Merry Christmas!!

As Erik and I reflect on 2008 we start with New Year's Eve...

We were at the Orange Picker lot eating Chili's beside a bonfire, with the Littles, of course. We were looking forward to the final stages on construction and moving into our houses. All the fun times ahead - who would have known that life would take us in a different direction??

My new Zambian phrase: "Only God knows!"

We moved in the house in March. Erik took a trip to Zambia, Africa in May to check out the possibility of building some hostels for the 2011 All-African games. The hostel job did not work out but the opportunity to bring some construction skills to some Zambian men and provide a better wage and quality of life was put on the hearts of Erik and Bob West. After months of prayer and discussion with a Zambian contractor, we moved in August to Lusaka, Zambia to start Z-Con. Although the business did not turn out as we had hoped, we were so blessed this year with such an adventure.

We learned so much about the African people and made many good friends. God taught me a little more about differences, love and the meaning of life. He taught me to rely on Him for all my needs and He would provide and He has been faithful.

We are ready to return home to our family and friends and begin the next chapter with a different perspective. I pray that Erik, Chelsea, Bradley and I always remember this experience and we all grow from it. Thanks for sharing it with us!!

Merry Christmas and God bless you all-
Much love- The Kaspers

The final countdown...

We arrived back in Lusaka!! My friend, Nubia, picked us up and took us to her house for some food and fun. Her husband, Julio, had grilled hamburgers, sausage, steaks- here we call that a braai, not a barbeque:) They had two new puppies so Chelsea was entertained while Bradley played and swam with Nubia's 3 sons. It was a very nice afternoon!
We returned home to a very happy Moses! He was happy to see us and hear all about the "big" city. We were excited to check the progress of the garden and there was a little green pepper. Our first vegetable! Moses said it rained here all week so the vegetables looked bigger and there were also lots of mangoes on the trees. I will hate to miss the harvest:(
I was overwhelmed tonight as I looked around the house and thought of all we needed to pack. We were fortunate to sell most of our things to friends and we donated the rest. We are coming home lighter than we came over here, at least in the luggage department. We still have a van to sell!
We have a lot of running around to do tomorrow then a fun night at bible study with Christmas celebrations. We will hate to say good-bye to all our new friends but feel blessed just for knowing them a short while.

Rhino and Lion Park

I will let you figure out how we started the day!!!

The Rhino and Lion Park was about 40 minutes away so we headed off around 9:00am.

The park starts off with a self-driven game drive. We passed through and saw a cool looking antelope and a few birds but were honestly a little disappointed. We drove into the Lion area and searched all over. The drive was mountainous and there were many rocks that were the color of lions so as we drove over 30 minutes and Erik just finished saying, "I want my money back"- he spotted a beautiful female lion sitting on a rock. She was definitely camaflouged and keeping watch. We called her, "Here kitty, kitty" but she didn't bat an eye. Probably a good thing. Erik was feeling much better.

We then turned the corner and saw a Rhino on the side of the hill, then saw a Mama Rhino and her baby. It was so cool!!

The Park has a Rock mine so we took the Wonder Cave tour. It was discovered by the Italians back in the late 1800s. They mined Limestone for about 10 years then it hasn't been disturbed since, except by tourists. It was cool inside, actually 62 degrees cool- year round.

We then made our way to the baby animal section. We were able to pet a black panther, tiger, and white lion. The panthers just lay there as we pet them and picked them up but the tigers were so fun. They actually sat in our laps and tried to chew on our shoes. It was awesome!!

We had lunch at the cafe and there were 2 baby hippos in cage beside the restaurant. After lunch, many more animals were there to guide us out of the park. We saw many types of antelopes with curly horns, cape buffalo, zebras, warthogs and wildebeest. Erik changed his mind about wanting his money back as we left.

Gold Reef City

On Wednesday we woke up to a beautiful day!! We made our routine(as of 2 days) drive through McDonalds for a Coke Light then off to Gold Reef City, an amusement park. We arrived at 9:30, opening hour, and had quite a queue(a line). Nothing compared to Disney but...all in perspective. The price was 390Rand- around $39 for the whole family. It was great fun!!

We saw a peacock- male, female and baby just walking around the park. Then we were off to the huge ferris wheel. Chelsea and I followed that off with to the Golden Loop. We finally talked Brad into going on a rollercoaster and he had a great time!!

All his fear is in the anticipation.

Erik and I mostly enjoyed the lazy river ride- if only it had been longer and a little quieter:)

We spent all day at the park and were exhausted by the time we left.

Dinner was at Ghiradelli's at Nelson Mandela Square. We ordered pizza and discussed our favorite pizza in Jacksonville. Pizza was not good!!

Aparteid museum

We started the day with an awesome Coke Light from Mickey D's drive-thru. Notice Erik driving on the right side and the drive-thru window all backwards!!

We then headed off to the Aparteid Museum. We learned that Europeans "discovered" South Africa and its gold. Quickly the country was a leader in the Gold business bringing people from all over to South Africa. The current inhabitants of South Africa, the Bushman, were quickly pushed out of the way. One cool statement was made by a native of South Africa- "When the Europeans arrived we had the land and they had the Bible, now we have the Bible and they have the land." It is amazing what greed will do to the best of intentions!! After many hundreds of years of fighting over the land a political party was elected to office in 1948 that established "Aparteid"- basically segregation. People were given different identification cards based on their race and that card would determine where you could live and go in South Africa. The "non-europeans (black)" Africans were pushed out of the good lands and made to live far apart from the "european (white)" Africans. Finally Nelson Mandela became President and ended Aparteid. We left the museum in a downer mood. A lot of the pictures we saw from the 50's and 60's in South Africa are still going on in Zambia, the way the people live, survive, the skinny babies.

We went to the African Market and had fun bartering with all the "salemen". They would ask where we were from- when we said "Zambia" all the sudden we were given the "African" price vs. the American price:)

We went Monte Casino as we heard it was really cool inside and had some great food and shopping. Well, we ended up in the game room for the majority of our time. The kids ran into a walking Christmas tree.

We ended our day with Yo Sushi- we sat at a rotating sushi bar. We ate 10 plates of sushi then headed home for a good nights sleep.

Johannesburg

We arrived in Johannesburg yesterday afternoon. It was a 2 hour flight from Lusaka but when we landed we felt like we were anywhere but Africa.

Johannesburg is a big city with big freeways and lots of malls!!

We rented a very small red Toyota Yaris- we piled our bags in and were off. The kids thought the car was so cool!!

We arrived at our hotel around 7pm and we were starving so we ate at a steakhouse, Bull Run, which is attached to our hotel. We were pleasantly surprised at the reasonable prices for dinner. The currency in South Africa is Rand and current exchange rate is around 10ZAR to $1. So when you look at clothes the prices are about 350ZAR or $35.

Our hotel offers a free delicious breakfast buffet. We walked to the Sandton mall today around 9am. The entire mall is beautifully decorated for Christmas and each store is advertising "Big Summer Sale"- it is still odd celebrating Christmas in the middle of Summer! It was cool here today and overcast most of the day with some late afternoon rain!

After a couple hours of shopping, we went to lunch at McDonalds- Erik and the kids were so happy!! We had our first fountain drink is 5 months- it was sooooo delicious!

