Last Few Days in Mongu and Sports Day with Kambule

Wow our time in Mongu has flown by, yesterday we did yard work and cleaned up around outside, and then went to a bonfire with kids from Kids Alive orphanage. It was a good night, lots of laughing and singing. We did a skit, and shared testimonies and songs and they taught us songs as well.

 Today I went to an orphanage with two other girls to visit some kids and then we had a sports day with the high school and when I say sports I mean volleyball and basketball. Volleyball is a huge thing here and I am very thankful because volleyball is my favourite, apart from soccer which they call football here hahaha. Last night we didn’t get back from the bonfire until 10ish and ate dinner at 10:30-11. We are all tired and I am pretty sure my nose is permanently sunburnt lol. No matter how much sunscreen I put on it, it still has pink spots all over it. Ahhh hahaha anyways tomorrow we are taking an overnight bus for 8 hours to Lusaka and then another bus for 5 hours to Choma which will be our home for the next week.  See ya!!!

 

PS. Omgoodness I FOUND CANDY. I have been writing in my journal and eating candy for the past 30 min so maybe I should stop ahhaahaha. Zambia has amazing bread and sugar  (sugar cane oh ya) and peanut butter but Canada has the best junk food I have to admit.

2^ND Ps. So all is well, I have been kept healthy however Ben our team leader has been sick for a few days now and has missed a lot of the trip L so prayers would be appreciated.  And hahha my skin is so itchy from the sun and the sand ahhaa, it will be so wierd to have clean feet. I wash them about 3-4 times a day but the dirt does not stay away! Ahhah kk peace!

Oh and currently it is Sunday morning, it is a little chilly this morning and the sun is out and the breeze is nice too. I can't believe we are already leaving Mongu today and headed to Choma, ahhhh I don't want to leave our house here it has become home. I am sure we will have a blast in Choma. Hopefully I will be able to stay for the whole service today and not be the fainting disaster I was last week hahha.

Back to the Village and Kamule School

Today we went back to the Village in the morning and handed out some dolls that Ben’s church had knitted. The kids were very greatful, we found the familiar faces that we had connected with over the few days we stayed there last week. Also at the village, I found Joy (mgamba) and Esther and their mother Mondae and had an amazing time. Laughing and playing with my daughter here Esther, who is actually 3 not 7 hahaha, and baby joy clung to me laughing and laughing. Their mother Mondae is beautiful and a wonderful mother, she is 19, so my age so we were able to talk with one another. My goal is to make it back here someday because I cant be so far from this family. They are so amazing and tears filled my eyes as Esther followed me smiling and laughing as I kept trying to explain I was leaving. She gave me a big wave and a laugh, even though she does not do either ever, it was amazing. I get to see them on Sunday for the last time until I don't know when. Gahhhhhhhhh.

This afternoon we went to another highschool, Kambule, we did a bible teaching, some testimony and listened to a few testimonies of the kids. We asked them to sing us a worship song, and a boy got up and sang so beautifully, when they all sang together, with all the harmonizing, we were surprised there were no instruments are involved. I was able to show Jared (a boy there) how to play guitar and talk with a lot of the teen girls about dating hahahaah. I am pretty sure they only know me as Sarah, 19, has a boyfriend and wants to marry in a couple years. ahhahaha They are such teenagers. They told me their dreams and ambitions, Priscilla told me she wanted to be a doctor and loves to play sports, sing and model. Claudia does modelling and singing. I just love them all so much.

Afterwards there were a lot of sports, volleyball and basketball and just talking to the kids/young adults and got to know them. They are all eager and loving and welcoming here.

Right now the team is just having fellowship, playing guitar and singing together. I always love this time of night, singing together and just being a family. We had a good dinner tonight and yeah.. Anyways I am being beckoned for our debrief tonight. So talk to you later!!

Mongu House

Sorry that I haven’t been updating as much. Yesterday was our day off, and myself and three of the other girls got our hair braided. It took 9 hours, and these ladies work so fast. Every single strand of our heads are braided. There is so much hair on my head I don’t even know what to do. They had to put extensions to make my hair thicker. Anyways there were lots of  laughs with the girls who were our age and a little older. There was one baby named joy that I had clung to my hip for the majority of the day. So cute, she just murmured and laughed so hard when I swung her around. She sat contently in my lap for a couple hours while she played with a comb and cooed when I stroked her cheeks. I loved it. My best friend that I have met, Karen, was the one who did my hair and we laughed and laughed together. We danced together all of  us ladies in the shelter and it was a great day. When we were done we all crammed into the SUV, all 11 of us in a 7 man car (this is not illegal here, seatbelts do not exist in most vehicles either) and we just laughed and the speed bumps here could take your head off after continually slamming them in the car.

Today it was our first day teaching in the schools with Scripture Union. We were in the classroom of grades 10,11 and 12. We were supposed to be teaching about HIV/AIDS but while we are here we are working with peer educators and we are not in that section of their program. However we did preach, worship and dance and sing with the class, and took them out to play games. We got to know one another and it is clear how God worked through this day. Amen

A prayer request would be for Ben, he is very sick and needs healing. He has been an amazing help to all of us, an amazing man of God and needs restoration of strength. Thanks.  :)

Church in Zambia!

Today Hilary and Zach got up to run with Lucky (our host and close friend) to go for a run, and I (Sarah) got up a little while later. We found that the altitude difference is really evident, seeing as were are up 1100m from what we are used to in Canada and its a little harder to breathe sometimes. Our bodies are taking a while to get used to it.

Today the team was split into two groups to go to the different churches, being involved in the main service, Sunday school and youth programs.  The report was that Ben did an exceptional job preaching at the church he went to and Dave threw the translator off when he started speaking in Silozi haha. The other group enjoyed their church service as well, they were able to play some songs ect, before I (sarah) blacked out for a few minutes due to lack of rest. So I have been laying low for a while. Leah and I would appreciate some prayer as our bodies need rest and Leah is still having stomach problems. However the church services were both wonderful, about 2.5 hours long and no one noticed.  Lots of singing and dancing and joy.

The team got back and ate and fell asleep. I don’t know if I have mentioned how different the days are here. They are long and very hot, today has been exceptionally hot. It has been a struggle to find water today because all the stores are closed due to the fact it is Sunday. The rest of the team other than a couple have gone to do games, sharing testimony and etc with the youth at the church as well as play volleyball. The rest of the day will probably consist of getting much needed rest and some team building and prayer. Talk to you all tomorrow!

I am very tired, not sick so don't get worried Luke 10:18-20 "And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and all over the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" I refuse to let sickness interfere with this trip, God has sustained me so far and I have no doubt he will carry me through without any sickness. I do not accept sickness into my body because we do not serve a God of sickness, we serve a God of healing. Oh to have the faith to move mountains. But Jesus says a little faith goes a long way. I feel ya , I feel ya. 

This has been the most lifechanging experiences I have ever had, I have never been changed so much and I feel the change in my faith everyday. The way I look at things are different and I am experiencing a trust in God that I have never had before. When your only choice to run to God is present, you do nothing but change. I am so joy filled and so happy to be here now, my anxieties and worries gone. Even when I fainted, the Lord put in my head  "My love endures forever, and I am good and faithful." I wasn't scared at all, I kept saying to myself, "God you are good, you are faithful, your love endures forever" And Ashley helped me out of the room outside and the Pastor prayed over me. It was an amazing experience. God does heal and he is good. I am so blessed to be on this trip and it is the hardest thing I have ever had to do emotionally and physically and definitely spiritually. GOD IS FAITHFUL. He is the hope and everything I live for. 

Miss everyone! xoox