Africa: We will work with a contact of Anya Reuter’s, Regina. Regina has taken 14 children into her two bedroom home, relatives and foster children. We will building two extra rooms in her backyard to make space for the children to sleep. The rooms will allow her to accept more foster children. Regina is a Zulu woman who values education and makes it a priority for the children in her care. Anya has fundraised some money for the building costs but we still need an additional $1300. At the moment $750 has been donated by members of Southview, we still need $650 – probably any extra money would be helpful for her as well.
April 5:
• Somerset: We will be staying with the Roos family. Peter, Joel and Tristan stayed with them the last time they went to South Africa and we will continue the contact they have made previously. We will work primarily with Andy Hawkins, a missionary from the UK who is organizing a number of foreign and domestic aid projects in the region. These involve a sports program, childrens’ home for AIDs orphans, computer education, Community Health Evangalism. Their website is www.thembalitsha.org.uk.
• Andy said they could use any money we raised for their various projects. When Peter was there last he worked with a township church Andy was establishing a connection with. The church was trying to raise money for a functional building last summer and likely needs considerable help/money to finish.
April 22:
• Gillian and Krista: Capetown, working with Anya at a street ministry, drop-in.
• Peter: flying to Thailand.
April 29:
• Gillian and Krista: flying to Crete.
May 1: Peter home
May 9: Gillian and Krista home.
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