The kids had their own money and decided they each wanted a Build-A-Bear so we adopted Nola the Giraffe and Mutale the Rhino today.

We shopped some more then went to a movie at 2:00. We walked to an Italian restaurant for dinner then checked out the small shopping area next to our hotel.

We are off to the Apartied museum tomorrow and some shopping at the local craft market.

Out of Africa!!

After many months of trying to make this business a success we have come to the end of our road (or shall we say Kwacha) and will be returning to America.



We are definitely very thankful for our time in Africa. I have learned so much about the Zambian culture, Africa in general, the life of a missionary as well as had the opportunity to make friends from India, Korea, Belgium, France, Nicaragua, Georgia, Texas and South Carolina. What a blessing to see God's creation all over this World.



Thanks so much for all your prayers and support during our journey! You have blessed our lives and we were so happy to share this adventure with you through the blog!

Grease and Crazy hair

Tonight was Pop of the Tops at the kid's school and the primary classes each had a performance. Bradley's class did a Grease Medley and he got to play Danny Zuko. It was great- his teacher, Mrs. Lucas did a wonderful job including all the children in the performance. I tried to attach the video but it was too big so you will just have to see it when we get home...

Here is Chelsea's crazy hair day...the students were mesmerized as they could not understand how she got her hair to stand so straight. Mr. Gumbay called her Marge Simpson all day. It has been a fun last week of school.

Z-Con

The business side of our adventure here is getting rather tough. Zcon has just finished it's first job- which was a foundation job that took about 3 months. Our superintendent, Harold, did a great job and has quite a rapport with his work crew of just under 50 men and one women (the cook). One of the workers actually named his first child after Harold!! The crew is very happy to be working for Zcon and have said he would go anywhere Zcon sent them. It's great to have happy employees who are truly thankful for each day of employment. This job has gained us a lot of experience, but not a lot of Kwacha. We continue to pray for God's direction in leading us to the right jobs to fulfill our mission while in Zambia- to transfer our skills to the Zambian workers, pay them an above average wage, and treat them with respect.

Cool friends!!

Okay...how many friends do you have that have Zebras running around their backyards? Yeah, me neither but...Chelsea and Bradley have friends named Adele and Kelly who have 2 Zebras in their yard...which is around 26 acres. How cool is that?? They would not let us approach them but they would creep up on you, like in this picture of Bradley and Kelly.

We had lunch yesterday with Mike and Lesley-Ann Borman- Mike moved to South Africa from California then traded in a corporate lifestyle to move to Zambia and become a professional hunter and taxidermist. Lesley-Ann is Zambian born and bred- she had some great stories about how this country has changed.

Exams are over for Chelsea so she began "Spirit Week" at school today. Her class, Year 7, had to dress in all black so she wore a black tank-top with black pants- she said she felt "Goth". Tomorrow is Crazy Hair day and thanks to Erica Tebb's great "plastic cup on the head" hairdo- she is sure to win extra points for her team. The whole school is split into 3 teams all year and have little competitions every now and then to earn points. It creates camaraderie among students in different grades as they all work together to earn points. They are named after the three rivers in Zambia: Kafue, Zambezi and Luangwa.

Brad is preparing for a week of fun with a field trip to the movies, a Christmas party and his Grease presentation. He got a recorder in music class today and is sitting behind me now playing "Yankee Doodle". The Internet is amazing- Erik downloaded many songs for Brad to play on his recorder- including some Christmas carols.

Peace Centre

Bradley and I went to the Peace Centre yesterday. The Peace Centre houses many refuges from surrounding countries. One singing group that performed were from Rwanda. The children at the Centre also performed a puppet show of the Nativity story and sang Christmas carols. Our children performed the Nativity story also but acted it out. The two performances were great!

Remember that it is the middle of the summer over here so we were all packed into a room- 200 kids and a few adults, small room, all curtains closed for a better effect for the puppet show- It was about 100 degrees. So many kids complaining about the heat- I looked down at Bradley sitting on the ground with all his class- he was on the end so there were 3 kids from the Centre hanging on him. He did not complain once- what a sweet kid!

Erik and I were invited to a "Meet the President dinner and dance" Saturday night so we had to dust off our dancing shoes- ha!! The invitation stated that the event was to begin at 19 hours. We got to the Mulungshi Center on time, waited in line to go through the metal detector, ran into Susan and Dave from Bible Study(he works for the National Milling Company- they are from Kansas City). Soon after Jonathan and Rita(Erik's Zambian business parter) arrived, we were seated and the entertainment began- around 20:30 hours(8:30). We heard the Vice President speak, then the President, then there was some tribal dancing and Trina, the African Idol, sang a few songs. We queued(lined) up at about 21:30(9:30) to eat and then Erik and I left. It was a fundraiser for the MMD political party and they donate publically. They would call from the microphone, "Zesco (the electric company) is donating 10 million Kwacha". The donation form was a binding agreement so...we skipped out as the donating began.

Sound of Music

Saturday night was the big performance at the kid's school of The Sound of Music. Bradley's class sang the song that accompanied the puppet show. I took a picture of a few of the kids in his class before the performance. His buddy Somang Kim then some other friends Briyanca, Kaileigh, and Tara.

We also took a picture of the cast to show you how diverse the school is- there are 84 nationalities at the school. It was a great performance and I was very impressed with the talent. Some children were acting, some singing, some in the orchestra and some backstage helping. The drama teacher did a great job including all classes in some fashion.

Harold Keene and Chomba came over for lunch on Sunday as well as the Mutale family. We had turkey with stuffing, ham, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits, chocolate cake and pumpkin cheesecake- all from scratch. Erik and I spent much time preparing but it was nice sharing an American tradition with our Zambian friends. We also obtained a copy of the last Monday Night Football game- the Saints vs. the Packers. Erik, the kids and I all snuggled up to watch our first football game this season and did just what came natural...I slept during the first quarter, Erik during the 2nd and 3rd as the kids played Rummikub. Brought back some good memories...Who won the game? Who cares? Just the sound of Hank Williams Jr. talking about "all his rowdy friends" was enough:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15
That Gift is Grace. God gave me a gift that I did not deserve, that I could never be "good enough" to receive. He gave becauses He loves me(and you)- now my life is forever secure in His Grace because I chose to accept it!

As you all- we won't celebrate until Sunday- gather together with your loved ones and name the things you are "thankful for"- I pray that there is some recognition of the life, the hope, the peace, the joy, the promises, the forgiveness that can only come from Jesus Christ.

I am also thankful for Erik, Chelsea, Bradley, of course- Peterson, for our grandparents- here and gone, for our parents, for my sweet aunts who have loved me so dearly and I love so much back, for my uncle who challenges me but loves me anyway, for all my cousins, for my neices and nephews, Cindy and David, Michelle, Bridget and Klint, all my friends who have supported me and loved me through this experience to make it easier, the internet and email to stay connected, Skype and chatting with mom often, Gretchen, Haley and Sheldon living in eternal love. I have so much to be thankful for and so do you, name your blessings one by one...

Have a great Thanksgiving- I love you all!!

The planting has begun...

