Saturday, July 11
Evelyn drove me to the Dulles airport at 3PM Friday, and I started the long process of going through ticketing and security, and boarded the plane for Johannesburg, SA at about 5PM. It was easy to find the Valley Family Church group from Michigan – about 30 people wearing black t-shirts with James 1:27 written on the back in gold lettering (read it!).
The first leg of the journey from Washington DC to Dakar, Senegal, was an overnight flight across the Atlantic. I enjoyed my conversation with the man sitting next to me who was heading from Spokane, Washington to Zambia and South Africa on safari. I also was amazed by the beauty of the moonlight on the tops of the clouds in the night.
We are staying at the Abundant Life Guest House in Lusaka, and I am staying in a room with four other women. The accommodations are very basic, comfortable and clean. The food is fantastic! We are incredibly tired but not sleepy after 24 hours of riding on a plane. It was really nice to lie down in a real bed after sitting up straight in an airplane for so long. The weather is cool at night, maybe 60s F. There is a constant breeze, and the air is very dry. As we were flying into Lusaka, I could see the flickering orange lights of many small fires in the arid, brushy terrain. These were the household fire pits of the Zambian tribal peoples, built in the open air between their sleeping huts, cooking shelters and other small homestead structures.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
We woke up early and attended church at the Northmead Assembly of God church in Lusaka. The service began at 7AM, although we arrived a bit late at 7:30. The church building was packed so full there were people standing outside the doors just looking in and listening because there were no more seats! I was just amazed to see so many people packed into a 7:00 AM worship service. The music was wonderful. The choir led worship with praise songs, movement and raised hands. The sermon was delivered by bishop Joshua Banda, the senior pastor. It was a lengthy sermon, but I didn't have any trouble paying attention. The sermon and the service were very uplifting and edifying.
After lunch at the guesthouse, we were bused out to Chi nyu nyu village in the Chongwe district for a visit to the camp site and the My Father's House orphan homes in that location. This is where we will be doing Camp Hope all week long. The orphan homes are long rectangular buildings made of the same red brick that most homes in this area are constructed of. We enjoyed meeting the residents, who came outside to greet us with smiles and hugs. The four orphan homes each house 8 orphans and a widow who lives with them. They are solar-powered and quite spacious by Zambian standards. A fifth home is under construction. These are the children that Jessie and the other seven interns got to know well a few weeks ago at the first Camp Hope.
After that we drove a bit further into the bush until we got to a settlement on the outskirts of the Chongwe area. There we went on a “culture walk”, led by two Zambian guides, to meet some of the families of Camp Hope children. The homes we saw were very traditional: circular mud huts with cone-shaped thatched roofs, cooking huts, soft red dirt paths and fire pits. The red dirt is like fine sand, very soft and dusty. One woman we met, Mary, had built a beautiful sleeping hut, cooking hut and was working on a third structure. Her sleeping hut had a stripe of dark rusty brown paint freshly applied to the base of the mud-brick structure, like adobe, over a yellow hue. She had placed beautiful potted plants in front of the hut. The whole homestead was neat as a pin. The little huts the people build by hand seem to be constructed of cylinder-shaped bricks of dried mud, which are then cemented together with more mud, then smoothed down either with water or just repeated sweeping until the entire wall has a smooth mud plaster look. The walls are very thick and have a flat surface on the top, on which the thatched roof, made of tied long grasses, is secured.
Monday, July 13
Today we were up early and off to Chinyunyu by 7:30 for the first day of Camp Hope. I had been very ill the night before with a migraine, probably the result of a long plane trip, and I didn't feel like going to camp, but I knew this was the reason I came to Zambia and it was very definitely God's will for me to be there. I asked two of my new Spirit-filled Michigan friends to pray with me for healing, popped a bunch of Tylenol and ibuprofen, and got up on the bus in faith and went. I suffered no more migraines, praise God, although I fell several times through the week due to my poor balance (from my artificial hip) and arthritis. I am so thankful to be able to serve God despite physical limitations. I'm so glad Paul was vocal about his “thorn in the flesh” and didn't try to deny or hide his physical struggles as well as his spiritual ones. Satan really does attack us on both fronts, and we need to call those things by name and get rid of them.
