In Zambia

Well, I have safely arrived in Ndola. The flights were long and tiring. The only problem that I had with the flights was that I still don’t have one of my checked pieces of luggage. Therefore, I am going to start a day counter for how long it takes for my bag to get to me in Zambia. We are now at day 3. Will it be five days before my bag gets here? 10 days? 15 days? Place your bets now because it is only part of the adventure.

I went to church yesterday with the Temfwes. (The Temfwes are the family that runs the organization for which I am working). I will describe the church more later, but after the service a man came up to me and asked if I was the developer of the new soccer stadium. David Temfwe, Lawrence Temfwe’s son, politely told him that I was not. David said that he asked that because I dress nicely and look like a developer. I don’t know what to do with that. Am I supposed to dress down so that I don’t look as much like a foreign business man? Oh the cultural complexities that I encounter.

I am in a little bit of a transition time right now. The house I will be staying in is not ready yet; therefore, for the time being David Temfwe and I are staying in a guest house used by the Jubilee Centre. My house should be ready in a couple of weeks. This week the Jubliee Centre is hosting a conference to train churches on the use of the AWANA curriculum in their respective children’s ministries. Therefore, this is not a normal work week because most of the staff is helping with that conference. What is normal though? These first weeks are built in as a learning time for me; therefore, I will be observing the conference and the other ministries that the Jubilee Centre runs regularly throughout the week such as their youth outreach clubs. Near the end of the week I may be able to start meeting with a couple of the local schools with whom I will hopefully be working. I will also be setting up my life here i.e. setting up my finances, buying furniture and items for the house, and setting up my cell phone. This is Africa though so you never know what will happen. Right now I am waiting to be picked up to go to the office. It is 10:15 am. I was supposed to be picked up at 9 a.m. That’s life as I know it though. So far the time issue has not been a big deal for me. Hopefully, it will continue that way.

On Friday, Lawrence and I are going down to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, to get my work permit so that I can be “official.” It is a huge blessing that it went through. Have to go but more to come about my first week of life in Zambia.