Well, we have heard from Tim and Tempe - Team 2 (or Team 1, Part two) are in Livingstone with all their luggage. YEAH!!!
We split up today with part of the team going to the farm, and part of the team doing work around the SHIP (Seeds of Hope International Partnership) house where we are staying. This is also the current location of the biosand filter factory.
Ken, Rich and I went to see the progress on the church, and it really is coming along...window frames are made and off site, and the roofing tresses (made of rebar) will be ready on Friday. The welding on the rebar took place in the middle of Mapalo market, in the old polcie station...no indoor lighting, and the guy doing it wasn't wearing any eye protection. Yikes.
It is our last night together as the first installment- Many of us head home tomorrow, Ken, Phil and I will be staying. We will really miss the team that is leaving, but are looking forward to the new friendships that will be built stronger with the team coming in.
Keep us all in your prayers.
-The Team.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
15 team members in Africa
Well, if all went as planned with team 1 part 2, all of us are on African soil. Today was quite a day. Some of the guys built shelves, some moved containers, and some of us cooked all day.
Tim was feeling bad, cuz we hadn't got to go to church at Mapalo. So, he basically invited the church for dinner. We planned a big pot of spagetti, but ended up also doing nshema and relish. It was a really quiet time as 25-30 of us ate. But, before we ate, we had worship and a short service. Now, I have been talking with one of the office staff. We had talked about the differences between Americans and Africans. Africans eat to get fuel. Americans eat to socialize. Now I realize this is a generalization, but it was definitely evidenced this evening...When Africans eat, they eat. It was quiet. After dinner, we presented the sewing machines and some of the fabric too. You want to see gratitude, have an African congregation thank you for something. They use words, they use song, they use body language. God's presence was evident and it was a great way to spend our last night together as team 1, part 1.
Tomorrow, Tim and Tempe leave to greet Team 1, Part 2 in Livingstone. On Thursday, Dave, Stan, Rich and Jen start there trek for home. Ken, Phil and Laurie will be here to greet team 1, part 2 when they get to Ndola on Friday. We've had a great time as a team and feel good about our progress with our "projects" and relationships...
OK, it's late...more later.
Tim was feeling bad, cuz we hadn't got to go to church at Mapalo. So, he basically invited the church for dinner. We planned a big pot of spagetti, but ended up also doing nshema and relish. It was a really quiet time as 25-30 of us ate. But, before we ate, we had worship and a short service. Now, I have been talking with one of the office staff. We had talked about the differences between Americans and Africans. Africans eat to get fuel. Americans eat to socialize. Now I realize this is a generalization, but it was definitely evidenced this evening...When Africans eat, they eat. It was quiet. After dinner, we presented the sewing machines and some of the fabric too. You want to see gratitude, have an African congregation thank you for something. They use words, they use song, they use body language. God's presence was evident and it was a great way to spend our last night together as team 1, part 1.
Tomorrow, Tim and Tempe leave to greet Team 1, Part 2 in Livingstone. On Thursday, Dave, Stan, Rich and Jen start there trek for home. Ken, Phil and Laurie will be here to greet team 1, part 2 when they get to Ndola on Friday. We've had a great time as a team and feel good about our progress with our "projects" and relationships...
OK, it's late...more later.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Life in Zambia through the eyes of Stan Bracy
I want to thank everybody who has prayed for us because we can definitely feel your prayers.
As a result, this team has been incredibly unified. It's been like one big family, loving and appreciating each other. So much like a family, that when one team member gets sick, we all join in. Ok, all joking aside, a few of us ate something funny yesterday....but we're all good & healthy today.
