Gregersenblog

Award Winning Students

2011-11-12T15:54:00.002+02:00

Patricia Machalele and Sylvia Siachalinga won awards at a recent JETS (Junior Engineers, Technicians, and Scientists) competition.

Four area schools sent students to present projects and compete in quizzes. For the second year in a row, Patricia won first place for her Village Development project. Patricia produced a natural medicine to ease coughs and throat pain, especially in cases of tuberculosis. Patricia used her grandmother’s recipe to create tablets from cassava powder, mweeye leaves, and red wild spinach.

Sylvia Siachalinga (left) won second place in the Math and Science Quiz division. Students had to answer questions orally in spelling bee format. Subject matter included all areas of math and science.

A Little Nostalgia

2011-11-12T15:48:00.002+02:00

My new job as a second grade teacher in Carthage keeps me busy grading papers every night. My usual work station is the couch where I wrap an afghan around me and often watch TV as I grade. It's a long way from the days at Namwianga when I graded by the light of my headlamp during power outages and listened to the crickets and bats outside the window.

Update on Jason and George

2011-11-12T15:41:00.004+02:00

James Mwale, the new "dad" at Eric's House orphanage, wrote us a note this week to tell us that Jason and George have now graduated from preschool and will start first grade in January. The photo above was taken when I was at Namwianga in June. Jason loves all things school-related: coloring, writing letters, counting, and he's even beginning to read. George is the social one and not quite as academically oriented. Jason is determined to make a student out of him, however, and loved to tell me, "Nana! He's not coloring it right!" as he frowned in disapproval.

I'm Back!

2011-10-23T20:12:00.004+02:00

I apologize to any faithful blog readers who are still checking for updates. I have started a new teaching job that is consuming most of my waking hours. I love the work, and I love my sweet second grade students, but right now I have very little time or energy left to blog. I hope to get back into blogging about Namwianga eventually, but for the next few months you can expect only occasional postings.

Here are a few updates:

Meagan Hawley and Louisa Duke spent last weekend here with us. Long-time readers know that Meagan and Louisa worked with us at Namwianga from 2006 on. They became like family to us, and we shared experiences with them that bonded us in ways only other missionaries can probably understand! Meagan is now teaching middle school in Edmond, Oklahoma, and Louisa is a physician's assistant at a clinic for low-income children in Fort Worth. We had a fabulous weekend with them, laughing and crying our way through years of memories and sharing the struggles of re-adjusting to life in the US. It was a blessing that I will treasure.

Jason and George are having their own adjustments at Eric's House. Roy and Kathi Merritt are retiring from full-time parenting in the orphanages. They have built a house next to Eric's House and will still be very involved in the work, but they will no longer be the mom and dad for Eric's House. James and Leah Mwale have moved in and are now in charge. I haven't heard how things are going for them, but I'm sure Jason is giving them lots of advice about how to run things and George is smiling his way into their hearts just like he does with everyone else.

George Benson Christian College held its graduation ceremony in late September. One of our sponsored students, Muyano Siabalumbi, was honored with a Distinction, the highest academic honor a student can receive. She is shown in the top photo. Muyano is now teaching at Sinde Mission. You may remember her as one of the teachers of whom the headmistress said, "They have transformed our school!"

Hanna Boyd, pictured in the lower photo with Jason and George, grew up at the Brentwood Oaks Church in Austin, our sponsoring congregation. Hanna is now spending a semester at Namwianga with the Harding in Zambia program. It has been a thrill to read her blog posts about her experiences and to see Zambia and Namwianga through her eyes. I hope to put some of her posts on the blog in the future.

Thanks for your patience as I learn how to manage this next challenge of dividing my time and my heart between ministries on two different continents!

Great Articles About Zambia Medical Mission

2011-09-04T22:41:00.001+02:00

David Ramsey, 2011 Zambia Medical Mission team member, is a columnist for the Colorado Springs Gazette. After this year's trip, he wrote a feature article on Zambia Medical Mission which highlighted the 12 ZMM team members from Colorado Springs. This article was featured on the front page of this morning's Sunday paper. There are actually two articles, and you can click on the links below to read them.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/stands-124387-day-miles.html

http://www.gazette.com/articles/zambia-124389-colorado-springs.html

Thanks David for the excellent articles.

Informative Article on Zambia

2011-08-28T05:22:00.002+02:00

Here is an interesting article about Zambia's political and economic situation.

Two Heartbreakers

2011-08-27T04:30:00.003+02:00

Meagan sent me this photo of George and Jason in the new outfits that my daughter Sara sent for them. These two really are Best Friends Forever as well as the source of much mischief and laughter wherever they go!

HIZ Group Arrives at Namwianga

2011-08-27T04:01:00.004+02:00

Another excited and enthusiastic group of Harding University students arrived at Namwianga this week. One of them is Hanna Boyd, a sweet young woman who grew up in our Brentwood Oaks congregation in Austin. I have known her since she was born, and I am thrilled that she is now experiencing Zambia through the HIZ program.

Hanna wrote a blog entry about her first days at Namwianga, and it is easy to tell that she is quickly falling in love with Africa. She has met George and Jason, held babies at the Havens, toured the campus, and met Mrs. Moono. David and I love hearing her excitement. Here are some excerpts:

We flew into a little airport in Livingstone, Zambia, and from there went to Victoria Falls. That was a BEAUTIFUL place. I had been there before but I didn’t remember a lot of it. We spent a few hours there walking around and taking tons of pictures at all the different sight spots! Rainbows were everywhere and seeing the power of the falls was incredible. The Hippo Song has always been a funny little camp song but we kept singing “God’s fingerprints are everywhere just to show how much He cares” and it wasn’t just a funny song anymore. I don’t know how you can see Victoria Falls and not think about how much God cares about you. . .

We went to visit Mrs. Moono. She lives on the mission and she sews anything we want out of chitanges! That was the first time we met her and she was so sweet! Gregersens and Broadways-she was so happy to hear that I know y'all…she asked all about how y'all are doing and she gave me big hugs for each of you!

. . . The very little time that we have spent at Namwianga has already been incredible! It truly is home. I love it already…I love Namwianga, I love the people and the children, and I love my HIZ family that I’m here with!

Africa has claimed another student. Hanna will never be the same.

Back to School

2011-08-09T14:07:00.004+02:00

Some personal news: I started a new job last week. I am teaching second grade in Carthage, a town about 30 miles west of Mount Vernon. So far I've had six days of in-service training and spent many hours getting my classroom ready for the first day of school on August 18.

I have thought many times about the contrast between back-to-school preparations here in the US and those in Zambia, so I thought I would re-post a blog from 2007 about Brian Siakuba's student teaching experience.

Today we made another grueling drive to Chiili to pick up Brian Siakuba, a GBCC student teacher who had been there since May. The community came to say goodbye and gathered for this final photo. Brian is on the left side in the front row wearing a white shirt.

The community leaders were sad to see him go. He had proven himself to be an excellent teacher and a great worker in the local congregation. The woman who serves as head of the village begged us to send more teachers from GBCC. We hope to do just that!

On the way home, I asked Brian to describe the greatest challenge he encountered. He told us about facing the start of the term alone. We had taken him to Chiili on the first Saturday in May before the term was to begin on Monday. No other teachers were there, but we assumed they would be arriving on Sunday. As it turns out, Brian was the only teacher at the school for the first two weeks of the term. One teacher arrived after two weeks, and the head teacher arrived three weeks after the term began. Poor Brian had to figure out what to teach without any guidance! He seemed to have taken it all in stride and recommended that we send more student teachers there next year.

We are proud of students like Brian and look forward to hearing more of their stories as they return from their first experiences in the field.

Update on Brian: Brian graduated in 2008 and spent two years working with a newly planted church in northern Zambia. Currently he is back in the Namwianga area and teaches in a rural school. His wife is also a graduate of GBCC and teaches at the same school.

The Left Behind Group

2011-07-27T21:16:00.002+02:00

Zambia Medical Mission 2011 ended with a transportation nightmare when 18 of the team members missed their flight got left behind in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Read Ellie Hamby's description of it here:

Overall the Zambia Medical Mission 2011 went exceptionally well. We had two major is sues (one at the beginning and one at the end) but other than that it was great. We saw thousands of people, our group stayed basically healthy, we had plenty of medicine, and the kitchen crew did a suburb job of feeding everyone. A big thanks to Josh Judkins and his kitchen crew for stepping up when Nadara could not come. They did an excellent job and Leonard Sichimwa, head cook, said it was 100%.

Carole Buchholz, who suffered the broken wrist at the beginning of the medical mission, was sent to Nashville for medical treatment after she spent about a week in the hospital in Johannesburg. We understand she had surgery in Nashville and is doing much better.

Of course, many of you have heard about the “Stranded 18” in Zimbabwe. We had to send 33 people to Victoria Falls to fly out as there were not enough seats for the whole team on the flight out of Livingstone. Normally, it is not a problem to cross the border, but that day it took 3 ½ hours at immigration at the border and this caused 18 of our people to miss their flight. I went on the bus to the airport with the first group and even though the gate was closed for the flight I managed to get them to open it back up for our group. The ground crew agreed to delay the flight as long as possible to wait for the remaining 18 to come and did so until the captain said he was waiting no more and closed the door. The plane took off just as the group arrived at the airport. The 18 had to spend the night in V/Falls and we were able to find them accommodations at Russell Caldecott’s (Ultimate Africa) and they did get to go to the Boma for their evening meal.

The problem we were facing is that a group ticket cannot be changed without huge penalties. The agent at V/Falls agreed to send the group on to South Africa at absolutely no charge and even upgraded the group to Business Class. I decided to fly with the group as we were facing monumental problems upon arrival in South Africa. I had awaken our travel agent at 1:00 am in the morning and also I called KB and told him the worse case scenario was that we were facing a cost of at least $3000 for each person to reissue a ticket. Our travel agent worked on the issue but told me all I could do was plead our case to the international ticket agency in J/Burg airport. On the flight there I spent all my time in prayer and rehearsing the speech I was going to give. I planned to tell them that we were loyal customers of South African Airways and that our group was all volunteers doing humanitarian work in Zambia. When I arrived at the counter and started my speech to the supervisor, he quickly stopped me and said, “If you are with the 18 coming from V/Falls do not worry as all has been taken care of and all they need to do is go check in.” I asked him to repeat it twice to make certain that is what he said. The group quickly went to check in and got boarding passes for their trip back to the USA. All this was done with no cost to Zambia Medical Mission. I do not know who intervened (but I know prayers were answered). KB said in his email, “Those who are with us are greater than those who are against us.” The stranded 18 were real troopers and made the job of sorting things out much easier.

Special thanks to all who helped make ZMM 2011 a huge success. Many of you donated money to help individual team members and also for medicine, clean delivery kits, cataract surgery, containers, and wheelchairs. Your participation with us is greatly appreciated.

My notes: Ellie does an amazing job of coordinating this huge medical mission, handling crises like this with courageous grace. What a hero!

Zambia Medical Mission 2011

2011-07-27T21:11:00.002+02:00

This is a photo of the Zambia Medical Mission team for 2011. Ellie Hamby describes their efforts:

We have just completed our 17th annual medical mission trip to Zambia. This year we had a team of around 240 (this includes the 120 Zambian medical, spiritual and support staff volunteers). Our group worked very hard as the lines of patients coming for treatment were often quite long. We were able to treat all that came and that is always our goal. This year we saw over 16,000 patients in 6 days of clinics. On our 5th day of clinics we saw 3700 in one day and you can imagine everyone was very tired. Our team stayed healthy and we are thankful for that. The first few days we experienced very cold weather, but the last few days it was quite warm.

We sent over 150 cataract patients to Namwianga where Dr. Moonze and Dr. Teague performed the surgeries. They made many people extremely happy to have their sight restored. As the A-Team (Advance team) was traveling to Kasukwe for our 3 clinic they saw a man at a junction wearing cataract glasses. When the man saw the Namwianga vehicles he started shouting “Namwianga, Namwianga, I can see now that I had eye surgery at Namwianga”. It was a blessing for all to experience his dancing for joy on having his eyesight restored.

We made 3 emergency runs where we had patients that would not have survived if we had not been there. One was an old man that was critically ill with stomach issues and was being brought in an ox-cart. A truck was driving by and saw the man was very sick so they moved him to the back of the truck and he was brought to our clinic at Njabalombe. Dr. Tate attended to him and said he had to be transported immediately as his condition was grave. We hooked up IV’s in the back of the Land Cruiser and lifted the old man into the back. He was transported to the nearest hospital which was over 2 ½ hrs away. All indications were he was going to make it.

