Just a few observations

Posted on October 21, 2013

Well, we have been in Mongu for almost a month now. Here are just a few observations:

1. You can get two T-Bone steaks for about $3 but a can of shaving cream cost about $10. I may be growing a beard as soon as it cools off some.
2. The kids love to ask, “Hi, How are you?” to which I love to reply, “I am Fine. How are you?” To which they reply, “I am fine. How are you?” to which I reply, “I am fine. How are you?”…and it goes on and on. Occasionally I like to throw in, “I am FANTASTIC!” just to help expand their English vocabulary. 
3. There are a lot of cashew trees. I love me some cashews and have enjoyed them as an evening snack.
4. Staying clean is an impossibility. They say to wear light colored clothes in hot weather, but by the end of the day whatever I am wearing is usually gray from the black fine soot that is in the sand.
5. Locally grown pineapple is a whole new ballgame!
6. There is the Atkins Diet, LA Weight-loss, but I am on the, “It’s too hot to eat, Mongu Diet. Not sure how much I have lost, but my pants button a lot easier. 
7. Driving is always an adventure. I have learned where the majority of the 237,491 potholes are and actually miss a few of them occasionally.
8. Language learning is a challenge. Good news is, “Eni Sha” and Ni itumesi” go a long way. (Yes and I Thank you) And people really appreciate you trying to learn their language. We laugh at ourselves and they laugh as well, but when we finally get something right, they are so happy for us.
9. Hospitality and fellowship of the Zambian people is wonderful.
10. God is working! We see all around us, God working in the lives of men and women in various ministries. We heard a sermon this Sunday from a Zambian layman who challenged the congregation to truly be the image of Christ to the lost people in the community. We have taken a group of local Pastors out to the villages, where they spent 4 days teaching and evangelizing. We attended a banquet at an orphanage called Kids Alive and saw and heard how God has provided for them and how they are caring for 51 children and their vision for building a school, not only for the orphans, but for the community. We have seen lives touched by the events we have held at the youth center and how the youth are getting involved in the building and development, so that they can have a safe, fun, Godly place to hang out and grow in their faith. God is doing great things here in Zambia and we are humbled and excited to be here joining Him in what He is doing.