Moses and I went to the "nursery" today and picked out our starter plants. We chose eggplant, onions, tomatoes, green peppers, cabbage and chinese cabbage. There was no okra so we will try seeds. When the kids came home, Chelsea said, "How are they growing already?" Wow, is it hard to bite my tongue:)

Bradley has a field trip to the Peace Centre on December 5th for a Christmas Party. His class will be presenting "The Nativity Story"- how cool is that!! Bradley's teacher is due to have a baby in February and she has had to prepare 3 performances in 4 weeks - a "land use" skit, the Nativity performance on December 5 and Grease on December 10th. She will be exhausted and ready for our Christmas break.

Bradley's class will also be in the "Sound of Music" school performance this weekend. His class will be performing the puppet show scene. We will be going to the Saturday night performance.

Tomorrow night we are going to Hillsong United performance here at the Lusaka Fairgrounds. Hillsong is a christian music group from Australia and has been touring South Africa and added Zambia to their tour. This is quite a big deal for this area. Tickets were around $5. We are praying for no rain as it is an outdoor concert.

Chelsea's class will have an improv night next Tuesday. We attended an improv night last week with the other Year 7 class and it was really funny. An amateur "Whose line is it?" My kids laughed and laughed.

Things are getting busy around here as the end of school approaches and we begin a peaceful, joyful Christmas season- that is my prayer anyway.

Moses, Moses, how does your garden grow??

Poor Moses has been waiting for me to buy him a hoe so he could start our garden. Well, finally last week, I got the hoe. He has been so busy preparing the soil, building up the beds, and he is now ready for the vegetables so...tomorrow we will buy our cabbage, okra, onions, broccoli, maize and whatever else we planned. He is so much smarter than me...as I plan the vegetables, he says "well, we don't need much cabbage as there are only 5 of us that eat and the rest would be waste"- not the way I think but oh so right!!

We are so excited to see the fruit of Moses' labor- I hope Peterson stays out of the garden!!

I went to the kid's school on Thursday to pick them up and saw a man get out of his car holding a jacket- it was turquoise and black- and had a Jaguar emblem on it.

First of all, it was 3:30pm and quite warm 78 degrees and he has this heavy jacket. Zambians are as bad as Floridians when the temperature drops below 80, we are chilly.

Secondly, to have a Jacksonville Jaguar jacket in the middle of Africa. Pretty funny!! I did not ask for a picture but tried to sneak one in.

Look behind Chelsea and her friend, TsiTsi, and he is holding the jacket.

I also wanted to show you a picture of the boy with the crazy wild hair. Definitely worthy of a note from Mrs. Herring- don't tell her!

!

Hospice

I thought about those babies all weekend!! As it was raining here with some thunder and lightning, I wondered if they were scared or sound asleep like my children??
This morning there was a new baby at Mother Theresa's, she was 7 weeks old and had already lost her mother and the aunt that was taken care of her had been put in Hospice. Here, Hospice does not come to you, you go to a Hospice hospital to stay. Mother Theresa's campus has a community school at the front where children from the neighborhood come for school with the children in the orphanage. The middle of the campus is where the nuns live and the little children live. In the back of the campus are two big hospital rooms seperating males and females and housing the Hospice patients, there were about 70 people per room yesterday. The campus also has gardens to sell vegetables and also to eat, there is a workshop where a man was doing some woodwork and a few playgrounds for the children.
As I walked to the babies, I met one of the caregivers in charge of washing all the clothes and hanging them on the line. There were also 3 ladies sitting on the ground emptying cans of formula into a plastic bucket to prepare bottles. So many loving hands needed to care for these children.
I was a little late so Eneka (the Dutch lady) had already gotten most babies out of their cribs and they were outside playing. They were so happy to see me- not really- I was so happy to see them. They were in much better moods yesterday. They played for a couple hours then they would stop dropping off like flies. I would take one baby inside, change the nappy, come back out and there would be another one asleep on the mat. Ok- let me tell you about the nappy- now remember, I am the crazy woman that thought I would have my child wear cloth diapers- Poor Chelsea with the constant diaper rash. These babies have a handtowel folded over in all different directions to fit their size then these clips that stretch that I have never seen before then they would wear the plastic pants over that. Now, as Erik can tell you, I have the Super Sniffer- which is definitely a plus when someone is baking but when there are wet cloth diapers around- it is a curse!!
After the babies were all fed, nappies changed and down for their naps, Eneka took me back to Hospice. We walked into the women's side which was one huge room that had cots everywhere. Each cot was made and had water jugs and cups by it. The women were scattered about the area either eating or visiting the clinic or sitting and chatting. We met one of the caregivers, Loveness, who took us behind some curtains that were hung to seperate the room. There were probably 20 cots with women sitting on them. A few women were just sitting and talking while others were getting a bath. These women were in their final stages of AIDS. It was a picture that I have seen many times- they were soooo thin, some with sunken eyes, some too weak to sit. The nuns give them medicines to help with pain and some antibiotics to fit off viruses. The women did not look in pain just looked very tired. My heart broke for them- What a terrible disease!
The women that were in their early stages of AIDS would be assigned jobs to help care for others. They would cook or sew or garden or whatever to help. They were truly a group of women caring for each other in their last days. As I left Mother Theresa's that day...I began to think that I just saw one Hospice filled with patients, if I were to drive another mile or so...there would be another then another...This Country knows sickness so personally!!

Please pray for the sick at Mother Theresa's Hospice:
1) They have Hope in Jesus alone...
2) They make the transition into Heaven quickly with the least amount of pain...

Weekend Update!!

Saturday morning- Girls off to volleyball, boys off to baseball. Chelsea's team, ISL's U-15 girls, finished in 2nd place. They won their first two games and lost in the final match. They played great and looked much better than the tournament they played in one month ago. It was also definitely more exciting than the previous weekend's basketball tournament. It was a super hot day and finally the cloud coverage came for the final game. Erik and Bradley also made it for the final game- Chelsea was happy!!
We left the tournament around 1:30 just in time to make it to the 2:15 showing of Open Season 2. The best part, air conditioning and popcorn. The kids have a new favorite candy, Jelly Tots- Chelsea describes them as similar to Dots but with sugar on top.
We came home and made Taco Salad as we bought some homemade chips from the Shaw's houseman, Daniel. They were delicious!! We taught the kids how to play Hearts and tried our hardest to all stay awake until the Gator game at 10:30pm. Erik and I made it to game time and were happy to hear the Gators score 21 points very quickly but that was as far as we made it. We kept the internet on all night so as we woke up we could check the score but we didn't wake up again. What an exciting game, according to ESPN's write up the next morning!!
We met a new couple at Bible study last night, Christie and Brad with their 3 daughters from Birmingham. He is working for UAB and they have been here for 2 weeks. Last week we met 2 men from Birmingham that worked here doing medical missions. It is such a small world. UAB has about 30 people living in Lusaka doing HIV/AIDS research.
I also spent two days this week in The Shack. Wow, what a good book! If you haven't had a chance to read it, I encourage you to. I love the way it was written.