I buddied up with Sharon Daniels of Purcellville Baptist Church in Virginia as my teaching partner for the week. We asked for the youngest children, ages 7-8. Our interpreter is Godfridah Mwale, a 50-year old widow. She is an amazing woman of faith, lots of fun and very good with the kids.
Our Monday group was 7 girls and one small boy, Mike, pronounced Mikkah. It took all morning to get the 300+ children organized into groups. While we were organizing teams, the children all stood quietly in orderly lines on the field. The children are extremely well-behaved, and very polite. When we shake their hands, they respond with a little curtsy. When we greet them they respond by saying “bwino” (I'm fine) and looking straight into our eyes.
July 14, Tuesday
Today more kids arrived at camp and our group doubled from 8 to 16! The kids are singing louder, playing more and interacting with us a bit more, although we can't communicate with them without the help of our interpreter. Singing times are good times to communicate through eye contact, smiles and body language. The teens and young adults in our group are uniquely gifted for reaching these kids with their playfulness and joy.
It is very clear that we are ministering to some of the neediest children anywhere. Many have worn the same filthy outfit two days in a row. Many are tired and subdued and look at us with big sad eyes. It is difficult to see children living in such primitive conditions. They do have a loving and vibrant community on their side, and a close-knit system of leaders, teachers and relatives to guide them. While I would love to improve the living conditions and ensure that each child gets a good education, I can't imagine removing them from their culture and support systems.
July 15, 2009
Wednesday
Today was the third Camp Hope day. The weather was hot, dry and breezy (dusty!). The kids are really enjoying themselves. We had two girls in our group that weren't feeling well today. One has a bad cold and the other has a fever and sore eyes – not sure what is going on with either of them. Most of the children arrive every day wearing the same filthy clothes they wore the day before. It's a bit frustrating trying to communicate to children through an interpreter, but we just have to trust Godfridah to communicate the message of the gospel as we steer her through the Camp Hope curriculum. Her translations are very colorful and animated. Sharon and I can tell what she is saying sometimes just by watching her.
Thursday, July 16
Today was another great day at Camp Hope. The kids have been growing more relaxed with us and more receptive to the gospel as the week goes on. They were chattering a lot more too, just like all kids their age are wont to do the world over. Kaluba, age 7, has arrived for camp in the same filthy outfit all week long and seems tired and listless at times, then at other times is stubborn, inattentive and extremely fidgety. But at the corporate prayer time she hung onto me quite a bit, then she gave me a huge hug at the end of the day. All of our group professed faith in Christ. I asked them (through Godfridah) what they remembered from our lessons so far this week, and their answers indicated that they had understood and remembered the Bible stories, themes and discussions throughout the week. They love to sing, and it is so great to hear their voices lifted in praise. They have few instruments, but have all sorts of harmonies, rounds and responsive songs that make the most of their clear, strong voices. Dancing and the use of drums are frequent too.
Friday, July 17
Today was our “celebration day” at camp. Most of the groups finished up their lessons and then we had a huge lunch followed by games, singing, and goodbyes. Several of the interns helped me make balloon animals for the kids. We got around to most of the younger ones, about half of the camp. I don't think they had ever seen balloon animals before. They loved them, and most of the balloons were popped before the end of the day! Our bus driver was given one and hung it on the rear view mirror of the bus, where it stayed for the remainder of our stay.
Saturday, July 18