Each night our team spends a few hours together eating, and debriefing the day's events. We've discovered that many chefs in the kitchen are actually a lot of fun. The camaraderie and teamwork is amazing. There's no set schedule on who does what because we all just really want to help. After dinner we have a time of devotions & we each take turns. Last night was my turn to share, and God had put on my heart to encourage Pastor Francis Feluka & his wife, Flavia. We each had the opportunity to affirm them and the work that is going on here in Ndola and Mapalo, that they are so instrumental in overseeing. The church is growing and the Resource/Training Center is just about complete. Mapalo is a poverty stricken area of over 50,000 people and the Resource Center will impact and possibly save many lives. Just today we cut the wood that the sewing machines will be placed upon. These machines are a result of The Vineyard family participation in giving. The Resource Center will train women in Mapalo to learn skills necessary to earn an income to feed their families, something we often take for granted.
I've also experience the well-drilling rig in action as the team is drilling an additional well in the heart of Mapalo. Fresh water is the difference between life and death. How exciting that the Vineyard can come along side Seeds Of Hope to bring life to a village.
Thanks again for your prayers. God is faithful.
Stan/Team 1 Zambia
As a result, this team has been incredibly unified. It's been like one big family, loving and appreciating each other. So much like a family, that when one team member gets sick, we all join in. Ok, all joking aside, a few of us ate something funny yesterday....but we're all good & healthy today.
Each night our team spends a few hours together eating, and debriefing the day's events. We've discovered that many chefs in the kitchen are actually a lot of fun. The camaraderie and teamwork is amazing. There's no set schedule on who does what because we all just really want to help. After dinner we have a time of devotions & we each take turns. Last night was my turn to share, and God had put on my heart to encourage Pastor Francis Feluka & his wife, Flavia. We each had the opportunity to affirm them and the work that is going on here in Ndola and Mapalo, that they are so instrumental in overseeing. The church is growing and the Resource/Training Center is just about complete. Mapalo is a poverty stricken area of over 50,000 people and the Resource Center will impact and possibly save many lives. Just today we cut the wood that the sewing machines will be placed upon. These machines are a result of The Vineyard family participation in giving. The Resource Center will train women in Mapalo to learn skills necessary to earn an income to feed their families, something we often take for granted.
I've also experience the well-drilling rig in action as the team is drilling an additional well in the heart of Mapalo. Fresh water is the difference between life and death. How exciting that the Vineyard can come along side Seeds Of Hope to bring life to a village.
Thanks again for your prayers. God is faithful.
Stan/Team 1 Zambia
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Sunday in Zambia...from Ken and Rich
So, we had quite a day today. It started with church here in Ndola. There is a Vineyard conference, so there were representatives from churches all over the area- including at Mapalo, which is the church we are helping to build a training center for.
The afternoon, we had planned to minister to the street children (with Rhoda from the Project Zambia video), but Pastor Francis had different plans for us. We ended up going to a very nice home and joining a "couples retreat" which was more than just couples for this one only. We ate well.
We then went out to the church property and hung out with kids and discussed some construction stuff. On the way home, we stopped to see where Rhoda's brother, Gift, had his own business selling kerosene and candles. It costs 3,000 Kwatcha for 6 candles which is only 75 cents in US dollars. What a bargain. :) He has been doing this for 3 years and is only 18. To get to him, we walked through the market in Mapalo, which is too much to describe. It is amazing how many people and little businesses can fit in a small area. It was starting to get dark, but for a Sunday evening, it was still quite busy.
We had Pastor Francis and his wife Flavia for dinner...unfortunately, we hadn't had time to stop at a grocery store so that was a bit stressful for the kitchen staff (Laurie and Phil and Dave tonight) So, it was a day of relationship building. We buy the lumber tomorrow (say a prayer that they have what we need) for building tables for the work center and benches for the church.
Dave is hopefully getting some hydraulic fluid and then will be training the Zambians to operate heavy equipment.
The afternoon, we had planned to minister to the street children (with Rhoda from the Project Zambia video), but Pastor Francis had different plans for us. We ended up going to a very nice home and joining a "couples retreat" which was more than just couples for this one only. We ate well.
We then went out to the church property and hung out with kids and discussed some construction stuff. On the way home, we stopped to see where Rhoda's brother, Gift, had his own business selling kerosene and candles. It costs 3,000 Kwatcha for 6 candles which is only 75 cents in US dollars. What a bargain. :) He has been doing this for 3 years and is only 18. To get to him, we walked through the market in Mapalo, which is too much to describe. It is amazing how many people and little businesses can fit in a small area. It was starting to get dark, but for a Sunday evening, it was still quite busy.
