Sunday 24^th February – Saturday 2^nd March

Sunday

Today was our first time at Ndola Christian Fellowship, the church based at MFA. Natalie and Jo did a possible mission scout of the Sunday school where Jo got covered in paint as the children made handprints. The others enjoyed a powerful sermon from a guest speaker. The rest of the day we relaxed and Jim, Tim and Jo did a cycle ride around the local area. Tim led a great Bible Study for us in the evening.

Monday

Day off! After a slow start to the day we headed into the town for a bit of market haggling (or attempted) and Internet café. Jim lent a helping hand down at Isubilo tiling the new bathroom block, which needs to be finished soon to enable more funding.

 

Tuesday

We all split up today with Natalie and Jim cycling into Kamfinsa for ‘Hut to Hut’, while Jan, Tim and Jo went into town for the weekly food shop. However on the way the 'shoppers' got stopped at a police checkpoint where people from immigration were checking passports. We didn’t have ours on us and so one of us had to stay behind while the others went off to find them. This turned out to be Jo who was taken into a small building on the side of the road to wait. Tim and Jan arrived back home and realised they didn’t have the safe key, (It was with Jim 45 minute drive away). They managed to reach Jim (a miracle in itself as usually there is no phone signal) and called them back from hut to hut (after only visiting one hut). Meanwhile Jo was still in the makeshift jail and by the grace of God far more chilled than the rest of the team! An hour and a half later the passport was presented, glanced at by the policeman and Jo was released. No worse for wear.

That afternoon we had our first lecture on being thankful in every situation, good or bad, for it is all in Gods plan. God definitely has a sense of humour and great timing!

Wednesday

Today started off with a cycle to farm fresh and we were put to the task of digging over a vegetable patch, African style! After a number of laughs at Natalie and Jo from the Zambians, they showed us how to correctly use the hoe and we made progress (panono panono – slowly but slowly). Jim however was a machine with the hoe and put us all to shame! We were definitely thankful for the cold, cloudy morning and tried to put what we learnt yesterday into practise as we thanked God for our sore muscles.  After getting a delicious lunch of Nshima and Chinese cabbage with a scrummy egg and tomato sauce to power us through the rest of the day we cycled back home

Upon arrival it was a quick shower to remove some of the soil we had tipped over ourselves and straight out to Isubilo. Here the team attempted to teach the kids rounders, Tim got sweaty playing football, Natalie and Jan tackled through some tough puzzles, Jim hid in the toilets tiling again and Jo was introduced to the medical clinic and some gruesome wounds, which she told everybody about during dinner that night!!

Thursday

Tim and Jan headed back to Kamfinsa to run a cell group. They led an enjoyable Bible Study on Ephesians in a Zambian hut with 16 people crammed into a tiny space. Meanwhile Jim carried on with the tiling at Isubilo and Jo and Natalie after getting a tiny bit lost eventually made it to St Anthony’s to  play with some of the orphans. We also visited Masala market in search of some vegetables and soon got chatting with some of the ladies on the stalls. The beginnings of some relationships were forming with free cooking tips for some funky looking mushrooms!! (No hallucinations were to be had that evening I can assure you. An elephant really did share dinner with us!)

Our lecture in the afternoon was by Marcie, "the sex lady", who gave us a great talk about HIV/AIDS and some valuable cultural advice.

 

Friday

Today was our first day out with Lifeline and to Chipulukusu, the second poorest township in Ndola. Natalie, Tim and Jan spent their time with the children at the playgroup, playing games, reading stories and danced (sharna sharna). While Jim and Jo headed out into the huts with a guide to visit some families affected by AIDS. We swept and scrubbed their house and washed up the plates with no soap. We then visited an elderly lady who was extremely unwell. She was covered from head to toe in open, infected sores and was just waiting to die. It was distressing to see.

In the afternoon we headed to St Anthony's orphanage again, where a new tiny baby had arrived who was extremely malnourished. We were told he was 5 months old, but looked and weighed like he was only a couple of weeks instead and newborn clothes were still too big for him. A difficult day all round.

Saturday

We had an amazing day at Kamfinsa running a family fun day. There were lots of kids, chaos, dancing (Ou cou sharna), football, laughter, games and bubbles. Not forgetting being able to feed around about 150 children and adults who might not necessarily have had anything for lunch at all. Was a great time to really bless the community and a great end to the week.

Prayer Points

• The elderly lady who we visited with Lifeline, for her health, energy and company.
• The young baby boy at St Anthony's (nicknamed Elijah) that we see recovery and happiness comes back into his life, with lots of beautiful smiles.
• Pastor Albert's health, he has been suffering lately from angina and a few other complaints that are causing a lack of energy.
• The woman in Masala market, that they will be receptive to us and relationships continue to develop.
• General health for the team.