I'm not sure when I will be able to get back online next. My team's plane leaves for Zambia tomorrow afternoon and we should be in Lusaka late Saturday night, Zambia time. The time zone there is 6 hours ahead of Eastern time.

Monday begins Camp Hope. The kids at Camp Hope have been identified as in need of sponsors and support by various means -- through churches, missionaries, and volunteers who make home visits. The four days of camp will feature a simple and clear communication of the Gospel, worship, crafts, and activities. My prayer is that each child will sense how important and precious they are in the eyes of God.

This afternoon, my sister and I practiced making all the crafts for Camp Hope, which she was responsible for assembling over the past few months. She did a great job coming up with simple, lightweight craft items that coordinate with the Bible lessons for each day of camp. I am really looking forward to spending time with the kids in Zambia now!

Hopefully I will be able to share more updates in a few days.

Sent forth!

Today, in church, I asked elder Jane Blackstone to say a sending-forth prayer for me and the EOH team as we leave for Zambia at the end of this week! After the last hymn, the whole congregation joined hands in a circle and Jane offered up a beautiful, Spirit-filled prayer asking God's blessing on our mission journey. I thanked the church for being a part of the mission along with me via their support and prayers. It was a wonderful worship service, and I am ready to go!

Today's New Testament lesson was Mark 6:1-13, the sending out of the first disciples. What a great passage to think about as I depart on a mission trip. The disciples were sent out two by two, demonstrating that fellowship and prayer partnership is vital; without money or baggage, demonstrating that if we trust God we have all we need; and with the authority to drive out evil spirits and heal the sick. When we follow Christ's call and rely on Him completely, we are given the power to do all God asks us to do.

Unlike those first disciples, I am taking baggage with me. However, my suitcase has items in it that are uniquely tailored for the mission I am going on: American candy for the sugar-starved interns who have been over there two months already... a sewing kit for my niece, who ripped a favorite shirt...Hats, pocket watches, pens and children's books for gifts and trading purposes... 500 pencil balloons and an air pump for making balloon animals (I always say, you never know when making several hundred balloon animals for a crowd of kids might open doors!). Minimal clothing, but several warm pieces of clothing in case it gets cold...A pillow for the long plane flights...Protein bars in case I miss a meal now and then. It's very different from what I might pack for a vacation, and much more fun. I especially am praying for an opportunity to make balloon dogs, but...we shall see! :)

So there you have it. What's inside YOUR suitcase??

LOOK right ------> to see a photo my niece Jessie took in June!

Just another quick note, because I have had several people ask me about what the weather will be like in Zambia:
it is actually winter right now in Zambia. Being much closer to the equator than we are, they don't get truly cold weather, but the nights are chilly (40s-60s) and the days are comfortably warm, and it is predominantly dry, sunny and dusty. So I am packing summer clothes but also fleece jackets, warm pajamas and a hat to protect against sun and wind. Gary Schneider says that eye contact is very important in Zambian society, so we should wear hats rather than sunglasses to shade our eyes from the sun.

I am still running around getting last-minute chores done. I think I am getting better at this than when I was younger! It complicates matters to be missing two of our kids' birthdays in July, so I am getting birthday gifts and a wedding gift for a friend all together to be doled out in my absence.

Last night we had our final conference call for the short term missionary team going to Lusaka a week from today with Every Orphan's Hope. Just a reminder that you can follow Jessie's blog too at www.showerstravels.blogspot.com. She is doing a great job of reporting on her experiences. You can also learn more about the organization I am going with at www.everyorphan.org.

A big part of our conference call last night was learning some of the praise and worship songs we will be singing with the people of Zambia. It was really beautiful to hear and learn to sing God's praises in the language of njanja; at least we think it is njanja! One of the songs, that lifts up the body of Christ and reminds people they are children of God, is very much like a song our Kenyan Presbyterian friends sang to Tim and I 13 years ago when they stayed at our house in WV. I remember then feeling the powerful movement of the Holy Spirit and really enjoying their dance movements as they sang. I wish we could put a little of that energy and movement into our Presbyterian worship services on this side of the ocean!

Several of the interns there already, including Jessie, have shared stories of befriending children who were not able to register for camp. The interns there are paving the way for us to present Camp Hope to the kids of Chongwe. They are doing an excellent job of living and demonstrating God's Love in action. I hope and pray (and please pray with me) for ongoing relationships with the people of Chongwe and Lusaka.

errands and last minute chores

I am amazed by the number of "little" things to be done in the last 10 days before my departure: buy bug spray, get a haircut, finish up my shot boosters, buy some Christian children's books, pack as lightly but as efficiently as possible, etc. etc.

