Grace in Zambia

I've been quite busy recently working at the Bethesda school, I really feel like part of the team there now. Depending on which children can get there each day the class size varies, and every day is different! A lot of children can't feed themselves so for lunch and breakfast this is one of the jobs. The photo is me helping out a little boy with cerebral palsy. Yesterday I went to Lusaka, Zambias capital city (2hr drive away) where we were taking a few children to the hospital there. They saw physiotherapists and audiologists- interesting experience for me to see how they do their job. One of the amazing things I saw was a girl who lost her hearing age 3, having hearing aids fitted. 'Who's that talking?!' She said as she heard her own voice for the first time! Another child had a cast removed off her leg where muscle was being stretched, one of the major step towards her finally being able to walk. So wonderful to see the progress of healing in lives like this.  ...

Nshima is the staple food I've seen with most Zambian meals, it's made with ground maize and has texture like mash potato. They cook it here outside which is really cool, using big pots over the fire. This is me attempting to help prepare it, they make it look easy but it takes a lot of strength to pound and stir it!

At the weekends I have been going into town, visiting the markets and walking through the streets. I love seeing all the colourful fabrics on sale in little stalls, and the many fruits and nuts for sale also. I'm told that soon it will be mango season and there will be many for sale wherever you go! Women selling fruit often do so from a basket on their head. The markets also have livestock but it seems that a lot of animals aren't kept in pens but are free to roam around wherever they can. It's common to see a pig or a few chickens wandering close by as you walk near the villages!

Today I went with a small team into Makululu compound to visit local people and schools. The photo has me with a group of ladies who are part of a little bible study group. We sat outside their houses for a session of talking and praying with them, as well as playing with a big group of children who gathered to see us. We visited schools in the area, talking to 14-16 year olds about a new youth program. I got to see a lot of the compound as we walked through it, a society so different to anything I know at home! I'm still getting used to the dusty roads and simple bare houses which make up this community, and the scene always sprinkled with the bright colours and prints of Zambian clothing.

Here is me playing the flute with a couple of German girls who are students with OM, found helpful friends for music stands! It was a lovely surprise to find people with instruments and music which I could join in with. I may be playing in a worship in some services here at some point as well.

In my first week here lots has been happening! I've visited a few different OM school ministries around Kabwe. On Monday I went to Mercy house where children from Makalolo compound can go for classes and meals. The area has very basic mud brick houses and dusty roads, humbling to see how places like this school make a big difference. I've also spent time at Bethesda school, working with disabled children from the community- singing, reading bible stories, eating peanut butter, squishing playdough, all sorts of fun! I'm excited to get to know them all more and continue working with the staff. The photo is of a primary school which I got to visit yesterday, they were playing games which had African songs to go with them- I'll have to learn more Bemba language and then teach people at home! It's so nice to be staying with other OM workers and Christian students here, I've made a lot of friends over shared meal times and people in the nearby flats are so welcoming....

If you would like to pray for me, a few requests are 1) to get good sleep, as the heat and crickets can make this difficult 2) that I would get used to working in the ministry with disabled children and learn how to help in the best way I can 3) to continue to stay healthy as I have food and water which I'm not used to and work in communities with only basic sanitation

So after many hours of flying and taxiing through Zambia, I am finally here at the OM base. It's has a training college for the local students doing Christian discipleship and I'm staying in one of the dorms. So far I'm just been settling in, figuring out how to sleep inside mosquito net and such things. Later I'll be taken round the area and told a bit more about what I'll be getting up to. The photo is my bedroom window view, lots of interesting plants and fruit trees in the grounds. The journey here went really well. I managed getting through the airports and sorting out my arrival visa without any issues, which is such a blessing!