MEMORY!

This is my new sweet friend Memory! and her almost 3 month old baby girl Nalu. She heard abt our church on the radio while she was veeery pregnant and couldn't go anywhere and started coming to our meetings after having her baby. Her 2 sisters Jessica and Jedida and niece Lisa come with her as well. 
She is married to an ex-muslim who 'aparenty' join catholicism, but is definitely not born again. This makes their marriage a very complicated and growingly difficult situation. She visited last thursday and we spent the whole afternoon talking, eating, laughing, staring at her beautiful baby.. Memory is a truck driver!! She resumed work this week and to her discouragement was told that she couldn't work in the office as had originally been planned but would have to get behind the wheel as they are short of drivers... or quit her job pretty much. Some assignments take her hundreds of miles away from Kitwe and can potentially be overnight trips. She is very nervous about it, considering that her daughter is so little and doesn't take the bottle easily. She is going to try it out and make a decision down the road if things don't work out but right now her family really needs the money. 
The newest development with her husband, as of 2 weeks ago, is that he told her he didn't want her to attend church anymore. Last night, as he was on an overseas trip, she came to our mid-week service, somethig was heavy on her heart.. A friend of hers had offered to watch her baby on a certain day and brough along with her... nothing less than a demon. A woman -who had never met Memory before- but was claiming to be a prophet from God, started telling her that her strong advice to her is that she leaves her husband, start looking right away for a new place to move to, that her husband is the cause for bad spirits in the house, that he's a womanizer and she will get many diseases from him if she stays with him, but that if she leaves him, she will have peace and become wealthy......... and on and on she went. She finished her vomitting with a bottle of 'oil' that Memory is to mix with everything she eats, drink, her bath water and so on, to keep evil spirits away.... yup, TIA!
Memory told me she was at loss for words, but did manage to ask her for bible verses to back up her 'prophecy' to which she was told that she didn't have any and would have to get back to her on that..
I was so mad. Africa is loaded with these kind of people. They make me sick. [Oh, we -in america/europ-have our own types of disgustingly hyper-spiritual, demon influenced so called christians, they just are a little more subtle]. Their lips move with the devils fingers and they utter words such as, in the name of Jesus, it's God's will for you, bla, bla, BLA.
I told her my advice was to never let that lady in her house again. Jediah added under his breath, maybe she's after her husband! lol.... We talked abt the institution of marriage, how sacred that is, later Benson (who's leading the church in p adam's absence) told her that she was not alone in this difficult marriage and that we are her family. Please pray for her with me! It's obvious the devil is going at it from every possible angle. She had said to me earlier that every time someone from the church comes to her house she felt peace come over her house. We are talking abt possibly having a small weekly gathering for ladies around the bible at her house. 

FRIDAY is FAMILY DAY!

our sweet lil rascal! LILIANA


  FAMILY DAY OFF AT THE DAM
- We JUST discovered that there is a dam -which really is a beautiful lake- in kitwe!! just as we were having a pity party over the lack of any body of water in this area... God is full of very human surprises.
I loved what i read by O. Chambers, but now i can't seem to find what day it was from?..

"To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises."


 


doesn't look like 'africa', does it?!




We had a nice picnic, nap, laughs, runs, goof offs...


Other missionary families joined in later on



My handsome husband - in his element!

FIRST WEDDING IN KITWE GREATER GRACE!!

Charles and Astrida

SOFT BREEZE IN THE TREES

Our Liliana! we started calling her our blueberry muffin, with her blond fluffy hair and blue eyes it is quite appropriate :) she is 1 and a 1/2 and is already a riot! As she was walking away, I leaned my head back and said: Je t'aime! She didn't say her usual 'tai' back, but i could hear - tho she was already in the hallway- i could hear her little lips pursing and sending a little yummy kiss... Sometimes we pray, you know, talk to God, or think to God, and there's not necessarily an answer, but maybe just a small white funny looking cloud in a sea-blue sky, maybe the quiet whisper of the breeze in the trees, the tiniest purple flower growing in the gravel path.