Orphanage visit

I finally went to help out at Mother Theresa's orphanage this morning!!
I met with the nun in charge, Sister Ignacio, who took me back to the babies. There were 20 babies lined up in cribs in one room with 2 caregivers. They were all just laying there pretty content except for this tiny little girl who kept crying- she was about one month old- I picked her up and wrapped her in a blanket and she was quiet right away. While I was holding her this other baby kept waving at me- I was guessing the baby was about 7-9 months old because it was sitting up. All the babies have very short hair- they keep it that way- so you couldn't tell boy from girl. I kept looking over and she would wave and smile.
Two other ladies came to volunteer that were Dutch and they have been doing this for 3 years- I was so thankful as I wasn't sure what I was going to do all morning. They told me that they take the babies outside and let them get fresh air and roll around so we would pick up babies and take them out into the hallway to play. I kept looking at that one little girl who was always smiling and I finally asked the caregiver what her name was- It was Elizabeth!! She was beautiful. I still tried to stay away but when she woke up from a nap and was crying I had to hold her. She snuggled right up to me. I loved it!!

What a week!!

My mom sent me a great email about the seasons in our life and I feel as though we have been through all the seasons just this week...
On Wednesday, Michelle's father, Chelsea's best buddy, passed away. Martin Dillon was 54 years old from Ireland working for Project Concern. He lived in the States, Uganda, Kenya, Ireland, and Zambia always looking for a way to help others. He leaves behind his wife Rebecca, daughter Michelle 11 and son Chris 9. Please pray for this family as they fly to Ireland today for the funeral and then on to the States. They hope to return in January!
On Friday- Erik and I picked the children up from school. Bradley told us that he had something to tell us when we all got in the car- He is to play Danny Zuko from Grease in the Year 5's Top of the Pops show in December- he said I will need a black leather jacket and black T-shirt. This is just a mix of 4 songs from Grease and they will be miming the songs. We did have to change some of the lyrics to make it more suitable for children:)
On Saturday, Chelsea and I sat around all morning at the basketball tournament waiting for ISL to play. After 3 hours, our girls took the court to get beat 3-8. The bonus about waiting around so long was Erik was able to get to the school after baseball to watch her play. Brad spent the afternoon playing at the Cook's house while Chelsea, Erik and I tried a new cafe for lunch.
Sunday we were once again blessed with a wonderful sermon by Pastor Walker. You know when you've been struggling with something and you go to church and the preacher teaches from the Word specifically to those issues- God is talking to you!!
We then went to bible study where John continued on in Mark 7 about the Pharisees fussing about the disciples not washing their hands. Jesus goes on to tell them that "What comes out of a man is what makes him "unclean"". Let's make sure we always look to the heart of a man!!
This morning- I met Patricia in the school parking lot and she delivered a beautiful tub of fresh vegetables to me- My car smelled so good. Now I need to know what to cook? I got 3 bags of fresh lettuce, 10 fresh eggs, spinach, broccoli, herbs(I would name them if I could- I did recognize Rosemary, Basil and Oregano, I think) eggplants, baby zucchinis, baby green peppers, green beans, scallions, and radishes. So I'm planning Eggplant parmigiana, chicken with rosemary along with roasted potatoes and spinach, maybe chicken, spinach, cheese casserole?? Send any ideas especially for the scallions and radishes.
One more thing...Lee and I had another mother join us on our "prayer walk" this morning. Her name is MiSun- she is Korean and has been a Christian for 7 years, previously Buddhist. As we prayed in English, she would pray in Korean...I got a glimpse of Heaven this morning as I looked around at Christians of different background, culture, and race.
I thank God for allowing me to see the diversity!!

Almost Deported for the sake of the blog...

Let me set the scene....
Kasper family all dressed up driving home from church Sunday afternoon in the blue mini-van... we decided to stop by the US Embassy residence so I could take that picture of the US Flag in the midst of the Flambouyant trees that I promised on the last blog. I get my camera ready as we turn down the street...Erik stops, I aim...we are surrounded by 3 armed guards immediately. The 2 guards at my window ask what I am doing, "I am from America and wanted to send pictures of the flag back to my friends in America." Why did that sound so corny come from my mouth??
Erik's guard said, "I want to know you" translated "Give me your passport or driver's license".
I had to prove that I had no pictures on my camera of the flag and we made a little small talk. I explained to my children that it was against the rules to take pictures of the residence. I went on to tell them that if someone wanted to cause harm to the residence they may take pictures to discuss their plans. I assume we, the Kaspers, fit the profile:)
That evening at Bible study we met a newer couple from Wisconsin that work for the Embassy. Erik asked the husband, Cory, what he did for the Embassy. Cory is head of Security. Erik told him our story and Cory said he had received a call that afternoon about us and they had filed paperwork reporting the incident. Cory said he will sleep much better at night knowing it was us taking pictures of the residence.
The Kaspers once again breaking all the rules in Zambia- when will we learn???

Red, White and Blue

We drove the kids past the US Embassy residence the other day, it is 4 streets down from our home, and we all stopped to admire the beautiful flag that was flowing so brightly in the midst of the flambouyant trees. What a picture- oh, I didn't have my camera- I will go back!!
As I looked at that flag- I thought of all it stood for, I thought of our founding fathers who created a government to take care of the people of the United States then I thought of our one true Father- who created humans to have a relationship with Him.
What must He think when he looks at our country???
He died so we could live freely and we "choose" to push him out of every decision we make.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"Genesis 1:1- how can we look at a tree, a lily, a star, the sun, newborn life and doubt Him?
"Share with God's people who are in need"Romans 12:13- Why do we need our government doing this for us?? God says to share- all that you have is His anyway- do with His as He wishes.
"And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again"2 Corinthians 5:15 Pro-choice??? I don't think so.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb" Psalm 139:13
Pro-life!! 50 million abortions in the US alone since it was legalized in 1973, what are we telling our children??
"But for Adam no suitable helper was found...the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of man and he brought her to the man." Genesis 2:20-22 No explanation needed.

For God's creation to function as He created it, we must return to Him. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,"plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Don't we want what He has planned for us?? I do!!

Living in Africa has given me a different perspective of the Country that I love so much- the freedoms that we have, the provisions that are in abundance, the protection of law enforcement officers at the touch of 3 buttons, numerous places of worship, free education promised by our Constitution, a home for every child, excellent medical care at reasonable costs. We are so blessed!

PLEASE- before you vote on Tuesday- Look at what your candidate and his party stand for.... Is he bettering the earth that God created???

Jesus Walks on the Water

Our Bible study was rich last night. I felt the Lord speaking to me through his Words in Mark. Mark 6:45-51- Jesus has just fed the five thousand people from 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish with plenty left over and sent the disciples away. Jesus went up the mountain to pray to His Father.
The disciples were traveling by boat on the sea when the winds picked up and the disciples began to struggle with the oars, Jesus saw them in the midst of their struggles. Jesus walked to them on the water but they did not recognize him and called him a ghost- they were terrified. Jesus says" Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid". How stubborn are these disciples to witness God's miracles time after time and yet still question?? Jesus is walking beside them, teaching them and they still struggle with His Power but He is a wonderful Teacher- and will continue to teach until we get it. Jesus watches the disciples pattern(it looks alot like mine)
Situtation in life- panic- God handles- I thank God.
Next: Situation in life-panic-God handles- I thank God- when will I learn to leave out the panic?? It serves no purpose except to show God I still lack complete trust and faith in Him alone. I'm glad to know that He will not give up on me!!