I am feeling very calm and ready for the journey. I am really looking forward to seeing my niece, Jessica, who has already been working in Zambia since mid-May. As usual, the summer is flying by. I thank God for working through us to change the lives of needy youngsters this summer. As I leave, I am leaving my Cambridge ministry too. I asked one of my families who has been receiving free bread to pick up bread on Saturdays in my absence and see that it gets delivered to those who need it. The RPM ministry group really has a wonderful outreach in Cambridge, and that area really needs a vibrant ministry to help lift up the poor and show them the light of Christ.

My cousin Shari's husband, Chris, made a comment at our family reunion this past weekend that I want to share. He said while our country does have poor people, we need to remember that our U.S.A. poverty line is not poverty when compared with the third world nations. God does call us to reach out to those who experience hard times financially, helping them with food and bills, but we dare not forget that God is also sending us to "the ends of the earth" -- to children who sleep outside under a piece of cardboard, or families who eat just one nutritionally deficient meal per day, or whole communities who have been displaced to refugee tents because of war. I think of a lady near here who called me several months ago, in tears, because she could pay all her bills except her trash pickup bill, and was afraid they would cut her off. I had to tell her that we don't consider trash pickup an emergency. What I didn't tell her was how wonderful I thought it was that she could pay all her other bills; that she has food on the table and a roof over her head; that she has more than one change of clothes and even a car to drive. We need to be more aware of our blessings. We really have much more than we think we do.

Our last team conference call from Every Orphan's Hope is Thursday night. Then one week later on July 9 I will be driving to my sister's house in Ashburn, VA, and flying out of Dulles on July 10. The trip will take about 24 hours total: a stop in Dakar, Senegal; a stop in Johannesburg, South Africa; and then the final leg from Johannesurg north to Lusaka, Zambia, arriving late on the 11th of July. We will have the weekend to get our bearings and get recovered from jet lag, then Monday - Thursday (July 13-16) is our first Camp Hope in the village of Chongwe, Zambia. Then we will repeat that the following week with another Monday-Thursday camp. On Sundays we are worshipping in a local church in Lusaka, if I have understood correctly. I don't know if I will be able to connect with Zambian Presbyterians or not, but I sure hope so!

I will make another entry at the end of this week to report on our conference call. I should have all the final details of our trip then. God bless you all!

Today Laura and I walked 2.5 miles with Sandy McWilliams, a 53-year-old Presbyterian from KY who is walking from Louisville KY to Pennsville NJ this summer to raise awareness about the disease her mom has, psp or progressive supranuclear palsy. It was great to walk with a gentle soul on a mission. God works with each one of us in different ways.

Someone remarked to me today that "Mission begins at home. We have plenty of needy people right here in this country." The implication was that my trip to Zambia is somehow a waste of time, money and resources that could be spent here at home. I am sure I will run headlong into this viewpoint again, so I thought I should address it on my blog.

Mission does indeed begin at home, but if you read the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19f.) Jesus is very clear that we are to go out to all peoples everywhere, all over the world. The book of Acts quotes Jesus in Acts 1:7,with details on the Great Commission: first Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, then to the ends of the earth.

Beginning our witness and giving in our own neighborhoods is biblical: limiting it to our local area is not. Everyone who is in need, all over the world, is our neighbor.

These are some of the thoughts I have on mission as I prepare to journey to Zambia.

It is less than a month now before our team's departure to Zambia. I will be part of a large group traveling together from Washington DC, through a stop in Dakar, Senegal, then a stop in Johannesburg, South Africa and finally arriving in Lusaka, Zambia on July 11.

I have been walking 2 miles a day, three or four days a week, trying to get in better shape for the trip. I am really feeling my age! But I know that God uses us at every age, so I am ready for what lies ahead on the journey.

The Presbyterian churches in Malta and McConnellsville may be giving me a gift certificate to a Christian bookstore in Zanesville. If so, I plan to buy children's Bible story books and take them with me to the EOH office in Zambia, who will distribute them to children according to need. I also want to take some small gift items with me, but I haven't yet decided what. Above all I want to be a blessing to the children I am sent to meet, teach and serve!