On our 4th clinic day we were at Kasukwe and a young man was carried in with a horrible foot injury caused by a maize threshing machine. He had traveled 6 miles in the back of an ox cart and had lost a considerable amount of blood on the way. He was bleeding profusely as he was being carried into our wound care clinic. Dr. McKenzie quickly attended to him to get the bleeding under control and IV’s were started. The young man had gone into shock as his condition was also grave. Within 10 minutes of his arriving at the clinic we had him in the back of a vehicle with IV’s connected on the way to Macha Hospital. They rushed him there in record time (about 1 ½ hrs.) and by the time they got to Macha he was becoming alert. Our medical personnel are confident he would have bled to death if we had not had our clinic at Kasukwe.

On the 5th day of clinics at Kasukwe we had a 15 year old girl come in with lesions on her face. It was determined that she did have leprosy and we gave her mother funds to take her daughter to Chikinkata (the leper hospital in Zambia). It is felt if she can get started on treatment they will be able to save the loss of her limbs and the advancement of the leprosy.

We had over 50 people brought in that needed wheelchairs. Some of them crawled, some were carried, and some came on bicycles or oxcarts. These were given wheelchairs and therefore the gift of mobility.

The expression of joy of the faces of the thousands of people is indescribable. The following statement was often expressed, “Why did these people cross the waters to help someone they did not know?” The answer was simple “They did it to show the love of Jesus”.

Lives were saved both physically and spiritually, eyesight was restored, dignity was given to each patient and all in the name of Jesus. There were around 80 people baptized and we praise God for that.

Zambia Medical Mission

2011-07-13T22:34:00.002+02:00

Zambia Medical Mission is at work in Southern Province this week. Shown above is Kel Hamby giving instructions to some of the Americans who arrived last weekend to join the team. The lower photo shows the new bus that is part of the convoy that took over 200 Zambians and Americans and all their gear out into the bush to begin the clinics.

July Lectureship

2011-07-13T22:27:00.003+02:00

Namwianga hosts an annual lectureship the first weekend in July. People from all over the country attend. Roy Merritt sent this photo of this year's Sunday morning lectureship gathering in Johnson Auditorium. There were 951 squeezed into the building. I can only imagine how wonderful the singing sounded!

Update

2011-07-03T20:46:00.003+02:00

I left Namwianga last Monday morning at 8:30. I was supposed to take an Air France flight out of Johannesburg, South Africa, that afternoon, but the flight was delayed 12 hours. That meant I couldn't make my connecting flights, so Air France booked me on a Delta flight for Tuesday night and put me up in a nice hotel across from the airport. Tuesday afternoon I arrived at the Delta counter and found out I was not even in the Delta computer system and was not going anywhere. After another night in Johannesburg, I finally flew out on Wednesday night and got home Thursday night. My luggage didn't make it here until Saturday. Oh well, I'm finally home and unpacked. It was a great trip and I brought home great memories to treasure.

Student Outreach at Kanyaya

2011-07-03T20:12:00.005+02:00

Outreaches are an important part of the training that sponsored students receive at Namwianga. By visiting and ministering in other congregations, the students develop their leadership and preaching skills. Most outreaches from Namwianga are on Sundays. Students get up early to load onto vehicles, jump on bicycles, or just head out on foot to village congregations. But now and then there is a weekend outreach like the recent area-wide meeting at Kanyaya.

Loading for this weekend outreach began on Friday afternoon. And what a load it was! Students brought their mattresses from the dorms and stacked them in the open backs of pickups. Luggage and blankets were tied on top or wedged in on the sides. Vegetables and other food items found a place. And then the riders squeezed in wherever they could. Somehow there was room.

The students were driven to the village of Kanyaya where an area-wide meeting was held. Almost 150 people from seven congregations gathered in and around the tiny mud brick and thatch church building. Grass-fenced shelter areas had been built underneath shade trees to provide a larger gathering area, and another grass-fenced area was designated as the kitchen where meals were cooked over open fires. For this weekend outreach, the students brought mealie-meal, vegetables, and cooking oil from the college’s kitchen. The village congregation provided water, firewood, and grass shelters.

Rodgers Namuswa is the coordinator for student outreaches. He says the students did most of the teaching, preaching, and song leading for the weekend. On Friday night there were some lessons, but the singing went on until well after midnight. Finally the men settled into their sleeping spots inside the grass fence and the women slept inside the building.

On Saturday the sessions resumed with more preaching and teaching. The college women taught Bible classes to the children and the college men did most of the lessons for the adults. By Saturday night the weather had turned very cold, so three big fires were built to ensure that everyone could be close to a source of heat. At 11:00 the GBCC Heavenly Echoes choir began singing to those gathered around the fires, and the singing continued until 6:00 the next morning.

Rodgers Namuswa describes the warm welcome that college students receive on outreaches like this one: “People like the college students so much! Many village churches are really encouraged a lot by visits from the students. The students are able to do the work of the outreaches because they like to go out and share God’s word.”

Late Scholars

2011-06-28T15:15:00.005+02:00

The government of Zambia lifted the age restrictions for schools. Anyone who wants to go to school can do so. Gilbert, shown above, is in his forties (we think) and is in tenth grade. He started grade seven in 2008 and has been a full-time student ever since.
Webster is around 30 years old, married, and has three kids. He worked as our security guard when we lived at Namwianga. He often studied while he was at his post at night, and I had given him several reading comprehension workbooks to help him. During my recent visit Namwianga, Webster proudly told me that he is now doing grade nine at a school in Kalomo. He does his security job at night, goes home to sleep for a few hours, and then goes to school. He tells me that he looks quite "smart" in his school uniform and that the head teacher has appointed him as a monitor.

Way to go, Gilbert and Webster!

Workshop at Kanyaya

2011-06-28T15:08:00.004+02:00

Last Saturday I did a teacher training workshop at Kanyaya. Four congregations sent representatives to learn how to use the Beginner’s Bible to teach children in Sunday School classes. I have taught many of these workshops through the years, but I think this was the best one yet.

For one thing, it was a small group—only about 20. I have had over 100 in some of the workshops, and it is difficult to involve the participants when there are so many. And these women were active! We acted out the story of the good Samaritan, and they really got into it. Then I had them create some skits to demonstrate kindness, and once again they gave it their all.

One thing I always do is teach them how to use the “Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down” as a review game with kids to make sure they are getting the point. These participants loved that, and even after our workshop was over, they were giving me the “Thumbs Up!” sign when they were happy about something.

And the grand finish was a delicious lunch of village chicken and nshima that we ate outside under the trees.

I met this lady at the workshop. Four of her children have attended or are now at Namwianga.

Frost Bites!

2011-06-27T23:26:00.004+02:00

It FROZE at Namwianga on Saturday night! Roy Merritt writes this report:

Zambia usually enjoys chilly, but sunny winters. We never have snow, and frost once every three years or so. A couple days ago we had the hardest frost we’ve experienced since 1980. It wiped out our tomato patch! Quite a blow for us, but overwhelming damage to small farmers who depend on vegetable sales for their livelihood.

Frost got the leaves but not the stems. We hope the plants will recover, but meanwhile we’ll have fried green tomatoes by the bushel.

The rest of our garden is okay—cabbages, onions and canola greens.

Steps to Heaven

2011-06-26T15:32:00.002+02:00

Steps to Heaven is the group that sang in chapel on Friday. Amazing harmony from these guys! They love to sing and teach and preach as they share their talents on outreaches.

Three Friends

2011-06-25T01:14:00.001+02:00

These three precious friends came to see me today--and to invite me to pray with them.

Mildred (left) is 37 and looks 20. She has five children of her own and is raising a grandchild and her husband's siblings. She works long, hard days, but there is always a smile on her beautiful face and laughter on her lips.

Esther (center) is a widow. Two years ago her only son, a teenager, was killed in a car accident on the Namwianga road. I found her sitting in a ditch near the accident site just after she had heard about her son. I remember collapsing in the ditch with her to mourn and weep. Esther is a retired teacher. When she was still employed, she came to a workshop that I did on teaching from a Christian perspective. Now that she is retired, she is going to schools and sharing that workshop material with other teachers.

Jennifer invited Mildred and me to form a prayer team when Meagan Hawley was so desperately ill in 2010. We met weekly during Jennifer's lunch hour to pray for Meagan. Often I would pray in English and Jennifer and Mildred would pray in Tonga. What a blessed experience.

I love these women dearly and treasured this chance to reconnect today as we knelt together and lifted our prayers to the Father.

Computer Lab

2011-06-23T23:07:00.002+02:00

Robby Banda teaches computer skills in the new lab. Students from the remotest areas of the country now have access to technology.

Jason and George

2011-06-23T01:04:00.004+02:00

Jason colors beautifully and takes it very seriously!

George's smile just melts my heart!

I love these little guys!

Dodgeball

2011-06-21T22:02:00.002+02:00

At Sinde Basic School on Monday I witnessed some girls playing a spirited game of dodgeball in the school yard. Their homemade ball worked quite well! I love Zamgenuity.

They Have Transformed Our School!

2011-06-21T21:58:00.002+02:00

Roderick, Muyano, and Benson are three of my former students. I visited them at Sinde Basic School yesterday. Here is their story.

Lina Tiyo, headmistress of Sinde Basic School, glows with enthusiasm as she describes the three George Benson Christian College graduates who began teaching at her school in January. “They have transformed our school!’ she announces proudly.
Roderick Siantobolo, Muyano Siabulumbi, and Benson Kapule finished their coursework at GBCC in December. Their official teaching credentials will not be ready for several months, but for now they are already in the classroom and making a huge difference in the rural community of Sinde. Benson teaches math and science, Muyano teaches English, and Roderick teaches history and religious education. All three are coaching sports teams and providing supervision for the students who board at the school. “Before they came, I was the only one who wanted to have chapel,” Miss Tiyo explains. “Now we have chapel every day, and they are teaching the pupils how to lead the chapel services,” She adds, “Their behavior is outstanding, and they are role models for the pupils.”

A GBCC graduate herself, Miss Tiyo requested help in 2009. Sinde is a grant-aided school and is allowed to emphasize and teach the Christian faith, but its teachers are hired and paid by the government. For several years the teachers who were sent to Sinde by the government were not committed Christians and did not provide spiritual leadership for the school or the church.
In January of this year, the Golf Course Road Church of Christ in Midland offered to support GBCC graduates who would agree to serve in the rural Christian schools under the Namwianga umbrella. Benson, Muyano, and Roderick were chosen for their excellence in academic performance, their Christian character, and their leadership skills. They receive a small living allowance for their services now, but it is expected that the government will soon hire them on as official teachers and they will be self-supporting.

Beyond their duties as educators, the three GBCC grads are working with the local Church of Christ. The congregation had split in 2010, but the new teachers have been able to help heal the division. Benson and Roderick share the preaching duties with other men of the congregation, and they also teach a Saturday Bible study class. Muyano is in charge of the children’s Sunday School classes. The three of them started a visitation program, and now they go out with other members to call on those who are sick or who have been absent from church services. Benson notes that attendance has been climbing steadily and that people who had stopped coming in years past are now back.

Muyano says her education at GBCC prepared her well for the challenges she faces at Sinde. “The Bible studies and chapel services (at college) helped us. We don’t fumble here and there, and we emulate what we learned from the college.” History teacher Roderick adds that his college training helped him learn “the importance of a good model and how to be a good model.”

Benson, Muyano, and Roderick are representative of the many Namwianga-trained teachers who are teaching with excellence and spreading the gospel all over the country of Zambia. Schools and communities everywhere echo the plea: “Send us more teachers from George Benson Christian College!”

These three teachers would not have been able to go to college without sponsorship. Others like them are waiting for sponsors right now. If you would like to help train self-supporting evangelists in Zambia, please consider sponsoring a high school or college student at Namwianga.

Harding Group Serves and Learns

2011-06-21T21:57:00.002+02:00

Jill Taylor and Kritz

Lauren Davenport and Rita

Jill Taylor describes her experience at Namwianga as “life-changing.” Laura Davenport calls it “an amazing opportunity and experience.” Both were part of the third group from Harding University’s Speech/Language Pathology program to study and serve at Namwianga. Eleven graduate students and three supervisors spent six weeks in May and June working with babies and toddlers at the Haven and Eric’s House orphanages.