Kalimba Reptile Park

After a week of doing nothing but resting, watching movies and playing cards...we had the Shaw's over for dinner Friday night then went to Kalimba Reptile Park on Saturday.
As we went into the reception area we ran into Niki and Kelsey Cook- they were there with the new 40/40 group- Baptist Missionary training in Lusaka, 30 something new missionaries coming to Zambia- How awesome is that!! We saw the rest of the Cook family by the snake cages then ran into Suzie and Hannah Rodgers by the pool. Small world!
The Revillas met us at the park so my kids were happy to run around with 3 more kids. We had a tour guide that showed us all the different snakes that loom around our area. There was one bad boy that I would never want to meet, The Black Mamba. He will stand up and look at you and then chase you down. My friend, Caroline, found one of these in her garden(that is what they call a yard) a couple of weeks ago. Scary!!
We also met some Puff Adders, a huge Python and brown house snake. The kids got to hold this snake. Chelsea asked for the snake skin from one of the big daddies so we now have that hanging in Bradley's room. Jane told me that it scared her when she walked in.

We got to see baby crocs, teenage crocs and Daddy crocs. The smaller crocs were all enclosed in a "pin" with a four foot cement wall around it. The Daddy crocs were in a man-made lake that was surrounded by a two foot cement wall and chain-link fence above it- the big hole chain-link fence. The crocs would lay right beside the wall and the kids would stick their fingers in to point at it- Never happen in the U.S.!! I asked our guide if any visitors had been eaten- he said what I wanted to hear, "no".
The kids swam in one of the two pools they had while we grilled hamburgers and sausages. The weather was great- the flies were everywhere- but for less than $15 per family, it was a very nice afternoon. My children were very happy on the way home as they planned to decorate our office as a snake skin museum- Great!!

Flamboyant Trees

With the rains- 3 days now- have come the most, okay 2nd most, beautiful trees. Since we arrived in August, the streets have been lined with Jacaranda trees- purple flowers.

Now the Jacaranda flowers have fallen and the red Flamboyant trees are blooming-

Have I told you what a beautiful country Africa is? I tell Moses all the time.

Our avocado, mango, papaya and lemon trees are all starting to bear fruit. It is so exciting!The kids check them out everyday to see if they are ready yet. In our impatience we have taken many fruits that are not quite ripe- just to taste.

Moses and I went to the Rose Garden to pick out some new flowers for summer and buy some fertilizer. I am going to have him plant some yellow daylilies- that will remind me of the Bradley girls and Florida. We also bought a Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow plant. We have a lot of purple, red, white flowers in the yard- the yellow lilies will be a nice contrast!!

Who's right??

Maybe that is not a fair question...

I'm reading a book right now comparing the African culture to that of the Western Culture(European/American). The book is written to help the Westerner better understand his environment when in Africa.

Help me to understand this... In Lusaka- there is a 70% unemployment rate...which means 3 out of 10 people work.

In the US, there is a 6.1% unemployment rate(Sept 2008)...which means 9.3 people out of 10 work.

Just grasp that for one moment...In the Great Depression, the US had an 11% unemployment rate.

The majority of Africans work to survive where "the accumulation of capital and wealth is the goal of the Western culture". This is the jest of what I was reading...Africans live for today and the needs they have "today". They, as a society, take care of each other. For example, I asked Jane today- if your neighbor needed money and you had money saved for Elizabeth's school- what would you do??? I would give her half and keep half for school then ask someone else to help pay for school. She said, "I believe that if I share what God has given to me, He will continue to bless me." How could I argue with that??

I tried to explain to her that we, Americans, take care of our own immediate family but rarily do we share the financial burdens with our friends, neighbors, etc. It sounded weird coming out of my mouth, especially when she repeated it back to me- "You mean you don't give money to other family members or friends who need your help." I tried to explain that all my family members had jobs and were self-supportive- that it was easier to get a job in the US than in Africa.

It is interesting to think about...I guess in the US we also have bank loans at our disposal or we have saved for a rainy day or we have too much pride to ask a friend for money. We would just go out and get another job to get us where we needed to be. Not an option here.

We Voted!!!

To all of our concerned friends, yes, we have done our part!!! We faxed- isn't that amazing- our absentee ballot on Wednesday to the Supervisor of Elections then followed up by mailing the originals. We are able to read bits and pieces of the news regarding the election and I must say I am glad that we are missing this battle. God will prevail- He always does!!
We are about to go through the Zambian election process on October 30th. There are 3 candidates running but 2 really stick out. One is the current VP and the other ran for President in the election 2 years ago and barely lost to the late President Manawasa. Jane told me that the last time she voted, she got to the precinct at 4:00am and was finished at 1:00pm. Wow, am I glad we have many voting stations in Florida. Both Moses and Jane are very discouraged and don't want to vote as they say all these promises are made now to obtain the vote and then nothing changes for them, only the people at the top. I explained what a privilege it is to have the "right to vote".
On a side note- we had our first rain since April last Friday- it even hailed. Wow- I love the rain. You don't realize that until you miss it. The sound, the smell!! It rained again on Thursday as the kids and I were pulling in the driveway so we ran to the backyard to get all the clothes off the line. Chelsea said, "This is kind of fun!" Peterson didn't know what to do so he ran along with us acting very excited!! He has become quite the hunter- he hunts lizards- big lizards, and toads and only the Lord knows what else!!

Rough Week

I should check the calendar as I think it is close to Mother's Day...

I found out that 2 people that I have met have contracted HIV, both women.
One woman found out when she was pregnant but her husband refuses to be tested. The baby was born HIV negative, thank you Lord!!
The other lady did not give me her story but is in the professional field with a couple of years of higher education.
Two women, two different backgrounds, two different financial situations, one homemaker in the compounds - the other a government employee. Why does this happen??
Everywhere you go- there is prevention available.
A radio show I listened to suggested men have an operation that will result in a 65% less chance of spreading the virus- NOONE, NOONE speaks of abstinence.
Is the value of life worth so little that you would rather not know?? There is FREE ARV medicine to help build the immune system and avoid sicknesses that could kill you.
How is it spreading so quickly?
It is acceptable to have more than one wife especially in the villages. The Chief of a village must have many wives to keep up his status which demands respect from the others in the village.
I don't know about the other men in town that are not chiefs!
Jane asked me if our husbands were allowed to have more than one wife...I told her Erik has enough headache with one!! She told me that even if men don't take more than one wife, they can still have many girlfriends.
HIV does not discriminate to age, race or social class, or Country!!
***As I read back over this I realized that I am not just speaking about Africa- the Chief of the village example excluded. Dr. Phil, a parent in Bradley's class, is a Doctor from the US doing research on the transmission of HIV- he told me that Africa is no different than the US as far as their attitude towards this disease- The US just found out about it before it had spread throughout 25% of the population. I pray we are teaching our children about God's perfect plan!!

Stumbling Block

Have you ever made a decision that affected another person? Have you ever done something that someone else followed your lead? In your own life you justify and rationalize your actions but when you see the effect it has on others - do you feel responsible?

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:3, "We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so
that our ministry will not be discounted."

This scripture helped Erik and I to make the decision not to drink anymore. Although I have not found scripture directly stating alcohol is a sin, only drunkenness. (Gal 5:21) I know that when I drink- I say and do things I shouldn't. Would you discount my commitment to spreading the Gospel if you saw me in the state of drunkenness?? How about when I gossip?? How about when I lie?? How about my life before Christ??
Oh- my heart was heavy with all these questions this morning.