Kitwe Greater Grace Church New Building Project! <- click to watch video

OUR KEZIA! 4 and a half. Today she comes in the kitchen and says to me - totally randomly: Now i know why i have to go to school! so that when i'm a mama and my children ask me about the gospel of God i can tell them what it is! she is so sweet. yes she drives us nuts, but her heart is so, so tender. I have to get motivated again for home schooling. It's all by faith right? sending a child to school or home schooling them, it's a decision to be made by faith. i told her that mothers and daughters have to hug many times a day, and so she wholeheartedly reminds me of that and hugs and hugs with those big grey-green eyes and smile to her ears...

so this is the car we drive here in Zambia, it's a Spacio, THE car that all taxi drivers drive in kitwe... you might remember me mentioning that. A week or so ago, I went downtown with the girls, parked in front of the main grocery store, wasn't inside more than 15 mn that 2 guys tap on my shoulder and ask if I am driving a Spacio and had parked in front of the store and that I better hurry out because the Police is out there, thinking it's a taxi and are getting ready to 'bust' my car.... By the time I got out there, the police had left and there was a huge crowd of mostly guys all talking at once, letting me know how lucky I was that they were able to convince the police that the car wasn't a taxi, as they were getting ready to puncture my tires and who knows what else... Apparently the police has been working hard lately at 'convincing' taxis to not park in customer spots. I have to say it was my first positive 'mob experience' in Africa. Noone trying to intimidate, or asking for compensation -ie money; we actually all laughed together at the irony of this white lady driving a 'taxi'! Well it's nice to know even pple you don't know are watching your back! ...................................................................................... I asked Benson the other day, how is it that there are pick pockets in many parts of town, but almost every other house has a little table on the street with some type of goods they are selling, with NO one to watch the goods but they don't get stolen?? his answer was 'It's the community. everyone is watching out for each other in the neighborhood'. ...................................................................................... You might remember Kennedy and Chanda from a few weeks back. The building developments on our church land required a night guard and Kennedy was hired for the job!! Praise God! an answer to his and our prayers. Chanda has been ill lately and we haven't seen her in church yet. Her husband told me yesterday that she still attends UCZ (United Church of Zambia) where they used to go to together, but maybe with time she'll start coming out with her husband. We are still in the 'try outs' of a little business idea for her. ...................................................................................... ZAM-CON was really enjoyable for me this year!!! We got to stay at a very decent lodge, along with Renee Beland, Barbara Hill and Istvan Pirgeri aka Pirgi. Seeing all our friends from LUSAKA, SOUTH AFRICA, AMERICA, PHILIPPINES and ETC was soooo refreshing. Here's a quick MOMMY-MOMENT, just as a testimony of the very special leaders we have. It was sunday night, the last night of the conference; ordination, many messages, lots of awesome music etc. But that's only what i was told. I was outside in the dark (and pitch black for a while as the whole property lost power for almost an hour) with the 2 girls, trying to entertain them, keep them from getting hurt and picking up trash to play with and having given up on avoiding their red dirt covered hands and feet. When the session was just about to end, we went in the conference hall and sat in the back, i was exhausted, done with the kids craziness, and just wanted to ask around, has anyone else noticed how long this has been going on for???! yeah. i was not pretty to look at or talk to. All the while, the pastors are up front praying for pple or something of the sort. That's when Jediah appears all clean in his white shirt and tie and let's me know P Scibelli wants the Armans, Speedys and Tanguays on stage to pray for us. I *almost* L O L. I was filthy, upset, stinky and on the verge of disowning my children. Sure i would love to go up on stage right now. Jediah could read those words all over my face i guess because he added: ...by faith? i wanted to say: you did not just play that card on me. He picked up both girls and i just got up and -reluctantly- followed. On the stage we quickly arranged in a semi circle around p scibelli, the Speedys, Micah sleeping on his dad's shoulder, the Arman family, and us. P Scibelli bowed his head to pray for us, one hand on each person on the end of the circle. Now, him bowing his head means you are pretty much looking into his face if you didn't close your eyes- like i didn't -of course. "Father, I thank you for these families..." and right there after those words his face broke in a sob he was trying very hard to hold back. He barely paused for more than 10 seconds but it was clear he fought those tears back reeeeally hard. Well, that's all my stinky crusty heart needed to hear/see, to soften up and be thankful again. Thankful for this man who preached forever tonight, thankful for the red dirt all over my clothes and my kids bodies, thankful for a husband who annoys me with his Faith, thankful for God who shows me how much i have to be thankful for... P Scibelli's heart was all over his face, this leather tanned face, this sometimes harsh italian looking face, all over it you could see care and love. That was an unforgettable face to face with our missions director.