Dr. Dan Tullos and Dr. Beckie Weaver lead the HIZ Path group. Tullos says the program gives students an opportunity for multicultural clinical therapy practice in a setting they would not ordinarily experience. The students also provide needed services in an environment where speech therapy is a new concept. The students receive clinical credit for their time here.

Their days are spent at the orphanages working on language enrichment and stimulation with the children. They encourage the babies to imitate sounds and words, which is a part of normal speech development. They also encourage the premature babies to crawl, interact, and reach for objects.

Language experiences often occur in groups of six to ten children. These sessions resemble cradle roll classes where the children are shown pictures and objects and are encouraged to sing, repeat words, and interact with the teacher. The Zambian caregivers listen in on these sessions and are encouraged to continue the activities after the Harding students leave.

Babies and children identified with special needs such as cerebral palsy or autistic tendencies receive specific and intensive therapy. Another special needs group consists of premature babies and others with swallowing or feeding problems who are either unable or uninterested in eating. The therapists stimulate facial and neck muscles to help the babies swallow and feed normally.

Dr. Tullos tells the story of Hamilton, a pudgy, active toddler in this year’s group of children. Last year Hamilton was near death when the HIZ Path group arrived. He was not eating and was not expected to live through the night. With therapy provided by the Harding students, Hamilton began to eat and thrive. Now Hamilton is benefiting from language therapy and is learning to imitate sounds. “We feel like we had a big part in saving his life,” says Tullos.

Other benefits of the speech and language therapy are just as impressive, if not as dramatic. Roy Merritt comments about the effect of the speech therapists on the little boys at Eric’s House: “They turn them into chatterboxes! The little rascals are talking in complete sentences, saying things like, ‘Please may I go into town with you?’”

Harding’s speech pathology efforts are unique in Zambia. Tullos and Weaver hope that Harding can eventually help George Benson Christian College develop a speech therapy program so that Zambians can provide the services to their own people.

Bingo!

2011-06-18T21:53:00.005+02:00

Today’s party for the 60 sponsored high school students was a smashing success. There were a couple of surprises, but they were good ones. First of all, the party was supposed to begin at 3:30. On Zambian time, that might mean anywhere between 3:30 and 4:30, but the first group of students arrived at 2:55! No problem there, since that gave me time to take a photograph of each student.

The first game we played was the “Candy Walk”—just like the carnival game “Cake Walk”, but with small bags of candy awarded instead of cakes. As usual, I had to improvise a little. I couldn’t locate a CD player, so I had the students sing as they walked around the circle, and then I rang a dinner bell when it was time for them to find their seats.

We did the Candy Walk outside in the back yard of the Hamby Guest House. Next I had the students sit at tables on the guesthouse verandah for our Bingo game. They had never played Bingo, and they loved it. Each winner got to choose from an assortment of prizes that I had brought with me or rounded up from Ellie’s stash of donations. The first prizes to be taken were the two Bibles. When they were gone, students chose spiral notebooks or pencils, items that are precious commodities for these needy students. Posters, chapsticks, gum, and candy were not nearly as popular.

We served cake and Kool-Aid and had closing comments before sending the students back to their dorms. They all seemed to enjoy the party, and many came by to say “thank you.” It was a pleasure to put together this very simple affair and see them enjoy it so much.

The internet is so limited here that I can't manage any photos. Sorry--I'll post some when I'm back in the US.

Friday Update

2011-06-17T19:09:00.001+02:00

I started my morning in college chapel. The singing overwhelmed me, as always, and I wanted to weep at the incredible harmony. I spent the rest of the morning in meetings with students and co-workers.

This afternoon I managed a quick trip to the Haven III and Eric’s House in between meetings. Jason was thrilled to see me, and I could hardly believe how much he’s grown. He is a tall 6-year-old and not a bit chubby any more. As I expected, he knows all his ABCs and was quite proud to prove it to me. George was out roaming, and I didn’t get to see him.

I gave up on my phone! First I put in a new sim card and immediately got 168 text messages again. I borrowed a phone from Ellie, inserted the original sim card, and all is well. I don’t understand what happened to my phone because it worked fine when I was here in October.

Tomorrow I’m hosting a party for the 60 sponsored high school students. We’re playing Bingo, and Meagan assures me that it will be new to most of them. Should be fun!

The power has stayed on all day, so I’m going to post this quickly before the inevitable blackout begins.

Let the Adventures Begin

2011-06-16T22:51:00.001+02:00

I landed in Livingstone and made it through Customs and Immigration without incident. My greeting committee of Ellie and Kel Hamby, Joseph Lawrence, and James Estes (all here preparing for Zambia Medical Mission) welcomed me, and we set out to do our errands in Livingstone. Then the adventures began.

The first ATM I tried would not work. I went down the block and found another one. Then we went into a fast food chicken place and got in line behind two other people. Fifteen minutes later it was finally our turn to order. I ordered first, and then Joseph ordered the same thing. Sorry, I had managed to get the last order of potatoes and Joseph had to order something else. Then the clerk did not have enough change to give me in return. Joseph had to chip in the equivalent of two dollars so that I could get my change. I’ll pay him back some day.

Next stop: cell phone shop. I bought a sim card and inserted it into my global phone. Immediately I started getting spam text messages – 2 different messages repeating every few seconds until my phone reached its limit of 168 messages! At that point, I couldn’t send any text messages because—surprise—there wasn’t enough memory!

I started trying to call the cell phone company. I followed the prompts: Press 1 for English. I listened to the menu, which surprisingly does not feature “How to handle 168 spam text messages,” It does say “Press 5 for all other business. “ I pressed the 5 and listened to another menu that again ends with “Press 5 for all other business.” I pressed 5 and got “We are disconnecting you now.” So far I’ve tried this about 25 times, and twice I have managed to get put on hold instead of being cut off. Those two times I got to listen to three minutes of music before being cut off. Meanwhile, as fast as I can delete the messages, they come in again. I hope you’re not trying to text me here in Africa. It may be a few days.

Back at Namwianga, things are much more functional! Harold had fixed his famous chicken spaghetti for our supper, along with his equally famous chocolate cake. The electricity went off just as we finished eating, making me feel right at home in Zambia. Security guards Webster and Justin let me join them around their brazier fire and get caught up on the news. Sadly, Webster reports that our cat Makua disappeared over a month ago. He says I should not worry, because the cat has done this before and always returns eventually.

The sky is brilliant under the blanket of stars, the crickets are chirping, and the air is cool and crisp. Africa has me in its grip again.

I’ll try to write more after I delete 168 text messages . . . and if the power stays on . . .

The Itch for Africa

2011-06-15T20:14:00.003+02:00

Our first trip to Africa was in 1999. We thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we thought we were doing it mainly for our teenage kids. Near the end of our three-week stay, a co-worker who had grown up as a missionary's kid in Africa warned us that we would have to return. He said, "Africa is like poison ivy on the brain, and the only way to scratch it is to go back."

He was so right. Twelve years later I know that Africa has infected not only my brain, but my heart as well. There is always a part of me that is itching to return. There is always an empty place in my heart--an Africa-shaped hole that can only be filled with the people and places and craziness of Africa.

And tonight I'm starting to scratch my African itch. I'm overnighting in Johannesburg, South Africa, on my way to Namwianga. This trip is mainly to work with the sponsorship program--I haven't met the students who are new to the program in 2011. I need to meet with them and also check on how Rajiv is managing the overwhelming responsibilities I piled on him.

But George and Jason are part of the itch as well. I can't wait to have their little arms around my neck and hear them say, "I love you, Nana!" I'm sure Jason knows most of his alphabet by now, and he'll want to impress me with his new knowledge. George will have to show me his usual cute antics, and there will be other toddlers to love and hug on as well.

Meagan Hawley is at Haven III for the summer, so I'm looking forward to some long talks with her as we compare notes about our year of re-entry and get caught up on our lives in America. I brought along some Beginner's Bibles, so Rodgers Namuswa and I will head out into the bush somewhere to train Bible class teachers. Mrs. Moono and I will have tea and discuss our families and the chickens. I hope Webster will bring our temperamental cat around, although it's too much to hope that the cat might be glad to see me.

And who knows what else might be in store? The only thing that's certain on a trip to Africa is that there will be some unexpected, unplanned, and maybe slightly crazy adventures along the way.

There are few things in life that feel as good as a scratched itch. Africa, I'm back! And it feels so good.

Aunt Norma's Legacy

2011-06-07T01:38:00.003+02:00

My Aunt Norma died on May 28 at the age of 83. I remember her as a vibrant, energetic woman who loved her family. She was very proud of her three sons, or as she called them, "the boys."

In 2006 Aunt Norma began sponsoring a student at George Benson Christian College. When her first student, a young widow with two children, graduated in 2007, I chose Rajiv Siamweela to be her next sponsored student. I knew that he was one she could take pride in, just as she had her sons.

Rajiv graduated in December and is now teaching high school math at Namwianga Christian High School. He also serves as my assistant in the sponsorship program. Through the years I reported to Aunt Norma about Rajiv's accomplishments and assured her that she was making a difference in his life.

When I told Rajiv about Aunt Norma's death, he sent the following tribute:

As I am writing, my heart ìs in deep sorrow. . . . At his own right time when I was in need, God helped me through his servant who probably helped me more than anyone could have done. I am grateful, and I appreciate so much the aid she gave me. I will always be thankful of her love for me. In me she planted a seed that is and will be fruitful. May Her Soul Rest in Eternal Peace.

The Tornado and Fredy's Dinosaur

2011-05-31T03:03:00.002+02:00

On Saturday I joined a crew from our congregation and headed to Joplin to help in the relief efforts. David and I drove there in his pickup truck. I was glad we were alone when we found our way into the center of the area hit by the tornado. I thought I was prepared after seeing the photos and video on TV all week. But nothing prepared me for the actual sight of miles and miles of devastation. Miles and miles of houses reduced to rubble. Very few had even one wall still standing. Cars crushed like Coke cans and carelessly tossed like pieces of litter. Electric lines snaking and coiled on the ground by the roadsides. Naked trees stripped of leaves and bark. All I could do was cry and wonder how anyone escaped alive.

We drove to a house in an area that was one block away from the worst-hit area. That one block was the difference between matchstick rubble and houses that were still standing. A lady named Viviana and her preschooler waited out the storm in an inner closet. They emerged alive, their house damaged but structurally sound. A block away the stories were much more tragic.

Viviana had windows blown out on two sides of her house. The Mt. Vernon crew had put a tarp on her roof and cleared fallen trees out of her yard on Thursday. The job for six of us women on Saturday was to help her get the interior cleaned up and livable. Glass was everywhere, and rain had soaked the carpets and furniture. My brother had brought a generator, so we cleaned up the glass and vacuumed the carpets with a ShopVac. Mud splattered the living room walls, and we cleaned them off as best we could. The living room furniture was ruined and had to be carried out to the curb to be picked up by the trash crews.

Viviana's son Fredy uses a small enclosed porch as his playroom. The shattered window had scattered glass shards all over the floor, and most of the toys were drenched. We started taking the toys outside and sorting what was salvageable from what would have to be thrown away. Fredy had been gone for the first hour of our work, and when he came home he headed straight for his playroom. He eyed the bare spots silently as his mother explained that his toys would have to be washed and that we were going to help. Without a word he began gathering up armloads of small items that had been kept dry by a plastic bin and carefully carried them out to the porch and piled them up. He made trip after trip, adding to his little piles in silent determination.

Then tragedy struck. His favorite toy, a maroon stuffed dinosaur whose electronic innards made it roar and move, was found soaked and still. Viviana pronounced it a discard. Fredy's big brown eyes dropped to the ground. His chin trembled. He tried really hard not to cry in front of these strangers. But it was the last straw for Fredy. The tears fell, the silent sobs became uncontrolled weeping, and no one could console Fredy. His mother's promises to buy him a new dinosaur were useless. And we six other women stood around Fredy and Viviana and tried not to cry with him.

My sister-in-law Carol grabbed up the dinosaur with one hand and hugged Fredy with the other. "Fredy, I'm going to put it right out here in the sunlight and we'll just see if we can't get it dry and maybe it will work again." Fredy hid his face on his mother's shoulder, finally gaining control of himself and reluctantly releasing the dinosaur to Carol's kind hands.

I wonder how many scenes like this are happening every day in Joplin. How many Fredys did the tornado leave behind? Fredys who can't understand an EF5 storm and only know that their dinosaurs are wet and life will never be the same?

I just had to grab my broom and cleaning rags and keep moving.

