The View

Last year, I began reading Ann Voskamp's 1000 Gifts.  Honestly, I was desperate to find joy in my current location, life and ministry.  The Lord really spoke to me through the musings of Ann. So, I decided to begin to count all the blessings that the Lord sends me each and every day.  One of the first ones that I noticed was this view from my bed.

As we live on the corner of two very busy streets in Lusaka, I was surprised to notice that as I sat on my bed in the mornings to do my Quiet Time, I could not see any power lines or buildings or billboards or any other 'city' type things from this perspective.  I loved it!  All I could see was the beautiful green trees that were on the other side of our wall.  It may not seem like much but it really is quite a blessing to me almost every morning as I sit with the Lord.

Now, of course, I could still hear the traffic but - oh what a view! 

Another thing that makes me happy is my quilt on my bed.  I looked forever, it seems, when we were in the States for something that both Jeff and I liked.  I think I finally wore Jeff down with the myriad of options that he finally just agreed on something.... :)  My previous quilt was darker colors with a few lights thrown in and I really wanted something lighter and brighter.  And I'm glad that I did because it makes me feel cheery.

Oh the places we've been...

Another day at Chamba Valley Kids' Club has come and gone.  

We almost didn't make it back home, though..... Yes, seriously.  

I could tell on the way out that it had recently rained.  We hit a few rough and muddy patches on the way there and even a stretch of deep, muddy furrows but I put the truck in four wheel drive low and we passed through them without much drama.  It was on the way back that the real stuff happened.  They made a detour before rainy season that kind of snakes back and forth alongside the old road.  I'm guessing that they plan to tarmac it (black top for you North American folks).  

So I came to a place where I had two choices and I could see at least two vehicles stuck in the mud in front of me, so I took chose the right side and just as I got on that road, I could see a lorrie (delivery type truck) deeply embedded in the mud.  

I turned around to try to go out a different way that I had never really been but another truck passed me and the South African guy said that he had unstuck the lorrie - so I turned back around to go the way that looked horrible but at least I was familiar with the road.  I put the vehicle once again in four wheel drive low, praying out loud the whole way and resolved to get 'er done.  

I'm telling you, it was worth crying over - it was so horrible.  I am more than grateful to the Lord for getting us through because it was even rough on my four wheel drive truck (in LOW).  We were rocking and rolling, sometimes sideways, through that mud!  Really, you would have to see it to believe it.  Who wants to come?!  

So I made it home to show you some more pictures of these beautiful ebony children!

Below is my translator, Salome.  My Lozi that I learned for over a year and lived with for two more years is no good here.  Here around Lusaka, the language is Nyanja.  Salome is helping me with the kids and teaching me a few words along the way.  Yes, I am brave to put a picture of myself completely sans makeup - but that's real life over here..... :) 

Below is Laxon.  HE (yes, you read that right) would grin at me every time I glanced at him.  

So beautiful!

These three girls are some of the oldest girls that come almost every Wednesday.  They speak passalbe English and like to interact with Hadassah.  They almost always know the answers to my questions and I make them answer in English. :)

From left to right is Hadassah, Sarah, Mary and Ruth who is holding Abigail.  I'm not sure who the littlest girl is.  She jumped in the picture.  

So, I would so appreciate your prayers each Wednesday as we trek out to Chamba Valley to share Jesus with these kids.  We are on the road usually about 3:30pm - 4pm, our time so that would be 7:30-8am CST.