Kitwe GGWO, church pple

It rained all day on Thursday, so the construction work on the church's new plot of land was interrupted. perfect! jediah came home earlier than planned, we hopped in the car and set off to visit Kennedy and Chanda, a young couple who visited last sunday. Jediah had met him on outreach abt a month prior to that. as we got closer to their house, we came to what was basically a lake right in the middle of the road. it was clear the car wouldn't make it through. we parked there and finished on foot using a shortcut as Kennedy was leading the way. Through someone's backyard, then between 2 outhouses, ground covered in trash, slippery slopes, finally arriving in a yard- little house made up of 2 side by side rooms (each room for 1 family...), 2 mangoe trees, an old bench, lots of puddles, a few patches of sweet potatoes plants growing, clothes hanging on a long line across the yard. 3 chairs are borrowed from the neighbor, an old t shirt to whipe them down and we sit with our guests. Lili and kezia are already running after the chickens, picking up old mangoes and splashing in mud puddles. I purposely decide not to look, 'all of this is washable' I try to convince myself. Right away, this young couple's difficult situation becomes evident. I am so touched by their lives, I woke up early this morning thinking abt them and praying for wisdom. After Kennedy lost both his parents last year, they moved to Kitwe in hopes of better lives. It has been 7 months now of no work, no money, no relatives around to help (this is huge in Zambia) rent not payed, and often going to bed at night with no food... Their faces are so sweet even as they tell of their misery. Their 4 yr old son warms up to the girls. Chickens are flying as high as they can. CHANDA and I talk abt some small 'business' opportunities. The most realistic one is selling food at the corner of her street. Fritas (zambian doughnuts), popcorn, crackers... those have low starting costs and I told her I might be able to help her with it. Using caution in situations like that is probably the wisest thing to do. There are so many needs everywhere, we could be doing this all day and not have enough time with a lifetime. But my heart is deeply touched and I can't deny it. KENNEDY hops in the car with us to show us the way out and makes a statement that almost brought tears to my eyes. Of all my years in Africa, I've never heard a husband talk like that of his wife, especially being in the situation they're in. He said: "I have to say one thing abt my wife, she doesn't ask for the things that other people have, she is very patient..." You would have to know this culture to know how touching this is. Charles is a faithful disciple in our church who makes and sells crackers to retailers for a living. I think selling those would be a great start for Chanda. We'll start with KR 50 ($10) worth of crackers, abt 25 little packs and see if she can sell them fast enough to be profitable for their family. Yesterday a big quantity of wood and cement was delivered on the church property and a night guard was needed to guaranty they would still be there in the morning. Kennedy was asked to fill the job for the next 3 days! Praise God, God is already answering my prayers and giving him work. He's a taxi driver but without a license, noone will let him drive their car in Kitwe. We will look into how much that costs. Please pray for them, we have encouraged them to put God first and to see what He will do. I am excited to be part of their lives someway or another.

SPECIAL THANKS

... to the most faithful and edifying follower of our blog/lives! Rachael Umstead your comments are always SO uplifting, don't stop.