HIZ Path at Namwianga

2011-05-25T22:40:00.004+02:00

Harding University's speech pathology program has a group of students and faculty members at Namwianga now. This is their third year to come, and they are once again making a difference for the children at the orphanages. The students provide various kinds of therapy and language development experiences that the kids would not get any other way. The results are wonderful for both the kids at the Haven and the Harding students who fall in love with Africa and its people.

Dr. Dan Tullos has a blog about his experiences with the group, and his blog has links to several student blogs as well. Check it out if you're interested.

Natural Disasters

2011-05-25T22:17:00.002+02:00

David and I live in southwest Missouri, an area that used to be famous because of Branson. Now Joplin is making headlines, and our entire region is consumed with helping Joplin recover from the devastation of last Sunday night's tornado.

Sunday night at 5:25 we were in the church auditorium hearing yet another of my husband's great sermons. My niece who lives in EL SALVADOR sent a text message to my brother that a tornado was on its way and we should take cover. Right after the services ended, my brother (who had then checked out the situation on his Iphone) announced that we should all head for the basement. About 25 church members and neighborhood residents spent the rest of the evening in the church basement. We followed the tornado news on laptops and Iphones, hardly able to believe the terrible reports. Of course, we soon found out that the initial reports couldn't begin to describe the incredible damage.

Our community of Mt. Vernon is 45 miles west of Joplin, and we were spared. David and my brother have been to Joplin and will be going again tomorrow to help with relief efforts. Everyone here is shocked by the horrible sights and reports of what happened in Joplin. The community and the nation are mobilizing all kinds of resources to respond and help those who lost everything in a few minutes of terror.

I've been reflecting on storms, disasters, and my experience of living in Africa. There are no earthquakes, hurricanes, or tornadoes in Zambia. About the only natural disaster is drought, and it is a slow, insidious danger--nothing like the apocalyptic destruction of a tornado. The other slow, insidious killer in Zambia is AIDS. As horrible as the Joplin tornado is, AIDS may be just as destructive--or more so. Every family we knew at Namwianga had been touched by the AIDS epidemic in one way or another. A slogan that is often repeated in AIDS awareness campaigns is "We are not all infected, but we are all affected." Parents die, leaving helpless orphans to be raised by relatives who are already overburdened with their own poverty and need. Orphans with no family to care for them end up at orphanages like the Havens--wonderful places for children who must be there, but nothing like the safety and security of a true home. Workers in their prime are cut down by the dreaded disease, robbing the country of needed talent and skills. Weakened immune systems cause employees to miss days and days of work, hampering the efficiency of a nation already struggling for economic survival.

I weep at the photos of Joplin's flattened neighborhoods and think of the many lives destroyed by the tornado. And I grieve for the lives destroyed by the quieter and equally powerful pandemic called AIDS. May God help us to be just as shocked, touched, and motivated to help those whose lives are destroyed in years of suffering as we are by those who lose everything in an instant. May God help us all.

How to Pray for Missionaries

2011-05-18T02:41:00.010+02:00

To those of you who want to pray for missionaries, but don't know what to pray, here is a link to a weekly cycle of prayer topics. The article includes some excellent insights to help you become a prayer warrior for those who are serving in the mission field.

Road Rage African Style

2011-05-14T13:11:00.006+02:00

These photos are from Thursday, February 17, by someone from Centurion in Pilanesberg Game Reserve, South Africa.

Road rage affects us all!

A Tribute to Mother

2011-05-07T22:37:00.002+02:00

My mother has been gone for several years now, but her heritage of love and faith still inspires me every day. In honor of Mother's Day I am re-posting a tribute I wrote about her.

Mother's Quilts

The quilts tell her story. I finger the bright prints and smooth the muted solids. I trace the stitching on intricate designs or snap a simple nine-patch design over a bed. And when I do, each quilt whispers her story.

I asked my mother many times to tell me her story. Usually she refused to offer more than the briefest of details. “Not much in my life,” she would say, “is worth telling.” So I am left with the quilts—the bits and pieces of my mother’s story.

Like the quilter who stitched them, the quilts are sturdy. The stitching speaks of one who can endure repeated trials without coming apart. Mother’s trials were all too many. She was raised in a crowded household by a preoccupied and distant mother. The reality of the depression was a constant presence on the Iowa farm. Mother loved learning and longed for a good education, but there was no way to get into town for high school, so she was forced to quit school at age 13. She married at 21 and worked with my father on the farm from sunup to sundown. Farm life was a constant struggle against the capricious whims of drought and crop failure. There was never more than just enough money to get by. When she was a young mother, her brother committed suicide and her sister’s only son drowned. When Mother was in her fifties, my father was killed in a tractor accident, leaving her with a farm and a construction business to run by herself in addition to her job as a nurse’s aide. Just a few years later her infant grandson died of a rare illness. Through it all she remained strong and uncomplaining. Only sturdy women like my mother endure the bits and pieces of hardship and pain without bitterness.

The bright hodgepodge of prints in her quilts tells of one who was frugal. Mother used only scraps of fabric for her quilts. Others might plan and purchase colors and prints for a coordinated palette, but Mother was content to use what she had. “Make do or do without” was a proverb she lived by, first of necessity during the long years of the depression and the lean years on the farm, and then from sheer habit. So her quilts are pieced from leftover fabric, from fabric others gave her, from the good pieces saved from discarded garments. One of her most beautiful quilts was stitched on white blocks that were cut from my father’s white dress shirts after he died. In her later years, she promised that when she had sewn up all the scraps she had, she would go out and buy fabric like the modern quilters did. I knew that day would never come—and it didn’t. After her death my sisters and I found boxes of fabric scraps ready to be sewn into quilt tops.

Two of Mother’s quilts were made especially for my children. Sara’s is a beautifully pieced and embroidered “Sunbonnet Sue” pattern put together with strips of pink. John’s quilt pattern is called “Bow Tie” and is pieced with bright blue. Both quilts speak softly to me of Mother’s love for children. No one could name all the little ones who came in and out of her life. When the depression forced her to quit school, she became a hired girl for families in her Iowa community. She would go to their homes and help out when the mothers had their babies. Later she married and had four children of her own. A nephew needed a home, so he was added to our family. Still there was room for more, so she and my father became foster parents. Through the years 14 different foster children called her Mama. After my father died, she became a relief housemother at a children’s home and became “Grandma Clurg” to hundreds of other children who needed warm hugs, loving smiles, and gentle words of wisdom. Each child was precious to her—bits and pieces added to her heart.

I’m not sure how many quilts my mother made in her lifetime. Only a few were truly works of art. The rest were pretty to look at, but made for service. “My quilts aren’t beautiful,” Mother would say, “but they are meant to be used!” Such service is a part of Mother’s story as well, for she loved to help others. She prepared countless meals for family, guests, and church potluck dinners. At any family gathering, we expected to find Mother in the kitchen washing dishes or quietly finding a way to clean, straighten, or make someone else comfortable. Mother had no desire to stop serving as she aged. After she left her position at the children’s home, Mother became a private duty nurse. She finally retired for the last time when she was 70 and began her volunteer work at the community hospital, accumulating hundreds of hours of service. In her younger years she taught Sunday School classes, and in her later years she was a regular helper in Vacation Bible School. When her 80th summer approached, my sister and her husband invited Mother to go with them on a road trip through the northwestern states. Mother was disappointed that the trip caused her to miss helping with Vacation Bible School. Yes, like her quilts, Mother was created to serve.

Not all of mother’s quilting became bedding. She used some of her scraps to make potholders. Those potholders remind me that much of Mother’s life was spent in the kitchen. She was known in our family and our church for her cooking skills. She seemed to put a delicious meal on the table with no effort at all. Her cream cheese mints, hot rolls, and chocolate chip cookies were her trademarks. My daughter once asked her, “Grandma, why do your chocolate chip cookies taste so much better than anyone else’s?” Mother’s immediate reply was, “Because there’s a little love in every bite!” Even as a widow living alone in a small house, she kept her freezer stocked full of food ready for company. Her death came just 12 days before Christmas in 1998. We were not surprised to find that the Christmas dinner for the family was already there in the freezer: the turkey, the pies, the rolls, the vegetables, and, of course, the chocolate chip cookies, with bits and pieces of love in every bite.

Not all of the stories in Mother’s quilts are hers. Each family member has stories told by the quilts. We love to admire the quilt tops and take turns pointing out, “I had a shirt out of that!” or “That was my Easter dress!” We recall first days of school, dates, bedroom curtains, school trips, and 4-H projects. My niece is a young adult now, but she claims the quilts can transport her back to her childhood. She says, “It's always amazing to me that looking at a tiny scrap of fabric on a quilt can evoke such deep emotions. I can see a quilt piece and remember the exact outfit made from that fabric. Suddenly I feel like I'm 10 years old again, wearing that outfit and heading to church or going to school.” Mother’s quilts tell the bits and pieces of our lives, too.

Mother took the random bits and pieces of her circumstances and stitched them into a life that was loving, sturdy, frugal, and serving. God’s hand placed the final stitches. With timing as loving and kind as Mother’s sewing, He gave Mother’s life a gentle goodnight. Surrounded by family and at peace, she died as she had lived—quietly and lovingly.

There will be no more quilts made by my mother’s loving hands. But we will still discover more of her story and ours. The quilt of Mother’s life lives on, warming our hearts just as her handmade quilts warmed our bodies, and reminding us of the bits and pieces of a life well lived.

Copyright pending

Mother's Day Gift Suggestion

2011-04-27T13:20:00.001+02:00

We would like to suggest a way to give a Mother’s Day gift that will give life to a mother and her baby in Zambia. A gift of $10 will purchase two Clean Delivery Kits (CDKs) for Zambia. We plan to give these CDKs out to expectant mothers during our Zambia Medical Mission and throughout the year at the Namwianga Rural Health Center. We will be targeting mothers who will not have access to a hospital or rural clinic for delivery.

Each year about 60 million women in developing countries give birth with only the help of an untrained attendant or family member or with no help at all. Many of these deliveries take place at home and often in a small hut in a remote village. The infection rate is high with some 1600 women per day dying from complications associated with pregnancy or childbirth, and infection is a leading cause. Around 950,000 newborns per year die from infection, according to the World Health Organization. Many of these infections can be avoided when Clean Delivery Kits (CDKs) are used. Our kit includes the following:

Bar of soap and wash cloth
Square yard of plastic sheet
Razor blade (single edge)
String for umbilical cord
Sealed bag for packaging
Baby blanket
Infant sleeper or onesie
Candle
Matches
Two pairs disposable gloves
Tylenol Extra Strength
Prenatal multi-vitamins for 2 months

Last year, we gave out 500 CDKs in three days, so this year our goal is 1,000 kits so that no mom-to-be will go back to her hut without having these essentials for her hut delivery.
We are making a special drive for Mother’s Day by encouraging family and friends to donate to Zambia Mission in honor of a mother, wife, sister, or friend. A personal note will be sent to individuals informing them of this gift. If you are interested in participating, please make checks to Zambia Mission Fund and send it to Zambia Mission, 658 E.N. 21st St., Abilene, TX 79601. Please include the name and address of the person you are honoring. If you have further questions, please contact Star Ferguson (star.ferguson@suddenlink.net or phone: 325-668-0687)

Kanyameza Student Outreach

2011-04-26T04:09:00.002+02:00

Roy Merritt sends this report.

Students at George Benson Christian College are encouraged to be involved in outreaches. Two Northreach-sponsored students ride bicycles 23 kilometres to Kanyameza church most Sundays.

Open buildings like this are comfy in hot weather!

Builders often use large tin cans as forms to mould cylindrical bricks.

Kanyameza church has a strong interest in orphans, and organized an orphan day out here at Namwianga last year.

Over the past year attendance has increased from 28 to 54.

Sadness

2011-04-21T04:11:00.002+02:00

This afternoon we received some devastating news from Namwianga. Virginia Chuulu, a lovely young woman who served as my translator during Zambia Medical Mission, died in childbirth on Sunday. Her infant daughter survived, but Virginia succumbed after having an emergency C-section at the Zimba hospital (about 30 miles away from Namwianga).

In addition to the new baby, Virginia is survived by three other young daughters and her husband Barry who is a teacher at the secondary school. She will be greatly missed by all of us who were blessed by her vibrant personality and her loving spirit.

Please pray for Barry and the girls as they face the trying days ahead.

Brittell Orphans

2011-04-17T03:42:00.004+02:00

Several years ago I posted a story about the Brittell family and the orphans who were raised in their care. Today I received a notice from one of the orphans who would like to get in touch with the Brittell family. So if any of the Brittells read this and would like to communicate with him, you can click on the link above and look in the comments section of the original post to get his contact information.

