Caterpillars :(

We arrived back in Ndola today. We did not go through the Congo this time but took the long way through Zambia. There were not as many potholes in the roads; therefore, it was a much more enjoyable ride than the one through the Congo. Nothing much more to report than the fact that the fuel crisis is not over. The outer reaches of Zambia still do not have fuel; therefore, we had to carry 35 liters of fuel in containers in the back of our truck. Even with all that fuel, we barely had enough to make it back to Ndola.

One thing that you realize is that there are no guarantees in Zambia. Even the simplest activities are adventures. In other news, it is caterpillar season. I don’t just mean that you see caterpillars everywhere. I mean that it is time to harvest and eat them. I have had them before, and I don’t want them again. Caterpillars were being sold all along the road in rural Zambia and now they are showing up in the markets in Ndola. For some reason they are a delicacy in Zambia.

A Day in Samfya

My day spent in Samfya was very enjoyable. There are four American missionaries here; therefore, it was very fun to converse with them. I spent the day talking to them about life in Samfya and talking to their education coordinator. The education coordinator and I had a pleasant time exchange ideas.

Samfya life is a lot different from Ndola life. Their power and water supply is sporadic, and the missionaries have to drive an hour and a half just to go to the grocery store. Their grocery store is not as good as mine and is missing many basic necessities. I am definitely lucky to be living in Ndola where I can get most anything I need.

The missionaries house is located in one of the most beautiful places in Zambia that I have seen. It sits on top of a bluff that overlooks the lake. Last night we sat outside eating our dinner and watched the storms form over the lake. A night like that is a welcome break from the city life of Ndola. In all it has been a very productive and relaxing trip. The guys here are doing so much to transform the town of Samfya. Whether it is helping the people start farms or grow chickens or providing educational supplies, there are constant projects focussed on raising the quality of life in Samfya.

Through the Congo to Samfya

Today I arrived in Samfya safely. My traveling companion is a guy named Mysheck Fefelo. He is in charge of coordinating the church activities for the Jubilee Center. We left Ndola at 6:30 in the morning and headed toward the Congo. We debated for a while whether to take the way through the Congo because it can be very troublesome for Americans. Luckily, I have a Zambian work permit that looks like a Zambian passport; therefore, the Congolese think that I am Zambian.

In fact, one immigration officer asked me if I was Zambian and of course I told him yes. Mysheck started telling the people that I was a Zambian raised in the USA. The trick for getting through the Congo is to smile and become good friends quickly with the immigration officers. It is ridiculous how many people you have to pay to go through there. There are literally four people in a line, and you have to visit everyone one of them while they look at your passport. Then you have to hand them anywhere from $1-2. They just put the money in their pocket and don’t give you a receipt. Knowing that I am American they know I have money; therefore, their price goes up. Mysheck and I therefore always let him pay. When anybody asked for money from me, I would always say, “No money.” and then point at Mysheck. Of course I had wads of money in my pockets, but if they saw that we were in trouble.

The border towns (see pictures) are crazy places. Everybody is trying to sell you something, or they are always wanting to wash your car. I literally had a guy come up to me and ask me if I wanted to go window shopping. I said no to his question at which time he told me that window shopping is going to look for a girl with whom to have sex. In response I just looked at him like I did not understand. (The dumb look always works when you are in a foreign country.) The spread of HIV/AIDS was exacerbated because of border towns such as these. The towns are know to have a high percentage of people with the disease, and when men, truck drivers especially, come through unfortunately many of them have sex with the girls. Many of the truck drivers have to spend three or four days at the borders waiting to cross the border; therefore, their likelihood of the disease increases with their sexual activity. In turn when they leave, they spread the disease to other parts of Zambia/Africa. It is a very unfortunate situation.

When you cross into the Congo, nothing changes except that you drive on a dirt road instead of a paved one. To imagine it just think driving down a dirt road through a forest for two hours with houses like the one shown in clusters or communities. The one noticeable change is that you do have drive on the right hand side of the road instead of the left. It is weird to switch in the middle of your journey. The Zambian countryside is just like the Congo- forest with brick huts in communities. Seeing rural Zambia makes you appreciate what you have. Though they mostly can’t access them, the urban poor at least have some conveniences around them. The rural poor have NOTHING around them.

Safya is interesting because it is adjacent to a huge lake; therefore, it is a fishing town. In a land locked country like Zambia the lake surprises you. The name of the lake is Lake Bangeweulu, which literally means "where the water meets the sky." The lake is very odd in the fact that you can not tell the difference between the water and the sky. They are both the same color, and it is very hard to distinguish the two. Many Zambians have never seen a lake this size and marvel at it. The sad thing is that because there are no fishing regulations, the lake has been overfished. It is a peaceful place though. Because it is much smaller and less hectic than Ndola the Zambian pace (a.k.a the slow pace) is much more distinct here. That’s it for now. I will be sure to write more about my travels around the Zambian countryside.

