Day 31: Becoming an African

       We have been living in Chongwe for 6 days now and life has been absolutely blissful! I could totally get used to living this life. I wake up every morning to the sounds of Africa right outside my window. I love waking up at 5am to the rooster crowing and the sound Mama Jane sweeping the house with her twig broom. These are sounds that I have grow to love! The gravel crunching outside my window, dogs barking in the distance, voices raised in praise, the crackling cooking fire, wind rustling through the trees, millions of crickets singing and people laughing around the evening fire. These are sounds that have grown close to my heart! To me, these are some of the most beautiful sounds in the world!

       Since I have been here I have learned so many new things. I am truly learning to be African. Mama Margaret recently told me that I am now an African lady because I have become as African as I can get. Since moving to Chongwe I have taken to wearing my chitanges (sarong-like wrap skirts) every day and I have learned to cook Nshima and hand wash my clothes. I spent a good hour yesterday helping the girls hand wash their clothes. Then later, I learned how to balance stuff on my head. My first lesson; carrying a large bowl of potatoes on my head. According to the cooks, I passed the test and am now on my way to becoming a Zambian. The next step is learning to wrap babies in a chitange, cooking Zambian food, learning African dances and…learning how to butcher chickens….ick…that is one thing I don’t think I will be doing.

       It has been so sweet to be able to spend nearly all day with these sweet children and to be able to shower love on them in everything we do! God has abundantly blessed this time and enabled us to be able to bond with these children and get to know their precious personalities. I have loved being able to partake in family devotions and prayer time for the house I’m staying in. Such a sweet, God-centered time it has been! God has given us such a perfect opportunity to minister to and love on  these children while impacting their lives for Him. I have really hit it off with several of the children and we have already have so many sweet talks that are Christ oriented. I am learning so much from these children.

        Tomorrow begins Camp Hope #1. I pray that this will be an incredibly God-centered week in which this team is able to impact these children and either lead them to Christ or plant some seeds in their lives. May He be exalted, glorified and praised through us throughout this week! Please keep us, the teams that are doing the camp and the children that come in your prayers whenever you think about it. Please pray that lives will be touched and souls won for the kingdom of God!!!

                                                     “For the glory of God!”

                               “So...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”

                                                      1 Corinthians 10:31