Largest Meteorite in the World

2011-04-12T04:08:00.003+02:00

Last Friday I subbed in a fifth grade science class. As we read the textbook section on meteorites, I saw found this sentence: "The largest meteorite ever found is located in the African country of Namibia." I was able to tell the kids that I have been there and seen it! We visited the Hoba Meteorite in 2009 when we traveled to Tsumeb, Namibia, to visit fellow missionaries John and Martie D'Alton. The fifth graders were impressed. As a matter of fact, we were too. It's a pretty incredible sight.

Gotta Have Shoes

2011-04-12T04:00:00.004+02:00

Rajiv, my assistant at Namwianga, sent me this photo today. He has been busy buying new uniforms and shoes for the sponsored high school kids who show up with almost nothing. Students in Zambian high schools must wear uniforms, including black shoes. Many of our students come from families that simply cannot afford that expense. We keep a uniform fund to help them out, and Rajiv makes sure they have what they need.

Rasta's Beadwork

2011-03-30T15:03:00.003+02:00

Here is a link to an interesting article about a Livingstone craftsman. Makes me wish I could do a little shopping African style!

Reunion with Oldenburgs

2011-03-29T05:18:00.004+02:00

On Monday we spent some wonderful hours with our former coworkers Don and Laura Oldenburg. Don and Laura were with us at Namwianga from 2006 - 2009 and became dear friends as we shared many experiences of mission work together. The Oldenburgs moved to Michigan after their time at Namwianga, and we hadn't seen them since July, 2009. We managed to connect with them in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where they met us while on a trip to visit relatives in Tennessee.

I realized as we talked about people and situations and memories of our time at Namwianga that no one but Don and Laura can relate to some of the things we did, and they can laugh with us at the absurdities of bush life. It's certainly true that in some cases, you really have to be there. What a joy it was to reconnect with them and to share that special bond in the Lord.

Grandmommy Longlegs

2011-03-13T05:14:00.003+02:00

This is a guest blog from Roy Merritt at Namwianga (with my comments at the end).

As our rainy season drips to its end, insects are preparing for the long dry.

We have had our wettest season in years. After the last storm, our dam’s main spillway flooded and water flowed over our emergency spillway for the first time. Even that wasn’t enough relief, and water eventually lapped over the top of the main dam wall. It’s an earth dam, so we are grateful it wasn’t damaged.

These two ladies are hatching little ones who will protect us from assorted bugs till rains come back.
Gibson (one of the boys at Eric's House) found this one for me, a granny wearing black with yellow polka dots. I have shown her life-size here, her abdomen about the size of an egg yolk.
I’ve never seen one like this before. If anyone out there knows what kind this is, please tell me.

This is a female grandaddy longlegs hauling an egg basket, busy hatching scrawny little newcomers.

Linda here: Seeing these pictures brings back lots of memories for me. When we took down the things off our walls last March as we got ready to move, we found the remnants of spider nests on almost every single item! No wonder we had eight-legged critters everywhere!

We had been told that the wall spiders were harmless and actually helpful--supposedly they eat the mosquitoes. However, after five years of co-existing with the wall spiders, I had to admit I had never seen a spider eat a mosquito and it seemed that we had plenty of mosquitoes to go around anyway. We still advised our guests to leave the spiders alone as long as they were on the walls, but any critters who dared hit the floor were fair game for a smashing.

I personally think live and let live has its limits when it comes to spiders (but don't tell Roy!).

Gregersenblog: Zamgenuity

2011-03-02T16:42:00.000+02:00

A re-post from the 2006 archives.

Gregersenblog: Zamgenuity: "A post from David this time. Zamgenuity-- A term describing the creative ways Zambians accomplish their everyday tasks without the resourc..."

George!

2011-02-20T05:53:00.004+02:00

George and Jason are like brothers, and it's rare to see one without the other. What one doesn't think of, the other will, and they are the source of much mischief and laughter wherever they go. George can melt the hardest heart with his smile--if you don't believe me, take a look at this clip.

And here are a couple more pictures of Mr. Personality.

Jason!

2011-02-20T01:50:00.008+02:00

I've been in love with Jason since Sara first brought him to our house in 2007. He and George became my "grandsons" and gave me lots of practice being "Nana." And I miss them! So I begged Roy Merritt who runs the Eric's House orphanage and he was kind enough to send me this video of Jason (I'll post one of George later).

Jason is now five years old, but here are some pictures of him in earlier days.

Easter 2008 - a little intimidated by all the excitement!

Christmas 2008

Sara with George and Jason - 2009

Jason, George, and Kevin - 2010

Rajiv Siamweela

2011-02-12T14:01:00.001+02:00

When David and I neared the end of our five-year commitment in Zambia, my greatest concern was the sponsorship program. Who would take care of all the students? Who would take pictures of the new high school pupils? Who would collect letters for sponsors and write articles for the sponsorship newsletter? I prayed about it, and others joined me in praying that God would send just the right person. God answered those prayers richly by providing Rajiv Siamweela to serve as the on-site assistant coordinator of the sponsorship program.

Rajiv was sponsored through Namwianga Christian Secondary School, the Business and Computer Studies program, and George Benson Christian College. In December he completed his three-year teacher training program at GBCC. In high school and college, he distinguished himself in academic performance and spiritual leadership. Rajiv assumed his new role as assistant sponsorship coordinator last February. Since then he has shown great competence and energy as he has handled the communication and record-keeping duties for the sponsorship program at Namwianga. Rajiv also has a heart for ministry. He knows the sponsored students and cares deeply about them.

I am very proud that one of our own sponsored students is now taking a leadership role in helping the program grow and bless others.

Off to Change the World

2011-02-07T04:07:00.005+02:00

Last month a new crop of GBCC graduates set off to change the world. Or to at least change a few communities in rural Zambia. The recent graduates headed off to areas of western and northern Zambia where they will serve as teachers and work to either plant a church or encourage an existing one.

The passengers--the graduates and their families-- rode on the yellow bus. A truck in front of them held their household goods.
The graduates are headed for new homes and new challenges. They'll be dropped off hundreds of miles from home, left among strangers to brighten the community with the light of Christ.

The small vehicle shuttles families from the large bus to the small, outlying communities.

The man in the middle is Bornwell Kayanda, with his wife and four kids, outside the house that will become their home. He’s a soft-hearted, gentle fellow who looks frightened right now, but the sturdy Spirit in him will calm him. Soon he will settle in this bare house and adjust to his new life. And do his part to change the world.

Photos and information provided by Roy Merritt.

Match Made

2011-01-29T19:21:00.002+02:00

I heard some great news this week!

This is Namatama Hamusankwa. (Try saying that three times fast!) She graduated from George Benson Christian College in December of 2010. Namatama trained to teach secondary math. She's smart, articulate, and a very dedicated Christian.
This is Brian Siakuba. He graduated in 2008. Brian trained to be a secondary math teacher. He's smart, articulate, and a very dedicated Christian.

The good news is that Brian and Namatama just got married! It's the first marriage of two of our sponsored students, and I couldn't be happier!

Brian and Namatama will make a great team! Brian moved to northern Zambia after graduation and is working with a church and supporting himself as a teacher. Namatama has now joined him. I know they'll be a blessing to the church, school, and community.

Sigh. I love a happy ending.

Look Who's Going to School!

2011-01-24T18:42:00.003+02:00

These adorable scholars from the Eric's House orphanage just started going to preschool last week. Jason is the tall one in the back, and George is peeking out from the back as well. The others are Benja, Luke, Bright, and Shane. George and Jason are five years old, and the other guys are in the three and four-year-old range.

When I was at Namwianga in October, I could tell that Jason is very ready for school. He is fascinated with letters and words, and he couldn't get enough of writing and "reading" words. George could care less about that stuff, but he'll love the socialization!

I'm so happy for these little guys to have this opportunity. I'll bet their teacher will have some interesting stories to tell!

Mumena Mission Report

2011-01-17T17:19:00.003+02:00

Brian Davis from Mumena in Northwestern Province sent out this report today. It touched my heart, and I wanted to share it with you.

We were able to experience a rare and wonderful missionary moment Sunday. In 2000, we were privileged to help plant the Road 68 church of Christ among the Congolese refugees of the Mumena Refugee Camp here in Northwest Province, Zambia. Yesterday as we worshiped together, I noticed that the young man directing the service was Bro. Toomba. As I reflected, I realized that in 2000 Toomba was a little boy on the front row with the other children. I remembered when he was baptized by my nephews Jeremy and Jason Davis during their visit on a campaign in 2006. (By the way, Jeremy and Jason along with their brides – Whitney & Erin - have just arrived to work for 2 years with our team along with Sam & Ellie Rodriguez who have signed on for 5 years!)

As I thought of Bro. Toomba’s history, I felt a tug at my trousers. Looking down, I saw his little girl, Grace. She was making her way forward to sit with the other children… where Toomba used to sit. As I watched her make her way to her seat, I noticed Toomba’s wife sitting in front of Sondra comforting their baby boy, Caleb. The church had asked me to teach on the attitudes of Christ-like leaders from 1 Timothy 3. As I remembered Toomba’s father - one of the church leaders – and as I looked at Toomba and his son Caleb, my heart was filled with hope for this little congregation of 45.

Missionaries often just get to see the bare fields and plant the seed of the Word. Every once in a while, God lets us see a little fruit too! What a blessing!

“For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.” Zechariah 8:12&13 KJV

In Him,

Brian, Sondra, Noah, & Bryson

Pictured above: Bro. Toomba and Bro. Jean, two faithful teachers of the Road 68 church of Christ.

For more information about Brian and Sondra and Mumena, visit their website at www.mumenamissions.org.

The Dung Beetle

2011-01-15T15:46:00.001+02:00

Here is a fascinating article on the dung beetle, a common critter in the area of Africa where we lived. It's amazing how God's creation works!

Flexibility!

2011-01-11T16:41:00.004+02:00

This morning I was reading a blog by Jon Gordon on Nine Ways to Beat Negativity. In the first comment after the article I found this gem: He with the greatest flexibility wins!

I learned many wonderful things from my years in Zambia, from deep spiritual truths about God to disturbing deficiencies in myself. But one of the life skills I learned and treasure most is flexibility. Since I never knew what disaster was going to happen to my careful plans on any given day, I got pretty good at just going with the flow and using Plan B and Plan C . . . Plan Z when necessary.

So here's to flexibility. I hope I never become so set in my ways that I can't roll with the twists and turns life throws my way.

Frequently Asked Questions

2011-01-10T19:32:00.002+02:00

Inquiring minds want to know these things.

1. What happened to your house in Zambia?

Brentwood Oaks built the house for us in 2005 knowing that when we were finished with it, the house would go back to the Mission. When we left, we recommended that the house be divided into a duplex and used as housing for teachers--a desperate need right now. The administration agreed and eight months later, the house is ready for new occupants. Parts of the verandas on both the front and back were enclosed to create additional rooms. Two small bedrooms were added onto the original living/kitchen/dining area. With one existing bedroom and bathroom, that side is now ready for a family to move in.

Our master bedroom became a new living area and kitchen on the other side of the house. The huge guest bedroom was extended onto the front veranda and then divided into three smaller bedrooms and a hallway. That side will now house three single male teachers.

I hope the new occupants love that house as much as I did. It will always be my favorite.

2. Who took your place(s) at Namwianga?

I guess we'd like to think no one could take our places, but that's not the case. Mr. Muwele took my ed psych classes (sniff, sniff), and Mr. Phiri took my English classes. Rod Calder is teaching David's Bible classes.

Rajiv Siamweela, a GBCC sponsored student when we left, now serves as assistant coordinator for the sponsorship program. He's very smart, computer-savvy, and ministry-oriented--the perfect guy for the job. Rajiv finished his college work in December and is now teaching math at the secondary school. He deserves his own blog post, and I'll try to do that soon.

3. What do you miss the most?

That's a tough question. I miss the gracious Zambian people and their warm, accepting ways. I miss the breath-taking sunsets and sunrises. I miss Sundays in the bush, sitting on logs in a thatched-roof mud brick building and singing Tonga songs. I miss George and Jason and their antics. Right now as I sit looking out my window and seeing the snow-covered landscape, I miss warm weather! I miss wearing Tevas and flip flops every day. I miss our American co-workers who blessed us so richly. And I miss the adventure of never knowing what crazy, dangerous, or hilarious circumstance was going to pop up that day. I miss Peace Corps volunteers who loved my cooking. I miss the simplicity of life without all the things we Americans think we need. Which of these I miss the most changes from day to day.