But then, I opened the Word- thanks be to God- the answer to all of our life situations. He wrote it just for us- inspired and literal- God's Word never changes because He never changes. He wants the same things from us that He wanted from the disciples, the apostles, all the people before us and all the people to come.

Back to the Word- I went back to Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:16-21- and read about being a new creation in Christ- God reconciled us to Himself by sending Christ- not counting men's sins against them- Do you hear that?? Not counting men's sins against them- and who would know that better than Paul who was persecuting Christians until God called him out on his way to Damascus(Acts 9). Paul, the one who spread the gospel to all Gentiles (non-Jews) in the New Testament- talk about sin and yet God used him to show us that no matter how big the sin, Jesus died for us all.

"Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in
Him we might become the righteousness of God".

How much does your Heavenly Father love you?? You can't even begin to imagine...

Monday, Monday...

I have found in our friend, Bob West, another music lover...we will just be sitting around the house and someone will say something and we break out in song. We had "dueling" you-tubes last weekend recalling songs from the 70s, 80s and movies. It was fun- Erik was caught in the middle but sang along with us. We borrowed the Sound of Music from our neighbor last night and watched and sang!! See how creative you get without cable tv, or maybe the proper word is bored!!

We spent Saturday morning at the kid's school for Bradley's Swimming Debut. He swam in both the 25m Breaststroke and 25m Freestyle. He was 6 out of 6 in the Breaststroke and 5 out of 6 in the Freestyle. The best thing about my boy is that he is happy to be where he is. I have to ruin it with my competitive spirit. After the race, I told him that if he wanted to learn to swim faster, he would have to train more. He said, "no thanks!" End of that discussion. Chelsea's convinced if he would have shed a layer, he would have knocked some time off the clock. (He did insist that I buy him the school's swimming uniform, a blue/green Speedo bikini- he wore it "under" his trunks)

We rested Saturday afternoon- Erik and Bradley went to a movie- Bob fixed some short ribs for dinner and we went to bed early with the intentions of waking up at 2am to listen to the Gator game. Well, when the alarm went off- we turned it off, went back to bed and woke up at 4:30am- nearing the end of the 3rd quarter and it was 20-14- Wow!! That is all I will say since some of my best friends are Tigers or at least married to one.

We went back to Cornerstone Church on Sunday and I was invited to my first "Kitchen Party" by the women of the church. I heard that people have a kitchen party when they need to update the items in their kitchen. Throw yourself a party and people bring you presents- I like it!! Don't start this trend in Jax until I get back- I get to have the first one!!

This morning Niki Cook, Lee Shaw and myself met at the school and walked and prayed over everything we saw and didn't see. We prayed for the headmaster, faculty, maintenance men- for the athletic fields to be covered with children demonstrating good sportsmanship with decent language, we prayed for the lunch tables to be filled with pure conversations void of gossip, slander, or insults, we prayed for the playground- for safety, friendships to be made, good old fashioned fun. We prayed for the Christian teachers- for their witness to be convicting to other faculty and students- we prayed for our children to be bold and confident in their faith and to know that God is with them wherever they may be. We prayed for all the other children- to find the One True God- there are so many different religions at our school. What a blessing for me as I have seen the power of prayer!!

Meredith Smith- thanks for the comments- God is so good how he gives you the same verse more than once in different places- He must want you to memorize that Scripture- It is 2 Timothy 3:16- Read all of 2 Timothy 3 as Paul describes the last days...see if you recognize any of those behaviors!! Tell your Bible teacher, "Thank you"!!

Camp Fringilla

Bradley had a great time camping with the other Year 5 students!!

Erik and I drove him and his friend, Fadhili, to the campsite Wednesday morning. We were following the bus with about 5 other parents. We had to go through a police stop and who do you think the police stopped out of the convoy?? Yes, us!! My van must have a special license number that says, "She will pay- stop her:)" We did not have reflective tape on the vehicle which is a 56,000Kwacha fine but Erik explained we were on our way to Fringilla with the school and we would get tape as soon as possible. The policeman let us go- Good thing I stayed in the car!!

When we arrived at camp it was a free for all on campsites and then putting the tents up. I was very impressed with the children's ability to put up their own tents. There is a lot of camping in Zambia, the weather is perfect for it and it is cheap!!

The campgrounds were actually on a farm so the campsites were surrounded by pinned up animals such as cows, goats, pigs, turkeys, and peacocks. There was also a pool on the campgrounds. Bradley was in a small tent with Antonio and Victor- 2 pretty big boys. I helped them set up their sleeping mats and pillows- they had to leave their bags outside because there was no room.

Bradley said they had a great time doing their activities during the day- they had to come up with costumes and have a fashion show. He made a mask of leaves and a stick with leaves on it that looked like a chicken's tail. They called him "Chicken Man". He had french toast and yoghurt(that's how they spell it over here) for breakfast, sausage and chicken sandwich for lunch, and chicken, potatoes and vegetables for dinner.

I did get a call from his teacher at 8:00 this morning saying he had vomited at about 4:30 this morning- "it was too dark to go outside" so he vomited in the tent. Sorry Victor and Antonio!! Victor woke up and asked if he was ok, Antonio was snoozing. That was the one and only time- I'm wondering if he had one too many marshmallows last night???

Stephen, the company's driver, went with me to pick Brad up this morning. He was with me when I was almost impounded. Now he will call me and say, "Good morning Madam- any violations today??" Isn't that such a blessing that I was able to teach him the meaning of the word, Violation?? Anyway, Bradley slept all the way home then took a shower and went back to bed. He is up now and feeling much better. He has his first swimming gala tomorrow!!

Baby Hope

Today I got to meet Baby Hope- she was born at 6 months old and weighs 1.6 kg, about 3 pounds. I held her in my arms and she was so tiny- it was scary holding her thinking how delicate she is. Hope's mom is a friend of Jane so we have been praying for her and Jane wanted me to meet her. What a blessing that she is even alive because there is not a Neo-natal unit here so she was sent home after 24 hours.

We went to a new church on Sunday, Cornerstone Worship Center. Erik and Bob had lunch with the preacher last week. He is a young guy that has a great vision for the people of Zambia. He asked Bob to speak 2 weeks ago and Erik got to deliver the message this week. He did an awesome job! He spoke on the Scriptures, how they are all God-breathed and have all the answers for life especially relating to being a good husband, good wife and good parent- all to glorify God!! I was so proud of him. He said that was for my birthday. (Jane, Charity and Danny-from Z-con- attend this church)

We then spent last night at our bible study at the Baptist Mission house. We had our lesson and then it was finger food night. It was great fellowship. We got to see Josh Bowman again- he was in town picking up a missionary from Haiti. It is a cool place to be with all the Americans and my kids have fun learning and playing.

Please be praying for my Bradley as he leaves Wednesday through Friday to camp with the entire Year 5 class. They are about 45 minutes out of town. There will be 50 kids with 5 teachers- please pray for the teachers too!!