We had Pastor Francis and his wife Flavia for dinner...unfortunately, we hadn't had time to stop at a grocery store so that was a bit stressful for the kitchen staff (Laurie and Phil and Dave tonight) So, it was a day of relationship building. We buy the lumber tomorrow (say a prayer that they have what we need) for building tables for the work center and benches for the church.
Dave is hopefully getting some hydraulic fluid and then will be training the Zambians to operate heavy equipment.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Feeding 300 people/ Zambia Vineyard Conference
An update from Phil and Jennifer:
Today is Saturday. We slept in (as in we didn't get up until 6:30 this morning). Most of us even slept through the bells that ring from the Catholic church every morning at 6am!
For our morning adventure, seven of us began Phil's driver's training. There's a shortage of drivers around the SHIP complex, so Tim and Phil have taken on the task of driving on the left hand side. Between potholes, people, roundabouts (did we mention you drive on the left here?), missing street signs and no maps, navigation is a true advent-ure. We only made 5 wrong turns/ "explorations," but everyone is home safely.
Laurie stayed behind to help a group of ladies from the Mapalo Vineyard cook lunch for the Vineyard Conference (300 people). This consisted of chopping and gutting 25-30 chickens into 12 pieces each, chopping up 30 heads of cabbage, chopping and peeling a bushel of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cooking and stirring huge vats of nshima over hot fires (the main dish in Zambian meals). As a reward, the women treated themselves to chicken liver in the middle of the morning. Yum, yum!
Zambians from Vineyard churches all over Zambia are in Ndola this weekend. Stan was asked to share at one of the afternoon sessions. At the beginning of the trip Stan felt the Lord would ask him to share at some point, and this was a confirmation of that. He gave a great, spirit-filled talk about the importance of unity and strong relationships within the church. His talk was supposed to start at 1400 hours (2pm) but when we arrived at the church lunch still wasn't ready (see above story of lunch preparations) so we sat back to wait on "African time." Speaking through a translator is always interesting - the Americans would laugh at his jokes right on cue, followed several minutes later by the Zambians after they heard the translation.
All team members are healthy and happy. We're so blessed to be here. Thank you for your prayers!
Today is Saturday. We slept in (as in we didn't get up until 6:30 this morning). Most of us even slept through the bells that ring from the Catholic church every morning at 6am!
For our morning adventure, seven of us began Phil's driver's training. There's a shortage of drivers around the SHIP complex, so Tim and Phil have taken on the task of driving on the left hand side. Between potholes, people, roundabouts (did we mention you drive on the left here?), missing street signs and no maps, navigation is a true advent-ure. We only made 5 wrong turns/ "explorations," but everyone is home safely.
Laurie stayed behind to help a group of ladies from the Mapalo Vineyard cook lunch for the Vineyard Conference (300 people). This consisted of chopping and gutting 25-30 chickens into 12 pieces each, chopping up 30 heads of cabbage, chopping and peeling a bushel of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cooking and stirring huge vats of nshima over hot fires (the main dish in Zambian meals). As a reward, the women treated themselves to chicken liver in the middle of the morning. Yum, yum!
Zambians from Vineyard churches all over Zambia are in Ndola this weekend. Stan was asked to share at one of the afternoon sessions. At the beginning of the trip Stan felt the Lord would ask him to share at some point, and this was a confirmation of that. He gave a great, spirit-filled talk about the importance of unity and strong relationships within the church. His talk was supposed to start at 1400 hours (2pm) but when we arrived at the church lunch still wasn't ready (see above story of lunch preparations) so we sat back to wait on "African time." Speaking through a translator is always interesting - the Americans would laugh at his jokes right on cue, followed several minutes later by the Zambians after they heard the translation.
All team members are healthy and happy. We're so blessed to be here. Thank you for your prayers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