Police Frustrations

Today was a frustrating day. Most of the day went very well. I was able to play some good tennis at night and was very productive at work. On the way home someone hit my car from behind. It was not too bad of an accident, but my back bumper was destroyed and my trunk will not close because of the crash. Luckily, I was traveling with two Zambians; therefore, they talked to the people and took care of the logistics. The other driver admitted fault and was very nice. He did not want to report the accident to the police and would pay to have it fixed. I said that we needed to report it, and my Zambian friends agreed. It was the right decision and I would make the same decision again, but that does not mean that I don’t regret it.

It took ONE HOUR for the police to come to the accident. We had to rent a cab, go to the police station, come back and still wait on the police officer. When she finally got there, she gave us a sob story about how she was hungry and breast feeding; therefore, she needed a coke and a doughnut in order to do her job properly. I told the guys that that was ridiculous, but they said that we had to do it to make her happy and make sure everything went ok. After she came to the scene, we then had to drive back to the police station and wait for thirty more minutes while she wrote up the police report. It was a two and a half hour ordeal. I was never mad at the guy who hit me, but that police lady sure did get my blood boiling. My Zambians friends say that it is like this every time you deal with the police.

One of my favorite Zambian stories is told by Martha Temfwe, Lawrence’s wife. A long time ago when their boys were young and Lawrence was in the states, a couple of robbers came to the house. All the doors and gates were locked; therefore, the robbers could not enter the house. Knowing that they were safe inside the house Martha instinctively called the police and told them the situation. The police promptly asked her if she could go outside, get in her car, and come pick them up because they did not have any gas in their cars. Martha hung up the phone and waited for the robbers to leave. Zambia oh Zambia what will we do with you!

Time to Travel

It is time for me to see the rural parts of Zambia. I am traveling tomorrow with a couple of people from the Jubliee Centre to Samfya, Zambia to observe some ministry projects we have in the northern part of Zambia. It should be fun to say the least. There should be a lot of wilderness, and we travel over the longest bridge in Zambia. If you look at the locations of Ndola and Samfya, you will see that it saves time if you pass through the Democratic Republic of Congo. Therefore, on the way there we will do just that. It will definitely be an adventure because the guards at the Congo have been known to give Americans trouble. If you know anything about the DRC, to say that it is a lawless piece of land is a very accurate statement. This will be my first time through the DRC so we will see how it goes. Hopefully, I can get through with no hassle. I will be sure to take lots of pictures and upload them when I return. Until then I am off to the bush.....

Gas Is Back!

Well, the gas crisis has ended in Ndola. As quickly as it came, it went away. It was anticlimactic and disappointing. I wanted the drama, but I guess no drama is better than waiting a day in line for gas.

In other news, I went to a new church service by myself yesterday. The only problem was that I did not know this service was only in Bemba (the tribal language) . Therefore, I sat on a wooden bench for three hours listening to a language I don't know. I tried to pick out the words that I do know- Jesus, grace, hello, thank you, etc.... There was one song that continually said "Thank you, Jesus!" I was pumped to understand! All the other times I have to be honest, but I zoned out. The one time they did speak in English was when they had the guests stand up. At which time they said, "I see one in the back. Let's have all of our guests stand up as we greet them." I am pretty sure they said that in Bemba before they said it in English. But when I did not move, they decided to use English to get a response out of me. Well, here is to visiting a church next week that I can understand. Peace and love!

Rain :)

We had a teacher training session today (they happen every Wednesday and Thursday). Today's topic was Rules, Consequences, and Procedures: How to Run an Efficient Classroom. The session went really well. Sometimes during the week I have a tendency to get discouraged about the work I am doing. In my opinion it is a natural thing, but at the same time you have to be aware of the difference that you are making. I realize that difference when I am delivering the sessions to the teachers. You can see the light bulbs start to flicker. That is always a good feeling. At the same time, we have to take this learning in the session and put it into practice in the classroom. It is useless unless we see changes in the classroom.

For example, today's lesson went great. They are understanding the concepts of how to create effective rules and procedures. At the same time the basis of the lesson is that effective rules and procedures create efficiency in the classroom which in turn creates more teaching time. The Zambian culture is not based upon efficiency though. It is the exact opposite; therefore, I am not only teaching a new concept, but a counter-cultural one at that. That is why follow up is so important for these lessons.

Today, we faced a new challenge- the rainy season. When it rains it pours here and it poured today. The rain season starts this week and continues until the end of March. I have included a video of what the rain is like. It is INTENSE! I don't believe the video does it justice. I was literally yelling at the top of my lungs to be heard by the teachers because the roofs are tin and there is no insulation. All of the teachers were also having to sit on one side of the classroom because the rain was coming through the windows on the opposite side. TIA- This is Africa!