4. What do you NOT miss?

Grading term papers. Unrelenting requests for my time, my money, my advice, my possessions. I am thrilled that I can be a part of my grandson's life and see my children often, so I don't miss that loneliness and heartache of being too far away to share their lives. I don't miss the scariness of illness when medical care is unavailable. And I don't miss cobras, mambas, or puff adders. Or scorpions. Or wall spiders.

To be continued . . .

House Hunting

2011-01-06T05:16:00.003+02:00

I'm posting random stories that didn't make it onto the blog when they were fresh and new--mainly because it was so hard to post with our slow internet. In fact, the last few months we were in Zambia, I couldn't post any photos on the Blogspot site. I e-mailed my posts to Michele Broadway and she posted them from Austin. It was a hassle.

But I digress. Our daughter Sara was visiting us and took pictures of us shopping for chicken roosts. We saw these interesting chicken houses/coops for sale on the roadside between Mazabuka and Lusaka, so we stopped and got out to look for new digs for the hens.

There were large apartment-style roosts.

And long row houses.

But we finally settled on the duplex shown here. Sadly, our hens didn't like it very much, and it fell apart after a couple of weeks. Oh well. At least the coop had some temporary style.

Proof

2011-01-04T22:55:00.002+02:00

Here is the visual proof that my grandson has the most gorgeous blue eyes ever.

The Gregersen Family Photo - Christmas, 2010

2011-01-03T16:29:00.007+02:00

Lately I have concentrated my posts on Namwianga news. But I took a look at my loyal blog followers and realized many of you are our friends and would like to know what's happening in our family. So that, plus the fact that I am ridiculously crazy about the people in the photo above, prompts me to give you a look at the Gregersens and tell you about our recent life events.

Son John and wife Leah are shown on the left with baby Jacob. John is handsome, thoughtful, and has the second most gorgeous set of blue eyes in the world. He's also very sweet to his mama, in case you're wondering. Besides being a great son to me, loving husband to Leah, and devoted dad to Jacob, John works for Border States Electric in Austin. He's also loyal fan of the UT Longhorns.

Leah, my absolute favorite daughter-in-love, may just be the best mother ever. I'm sure having a degree in family and consumer science and a masters in early childhood helps, but she also has an innate ability to relax and enjoy her baby while she efficiently manages a household and a challenging job. Leah works in a school district near Austin. She teaches parenting classes at two high schools and also goes to the homes of the young moms after they've had their babies to keep them up with their courses.

Baby Jacob has the most gorgeous blue eyes in the world, and of course he got those from his dad. He is now nine months old and practically perfect in every way. He is happy almost all the time and can melt my heart just about anytime with his adorable smile. His recent accomplishments include crawling, clapping with delight, and playing peek-a-boo with his grandfather.

David Anderson became the newest addition to our family when he married our daughter in June. He is my favorite son-in-love, thanks to his great personality, good looks, and how sweet he is to me. He also adores my daughter, so that gives him a few points too. David works for Suddenlink internet and is a devoted Aggies fan. We try to forgive him for the latter and seldom miss an opportunity to say "Hook 'em Horns."

David and our daughter Sara now live in College Station. Sara works as a technology specialist for the Bryan ISD. That means she helps teachers use Smartboards in their classes and assists them with all things computer-related. I'm counting on some one-on-one help from her when I go back to teaching. She's also taking online graduate courses through A & M. As if that's not enough, she works with the college women at the A & M Church of Christ. You go, girl.

My David, or First David, or Bwana--whatever we choose to call him--keeps busy as minister for the Mt. Vernon Church of Christ. He loves small town life as much as I do and looks forward to things like the Monday morning breakfast with the not-so-young guys at the Courthouse Cafe. He drives a Silverado pickup and hunts deer when he gets a chance.

Right now I'm unemployed and loving it, although I'm going to be applying for jobs for next year and hopefully will be substitute teaching this spring. I'm still coordinating the student sponsorship program at Namwianga via e-mail and Skype. I also teach a women's Bible study here and work with a Monday night girls' class. All of that plus re-adjusting to life in America has kept me occupied and pretty much out of trouble.

I loved being with my family at Christmas time. Leah and John hosted all of us at their house in Manor, just outside Austin. It was the first time David and I had been with our kids at Christmas since 2006, so it was extra special for us. And having a baby there to enjoy--well, it doesn't get much better than that.

Now that we have fast internet, I promise to post and respond to blog comments--something I had trouble doing in Zambia. So I'd love to hear from blog readers about what you would like to see on the blog and what you enjoy reading.

Remembering Christmas 2009

2011-01-02T04:44:00.002+02:00

One fun part of our Christmas in 2009 didn't make it onto the blog, so in the spirit of Auld Lang Syne, here it is. We had a marvelous group of twenty-somethings at our house for an early Christmas dinner/party and gift exchange. The rule was that the gift had to be bought in Kalomo for less than $5.00. We had some great ones--note the lovely neon pink mirror with rhinestone trim that Meagan is holding. That was a hot item, along with Courtney's styling plastic apron and Jana's Winnie the Pooh bag. These young adults were so fun to be around--and fun to cook for!

Their current status: Betsy and Thomas (between David and me) got married in August. Mary (far left) spent last semester in Vienna with Oklahoma Christian University. Jana and Meagan (behind me) are living and working in Oklahoma City. Courtney (far right) married Meagan's brother Ben in June and is now teaching in OKC.

Update on Meagan Hawley: Meagan went back to Namwianga for Christmas this year. I can't wait to hear her stories!

Auld Lang Syne

2011-01-02T04:25:00.003+02:00

Ah, New Year's Day is a good time to reflect on times past. I found these photos of Christmas in 2008 that brought back some good memories, so I thought I'd share them with you.
Richard and Sue Krogsgaard are from Canada. They spent several months in Zambia during 2008 and 2009. They have wonderful servant hearts and lots of energy for helping others. We loved working with them and watching them at work.

Dr. Jerry Templer and his wife Claudia are from Columbia, Missouri. Claudia grew up at Namwianga, the daughter of early missionaries J. C. and Joyce Shewmaker. She and Jerry lived in Zambia for several months in 2008 and spent Christmas with us. They were delightful guests and became dear friends. Claudia taught me some great card games. We now live just a few hours away from them and are hoping to renew our friendship on this side of the ocean.

Our Christmas dinner in 2008 was at the home of Rod and Sue Calder on Seven Fountains Farm. There were 50 or so of us--a delightful mix of Zambians, Canadians, Americans, and South Africans.

Fighting Malnutrition in Zambia

2010-12-30T13:28:00.001+02:00

The article below is from the Imagine Zambia web site. I was especially interested because we had planted some of these moringa trees in our yard at Namwianga. One of our Zambian friends told us that an aid organization (NOT Imagine Zambia) brought moringa trees to his community several years ago and gave them away to the villagers to plant. However, no one bothered to tell the people how to use the trees for water purification or nutrition! Yet another example of aid improperly implemented and therefore ineffective.

Special Project: Moringa Trees for Zambia

Helping Zambia Fight Malnutrition!

Planting Moringa trees across Zambia

Imagine Zambia hopes to plant 20,000 trees for Ngabwe and 20,000 for Ministry of Education of Zambia (with 5 trees for every school at about 4,000 schools across Zambia.) We will plant a variety of trees including Moringa and fruit trees at locations across Zambia so that communities and students will learn about nutrition.

Moringa, which can be made into a powder, tea, or oil, provides significant quantities of potassium, calcium, protein, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

Moringa truly is the miracle plant: by using the dried seeds you can even purify drinking water overnight and kill 90-95% of bacteria in the water.

Across Zambia, we can also use these trees to provide nutrition for orphans, vulnerable children, expectant and breastfeeding mothers, and other people in the community who need immune boosters and access to clean drinking water.

These nurseries will also provide local farmers with seedlings for their own needs and propagation of diverse species of trees, herbs, and vegetables. They will be able to process the seeds and leaves and seedlings and sell them all over Zambia.

The nurseries will also restore vegetation in areas that have previously been cleared. This will increase overall production of food in the area, increasing food security. This will also exemplify good agricultural practices like composting and companion planting.

Graduation Ceremonies

2010-12-28T03:06:00.004+02:00

This is another excerpt from the 2010 Term 3 Sponsorship Update. This report was written by Rajiv Siamweela, the assistant sponsorship coordinator.

Graduation ceremonies for George Benson Christian College and for Namwianga Christian Secondary School were held on two different days of the year, but each of them was a unique and great day. The ceremonies were a source of motivation to the sponsored students who are still in school/college and the graduates themselves.

NCSS Sponsored Graduates

GBCC Graduates

At each graduation ceremony, awards were given to outstanding students. During this time the auditorium was saturated with applause as the names of the sponsored students were everywhere in the air. As in years past, sponsored students received many of the top honors for scholarship and leadership.

College Award Winners

The following sponsored students won awards: Royd Kalonga – The spirit of the school; Abishine Mainza – Best student in academics; Japhet Ndaliiba – Best student in Bible studies; Rodwell Moono – Sportsman of the year

Secondary School Award Winners

These sponsored pupils scooped the secondary awards (shown below left to right): Cheelo Sikumbali – Leader of the year; Clifford Kabanda– Most responsible leader of the year; Viola Siangandu – Sportswoman of the year; Hassam Siamunomba – Third place in academics; Kenny Kasipa – The spirit of the school award.

All this success is made possible by the sponsors. In an interview with Kenny Kasipa about how he felt when his name was called, he said, “I cannot say anything without recognizing the good hand behind this success. It is a dream come true made possible not by me, but by my sponsor who really cares.”

Graduates Minister in Mporokoso District

2010-12-25T04:18:00.005+02:00

This is an excerpt from the 2010 Term 3 Sponsorship Update. This report was written by Rajiv Siamweela, the assistant sponsorship coordinator.

Each year men of high integrity are sent out from the sponsorship program into the field as soon as they finish their courses. Two of these former students are Japhet Ndaliiba and Royd Kalonga who completed their studies at George Benson Christian College of Education in 2009. They were placed in the Mporokoso district in Northern Province—at different schools, but close to each other.

As is always the case, Japhet and Royd were sent out specifically to preach the word of God, and this they began to do as soon as they arrived in their new communities. Unfortunately, in the area where they were to serve, the local people had never heard of the Church of Christ. This status gave them a hard starting point.

At the earliest stages of their ministry the local people regarded them as Satanists who were there to cause confusion in the existing denominations. Sometimes they were threatened with beatings if they did not stop their preaching ministry. In one of his statements, Japhet said, “We have been termed as Satanists, and threatened to be beaten, but we will not cease.” With the power of the Almighty, they were able to stand firm and speak the truth even when they were initially rejected.

Now the church exists and is growing in the communities where Japhet and Royd teach. This achievement would have never been possible without the sponsorship program.

Japhet and Royd are only two of many former students who are spreading the gospel in remote areas of Zambia. At least 200 churches have been planted by GBCC graduates in the last 20 years, and many more congregations have been strengthened by the good influence of self-supporting leaders trained at Namwianga.

Japhet Ndaliiba

Royd Kalonga

Students Helping Others

2010-12-17T16:46:00.002+02:00

Jean Kadonga is a GBCC student who is leading other youths as they reach out to help others. Jean writes about her efforts:

The Tumango Church of Christ youths felt they had a task in God’s work and had to do it as God wants them. The youths agreed to form a club which was given a name Tumango Church of Christ Youths Alliance.

The goal of the Alliance is to motivate people to establish an eternal relationship with God and to help youths to possess an intense desire to get outside their comfort zone and go to uncomfortable places to help the vulnerable, aged, widows and orphans. The Alliance is also there to strengthen, encourage, and build the youths spiritually and develop their talents and gifts so that they can find God’s plan in their lives.

Every Saturday from 14:00 to 16:00 hours all the youths gather and divide themselves into groups of five to eight. They go to help the people by washing dishes, fetching water, collecting firewood, sweeping, and helping with gardening. They also encourage people spiritually by talking to them about God, His works, and His mighty power.

At the end of every month, the youths buy things like cooking oil, washing and bathing soap, mealie meal, and foodstuffs to give to the needy ones. The orphans who are at school are given pencils, pens, and paper.

The youths in the Alliance do all these things because they have allowed God to work in them. Since the Alliance started in January of 2010, many people who had stopped worshipping have come back to the church. This is because of what they have seen us doing.

