Muli Shani

Muli shani!  I fall even further behind with the lack of internet here in Zambia, we've only just got it sorted! YAY!  From now until I finish updates about Europe you shall get some Zambia and some Europe in a post I think.  A brief update:  We have arrived safely in Zambia, we had minimal questions as we went through the airport which was great.  We’ve received a warm welcome from the locals and fellow OM missionaries.  There have been no snake sightings. Yay!  I was so grateful to find that our accommodation has a flushing toilet, not only one but three of them (a bit of an excess in a two bedroom flat).  Also we have wonderful insect nets on the windows which have meant less bugs then I was expecting, much to my delight.  We have however had ants and termites, I have commenced my war on the ants with the boiling water.  Mwa ha ha ha ha.  We’ll see who wins.  So far it seems to have been fairly successful.   

Kilaminjaro from the plane, Jono loves it!

Arriving into Lusaka

Us arrived and headed to Kabwe in the minivan

It’s felt a bit of name/information overload thus far.  Last weekend we had a pretty relaxed weekend thankfully, feels like the first time out we’ve had in quite sometime.  Nshima (local food, maize flour mixed with water to form a paste) isn’t as bad as I was expecting so long as you have it with gravy/sauce, it would be rather bland/unpleasant on it’s own.  They have some nice nuts, they call them ground nuts, they look and taste suspiciously like peanuts to me.  We've had a few hot days, quite a change from England where I was wearing thermals most days.  The other day I’ve needed my cardi and was still cold at times – I wasn’t expecting that. 

I’ve been touched here by how prayerful people are, they pray often.  It’s awesome.  Hopefully it’ll rub off onto me.  It’s incredible how a group of about 30 Zambians plus 10 or so others sound a whole lot louder singing worship songs than a church of about 2-300 in New Zealand.  It took a few days before I saw the Africa I had been expecting, the extremely pothole ridden roads (so glad we have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, we’ve been loaned) and the children with clothes that have holes in them, and that appeared unwashed.  

We have been blessed to have the car as I meantened earlier - it's a little quirky.  We had some seat belt issues, where the belt wouldn't come out of the hole.  The windscreen wiper on the left is missing the blade so it's just a metal bit.  But the thing that tops the quirkiness is that it beeps, every two-three minutes, and if you dont push this part of the car (button, but it's not) the alarm goes off, this happens even when you are driving, so Jono has to multitask.

We've ventured to Bethesda – the ministry I’ll be doing some work with. It was moving to hear the vision for the place, and to see the children with disabilities coping as best they can.  Today they had a community disability day to raise awareness for disabilites here.  Quite often people with disabilities here are seen as a curse and therefore hidden away.  We've been to a couple of ‘normal’ schools one in the Nakoli community, the other in Makwati community.  We interacted a bit with the children, they are meant to be in junior school (age 5-8), to me (I’m not a teacher) it seemed like they were doing very basic things maybe at about an age 5 range.  I’d heard that schooling wasn’t very good here, I guess sadly that seems to be the case.  

Jono reading to some locals

Wheelchair race at the Community disability day

March to raise awareness

 Now to something completely different . . . Paris – ‘the home of romance’ but only if you like the smell of urine.  Leaving Amsterdam was particularly difficult after King/Queen day as all the people that had decended upon Amsterdam were also trying to leave. 

This is a picture from Amsterdam as we were leaving . . . 

I was obedient and did not board the imaginary train, though I was sorely tempted to

 On the way we went through Brussels in Belgium amongst other places.  However Brussels is particularly noteworthy as from the train looking out the window as we approached – I inadvertinately looked down into what appeared to be the red light district, and was shocked to see ladies in the window trying to seduce men inside.  Another alarming thing, we ventured outside (as we had about an hour there) only to find a man using one of the street urinals previously mentioned in the Amsterdam post.  That was enough venturing for me, so I slunked back to the train station to comfort myself with Belgium truffles and a hot chocolate – seriously good, don’t quite meet the Sprugli quality, but would definitely run in second, and at less then half the price.  Happy Karlyn.  From there we went on a fast train to Paris.  I’ve decided my husband is particularly cute when it comes to things like planes and trains (especially ones that go really fast, or are double decker) he morphs into this big child, and gets so excited.  Like I said cute.  Hmm maybe that’s TMI (for the non gen x/y ers that's 'too much information').  

 

We started with the Louvre.  Being not much of a history buff I found this place huge, there’s so much to see, and I got a bit of museum fatigue.  Mwap mwap, couldn’t even complete a whole museum.  Other than the Mona Lisa, the area I probably most enjoyed was seeing the Egyptian artifacts.  But once you got into that area, it was particularly difficult to find the ‘hidden’ exits.  

Us plus the Louvre

Some random picture everyone was taking pictures of . . .

A famous thing

And another

Me trying to look tough, I think I look more constipated . . .

I guess I'll obey and not ride on the side of the escalator to plummit to death way down below!

Egyptian stuff

We went to see Notre dame, awesome stained glass windows.  Unfortuantely the queue up to the tower was long, and did not appear to be moving at all, so we decided to flag the tower.  

I want a chandelier like this, please Jono??

Side view, I think it's pretty awesome from most angles

 Next up was the arc de triumph, awesome views, but I think the highlight was watching the cars navigate the roundabout, but especially the brave brave albeit foolish people who crossed with Grandma, but left her in the dust to navigate the oncoming vechicles alone.  

I go down the stairs to get to the top? How does that work?

Foolish people

What's causing all this chaos?  Mr cyclist!

 La piece de resistance – the Eiffel tower, Jono hadn’t seen it at night, so in the evening it was, although it was still pretty light.  

Part of the view

Night time, pretty sweet view

We also ventured towards the gold topped thing that Jono was attracted to. 

The gold topped thing, object of Jono's desire

 I had thought that frogs legs were a French speciality, but having looked at many menus I couldn’t find them anywhere, so no frogs legs for me.  We had many croissants and a couple of crepes, I guess they are meant to be specialites here – Sorry France, but Thailand do your specialities better than you do!

 4^th form French came in useful once again when I ordered lunch – Je voudrais une hotdog sil vu plait, which to my delight received a tres bon from the waiter.  Sorry Paris, salvordors in Te Awamutu for the win, by miles.  

@Catherine Miller - a new way for you to get around at work AKA Police on bikes

Us going for our 'romantic stroll' by la river urine

Paris on the food front on the whole disappointing.  I had the worst hot chocolate I’ve ever paid for here.  So bad I (and either of my Dads) can make a better one at home.  

Prayer thanks

- We've had safe travel, and good health

- The entry into Zambia went well, both getting through customs etc and meeting with the people collecting us

- We've settled in fairly well I think so far 

Prayer requests

- Continued safety as we travel, the roads here are particularly bad, and the cars dont seem to be very well maintained.

- For Jono's foot to heal, he seems to keep aggravating it.  

- For the Bethesda ministry that I'll be working with.  

- For Jono's role/opportunities that match his giftings.  

- That we'll connect well with locals and fellow missionaries

- That our work permits and my physio registration will be sorted out quickly

- For us to continue to make God highest priority then our marriage