Birthday Surprise

My ex-patriot housewife friends- Alix, Nubia, Caroline and Stephanie- all surprised me this morning at coffee with 2 beautiful African pillows and a piece of Lemon Meringue pie delivered by the singing crew at Kilamanjaro. What a nice surprise. (As the singing crew went into the 2nd round of "how old are you?"- I quickly told them we don't ask that in American especially when you are nearing 40, like me!!)
What a great way to start my weekend. The rest of the weekend will be involved in sports starting with Chelsea's basketball game today at 2pm then an all-day Volleyball tournament at the American school tomorrow from 9-1. Bradley, Bob and Erik will be spending the day at a local football (soccer) tournament with our logistics manager, Stephen. Bradley will have his first swimming gala next Saturday morning at his school from 10-12 then the school is having a barbeque- they call a braai. Should be a fun day.
Moses started his reading lessons this week and I must say he is a very fast learner. I have learned from him that he has memorized quite a lot. We went to the Rose Garden the other day for fertilizer and he read the sign on the door "Staff Only"- I said, "You know how to read" but he proceeded to tell me that he use to work somewhere years ago and one door said "Staff Only" so he had memorized that. It is amazing what you must do to survive- as in everything in life- we all have choices- to learn to survive or lay down and die!

The Real Jungle Cruise

This weekend we escaped to the Kiambi Safari Lodge, about 3 hours south of the city. We were able to drive on a great road through the mountains then just prior to the Zimbabwe border we made a left turn down a rough dirt road. That road took us through many little villages, still so cool to see, with lots of goats, chickens and children. We came to a branch of the Zambezi River where we had to take a car ferry across. My kids thought that was really cool!

There were 3 cars on the ferry and again, we are 3 hours out of town, and I run into my new friend Stephanie from Paris- who can in no way even compete with my old friend Stephanie:)

We arrived at the lodge at 5pm and had 2 1/2 hours before dinner. The kids wanted to swim so off we went! Stephanie and Phillipe and their 2 girls joined us for a swim. After the swim, we went to the sports bar to watch soccer on the big screen, order a few Coke Lites and play some pool, and there was air con(air conditioning).

The lodge was set up on a bluff overlooking the Lower Zambezi River. Our dinner was served on the terrace. We had Butternut soup, chicken, beef, rice, potatoes, relish and nshima. For dessert we had a fruit custard. It was really good!!

Our cabin was a big tent built on a wood platform with a deck and bathroom then a thatched roof on top. It was very clever and quite comfortable for those who wanted the feel of camping with the necessities!

Saturday morning I heard my kids getting dressed and sneaking out of our cabin. There were monkies everywhere. Tons of them on the ground playing, swinging from trees, my kids had their cameras and were in heaven. Chelsea has never been more in her element. This was her kind-of place. She even said to Erik, "Thanks Daddy for bringing us to Africa so I could see all these animals."

Saturday afternoon we took a sunset cruise. It was a small boat that seated the 4 of us and Stephanie's family of 4 with a driver. We started out down river and our driver spotted a few crocodiles- that was interesting but I'm from Florida and have seen my share of Gators!! We then saw some hippos, lots of hippos, playing in the water. The River is shallow right now so they were walking in the middle of the River. They would go under water as soon as we approached. The driver then took us close to the riverbanks where there were lots of women and children bathing, washing clothes, washing dishes, playing...later down the River, we saw the men fishing and bathing. Then...we saw a Grand Elephant standing on the edge of the River- He was huge with tusks and he stood there as we approached- Chelsea was closest to him in the boat at about 5 feet from him. It was awesome!! I must say that was by far one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life. That was the only elephant we saw so I'm glad we got to see him so closely.

We returned home Sunday afternoon well-rested and so thankful for our weekend adventure!!

A Call From Mandarin Christian School

Tonight at 7:45pm we received a Skype phone call from Mrs. Cellura's 4th grade class. Bradley is still smiling!!
Stephen Diehl, the IT guy at MCS, set up a screen and the computer so Bradley could talk to his friends. We were able to show them the house, the pantry, Brad's room, they met our guard, John, who taught them a few words in Nyanja, they saw Peterson and Chelsea.
We got to see Mr. Stuart, Mr. and Mrs. Olender, Mrs. Cellura, the 4th grade class and as an added bonus for Chelsea her pals stopped by to say "hello". It made us all so happy to see everyone!! Thank you for that wonderful blessing!!

I got my van back last night so I am back in business. It only took two days and the lady that hit me paid for all the damages:)

Tomorrow I will be meeting with a local social worker, Viola. She has to do a home study here in Lusaka, send it to our Social Worker in Jacksonville to continue the adoption process. I will also check into the process for adoption in Zambia. I will let you know tomorrow.

Blessed Sunday!

Our internet has been done so let me catch you up...

Sunday we went to a Village in the Bush, about 2 hours out of town, to worship. Our Bible study teacher, John Mack, invited us to go with him. He would be preaching and he asked Bob to lead a Bible lesson. It was so cool.

The church was about 8x16, that is what Erik says, and constructed out of tree trunks and grass. The trees were cut at the same height so that the fork at the top would hold the horizontal trees for the roof support- ok, just look at the picture. All the trees were tied together with grass from the fields which also was used for the roof and walls. The pews were six foot logs. It was like being in Historical St. Augustine or Jamestown where they replicated the churches of old.

There were about 25 of us in attendance- the music was awesome. Bob's Bible lesson was well received, the preacher was an interpretor for Bob. John then preached in Nyranga- he told us what he would be preaching on so we could kind-of follow along. The children just stared at Chelsea- some had never seen white people especially with such light colored hair.

The ladies of the church fixed us nshima and chicken for lunch- chicken in Nyranga is "Nkuku"- very appropriate!!

We had Bible study at our house Sunday night. We invited some fellow Zambian workers over for the lesson and dinner. I had roasted 3 chickens then asked the ladies to help me prepare the greens and nshima. They laughed at all my cooking spoons and pots, obviously not what they were used to cooking with. As we were serving the meal they asked if I had a pitcher with a bowl as we all wash our hands at the table before we eat. You use your hands to eat this meal, your right hand specifically. The kids loved it. I served Banana pudding for dessert. They were not sure what to think but ate it all up. It was a wonderful evening learning more of the Zambian way. They are so kind to share themselves with us and teach me how to cook their authentic dishes.

I'm still without a car but hope to be back on the road tomorrow!!

Yesterday, I went to a Community school. This is a school in the compounds where approximately 370 students attend. The school building was probably double the size of the church with four concrete walls and no roof. They have been meeting as a school in this building for 6 years. They teach on one side with tarps over the roof. Half the children come in the morning from 7am-12pm then the others come from 1pm-5pm. Can you imagine? There were not enough chairs, desks, supplies, teachers but they came to learn. Education is not a given in Zambia- if you can't afford government schools, you go to Community schools. You must have a desire to go or your parents have that desire or else you just stay at home. During the rainy season most kids stay home as they won't walk in the rain to school and their school building is wet. One of the board members who owns a shop allows the teachers and children to come in during the rainy season- November to April. Can you imagine your kids not going to school for 6 months??

There were about 25 kids at the school while I was there. Very few spoke English well but they were learning. They asked me how old I was-(the age of most of their grandparents)- if I had kids- where I was from- one kid asked if he could go there with me- we looked through books and they called out the names of the pictures they saw. There was a picture of a church and Jesus with the children. They all shouted out Jesus. I was happy for that- if they know Jesus, they know the Way, the Truth and the Life!! They have Hope, in Him and Him alone!!

Praise God for that!

Friday Fun!!