The vision of the Alliance is to reach outside our zone to other places like hospitals and prisons and to have an influence that will go on even to the next generation.

Jean is sponsored at GBCC and is training to become a math teacher. Many other students like Jean are making a difference in communities all over Zambia.

Lauren's Baby

2010-12-11T02:44:00.003+02:00

If you're a long-term blog reader, you may remember Lauren, the young woman who lived and worked with us at Namwianga in 2006-2007. We grew to love her like our own daughter and had many great times with her.

Lauren moved to Dallas a couple of years ago and married Travis DeSisso in November of 2009. Last month Lauren had a very premature baby boy who was born at just 25 weeks. Kynian is in the neonatal ICU and will be for many more weeks to come as he struggles with a myriad of complications. Lauren and Travis would love your prayer support. You can read Lauren's blog by clicking here.

Ophan Co-op

2010-12-04T16:24:00.005+02:00

This story from Roy Merritt brought tears to my eyes. I hope it touches your heart as well.

Roy Merritt and his wife Kathi oversee four orphanages at Namwianga Mission. Roy writes:

Have you ever heard of an “Orphan Co-op”?

Neither have we. Till now, anyway.

Orphans in Zambia are often an unwanted burden, so relatives and peers mock them and tease them.

Kanyameza Church of Christ took an interest in local kids whose parents are dead. To give them a pleasant, accepting time, they decided to gather them a couple times a week for group activities.

They would sing together, have Bible study. Sometimes they could even share gifts of food or clothes. They selected Cecelia Siafwiyo, in the red dress, as their chairman. (Cecelia is the housemother for Haven 1, the infant orphanage at Namwianga.)

The group declared December 4 as “Orphan Day”, so Cecelia invited them to Namwianga for a party.

Forty two kids came—and soon put our playground to the test.

This sixteen year old girl, Chrisensia, is raising her twin brothers Charles and Andrew. One of the dozens of child-led households in our community.

We ate lunch together.

After lunch the kids sang, recited poems and quoted memory verses.

This is one little girl’s poem

“AIDS AIDS

It killed my mother,

It killed my father,

I am an orphan.

No-one is left to love me.”

Then we shared out gifts – toys and clothes YOU have sent over here!

This little fellow got a grip on his “stuff” and wouldn’t let go!

May we never forget "the least of these" and the compassionate people like Cecelia and the Merritts who minister to them.

Guest Blog - Tires and Toilet Tissue

2010-11-24T16:38:00.003+02:00

From Brian Davis, missionary at Mumena in Zambia's Northwestern Province:

Man seldom seems to be content with God’s ways. We seem to think that we can “improve” on divine will. As we are traveling south this month to encourage the church plants with whom we used to work in South Africa, I experienced a poignant reminder of this trend yesterday. I noticed that two of my tires kept losing air around their rims. After wrestling with this for 2000 kilometers, we finally had some time in Namibia to stop and have a tire shop look at the problem. As the men removed the tires from the rims, they kept pulling long strips of something from the inside of the tire. I couldn’t imagine what it was. I finally asked, and the workers replied, “It’s toilet tissue.” Dumbfounded, they explained to me, “Your tire shop must have used wet toilet paper to get the tire to seal. Shops with poor air pressure will use this technique.” Becoming annoyed, I asked, “Why?!” To which they responded, “Because it fixes their problem of not having the proper tools to do the job, but it leaves the driver with a slow leak in his rims that - as soon as the paper dries - can become a very big leak!”

In our relationship to God, I wonder how many “good ideas” we try to use (in our own understanding) that may result in a complete “blow-out” down the road: confusing gender equality with God created differences, confusing entertaining worship with spiritual worship, confusing efficiency with God ordained leadership pattern, confusing “what most people are doing” with what God wants done…

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,"

declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8 NIV

It’s worth considering,

Brian, Sondra, Noah, & Bryson

Pictured above: Can’t afford to have a flat with this many people wanting to go to worship! (picture by Ellis Smith, one of our campaigners in 2010)

For more information of our mission, visit our website at www.mumenamissions.org.

To contact our overseeing congregation, visit www.hillcrestonline.com.

Not Exactly the Holiday Inn

2010-11-19T19:46:00.004+02:00

We found some very unusual signs in Zambia, and this was one of my favorites: the City Hope Butchery and Guesthouse.

Western Province

2010-11-15T04:23:00.006+02:00

Andrew and Shadreck Sibwaalu recently took a trip over all of Zambia to visit GBCC graduates who are planting churches. They were also finding places for new grads to teach starting in January. This installment tells about their time in Western Province.

Crossing the river was a challenge--no engine, no pilot, no oars. They used a people-powered pontoon. The cable stretches right across the river. People who want to cross have to walk or drive on, then haul on the rope till they reach the other side.

The deep sand created challenges again and again. This time the tires were so deep that it took two hours to dig the truck out. The guy in the glowing red shirt is a GBCC missionary, Bright Hamuyayi (one of my former students--and his name is very accurate!). His head teacher (the school principal) wants more people like him.

We have never had a church in Senanga, so Shadreck and Andrew spent some time there praying for a contact to help them. This lady noticed the Namwianga sign on the truck door, and invited them to start a congregation using her. She grew up at Kabanga Mission.

Later in Senanga market, a young man smiled as he walked towards the vehicle. He is a son to Ba Kabisa, a strong church member who used to live at Mutala ranch—a property right next to Namwianga Mission.

The boy is at Senanga high school doing his grade 12. He told Shadreck that he knew people who really want open a church of Christ. They met and talked at a guest house that afternoon. Chances look good for a new congregation in this town.

One of the new churches meets in this building. Lozi people are famous for being good thatchers. We have thatched buildings on the mission that were roofed by Lozi men more than 20 years ago—and they still don’t leak. The youngster in the pink shirt thatched this one

Pearson Choonga is another of my former students. He now is teaching at Lukulu. The school gave him one of their better houses. The headmaster says he wants five more missionaries like Pearson!

Pearson’s kids have learned to play soccer in that Western sand.

Keeping Up With The Blog

2010-11-11T04:39:00.004+02:00

In Africa, I always felt so guilty when people told me that they checked my blog every day to see if I had posted anything--because I didn't post every day and I hated to waste people's time. And I often forget to check for posts on blogs I want to follow.

Now there's an easy way to know when new posts are added to a blog. Michael Hyatt, the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing, recently provided a detailed description of how to set it all up so that you automatically are notified. Click here to learn all about it.

I have decided that I will continue to use the blog to post news about Namwianga and interesting happenings in Africa. I'll try to post once a week or so.

Road Trip - Western Province

2010-11-08T03:06:00.010+02:00

A first report on Shadreck and Andrew's road trip (see previous blog).

Shadreck and Andrew travelled to Western Province first. This is where "Westreach" wants to place most of its graduates from George Benson Christian College. We do not have many churches in Western yet. During the civil war in Angola next door it was dangerous for strangers to travel in many rural areas of Western Province..

Rattly pickups are typical of Western taxis and this sandy road could be any Western trail.

This man is Fleming Kaango, a GBCC graduate who has worked hard to build the church in Sichili District. (Fleming also has a sister and brother in our sponsorship program.)

Travelling in the west is more challenging than it is in the North. Even bicycles have problems with sand and swamp. Below, a local ferry.

Kanyimba church meets here (see photo below). Andrew in the red shirt is greeting Peter, a church leader who said Allen Avery baptized him decades ago.

Kids in the bush are keen to go to school and make tremendous sacrifices to do so.

Often school is too far for kids to walk each day, so they live in mud huts near the classrooms.

This small boy in grade two looks after himself and two younger brothers hiding in the hut.

These kids live without supervision, doing all their own cooking and laundry.

Girls live in unofficial dormitories as well.

Sichili church saved enough money to put a tin roof on their building. Western province is

**HOT** -- so open-sided buildings are better at welcoming breezes.

Fikoloma, a George Benson Christian college graduate (and one of my former students), built this house for himself right next to the church building --to guard the roof against midnight thieves.

Road Trip Report

2010-11-08T02:59:00.003+02:00

On October 12 Andrew and Shadreck Sibwaalu left on a month-long tour of Westreach and Northreach church planting projects.

Their goals:

a. to find mission places to plant college graduates in 2011

b. to encourage the young GBCC missionaries already out there

c. to make a census of new congregations

d. to send daily picture reports on progress and challenges

Andrew and Shadreck have been sending back reports to Roy Merritt via their cell phones, and I'll be posting those reports in coming blogs.

A Visit with Mavis

2010-10-30T18:55:00.002+02:00

A highlight of my trip to Zambia was re-connecting with some of my former students. Mavis Chibbunu Phiri and her husband Louis made a special trip from Choma to see me at Namwianga, and it was a great joy to hear about the latest events in her life—a life that earlier had been filled with challenges and difficulties.

Mavis lost her mother in 2005 during her first year of college. Then the next year her father became ill. In her last year of college, when Mavis was ready to do her student teaching, she found that her father had lost the family's house because he could not work and had no income. Mavis's four younger brothers had been sent to live with friends and relatives, and Mavis had no house to go home to. A friend of Mavis's mother invited Mavis to live with her in return for helping with child care, and Mavis did that in order to complete her student teaching.

Mavis finished her courses successfully and graduated from GBCC in 2008. She accepted a teaching position in Lusaka and found a place to live for herself and her two youngest brothers. She got them started in school again and got them the medical treatment they needed for health problems. Her father died the next year, and two of her brothers were still separated from the family and working on a farm in northern Zambia.

Last February, Mavis got married. She and her husband are both teaching in Choma and doing well in their jobs. All four of Mavis’s brothers are eligible to start tenth grade next year. Mavis and her husband plan to have the two younger brothers live with them and go to high school in Choma, and they are trying to find sponsorships for the other two brothers to attend Namwianga and be in the boarding school.

Mavis and I had a delightful conversation. It is obvious that she has a heart for teaching and for helping students. She and Louis are active in a local church congregation. Even though her life has been filled with problems, Mavis considers herself blessed to have an education, a husband, and a church family. She is confident that with God’s help her brothers can overcome their past difficulties and have a bright future.

As our visit ended and we had our final hugs, I shared the thoughts of 3 John verse 9: “I have no great joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

Flat Tire

2010-10-25T12:58:00.002+02:00

On the way home from the wedding the Land Cruiser had a flat tire. We had just picked up some college students who needed a ride, and one of them jumped in and helped change the flat. George and Jason supervised the work.

Jennifer's Wedding

2010-10-25T12:49:00.004+02:00

Last Sunday (the 17th) was Jennifer Merritt's wedding. Jennifer is the adopted daughter of Roy and Kathi Merritt, and since George and Jason have grown up in the same house, she is also a sister to them. I volunteered to take George and Jason to the wedding, and we went with the Harding In Zambia group.

The wedding was an interesting blend of Zambian traditions and Western influence. Jennifer was lovely in her white dress.

Some of her attendants danced down the aisle in carefully rehearsed steps. Later at the reception there was more of their footwork.

I wasn't sure how much Jason and George were getting out of things, but they proudly announced, "I had fun at Jennifer's wedding!"

Harding in Zambia Blog

2010-10-25T12:45:00.001+02:00

Shawn Daggett posts a blog with photos and news of the Harding In Zambia group. Here is the link if you are interested: http://www.facebook.com/l/98445W2MpfdDp1vQkOgRTdy01EQ;Shawndaggett.tumblr.com

Saturday at Gwangwazu

2010-10-24T13:28:00.002+02:00

Rodgers Namuswa arranged for Shawn Daggett and me to do a leadership seminar at Gwangwazu on Saturday, October 16. It turned out to be quite a trip--over an hour on the Kabanga Road and then another hour jolting through the bush on bad roads and cow paths.

We arrived to find a large crowd already gathered under the trees, singing as they waited for us

. I took the ladies to the nearby church building for our sessions, and the men stayed outside. This turned out to be one of the the largest groups I ever taught in Zambia--over 120 women from 12 different congregations! I had warned Rodgers that I only had 7 Beginnners Bibles because that's all I could fit into my luggage. He passed on that information to the leaders who were organizing the seminar, but the bush grapevine spreads quickly, and additional congregations came without invitation. Now I have to figure out how to get additional books to Rodgers in Zambia, and Rodgers has to figure out how to get the books to the congregations in the bush. Zambians are patient people, and I trust it will all work out.