On the conference call last night, we discussed what to pack for the trip. It was helpful to learn that the climate will be dusty, and Camp Hope attire needs to be comfortable and fairly rugged. While Gary advised bringing a couple of pairs of jeans and t-shirts to be "shaken out at night and put on again the next day", Tiffany advised bringing a fresh outfit for every day. Being used to frugal packing and living, I think my packing choices will put me somewhere in the middle, choosing two or three pairs of comfortable pants, maybe 8-10 tee shirts and my Land's End trekker shoes. I want my wardrobe to be simple, comfortable and easy to care for.

It's hard to believe that I am done with everything except the packing part. Praise God! Time to get packed and get ready to go! Just a few more weeks!

more shots

I got most of the rest of my shots today: three in one arm, one in the other. I have to go back the day before I leave, for a hep A booster, and then start taking doxycycline to prevent malaria two days before I go to Zambia, the whole time I am there, and then four weeks afterwards. The travel clinic nurse is a sweet lady from Warsaw who belongs to the Church of God up there. She took her time and explained each shot and told me to take a look online at the CDC website to see what kind of precautions I need to take while traveling. She was very helpful. The shots cost me $205 so far, and there will be an additional fee when I pick up my prescription for the anti-malarial meds at the pharmacy.

Thanks again to everyone who has donated towards my journey. It is expensive, but God has provided the means to go and I am excited to be sent to Zambia this summer.

shots!

Today I got my tetanus shot for the journey, and tomorrow I have an appointment to get my hep A-B shots, yellow fever, typhoid fever, and anti-malarial meds (probably doxycycline). I think this is the last item on my to-do list before I leave in a mont (besides packing!).

I am trying to walk more every day. Yesterday I walked 2 miles and today about 1 mile and a quarter. I am really tired but trying to ignore it. I want to be in shape and be at my best for the trip!

I received my visa by fed ex this weekend. A visa to travel to Zambia is a bit more involved than other visas I have received. I had to mail my passport to the Zambian embassy in Washington, DC together with two more passport-size photos of myself, an application and a $50 passport fee. The first time I mailed it all in, I forgot to sign the back of the two photos (!!) so they mailed it right back to me post haste! This time I got it all correct and now I am all set, visa-wise, for my upcoming trip.

I am really enjoying my niece's blog. I love the photo of all the girls modeling their new Zambian clothes. The fabric colors and patterns are so beautiful! The team that is already there is visiting homes, meeting children, and finding out first-hand how children are matched up with needed services like sponsors, schooling, food, clothing and shelter. I am looking forward to joining the ministry in July to see the Lord at work among the people of Zambia.

Friday, June 5

Welcome to my Zambia Journey blog! I am heading to Lusaka, Zambia on July 10, 2009 to work for two weeks as a Camp Hope bible school teacher with orphans in the village of Chongwe, Zambia, near the city of Lusaka.

As I prepare for my short-term mission trip, I have been busy raising $4200 to fund the trip, most of that cost being airfare, and the rest going to room and board, supplies and the needs of the mission itself. Every Orphan's Hope www.everyorphan.org is the organization I am going with. My sister and niece have both been working with EOH for several years now, and my niece Jessica is currently on her second mission trip in Zambia. She is there for two months this summer and her comments may be read on her blog at www.showerstravels.blogspot.com

I welcome you prayers, and many of you reading this have already supported me financially. Thank you so much for participating with me in mission this summer. It's still five weeks until I fly to Africa, and this spring has held some huge personal challenges for me, as my dad recovers from open heart surgery (he lives two doors down from my family). We are glad to see him recovering and pray for his full recovery. In the meantime, I am sticking close to home and planning carefully for his meals and transportation needs while I am gone in July.

There is a great deal of planning that goes into a trip of this magnitude. I have been busy for months raising money to fund the trip. I had to apply for a visa to Zambia, which I now have; and I have yet to get my immunizations and malaria meds for the journey. My sister, Evelyn Showers, designed and sent all the crafts for our camps in Zambia last month. My niece Jessica is busy as a mission intern meeting children and making home visits in Zambia, trying to make connections with children in need and help them find sponsors, churches, help and hope.

Thank you for being a part of this important mission.
Ellen.