Appologies

So, basically I'm really bad at updating this thing. Sorry. :(
If you're interested, go to www.iwuzambia.blogspot.com and read the entires there. It's the team blog, so it's updated on a weekly basis (unlike mine, lol). I will try, however, to update mine soon. I miss you all!

-Mutinta (my new African name)

Prayer Requests

I have received a few different e-mails from friends asking for prayer requests, so I figured it would be easier if I just posted them here:

•Our orientation leader, Jeff Johnson, flies back home to Michigan tomorrow. Pray that he may have safe travels.
•Pray that God will continue to unite the group in service
•Pray for the friends and families of those on the team who are back home. Like I mentioned in the last post, it’s difficult to get on the internet, and e-mail is our primary source of communication. (Cell phone calls are ridiculously expensive.) Although this doesn’t bother us too much, it’s difficult on those back home, especially the parents. 
•Pray that God will continue to develop in me a servant’s heart. Ask Him to speak clearly to me and show me how I can serve Him best.
•Good health and protection
•Finally, pray for the staff at World Hope. They truly are amazing people, and they go above and beyond the call of duty. Pray that He will continue to provide for their needs and use them to bless the people of Zambia.

Week One

I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to post sooner. The internet here is very inconsistent and slow. It’s difficult to get on.

After a long, three day flight I am finally in Africa. I’m loving Zambia! The people here are very friendly, and they continue to tell us how excited they are that we have come to visit. The World Hope staff (all fellow Zambians) are amazing. They had the most hardworking people I have ever met.

The team I am with is also amazing. The guest house where we are supposed to be staying will not be finished for another three weeks, so we are passing the time at a guest house nearby. It is a decent size, especially for the country of Zambia, but fitting 14 individuals into it gets pretty interesting. I think the tight quarters have actually drawn us closer together, so it’s worked out for the better. We have a cook- Mrs. Bhoda. She does a wonderful job, and her meals are delicious. The other night, she even made peanut butter cookies. (She made about 6 dozen and they were all gone in less than 45 minutes.J) We also have a yard full of mango trees. I eat at least one at every meal, and mangos have become my new favorite fruit.

The local children always want us to come out and play soccer and/or color. They are adorable! I haven’t actually played soccer yet, but I’d colored with some of the little girls. Their favorite activity is to draw a picture of an object in the dirt then try to teach us the Tongan word for it. They laugh hysterically when we try to pronounce the words. (Their favorite one to draw for me is a rock. Apparently I can’t pronounce “rock” correctly in Tonga.) The kids don’t start learning English until about 3^rd or 4^th grade, so it can be difficult to communicate with the younger children. Often the older ones have to serve as translators.

I also like being with the village women. They ask me a lot of questions about America, and although I don’t mind answering them, I really enjoy the opportunities when they allow me to ask them questions. I like hearing about their families and their livelihoods. Many of them work in the fields, and they are proud of the crops they grow. The other day I was asked to walk with them out to the field so they could show me the maize and beans they had planted. I was impressed by their hard work, planting the crops seed by seed, and laboring diligently to ensure a good harvest. The minute I told them how impressed I was by their work, they flashed me a huge smile. One of these mornings I will actually wake up early and go out with them to the fields. They have promised to teach me how to garden. The key is just getting up early.

A few nights ago I did laundry for the first time. I had to hand wash it, and it was a disaster. One of my skirts bled, so all of my clothes are now a beautiful shade of brown tie-die. Yay!

I had my first day at my practicum placement yesterday. I have been placed in a catholic, government-sponsored boarding school for the handicapped. The school has three types of classrooms with rooms for the deaf, blind, and mentally impaired. I love it there! The kids are very respectful (they actually get on one knee when they shake my hand), and the few words I remembered from teach Trent sign came in handy when all of the deaf kids surrounded me, asking me hundreds of questions in American sign. I was able to respond with a “Hi, my name is Lindsay,” but that was about all I could squeak out. I hope to learn more sign as I spend time at the school.

The staff was very welcoming, and they consider me to be a real teacher! (The headmaster pulled me aside when I got there and asked which subjects I would be teaching. I laughed and told him I wasn’t sure yet, but that I would like a few weeks to just observe. I’ll be spending most of my time in a 6^th grade mentally impaired room with a male teacher named Mr. Ngosa. I’m not sure if the school has a website, but you might want to try googling St. Mulumba school in Choma, Zambia. You could possibly see some pictures of the facilities. They impressive, actually.

I need to get going (somehow homework still calls my name, even when I’m thousands of miles away from campus.) But, I want to let you all know that I miss you. I think about you daily, and I am thankful for all of the support you have shown me.

Love,

Lindsay

Why Africa?

It was back last March that I first considered going to Zambia. I was walking through the student center at Indiana Wesleyan after class and saw a table set up in the mallway. At first I thought the table was for World Impact (a missions organization at Indiana Wesleyan) with students trying to raise money. (Often for world impact trips, students will be allowed to set up tables in the student center to sell goods and raise funds.) I walked past the table, not thinking much about it. As I walked past, Dr. Garner, the leader of the Zambia trip, motioned for me to come over. I assumed he wanted me to give him money, but instead, he described a study abroad trip to Zambia and asked if I would be interested in attending. The trip sounded amazing, but in my mind, attending was next to impossible. I didn't have the money or the time to embark on such an adventure. I had a degree to complete and was already in debt.

Over the course of that following summer, God began to prove me wrong. He showed me that going to Zambia was possible, and I knew in my heart it was where I needed to be. I sent in my application and from there, everything fell into place. My class schedule worked out perfectly! I'm able to work in a school in Zambia and earn some credits towards my special education degree. As a gift from the classes of 1948 and 1958 at IWU, my flight was nearly paid for. My parents agreed to let me go, and my friends were more than supportive.

Preparing for this trip has been a dream come true. Although I am sure to be challenged, I am excited to learn and grow. It's going to be an amazing experience. :)

Love,
Lindsay