Back in the USA

2010-10-22T13:05:00.005+02:00

I left Namwianga on Tuesday morning and arrived back in the USA on Wednesday. The trip home was uneventful in all the right ways. I had three seats to myself on the long 16-hour flight from Johannesburg to Atlanta, so I stretched out and slept several hours.

I left the heat and dust of Africa and came home to the cool autumn beauty of southwest Missouri. The trees are vibrant shades of red, orange, and gold now. Mornings are crisp and chilly, afternoons are warm and pleasant. I am a world away from my other home in Zambia.

I'll try to get caught up on the stories of my trip that didn't make it to the blog yet.

The Cat

2010-10-20T05:08:00.002+02:00

Some of our long-time readers may remember our cat Makua. When we left Zambia in April, we gave the cat to the Merritts. They took him to their house at Eureka, about a mile from the house where we had lived. Makua immediately went back home. They tried again, but as soon as Makua had a chance, he made a beeline for our then-empty house. They thought that surely if he just stayed a night or two with them, he would get used to his new situation, so they brought him back to Eureka again, and this time they put him in their bathroom for the night. The next morning--no Makua! He had torn a hole in the screen with his claws and escaped again. This time they gave up and let him go for good.

Webster, our security guard, is now employed by the Mission to watch over the area of the campus where our house sits. When we lived there, Makua always liked patrolling with Webster, and Webster is one of the few people who actually like our temperamental cat. Now he feeds Makua what he can manage, and I'm sure Makua gets a pretty good diet of mice and lizards as well.

Mexican Food

2010-10-20T05:07:00.002+02:00

Dustin McBride (see earlier story on Zambikes) told us about his newest business venture: a Mexican restaurant in Lusaka! Half of the profits from the restaurant go to benefit a program called Teach To Fish. We couldn't pass up Mexican food in Zambia, especially when it helps a good cause. On our last night of the trip we enjoyed having dinner and relaxing in the beautiful outdoor courtyard of the Revolucion Restaurant.

On the Rocks

2010-10-20T05:04:00.002+02:00

On the outskirts of Lusaka we passed an area where gravel is made and sold. It was sad to see old women and children sitting amid the piles using hammers to break the rocks into smaller pieces. The day was beastly hot, and I could only imagine how difficult their lives must be.

The woman and child managed to create a makeshift shelter to protect them from the sun. Many were not so fortunate.

Fellowship

2010-10-20T04:56:00.002+02:00

The Zambikes crew served us a traditional lunch after our tour. Then we had some great fellowship with them as we sang for them and listened to their songs.

Zambikes

2010-10-20T04:55:00.002+02:00

We stopped in Lusaka on our trip and visited the warehouse of Zambikes. Dustin McBride, one of the founders of the company, shared his story with our group. Dustin and a friend visited Zambia in 2004 while they were students at Azusa Pacific University. When they went back to college, they used their knowledge of Zambia and its needs to develop a business plan to fulfill an assignment for one of their classes. But their assignment didn't end with a grade at the end of the semester. They put their plan into action, and by 2007 their plan had become a reality with the creation of Zambikes.

Zambikes' aims are to provide jobs and training for Zambians and to produce a quality bicycle that can withstand the rigors of bush life. Recently they have begun making bamboo bike frames--shown in the background of this picture.

The HIZ students enjoyed hearing Dustin's story and seeing the good things that God is doing through Zambikes.

HIZ Group

2010-10-19T04:12:00.002+02:00

Our HIZ group posed in front of the yellow bus that carried us all over Zambia. School buses like this are extremely rare in Zambia, so we got many surprised looks as we drove through the countryside.

Sunday's Child

2010-10-19T04:10:00.002+02:00

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this adorable child who was wandering around during Sunday's worship service. Zambian children are so beautiful.

Sunday in the Village

2010-10-17T20:46:00.002+02:00

On Sunday we divided up into small groups and visited some of the 13 new churches that have been planted in the Mumena area in the past four years. Dr. Frank Black from Indianapolis is with the Harding group this semester, and he taught the Bible class on Sunday morning. Dr. Black and his wife Lou Ann were missionaries in Tanzania for five years and are still very involved in medical missions. I loved being back in a village congregation meeting under a thatched roof!

Zamgenuity

2010-10-15T22:34:00.001+02:00

Our transport for the Mumena trip was a yellow school bus--without air conditioning. Those of you enjoying the chilly days of fall in the US need to remember that we are in the middle of the hottest time of year here. Our afternoon highs approach 3 digits.

So the first thing the students did when they boarded the bus was to try to lower the windows to let some air in. Buster, our driver, saw Zach struggling with the window latches and handed him these nifty tools--two forks with bent tines. And yes, they do work to get the window latches to release.

Zamgenuity at its best!

Brian Davis

2010-10-15T22:32:00.001+02:00

I just tabulated student evaluations, and for the second year in a row, the students agree that lectures by Brian Davis are one of their favorite parts of the trip.

Brian has an extensive background in missiology. In his lessons, he describes how the Mumena team learned about the culture of the Kaonde people and then planned their missions strategy. He openly shares the successes, the failures, the joys, and the sorrows of starting a new work in a new people group.

Mumena Trip

2010-10-15T21:57:00.007+02:00

We returned yesterday from our eight-day odyssey to Northwestern Province. The trip went remarkably well--a huge contrast from last year's adventure. This year I did NOT forget the sleeping bags, we had NO flat tires, and the bus did NOT break down. There were no treks to a soccer field to get cell phone reception, and no picnic lunches in parking lots while tires were patched.

We did have a wonderful stay at Mumena with the missionary families: Brian & Sondra Davis, Rick & Karen Love, and Don & Rita Boyd. Brian taught some great classes, and we enjoyed sweet fellowship with the missionaries, Zambian Christians, and Congolese refugees.

The bus gave us no problems, and our wonderful driver Buster handled every road condition and situation with competence. Harold Sichimwa went along as our cook and, as usual, served us some fantastic meals. The students were cooperative and involved--a real joy to work with.

I'll post more details and photos in the coming days.

Blog Break

2010-10-06T05:59:00.000+02:00

I will not have much access to the internet on our trip, so there will probably be no posts for the next week. Keep us in your prayers!

Overnight Visitor

2010-10-06T04:19:00.001+02:00

Last night there was a special visitor in our house. Baby Trey is a tiny, sick infant from the orphanage. Nurses Jessica (shown with Trey) and Janice Bingham are staying here at Meagan's House with me, and they decided to bring Trey home so they could feed him every two hours. They had a long night with very little sleep, but Trey got the nourishment he needed and was able to go back to the orphanage this morning.

Road Trip 2010

2010-10-05T21:22:00.004+02:00

Tomorrow I'm leaving with the Harding In Zambia group for an eight-day road trip to northwestern Zambia. We'll end up at Mumena Mission with Brian and Sondra Davis and the rest of the Mumena team. One purpose of the trip is to let the HIZ students see a new mission work and also get to know missionary families with young children. Last year's HIZ group loved their time at Mumena, and I hope these students will too.

Our transportation is a yellow school bus with no air conditioning. It's been really hot the past few days, so the ride should be nice and warm!

Kabanga Trip

2010-10-04T21:34:00.002+02:00

Today was one of those rare days in Zambia where things go like they're supposed to--or at least close to it.

I got a driver to take Rodgers Namuswa and me to Kabanga. The plan was to do a teacher training session and interview students for sponsorship. I had asked Simeon to make the arrangements, and he assured me on Sunday that the headmaster and teachers were expecting me.

The Kabanga Road has been kept in good condition, and the trip had little of the bone-jarring, white-knuckled thrills of years past. We arrived after just an hour and a half of travel.

The head teacher welcomed us. Yes, he knew we were coming to interview students, but he did not know I planned to do teacher training. No problem, though--he just sent out a messenger and all the teachers dismissed their classes. They cleared out a classroom, got me a few pieces of chalk and an eraser, and we were good to go. The teachers were responsive and receptive to the sessions, and the morning flew by.

Rodgers and I interviewed 16 students who are applying for sponsorship, and then he told me that a friend of his had prepared lunch for us. We feasted on chicken, nshima, and soup.

The homeward trip was hot and dusty. The Land Cruiser's AC is broken, so we had the windows down. Every time we met a car or passed a car, we choked on the dust for a few seconds. All in all, though, it was a good day--and a rare one--in which we were able to get done what we planned. And tomorrow is another day.

Day at Kasibi

2010-10-04T05:36:00.002+02:00

Today Jason and George and I went with the Harding In Zambia group to Kasibi for the day. Kasibi is the home of Leonard Sichimwa, longtime cook for medical mission, as well as a dear friend. Leonard invites the Harding group each year to spend a day with his congregation in the village.

First thing this morning I picked up Jason and George in their new outfits that my daughter Sara got for them. Don't they look sharp?

We had a delightful worship service with the Kasibi congregation. David and I spent many Sundays with this group, and it was wonderful to see so many old friends again.

Then it was time for a traditional Zambian lunch of chicken, nshima, tomato onion soup, and fried cabbage. We ate Zambian style seated on the ground. Dillon and Mariah Daggett are shown here with Jason and George.

Then the band began to play. Most of the instruments are homemade.

The most interesting instrument (below) resembles an archer's bow with a gourd attached. It's played by plucking the string with a skinny stick.

A day in Kasibi always makes me feel like I've stepped into the pages of National Geographic.

Chickens!

2010-10-02T20:21:00.002+02:00

Another chicken blog! My next door neighbor Mrs. Moono bought some of my chickens when we moved. She took Petronella, Big Red, Justafella the rooster, and five of the smaller hens. Today I went to see Mrs. Moono and got a tour of the chicken pen and a report on the happenings of my feathered friends.

Sadly, the Moonos ate Petronella and Big Red because they were old chickens. The young hens are all grown up, and there have been a couple of new broods hatch since we left.

Justafella the rooster still keeps watch over the hens and their chicks.

I took Shawn and Donna Daggett's children with me on my visit. They were thrilled to go in the pen and collect eggs with Mrs. Moono. We took the eggs home and scrambled them for a snack. Now that's a fresh snack!

Namesake

2010-10-02T20:14:00.003+02:00

Even though we are living back in the US, the name of David Gregersen is still flying around in Zambia. At least three babies were named after David while we were at Namwianga. Today Justin, a security guard at the mission, and his wife brought their son David Gregersen to meet me. This David is an adorable 17-month-old with gorgeous eyes. Justin tells me that the neighbors just call the baby Gregersen. Our legacy lives on!

David Gregersen Musanje

David with his parents

Kalomo Hospital

2010-10-02T06:41:00.002+02:00

After Plan A, B, and C, I was hoping Friday night would be a bit calmer. It wasn't.

I was visiting Sheri Sears when Rajiv knocked on the door, distraught and shaken. His aunt had been in a bad accident, and he asked me to take him to Kalomo Hospital to check on her. I agreed, and the Cruiser soon filled with others who were relatives or friends of the accident victims.

At Kalomo Hospital there were 40 or so people milling around outside in the dim courtyard. Our contingent gathered near the window to a treatment room. No HIPAA regulations here--anyone could look in through the broken panes and watch what was going on.

As we waited for word, I was greeted by many friends from the mission and Kalomo town who provided information about the wreck. Little by little I pieced together the story. The vehicle was a mid-sized truck, and the passengers were in the open truck bed. It was overloaded, as bush transport vehicles often are. Most of the passengers were teachers on their way home from a District Education Board session that trained them to administer exams. Some were new teachers on their way to newly assigned schools. The truck was headed to Kabanga on the dreaded Kabanga Road. Apparently the driver fell asleep, and the vehicle veered off the road and rolled three times.

Two passengers died. One died at the hospital, and we watched in silence as his body was rolled out on a gurney. Several others are in serious condition, including Rajiv's aunt. Thankfully, her one-month old baby who was in her arms is fine. The Kabanga headmaster's wife is one of the seriously injured.

An hour or so after we arrived, a nurse came out and read off the names of the patients who were being sent home and those who were being admitted. Eventually, the hospital door was opened and all were allowed to go in to see their loved ones. The bystanders threaded down the hallways and through the wards for brief glimpses of the injured victims.

Our somber group loaded up again for the trip back to Namwianga. Soon we were singing songs of hope and comfort: It Is Well with My Soul, Farther Along, and Wabota Munzi Waba Jesu.

Your prayers for the injured and the grieving are appreciated.

Jacarandas in Bloom

2010-10-02T03:29:00.001+02:00

The Jacaranda trees are simply breathtaking. Their amethyst blossoms sparkle in the parched landscape. This canopy of color is at Namwianga Basic School.