Last full day...

It's somewhat bittersweet. We have reached our last full day of ministry/work here in Samfya, and we are already seeing the fruits of our efforts. It has been so wonderful for the "repeaters" on the team to see friends they have met in years past. (Remind me to tell you about Hudson Mwanse and his family. SO amazing.)

The work with the advocates has gone so well -- thank you for your prayers. Kelly and Marsha have been on home visits to the orphans with the advocates many days, and it is so neat to see their faces light up during our time together. While there are still so many needs here, and such deep poverty, the sense of community is strong. There is a willingness to help your neighbor, even in seemingly small ways.

Slight change of plans this afternoon. The teachers will be working with the after-school program, while the social workers will have the opportunity to visit with women imprisoned in the local jail. Many are pregnant. And there is often no one to visit them. Prison visitation and caring for orphans are two areas where the church has risen to the task.

The churches in Samfya should be commended for this.

Update

Okay...(deep breath).

The work is going well. Days are filled with teachers in classrooms and doing workshops for Samfyan teachers. The social work-types finished formal training for the advocates and will now spend most of our time visiting orphans in homes. The work is draining but OH so rewarding.

Sweet moment with Michelle (special ed teacher) and a hearing impaired boy. He was elated that he found someone who could understand him...so touching.

The group is leaving me. More later.

Thanks for prayers -- they work. :)

mv

We're here!

Day one is done...we hit the ground running after arriving at Samfy at noon. We worked in the after-school program for a few hours and then met with some of the teachers and SCCP staff. And we met about 50 of the sweetest kids on the planet. Their laughter is infectious -- I hope to hear TONS more of it.

Kate Smith describes today as "refreshing." We look forward to tomorrow -- another full day of working with teachers and child advocates.


We have been blessed tremendously already.

Peace.

mv

We're ALMOST there...

I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Lusaka, waiting for our lunch (or maybe it's dinner? Breakfast? I can't tell. I've changed my watch a few times in the last 48 hours, and I'm not quite sure what day it is. I think it's Monday.) :)

We had a little drama with a delayed flight in Nairobi which was originally listed as "cancelled." We ended up leaving about 2 hours (ish) late, which changed the last leg of our journey. We will spend the night on the road (which apparently was repaved) between Lusaka and Samfya and arrive to Samfya around lunch tomorrow morning. Our chauffers, Courteney and Heather, have been gracious and organized, and we are in good hands.

There are ALREADY many stories to tell abotu encounters with different people and cultures, and we haven't even "arrived" yet.

More to come...

Peace.


mv

LONDON

We made it to London without a hitch. We were able to grab a shower and a few hours' sleep, and now we're headed back to Heathrow to catch another overnight flight to Nairobi. Happy Father's Day!

Of Mice and Men (and Teachers and Social Workers)

Teachers are planners. I've seen lesson plans that seem to have more detail than the blueprints for the Space Shuttle. Although Kelly and I (Marsha) are doing different work and won't be in the classroom, both of us have enough experience in educational settings where the "planning virus" has taken quite the hold. We have spent hours individually and as a team thinking about how to best use our precious days in Samfya.

Of course, we've already had a few moments of "Well, now THAT won't work..." after finding out more about the needs of the teachers and child advocates. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard or thought, "You can plan and plan and plan, and you KNOW things will change once you get there and those plans are pretty much worthless." I thought I could at LEAST wait until I "got there" before the tables were turned.

The best laid plans. The best laid plans take up room in your suitcase, and in your heart, and in your mind. It's not that we're going completely unprepared, but there is this weird mixture (for me, anyway) of relief and apprehension realizing I don't really know what I'm walking into. Setting plans aside, or holding onto them loosely, leaves much more room for God to move, and work, and whisper, "Here's what I have for you to do. There's a teacher who needs encouragement. There's a child who needs a word of hope. There's an advocate who needs to know that the work she does MATTERS." If nothing else, I have already been reminded that the best work of God comes out of who we ARE, not what we DO. I know I need to be reminded to get out of my own way.

I'm about to finish packing. Less papers, more prayers.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding..." (Proverbs 3:5)



mv

Eavesdropping...

We are sitting at our last planning meeting before we go. Kelly & I (Marsha) are sitting at the kitchen table, planning our work with the child advocates. I'm listening in on the teachers as they are planning ideas for their teacher training. So cool to hear all the different ideas generated and gifts being used...

m

T minus 6...

Or 5 days, depending on whether you count today (Monday) or not. Our group will be flying out of O'Hare Saturday evening, bound for London, on the first of 2 overnight flights to get to Samfya. We also have an overnight to Nairobi, Kenya, and a shorter flight to Lusaka, followed by several hours (9) of driving to our final destination.

The team covets your prayers this week as we go through final meetings and last-minute preparation. Specifically pray for the health of the team members, that God would prepare our hearts for service, and that God would prepare the hearts and minds of the children, teachers, and mentors we meet.

I know we're all looking forward to spending quality time this week with friends and family in the middle of the busyness. Thank you for your continued prayers and support of this venture.


mv