First weekend

Sat-We drove north to the Chamba Valley region and toured the Justo Mwala Theological School. A long history of collaboration with the PCUSA and the Outreach Foundation is evidenced by the multiple houses used for income generation, the classrooms and a beautiful new chapel in the process of being constructed. We were very pleased to meet several members of the CCAP church (a PCUSA partner church in Zambia) and faculty of the school and a recent high school graduate from Colorado Drew at a typical Zambian meal, hosted by PCUSA mission co-worker , Nancy Collins. She served shima or nsima (in Malawi) the corn-based boiled dough which we all enjoyed with greens, cabbage, potatoes and chicken. We began learning about the programs of the church and Nancy shared with us about the CCAP hope to do CHE programs in several areas. For more on CHE, Community Health Evangelism check the website www.lifewind.org.

Sun-We attended a CCAP church in Chawama a poor area in the south of Lusaka. They had just had a youth choir competition on Saturday so we were blessed to hear five choirs sing during the service. Almost all of the two hour and 15 minute service was incomprehensible, but the pastor preached in English (with a passionate, dramatic and vibrant translator translating into a local language) from Acts about the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate with a beggar mentality  challenging us all to live more expectantly, more dependently on God and more responsibly. It occurred to me the importance of Paul reaching down and holding out an arm for the crippled man to rise to his feet in order that he might be restored to health by God and the role we can play in God’s restorative plans for wholeness and healing of His people. Jim has been busily surveying vehicle options on the internet, remakes from Japan that come through Durbin.

Mon-I had my first opportunity to drive on the left with a right sided steering wheel, uneventful if not always clear what the rules are at a stop sign. It seems a person can pull out and block the intersection for friends traveling in cars behind them. Ruth thinks this is for funeral processions but I am not sure. It might be wise to attend the driving briefing this week at the embassy. Following the security briefing at the embassy and receiving our ID’s we dropped the boys back at school and Ruth, Mim and I stopped by the Zambian Ornithological Society signpost on Leopard Hill Rd. They directed across the road where we purchased a 6 month membership and Important Bird Areas in Zambia from their secretary. They have regular monthly bird walks see www.wattledcrane.com (I have to check the site myself). So far I have seen bulbuls, cordon blue (it’s a bird not food), pied wagtails and pied crows in the garden. I should have put a bird book in the suitcase, but one will eventually arrive either in our air or surface shipment I cannot remember where I put them. Tonight Ruth and I are going to attempt Caryl’s tortilla recipe (it’s flat bread right?).