Before I get to the fun Friday activities let me tell you what happened on Thursday. I was at Shop-Rite to buy our groceries for dinner- I had backed out of my parking space and was about to exit the parking lot when a lady driving a van backed out of her space right into me. I was laying on the horn but she was not listening- obviously!! The damages are to the left front quarter panel, no damage to my tire or wheel. My driver's door just makes a squeaky noise when I open it. Erik has taken the car to the shop today to be repaired, the lady had no insurance but has agreed to pay for it- I'll let you know how that turns out:)


We had the Cooks over Thursday night for dinner and swimming. Niki, Coby, Kelsey and Hannah Rodgers came over. Ricky and Austin, Niki's husband and oldest son, were in Jo'burg for the weekend. As the kids were swimming, we kept seeing this little head pop up over the concrete wall from our neighbor's house. We asked him to come over and meet the kids. His name is Jonathon, he is 13 years old, and he belongs to the maid, Jane, at the house next door. We asked him to come back and swim today. His English is not too strong we will have to work on communicating.


Friday afternoon at 14 hours, Chelsea played in her first basketball game for her school, ISL. They were playing the dreaded American International School. The league is U-15- that means 6, 7, 8, 9th graders were playing. She started the game and looked scared to death. The stands were packed with students from both schools, she looked at Erik and I and mouthed, "I'm scared". She was defending a girl about 5 feet 6 inches tall. I told her, don't worry about how tall they are- they all have to bring the ball down to dribble in front of them, steal the ball then. Well, she never really felt comfortable on the defensive end but when she got the ball she did a great job dribbling down the court, going for shots, passing, etc. She scored 4 out of the teams 10 points. There were 4 girls her age on the team and the coach played 2 of them at a time so she got to be on the court for quite a bit of time. The final score was 35-10- She was the leading scorer on her team with 2 baskets!!


We attended the "Town meeting" last night at the Marine House in Lusaka. There were about 150 Americans. They were all here for various reasons. We hung out with the friends we already have here and met some new ones.

Bradley's First Field Trip

Monday was Bradley's first field trip and we went to Cheshire Homes. This is a local rehabilitation clinic for children. The children stay at the clinic during the week and return to their parents on the weekends. The home is run by Catholic nuns and also 4 teachers and 2 physical therapists are on staff. There are several Cheshire Homes all over the world and it is funded by an organization out of the UK. It is very clean and very well run. We saw about 20 children. The majority of children were born with some bone abnormalities that had been operated on and they are completing treatment at the home. One boy was autistic and kept reaching out to touch the children- he was 9 years old but the size of a 5 year old boy. One boy was in a wheelchair with no legs at all. There were 2 classes from our school both Year 5, about 47 kids. They sang a song for the childen and the children from Cheshire sang a song back- It was sweet to see their smiling faces. They liked having visitors!!

I was waiting around the school Monday until it was time for the field trip hoping to catch a glimpse of Chelsea at snack time and enjoying a Coke Light from The Tuck Shop(school snack bar). The Headmaster approached to ask how I was doing, how the school year was going, who I was looking for- basically, what was I doing??- I told him that I was going on the Year 5 field trip. He said, "You have way too much time on your hands". Obviously things are different here than in the States. I was the one and only parent on that field trip.

Okay...I have a funny story that may be just for mommies...I'm going to use hypotheticals...

One day Mr. Derrik went to work. He was sitting in his office when his administrative assistant, Forgetful, came in and asked if the company would be giving her Mother's Day off. Well, as Mr. Derrik thought about this and the holidays that were already offered, he advised that Mother's Day was celebrated on Sundays therefore not a work day after all. Forgetful then taught Mr. Derrik that women have Mother's Day once a month and it is usually the 2nd day of a cycle.

Mr. Derrik went home and discussed with his wife who advised she would gladly go to the Chemist(pharmacy) and send in medicine to help Forgetful with Mother's Day pains as to not interfere with work. Please keep in mind that Mr. Derrik's company already offers 20 vacation days to all employees per Zambian law:) Happy Mother's Day!!!

Sermon Sunday...

The Bowmans, missionaries from First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, were in town this week. www.BowmansinZambia.blogspot.com. Bob knew of the Bowman family through his church family so we decided to meet. They live 12 hours north of Lusaka and come in once in awhile to do some shopping or gather other provisions. They have been here for 7 years- they moved here when their son, Caleb, was 18 months old. Caleb now has 2 sisters and one brother all born in South Africa. They are in the middle of their second term. What a great example of obedience to God's calling!
Amy Bowman said, " My mom works nursery at First Baptist with one of your friends in Jax- Van something"- I said "That must be Teri Van Duyn." What a small world!!
The Bowmans attend Woodlands Baptist Church when they are in town so we decided to join them there. It was such a blessing. It was funny when they asked visitors to stand and there were only 2 white groups of people, both from Jacksonville, Florida.
The preacher was a visiting preacher but delivered a great message- He was a little loud- I thought he must be watching all those preachers on TV because the Zambians normally speak very softly- it is hard to hear them sometimes.
Anyway, today's lesson was from Romans 12:1. I learned that the other chapters leading up to this were all about the Gospel described by Paul to the Romans. Once Paul finished telling them that we are all sinners, we all need a Savior, the only one who can save us is Jesus, he came, he died, he rose again- Paul goes on to tell the Romans that we must offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. We must wake up daily and seek God's wisdom on what He wants us to do for Him today. Once we accept Christ, we die to ourselves and live for Him. He created us, we are His hands, feet, mouth, here on Earth. The preacher went back to the Old Testament and explained the procedure for forgiveness of sins in Leviticus was once a year, the Levite priest would go into the Holy of Holies and ask forgiveness for all- this would only be temporary and would repeat every year. The priest would also take an animal to sacrifice, the animal depended on the sin- read Leviticus for details. All animals must be pure, unblemished- but again, that was only temporary. The New Covenant came as Jesus, the perfect lamb, died on the cross for all of our sins, once and for all, never to be repeated. We now have that relationship to go directly to God to ask for forgiveness and Know that we are forgiven.
I love this...Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac- and submissively did as God asked- God did not want Abraham to suffer the loss of his one and only son as God would have to suffer in the future. God loves us so much!! Do we forget to praise him sometimes just for that fact alone??
I do!!

Munda Wanga

Today we ventured out of town a bit to a zoo called Munda Wanga. We arrived around 13 hours and walked around the botanical gardens then headed off to the zoo for the animal feeding. Now...there was nothing fancy about this zoo. It was a dirt path, the animals were all fenced in with chain-link fences, no places for drinks, no jaguar exhibit but let me tell you...it was cool!!



Our first exhibit was the antelope, crown-headed crane, peacock, wart-hogs, bush hogs, camels from Libya, zebras then came the lions. Well, PETA would have sued the zoo over what we saw next. They had strategically placed goat heads recently severed from their bodies in various places then they opened the lions gate. We saw 1 male and 5 females run over the hill to have their afternoon snack. The lions were sooo beautiful but I must admit standing there next to the fence as you heard the lion biting down on their snack, yuck!! I plugged my ears and had to look away. I did learn that if I am in the bush and come across a lion, (Lord, please don't let that happen) I need to stare right at the lion and stand very still. If he moves, I move- They attack from behind. So good to know!!

We returned home where "the boys" were once again barbequing. The neighbor kids came over again to play- the girls picked lemons from our lemon tree and made lemonade- the lemons were not quite ripe. The boys helped Bradley work on a Science experience- a water timer!!